An automatic clustering algorithm using factorisation tree for parallel power system simulation

Parallel simulation of power systems requires the system to be partitioned into subnetworks which are processed on individual processors. Maximum computational efficiency is achieved when the network is split such that each processor has an equal computational load. This paper proposes an automatic method of network partitioning which gives well balanced network splits, based upon an analysis of the factorisation tree for the system. The method also predicts the expected parallel speed-up for the split and allows the visualisation of large networks. A modified minimum degree minimum length node ordering algorithm is also presented which gives well balanced factorisation trees