Distribution analysis

[FernandoCFE]

Hello,
Wich are the most used analysis software in distribution systems?

Our greater interest:

Optimal location of capacitors
Minimization of losses
Open tie optimization

Any comment and any reference about this points is wellcome, thank in advance!

 

[cflatters]

Try an internet search for the following

SKM Powertools (DAPPER),
Digsilent Power Factory
ERA (ERACS)

I have personal experience of the SKM package and a basic knowledge of the Digsilent package which is an excellent package.

 

[Bung]

For distribution level, DINIS from Kainos has some good points - the major downside it runs on Unix boxes. Also Siemens seem to have taken on the old PTI suite of PSS/U, Viper or whatever it is called now. Digsilent, ERACS are more transmission level products, and Dapper strikes me as being industrial plant oriented rather than distribution. If you need single wire analysis capability (not just 3-phase) you should ask the vendor to demonstrate it in action. The transmission level products tend to be not very good at it, or clumsy to use.

Bung
Life is non-linear...

 

[fsmyth]

Downside? DOWNSIDE?? Any decent vendor will offer a
Unix (usually Linux, nowadays) version of the software.
For folks that care about reliability.
<als>
Note: I did NOT post this to start (another) OS war.
I'm just P'O'ed about not being able to get perfectly
suitable control and monitoring software for a decent
platform ( a late, fresh battle).

 

[vtpower]

CymDist made by CGI Cyme is a distribution modeling tool which includes, motor start, cap placement, loss analysis, protection coordination...etc. I have found it very reliable.

 

[FernandoCFE]

Thanks for your answers,

I post this question because we used FeederAll made by ABB, and at least this version (2003.0) is not so flexible as other software (I have used DIGSILENT, SKM and EasyPower).

Who of you uses or knows FeederAll?
What reference has of this software?

Thanks in advance,

 

[GiSH]

With Rerefernce to Bung... Seimens have bought out SHAW PTI and are keeping their PSS/E package with is in pretty wide usage around the world with netwrok operators. However, the cut down version of PSS/E called PSS Viper is being shelved by Seimens in favour of their own software called SINCAL which has been around for some years now but, due to the dominance of PTI hadn't really taken off outside germany.
I just got a demo version of SINCAL and from what i've seen so far it is far better and momre flexible then PSS Viper. Although it is quite similar to DIGsilent.

 

[dpc]

If you are referring to utility distribution systems, you should also look at ASPEN Distriview (I think that's the name).

I know of a fairly large local utility that uses FeederAll. We used it while supporting them with the engineering work. I wasn't too impressed. Distriview has much better analytical capabilities, although it is pretty limited in graphics capability.

 

[Bung]

re Unix downsides- unix (Linux, HP-UX, etc) might be technically great, but you still have to deal with the non-unix world, and anybody who pretends that all unix apps support X-windows equally well is kidding themselves just as much as those who think all windows apps are truly windows compliant. And the GUI you use isn't necessarily related to your Unix operating system anyway (MacOs, for eg is Unix based).

So if you do get one of the unix packages like Dinis, be aware that it was a port from its original SunOs/SunView base, and it doesn't behave properly (according to X-Windows standards). So it can't do a lot of X-Windows things you would expect it to.

I guess what I'm really driving at is that many specialist apps are written with much less of an eye on the standard look and feel expected of the operating systems and GUIs on which they run than they are on the technical capability. And you have to look at both sides when buying the software, because if it won't interact with your other systems the way you wanted it too, it is not much use to you.

Bung
Life is non-linear...

 

[SuzyQ]

I use SynerGEE software by Advantica Stoner and often use it to do Cap placement, loss minimization and optimal normal opens. I have used Aspen products and find them more geared to 34.5 KV and above systems, not the typical 24.9kV and less distribution systems. I have also used the Dapper products and find they are more geared toward industrial plant distribution instead of city or rural distribution.

SynerGEE software can also help with motor starts, protection co-ordination, fault analysis, load flow analysis, locked rotor analysis (also known as flicker analysis), regulator settings, and much more. The software can be run on a stand alone pc or a network and is sometimes used in conjunction with a GIS system.

SuzyQ