Transcript Distribution Automation Survey

Distribution Automation Survey
Presented at SWEDE Conference 2005
By Kevin Clark
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Purpose of Survey
Get input from the member utilities of SWEDE:
What are you doing and why?
What are some of the pitfalls?
What are the real world issues?
What are your future plans?
These revelations and more will be uncovered.
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Survey Participants
AE - Austin
CPS - San Antonio
AEP ERCOT
EPE - El Paso
AEP Outside ERCOT
PECI - Perdenales
CLECO - Louisiana
TNM - Tx New Mexico
CNP - Houston
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95 Questions
95 questions that covered many subjects:
Remote controlled PTS
Remote control of line reclosers
Loop sectionalizing
SCADA/Line Monitors
Communications
Installation & Maintenance
Master Station and Cost Benefits
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Remote Control Pole Top Switches
Utilities with “working” remote control PTS’s
AE - 6
CNP - 330
CPS - 24
PECI - 3
TXU - 78
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Remote Control Pole Top Switches
Most all RC switches had fault sensing capability,
but very few reported the magnitude.
The motor operator was either built-in or add-on.
Reasons for RC switches on circuits: customer
count, SAIDI, SAIFI, travel time, poor
performance, contingency switching, etc.
Location of RC switches on circuits: Midpoint,
circuit ties, at major branches, depends on the
situation.
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Remote Control Pole Top Switches
When are switches operated by Dispatcher:
Routinely, during emergencies, for circuit
lockouts, to transfer load.
A number of the RC switches also have fault
sectionalizing capability.
Problems: Batteries & charging, loss of
communications, diagnosing & reporting failures.
Benefits: Reduced outage time, customer
satisfaction, improved reliability.
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Remote Control Pole Top Switches
Future plans in 2005:
AE - 7
CNP - 20 to 40
CPS - 25
PECI - 10
TXU - 40 plus 36 in S&C intelli-team system
Plans for 2006 & beyond are similar to 2005.
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Overhead Line Reclosers
Reclosers with remote control:
AEP ERCOT - 10
CNP - 113
PECI - 40
TXU - 24
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Overhead Line Reclosers
Do dispatchers have the capability to do more than
trip or close? Yes, work tag, provide loading data,
provide number of operations, provide fault
current magnitude.
Pitfalls: Communications & SCADA, dispatchers
do not take advantage of device, some controls
have failed, cost of communications.
Benefits: Reduction in outage minutes, immediate
notification, load data, work tags, fault magnitude.
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Loop Sectionalizing
Number of circuits with loop sectionalizing:
AEP ERCOT - 6
AEP outside ERCOT - 8
CNP - 6
CPS - 1
EPE - 3
TXU - 3
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Loop Sectionalizing
Circuits are sectionalized in 1/2 or 1/3.
Where is LS implemented: various applications,
urban & rural, critical loads, for reliability.
Driver for how to break up circuit: customer
count, load, circuit topology, convenience.
How does it operate: Peer to peer, individual
settings, central controller.
Can the LS be deactivated remotely: Yes & no.
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Loop Sectionalizing
How do you figure the loading on the loop
sections: Predetermined, primary meters, field
measurements.
Does LS have the capability to disable itself if load
is too high: No or not enabled.
Account for temporary switching: Deactivated or
not a concern.
Does the substation breaker communicate with LS
devices: No
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Loop Sectionalizing
Problems with LS: Steep learning curve, the
timing gets off and opens some switches it
shouldn’t, dispatcher has no confidence and
deactivates scheme, equipment does not work
correctly, need more time to evaluate.
Benefits: Improved SAIDI, reduced outage time.
Future plans in 2005: AEP - $1mil, AEP outside $2 mil, TXU - 5 or 6.
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SCADA / Line Monitors
Most utilities installed fault indicators or line
monitors where you had to gather data onsite only.
CNP - Installs remote monitors where load data
was critical as well as getting info on fault location.
Communication is through radio & lease lines.
Sensors included PT’s & CT’s. Faulty data < 1%.
Problems: High cost. Benefits: More efficient
dispatching, load data. CNP future plans: None
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Communications
How do you communicate: Licensed radio, unlicensed radio, telephone wire, wireless, cell site,
telemetrics, satelite.
Future communications under consideration:
BPL, cellular, PLC, GPRS, fiber, broadband.
Problems: Trees & path obstructions, too many
technologies, bandwidth, weak signal, cellular
strength, chatter, high cost of satellite.
Rate stability 1-5: Results range from 2 - 5.
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Installation & Maintenance
How long does it take to install new field device &
make operational: EPE - 1 hour, PECI - 3 days,
CNP - 2 weeks, CPS - 9 hours, AE - 24 hours
cumulative work time, AEP - to one year.
Problems: Had to fabricate brackets to hold sensors
for motor operators, circuits were not ideal
candidates, needed a communications repeater & all
electric facilities were underground, misalignment
of switch blade, receivers out of reach of
transmitter, HMI software memory errors.
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Installation & Maintenance
Number of times that a device failed to operate:
CNP - 5%, TXU <5%
Separate maintenance program: Mostly no.
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Master Control System
Number of control consoles: 1 - 6, typically 3 -5.
Is info coming into master station available to other
individuals in company? Yes or unknown. Info is
used by planning, engineering or those with access.
Is info from master station tied into SCADA
network: mostly yes.
Is master station software supported internally or
externally: Mostly internally.
Addressing Cyber security issues: Yes and no.
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Cost Benefit Analysis
How do you evaluate the cust-mins saved on a circuit
with RC devices or loop sectionalizing:
AEP - historical outages & assumed fault distribution
CNP - Assume 30 mins on 12KV & 45 mins on 35 KV
What have been the savings to system SAIDI:
CNP - 2004 was 9.48 mins
Have you done a cost-benefit analysis for installation
of automation: AEP - Yes, based on the above.
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Remote Capacitor Controls
How do you remote capacitor controls:
EPE - 545, CNP - 200, TXU - starting in 2005
Communications: One-way radio, one-way paging
Software: RCCS, Cannon/Yukon software
Future Plans: EPE - expand to Las Cruces, CNP - full
coverage over next 8 yrs, TXU - 7,100 over 5 yrs
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Underground Network Systems
Do you remotely monitor underground network:
CNP - Pilot program w/ Eaton relays & Parijat
controlware using phone lines.
TXU - Yes, leased line system.
These systems do not interface with SCADA.
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Regulators
Do you have remote control on voltage regulators:
CNP - Yes, 1.
Purpose: To obtain load monitoring & voltage data,
but not really used.
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Conclusion
There is not as much distribution automation
installed as I might have expected.
A copy of all questions and responses is included in
the conference disk. It also includes the contact
person for each utility that responded if you have any
specific questions.
Any questions?
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