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Geographical Information System as a Decision Support System in TamilNadu Electricity Board
Er Mrs. N. VIJAYEE
B.E.,M.C.A.,P.hd.
Asst. Executive Engineer
TamilNadu Electricity Board, Chennai - 600 002.
Research Scholar, Dept. of Geography, University of Madras
Email: Manthrraviji@yahoo.com
Geographical Information System as a Decision Support System in TamilNadu Electricity Board
Er Mrs. N. VIJAYEE
B.E.,M.C.A.,P.hd.
Asst. Executive Engineer
TamilNadu Electricity Board, Chennai - 600 002.
Research Scholar, Dept. of Geography, University of Madras
Email: Manthrraviji@yahoo.com
Abstract
The primary goals of E-Goverance are better service delivery to citizens, improved services for business , transparency ,empowerment, efficient government management through information.
On line Geographical Information System is a powerful tool to achieve these goals by the Government through its services oriented organizations like electricity ,water supply, land records, drainage , health sector, public safety, planning, infrastructure management, disaster management etc.,
This paper outlines the design and use of GIS for Electrical Distribution Network Management and its role as a decision support system for power utilities. The case study of TamilNadu Electricity Board forms the base for this paper.
The General objective of any Electrical utility is to improve their operational efficiency and deliver uninterrupted power to its consumers. The key parameters to achieve this objective are the equipments, supply cables and a management system. The development of efficient distribution network for electric utilities involves atomization with vision control on the GIS platform by laying out the electric network on the land base, analytic modeling of network problems /solutions and aid in fault attendance / rectification.
In the changed scenario, GIS models can be extended from the desktop scenario to on-line WEB based systems covering the needs of entire workforce from the Field Manager to the Management. Real time systems like SCADA, Call Centres, and IMS e.t.c can function on the GIS platform. Detailed planning is necessary to implement the GIS model for a large distribution network. The system should incorporate functional ability for updating the network, quality checks, costing and modification on interactive basis for all users.
E-Goverance on GIS platform will also empower each citizen to monitor the status of his facilities by logging to the system even from his mobile phone.
Introduction
The power distribution network consists of EHT (extra high tension ,above 33 KV ) and HT (high tension ,11 KV to 33 KV) lines, LT ( low tension lines) ,substations ,distribution transformers , pillar boxes e.t.c feeding a network of consumers. Maintenance of a global information system of the above on the Geographical platform becomes an absolute necessity in the changing scenario where consumer satisfaction is the prime motto.
Current problems
The host of these problems can be easily overcome by integrating the different information systems with GIS as the kernel for synchronized operation as shown in Fig.1,2 and 3 below.
Figure1. GIS in synchronization with other Information Systems.
Figure 2. GIS as the Kernel for other Information Systems
Figure 3 Transmission of Information.
The Design of Online GIS.
Online GIS utilizes the Internet to distribute the interactive maps and other spatial/ non spatial data derived. This will maximize the use of mapping and analyzing capabilities to a wide variety of departmental and non departmental audience without any time restrictions. The schematic of economical design for such a system is shown in Fig.4,5 and 6 below.
Figure 4 Web based Integration Scheme
Figure 5. Software Architecture
Figure 6. Software Modules
2.0 Phases of Implementation
The GIS system has to be implemented in phases so as to meet the current and future needs of the utility. Phasing the development of GIS functionality in an electric utility is vital as a stepping ladder for modular growth. The proposed case study is planned in six phases.
Phase 1 Creation of BASE Map data
The Distribution Network Layout has to be created on the Base Map in different layers covering HT,LT and Consumer details exactly as per site conditions with all offset measurements. Customer indexing work shall add the exact geographical location of each customer to the customer database created. It shall also be ensured by field verification at the field level so that all the consumers are properly covered. Examples of locating an network element and Consumer in the GIS environment is given below in Fig 7 & 8.
Figure 7. Locating a Cable
Figure 8. Locating Consumers
Phase 3 - Maintenance
Figure 9. Fault Recording
Phase 6 –Integration with SCADA
The Solution would have to be finally integrated to a online data acquisition system (SCADA) and would thus enable online query and analysis on real-time system. The design of this scheme and functional representation is given in fig 10,11&12.
Figure 10 An Hong Kong example.
Figure 11 An example of SCADA Integration
Figure 12 SCADA Data Integration with GIS
Cost benefit analysis
This Global Information System has the potential to earn back the entire initial investment through saving in Network analysis ,planning and Maintenance which can be further worked out in detail using statistical tools.
Conclusion
The primary goals of E-Goverance are better service delivery to citizens, improved services for business , transparency ,empowerment, efficient government management through information.
On line Geographical Information System is a powerful tool to achieve these goals by the Government through its services oriented organizations like electricity ,water supply, land records, drainage , health sector, public safety, planning, infrastructure management, disaster management etc.,
This paper outlines the design and use of GIS for Electrical Distribution Network Management and its role as a decision support system for power utilities. The case study of TamilNadu Electricity Board forms the base for this paper.
The General objective of any Electrical utility is to improve their operational efficiency and deliver uninterrupted power to its consumers. The key parameters to achieve this objective are the equipments, supply cables and a management system. The development of efficient distribution network for electric utilities involves atomization with vision control on the GIS platform by laying out the electric network on the land base, analytic modeling of network problems /solutions and aid in fault attendance / rectification.
In the changed scenario, GIS models can be extended from the desktop scenario to on-line WEB based systems covering the needs of entire workforce from the Field Manager to the Management. Real time systems like SCADA, Call Centres, and IMS e.t.c can function on the GIS platform. Detailed planning is necessary to implement the GIS model for a large distribution network. The system should incorporate functional ability for updating the network, quality checks, costing and modification on interactive basis for all users.
E-Goverance on GIS platform will also empower each citizen to monitor the status of his facilities by logging to the system even from his mobile phone.
Introduction
The power distribution network consists of EHT (extra high tension ,above 33 KV ) and HT (high tension ,11 KV to 33 KV) lines, LT ( low tension lines) ,substations ,distribution transformers , pillar boxes e.t.c feeding a network of consumers. Maintenance of a global information system of the above on the Geographical platform becomes an absolute necessity in the changing scenario where consumer satisfaction is the prime motto.
Current problems
- Data related to distribution network are held within the utility in different relational databases and files, using different operating systems and user interfaces. These ”systems” are overlapping,unsynchronized and not even updated regularly.
- Holding the large amount of data, with no relations among data.
- The great effort required to collect, input and verify the data
- Usage of alphanumeric data as input for network planning is usually accompanied with the lack of information on existing network topology, elements connectivity, geographical locations of the network elements, possible new cable routes and the complete lack of possibility to perform spatial queries and analyses. This proves that relational databases without some improvements and additions are not very well suitable for network planning.
- The information is always confined to some user departments and accessing this information becomes a Herculean task interdepartmentally and upto the lowest level management .
The host of these problems can be easily overcome by integrating the different information systems with GIS as the kernel for synchronized operation as shown in Fig.1,2 and 3 below.
Figure1. GIS in synchronization with other Information Systems.
Figure 2. GIS as the Kernel for other Information Systems
Figure 3 Transmission of Information.
The Design of Online GIS.
Online GIS utilizes the Internet to distribute the interactive maps and other spatial/ non spatial data derived. This will maximize the use of mapping and analyzing capabilities to a wide variety of departmental and non departmental audience without any time restrictions. The schematic of economical design for such a system is shown in Fig.4,5 and 6 below.
Figure 4 Web based Integration Scheme
Figure 5. Software Architecture
Figure 6. Software Modules
2.0 Phases of Implementation
The GIS system has to be implemented in phases so as to meet the current and future needs of the utility. Phasing the development of GIS functionality in an electric utility is vital as a stepping ladder for modular growth. The proposed case study is planned in six phases.
Phase 1 Creation of BASE Map data
- The Base Map should be three dimensional with building captured with an accuracy of 50 cms with spot heights ,generated in the scale of 1:500 (inclusive of road width)
- Ground contours with 1 m contour interval to be represented with a positional accuracy of 12.5 cms.
- GPS Control points for geo-referencing
- Land Base data enriched with data by field survey & verification showing all the salient features in different layers .
The Distribution Network Layout has to be created on the Base Map in different layers covering HT,LT and Consumer details exactly as per site conditions with all offset measurements. Customer indexing work shall add the exact geographical location of each customer to the customer database created. It shall also be ensured by field verification at the field level so that all the consumers are properly covered. Examples of locating an network element and Consumer in the GIS environment is given below in Fig 7 & 8.
Figure 7. Locating a Cable
Figure 8. Locating Consumers
Phase 3 - Maintenance
- Maintenance modules of all network components
- Operations manual of all network components
- Inventory Management
- Call Centre interface
- Field staff scheduling
- Optimum/shortest route calculation
- Load Model
- Network Simulation and Analysis
- Network Tracing
- Load flow programs and operating instructions
- Fault Recording and History of Network components as given on fig 9.
Figure 9. Fault Recording
Phase 6 –Integration with SCADA
The Solution would have to be finally integrated to a online data acquisition system (SCADA) and would thus enable online query and analysis on real-time system. The design of this scheme and functional representation is given in fig 10,11&12.
Figure 10 An Hong Kong example.
Figure 11 An example of SCADA Integration
Figure 12 SCADA Data Integration with GIS
Cost benefit analysis
This Global Information System has the potential to earn back the entire initial investment through saving in Network analysis ,planning and Maintenance which can be further worked out in detail using statistical tools.
Conclusion
- This synchronized Information system on the GIS platform can also be called as GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEM which will aid to visualize the entire city network in its Geographical location with an aim to maintain uninterrupted supply to our consumers.
- Provide real time position of power supply by means of live connectivity with vital supply points.
- Visualize the faulty portion of the network for isolation from the main network for normalization and restoration of supply and alternate feeding arrangements.
- Planning ,development and economical calculations up to section level.
- Maintain quality of service and Customer satisfaction
- An outage restoration management system for power distribution networks Authors: Saeed Monemi, Ph.D., Michael S. Moore, Ph.D., Jianfeng wang
- Implementing a GIS in an electrical utility: the growth pains Shubhabrata marma, ESRI, India
- Integrating distribution analysis with a GIS Michael Zeiler and Steve linger envision utility software corporation, New Mexico, USA.
- Mapping sciences in power sector by GIS Development magazine
- U nderground cable maintenance and management in power sector Sumit Sen1 and dr. Smita Sengupta2
- GIS for sustainable planning and development Dr. Fawzy kubbara, King Faisal university, kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- CSMA consultants ltd, Trevenson, pool, Redruth Cornwall, TR15 3SE, UK