Network Inspection

The gat inspect command provides diagnostic tools for examining network structure, validating data quality, and debugging power system models before running analysis.

Overview

gat inspect helps you:

• Validate imports — Verify network data was imported correctly
• Debug issues — Find missing generators, disconnected buses, or data problems
• Explore models — Understand network topology before running analysis
• Script automation — Export network data as JSON for custom workflows

Commands

gat inspect summary

Show high-level network statistics:

gat inspect summary grid.arrow

Output includes:

• Bus count and voltage level distribution
• Branch count by type (lines, transformers)
• Generator count and total capacity (MW)
• Load count and total demand (MW)
• Network connectivity status

Example output:

Network Summary
───────────────
Buses:       14
Branches:    20 (17 lines, 3 transformers)
Generators:   5 (total capacity: 772 MW)
Loads:       11 (total demand: 259 MW)
Status:      Connected (1 island)

gat inspect generators

List all generators with their bus assignments and limits:

# List all generators
gat inspect generators grid.arrow

# Filter by bus
gat inspect generators grid.arrow --bus 1

# Output as JSON
gat inspect generators grid.arrow --format json

Options:

• --bus <BUS> — Filter generators by bus ID
• --format <FORMAT> — Output format: table (default) or json

Example output:

Generators
──────────
ID   Bus  Pmin (MW)  Pmax (MW)  Qmin (MVAr)  Qmax (MVAr)  Status
───  ───  ─────────  ─────────  ──────────   ──────────   ──────
G1   1    0.0        332.4      -10.0        10.0         Online
G2   2    0.0        140.0      -40.0        50.0         Online
G3   3    0.0        100.0      0.0          40.0         Online

gat inspect branches

List all branches with their endpoints and parameters:

gat inspect branches grid.arrow

Output includes:

• Branch ID and type (line/transformer)
• From/to bus IDs
• Impedance parameters (R, X, B)
• Rating and flow limits
• Tap ratio (for transformers)

gat inspect power-balance

Show power balance analysis comparing generation capacity to load:

gat inspect power-balance grid.arrow

Example output:

Power Balance Analysis
──────────────────────
Total Generation Capacity:  772.4 MW
Total Load Demand:          259.0 MW
Reserve Margin:             198% (513.4 MW)

Status: Adequate capacity for base case

This is useful for quick sanity checks before running OPF or reliability analysis.

gat inspect json

Export network data as JSON for scripting and automation:

# Compact JSON
gat inspect json grid.arrow

# Pretty-printed JSON
gat inspect json grid.arrow --pretty

# Pipe to jq for processing
gat inspect json grid.arrow | jq '.buses | length'

Options:

• --pretty — Pretty-print the JSON output with indentation

Use cases:

• Integration with Python/Julia scripts
• Custom analysis pipelines
• Data validation workflows
• Documentation generation

Diagnostic Workflows

Validate an Import

After importing a MATPOWER or PSS/E file, verify the data:

# Import the file
gat import matpower --m case118.m -o case118.arrow

# Check the summary
gat inspect summary case118.arrow

# Verify generator data
gat inspect generators case118.arrow

# Check power balance
gat inspect power-balance case118.arrow

Debug Convergence Issues

When power flow doesn't converge, inspect the network:

# Check for adequate generation
gat inspect power-balance grid.arrow

# Look for generators with unusual limits
gat inspect generators grid.arrow --format json | jq '.[] | select(.pmax < .pmin)'

# Export full data for detailed analysis
gat inspect json grid.arrow --pretty > grid_debug.json

Pre-flight Check Before Analysis

Before running OPF or contingency analysis:

# Quick validation
gat inspect summary grid.arrow
gat inspect power-balance grid.arrow

# If everything looks good, proceed
gat opf dc grid.arrow --out results.parquet

Related Commands

• Power Flow — Run power flow analysis
• OPF — Optimal power flow
• Convert — Convert between formats
• Import — Import network data