Subscribers, welcome to our March edition...

E/PRO Engineering Helps NxtPhase Provide Turnkey Recording Solutions

NxtPhase has announced a partnership with E/PRO Engineering & Environmental Consulting to provide a range of engineering services to help customers incorporate our disturbance fault recorders into their overall system.

Events such as the August 2003 blackout have prompted many utilities to seek improvements to their recording capabilities. Disturbance data gained from a well-designed recording system can be key to improving system stability, capturing data for external parties & understanding dynamics of the fault itself. However with limited staffing budgets, many customers find that they lack the extra engineering resources to plan & install new systems in the timeframe they require. This partnership enables NxtPhase to offer customers a range of services to fill that need, including facility assessment, panel layout, panel construction, installation, commissioning, testing & training of utility personnel.

E/PRO’s broad North American network of engineers includes experts in electrical, civil, mechanical & structural engineering. They offer project management, training & quality assurance specialists to help utilities plan their recording project.

“NxtPhase recorders are robust & easy to use,” said Everett Fennell, P.E., Manager of Operations at E/PRO. “Our team is excited to expand that offering with a complete selection of planning & installation services for NxtPhase customers.”

Learn more about E/PRO at their website: www.eproconsulting.com.
View complete press release: http://www.nxtphase.com/sub-news-article.asp?story_id=175.  

Considered Leasing? Alternatives for Financing your New Recording Solution

Implementation speed is often slowed down by budgetary constraints in capital spending. When there’s no room in the capital budget to purchase much-needed assets with cash, lease payments paid from the operating budget may be a practical alternative. Leasing may be used to supplement other capital financing, allowing more of the necessary projects to be completed in a shorter timeframe. This is a financial tool already in use at many utilities for capital assets such as information systems. The full cost of implementing a recording system may be leased (including equipment, installation services, delivery, and training). We offer leasing alternatives through partnerships with financial services organizations experienced in providing utility customers with financing agreements that meet the specific financial situation.

Learn more about our complete recording solution: http://www.nxtphase.com/pdfs/TurnkeyRecordingSolution.pdf.

Landis+Gyr & NxtPhase Offer High Accuracy Metering System

NxtPhase has signed an agreement for co-operative sales & marketing of a high accuracy revenue metering system, made up of NxtPhase optical sensors used together with Landis+Gyr high accuracy MAXsys 2510 meters. The agreement allows both companies to offer customers a more complete, seamless revenue metering system that provides extremely accurate measurements, even at very low current levels.

“We are excited about the new opportunities this system presents for the industry,” stated Jerry Ducey, VP of Sales at Landis+Gyr. “The collaborative initiatives outlined in this agreement should speed our introduction to the market & allow both NxtPhase & Landis+Gyr to offer our customers a complete solution for accurate, reliable revenue metering.”

“This system overcomes the traditional difficulties utilities have had with measuring low currents using conventional CTs,” commented Tim Leyshock, Vice President at NxtPhase. “Customers ranging from geothermal plants to wind farms are taking advantage of this excellent low-end accuracy for more accurate billing of power they supply.”

Not only does the system improve accuracy, it also improves safety by eliminating dangers due to open CT secondary circuits. In addition, as load grows utilities can change turns ratios without replacing the CT & without affecting bus connections.

View the system’s tested accuracy down to 0.1% of user selectable rated current:

Accuracy of metering system made up of the NXCT & MAXsys 2510, compared with industry standards.
Even at very low current levels, the combination yields extremely accurate measurements.

Learn more: http://www.nxtphase.com/pdfs/SuperiorRevenueMeteringSystem.pdf.
Visit the Landis+Gyr website at www.landisgyr.us.

Accessing NxtPhase User Manuals

Did you know that NxtPhase relay & recorder user manuals are now available on our external website?
Check it out: http://www.nxtphase.com/sub-downloads.htm. Since files are large, you should save them to your computer (right click the link & choose “Save Target As”) before opening them.

Welcome Tom Vesik

Many of you have already had the pleasure to work with Tom Vesik who joined our NxtPhase team last fall as a Sales Engineer. Tom provides sales support for Relays, Recorders & Optical Sensors. Based in Vancouver, Tom joins us after 22 years with Siemens Canada. Tom brings his EE from UBC & has a keen understanding of relays & other industrial components. Tom develops proposals & quotations – he’s also the one who ensures you are well served throughout the order & delivery process.

Feel free to contact Tom Vesik in our Vancouver office:

Tel: 604-215-9822 x343
Fax: 604-215-9833
Email: tvesik@NxtPhase.com

TESLA Tech Note:
Transferring TESLA Control Recorder Information Between Computers

Many of our TESLA Disturbance Recorder customers find that multiple individuals require access to recorder configuration & data files. Ever wonder how to transfer all those configuration settings to a different computer? Download the Technical Note from our website: http://www.nxtphase.com/pdfs/D00135R00.00_NxtPhase_TransferringTESLAControlRecorderInformationBetweenComputers.pdf.

L-PRO Tech Note:
Enabling Dynamic Swing Recording on the L-PRO

During the 2003 blackout, accurate dynamic swing recording became vital to understanding activity on the system. The L-PRO line protection relay has excellent dynamic swing recording capabilities which must be enabled by each customer to function on their system. If I’m an L-PRO customer, how should I go about enabling this feature? Learn more: http://www.nxtphase.com/pdfs/D00464R00.00_NxtPhase_EnablingDynamicSwingRecording.pdf

L-PRO Technical Note:
Configuring the L-PRO for Multi-Breaker Terminal Applications

One of the advantages of the L-PRO Line Protection Relay is its ability to perform primary & auxiliary protection for multi-breaker transmission line terminals, such as breaker-and-a-half and ring bus schemes. What are the advantages of using the L-PRO in these schemes? Read “Improving the Operations of Multi-Breaker Transmission Terminals”, first published in 2003: http://www.nxtphase.com/pdfs/ImprovingOperationofMulti-BreakerTransmissionTerminals.pdf.

What are the specific steps needed to configure an L-PRO properly for these applications? Read about those basic steps in “Configuring the L-PRO for Multi-Breaker Terminal Applications”: http://www.nxtphase.com/pdfs/D00121R00.00_NxtPhase_ConfiguringL-PROforMulti-BreakerTerminalApps.pdf.

L-PRO Technical Note:
ProLogic Equations to Change the Synchronism Source

How can you configure an L-PRO to automatically swap synchronism sources between the Main & Auxiliary circuit breakers of a multi-breaker line terminal? Some multi-breaker terminal applications require ProLogic equations & 2 output contacts to swap the leads from the synchronizing voltage transformers. Read “ProLogic Equations to Change the Synchronism Source“ at: http://www.nxtphase.com/pdfs/D00120R00.00_NxtPhase_PrologicEquationsToChangeSynchSource.pdf. 

Coming Events

Hands On Relay School

Mar 15-19, 2004
Washington State University, Pullman, WA

The Hands On Relay School is a professional development short course to train protective relay technicians, electrical/power plant technicians and protective relay test specialists. Visit NxtPhase at the Supplier Showcase on Tuesday March 16.

For conference details visit the Washington State University web site at: http://capps.wsu.edu/hrs/  

Texas A&M Conference for Protective Relay Engineers

Mar 30 - Apr 1, 2004
St. Paul, Minnesota

Visit the NxtPhase booth to view (& try!) our full line of protection products. For conference details visit the Protective Relay Engineers web site at: http://engineering.tamu.edu/prorelay  

Georgia Tech: Protective Relaying Conference & Disturbance Analysis Conference

Apr 27-30, 2004
Atlanta, Georgia
Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown

Visit NxtPhase at the Protective Relaying Showcase:

·         Apr 27th: 5pm-10:00pm

·         Apr 28th: 5pm-10:00pm

·         Apr 29th: 5pm-10:00pm

The Georgia Tech Protective Relaying Conference has been an annual event at Georgia Tech since 1947. The conference functions as a technical forum for power system protection engineers by presenting a program of papers & tutorials with appropriate technical content, topical interest, & timeliness. Conference emphasis is on operational practice & the application of new techniques & devices.

Also tune in for a NxtPhase paper being presented Apr 27th at 1:40pm:

Benefits of Power Swing Recording
Andrew Klimek, NxtPhase T&D Corporation
Robert Baldwin, Southern California Edison

For conference details visit the Protective Relay Engineers web site: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/conted/servlet/edu.gatech.conted.course.ViewCourseDetails?COURSE_ID=62 
Fault & Disturbance Analysis Conference: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/conted/servlet/edu.gatech.conted.course.ViewCourseDetails?COURSE_ID=60  

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Copyright 2004 NxtPhase T&D Corporation. All Rights Reserved.