H_Dict Structure

The h_dict (Hercules Dictionary) is the central configuration structure used throughout the Hercules simulation framework. It contains all simulation parameters, component configurations, and runtime state information. It is a nested dictionary with defined components.

Structure Overview

The h_dict is a Python dictionary that contains all the configurations for each plant component. The structure is designed to be flexible, allowing users to include only the components they need for their specific simulation scenario.

Complete H_Dict Structure

Key	Type	Description	Default
Simulation Parameters
dt	float	Time step size in seconds	-
starttime	float	Simulation start time in seconds	-
endtime	float	Simulation end time in seconds	-
step	int	Current simulation step	0
time	float	Current simulation time	starttime
Plant Configuration
plant	dict	Plant-level configuration	-
plant.interconnect_limit	float	Maximum power limit in kW	-
Optional Global Parameters
verbose	bool	Enable verbose logging	False
name	str	Simulation name	-
description	str	Simulation description	-
output_file	str	Output CSV file path	“outputs/hercules_output.csv”
time_log_interval	int	Logging interval in steps	-
log_every_n	int	Log every N simulation steps (default: 1)	1
external_data_file	str	External data file path	-
controller	dict	Controller configuration	-
Hybrid Plant Components

Wind Farm (wind_farm)

| component_type | str | Must be “Wind_MesoToPower” | | floris_input_file | str | FLORIS input file path | | wind_input_filename | str | Wind data input file | | turbine_file_name | str | Turbine configuration file | | log_file_name | str | Wind farm log file path | | logging_option | str | Logging level: “base”, “turb_subset”, or “all” |

Solar Farm (solar_farm)

| component_type | str | “SolarPySAMPVWatts” | | For SolarPySAMPVWatts: | | pysam_model | str | “pvwatts” | | solar_input_filename | str | Solar data file path | | system_capacity | float | DC system capacity in kW as defined by PVWatts - under Standard Test Conditions| | tilt | float | Array tilt angle in degrees (required) | | lat | float | Latitude | | lon | float | Longitude | | elev | float | Elevation in meters | | initial_conditions | dict | Initial power, DNI, POA |

Battery (battery)

Key	Type	Description	Default
component_type	str	“BatterySimple” or “BatteryLithiumIon”	Required
energy_capacity	float	Total capacity in kWh	Required
charge_rate	float	Maximum charge rate in kW	Required
discharge_rate	float	Maximum discharge rate in kW	Required
max_SOC	float	Maximum state of charge (0-1)	Required
min_SOC	float	Minimum state of charge (0-1)	Required
initial_conditions	dict	Contains initial SOC	Required
allow_grid_power_consumption	bool	Allow grid power consumption	False
roundtrip_efficiency	float	Roundtrip efficiency (BatterySimple only)	1.0
self_discharge_time_constant	float	Self-discharge time constant in seconds (BatterySimple only)	inf
track_usage	bool	Enable usage tracking (BatterySimple only)	False
usage_calc_interval	int	Usage calculation interval in seconds (BatterySimple only)	100
usage_lifetime	float	Battery lifetime in years (BatterySimple only)	-
usage_cycles	int	Number of cycles until replacement (BatterySimple only)	-

Electrolyzer (electrolyzer)

Key	Type	Description
initialize	bool	Initialize electrolyzer
initial_power_kW	float	Initial power in kW
supervisor	dict	Supervisor configuration
stack	dict	Stack configuration
controller	dict	Controller configuration
costs	dict	Cost parameters
cell_params	dict	Cell parameters
degradation	dict	Degradation parameters