Sequence of Operation – The Super Star Feature of ETAP STAR

If you are a user of ETAP then you may be familiar with STAR, the module for doing protection and coordination studies.

The STAR module is capable of drawing the Time Current Characteristics (TCC) of protective devices next to the operation, or damage curve of electrical equipment such as motors or power transformers.  The display of device TCC side by side with protected equipment curves, for visual comparison and making proper adjustments, is the industry standard for protection and coordination studies.

Such practices may not lead to proper adjustment or verification of overcurrent protective device settings if you have parallel sources of supply or looped connections in the electrical network. That is where the ETAP STAR module goes beyond expectations and is equipped with a super star feature called Sequence of Operation.

You can place any fault type, balanced or unbalanced, at any desired location on the modeled electrical network and graphically observe the Sequence of Operation (SQOP) for available protective devices. The graphical display of SQOP on the one-line is a perfect solution for verification of existing or designed coordination, supplemented by reports to give the exact trip and operating time for each of the devices.

The beauty of SQOP is in the application to any network connection topology, looped and/or multiple sources of supply, and support for other protection functions such as ground, differential, negative sequence, etc.

The following link on the ETAP Web site can be visited for further review of the SQOP feature in STAR or you can refer to chapter 16 of ETAP help file.

http://etap.com/protective-device-coordination/protective-device-sequence-operation.htm

Our ETAP Automation Office in Dubai: Serving the Middle East with Power Engineering Solutions

ETAP Automation™ Dubai

The Middle East is a region full of power engineering talent and creativity. ETAP recognizes this and devotes much time and consideration to aiding both veteran and newly minted power engineers. Power System Engineering workshops are being held throughout the region, with our two most current ones having taken place in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

These workshops cover crucial material such as:

AC System Modeling, Load Flow Analysis, Short Circuit Analysis, Device Coordination, Sequence of Operation, Arc Flash Hazard Analysis, Motor Acceleration Analysis, Transient Stability, Predictive Simulation, and Real-Time Overviews.

Each of these topics caters to the daily needs of modern power engineers. In addition to fostering the minds of those already interested in ETAP, we are trying to spread awareness of our unique enterprise software solution by exhibiting at tradeshows in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. These tradeshows showcase ETAP and provide you with fresh perspectives of our software. In turn, we can continue to develop ETAP to fit your needs. Furthermore, with our ETAP Automation™ office being situated in Dubai, our Middle East customers are guaranteed local support and engineering consulting.

Characteristics of a Good Power System Training Station

Many utility and large industrial operators are currently seeking power system training stations for operator training. Operation Technology, Inc (OTI) has been developing power system simulators utilizing power management system data for nearly 20 years, with the first system installation in 1991. Since then, the system has been enhanced and is currently a full-fledged power management system.

The following characteristics are important in a successful and efficient operator training tool:

1. Interchange information from existing SCADA systems
2. Complete understanding of an electrical system including its component capabilities
3. Historical data retrieval for playback and generation of study scenarios
4. Collection of analysis modules such as load flow, short-circuit, arc-flash, device coordination, transient stability, optimal power flow and more
5. Ability to easily transfer information to other departments such as planning, maintenance, etc

Currently ETAP is the only software in operation that meets such characteristics. All power simulation modules in the software have the capability to bring power management system as well as historical data from its playback archive to develop scenarios for operators to study. Historical data from playback is a great way to generate real-life scenarios for operators to study alternate solutions, while the power management system data function can even help during normal operation to predict system response before any action is taken.