TWACS: Basics - Oro Technologies

Transcription

TWACS: Basics
Instructor Training
Manual
YXXXXXXX
www.twacs.com
945 Hornet Drive Hazelwood, MO 63042
Introduction
TWACS: Basics
Proprietary Notice
Information contained in this document is private to Distribution Control
Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri (DCSI). This information may not be
published, reproduced, or otherwise disseminated without the express
written authorization of DCSI.
Any software or firmware described in this document is furnished under a
license and may be used or copied only in
accordance with the terms of such license.
Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and
should not be construed as a commitment by DCSI. DCSI assumes no
responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of software on
equipment that is not supplied by DCSI.
TWACS, the TWACS logo, and the DCSI logo are registered trademarks
of Distribution Control Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.
TWACS®
Two Way Automatic Communication System,
a product of
Distribution Control Systems, Inc.
Confidential and Proprietary
Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
All Rights Reserved
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Introduction
TWACS: Basics
Table of Contents
Using This Manual
A brief description of the purpose, book design, audience, revisions, and
who to contact with questions.
Chapter 1: What is the TWACS System?
•
•
•
Introduction to the TWACS System
TWACS System Applications
TWACS User Roles
Chapter 2: TWACS System Design
•
•
•
•
•
TWACS System Overview
TWACS Level 3 Components
Substation Electrical System Elements
TWACS Level 1 Components and Communication
Chapter 3: TNS System Design
•
•
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TNS System Overview
TNS Common User Elements
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Introduction
TWACS: Basics
Using This Manual
This section contains information that helps participants understand and
use this manual.
Purpose
The TWACS: Basics training manual is an instructional manual to be used
during instructor-led training or for review following an instructor-led
training class. This learning experience presents participants with the key
concepts required to comprehend TWACS system applications. During
this experience participants will learn the TWACS system architecture and
nine core applications. Topics include: understanding basic applications,
relevant electrical systems, TWACS components, and TNS system
architecture.
Book Structure
This book was designed with the participant in mind. As a participant in a
TWACS training class the number one requirement is to retain and
immediately put the concepts learned in class to use. To facilitate ease of
learning, increased retention, and immediate use of concepts learned in
class, this book was designed in a series of Learning Nuggets, Modules
and Chapters.
A Learning Nugget is a specific concept or set of specific actions a
participant should learn and be able to execute, provided in a progressive
and stepped-out (Step 1, Step 2…) design. Alone, a Learning Nugget can
assist a participant in understanding a single concept or executing a single
task.
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Introduction
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Although, Learning Nuggets are built to stand alone as small nuggets of
knowledge, to increase a participant’s abilities to comprehend, retain, and
execute TWACS system knowledge, Learning Nuggets are grouped
together in Learning Modules. A Learning Module is a collection of
Learning Nuggets encapsulated by an introduction, objectives, vocabulary,
review, and practice with an understanding of how the Learning Nuggets
in the Learning Module relate to one another.
Related Learning Modules are grouped together in Learning Chapters. A
Learning Chapter is a collection of Learning Modules encapsulated by an
introduction, objectives, vocabulary, review, and practice with an
understanding of how the Learning Modules in the Learning Chapters
relate to one another and the TWACS system as a whole. The Learning
Chapter also provides a more detailed table of contents as well as indexed
reference to the Learning Chapters contents.
As a whole, the book is designed to follow a typical path for participants
as they begin to implement and use the TWACS system, broken down into
more easily understood and retained Learning Nuggets. Back at work, the
Learning Nuggets will allow the participant to use the training manual for
ready reference, locating the exact nugget needed.
Audience
To design this book, seven different audience roles were identified:
TNS Operator
The Utility employee responsible for operating and maintaining the TNS
system.
Customer Service Representative Manager
The Utility employee responsible for interfacing with the customer
regarding customer related issues.
Meter Technician
The Utility employee responsible for installing and maintaining meters.
Substation and Transmission Engineer
The Utility employee responsible for designing Substation and
Transmission elements.
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Billing
The Utility employee responsible for customer billing.
TWACS Project Manager
The Utility employee responsible for Project Managing the TWACS
implementation.
Customer Engineer
The Utility employee responsible for interfacing with the Utilities large
corporate customers on TWACS capabilities.
Based on these seven roles, the introduction of each Learning Chapter and each
Learning Module includes a Utility Personnel table with recommendations as to
which of the seven roles would find the following information a requirement or
elective for their role.
Personnel
Required
Elective
√
√
TNS Operators
TWACS Project Managers
Customer Service Representative/Managers
Billing Personnel
Substation and Transmission Engineers
√
√
Meter Technicians
√
Customer Engineers
Revisions
DSCI periodically will issue revisions to this document as enhancements
and changes are implemented, or as corrections are required.
With each revision, the document will include a What’s Changed section
describing the new or revised information.
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Support
Please address your questions to Customer Care as follows:
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-800-892-9008
Address: Distribution Control Systems
945 Hornet Drive
Hazelwood, MO 63042
USA
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Chapter 1: What is the TWACS System
Chapter Duration
60 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
What is the TWACS System?
Equipment Needed
Chapter Introduction
•
Laptop
•
Projector
•
Projection Screen The TWO-WAY AUTOMATIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (TWACS) enables electric
utility companies to perform enhanced functions and gather information
•
Whiteboard
•
______________ not previously available to the utility. Through the TWACS system,
Class Openers
• Welcome/Thanks
• Phone/Restroom
location
• Leave class as
needed
• Cells to vibrate
• Intros 1Name
2Company
3Goals
• ______________
Intro
This class is an
overview of how the
TWACS system
enhances a utility’s
service and
productivity.
Relationship
Understanding the
TWACS system big
picture will help you
get the most out of
the system.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Useful
Information in this
class is useful when
preparing to
implement or use the
TWACS system.
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electric utilities can revolutionize the way their business is done.
As an electric utility begins the process of evaluating or implementing the
TWACS system, it is important that those involved with the use and
implementation of the system have a general idea of what the TWACS
system will do for the utility. This chapter gives the participant a highlevel understanding of how the TWACS System can change the way
business is done in the electric utility.
Utility personnel who will benefit from the information in this chapter
include:
Personnel
Required
TNS Operators
√
√
Customer Service Representative Managers
√
Billing Personnel
√
√
Meter Technicians
√
Customer Engineers
√
Elective
The information in this chapter will help participants develop a base-level
understanding of the TWACS system capabilities when preparing to use
the TWACS system. This base-level understanding of TWACS system
capabilities will help enhance the participant’s perspective as new
TWACS system tasks are introduced throughout this and other TWACS
system training courses.
1
Vocabulary
Vocabulary to look
for…(read vocab)
TWACS Basics
Vocabulary introduced in this chapter includes:
TWACS
AMR
DCSI
FREEZE SNAPSHOT
ON-REQUEST
DEMAND READ
HIGH-WATER MARK
LOAD CONTROL
SERVICE DISCONNECT/
CONNECT
COLLAR
PIRATE
NO PULSE
BLINK COUNT
TIME OF USE
TNS OPERATOR
TWACS PROJECT
MANAGER
The learning modules in this chapter include:
Schedule by Mod
Morning:__________
1st Break:__________
•
After 1st B:_________
•
TWACS System Applications
Lunch:____________
•
TWACS User Roles
After L:____________
nd
2 B:_____________
After 2nd B:_________
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, participants should be able to:
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
•
•
•
•
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Discuss the TWACS system on a high level and recognize its
place in the utility system hierarchy.
Explain DCSI and its relationship to the TWACS system.
Describe the TWACS system in terms of what new functions
can be accomplished after the TWACS system deployment.
List the roles of various utility company employees as those
roles relate to the TWACS system.
2
Module Duration
15 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
Module Introduction
Intro
In this module, the participant will gain a high-level understanding of what
High-level overview of
the TWACS system is, what the TWACS system does, and how the
TWACS system
TWACS system fits in the overall scheme of utility company systems.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
Getting started with
TWACS
The information in this module is useful when the participant is preparing
to work with the TWACS system and its components.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:
Vocabulary to look for
in this module…(read
TWACS
AMR
DCSI
vocab)
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
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The learning nuggets in this module include:
•
The TWACS System at a High Level
Module Objectives
•
•
Develop a high-level understanding of the TWACS system
Develop an understanding of who DCSI is and their relationship
to the TWACS system
3
TWACS Basics
THE TWACS SYSTEM
AT A HIGH LEVEL
Two-Way
bi-directional
remote data
existing power line
TWACS
Business Tool
TWACS uses the
existing
infrastructure of
the electrical
system. Some
alternative
approaches use
out of band
information paths
like radio or
microwave.
Examples of these
types of
companies include
CellNet Data
Systems (now
Schlumberger)
and Nexus.
Two-Way Automatic Communication System (TWACS) is a system
designed for electric utility companies that provides a unique bidirectional system for collecting, communicating, and analyzing
information about and managing utility customer electricity usage. The
TWACS system uses existing power line assets for two-way remote data
acquisition and control solutions.
The TWACS system is a critical business tool for utilities that understand
that serving customers and keeping them loyal rests on:
•
The meter,
•
Near real-time data, and
•
The best-in-class performance and competitive advantages that the
TWACS system enables.
TWACS Enables New Functions
Using the TWACS system, electric utility companies can
revolutionize the way they do business.
The TWACS system enables the electric utility to
gather information and perform functions not
previously available to the utility. The
TWACS system uses the existing
infrastructure as the path for gathering
information. The TWACS system can be
valuable in many aspects of the utility’s
business including:
•
Uses of TWACS
•
•
•
•
•
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Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)
Interval data collection
Line voltage and power quality
monitoring
Outage mapping
Remote service disconnect/connect
Load shedding
Additional
History
TWACS was
developed at New
England Power….
Emerson Electric
bought the patent
rights. TWACS
was once called
Chance Load
Systems (from AB
Chance)
Esco was spun off
of Emerson
Electric in 1991 as
Emerson was
getting rid of
defense
contracting. DCSI
is part of the
communication
segment along
with Comtrak if
looking at the
annual or quarterly
reports.
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TWACS Basics
Who is DCSI?
Distribution Control Systems, Incorporated
or DCSI developed TWACS. DCSI is
headquartered in St. Louis, MO, and is a
division of ESCO Technologies, Inc. ESCO
Technologies is a publicly traded company
trading on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol ESE.
TWACS History
DCSI has a long and successful history with the TWACS system in
the electric utility industry.
•
•
•
•
•
The TWACS system was first developed in the late 1970s.
1987 first load control contract sold to Florida Power and
Light.
1991 Alberta Power and Light is first AMR customer.
1997 Automatic Meter Reading dominates business growth.
Today, over 6 million addressable units installed or under
contract.
5
TWACS Basics
Introduction to the TWACS System Review
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
The TWACS system is unique in using the existing
infrastructure and meter signaling that enables two-way
communication with all meters on the utility system.
DCSI is a division of ESCO Technologies, a publicly held
company based in St. Louis, MO.
The TWACS system has been around a long time…since the
1970s.
Introduction to the TWACS System Practice
Practice
Let’s take a minute to
practice what we have
covered in this
section:
1. True/False: The TWACS system uses high frequency signaling on
the electrical system to communicate with meters at customer
locations. This factor limits the reach of the TWACS system to
only certain customers.
2. DCSI first developed the TWACS system in what decade?
3. How many addressable meter and load control units are under
contract and managed with the TWACS system?
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TWACS Basics
Introduction to the TWACS System Practice
Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. True/False: The TWACS system uses high frequency signaling on
the electrical system to communicate with meters at customer
locations. This factor limits the reach of the TWACS system to
only certain customers.
False
2. DCSI first developed the TWACS system in what decade?
In the late 1970s
3. How many addressable meter and load control units are under
contract and managed with the TWACS system?
Over 6 million
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Module Duration
30 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
TWACS Applications
Module Introduction
The TWACS system enables applications in a utility not previously
Intro
available to the utility. Having a thorough understanding of the TWACS
TWACS gives utilities
system capabilities allows participants to optimize their results from their
new applications
TWACS system deployment.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
Starting to work with
the TWACS System
to work with the TWACS system and its components. The participant can
develop a general understanding of how the TWACS system can change
business functions.
Vocabulary
AMR
FREEZE SNAPSHOT
ON-REQUEST
vocab)
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DEMAND READ
HIGH-WATER MARK
LOAD CONTROL
SERVICE CONNECT/
DISCONNECT
COLLAR
PIRATE
NO PULSE
BLINK COUNT
TIME OF USE
8
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
Automatic Meter Reading
Load Control
Service Disconnect/Connect
Tamper Detection/Energy Theft Reduction
Service Reliability/Outage Count Monitoring
Billing Enhancements
Cross-Utility Cooperative Work
Module Objectives
•
•
•
•
Develop an understanding of the TWACS system applications
Determine what customer needs can be fulfilled by the TWACS
system
Determine what utility company needs the TWACS system can
fulfill
Develop a working understanding of the following functions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
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TWACS Basics
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR),
Load control,
Distribution automation,
Service disconnect/connect,
Tamper detection/energy theft reduction, and
Service reliability/outage count monitoring.
9
AMR
AMR is one of the
fundamental benefits
of TWACS. Using
AMR, utilities can
offer services to the
customer like never
before.
TWACS Basics
AUTOMATIC METER READING
Traditionally, utilities read meters manually by a person actually going
from one meter to the next documenting readings from the meter. Using
the AUTOMATIC METER READING (AMR) function of TWACS, electric utilities
can read meters for various reasons at various times of the month without
ever dispatching a person to a meter site. AMR does provide a level of
cost savings for the utility, and enables the utility to perform many other
Ask
“How many of you are functions not previously available with manual reads.
fairly new to
TWACS?”
“How many have
used TWACS for a
while?”
AMR can be a valuable tool in aiding both customers and electric utility
personnel in resolving customer problems and managing customer energy
use. Among these problems are customer situations like the following:
Customer Problems:
Customer Problems
Ask
“What are your
utilities using TWACS
to accomplish?”
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“I want to know why my bill was so
high last month.”
“I want to know how much energy we
use when we’re at work versus when
we’re at home.”
“I want to know what impact my
visiting kids have on my energy use.”
“I want to know how much it would
impact my energy costs to keep my
business open another 3 hours in the
evening.”
“I want to use trend information on
energy use as part of an analysis to see
if it makes sense to adjust business
hours during certain times of the
year.”
“Can you help me figure out why my
bill is so much more than my
neighbors?”
Continued on next page….
10
Type of meter read that
can help:
AMR, Hourly, Daily Shift,
On-Request
Hourly
Daily Shift, On-Request,
Hourly
Hourly
Hourly, Daily Shift
AMR, Hourly Daily Shift,
On-Request
TWACS Basics
“I’m moving out of my home today.
Can you disconnect my service now
so I won’t get charged for additional
days?”
“How much capacity will we need in
this subdivision in the next six
months?”
“We’re in a mid-summer crisis. We
need to reengineer the transmission
facilities. How can I isolate which
customers have a recent increase in
usage?”
On-Request, Service
Disconnect
Daily Shift, Demand,
Hourly or Interval Data
Daily Shift, Demand
Table 1 - Customer Problems Solved by TNS
The following sections detail the various read types.
Reads
Daily and hourly
readings can help the
utility provide
customers with
unprecedented
service levels to
isolate high-energy
use.
Scheduled Daily Shift Reads
It is recommended the TWACS system be set up to perform reads at
a minimum once daily. DCSI manufactures meters to store a FREEZE
SNAPSHOT at midnight, and the TWACS system has a 24-hour
window in which to pull off the snapshot data for the daily read
before it is overwritten.
Using the TWACS system, the utility runs reports detailing the
amount of usage per day. The utility can establish trends with this
information.
Hourly Data History
Instant feedback for
customers on usage
and reasons for
changes in cost
Figure 1 - AMR Daily Usage Report
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TWACS Basics
Daily historical information shows the customer’s utilization. A
customer may have a complaint about a bill. In Figure 1, AMR
Daily Usage Report, the Customer Service Representative (CSR)
views customer usage on a daily basis for the month of December.
Reviewing daily information, it becomes clear to the customer that
having two college age kids home over the December weekends and
Christmas holiday caused a spike in utilization.
Figure 2 - Daily Usage Report
The daily read report in Figure 2, Daily Usage Report, combined
with an analysis of the temperatures for those days listed, helped
isolate the issue. The heater was running feverishly on cold days for
this customer. After a site visit, the utility determined for the
customer that the building contractor had neglected to insulate the
attic properly.
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Hourly Reads
Establish trends
Utility usage
cost/benefit analysis
TWACS Basics
Scheduled Hourly Reads
Meters can be read more often than every day. Meters can store
information for hourly tracking of information. Reports that detail
the amount of usage per day can be run to establish trends.
Figure 3 - Daily Usage Report
The hourly report in Figure 3, Daily Usage Report, is from a home
in which the builder neglected to insulate the attic. The report
shows the attic was insulated between 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning
on December 5th. The report yields a good estimate of what the lack
of insulation was costing the homeowner.
Commercial customers benefit from this type of information as well.
Hourly reports provide information to commercial customers that
can be used in cost/benefit analysis for staying open later hours or
cutting the workday shorter. Trends can also be established for
specific times of the year to help determine optimal seasonal hours
of operation.
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On-Request
Meter Reads
higher level of
customer service
and
responsiveness,
not available
before TWACS
system.
Example
TWACS Basics
On-Request Meter Reads
Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) often receive calls
relating to billing questions. In the days of manual meter reading,
the utility would dispatch meter readers or customers would selfread their meters for an accurate count or verification. TWACS
enables CSRs to take an immediate reading while the customer is on
the telephone. This ON-REQUEST READ capability provides CSRs with
new capabilities not available with the previous manual process.
For example:
A utility’s customer contacts the utility and
notifies them that moving day has arrived and
the utility must disconnect service. The CSR
can perform an immediate service disconnect
followed by an on-request meter read with the
customer on the line to provide the customer
with a statement of the final bill.
Demand Reads
Allows Customer
Service a way to
help customers
determine source
of high-energy use
problems
Allows for tracking
and estimating
peak use times
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Demand Reads
Peak demand is a tariff component for some utilities, particularly for
commercial customers. Using the TWACS system, utilities can
accurately track and bill for high periods of usage accordingly.
700
It is often difficult to
600
estimate energy
requirements for a customer 500
400
or group of customers.
300
Using DEMAND READS, the
200
utility can get an idea of
100
how much energy to budget
0
1
3
5
7
9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29
for a customer or group of
customers. This can be
Figure 4 - Demand Read
particularly beneficial in a short-term
High Water Marks
energy crisis created by high use or
power failure. With demand reads in
the TWACS system, the meters store a HIGH WATER MARK for usage.
This high-water mark represents the highest 15-minute demand of
usage for the customer. Using this information, Substation and
Transmission Engineers can estimate peaks more accurately based
on high usage for customers and groups of customers. Some
utilities use this high water mark reading as the basis of the billing
rate for the rest of the year.
14
Load Control
Control peak
power demand
Turn on or off
elements using
power
Problems
Load Control Can
Resolve
TWACS Basics
LOAD CONTROL
With two-way communications to the customer site, the TWACS system
enables powerful methods for utilities to perform functions that allow
management of peak power demand. One of those functions is LOAD
CONTROL. Using load control, utilities can remotely engage and disengage
elements of high use on the customer premise. Among these problems are
customer situations like the following:
Problems:
“Peak times in July are causing us to have problems with brownouts.”
“When we lose power for a corporate customer and redistribute
facilities to accommodate, load capacities are exceeded.”
“Our customers ask us for help controlling their energy bills.”
“Pricing changes from deregulation have created windows of
opportunity for customers to shed peak time rate power costs.”
Table 2 – Problems TWACS Load Control Can Solve
Load control uses the same TWACS infrastructure
deployed for AMR. Using TWACS load control, the
utility can plan strategies that allow trimming of
utilization during peak usage times. Load control allows
the utility to remotely turn off components within a
residential (or commercial) customer premise that draw
substantial levels of power. This shedding of power
allows the utility to control peak demand that can avert
brownouts.
Typical components set up on load control include items
like water heaters and air conditioners.
Figure 5 - Water Heater
Equipped with Load Control
Transponder
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Service
Disconnect/Connect
Employee safety:
frequent disconnects
for failure to pay can
be done remotely
keeping utility
employees from
entering a potentially
dangerous situation at
the customer site.
Problems
Resolved by
Service
Disconnect/
Connect
TWACS Basics
SERVICE
DISCONNECT/CONNECT
Using the SERVICE DISCONNECT/CONNECT features of the
TWACS system, CSRs can perform a near immediate
physical deactivation and reactivation of service
without dispatching a meter technician to the premise.
This feature can help resolve problems like:
Problems:
“I’m moving today, and I want my billing to stop now.”
“I can’t pay my bill this month…or next month…or next month.”
“Can you disengage the service at our vacation home for the next
two months?”
“We just moved in. Can you turn our power on?”
Table 3 – Service disconnect/connect Problems Can Solve
Increase
Responsiveness
moving day with
connect or
disconnect and
immediate exact
usage bill
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Meters can be equipped with a COLLAR that can receive and respond to
commands from the TWACS system to disconnect or reconnect the power
in a matter of seconds. Connections may be made in response to a new
customer who has just moved into a new home and is requesting power.
Disconnects may be done on bad credit accounts who are continually late
on payment. Disconnects may also be done at the time of account
closeout when a customer is moving out of a home or
business. Automatic disconnect followed by an onrequest read can give the customer a bill of
their exact usage. Due to the reduced time
cost of connecting and disconnecting service
through TWACS, utilities gain a level of
responsiveness not previously available.
16
Tamper and Theft
TWACS Basics
TAMPER DETECTION/ENERGY
THEFT REDUCTION
The TWACS system enables the utility to detect meter
tampering, thus reducing the occurrence and impact of
energy theft. Energy theft can take several forms
including:
Forms of Energy
Theft
Problems:
“We think the customer may have turned the meter
upside down for part of the month, but we can’t
prove it.”
“The customer’s bill is substantially less over the
past few months. It may be that they have bypassed
the meter.”
Table 4 – Tamper Detection Problems TWACS Can Solve
Meter Tamper
3 main detection
points
No Pulse
The TWACS
system can help
you remotely
determine if it is
normal for this
customer to have a
No Pulse or
possible tampering
Reverse Rotation
If tamper found
can bill for pulses
in reverse
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The TWACS system can detect meter tampering. Customers who PIRATE
electricity generally do so by either: disconnecting the meter for a period
of time, or by turning the meter to run in reverse. Both of these actions are
illegal but can be difficult to prove without the TWACS system. TWACS
transponders report three items that can indicate tampering:
• No pulses in 24 hours
• Reverse rotation
• Blink count
No Pulses in 24 Hours
This indicator identifies if the meter has not recorded energy use in a
24-hour period. In the case of this indicator, the TWACS system
allows the utility to track nuisance NO PULSE indications from barns,
light poles, vacation homes, etc., by documenting special fields that
allow you to identify customers for whom a no pulse would be
normal.
Reverse Rotation
This indicator identifies if the meter has run in reverse. A customer
may reverse the feeds on the meter causing the meter to run in the
opposite direction, thus reducing the customer’s usage and bill. The
TWACS transponders on the meter can detect this condition, report
the theft attempt, and bill for the pulses in the reverse direction.
17
Blink Count
TWACS records
outages in the
meter to help
determine if
customer is
attempting to
reduce bill by
disconnecting
power
Monitor Service
Real-time
monitoring for
isolation of major
failures
Problems
Resolved by
Monitoring Service
Real-time
TWACS Basics
Blink Count
When the meter loses power, the transponder in the meter tracks the
outage through the BLINK COUNT. If a customer is intermittently
bypassing the power throughout the billing cycle to avoid detection,
the TWACS system records the blink count and provides an
indication of what is happening.
SERVICE
RELIABILITY/OUTAGE
COUNT MONITORING
The TWACS system enables the utility to detect outage counts and collect
availability information in real-time, thus helping to isolate trouble and
avert more major failures. Here are a few examples of customer problems
that might occur:
Problems:
“The customer says they are getting frequent power flickers. Can
we isolate if it’s a customer problem or utility problem?”
“We’ve had a customer call every couple of days about light
flickers, but we haven’t been able to isolate the trouble. We need
more information about the scope of the problem.”
“The customer said their power was out. We dispatched a
technician only to find out that it was the customer’s problem.”
“Can we tell if all our customers are back in service after the
outage?”
“Our lost energy average runs too high.”
“We lost another transformer to overload. We need to monitor these
more closely.”
“Our distribution path data is way off. We continue to make
mistakes in our judgment.”
Table 5 - Outage Problems TWACS Can Solve
Blink Count
As a warning for
future failures
Production Code
Blink Count Indications of Future Problems
Outage monitoring can be done through the use of the
TWACS blink count tracking. Intermittent problems in
service can be very difficult to troubleshoot and can be a
sign of more major problems to come.
18
Example Blink
Count Warning
Real-time Line
Test
Can save a truck
roll
Restored Service
Rapid location of
restored and nonrestored power for
better allocation of
truck rolls
Production Code
TWACS Basics
As an example, equipment intermittently failing or tree limbs
brushing against power lines may cause a temporary power failure
that the customer sees as a blink in their electricity. The customer
may not report a minor outage such as this. The TWACS system
will see these blinks and track them as part of its blink count. Since
the meter reports the blink count, the focus on the problem is
narrowed to the locations that share the problem. This forewarning
might be used to summon tree service personnel focusing on
specific neighborhoods and customer locations for trouble, hence
narrowing the focus of where major trouble is likely to show. Using
this blink count feature of the TWACS system effectively has the
potential to save the utility major expenses associated with line
repair, not to mention the potential of saving the life of an
unfortunate person who could be caught in the wrong place at the
wrong time if a power line falls due to the weight of a tree limb.
False Dispatch: Customer Problem
Outages reported by a customer often result in dispatching service
personnel to the location of the outage. If the problem is the
customer’s, the manpower of a truck roll is wasted. With the
TWACS system, while the customer is on the line, the CSR can do a
quick test on the line to see if the meter responds. If the meter
responds, then the problem is beyond the meter and hence is the
customer’s problem. There is no need to dispatch a technician to the
site to ensure it is not the utility’s problem.
Are All the Customers Back Up?
After a major system outage,
TWACS can be used to validate
which customers are back
online and which ones still have
residual problems. This can
save valuable time for the
technician that is still in the
area when they find out that
three homes in the neighborhood are
still without power.
19
Figure 6 - Outage Map
TWACS Basics
Tracking Lost
Power
Where Did the Power Go?
Avoid
Transformer
Overload
How is the Transformer Load?
Improved
Accuracy of Path
Maps
Production Code
When utility companies purchase power from upstream sources, the
difference between the amount of power they purchase minus the
amount of power they sell represents the amount of power lost.
While a certain amount of power loss is a normal part of distributing
power, excessive amounts can cause unnecessary revenue loss.
Excessive loss amounts can come from a variety of sources
including equipment failure and customer theft. Using the TWACS
system, a very accurate estimate of loss can be calculated at various
levels, allowing the utility to focus efforts on when the power is lost
and where the lost power is going. One utility was able to cut lost
power from seven to three percent after deploying and using the
TWACS system.
Often times, utilities find out about overloaded transformers when
the transformers blow and have to be replaced. Using the TWACS
system, customer demand can be monitored so that when utilization
exceeds certain thresholds, distribution problems can be handled in a
more graceful manner.
Getting Path Maps Straight
Utility path maps and actual distribution facility configurations do
not always match.
RAD1
MTU OMU
Radial Circuit
LTN1
Keeping these two
LTN2
elements in
12.47kV
D
synchronization is
D
D
Spot
particularly challenging
D
Area Network
Network
Normally Closed
120/208V
277/480V
when cabling is
D
underground and out of
D
D
12.47kV
visibility. Using the
LTN3
D
LTN4, ...
TWACS system, the
RAD2, ...
Radial Circuit
MTU OMU
utility can validate and
correct path maps to
Figure 7 - Path Map Illustration
avoid costly mistakes.
For example, a
neighborhood that is documented on the wrong phase can have
problems if they are redirected to another distribution path and
consumption estimates are exceeded. Using the TWACS system,
the utility can improve the accuracy of maps to avoid these types of
mistakes.
20
Billing
Focused on the
needs of the utility
and customer
TWACS Basics
BILLING ENHANCEMENTS
The TWACS system information can be used for a number of benefits
relating to billing and other customer service related issues. Since it is
easy and inexpensive to collect usage information down to the day, hour
or 15-minute increment, the utility can enhance the way it interacts with
customers relating to billing.
Here are some examples of customer situations in which the TWACS
system might be useful:
Billing Problems
The TWACS
System resolves
Problems:
“Our customer wants a consolidated bill for 5 sites. We can’t
provide one bill with the same interval, and we’re having to hold up
billing while we queue the reads that come in.”
“I get my Social Security check on the 5th. Can you bill me on the
6th so I’m sure to have enough money to cover the bill?”
“Can you monitor the power at our vacation home so our pipes
don’t freeze?”
“We have implemented budget billing, but to save money, we only
read annually. Now we have no idea how much lost power we
have.”
“We need to reflect in our customer’s billing our actual cost. That
cost goes up if we need to go to outside resources during peak times,
and our customer bills need to reflect this increased cost.”
Table 6 - Billing Problems TWACS Can Solve
Consolidated Billing
One Bill
For all of the
customer’s
locations
Production Code
The TWACS system makes consolidated billing very easy. Since
reads are generally done at least every day, a customer’s billing
cycle does not need to be related to the geographical location of the
customer. A customer with five different locations spread across the
metropolitan area can have a consolidated bill for all the sites with
minimal effort on the part of the utility.
21
Increased
Consistent
Revenue Stream
TWACS Basics
Specific Day of Month Billing
For many people, living from paycheck to paycheck is
a reality, particularly for those living on fixed
incomes. Some customers want to
prioritize certain bills so they are paid as
soon as they receive their paycheck. The
TWACS system allows you to set up the
billing cycles to meet the needs of the end
customer. This ultimately means a more
consistent revenue stream and less cost for the
utility when they do not have to worry about funds
availability with the customer.
Vacation Home
Monitoring to avoid
disaster can be an
additional revenue
stream
Vacation Home Monitoring
Budget Bill
Without losing the
ability to track lost
energy
Budget Billing Causes Lost Energy Tracking Problem
Time of Use
Balance the cost of
energy at peak
times by billing
customer with
appropriate rates
during peak times
Production Code
People who own vacation homes that they visit infrequently or
seasonally may need help monitoring the availability of electricity.
If electricity is disrupted, there is the potential for bad things to
happen like frozen water pipes or lost food in the freezer. Using the
TWACS system, utilities can set up paid services in which they
monitor the availability and use of electricity proactively at a
customer’s vacation home to avoid such problems.
When budget billing is implemented, there is temptation to save cost
by reducing meter reads to a minimum annual reading. Reducing
meter reads to once annually makes it difficult to track lost energy.
With the TWACS system, you can implement budget billing and
still maintain the daily or hourly reads needed for tracking lost
energy without incurring additional cost.
Time of Use Billing
It is the law of supply and demand when
a utility has to pay a premium for energy
from sources like energy brokers during
peak times. The result is higher energy
costs during the peaks. At certain times
of the day, energy demand and energy
costs peak. Many utilities want customer
billing to reflect this additional cost.
Prior to the TWACS system, TIME OF USE
(TOU) billing required special meters and a lot of hassle. With
TWACS, hourly billing can be enabled quickly and simply without
additional cost simply by configuring the TWACS system and the
meters for hourly billing cycles.
22
Read All Meters
Electricity
Gas and
Water
Problems
Resolved
By TWACS and
cross-utility work
TWACS Basics
CROSS-UTILITY
COOPERATIVE WORK
The TWACS system enables the utility to interact with other meters on the
customer’s premise. The electrical system provides an ideal path for flow
of two-way information (unlike gas and water paths). The utility can use
the communications path enabled by the TWACS system to read not only
electric meters, but water and gas meters as well. This function may solve
problems from several different perspectives:
Problems:
“The water co-op has asked us if we can help them automate their
meter reading process.”
“The board is pressing us for revenue growth, so we are
approaching the gas company to use automation of their meter
reading as a source of revenue.”
Table 7 - Cross-Utility Problems TWACS Can Solve
Read 3 Meters
from 1 Meter
Properly equipped electric meters, such as
the meter pictured in Figure 8,
Schlumberger Centron RF, have inputs for
water and gas meters. The TWACS
system can read all three meters
automatically.
Figure 8 - Schlumberger
Centron RF
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23
TWACS Basics
The TWACS System Applications Review
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The TWACS system provides extensive AMR capabilities for
monthly, daily, hourly or shorter interval reads of KWH,
consumption, demand, and other important meter information.
The TWACS system provides shedding capabilities through
extensive load control support.
The TWACS system improves customer responsiveness by
enabling automatic service disconnect and connect.
The TWACS system reduces theft potential by tracking no
pulses, reverse rotations, and blink counts.
The TWACS system enables service reliability enhancements
such as tracking of blink count indications, elimination of false
dispatch for service outage, service monitoring, and power loss
monitoring.
The TWACS system enables new billing enhancements such as
consolidated billing, specific day or month billing, vacation
home monitoring, budget billing without lost energy, and time
of use billing.
The TWACS system enables a profit center for cross-utility
cooperation in that it can read electric meters and other meters
such as gas and water.
The TWACS System Applications Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. What three items can the TWACS system track to help prevent
energy theft?
2. What capability of AMR enables utility companies to adjust a
customer’s billing date?
3. What AMR function of the TWACS system enables a utility to
help a customer estimate the impact of changing hours of
operation?
4. What type of read helps utilities that may have a tariff component
for peak demand?
5. What type of read helps utility customer service representatives
deal with problems while customers are on the telephone?
6. What function of the TWACS system helps make life safer for
utility employees by eliminating the need for employees to go to
customer sites when bills are not paid?
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24
TWACS Basics
The TWACS System Applications Practice
Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. What three items can the TWACS system track to help prevent
energy theft?
No pulses in 24 hours, reverse rotations, and blink count.
2. What capability of AMR enables utility companies to adjust a
customer’s billing date?
AMR
3. What AMR function of the TWACS system enables a utility to
help a customer estimate the impact of changing hours of
operation?
Hourly Reads
4. What type of read helps utilities that may have a tariff component
for peak demand?
Demand Reads
5. What type of read helps utility customer service representatives
deal with problems while customers are on the telephone?
On-Request Reads
6. What function of the TWACS system helps make life safer for
utility employees by eliminating the need for employees to go to
customer sites when bills are not paid?
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25
Module Duration
15 minutes
TWACS Basics
TWACS User Roles
Schedule Time
____________
Module Introduction
Intro
Roles of TWACS
System Users
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Specific roles exist for users when interacting with the TWACS system.
This module explains the common roles defined for participants using the
TWACS system. The TWACS system revolutionizes the way a utility can
conduct business. To take full advantage of the TWACS system, the
utility must understand who will need to use information from the
TWACS system, who will use which capabilities within the TWACS
system, and in what capacity.
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
Preparing to work with to work with the TWACS system and its components. The participant can
the TWACS system
develop a general idea of what roles will be performed by participants at
the utility.
Vocabulary
TNS OPERATOR
TWACS PROJECT
MANAGER
vocab)
Production Code
26
TWACS Basics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
TNS Operator
TWACS Project Manager
Customer Service Representative/Manager
Billing Personnel
Substation and Transmission Engineer
Meter Technician
Customer Engineer
Module Objectives
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
•
•
•
Develop an understanding of who in the utility should use the
TWACS system
Develop an understanding of who would use the TWACS
system for which functions and applications
Develop an understanding of the functional roles of the
following participants:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Production Code
TNS Operator,
TWACS Project Manager,
Customer Service Representative/Manager,
Billing Personnel,
Substation and Transmission Engineer,
Meter Technician, and
Customer Engineer.
27
TWACS Basics
TNS OPERATOR
The TNS OPERATOR is a new role at the utility with the installation of the
TWACS system. TWACS Net Server (TNS) is the computer system that
controls aspects and interacts with components of the TWACS system.
Although it is a new role, it is common that an existing utility employee
will add the role of TNS Operator to their existing list of responsibilities.
The TNS Operator is the person who has the most comprehensive
knowledge of the TNS system and should be the focal point of
responsibility for the TNS system. The TNS Operator is responsible for a
number of critical system functions including but not limited to:
TNS Operator
A new role at the
utility performing the
following functions…
•
•
•
•
•
•
Entering information into TNS about substation equipment
Entering meters into the database
Configuring meter addresses
Setting up Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)
Using the system for enhanced functionality
Ensuring that TNS information is backed up
TWACS PROJECT MANAGER
TWACS Project
Manager
Manages the
TWACS system
implementation/
co-ordination of
maintainace and
upgrades, or, may
be, a temporary
position assigned
for the duration of
the TWACS
installation.
Production Code
The TWACS PROJECT MANAGER (PM) is a new role at the utility that comes
with the decision to deploy the TWACS system. The TWACS PM is
responsible for successful deployment of the entire TWACS system. The
TWACS PM must have a good understanding of the overall capabilities of
the TWACS system and the goals of the utility in their deployment of the
TWACS system. The TWACS PM must develop an understanding of
many aspects of the TWACS system including, but not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What the TWACS system enables the utility to do
What the utility would like for the TWACS system to do
Meter capabilities
Read functions and their uses
Regulatory issues the utility may be facing
Billing capabilities the utility possesses or would like to possess
What customers want the utility to do for them
What the utility would like to do for its customers
28
TWACS Basics
Although the TWACS PM is a new role introduced by the deployment of
the TWACS system, the role of TWACS PM may be added to the
functional responsibilities of an existing employee or it may be contracted
out to a third party. In either case, the TWACS PM will work closely with
DCSI personnel to develop an understanding of how the TWACS system
should be deployed to meet the goals of the utility.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
REPRESENTATIVE/MANAGER
The Customer Service Representative (CSR) and the CSR Manager are
existing utility employees who interact with customers on issues relating
to the customer’s electric service. The CSR interfaces with the TNS
system within the TWACS system for various functions including:
Customer Service
Existing roles at the
utility able to perform
the following functions
with the TWACS
system…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Immediate service disconnects/connects
On-request meter reads for customer billing complaints
Meter read history review
Read functions and their uses
Review of outage counts
Review of daily or hourly usage reports of customer energy use
Interaction with Load Control elements to tailor use to customer need
Interaction with the TWACS system to test voltage if a customer has
problems with power that cause dimming lights or other problems
BILLING PERSONNEL
Billing personnel are existing utility employees responsible for billing
customers for energy use. Billing personnel use the TWACS system
through TNS relating to the following functions:
Billing Personnel
•
•
•
with the TWACS
system…
•
•
Production Code
Collection of export files detailing customer use and input into existing
Customer Information Systems
Validation of billing data
Establishment of appropriate rate classes (in conjunction with the TNS
Operator)
Service disconnect for bad credit (in conjunction with CSRs)
Fraud and theft protection
29
TWACS Basics
SUBSTATION AND
TRANSMISSION ENGINEER
The Substation and Transmission (S&T) Engineer is an existing utility
employee that deals with the infrastructure that delivers power to the
customer. An S&T Engineer might have the following responsibilities
relating to the TWACS system:
Substation and
Transmission
Engineer
with the TWACS
system…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Design of substation components for the TWACS system
Support of TWACS substation system components
Validation that the TNS system configuration mirrors the equipment
and configuration of the substation (with the TNS Operator)
Use of outage reports for indications of major problems
Support of Load Control applications for load shedding advantages
Review of consumption reports for short-term load estimates
Validation that Alternate Paths account for distribution changes (with
TNS Operator)
Use of testing tools for voltage validation
METER TECHNICIAN
The Meter Technician is an existing utility employee that deals with
installation and support of meters. The Meter Technician would interact
with TWACS system components at the customer site for various
functions including, but not limited to:
•
Meter Technician
utility able to perform •
with the TWACS
•
system…
•
•
•
•
•
•
Production Code
Determining meter configurations by working with the TNS PM and
the TNS Operator
Installing, configuring and supporting meters to support the utility’s
goals for the TWACS system
Determining device location identifiers to help the TNS Operator sift
through faulty tamper indicators
Determining load control unit configuration by working with TNS PM,
TNS Operator, and S&T Engineer
Installing, configuring, and supporting load control units to support the
utility’s goals for the TWACS system
Working with TNS Operator and Billing personnel to resolve energy
theft issues
Reviewing TNS quality of signal indicators that indicate meter
problems
Reviewing TNS outage reports that indicate service problems
30
TWACS Basics
CUSTOMER ENGINEER
The Customer Engineer is a person who interfaces with predominantly
large customers on issues relating to their service requirements. The
Customer Engineer may or may not be a new role for the utility. The
Customer Engineer must be fluent with capabilities provided by the
TWACS system to perform the following functions:
Customer Engineer
with the TWACS
system…
Production Code
•
•
•
•
Discussing with customers capabilities the utility can provide through
the use of the TWACS system
Producing/reviewing utilization reports for customers from TNS
Performing custom reads for customers in TNS
31
Review
The main points of
this section…
TWACS Basics
TWACS User Roles Review
There are several functional positions in a utility relating to the
TWACS system including:
TNS Operator
TWACS Project
Manager
Customer Service
Representative/Manager
Billing Personnel
S&T Engineer
Meter Technician
Customer Engineer
Responsible for operating the
TNS system in TWACS
Responsible for deploying the
TWACS system at a utility
Responsible for interfacing with
the customer on service issues
and gathering customer related
information from the TWACS
system
Responsible for getting read
information from the TWACS
system for billing purposes
Responsible for TWACS design,
configuration, support, and
operation at a substation level
Responsible for TWACS meter
configuration, support, and
operation
Responsible for support of
utility’s large customers and
gathering information from the
TWACS system relevant to those
large customers
TWACS User Roles Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. What role would be responsible for getting TWACS billing data
into the billing system for a utility?
2. What role might be responsible for configuring meters?
3. What role is responsible for design and support of the TWACS
substation equipment?
4. What role is responsible for backup and configuration of TNS?
Production Code
32
TWACS Basics
TWACS User Roles Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. What role would be responsible for getting TWACS billing data
into the billing system for a utility?
Billing Personnel
2. What role might be responsible for configuring meters?
Meter Technician
3. What role is responsible for design and support of the TWACS
substation equipment?
S&T Engineer
4. What role is responsible for backup and billing read monitoring for
TNS?
TNS Operator
Production Code
33
Chapter Review
The main points of
this chapter…
Chapter Review
•
•
•
•
Production Code
TWACS Basics
The TWACS system has a long history of helping customers
automate meter activity.
The TWACS system enables utilities to change and improve
the way they do business.
The TWACS system enables a host of new functions a utility
can perform including AMR, load control, automated service
disconnect/connect, tamper detection, service monitoring,
enhanced billing, and cross-utility meter reading.
The TWACS system use involves interaction from a number of
utility employees including the TNS Operator, TWACS Project
Manager, Customer Service Representative, Billing Personnel,
Substation & Transmission Engineers, Meter Technicians, and
Customer Engineers.
34
TWACS Basics
Chapter Practice
Chapter Practice
covered in this
chapter:
1. What are two new roles the utility may have when deploying the
TWACS system?
2. True/False TWACS system is a new system that revolutionizes the
way a utility does business.
3. What types of reads can the TWACS system provide a utility to
assist in customer service issues?
4. What function enabled by the TWACS system enables a utility to
shed load when utilization reaches critical levels?
5. What function enabled by the TWACS system keeps employees
safe from disgruntled customers that don’t pay their bills.
6. What three things can the TWACS system detect that help a utility
identify energy theft?
7. Which of the following billing functions is not enhanced by the
TWACS system?
a. Consolidated billing
b. Specific day of month billing
c. Time of use billing
d. Budget billing
e. E-commerce with large customers
8. Which of the following new potential revenue opportunities is not
enabled by the TWACS system?
a. Cross-utility meter reads (gas/water company)
b. Cross-utility billing (gas/water company)
c. Vacation home monitoring
d. Meter cleaning
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35
TWACS Basics
Chapter Practice Answers
Chapter Practice
Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. What are two new roles the utility may have when deploying the
TWACS system?
TNS Operator and TWACS Project Manager
2. True/False TWACS is a new system that revolutionizes the way a
utility does business.
False. TWACS has been around since the late 1970s.
3. What types of reads can the TWACS system provide a utility to
assist in customer service issues?
AMR, Hourly, On-Request, and Daily Shift
4. What function enabled by the TWACS system enables a utility to
shed load when utilization reaches critical levels?
Load Control
5. What function enabled by the TWACS system keeps employees
safe from disgruntled customers that don’t pay their bills.
6. What three things can the TWACS system detect that help a utility
identify energy theft?
No pulses in 24 hours, reverse rotation, blink count
7. Which of the following billing functions is not enhanced by the
TWACS system?
a. Consolidated billing
b. Specific day of month billing
c. Time of use billing
d. Budget billing
e. E-commerce with large customers
8. Which of the following new potential revenue opportunities is not
enabled by the TWACS system?
a. Cross-utility meter reads (gas/water company)
b. Cross-utility billing (gas/water company)
c. Vacation home monitoring
d. Meter cleaning
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36
Version Record
Item
Product Reference
Current Version
Date Issued
Owner
Change History
Date
Version
8/6/03
0.1
8/7/03
0.2
8/8/03
0.3
8/8/03
1.0
8/29/03
1.1
9/3/03
1.2
9/17/03
2.0
10/23/03
2.1
10/27/03
2.2
Record
B Cha 1 Introduction to TWACS
3.2
11/11/03
Steve Seyer
Summary of Changes
First informal reviewed version created 7/22-7/24
Kellee’s update
Update per Kellee’s changes
Passed to DCSI for review
John’s, Steve’s and Rick’s updates applied
Kellee’s review for AMRA Sample
Jason’s updates applied
Review questions added, instructor notes added
Kellee applied formatting, additional instructor notes, protocol issues, vocab clean up, style
clean up to ready for Sandy’s review
Sandy’s review
Kellee updated with Sandy’s Changes
Sandy’s updates applied
10/29/03
10/30/03
11/11/03
2.3
3.0
3.2
Approval
Date
Version Name
Production Code
TWACS Basics
Signature
37
Chapter Duration
90 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
TWACS System Design
Equipment Needed
•
Laptop
•
Projector
•
Projection Screen The Two-Way Automatic Communication System (TWACS) enables
•
Whiteboard
electric utility companies to perform enhanced functions and gather
•
______________
information not previously available to the utility. Through the TWACS
system, electric utilities can revolutionize the way the utilities do business.
Intro
This chapter is an
overview of the
TWACS system
component levels.
TWACS system, it is important for those involved with the use and
implementation of the system to develop a general idea of how the
TWACS system is structured. The general areas of understanding covered
in this chapter include:
•
•
•
Relationship
How the TWACS
system component
levels fit into the
electrical system.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Knowledge of components involved in the TWACS system
Understanding how the TWACS system integrates with existing
electrical system elements
Knowing what changes utilities must make to equipment,
configuration, and procedure to deploy the TWACS system
This chapter gives the participant a general overview of the TWACS
component levels, what is included in the component level, and how these
components fit in the overall scheme of the electrical system.
include:
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Customer Service Representatives/ Managers
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Production Code
1
TWACS Basics
Useful
Information in this
preparing to
TWACS system.
Information in this chapter is useful to develop a base-level understanding
of TWACS structure and to prepare the participant to deploy and/or use
the TWACS system. A base-level understanding of TWACS structure
helps enhance the participant’s perspective as new TWACS system
information is introduced throughout this and other TWACS system
training courses.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary to look
for…(read vocab)
TNS
CRU
OMU
MTU
IPU
FIXED SYSTEM
RCE
METERS
TRANSPONDER
METER NUMBER
SERIAL NUMBER
COMMERCIAL METER
RESIDENTIAL
METER
THREE PHASE METER
SINGLE PHASE METER
SOLID STATE
SINGLE PORT
MULTIPORT
DAILY READ
HOURLY READ
INTERVAL READ
FREEZE READ
CONSUMPTION
KWH
LCT
SERVICE
DISCONNECT/CONNECT
MODULE
INTER-BASE COLLAR
BUS
FEEDER
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SCE
TNS MASTER STATION
COMMAND
RESPONSE
ZERO CROSSING POINT
ORACLE DATABASE
SERVER
TNS APPLICATION
SERVER
COMMUNICATION
SERVER
DIALUP
COMMUNICATIONS
DEDICATED
COMMUNICATIONS
Schedule by Mod
Morning:__________
1st Break:__________
•
After 1st B:_________
•
Lunch:____________
•
After L:____________
nd
2 B:_____________
•
After 2nd B:_________
•
TWACS Level 1 Components and Communication
Production Code
2
TWACS Basics
Chapter Objectives
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
•
•
•
•
Production Code
Explain how the TWACS system interfaces with existing
electrical system components.
Name the changes required to implement the TWACS system.
Describe TWACS Level 1, 2, and 3 system components.
List TWACS communications options.
3
Module Duration
10 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
Module Introduction
Intro
Setting the stage for
following Mods by
giving an overview of
the TWACS system
Level 1-3 structure
This module discusses the levels of components defined in the TWACS
system. Three levels define the TWACS system at the:
•
•
•
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
customer location,
substation equipment, and
base system at a utility company central office.
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
the TWACS system
to work with the TWACS system and its components. This module
provides a high-level understanding of:
•
•
•
what the TWACS system is,
what the TWACS system does,
and how the TWACS system fits in the overall scheme of utility
company systems.
Vocabulary
TNS
CRU
OMU
vocab)
MTU
IPU
FIXED SYSTEM
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
Production Code
4
•
TWACS Levels Overview
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
TWACS Basics
Module Objectives
•
Develop an understanding of the three Levels of TWACS
elements.
3 Level Overview
TWACS LEVELS OVERVIEW
try not to go into detail
giving only a big
There are three levels of TWACS components.
picture of the 3 levels,
more detail follows in Level 1 Central Control
the next Mods
Equipment (CCE) includes
computer and related
Level 1 Overview
components installed at the
Server(s) and Comm utility central office. These
equipment
components include the
TWACS NET SERVER (TNS), and
communications equipment
connecting the TNS system
with Level 2 components.
Level 2 Overview
Substation: CRU,
OMU, MTU, IPU
Production Code
Figure 1 – TWACS Level 1 Components
Level 2 Substation Communications Equipment (SCE) includes
equipment found at the
substation. Level 2
components interface
the TWACS system
with the electrical
system to enable
outbound and inbound
communications
across the existing
electrical system infrastructure.
The main components include the
CONTROL AND RECEIVING UNIT (CRU), the OUTBOUND MODULATION UNIT (OMU) the
MODULATION TRANSFORMER UNIT (MTU) and the INBOUND PICKUP UNIT (IPU).
5
Level 3 Overview
Customers Site:
Meters
TWACS Basics
Level 3 Remote
Communications
Equipment (RCE)
includes equipment
found at the customer’s
premise. Level 3
components include
meters and other
equipment designed to
provide information about the
services provided by the electric utility and allow the utility control of
those services.
Fixed System
The alternative to
a fixed system is a
mobile system.
In a mobile
system, the meter
reader carries a
device that is used
to track meter
reads. Mobile
systems do not
replace the need
for a human to visit
each
Cost meter
Savings
The fact that
TWACS uses the
existing
infrastructure
provides a major
cost savings when
compared with
alternative
approaches like
those that use cell
services. Hourly
readings with the
TWACS system do
not incur any more
cost than reading
once a month. For
competing
products like
Cellnet, the more
the utility reads,
the more cost
incurred since cell
services are billed
based on data
transmitted.
Production Code
The TWACS system is a FIXED SYSTEM because it uses existing
infrastructure components to distribute electricity to automate
communications with meters. In the case of the TWACS system, the
communications infrastructure is in part composed of the electrical system
infrastructure the utility already has in place.
6
TWACS Basics
TWACS System Overview Review
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
The TWACS system components are divided into three major
categories, the meter (RCE), the substation (SCE) and TNS.
The TWACS system is a fixed system that uses the existing
electrical system infrastructure as opposed to a handheld device.
TWACS System Overview Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. The TWACS system can cost the same to operate if the utility
reads every meter once a month or each hour. Why?
a. The TWACS system uses the utility’s existing electrical
system for communication, hence there are no
communication costs for communications from each meter.
b. The TWACS system uses free out-of-bandwidth cell
service for transmission of information from the meters.
2. What are the acronyms for the three levels of the TWACS system?
3. What are the four major components of the SCE?
4. What is the major component of the CCE?
Production Code
7
TWACS Basics
TWACS System Overview Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. The TWACS system can cost the same to operate if the utility
reads once a month or every meter each hour. Why?
a. The TWACS system uses the utility’s existing electrical
system for communication, hence there are no
communication costs for communications from each
meter.
b. The TWACS system uses free out-of-bandwidth cell
service for transmission of information from the meters.
2. What are the acronyms for the three levels of the TWACS system?
RCE, SCE, CCE
3. What are the four major components of the SCE?
CRU, OMU, MTU, IPU
4. What is the major component of the CCE?
TNS
Production Code
8
Module Duration
25 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
Intro
Module Introduction
Components at the
customer’s site, or
There are three levels of TWACS components. Level 3 of TWACS is the
Level 3 of the TWACS
remote communications equipment (RCE) found at the customer’s
system
premise.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
the TWACS system
to work with the TWACS system and its components. Participants who
work with the TWACS system directly or indirectly will develop a more
comprehensive understanding of what and how the TWACS system
gathers information from the customer site. This section looks at the
devices collecting information and responding to commands sent from the
TWACS system.
Vocabulary
RCE
METERS
TRANSPONDER
vocab)
Production Code
METER NUMBER
SERIAL NUMBER
COMMERCIAL METER
RESIDENTIAL METER
THREE PHASE METER
SINGLE PHASE METER
SOLID STATE
SINGLE PORT
MULTIPORT
DAILY READ
HOURLY READ
INTERVAL READ
FREEZE READ
CONSUMPTION
KWH
LCT
SERVICE
DISCONNECT/CONNECT
MODULE
INTER-BASE COLLAR
9
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
TWACS Basics
•
Remote Communications Equipment
Module Objectives
•
Develop an understanding of TWACS Level 3 Components
Starting with Meters
We start with the
•
Differentiate between a transponder and a meter
meter because all
•
Define options for remote communications equipment
participants know
•
Build an understanding of meter serial numbers and their
about meters and it
relevance to the TWACS system
keeps them in their
•
Differentiate between commercial and residential meters
comfort zone.
Understanding the
•
Gain an understanding of load control transponders
difference between
•
Develop an understanding of disconnect/connect modules
meters and
transponders and how
the aspects of each
REMOTE COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT
determine what and
(RCE)
how TWACS can
communicate is
The TWACS system
paramount for the
participants.
includes components on
the customer’s premise
that allow the utility to
gather information and
perform activities
relating to the
customer’s electrical
service. The generic
Figure 4 – Remote Communications Equipment
term for customer premise
devices is REMOTE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT (RCE). The most common
RCEs are meters and Load Control Transponders.
Meter
Manufacture
While DCSI
manufactures the
transponder,
several companies
manufacture
meters such as
GE/GEC, ABB/
Westinghouse and
Schlumberger.
Production Code
Meter versus Transponder
Electric companies have used METERS for
generations to track electricity usage.
Utilities can equip a meter with a
TRANSPONDER that reads the meter and
relays information back to a central
collection resource. DCSI manufactures
transponders that attach to or integrate
with a variety of meters. The meter in
Figure 5, Meter with Transponder, is a
traditional electro-mechanical meter with a
transponder integrated within the lower
half of the meter.
10
Figure 5 – Meter with
Transponder
TWACS Basics
Think of the transponder as the brains of the meter. When using the
TWACS system, the term meter refers to the combination of meter
and transponder.
Meter/Serial
Numbers
Some utilities replace
the billing system
meter number with the
TWACS serial number.
The Utility can order
the transponder with
and without the meter
manufacturer’s
faceplate. If the meter
manufacturer’s
faceplate is retained,
then the TWACS serial
number is placed on a
sticker on the lower
part of the unit.
Meters, Meter Numbers, and Serial Numbers
A meter manufacturer assigns a METER NUMBER to each meter it
produces. Utilities key in the meter number into their billing
system. The meter number is different from the SERIAL NUMBER of the
TWACS transponder. DCSI assigns a unique serial number to each
TWACS transponder it manufactures. A utility may track both the
meter number and serial number in the customer billing system and
in TNS. The utility may choose
to replace the meter number with
the TWACS serial number. In a
TWACS deployment, the utility
must populate the TWACS serial
number field, and the meter
number is optional. The TWACS
system uses the serial numbers to
communicate with the meter.
The following is an example of the serial
number and meter number assignments
for the S4 meter pictured in Figure 6,
Meter Number versus Serial Number.
Component name
Meter/Serial #
Siemens S4 Meter
CMT-S4 Transponder
Meter# 84 642 886
Serial# 5859549
Figure 6 – Meter Number
versus Serial Number
Manufacturer
assigning #
Siemens
DCSI
Table 1 – Meter Number versus Serial Number
Production Code
11
Commercial vs.
Residential Meters
The difference
between commercial
meters and
residential meters is
grayed a bit as we
later discuss TNS
issues relating to
meter
communications.
Some commercial
customers use
single-phase meters,
but the details get
more complex than
this. Don’t get into a
big technical
discussion about
this. Again, broadbrush the strokes at
this stage.
TWACS Basics
Commercial versus Residential Meters
Meters come in a variety of types and models, but the most general
categories are COMMERCIAL METER and RESIDENTIAL METER. Since
businesses generally consume much more energy than residences,
commercial meters accommodate higher amounts of energy. We
consider commercial meters THREE PHASE METERS allowing all three
phases of energy to flow into a business. The phases are called
Phase A, B and C.
Since residences typically consume less power than businesses,
residences receive a lesser-powered connection to the electrical
system. Hence, residential meters are considered SINGLE PHASE
METERS allowing only a single phase of energy to flow into the
residence. Any available phase may service a residence. It is
common to distribute residences across phases for load balancing.
Utilities may use meters classified as residential for small business.
Mechanical versus Solid State or Digital
Mechanical or
Digital
Mechanical meters
= bolted on
transponder
Digital meters
= transponder is
internal circuit
board
Like our music and our watches, our electric meters evolved from
mechanical (or analog) to digital. With mechanical meters, a
technician will bolt the TWACS transponder to the mechanical
meter, and the transponder reads a black mark on the bottom of the
spinning disk. With digital meters, the TWACS transponder is a
circuit board the meter manufacturer includes with the digital meter.
It is common to refer to digital meters as SOLID STATE.
Ports
Single = electricity
only
Multiport =
electricity, gas,
and water
Single Port versus Multiport
Another way to categorize meters is with the
number of ports the meter has for inputs. A
SINGLE PORT meter can only track electricity
use. A MULTIPORT meter has inputs for gas
and water meter inputs. Note the meter
displayed in Figure 7, Multiport Meter, has
an extra set of inputs on the front panel for
the water and gas meter plug-ins.
Figure 7 – Multiport Meter
Production Code
12
Reading Meters
Remember, the more
times you read, the
more information the
utility has to manage.
Hourly and Interval
reads may be
appropriate for select
customers and not the
entire population.
TWACS Basics
Read Frequencies
Another way to categorize meters is by the frequency of the reads
the utility performs on them. Meter read frequency categories
include DAILY, HOURLY, or INTERVAL. With daily reads, the utility will
program the TWACS system to collect the meter information every
day. The meter marks a daily FREEZE READ at midnight and the utility
has until midnight the next day to read the meter before the next
day’s read replaces the previous read. With hourly reads, the utility
reads the meters three times per day and collects the information
stored in the meter’s registers for the previous eight hours. Some
meters are capable of more frequent reads. Commercial customers
may want to see detail of electricity usage broken down into 15 or
30-minute intervals. For this level of detail, the customer needs a
meter capable of interval usage tracking.
If the utility wants
readings every:
Day
Hour
30 minutes
15 minutes
then you read:
or every x hours:
1 time per day
3 times per day
6 times per day
12 times per day
24 hours
8 hours
4 hours
2 hours
Table 2 – Read Types by Time
Read Types
The participants will
have gray areas later
when it comes to
meter read types.
Develop a clear
understanding of
terms. KWH reading =
meter tech sees on the
front of the dials.
Consumption reading
= how much energy
used during a period of
time measured in
KWH. Establish a
general terminology
that KWH = front dials
on the meter.
Read Types: Consumption versus Kilowatt Hours
The TWACS system categorizes read types into two groups,
CONSUMPTION and KILOWATT HOUR (KWH). A consumption reading tells
The TWACS system how much energy the customers used in a
given interval. Meters track intervals in hour, 30-minute, and 15minute increments. A kilowatt-hour reading tells the TWACS
system what the meter dial settings are at particular moments in
time. The type of read requested determines the information
received.
Remember most
meters report pulses of
dial rotations. This
gets converted to
consumption or KWH
readings in the
TWACS system.
Production Code
13
KWH and
Consumption
Readings
Focus on ensuring
the participants
understand what
the difference is
between KWH and
consumption.
Once you have
explained ask
participant to
recap as a way to
make sure there
are no remaining
questions or
confusion.
TWACS Basics
If a utility is collecting interval data, then utility personnel will issue
reads for consumption data. If a utility is collecting a monthly read
for billing, then utility personnel will issue a read for KWH from the
meter telling the utility what is on the meter dial. Figure 8 and
Table 3, Sample KWH Readings from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., show
the KWH readings from a meter at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. at
24730 and 24736 kilowatt hours respectively. The consumption
reading for the hour between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. is the
difference between the two readings or six-kilowatt hours. The
following picture and table detail the KWH and hourly consumption
readings for a three-hour period.
8:00am
9
24739 KWH
11:00am
24744 KWH
9
0 1
2
3 8
7
9
6 5
0 1
7
9
6 5
0 1
2
9
6 5
0 1
7
2
9
7
2
9
6 5
0 1
9
6 5
0 1
4
7
2
9
2
8
9
6 5
0 1
4
3 8
7
6 5
4
6 5
0 1
7
2
9
6 5
0 1
7
2
9
9
6 5
0 1
4
6 5
4
6 5
0 1
6 5
4
3
4
7
2
9
6 5
0 1
4
2
6 5
0 1
3
4
7
2
9
6 5
0 1
4
2
9
6 5
0 1
3
4
7
2
9
3 8
7
2
3 8
7
2
0 1
9
3 8
4
3 8
7
2
3 8
7
2
0 1
3 8
4
3 8
7
9
3 8
4
3 8
7
2
3 8
4
8
0 1
3 8
4
3 8
7
9
3 8
4
8
24736 KWH
10:00am
2
8
24730 KWH
9:00am
0 1
6 5
0 1
4
2
3 8
7
6 5
4
3
7
6 5
4
Figure 8 – Sample KWH Readings from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00
Time
KWH
Hourly Consumption KWH
8:00am
24730
N/A
9:00am
24736
6
10:00am
24739
3
11:00am
24744
5
Table 3 – Sample KWH Readings from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Production Code
14
Meter Aspects
This is a very
basic chart
generalizing
capabilities.
More detail is
provided as we
start to enter
meter
information and
in the TWACS
AMR class. If a
participant
needs more
detail on meter
aspects ask to
talk with them at
break.
Note
The Centron
EMT-3C-MP lists
multiple for
ports. This
meter uses RF
signaling to talk
to other meters,
so this meter is
not limited to 3
ports like the
IMT-3H-3Port
which has 3
physical ports.
The Centron
EMT-3C-MP is
designed to
support multiple
meters in the
area including
meters on other
residences.
TWACS Basics
Common Meter Reference Page
The following, Table 4 Meter Aspects, lists aspects of commonly
used meters.
Meter Name
Use
Phase
Category
Ports
Freq.
IMT-3
IMT-3H
IMT-3H-3Port
Altimus EMT-3A
Centron EMT-3C-SP
Centron EMT-3C-MP
CMT-S4
CMT-Vectron
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Commercial
Commercial
Single
Single
Single
Single
Single
Single
Three
Three
Mechanical
Mechanical
Mechanical
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
Digital
1
1
3
1
1
Multi
1
1
Daily
Hourly
Hourly
Hourly
Hourly
Hourly
15,30,60
Hourly
Table 4 – Meter Aspects
IMT-3/3H
CMT-S4
CMT Vectron
IMT-3H-3Port
Figure 8 – Commercial Meters
Altimus EMT-3A
Figure 9 –
Residential Meters
Production Code
15
Centron EMT-3C-SP/MP
Transponders
to Meters
This is a very
basic chart. If a
participant
needs more
detail on meter
aspects ask to
talk with them at
break.
TWACS Basics
Common Meter Vendor Reference Page
The following, Table 5 Transponder with Meter Make and Model,
lists the DCSI transponder name and the meter make and model with
which the transponder will operate.
DCSI Transponder Name
Meter Make
Meter Model
IMT-3
IMT3H
IMT3H-3Port
IMT3H-SCD
Altimus EMT-3A
Centron EMT-3C-SP
Centron EMT-3C-MP
CMT-S4
CMT-Vectron
ABB/Westinghouse GE
Siemens/L&G
Schlumberger
D4, D5, AB1
I70
MS, MX
J4, J5
Altimus
Centron
Centron
S4
Vectron
Siemens
SchlumbergerSema
SchlumbergerSema
Landis+Gyr
SchlumbergerSema
Table 5– Transponder with Meter Make and Model
Load Control Transponders
Load Control
Example
Florida Power and
Light uses TWACS
for Load Control.
FP&L is able to
shed 1.3
Gigawatts of
power when
needed during
peak times.
WOW!
A LOAD CONTROL
is
remote communications
equipment that helps
avoid brownouts by
LCT
diverting load. LCTs
allow the utility to turn off
Figure 10 – Load Control
components like central
Transponder
air conditioning units,
electric water heaters, pool heaters, heat pumps, pool
pumps, baseboard heaters, and other equipment
remotely. Typically the utilities shed load during peak
times of the day for selected components and at
intervals designed to minimally impact the customer.
LCTs provide the utility independent control of each
component attached.
TRANSPONDER (LCT)
Figure 11 – LCT Used
with Water Heater
In some cases, the meter has LCT
capabilities built into the meter.
For example, the Altimus EMT3A has an optional load
control feature.
Production Code
16
Altimus (EMT-3A)
Figure 12 – Altimus Meter
with LCT
Disconnect/
Connect
Inter-base collar
allows remote on
and off switch for
electric powered
components at
customer’s site.
Uses of
Disconnect/
Connect
IMT Family of
Meters
Please impress on
the participants
that the IMT-3H
SCD is a different
transponder than
the IMT-3 or IMT3H. The IMT-3H
SCD has the
interface
connection for the
connect/
disconnect collar
which is
manufactured by
BLP Components,
Ltd. DCSI is
making a new
DCS switch that is
covered in the
TWACS Advanced
Applications class.
Production Code
TWACS Basics
Remote Service
Disconnect/Connect Modules
The TWACS system components
can interface with remote SERVICE
DISCONNECT/CONNECT (SDC) MODULES,
which are useful for a number of
applications. The transponder
connects to an INTER-BASE COLLAR
that performs the connect/
disconnect function. There are
three primary applications for the
disconnect/connect feature:
•
•
•
Figure 13 – Meter and
Inter-Base Collar
Revenue collection tool for problem accounts
Customer Service enhancement for seasonal and rental
customers
Improved efficiency for safe and convenient
connects/disconnects from the central office
Currently, the IMT-3H SCD transponder supports an interface to the
service disconnect/connect (SDC) inter-base collar. Future
enhancements will enable capabilities for disconnect/connect on
additional meters.
17
TWACS Basics
TWACS Level 3 Components Review
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Production Code
TWACS Remote Communications Equipment (RCE) represents
the meters and transponders at the customer site.
Serial numbers are TWACS transponder specific and assigned
by DCSI. The meter manufacturer may assign meter numbers.
Multiport meters may be used to read gas and water meters.
The more information the utility wants from a meter, the more
frequently the utility must read the meter.
KWH refers to the dial readings on the front of the meter.
Consumption is how much energy was used during a period of
time.
Load control transponders help with load shedding.
Remote service disconnect and connect requires a special switch
at the customer premise.
18
TWACS Basics
TWACS Level 3 Components Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. Three phase meters are often categorized as what type of meter?
a. Commercial
b. Residential
2. The number assigned to a meter by Schlumberger is called what?
a. Meter number
b. Serial number
3. The number assigned to a meter by DCSI is called what?
a. Meter number
b. Serial number
4. The reading of the dials on the front of the meter is called what?
5. If a utility wishes to perform hourly readings, how many times a
day must the system retrieve readings from the meter?
6. True/False The TWACS system only works with mechanical
meters?
7. The amount of energy used for a given interval is called what?
8. What meter provides interval readings of 15, 30, or 60 minutes?
9. Name a device used to provide remote service disconnect/connect.
Production Code
19
TWACS Basics
TWACS Level 3 Components Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. Three phase meters are often categorized as what type of meter?
a. Commercial
b. Residential
2. The number assigned to a meter by Schlumberger is called what?
a. Meter number
b. Serial number
3. The number assigned to a meter by DCSI is called what?
a. Meter number
b. Serial number
4. The reading of the dials on the front of the meter is called what?
KWH
5. If a utility wishes to perform hourly readings, how many times a
day must the system retrieve readings from the meter?
3
6. True/False The TWACS system only works with mechanical
meters?
False, transponders exist for mechanical and solid state meters
7. The amount of energy used for a given interval is called what?
Consumption
8. What meter provides interval readings of 15, 30, or 60 minutes?
CMT-S4
9. Name a device used to provide remote service disconnect/connect.
Inter-base collar
Production Code
20
Module Duration
15 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
Intro
This module is a
prelude to the
TWACS substation
components. This is
designed to give the
students a lay of
substation. Keep it
high level and very
general.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
TWACS Basics
Module Introduction
This module discusses the base-level electrical infrastructure components
into which the TWACS system will integrate. Topics covered include
basic terminology, function, and placement of the electrical system
infrastructure elements, and changes made to accommodate the TWACS
system. Before addressing TWACS Level 2 components at the substation,
the basic substation infrastructure components to which the TWACS
system interfaces will be covered.
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
the TWACS system
The information in this module is useful when the individual is preparing
to work with the TWACS system and its components. Participants who
work with TWACS directly or indirectly will develop a more
comprehensive understanding of the components at the substation into
which the TWACS system integrates.
Vocabulary
BUS
FEEDER
MTU
vocab)
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
Production Code
21
•
The Electrical System Bus and Feeder
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
TWACS Basics
Module Objectives
•
•
•
Develop an understanding of a Bus
Build an understanding of a Feeder
Develop an understanding of an MTU and why it is relevant to
TWACS deployment
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BUS AND
FEEDER
Power Sources
The Substation
Substation
transformers,
buses and feeders
are existing
components in the
substation. The
MTU was added to
the substation to
accommodate the
TWACS system.
Utilities have designed the existing electrical system to distribute power to
customers located all over rural and metropolitan areas. Utilities distribute
power through a network of substations.
Ultimately, utilities draw power from a power
source such as a nuclear power plant,
hydropower from a dam, wind-power from a
windmill farm, or a conventional power plant
drawing power from burning coal or natural
gas.
Power plants ultimately
feed geographically
dispersed substations
designed to service large
areas of customer
populations. At the
substation, utilities
distribute power to area
customers from large
substation transformers
through the use of buses
Figure 14 – Substation Transformers
and feeders. This nugget
focuses on the substation
where the TWACS system integrates with the electrical system.
Bus
Distributes power
from sub transformer
to the feeder
The Bus
Feeder
Distributes power
from bus to the
customers
The Feeder
Production Code
A BUS is the major transmission facility that distributes power from a
substation transformer. It is common to have only one or two buses
coming from a substation. Buses are contained within the substation
area.
The bus or buses connect multiple FEEDERS. Feeders are the portions
of the distribution network distributing power to utility customers.
22
Bus/Feeder Layout
TWACS Basics
A substation may have many feeders distributing power to customer
areas like neighborhoods. The following diagram, Figure 16 Bus
and Feeder Configuration, illustrates a simple Bus/Feeder layout.
Figure 15 – Bus and Feeder Configuration
MTU
Steps down high
voltage from feeder
before reaching the
customer.
Primary = high
voltage
Secondary = stepped
down voltage
The MTU
Buses distribute power to the feeders at
fairly high levels of voltage. Common
voltage for a bus or feeder is between
4000 and 35,000 volts. For TWACS to
interface with the power system,
technicians install a MODULATION
TRANSFORMER UNIT (MTU) to step down
the voltage.
Figure 16 – MTU Placement
The purpose of a transformer
is to change the voltage from
one level to another. Think of
the MTU as having two sides.
One side plugs into the bus
(or the PRIMARY side at 4000
to 35,000 volts) and the other
side plugs into the TWACS
equipment (or the SECONDARY
side at 480 volts). The
TWACS: AMR class covers
more detailed information
regarding substation bus,
feeder, and MTU components.
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Figure 17 - MTU
TWACS Basics
Substation Electrical System Elements Review
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
At the substation, the distribution system feeding customers is
composed of buses, and feeders.
Substation transformers, buses, and feeders already exist in the
utility substation prior to TWACS.
The MTU is added to the substation to interface the TWACS
system with the substation.
Substation Electrical System Elements Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. True/False To deploy the TWACS system, the utility must replace
the substation transformers, buses and feeders with TWACS
compatible components.
2. What component is added to the substation to interface the
TWACS system with substation equipment?
3. True/False The purpose of the MTU is to bring the voltage down to
a level the TWACS equipment can accept.
4. Which side of a transformer has the lowest voltage level to which
the TWACS system connects?
a. Primary
b. Secondary
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TWACS Basics
Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. True/False To deploy the TWACS system, the utility must replace
the substation transformers, buses and feeders with TWACS
compatible components.
False, TWACS uses existing equipment
2. What component is added to the substation to interface the
TWACS system with substation equipment?
MTU
3. True/False The purpose of the MTU is to bring the voltage down to
a level the TWACS equipment can accept.
True
4. Which side of a transformer has the lowest voltage level to which
the TWACS system connects?
a. Primary
b. Secondary
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Module Duration
20 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
Intro
Overview of the Level
2 components. These
components are
covered in detail in
the book TWACS
AMR. This section
should provide broad
strokes of the
components.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
TWACS Basics
Module Introduction
This module covers TWACS Level 2 Components. TWACS Level 2
components are the components that interface with the electrical system
for communication with remote communications equipment (RCE) at the
customer’s premise.
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
the TWACS system
All participants who will be working with the TWACS system directly or
indirectly will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the
TWACS Level 2 components found at the substation.
The information in this chapter is useful when the individual is preparing
provides an understanding of:
•
•
•
TWACS Level 2 components
The TWACS system interfacing to electrical system components
TWACS Two-Way communications over the electrical system
Vocabulary
SCE
CRU
TNS MASTER STATION
vocab)
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COMMAND
OMU
MTU
RESPONSE
IPU
ZERO CROSSING POINT
26
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
•
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
Substation Communication Equipment
Module Objectives
•
•
•
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TWACS Basics
Develop an understanding of TWACS Level 2 Substation
Communication Equipment (SCE) Components
Detail the flow of information across TWACS Level 2
Components
Create a general understanding of functional aspects of the
following:
•
Control and Receiving Unit (CRU)
•
Outbound Modulation Unit (OMU)
•
Inbound Pickup Unit (IPU)
•
Modulation Transformer Unit (MTU)
27
TWACS Basics
SUBSTATION COMMUNICATION
CRU
EQUIPMENT
The CRU translates
commands from TNS
The second level of TWACS is the SUBSTATION COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT
to the substation
commonly referred to as the substation. There may be one or more
substations in a utility. The main SCE component is the CONTROL AND
TNS Master Station RECEIVING UNIT or CRU. A communications link (represented by the
Allows end users to
modem) connects the CRU to the TNS MASTER STATION located at a utility
issue commands out
central office (likely in the computer center). The TNS master station is a
to meters via a
keyboard and mouse TWACS Level 1 computer component providing a user interface to the
TWACS system. Commands from the TNS master station are sent over
the communications link to the CRU at the substation. The CRU then
communicates with other SCE components to execute commands sent by
the TNS master station. The following, Figure 19 Substation Layout with
the TWACS System, depicts the SCE components and how the
components fit the substation.
(SCE)
Ask
Ask participants: If the
TNS Master Station
was pictured in this
diagram, what would
it be connected to?
Figure 18 – Substation Layout
with the TWACS System
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Ask
Ask participants: to
answer the following
question without
looking at the
diagram: Once an end
user enters a
command into the
TNS Master Station
what path does the
command follow
before reaching the
meter?
TWACS Basics
TWACS Flow of Information
Figure 20, Flow of Information in Substation, represents the flow of
information through the SCE components.
The TNS Operator or
other user issues a
command to the TNS
master station. The
TNS master station
forwards the command
over a communications
link to the CRU. Once
the CRU receives a
COMMAND from the TNS
master station, the CRU
sends the required instructions
over the power lines via the
Figure 19 – Flow of Information in
Substation
through the MODULATION
the meter (or other RCE).
OUTBOUND MODULATION UNIT (OMU)
TRANSFORMER UNIT (MTU), to
Zero Crossing Point
Transmitting
information at the zero
crossing of the power
signal makes the
TWACS system
unique. By taking this
approach, TWACS has
an extremely high
success rate for
communicating with
meters. Basically, if
the customer is getting
power, TWACS can
read the customer’s
meter. Many
competing products
have restrictions on
what customers they
can reach. Some use
high frequency
signaling that has
limited distance, and
other use out-of-band
signaling like cellular
networks that increase
in cost as use
increases.
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The meter sends a RESPONSE to the command over the powerlines and
the response is picked up by the INBOUND PICKUP UNIT (IPU) which
forwards the response back to the CRU. The CRU sends the
response back to the TNS master station over the communications
link.
Hardware configurations vary slightly from installation to
installation. More detailed information about each of the
components and variations in hardware configurations are covered
in the TWACS: Automatic Meter Reading course.
TWACS Communications
As previously mentioned,
communications in the
TWACS system utilizes the
existing power lines.
Utilities distribute power to
customers using a 60-hertz
signal.
Figure 20 – Normal Energy Sine Wave
29
TWACS Basics
The CRU sends outbound commands to the OMU. The OMU then
sends the command to the meter
by varying the current slightly at
the ZERO CROSSING POINT of the 60hertz sine wave. This unique
approach gives TWACS an
advantage of reaching meters
long distances from the
substation, while still using the
existing infrastructure provided
by the electrical system. The
longest recorded distance from
Figure 21 – Outbound Signaling
substation to meter for an
existing TWACS installation is
85 linear miles. If the utility can deliver electricity to the customer,
then the TWACS system can automate meter reads and load control
to the customer.
Similarly, inbound communications from the meter to the IPU are
accomplished by sending a signal
near the zero volt crossover
point. When the CRU sends
commands out to the meter, the
IPUs are instructed to watch for a
return response on a particular
path of the electrical system.
Figure 22 – Inbound Current Signaling
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TWACS Basics
TWACS Level 2 Components Review
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
•
The CRU controls communications at the substation.
The OMU is responsible for outbound transmission of
information.
The IPU is responsible for inbound communications of
information.
The TWACS system unique design of varying current of the
existing energy sine wave allows the TWACS system to reach
nearly every customer.
TWACS Level 2 Components Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. List the 4 major TWACS components at the substation.
2. What is the appropriate flow of information to the meter?
a. TNS to CRU to MTU to OMU to Meter
b. TNS to CRU to OMU to MTU to Meter
c. TNS to CRU to IPU to Meter
3. What is the appropriate flow of information from the meter?
a. Meter to MTU to OMU to Cru to TNS
b. Meter to IPU to CRU to TNS
c. Meter to CRU to IPU to TNS
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TWACS Basics
TWACS Level 2 Components Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. List the 4 major TWACS components at the substation.
CRU, OMU, IPU, MTU
2. What is the appropriate flow of information to the meter?
a. TNS to CRU to MTU to OMU to Meter
b. TNS to CRU to OMU to MTU to Meter
c. TNS to CRU to IPU to Meter
3. What is the appropriate flow of information from the meter?
a. Meter to MTU to OMU to Cru to TNS
b. Meter to IPU to CRU to TNS
c. Meter to CRU to IPU to TNS
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Module Duration
25 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
Intro
TWACS Level 1
overview where end
users interface with
the system via TNS
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
TWACS Basics
TWACS Level 1 Components and
Communications
Module Introduction
This module covers TWACS Level 1 Components. TWACS Level 1
components form the interaction point for TWACS users.
Communications link options for connecting the substations to the Level 1
Components are also covered in this module.
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
the TWACS system
Participants working with the TWACS system directly or indirectly will
develop a more comprehensive understanding of the TWACS Level 1
components found at a utility site and related communications options
available to the utility.
provides an understanding of:
•
•
•
TWACS Level 1 components,
TNS and database and communications servers, and
TNS communications options.
Vocabulary
ORACLE DATABASE
TNS APPLICATION
COMMUNICATION
vocab)
SERVER
SERVER
SERVER
TNS MASTER
STATION
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DIALUP
COMMUNICATIONS
33
DEDICATED
COMMUNICATIONS
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
•
•
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
•
•
•
Production Code
TWACS Net Server (TNS)
TNS Communications Options
Module Objectives
•
TNS
Where the end user
interfaces with the
TWACS system
TWACS Basics
Develop an understanding of TWACS Level 1 Components
Discuss TNS and its general capabilities and structure
Create an understanding of TNS communications options
Detail the functional aspects of the following:
•
TNS,
•
TNS master station,
•
communication server,
•
communications link, and
•
modems.
TWACS NET SERVER
The TWACS Net Server
(TNS) is the heart of the
TWACS system. TNS
interfaces the TNS Operator
and other users to the TWACS
system. While configuration
options vary depending on the
complexity established by the
number of users and substations
Figure 23 – TNS Server
managed, the basic TNS configuration
involves a server and some form of
communications links connecting TNS to the substation.
34
TNS Basic Configuration
Often times, TNS is configured with a
bank of modems allowing the TNS
server to dial out and connect with
substations. (Additional
communications options are discussed
later in module TNS Communications
Options.) A minimal base-level TNS
server configuration involves a
Windows 2000 server running three
applications:
•
•
•
Oracle database server
TNS application server
Communication server
Modem Bank
TNS
Configuration
Most customers
will have the three
components on a
single system.
TWACS Basics
Figure 24 – TNS Server
Applications
The ORACLE DATABASE SERVER is responsible for managing the meter
and meter-related databases.
The TNS APPLICATION SERVER is responsible for running the TNS
programs and providing an interface for communications.
The COMMUNICATION SERVER is responsible for interacting with
communications facilities like dialups or dedicated-line facilities to
connect to the substation equipment.
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TWACS Basics
In larger deployments of
TWACS, the basic TNS
configuration may not provide the
optimum level of performance. It
is possible to improve system
performance, if necessary, by
segregating the functions of the
TNS system so that the Oracle
database server, TNS application
server, and communication server
run on separate processing
machines.
Modem Bank
TNS Advanced Configuration
Advanced TNS
Configuration
Larger customers
will divide the
components into
multiple servers.
This may be done
if performance is
an issue on a
single system
configuration or if
distance creates a
need to disperse
communications
servers.
Figure 25 – Segregated
TNS Components
In advanced configurations like the one
pictured in Figure 25, Segregated TNS Components, the computers
take on more distinct roles. In the advanced configuration detailed
in the figure, the TNS application server is the TNS MASTER STATION.
Although the TNS user stations can perform functions in the
TWACS system, all of the commands and responses would flow
through the TNS application server to the substation, as it is the TNS
master station in this configuration.
TNS COMMUNICATIONS OPTIONS
Best Com Option
The utility needs to
determine the best
way to configure
their system based
on their needs.
This section gives
them a few things
to think about
before making a
decision.
There are various ways to configure the TNS communications facilities
linking TNS to the substations. There are many factors that might impact
how a utility configures their communication options. These factors
include, but are not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
Long distance costs between the substation and TNS
Support for interactive use by CSRs
Speed of processing reads
Cost of communications facilities
Use of existing infrastructure
General TNS Communications Topics
In the most basic configuration, the TNS server can have
communication ports and modems built in and the TNS server can
directly connect to a communications line connecting the TNS
master station to the substation. In the substation, the equipment
terminating the communications link is the Control and Receiving
Unit or CRU. The CRU has communications ports able to connect
to a modem or other data communications equipment.
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TWACS Basics
Dialup versus Dedicated
Dedicated is Best
Dedicated is
always better (no
busy signals, line
always available,
faster connection,
consistent cost) if
the utility can
afford it.
Utilities
can
configure
the TNS
Server to operate
using a DIALUP
Figure 26 – Basic TNS Communications
COMMUNICATIONS
line. In this case,
the TNS server must dial each time it has a need to communicate
with a substation. This process can slow the overall communication
time since it takes about 30 seconds to actually connect with the
substation equipment. This slow connection feature may not be the
best method if the utility wishes to use the TWACS system for
Customer Service Representative (CSR) queries while tending to a
customer calling for support. A potential exists for no available
dialup facility when the CSR needs to connect to a substation. Busy
signals, telephone system problems, and poor line quality can cause
issues with dialup access.
Alternatively, configuring the TNS Server to operate using
DEDICATED COMMUNICATIONS facilities is possible. With a dedicated
link to each substation, there is no communications delay in setting
up the connection (as with dialup communications). Hence, CSRs
and other users can expect much quicker responses from the
TWACS system.
Communications Facility
Dialup
Dedicated
Connect
Speed
Slow
Fast
Cost
?
?
Table 27 – Communication Facility
versus Connection Speed
Dialup
Not always the most
cost effective if longdistance charges or
have existing
dedicated system.
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While cost is certainly a factor, a utility, when considering dedicated
versus dialup communications facilities, should acknowledge it is
impossible to make a blanket assumption about which facility has a
higher cost. For example, it may appear that dialup facilities are less
costly than dedicated facilities. If the utility incurs long-distance
charges when calling between the TNS Server and the substation the
long-distance adds to the cost of dialup. If the utility already has a
dedicated communications link in place designed for other
communications with the substation, then it may actually cost the
utility less to use the existing dedicated facilities.
37
Geographically
Dispersed
Communications
Servers Example
TWACS Basics
Distributing Communication Servers
In certain geographically challenged TWACS deployments, it can be
costly to network all of the substations back to a central site where
the TNS server is located. Fortunately, utilities can design the
TWACS system with geographically dispersed communications
servers.
In this diagram, notice the TNS Server is located in Mason City,
Iowa, and the communication servers are in Lincoln and Omaha,
Nebraska. Since Lincoln and Omaha are long-distance phone calls
from Mason City, this configuration provides a cost savings by
eliminating charges from dialing directly from Mason City to
Lincoln and Omaha. Also, telephone companies bill some dedicated
communications services based on distance, and this configuration
allows a consolidation of substations in one area to share the
communications link (through the communication server) back to
Mason City. Notice also the design of the Lincoln system uses an
existing radio network. As long as the network designer provides
proper interfaces at the end equipment, the TWACS system is very
flexible when it comes to communications options.
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Communication
on Existing
Networks
Using existing
network
connections for the
TWACS system
network integration
may take some
help from
communications
consultants if the
utility does not
have the expertise
in-house. DCSI
field support
personnel do not
provide this type of
consulting, but
may be able to
provide the
customer with
consulting
company
references.
TWACS Basics
Using Existing Networks
Many utilities have an existing network connecting the substations
to a utility central office. This network is normally some form of
Wide Area Network (WAN) using telephone company services like
Frame Relay, Private Line networking, or Internet Virtual Private
Network (VPN). Using terminal servers to convert the serial inputs
to a LAN based communication interface like Ethernet, it is
relatively easy to use an existing network to connect the TNS server
to the substations. Figure 29, TNS Using Existing WAN, details
one of the ways you could configure WAN use for the TWACS
system. The class TWACS: Automated Meter Reading covers
communications options in more detail.
Figure 28 – TNS Using Existing WAN
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TWACS Basics
Communications Review
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
•
Practice
covered in this
section:
TNS is the heart of the TWACS system.
TNS can be configured as a standalone system or major
components can be spread across multiple computers.
Communications between TNS and the substation may be dialup
or dedicated.
The utility may use existing networks to connect substations.
Communications Practice
1. What is the major component of the TWACS Level 1?
2. What are the three major components of TNS?
3. What is the most likely reason a utility might split the
communication server into a separate computer?
a. Job security for the IT department
b. Reduce costs of carrier (LD) services
c. Performance issues with the server
4. Why might a utility split the Oracle database server into its own
computer?
5. True/False The Oracle database server, TNS application server,
and communication server may not run on the same computer.
6. True/False The TWACS system performs better when dedicated
communications links connect substations to TNS.
7. True/False If an existing network connects the utility’s substations,
that network may not be used for the TWACS system.
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TWACS Basics
Communications Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. What is the major component of the TWACS Level 1?
TNS
2. What are the three major components of TNS?
Oracle database server, TNS application server,
Communication server
3. What is the most likely reason a utility might split the
communication server into a separate computer?
4. Why might a utility split the Oracle database server into its own
computer?
5. True/False The Oracle database server, TNS application server,
and communication server may not run on the same computer.
False
6. True/False The TWACS system performs better when dedicated
communications links connect substations to TNS.
True
7. True/False If an existing network connects the utility’s substations,
that network may not be used for the TWACS system.
False
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TWACS Basics
Chapter Review
Review
The main points of
this chapter…
•
•
•
•
The TWACS system is comprised of three levels of components,
the RCE (Meter), the SCE (Substation) and the CCE (TNS).
TWACS Level 3 components represent the meter and
transponder.
TWACS Level 2 components represent the substation elements
that interface with the existing electrical distribution system.
TWACS Level 1 components represent TNS, the system that
controls the TWACS components.
Chapter Practice
Practice
covered in this
chapter:
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. What component added to the substation enables the TWACS
system to interface with the electrical system for outbound
communications?
2. True/False The TWACS system requires the utility to replace
substation transformers, buses, and feeders for implementation.
3. What component is the heart of the substation?
4. What component is the main control point of the TWACS system?
5. True/False Existing meters must be discarded for TWACS
deployment.
6. True/False Dialup is the most effective way to connect substations
to TNS.
7. True/False The TWACS system is less costly to operate than
competing products since the transport medium for the meter
communications uses the existing electrical system network.
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TWACS Basics
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. What component added to the substation enables the TWACS
system to interface with the electrical system for outbound
communications?
MTU
2. True/False The TWACS system requires the utility to replace
substation transformers, buses, and feeders for implementation.
False
3. What component is the heart of the substation?
CRU
4. What component is the main control point of the TWACS system?
TNS
5. True/False Existing meters must be replaced for TWACS
deployment.
False
6. True/False Dialup is the most effective way to connect substations
to TNS.
False
8. True/False The TWACS system is less costly to operate than
competing products since the transport medium for the meter
communications uses the existing electrical system network.
True
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Version Record
Item
Product Reference
Current Version
Date Issued
Owner
Change History
Date
Version
8/4/03
0.1
8/7/03
0.2
8/8/03
0.3
8/14/03
0.4
8/14/03
0.5
8/12/03
1.0
9/3/03
1.3
10/24/03
2
10/27/03
2.2
Record
B CHA 2 TWACS System Design
3.2
11/11/03
Steve Seyer
Summary of Changes
First informal reviewed version created 7/8 – 8/4
Kellee’s review
Updates per 0.2 review
Kellee’s review
Updates per 0.4 review
Passed to DCSI for review
Made updates per John, Rick and Steve’s changes
Updated with instructor notes and reviews
Sandy’s Review
Kellee updated with Sandy’s changes
10/30/03
10/30/03
11/11/03
2.3
3.0
3.2
Approval
Date
Version Name
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TWACS Basics
Signature
44
Chapter Duration
90 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
TNS System Design
Equipment Needed
•
Laptop
•
Projector
•
Projection Screen
•
Whiteboard
TWACS Net Server is the central control element of the TWACS system.
•
______________
TNS provides utility companies with a user interface to manage two-way
communications with their meters.
Class Openers
• Welcome/Thanks
• Phone/Restroom
location
• Leave class as
needed
• Cells to vibrate
• Intros 1Name
• 2Company 3Goals
• ______________
TWACS system, it is important those involved with the direct and indirect
use and implementation of the system develop a general idea of TNS
design and how TNS operates.
include:
Intro
This chapter is an
overview of how the
TNS system works
and relates to the
TWACS system as a
whole.
Personnel
Relationship
Understanding the
design of TNS will
allow the utility to set
up TNS in the way
that is most efficient
for them.
Billing Personnel
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Useful
Information in this
preparing to
TWACS system.
Production Code
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Information in this chapter is useful when the participant is preparing to
deploy and/or use TNS. This information will help the participant develop
a base-level understanding of TNS system components and functions of
those components. The base-level understanding of TNS system design
will help enhance the participant’s perspective as new TWACS tasks are
introduced throughout this and other TWACS training courses.
1
Vocabulary
Vocabulary to look
for…(read vocab)
TWACS Basics
ORACLE
SERVER PROCESS
ORACLE DATABASE
MANAGER
DATABASE
TABLE
LOG FILE
WATCHDOG
ALERT
CIS
APPLICATION TOOL
BAR
SCROLL BAR
BUBBLE HELP
DROP-DOWN BOX
DROP-DOWN OPTION
LIST
CHECK BOX
RADIO BUTTON
TEXT FIELD
FORM
RECORDS
FIELD
BUTTON
Schedule by Mod
Morning:__________
1st Break:__________
•
TNS System Overview
After 1st B:_________
•
Lunch:____________
After L:____________
2nd B:_____________
After 2nd B:_________
Chapter Objectives
•
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
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•
•
•
List major TNS system components.
Differentiate between TNS databases, tables, and logs.
Discuss options for interfacing TNS with existing customer
databases.
Identify TNS common user elements.
2
Module Duration
45 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
TNS System Overview
Intro
Module Introduction
High level overview of
basic system
This module discusses the general characteristics and design of the
components of TNS
TWACS Net Server (TNS) typically located at the utility central office.
(databases, tables,
TNS provides the user interface for utility company employees to interact
logs).
with TWACS.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
Information in this chapter is useful when participants work with TNS
For end users as they directly or indirectly to develop an understanding of the elements that
are starting to use
make up TNS. This module covers:
TNS
•
•
•
•
TNS system components,
TNS databases,
TNS tables, and
TNS logs.
Vocabulary
ORACLE
SERVER PROCESS
ORACLE DATABASE
vocab)
MANAGER
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DATABASE
TABLE
LOG FILE
WATCHDOG
ALERT
CIS
3
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
TWACS Basics
•
•
•
TNS System Components
Managing TNS
Integrating AMR Data with Utility Billing Systems
Module Objectives
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
•
Develop a general understanding of TNS elements and system
design
TNS SYSTEM COMPONENTS
TWACS Net Server or TNS provides utility employees an interface to
communicate with the TWACS system. It is through TNS that the
following functions are set:
TNS Functions
functions set in TNS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Batched automatic meter reads
Interactive meter reads
Management of load control elements
Interval data collection
Line voltage and power quality monitoring
Outage mapping
Remote service disconnect/connect
It is important to understand that TNS is comprised of many components.
These components work together to complete the functions required of
TNS. This module will cover a number of general aspects of TNS system
design including the following concepts:
TNS Components
TNS is a
conglomeration of
various server
programs all running
simultaneously in a
multi-tasking
environment.
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•
•
•
•
Oracle Database Manager and servers
Databases
Tables
Log files
4
Server Processes
Server Processes are
the main mode of
communication
between the
components of TNS.
TNS Performance
If problems occur in
one or more of the
servers, the entire
TNS system
performance can
degrade. The TNS
Operator should
contact DCSI
Customer Care if an
application continues
to crash. The
Watchdog will not
automatically restart
servers.
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TWACS Basics
Oracle Database Manager and Servers
DCSI has developed TNS around a
database manager called
ORACLE. Many system
tasks known as SERVER
PROCESSES run
through the ORACLE
DATABASE MANAGER.
These server
processes control
aspects of the
TNS system.
Figure 1, TNS
Server Processes,
lists the critical
servers found in
TNS. Server
processes must be active
to perform certain
functions. Each server
process may have its own
databases and logs of information, and
server processes may share databases
of information depending on
requirements of the server process.
5
Figure 1 – TNS Server Processes
TWACS Basics
What Is a Database?
Databases
Collection of related
items stored in a
folder.
TNS Databases
A few examples
TNS uses several databases to track
information. A DATABASE is nothing more
than a collection of related items kept in
an electronic folder. TNS uses several
databases. For example, there is a
permanent meter database responsible for
tracking all meters found on one of a
utility’s substations. There is also a temporary meter database that
tracks meters TNS has yet to find. There is a database to track
substation information. Another database tracks jobs to be
scheduled. The TNS users employ TNS applications to read and
manipulate TNS databases. Some examples of databases include:
Database Name
TNS Program
Name Used
Permanent meter
database
Purpose
Tracks meters TNS has found on a
substation.
Meter Misc.
Temporary meter
database
Tracks meters that have not made it to
the permanent meter database.
Temp Meter Misc.
SCE database
Tracks substation equipment
configuration.
SCE Maintenance
Table 1 - Example Databases in TNS
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Tables
List of items
TNS Tables
A few examples
TWACS Basics
What Is a Table?
Tables are simplified versions of databases. A
TABLE is a simple list of items, and a table is
usually limited in size. TNS uses tables for lists
of information it must track. For example, there
is a table to track the types of meters a utility
uses. There is a table to track the types of
substations relating to the meters used. Another table tracks blocks
of serial numbers for meters used by the utility. A TNS user uses a
TNS program to read and modify tables. Some examples of tables
follow:
Table Name
TNS Program
Name Used
Product Table
Purpose
Tracks types of meters used by a utility
and aspects about the meter.
Product
Sub Product Table
SubProduct
Product Type Model
Cross Reference Table
Product Type
Model Cross
Reference
Response Status Cross
Reference Table
Tracks types of meters and how a
particular substation should
communicate with the meter.
Tracks serial numbers of meters utility
will use and type and model of the
meters.
Lists reference codes from various
functions within TNS.
Response Status
Cross Reference
Meter Conversion Table
Tracks meter pulse conversions to
KWH readings.
Meter Conversions
Table 2 - Example Tables in TNS
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7
Log Files
There are many logs
in TNS used to track
information. Users
will want to work with
only a specific few
on a day-to-day
basis.
TNS Log Files
A few examples
TWACS Basics
Log Files in TNS
TNS tracks some historical information about TNS activity in TNS
databases. This information is available using the TNS programs.
AMR read data is an example of this type of information. TNS also
uses a number of LOG FILES that track historical information about
various aspects of TNS operation. TNS users often view log files
using a standard text editor like Microsoft® WordPad©. DCSI
programmers and field support personnel use some of the log files to
determine program problems. Utility employees will find some of
the log files relevant when performing basic tasks within TNS.
Some of the relevant log files include:
Log Name
File Name
Purpose
Search-in History log
SHyyyymmdd.dat
Shows results of meters searched into
the database.
PreTIQ log
PreTIQ.dat
Shows meters that failed the
prequalification phase of the meter
search process.
Com Server Log
CSyyyymmdd.dat
Shows all connection and disconnection
history for a communication server to
substations.
Transaction (TR) Log
TRyyyymmdd.dat
Shows a history of all transactions to a
substation and back.
Table 3 - Example Log in TNS
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8
Tools for Managing
Watchdog
Alerts
Watchdog
Note: Utility can
only view
Watchdog on the
server, not the
clients (assuming
clients run native
applications).
TWACS Basics
MANAGING TNS
TNS provides the utility with valuable tools for managing the
TWACS system, among these tools are TNS Watchdog and TNS
Alerts. The utility can use these tools to proactively respond to
problems that arise.
TNS Watchdog
The WATCHDOG application (found by following the path
Start > TNS Watchdog GUI or by clicking the desktop
button labeled TNS Watchdog GUI) monitors the
availability of each critical server process in TNS. At
times, problems may arise with TNS components. Utility personnel
can use the Watchdog application to view the general health of the
TNS system. If a server process is not working properly, the TNS
Operator can view the Watchdog to see if the application is no
longer communicating with the Watchdog. From the Watchdog, the
TNS Operator can stop and start server processes in an attempt to
correct problems. Should a server process continually fail, the
utility should contact DCSI Customer Care.
Figure 2 – TNS Watchdog GUI
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9
Alerts
The utility might
consider sending
these alerts to the
TNS Operator cell
phone. All cell
phones have an
email address
associated with
them.
TWACS Basics
Alerts from TNS
The Watchdog
application also
allows the TNS
Operator to designate who
receives ALERTS if the
Watchdog discovers a problem
with one or more of the server
processes. Nearly every cell
phone and pager today has an
associated Internet email
address. The utility may wish
to send TNS alerts to employee
cell phones or pagers to
expedite problem resolution.
Figure 3 – TNS Watchdog Alert Options
Note: The TNS Operator can
access the Options screen, as
shown in Figure 3, TNS Watchdog Alert Options, in the TNS
Watchdog Utility, by clicking Project > Options.
Billing Files
Remind
participants: Every
utility has a
different way to
interface with their
billing system. For
utilities that have
inflexible billing
systems, billing
files can be
custom tailored to
meet
requirements.
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INTEGRATING AMR DATA WITH
UTILITY BILLING SYSTEMS
The TWACS system allows the utility to automate the meter reading
process. Utilities must harness the information from the AMR process and
insert the data into the existing billing process for AMR to be effective.
TNS Read Data
TNS outputs files from each
AMR process with information
relevant to customer billing. The
Figure 4 – Billing File Process
TNS default billing file created from the
AMR process may not be suitable for
integration into a utility’s CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIS) or
billing system. DCSI, on request, will program TNS to create a
custom, billing file tailored to integrate with the utility’s billing
system. TNS creates the custom file in addition to the default billing
file.
10
TWACS Basics
TNS System Overview Review
•
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
TNS is comprised of a number of servers working together to
complete required functions.
TNS data files are categorized as databases, tables, and logs.
The TNS Watchdog provides a graphical view of the server
status.
TNS has an alerting function that can notify an email recipient
of major TNS problems.
TNS System Overview Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. What program provides a graphical view of the TNS server
processes?
2. True/False TNS is comprised of a number of server processes
working together to perform various functions.
3. What type of file does TNS use for messages from processes?
4. Name three significant databases within TNS.
5. Which table is used to track serial numbers of meters the utility
will use?
6. Which log file shows when a meter fails to pre-qualify for the
meter search process?
7. True/False There is a standard format for billing files. If the utility
billing system won’t accept the standard TNS billing file, the only
option for the utility is to have someone modify the utility billing
system.
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11
TWACS Basics
TNS System Overview Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. What program provides a graphical view of the TNS server
processes?
TNS Watchdog
2. True/False TNS is comprised of a number of server processes
working together to perform various functions.
True
3. What type of file does TNS use for messages from processes?
Log files
4. Name three significant databases within TNS.
Permanent Meter Database, Temporary Meter Database, SCE
Database
5. Which table is used to track serial numbers of meters the utility
will use?
Product Type Model Cross-Reference Table
6. Which log file shows when a meter fails to pre-qualify for the
meter search process?
PreTIQ log
7. True/False There is a standard format for billing files. If the utility
billing system won’t accept the standard TNS billing file, the only
option for the utility is to have someone modify the utility billing
system.
False, a custom, billing file can be created in TNS
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Module Duration
45 minutes
Schedule Time
____________
TWACS Basics
Module Introduction
Intro
This Mod introduces
participants to
common TNS user
functions.
Personnel
Information in this
class benefits…
This module discusses the common user elements users will find
throughout the TNS programs. DCSI engineers designed TNS programs
with a similar look and feel so that one module operates similarly to
another.
Personnel
Required
Elective
TNS Operators
Billing Personnel
Meter Technicians
Customer Engineers
Useful
Information in this module is useful when participants work with TNS
For end users of TNS
directly or indirectly to develop an understanding of the common user
elements that make up TNS. This module covers:
•
•
•
•
An overview of application groupings in TNS,
Common terminology used in TNS,
How to navigate through applications in TNS, and
How to query information in TNS forms.
Vocabulary
APPLICATION TOOL
SCROLL BAR
BUBBLE HELP
BAR
vocab)
Production Code
DROP-DOWN BOX
DROP-DOWN OPTION
LIST
CHECK BOX
RADIO BUTTON
TEXT FIELD
FORM
RECORDS
FIELD
BUTTON
13
Topics in Mod
We will cover the
following topics…
TWACS Basics
•
•
TNS Program Structure
TNS Navigational Aids
Module Objectives
Objectives
Emphasize you will
be able to…(list
objectives)
•
•
•
Develop a general understanding of TNS common user elements
Learn how to navigate TNS application use
Develop an understanding of TNS forms query techniques
TNS PROGRAM STRUCTURE
TNS Components
This nugget is an
overview of functions
in TNS.
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It is important to understand that TNS is comprised of many components.
These components work together to complete the functions required of
TNS. This nugget covers an overview of the program elements to help the
participant develop a general understanding of where to look for certain
functions and how to use the forms provided in TNS.
14
Program Groups
The major program
groups are listed in
the table. Most of
these (but not all)
have tool bars
associated with
them.
The benefit of
opening a tool bar is
that the user is
prompted with
Certain and
meters
username
password
support only
TNSonce,
Max
and
then
any
Demand Finder like
application can be
Type without
31 and up. For
opened
example,
additional Type 21
Model 52 does not
authentication.
support demand.
TWACS Basics
Application Program Groups
TNS has many programs and forms that perform various functions.
TNS groups these programs into logical categories found on the
Windows Start menu. The following table lists the various program
groups found in TNS that appear on the Windows Start > Programs
list:
Program Group
TNS Max Demand
Finder
TNS Services Config
Utility
TNS Watchdog Utility
TNS AMR Hourly
Applications
TNS APM Search
TNS City-SUB
Maintenance
TNS Generic
Applications
TNS Load Control
Applications
TNS Metering
Maintenance
TNS SCE
Administrative Tools
TNS SCE
Maintenance
TNS System
Administration
TNS System
Maintenance
TNS TCT Volt
Applications
TNS Test
Communication Tool
TNS Trouble Server
Applications
What Can I Do with it?
Find the highest 15-minute interval for one or all
meters deployed.
Save the TNS configuration to a TNS
Configuration file…used to set up new server,
change the password of account no database
server running TNS services, and by DCSI.
Monitor, stop, and start servers within TNS.
Review and graph hourly and interval data for
one, some, or all meters.
Search for meters on alternate paths (feeders,
buses may have moved).
Group substations by city. You can set up groups
of substations if a search fails on the substation
where a user thought a meter was located.
Set up two-way addressing…DCSI personnel
normally completes during installation.
Set up load control.
Search and read meters and set up conversion
tables.
View SCE logs.
Set up substations, bring substations online, issue
substation commands, and view SCE logs.
Identify meter serial numbers, models, types,
capabilities, and conversion factors.
Schedule jobs and display maintenance results.
Test voltage levels on one or more meters.
Analyze inbound and outbound data and
information.
Identify meter tampering and diagnostics from
RCE equipment.
Table 4 - TNS Program Groups
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TWACS Basics
TNS NAVIGATIONAL AIDS
Windows Basics
Some of this is
basic Windows
usage, but do not
skip over it since
those that most
need it may be
embarrassed to
say.
TNS has a common set of navigational aids used across the TNS
programs. By mastering the navigational aids, users can optimize the use
of and results from the TNS program.
Viewing Sub-Applications
When opening a program group, notice the symbol at the right of
each group name indicates programs defined under the group name.
The arrow symbol
to the right of an
application indicates sub-applications. When
placing the cursor on the application, the subapplications will show.
Application Tool Bars
Figure 5 – Sub-Application View
Some of the TNS application groups have an APPLICATION TOOL BAR
defined. The advantage of using the application tool bar is the user
must only enter the username and password once for the group of
applications defined by the
tool bar. As long as the user
selects applications from the
open tool bar, the user
receives no password prompts
once the user enters the initial
tool bar username and
Figure 6 – Tool Bar Login Screen
password. The following represents the
AMR Hourly tool bar selected from
Figure 5, Sub-Application View.
Once the user selects
the AMR Hourly tool
bar, TNS prompts the
user for an initial
username/password and
Figure 7 – AMR Hourly Application Tool Bar
database alias. The
initial username is
“dcsi”, and the password is “dcsi”. The initial database name for
training is “meter” or “tsmeter” depending on the configuration.
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16
TWACS Basics
The utility may change the default username and password if
desired.
The AMR Hourly Data Applications tool bar then appears on the
desktop. As long as the user selects applications from the tool bar,
the applications will no longer prompt the user for username and
password.
Scroll Bars
Many of the forms also have vertical and horizontal SCROLL BARS.
Clicking on the bar and holding the mouse button down will allow
the user to pull the bar down or across to view other information.
Horizontal scroll bars are particularly useful because there are
usually more columns than can be displayed on the screen.
Vertical Scroll Bars
Many Forms/Windows have vertical Scroll Bars
allowing the user to view various Rows of Data.
Horizontal Scroll Bar
Many of the Forms/Windows have
Horizontal Scroll Bars allowing the user
to view various Columns of Data.
Figure 6 – Scroll Bars Example
Bubble Help
The user can identify the application represented by the icon by
simply holding the cursor over the application for a few seconds.
Notice that the application label View AMR Hourly Data Records
now shows as
the BUBBLE HELP
in the first icon
of Figure 9,
Bubble Help
Example.
Figure 7 – Bubble Help Example
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TWACS Basics
Drop-Down Menus
Most TNS
applications
make use of
a Windows
construct
known as
Typical Windows drop-down menus
DROP-DOWN
MENUS.
Drop-down
menus
provide TNS
with a more
organized
and ordered
look and
feel.
Figure 8 – Drop-Down Menu Example
Drop-Down Option Lists
Many TNS applications make use of a Windows construct known as
DROP-DOWN OPTION LISTS. Drop-down option lists provide the TNS
user with an ordered method of selecting a limited set of values for a
particular field.
Figure 9 – Drop-Down Option List Example
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TWACS Basics
Other Control Element Terminology
There are other types of control elements used in TNS.
CHECK BOXES allow the user to
select one or more options.
Figure 10 – Checkbox
Example
RADIO BUTTONS allow
the user to select only
one of several options.
Figure 11 – Radio Button Example
TEXT FIELDS allow
the user to enter data into a
field. To enter data, click in the field. A
blinking cursor in the field displays to signal
the field is ready for data entry.
Figure 12 – Text Window
Example
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TWACS Basics
Forms in TNS
Many
applications
within TNS
make use of
FORMS that
allow for
manipulating
information in
the database.
Information in
the database
is stored as a
group of
RECORDS.
Figure 13 – Forms Example
Each line in Figure 15, Forms Example,
represents a record. Records are comprised
of FIELDS. Each record has several fields, for example, the meter
record highlighted above has a Serial Number field, a Premises
field, and a Substation, Bus and Feeder field visible. Forms
make use of a standard set of BUTTONS for adding, deleteing, querying
and moving through the information TNS tracks in the database.
Not all forms will have every button, but there is a common set of
buttons used across most forms.
Print screen
Save record
Page up
Cancel add and exit
Previous transaction
Cancel add without saving
Page down
Do search
Next transaction
Cancel this search
Query list based on criteria
Cancel searches
Cancel query
Cancel/exit without saving
Apply updates/execute
Comma delimited text file
Add record
Delete serial numbers
Delete record
Halt job
Edit record
Demand reset history
Table 5 - Common Buttons
in TNS
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Query Tip
When querying
information, fields
are typically case
sensitive.
TWACS Basics
Query Options
When performing queries on a form, the user may wish to view all
the information or
just a subset of the
information in the
database.
Depending on
needs, the user can
vary the query to
view exactly the
subset of records
the user wishes to
view. The
following table
Figure 14 – Query Page Example
lists examples that will help the user
understand how to perform queries that
meet user needs.
I want to view…
All records in the
database
Meter with serial
number 17999
Steps for query
Click the Query
on the screen.
button once to clear all fields
Click the Query
records.
button once more to query all
Click the Query
on the screen.
Enter “17999” in the Serial Number field
button once more to search for
Click the Query
the meter with serial number 17999.
Records where serial #
is greater than 17999
Click the Query
on the screen.
Enter “>17999” in the Serial Number field
Click the Query
all meters with serial number greater than 17999.
All meters on
substation TNS, first
bus, first feeder
Click the Query
on the screen.
Type “TNS” in the Substation field.
Type “BUS1” in the Bus field.
Type “FDR1” in the Feeder field.
Click the Query
all meters that meet the criteria.
Table 6 - Steps for Queries
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TWACS Basics
Freezing Display Data
The TNS system allows the user to freeze
data so it will not change while the user is
viewing it. There are various ways on
different forms to freeze the display screen
including the use of a drop-down window, a
check box, or radio buttons to select the
freeze function. Notice that the user can
select the auto-refresh function in some
forms. The refresh rate can be set for
whatever time period desired. The refresh
rate in the TNS system can be adjusted by
the System Administrator.
Figure 15 – Freeze Options
Option
Result
Freeze
Hold data in the form or window while the display is
open.
Release data for update upon next refresh.
Refresh data instantly.
Refresh rate dependent upon form.
Unfreeze
Refresh
Auto-Refresh
Table 7 - Steps for Queries
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TWACS Basics
TNS Common User Elements Review
•
Review
The main points of
this section…
•
•
•
TNS is divided into application program groups. Each group
defines forms or applications with a common update theme.
TNS has common user elements that permeate throughout the
TNS program.
The TNS Watchdog provides a graphical view of the server
status.
TNS has an alerting function that can notify an email recipient of
major TNS problems.
TNS Common User Elements Practice
Practice
covered in this
section:
1. Which application program group allows the user to set up
substations?
2. Which application program group allows the user to search and
read meters.
3. What benefit does the user have by opening an application tool bar
instead of the individual applications?
4. On any query screen, how would a user query all records in the
database?
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TWACS Basics
TNS Common User Elements Practice Answers
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. Which application program group allows the user to set up
substations?
TNS SCE Maintenance
2. Which application program group allows the user to search and
read meters.
TNS Metering Maintenance
3. What benefit does the user have by opening an application tool bar
instead of the individual applications?
The toolbar only has the user authenticate
(username/password) once.
4. On any query screen, how would a user query all records in the
database?
Click the query button twice.
Chapter Review
Review
The main points of
this chapter…
•
•
•
•
•
Production Code
TNS has many system components including various server
processes, databases, and tables that integrate to perform various
TNS functions.
TNS has several diagnostic tools including the Watchdog
application, log files, and alerting functions that help the TNS
Operator manage TNS operations.
TNS is very flexible when integrating TNS data to other systems
such as the utility billing system or Customer Information
System.
TNS is grouped into logical program segments that make it
easier for the user to find applications for specific purposes.
TNS has common user elements that recur throughout TNS
programs that make using TNS easier.
24
TWACS Basics
Chapter Practice
1. In which database does TNS track meters it has not yet found?
Practice
covered in this
chapter:
2. In what table does TNS track meter pulse conversions to KWH
readings?
3. In what program can the TNS Operator set up alerts for TNS
failures?
4. In which of the following TNS program elements can the user
select one and only one option?
a. Radio buttons
b. Check boxes
c. Drop-down option lists
d. A and C
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TWACS Basics
Practice Answers
Review answers and
ask for questions
1. In which database does TNS track meters it has not yet found?
Temporary meter database
2. In what table does TNS track meter pulse conversions to KWH
readings?
Meter Conversions
3. In what program can the TNS Operator set up alerts for TNS
failures?
In the TNS Watchdog application under Project > Options
4. In which of the following TNS program elements can the user
select one and only one option?
a. Radio buttons
b. Check boxes
c. Drop-down option lists
d. A and C
Production Code
26
Version Record
Item
Product Reference
Current Version
Date Issued
Owner
Change History
Date
Version
8/12/03
0.1
8/12/03
0.2.
8/12/03
0.3
8/14/03
0.4
8/14/03
1.0
9/3/03
1.1
9/17/03
1.2
9/17/03
1.3
10/23/03
2.0
10/28/03
2.2
Record
B CHA 3 TNS System Design
3.2
11/11/03
Steve Seyer
Summary of Changes
First informal reviewed version created 8/8 – 8/12
Kellee’s updates
Steve’s upates per Kellee’s changes
Kellee’s Updates
Update to DCSI
Update per John’s changes
Update per Steve Lee’s changes
Update per Rick Will’s changes
Updates for instructor notes, review questions
Sandy’s review
Kellee up dated with Sandy’s review
10/30/03
10/30/03
11/11/03
2.3
3.0
3.2
Approval
Date
Version Name
Production Code
TWACS Basics
Signature
27

TWACS: Basics - Oro Technologies

Transcription

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