ETA Power Station and Automatic Sizing

[AusLee]

Hello,

I use ABB's DOCWin and Schneider Electric's EcoDIAL as free tools to automatically calculale load flow, short circuit, automatic cable and source sizing, etc.

However, based on a recommendation on Eng-Tips, I grasped a demo version of ETA Power Station (v 4.7, knowing that now they are in 5+). I have read an extensive part of their documentation and understand different user type, engineering properties and various revisions, the calculations modules (power flow, etc.) the DC components, etc.

However, I am still unable to see something like:
1. ETAPS will not only set the correct tap on the transformers, but it will also tell you what is the appropriate rating of the transfoermer; i.e. ETAPS will tell you how many kVAs is should be, not you specify the kVA and it works on the voltage.

2. Same thing for the cables.

So is ETAPS an extensive calculations and analysis software or is it also a "Design" tool?

Thanks.

 

[DanDel]

It depends on what modules you have. Which modules did you order?

 

[AusLee]

Hello,

The Demo version has the following modules:
1. Load Flow
2. Short Circuit Analysis
3. Motor Starting Analysis
4. Harmonic Analysis
5. Transient Stability Analysis
6. Relay Coordination
7. Optimal Power Flow
8. Reliability Analysis is greyed, i think it is On when you use ETAPS as a remote controller for a power network (PSMS) which is not my case.

Relay Coordination relies on Power Plot. I have not gone there yet but i think that i will need to have 2 circuit breakers pre-selected in order to verify coordination. In ABB's DOCWin and Schneider Electric's EcoDIAL, breaker selection is automatic, in DocWIN you can even tell it with which CBs a given CB should coordinate and it will do it automatically.

In DocWIN, you put say 5 loads, then you connect them to a transformer, it will automatically size the transformer.

Conversely, you can choose the transformer yourself, say 1 MVA, then you put loads and connect them with cables. It will ask you: would you like to size the main feeder to the full size of the transformer or the full size of the connected load?

I cannot see this kind of things so far in ETAPS and that's why I am asking if they are available. I will recommend the purchase of the additional modules that do this if they are available.

 

[DanDel]

First off, don't bother with PowerPlot. The new version has ETAP STAR for coordination, which is light-years ahead of what was in the rev 4.7 (or anything else on the market now, for that matter). If you plan on trying out ETAP, ask for a new demo to get the real picture.

To get what you want, you need the 'Transformer MVA Sizing', 'Transformer Tap Optimization', and 'Cable Sizing' modules.

As far as sizing design, the load must first be determined, then the cables and transformer can be sized.

 

[AusLee]

Thank you for the information. If it is not too much trouble,could you please post a snapshot of the ETAPS screen with your above mentioned modules appearing in the toolbar?

Thanks again.

 

[DanDel]

I don't have all of those modules; and the 5.X ETAP interface is significantly different from the 4.X.
Just check out the website, all the info you'll need is there:

http://www.etap.com

 

[porf]

Here is a forthright link toward requesting WINDoc.

http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/abc/abc119.html

It will be in the "NOTE" at the beginning of the article.

 

[AusLee]

Thanks porf but that webpage needs serious updating. I have ABB DOCWin 3.0 now, part of a "TCT 4.0" package issued by ABB. Still, i hope they still receive these requests as indeed DOCWin is freely distributed and is rather good for my work requirements.