Planning a reliable future

摘要

New distribution planning software means more accuracy and flexibility. As utilities begin to realize the importance of a reliable distribution system, distribution planning software is expanding and improving. Traditional software that tracks powerflow, short circuits and motor-start analysis is being combined with software that analyzes economic factors and reliability, as well as GIS and DMS (distribution management systems). Integrating all of these functions into software can help eliminate tedious paper database gathering, simplify analysis, make the tools available to a broader range of staff, increase efficiency and productivity, and result in better decision-making. Sherman Chan, president of ASPEN, Inc., says it's much harder to createdistribution system software than transmission system software. Distribution systems have unbalanced three-phase lines, something transmission system engineers don't have to contend with. Distribution system planning also has to consider new power sources from distributed generators and the fact that most reliability problems are on the distribution side. "Instead of adapting old programs, we designed our DistriView software from scratch specifically for distribution systems. It took much longer than weexpected," Chan says. ASPEN's DistriView combines the functions of several programs into one program, including thousands of fuse and recloser curves for protection optimization planning.