Utility Automation & Engineering T&D articles from June 2007

Utility Automation & Engineering T&D archives from June 2007

Assuming ladders.(FROM THE EDITOR)
June 1, 2007... During the Wednesday morning session of GridWeek (which took place this past April 23-26 in Washington D.C.), PNM Resources CEO Jeff Sterba framed his keynote presentation with a joke: An engineer and an economist were walking across a...

Bodman, DOE designate first 'national interest transmission corridors'.(NEWS)
June 1, 2007... U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman on April 26 announced the issuance of the first two draft "national interest electric transmission corridor" designations during the GridWeek Conference in Washington D.C. A packed amphitheater at The...

What do we want? A Modern Grid. When do we want it? Now!(NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Arcadian Networks, EnerNex Corporation, GridAgents, Horizon Energy Group LLC and UTInnovation LLC announced a strategic services alliance called GridNet NOW at GridWeek 2007. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GridNet NOW will focus on the smart...

EPRI loses its shining Starr.(NEWS)
June 1, 2007... Dr. Chauncey Starr, 95, founder and President Emeritus of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), died in April at his home in Atherton, Calif., one day after attending a celebration in his honor at the Institute that was attended by more...

5-Q quiz on: POWERGRID Europe's host city.(NEWS)
June 1, 2007... 10-cent question: What Spanish city is hosting the inaugural POWERGRID Europe conference? A. Barcelona B. Madrid C. Mexico City 50-cent question: Why is the oso and the madrono tree (pictured on the cover) the symbol of...

Historic preservation: KUA's got it covered.(NEWS)(Kissimmee Utility Authority )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... When it comes to preserving Kissimmee's past, Kissimmee Utility Authority literally has things covered. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Using utility bucket trucks and industrial tarps, KUA crews carefully covered a circa 1900 residential...

Mirant for sale.(NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Dahlman Rose & Company, LLC issued a statement reviewing Mirant's position: * Mirant management announced it is considering the sale of a part or the entirety of the company, and/or returning cash proceeds from international asset sales to...

NERC boss comments on grid needs.(NEWS)(Rick Sergel )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... At the GridWeek Conference in Washington D.C. April 25, NERC CEO Rick Sergel commented on what the power industry needs to do to improve the T & D grid going forward. Sergel said that the most important thing the industry has done to...

DOE's Modern Grid Initiative to use ACS' distribution simulator.(NEWS)
June 1, 2007... During its 30th annual users' conference, Advanced Control Systems Inc. (ACS) announced that the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Modern Grid Initiative (MGI) has licensed ACS' distribution system simulator, called XpertSim, for use...

Oracle buys Lodestar.(NEWS)
June 1, 2007... Oracle has agreed to acquire Lodestar Corporation, a leading provider of meter data management and competitive energy solutions for the utilities industry. Larry Hagewood, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Utilities Global...

Overheard.(NEWS)(Quotation)
June 1, 2007... "The grid has become more susceptible to human error and natural disaster. We must recognize the need for higher levels of reliability... higher levels than that for which the grid was designed."--U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, upon...

Photo story: Mississippi Power thinks inside the box.(NEWS)
June 1, 2007... Following the staggering devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi Power Company was left with 15 coastal area substations flooded. The flooding ruined not only outdoor equipment, but also equipment contained in the substation control...

Tomorrow's European T & D market: toward new markets and technologies.
June 1, 2007... The European T & D markets and network lie at the heart of the energy system. They must evolve to meet the challenges ahead and to provide all customers with a highly reliable, cost-effective and sustainable power supply. An integrated...

Learning from European advanced metering deployments.
June 1, 2007... Starting in 2000, European utilities soared to the forefront of metering systems technology. Led first by Enel in Italy, which has now deployed over 27 million smart meters in its system, and followed by utilities in countries such as Sweden,...

POWERGRID Europe takes root in Madrid.(Cover story)(Company overview)
June 1, 2007... Three key elements of power--from production to delivery--will be offered to every attendee at POWERGRID Europe June 26-28 in Madrid, Spain. Attendees can trace the process of power from spark to end element, all without leaving the building....

Inside the head of Xcel's CIO.(Interview)
June 1, 2007... Recently, we spoke with Michael Carlson, CIO and vice president for Xcel Energy, about what a CIO does and just how they are important to a utility. In other words, we made him justify his position to us--though we did so very nicely. We think...

SCADA security: 14 obvious points of attack.
June 1, 2007... To reduce the probability of a successful cyber attack on a utility's SCADA system, steps must be taken to eliminate potential points of vulnerability. However, what are the points at which an attacker will concentrate, and what types of...

Need for shunt capacitor eliminated with new HV circuit breaker.(GETTING EQUIPPED)
June 1, 2007... A new 145-kV high-voltage circuit breaker from ABB, the 145PM63-B, utilizes a new high-performance interrupter to serve 121-145-kV applications at 40-, 50-, and 63-kA ratings without need for shunt capacitors to meet ANSI standards for short...

Circuit breakers: live tank vs, dead tank.(GETTING EQUIPPED)(Interview)
June 1, 2007... Raj Nayar, a business development manager at Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, took some time to explain to us, and our readers, the difference between live-tank and dead-tank circuit breakers. The information he provided may help to...

Three-phase recloser.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... The TriMod 600R is a three-phase recloser with the ability to be programmed for three-phase trip/three-phase lockout, three-phase trip/single-phase lockout, or single-phase trip/single-phase lockout. The JHV TriMod 600R is the latest in a line...

AMR system.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... MOSAIC from Datamatic is the first water/gas/electric AMR system capable of reading via handheld, mobile and true mesh network collection platforms with the same endpoint. Other aspects unique to MOSAIC include "self-healing operations" (When...

Transformer corrosion inhibitor.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... Cortec Corporation's M-236 additive is a liquid corrosion inhibitor for copper, aluminum and steel. It is designed to prevent corrosion of copper in power transformers during extreme heat. M-236 liquid readily mixes with a variety of oils and...

Work gloves.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... Klein Tools recently added work gloves to its Journeyman line that already includes pliers, cutters and other hand tools. The new Utility (Cat. No. 40052-54), Framer (Cat. No. 40057-59), Heavy-Duty Protection (Cat. No. 40062-64) and Leather...

Transmission design software.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... Pondera Engineers, a full-service software and engineering services company, has released an expanded version of its TL-Pro Design Studio software, Version 1.5. TL-Pro Design Studio is a transmission line design program created to support all...

Cable splice.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... Tyco Electronics has introduced a Raychem Cold Applied Shrinkable Joint (CSJA) for medium voltage (MV) polymeric cable up to 28kV. The CSJA was designed as an all-in-one splice, as major elements (stress control, insulation, shielding and...

Rugged handheld computer.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... The new generation of Tripod Data Systems' TDS Recon rugged handheld computer gives users the option of integrated Bluetooth and 802.11g wireless capabilities, and it comes with Windows Mobile 5.0, the latest version of Microsoft's software for...

Infrared camera.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... The GasFindIR-LW infrared camera from Flir Systems can detect sulfur hexa-fluoride (SF6). It weighs only 4.6 pounds and is powered by a camcorder battery. The GasFindIR-LW enables thermographers to find SF6 gas leaks up to hundreds of feet away...

Tagging relays.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... Electroswitch introduces its new tagging relays. Designed with serial communications capability, they can be used to optimize automated breaker control schemes in new or existing power distribution systems. They can also be used to control...

Cellular device technology.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... Itron Inc. has an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) distribution agreement with Trilliant Networks Inc. (formerly NERTEC) that enables Itron to augment the Sentinel meter product line with Trilliant's cellular device technology. Using the...

AMR system.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... The Hexagram STAR Fixed Network AMR System provides fully automatic meter reading. The use of licensed radio channels ensures reliable performance throughout the life of the system. The system provides two or more daily readings from every...

UtiliNet[R] Series III radio from Cellnet.(NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2007... The Cellnet[R] UtiliNet[R] Series III mesh radio boasts an increased baud rate, to 9,600/19,200 bps, which, coupled with several firmware changes, has quadrupled the effective data throughput of the radio over the Series II. [ILLUSTRATION...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2007... DistribuTECH 2008: The utility industry's most comprehensive conference on automation, information technology and T & D engineering Jan. 22-24, 2008. Tampa, FL. // Phone 918.832.9265 // www.distributech.com JUNE 17-20 EEI Annual...

The view from Europe: smart grid efforts share common goal with U.S.(SMART GRID PERSPECTIVES)
June 1, 2007... Smart grid initiatives continue to gain momentum in the European Union. Increasing the level of intelligence and integration of information and communication technology into every aspect of the electricity system represents the overarching goal...