Here are some additional thoughts aside from Yagna’s:
- PDEV is basically an output file of what is being reported in the progress window
ODEV is the prompt output file but you can include both PDEV output and ODEV output in just one output text file
- Given the bullets above, if this is reported in the progress window, why do you need to create an output file from PDEV/ODEV? Well, the progress window cuts its report, meaning it has line limitations. When that line limit is reached, it would cut the first reported lines so on and so forth until the simulations is completed, thus you can’t review all that has happened with and by the program. This is the reason why you need PDEV/ODEV output text log file.
- IMO, any analysis should review what is in the progress window or PDEV/ODEV. This is to ensure you simulated what you wanted and be able to catch some errors/mistakes, if any. You also want to review how the program responded or was prompted in your simulations. For example if you run a large deck of contingencies to several power flow cases, you would want to check if all contingencies converged or diverged or which case/contingency did not solve at all. Note that the ACCC output is just an output and may not show you what is in the progress report or PDEV/ODEV. You can use a text editor (I use crimson editor, again free but effective) to search for “error” or anything you would want to catch.
- For dynamic simulations, there’s a lot you want to review after the simulations. Are there initial condition suspects which are not acceptable like gen models, governor or excitation models? Are there user models which flagged errors or flags that can be ignored? Did the program prompted error during the fault of clearing or the fault? How the simulation was converging? Did you add a new model; you might want to check if there was no error after you added it. Etc, etc, etc. Again, search for the word “error” or “fault” for quick review.
- Lastly, any output (power flow or in dynamics) are just the surface of the meat. Go look what’s inside through PDEV/ODEV.