Construction drawings

[Inder76]

Hi All,

I want to understand the role of an electrical engineer, when it comes to drawing details. I am an engineer in training in a consulting firm. Now...coz I dont have the relevent supervion or guidance from available from my superior, so we send most of the work to other places. I recently got some drawings back for poles mounted disconnect switches and a few meters of dist. line rated 69 KV.
All the EE I know, since my span in this career of 2 years, I wonder if any one of them can go to these details as we are not taught this in engineering insitutes. Here is a typical drawing:

IMAGE

http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bomum7.jpg

This drawings is done by a C.E.T( Certified Electrical technologist). So, am I supposed to learn these things as well as a would be Professional Engineer? It comprises of details like in BOM: Washer type. Cold shrink or Hot shrink cat. no...

Damn these details are too much and time consuming. So, is it left to the diploma holders CET to do work or at times engineers might have to do it as well.

Please advise.
Thanks

 

[wareagle]

This is not an answer to your question but the line voltage is listed as 13.2 kv and the arresters are connected to the load side of what appears to be a fused switch. The arrester should be connected the the source side. The dwg is difficult to see.

 

[jghrist]

Yes, engineers might have to do it as well. If you are going to work with distribution lines, you are going to have to learn the details, or at least where to go to find them. Usually, the utility will have standards for such details. If not, you can see how others have done them by downloading drawings from the RUS site.

I've been a PE for 35 years or so, and I still have to deal with such details at times. Maybe not create them myself, but I know enough to know if an engineer or C.E.T. working under me knows what they're doing.

At a minimum, you need to learn the difference between a 69 kV subtransmission or transmission line and the 13.2 kV distribution line in the drawing. And the difference between a disconnect switch and an underground riser with open cutouts.

 

[apowerengr]

The drawing is a typical utility three-phase fused URD riser with conduit stand-off brackets with the arrester correctly connected near the cable terminator (there's an IEEE standard for applying arresters to protect cables 62.11 I think). I do not understand your complaint about "details" - this is what engineers and PE's do day in and day out. Some PE's make lengthy careers developing such design standards, ensuring codes are met including clearances, strengths and system performance right down to the staples used to hold the grounding conductor to the pole - a very valuable service to the industry and the protection of the public (part of the PE Code of Ethics). Maybe you did not learn line design in school, however you should have learned to understand the basic principals underlying the applicable codes and be able to educate yourself so you can evaluate the construction guidelines, or at least know enough to know when you need help. Some career advice - if you can't handle details I'd suggest you start looking for a different career.

 

[alehman]

If you are going to work in this business, you will need to develop a library of such details. As was stated previously, many utility companies have their own standard details and if you are working for one of them, use their details *if they are suitable*. You must understand them and line construction well enough to know if they are appropriate or require modification.

 

[2000Kvar]

I am a recent EE grad. I have a family friend who works for a local utility. During my free time, I would spend time working with thier engineers. With this utility, it was expect in due time you know and understand the details in that drawing. No engineering school can teach you everything you need to know, its up to you to pick up were the school left off.

If you want to make a sport comparision, you can't be a successful quarterback if you only know a few page of the playbook. Same thing apply to engineering.

 

[BJC]

Details like that have been around for years. The first ones were probably done by Edison or someone that worked for him. They have been copied for years.
The same one exist at different utilities, they vary slightly.
Here are some.

http://www.usda.gov/rus/electric/bulletins.htm

Got to 1728F-804 and you can get a pile of them. Several utilities publish them on the web.
Standards exist so mundane work can be push to the routine. No need to pay an engineer to reinvent the wheel over and over. Save your efforts for the problems worthy of your talent.

 

[Inder76]

Thanks all for your comments. BJC....I guess you are very much right... No need to reinvent these things...People use already written stuff and copy ...I just thought knowing these details might add to me and that is why I wondering, how much I need to know.


apowerengr : Thanks for your comments as well. I am not scared from details, coz I am new kid in this block with engineering profession, I just thought I should find out,if I am supposed to know these things or it is the job of people who are technologists. That was all.

 

[Inder76]

I guessed I missed one part, Is there any other link or literature available on internet that can explain same details about Substations as well.

BJC, You mentioned some utilities have some free information avaialble, I would certainly be interested in that as well.

 

[BJC]

Inder76
It requires constructive googling. Here's a hit I got fairly quickly.

http://engstandards.lanl.gov/engrman/HTML/dwg-elec.htm

Item 1724-300 in the link I gave above is an 800 page substation manual.

 

[sslobodan]

As far as I know every company has its own standards for draftings and symbols that are usually explained in a legend in a project (beginning or end) drafting needs to be neat and readable. This one is not. Does not matter how big your engineering experience is, if the drafting is good marked and drafted you should read it without problem.... Now If I brought such drafting as the one to a picture to my boss, he would be very pissed off and start to yell. Good drafting should have clear marked ingoing and outgoing lines and all devices drafted separately, and in case of transformer clear distinguished voltage sides with all elements that are crucial to understand what is included in the field or circuit.