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Distribution Automation. Spencer Murray, Sr. Telecom Eng. Why FortisAlberta choose Distribution Automation?. Reliability (SAIDI, SAIFI) Operational benefits: Load balancing between substations. Real-time load values of the system. Remote Switching Reducing Customer Outage time.
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Distribution Automation Spencer Murray, Sr. Telecom Eng.
Why FortisAlberta choose Distribution Automation? • Reliability (SAIDI, SAIFI) • Operational benefits: • Load balancing between substations. • Real-time load values of the system. • Remote Switching • Reducing Customer Outage time
FortisAlberta Restoration • Permanent short circuit (fault) occurs on a distribution feeder, all or some of the customers served by the feeder will experience a loss of power until field crews are able to restore service. • Field crew activities : • 1) Traveling to the general vicinity of the feeder fault, based on customer calls and feeder protective devices • 2) Patrolling the feeder to determine the exact location of the fault • 3) Isolate the damaged section by performing manual switching and restoring customers as quickly as possible. • 4) Repairing the damage • 5) Performing manual switching to restore the feeder to its original configuration. • This restoration can take 30 minutes or longer.
Distribution Automation Restoration • Distribution automation provides a means to perform activities 1 through 3 listed on the previous page. • With S&C Electric automated switches and the IntelliTeam software will restore some of the customers on the feeder in one minute or less. • The fault is isolated between two switches which decrease the patrolling and the restoration time. • Fewer customers are affected by the fault and the customers that are affect are restored quicker. This improves our customer satisfaction, SAIDI and SAIFI.
Our Obstacles: • No Control Center • No Communications Infrastructure • No Substation RTU • How do we know a switch operated or Normally Opened moved because of fault • How can we perform switching operations remotely?
Monitoring Control Application (MCA) • Requirements • Reported a switches status and also something we could use to operate the switches. • Accessible by our PLTs from their trucks because we have no control center. • Visual of the substation and real time load values of the feeders, but no control of anything in the sub.
Bow Networks • eLAn Front End Processor (FEP) • Acts as a SCADA master retrieving point data from the field devices • Issues control commands to the field devices • eLAN HMI • Provides a secure web-launch visualization of the field data • Provides a single line diagram of Airdrie and St. Albert • Universal DNP Gateway (UDG) • Collects real-time data from the GE D20’s in the substation
Communications: Switches • Airdrie DA • UtiliNet Radio 902-928Mhz • 9.6Kbps • Node Identification is a GPS coordinates • St. Albert DA • SpeedNet Radio 902-928Mhz • 650Kbps • Node Identification is a IP Address
Communications: Head End • HeadEnd Radio at the Service Point Office • Backhaul the data to master server where Bow Networks host our MCA for Airdrie and St. Albert • PLT’s all have a Laptop and EVDO modem in there truck which allows them to log on to the server.
Reliability • Airdrie DA installed late 2007 • 2008 • Only a couple of operations in the first year • Lots of adverse wind conditions in 2008 • 2009 • Added 2 new feeders from 186S Dry Creek sub in 2009 • We have had a couple of operations due to public contact and weather
Our Experiences • PLTs use it as a remote switching tool • PLT’s use it to look at loading conditions • New set of tools required for Metering Group • Radio’s • Ethernet Addressing • Training