Program 11

Software applications in this program may have been updated in the subsequent program. Please check here to see complete list of enhancements:

Engineering Analysis Software

Project 0 - Office 2007 Updates

Updates Excel-based DSTAR software to support Office 2007 roll-out. These updates are designed to replace the original program sheet in the same location.

Tagged: P0-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 1 - Anchor Corrosion Detection

Anchor corrosion is an electromechanically process that is fairly well understood. The elements and conditions that contribute to, and exacerbate corrosion are known to include soil resistivity, presence of leakage current, moisture, age, grounding, etc. Even though the process is well understood, it is not easy to predict or detect the formation of a corrosion cell. The most proven detection method has been to fully expose the steel shaft by removing the soil around the shaft to the depth of the concrete footing. To do this for all guy anchors would be prohibitively expensive, so an accurate, non-invasive method to test in-service guy anchors would be useful. The ultimate goal of this project is to identify methodologies to detect the degree of corrosion on in-service guy anchors. It examines the extent and nature of the anchor corrosion problem, researches the state of the art and future trends in corrosion detection and identification, and discusses ways to prevent and mitigate anchor corrosion.

Tagged: P1-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 2 - Voltage Flicker Issues Related to New Large Residential Loads

The voltage flicker from the starting of newer heat pumps, AC units and tankless water heaters may present a significant challenge to utilities. Solutions to this problem may include over-sizing transformers, increasing secondary conductor sizes, or reducing starting current through reduced voltage starts. Each of these solutions has its own trade-offs and some may be impractical to implement on existing services. Quite often customers do not understand and are unwilling to accept the additional cost involved with serving these types of loads. This project aims to characterize, through examples, the impact of the newest voltage flicker-causing loads such as large heat pumps and on-demand electric water heaters, and to explore mitigation measures that can be taken for new and existing customers. The result is a white paper which can be used to explain and justify the mitigation measures.

Tagged: P2-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 3 - Electronic Data Handbook (eHandbook) Expansion

The e-Handbook concept has proven to be quite popular with DSTAR members. Following the development and release of the first version in program 9, the DSTAR members agreed to significantly expand the scope of the e-Handbook and enhance the look and feel in Program 10. Further expansion of the eHandbook in Program 11 include: Secondary short-circuit calculations, Overcurrent protection coordination tutorial, Impdedance of three phase underground secondary cable, Index of commonly used engineering codes and standards, Miscellaneous charts and tables, Cable construction and performance, System grounding principles, System reliability primer.

Tagged: P3-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 4 - SEDS Enhancements

SEDS Optimization

Tagged: P4-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 5 - Implications of Communications Equipment Mounted in the Electric Space on Distribution Poles

Utilities are compelled to comply with the provisions of the Pole Attachments Act and make their poles available to telecommunication companies. Accordingly, the companies pay reasonable rates for those attachments that are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The traditional presence of cable and telephone lines and equipment on the poles places an additional burden on the utility from a physical design perspective, but utilities have become adept at designing pole systems to withstand the additional loading caused by this equipment. However, transmitters for fixed wireless like, WiFi and WiMAX, are typically placed at the top of utility poles, introducing a grounded conductor in the primary space. This affects the CFO rating of the structure and introduces a new design problem for utilities in addition to the physical loading considerations. In addition, there are work safety concerns stemming fronm having a grounded conductor in the electrical space and the electromagnetic radiation from the transmitters is a may also be a concern for utility crewmen who work on the poles. The DSTAR project studies the impact of pole-top fixed wireless nodes on the lightning protection of pole systems and examine the issues surrounding utility crew safety.

Tagged: P5-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 7 - Best Practices for Storm Response on U.S. Distribution Systems

This report examines the practices, procedures and experiences of U.S. utilities during major storm occurrences with the goal of understanding and conveying what went right and what went wrong during the build-up, restoration and ramp-down phases. This includes appreciating how utilities harden their systems to withstand storm elements, how they prepare, train and drill storm-duty personnel, available tools and processes for storm tracking and damage prediction, how they organize and manage response activities, procedures for assessment, repairing and switching, communications and technology use. The investigation included: a detailed survey of DSTAR member utilities on a wide range of storm response issues; interviews with utility personnel, vendors, manufacturers, researchers and consultants; extensive review of relevant literature including industry publications, conference proceedings, whitepapers, utility storm reports and public commission assessments; and examination of utility, vendor and manufacturer websites. The result is comprehensive 124-page report that highights many important aspects of storm restoration with 144 recommendations and lessons-learned from past experiences.

Tagged: P7-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 8 - Harmonic Load Calculator

The Harmonic Load Calculation (HLC) Software assists the end users to model non-linear loads generating harmonics and perform harmonic evaluations at selected locations designated as service entrances or points of common coupling (PCC). The HLC consists of an application implemented in VBA and a database implemented in Excel worksheets. Only integer harmonics ranging from the 2nd to the 40th harmonic frequencies are considered.

Tagged: P8-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 9 - Transformer DOE Standards Evaluation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) has proposed mandatory efficiency standards for a wide range of consumer and industrial “appliances”. The proposed standards will require a very substantial increase in efficiency relative to the average distribution transformer produced today. The DoE is acting under the authority of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, in which Congress mandates DoE to establish minimum efficiency standards for distribution transformer efficiency. It should be noted that the law requires DoE to establish standards which are “…technologically feasible and economically justified and would result in significant energy savings…”. To support development of efficiency standards compliant with this mandate, DoE commissioned a very elaborate and complex analysis. This white paper reviews DoE’s analysis process, and the resulting efficiency standards. The standards are compared to conventional utility total owning cost evaluation (TOC) methodology.

Tagged: P9-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 12 - Solid Blade Switch Testing

A solid blade switch (also called a by-pass switch, or switch-disconnector) is a common, relatively inexpensive switching device applied to backbone feeders to pick up and drop load. Under regular day-to-day switching up to 900 amps of load may dropped or picked up. Many utilities use 600 and 900 amp, solid blade switches on their systems to isolate faults and minimize the number of customer outages on radial distribution feeders. Isolation is done after an upstream protective device de-energizes the feeder because these devices are not designed to open and close under fault current. While there is confidence that solid blade switches have been designed and dimensioned to operate adequately under normal duty, closing into a fault is not an operation for which this equipment is designed. Therefore, testing the equipment for operation under such duty is advisable. The purpose of this project is to ensure that solid blade switches can be safely operated under test conditions designed to replicate closing into a fault.

Tagged: P12-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software

Project 13 - Feeder Automation White Paper

The purpose of this project is to give provide the DSTAR memebership with a comprehensive detailed overview of feeder automation within US utilities. Over the years, electric utility companies have strived to enhance their reliability, power quality, and operating efficiency by the use of distribution automation. Many of the early systems were little more than an extension of SCADA beyond the substation fence with their low computational and communication capabilities. However, many lessons were learned and technology has advanced, especially through the 1990s up to the present. More advanced automation applications, especially in feeder automation area outside the substation fence, have developed. This project was meant to address drivers for automation, centralized vs. distributed approaches, communications technology, fault location, isolation and restoration, volt-var control, and installation/integration issues. However, the full report was not completed at the request of the mmbers, but a preliminary draft with raw secondary research is available.

Tagged: P13-11, P11, System Reliability, Operational Efficiency, Industry Perspectives / White Papers, Engineering Guidelines, Engineering Analysis Software