Westinghouse T&D Book 5

[umrpwr]

Hello,

I would appreciate any feedback or reviews that anyone could provide on the Westinghouse T&D book. I know the Westinghouse version is no longer in print, but it is now being published by ABB instead and available from them. It has long been a standard industry reference for power engineers, but am wondering if it is worth the $250? Technical books and information are never cheap though. I would just like to get some feedback before I go ahead and purchase a copy. Is this a must for any power engineer's reference library?

I was also wondering if anyone was familair with the Westinghouse Electric Utility Engineering Reference Book-Distribution Systems. I am looking for a good reference book covering distribution system engineering and would appreciate any sugguestions.

Thanks,
umrpwr

 

[ERaySir]

I heard serveral people calling this book the 'BIBLE' for the distribution industry, I've personally been looking for it as well I found 2 used ones for $150 but the spins were broken. I thank you for informing me that ABB now prints it.

Best Regards.

Ray Micallef, P. Eng.
Power Generation/Utility Industry

 

[Robert789]

I bought my copy a couple of years ago through

http://www.bookfinder.com

. I think that I paid about $75 for it at the time. Five copies are listed on the site now in the $120 range. Just type in "transmission distribution reference" in the search field.

Robert

 

[umrpwr]

Dear Ray Micallef,

You can purchase a copy from ABB at the following link

http://www.orderliterature.com/abb/elecbook_info.htm

I would like some feedback though from people who have a copy and whether they think it is worth the price.

Thanks,

umrpwr

 

[jghrist]

The Westinghouse T&D Manual is one of my most used books. It is somewhat dated but still very useful. It covers a wide range of topics and is a good place to start in the analysis of many situations.

I haven't seen the ABB manual that replaced it so I can't comment on it.

 

[ausphil]

I recently bought my copy for about US$10 on ebay. You just have to be there at the right time and have a seller that doesn't quite know what it is worth.

The book is a great reference book, with plenty of information from back in the days when power engineering was all from first priciples. Well worked examples and covers a large range of power topics. Dated yes, but still great for concepts.

It's also a great looking big old book (almost like a big old dusty "Bible&quot

 

[SidiropoulosM]

Since I was so stupid to lose my T&D book years ago, I've decided today to punish myself and ordered the ABB book for $250. I'll give you a review in a couple of days.

 

[ERaySir]

Thank You rgmaxwell and umrpwr for the info.

Ray Micallef, P. Eng.
Power Generation/Utility Industry

 

[cuky2000]

The T&D version re-printed by ABB has two new chapters and the entire book is in a CD-ram with searching features.

This book is a classic developed many yeas back with several revisions. Still good part of the content still applicable and is a valuable historic tool.

I found that many areas this book refer to initial standards that not longer applicable or superceded. Few areas refer to obsolete technology. In general, modern power engineering development such as Interrupting devices, SCADA, computer application, power electronic, GIS, etc is not included.

I believe that $250 is a little expensive for a book with little new contribution updating the publication.

 

[umrpwr]

Cuky2000 thanks for the feedback on the T&D book. I will probably still purchase a copy for my reference library, but appreciate everyones opinions and feedback.

Based on some of the feedback it seems a more up to date, but probably lesser known reference is the The Electric Power Engineering Handbook published by CRC press in conjunction with the IEEE. It covers most aspects of modern power engineering from generation to transmission and distribution along with a variety of other topics and was published in 2000. It sells for around $150 but can be purchased through IEEE at a discounted price if you are a member. It is well worth having in your reference library.

CRC now also has a quite comprehensive offering of books on power engineering. Including some new ones coming out.

Power Engineering Handbook

http://www.crcpress.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp?sku=8578&parent_id=&pc=

Other Power Engineering Titles

http://www.crcpress.com/shopping_cart/categories/categories_products.asp?parent_id=689&so=1

 

[BJC]

While your out looking for books keep an eye out for the "Silent Sentinels" book by Westinghouse. Theis is the book with the Indian brave on the cover looking out over the transmission line, The cover is tooled red leather and very nicely done. Probably a $500 book if anyone was to do it today.

 

[SidiropoulosM]

I have just received the ABB book. It comes with a CD that you can load on your PC with a full search function. As far as I can tell the book has all the material of the old Westinghouse T&D book and some new updated information, with an excellent new chapter on load characteristics.

Now, this is a great tool, as others have testified above. I did pay the $250 and I think the book is worth even this high price. I just don't understand ABB's rationale for the price. It probably contributes nothing to their bottom line and deprives them of the opportunity to improve their goodwill by offering it to electric power professionals at a nominal price.

Having said all that, I'm glad I have it.

 

[umrpwr]

SidiropoulosM thanks for the feedback. I am going to go ahead and pick up a copy of the ABB book for my reference library also. I just purchased a copy of the old Westinhouse T&D book for $30, but would like to have the CD and information in the new one also.

 

[phillyboy]

BCJ:

I purchased a copy of the "Silent Sentinels" on eBay and have no idea the book is worth that much! It's a good book offering information on earlier protective relaying and its development. Some information may be outdated but concepts still apply today.

 

[brupp]

I am amazed at the increase in price for the T&D book. I looked inside the cover of mine and see that I paid $85 for it buying it from ABB in August of 1991. Those two new chapters had better be good! Out of all of the books on my shelf, this is my go-to book. I agree with the positive reviews from others.

 

[BJC]

Phillyboy
The $500 I refered to was refering to the tooled leather cover on the book. I don't know how they made it ( hand tooled or with a press or ??) but it's a work of art.
When I a Senior in college Westinghouse gave everyone in the Power Transmission class a copy of the Transmission and Distribution Data book. Our professor had worked for Westinghouse as a consultant and has pretty good connections with them.

 

[QCE]

I don't see the problem with the $250. For a good book it doesn't seem so bad!

I paid over $200 for many books for university, that I only used for the 4 month course and have never looked at again. That was paid by a poor student not by my company.

Most 30 page elctronic standards cost $60 - $100.

 

[ohhn]

I have the T&D book, the applied relaying book and the distribution book and they are the "bibles" on their fields.
So I recommend anybody to buy them.
If anybody have seen the new versions of this books, I would like to know if they have upgraded them, since the only problem is that they are a little bit outdated.

 

[SidiropoulosM]

ohhn: the new version of the T&D book is still quite outdated, even with the addition of some new material. But it remains the undisputed BIBLE in the field, in my opinion. What I would like to see in a new version are the following:

Modern excitation systems and power system stabilizers.
FACTS devices and applications.
Digital relays and modern protection philosophies.
SCADA systems.
System operations, dispatch, wide area controls.
RAS schemes, underfrequency load shedding, undervoltage load shedding.

 

[phillyboy]

BJC:

I am refering to the leather bound "silent Sentinel". It's a beautiful book and was printed long before I was born. I guess I got lucky on eBay.