Until we viewed the demonstration of the SGI Origin 2000 server, we felt this was the only way we could offer a system with sufficient power to run our complex and comprehensive simulations. Built on a robust parallel computing architecture, it incorporates 25 years of Hydro-Qu bec expertise in analog power system simulation with the added advantage of a powerful graphical user interface. The speed of the simulation is equivalent to the speed of the phenomena occurring in the real power system. Hydro-Qu bec's System Control Centre. The benefits of the technology are numerous.
Cost savings are another advantage.
Furthermore, blackouts cost more than just the loss of electricity sales, points out Vallee. In order to achieve such valuable real-time simulation, the mathematical equations of a power system need to be computed in parallel. The tasks are then assigned to the computer in real time. SGI Origin 2000, based on a unique version of the ccNUMA architecture, is designed to provide the uninterrupted service and extremely high performance required by such an environment. It shortens the time cycle for testing from weeks to days, and it is able to simulate thousands of faults per day, analyzing them as tables or waveforms that can be displayed, printed, or saved in a text file.