Power System Simulation service

A web-based Digital Twin platform for power-network simulation using SimBench and OpenDSS/pandapower networks.

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Project Structure

DT/
├── Backend/        # FastAPI REST API + simulation engine
├── Frontend/       # React + Vite web application
└── Conversion/     # OpenDSS → pandapower conversion pipeline (Nando_final)

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Prerequisites

Tool	Version	Notes
Python	3.10.11 (exact)	Backend & simulation pipeline
Node.js	18+	Frontend
Docker Desktop	latest	Runs the PostgreSQL database

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1 — Start the Database (Docker)

docker run -d \
  --name dtlab-postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=simbench \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=simbench \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=simbench \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  postgres:16

Default connection string: postgresql+psycopg2://simbench:simbench@localhost:5432/simbench
Configured in Backend/.env — edit if your credentials differ.

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2 — Backend

Install dependencies

cd Backend
pip install -r requirements.txt

Key packages:

Package	Version	Purpose
fastapi	0.136.1	REST API framework
uvicorn	0.46.0	ASGI server
pandapower	2.14.11	Power flow simulation
simbench	1.5.3	SimBench network loader
dss-python	0.12.1	OpenDSS engine
LightSim2Grid	0.10.3	Fast power flow solver
plotly	4.14.3	Interactive topology plots
SQLAlchemy	2.0.49	Database ORM
psycopg2-binary	2.9.12	PostgreSQL driver
python-jose	3.5.0	JWT authentication
numpy	1.26.4	Numerical computing
pandas	2.3.3	Data processing

Configure environment

Create or edit Backend/.env:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql+psycopg2://simbench:simbench@localhost:5432/simbench
JWT_SECRET_KEY=change-me-in-production
JWT_EXPIRE_HOURS=24
SEED_USER_PASSWORD=DtLab2025!

Run the backend

cd Backend
uvicorn main:app --reload --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

• API: http://localhost:8000
• Interactive docs: http://localhost:8000/docs

On first startup the backend automatically creates all database tables and seeds the default users.

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3 — Frontend

Install dependencies

cd Frontend
npm install

Run the dev server

npm run dev

App available at http://localhost:5173 (or the port printed in the terminal).

Build for production

npm run build

Key packages:

Package	Version	Purpose
react	19.2.0	UI framework
@tanstack/react-router	1.168.0	File-based routing
@tanstack/react-query	5.83.0	Server state
tailwindcss	4.2.1	Styling
recharts	3.8.1	Charts
lucide-react	0.575.0	Icons
sonner	2.0.7	Toast notifications

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4 — Conversion Pipeline

The Conversion/ folder contains the OpenDSS → pandapower conversion pipeline (Nando_final). It is invoked automatically by the backend when a user runs a conversion from the UI.

No manual setup is required beyond the Backend dependencies.

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Quick Start

1. docker run ...          ← PostgreSQL  (port 5432)
2. cd Backend && uvicorn main:app --reload --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
3. cd Frontend && npm run dev

Default login credentials (seeded on first backend startup):

Email	Password	Role
admin@dtlab.io	DtLab2025!	Admin
elena.marchetti@dtlab.io	DtLab2025!	Researcher
(other seeded users)	DtLab2025!	Student

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Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
DATABASE_URL	postgresql+psycopg2://simbench:simbench@localhost:5432/simbench	PostgreSQL connection string
JWT_SECRET_KEY	change-me-in-production	JWT signing key
JWT_EXPIRE_HOURS	24	Token expiry in hours
SEED_USER_PASSWORD	DtLab2025!	Default password for seeded users