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INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL DESIGN

TECHNOLOGY IN SUBSTATION

Zhou, Qingyuan, Zhu, Yong

Zhou, Qingyuan ,Guizhou Electric Power Design and Research Institute, No.56 Zunyi Road, Guiyang

City, Guizhou Province, P.R.CHINA Post 550002

Phone (O): 086-851-85694210 Email: zhouqywork@foxmail.com

ABSTRACT

 

The digital design technology of substation is an integrated technology innovation of modeling

technology, information technology and network technology in design. It is based on digital expression

of the objects in substation design to gain integrated essential substation information, intelligent design

process, integrated design platform, collaborative multi-disciplinary design, digital and visual design,

and whole-process application. This technology can realize unobstructed circulation in project life

circle management for the digital design results including design data and process information, etc.

This article describes the development of the digital design platform based on AutoCAD in design

method, design content and key point. This platform will project digital information model as the core,

target to improve the design precision and strengthen multi-disciplinary and multi-role collaborative

design, and realize frequent and accurate data exchange and comprehensive management and

processing of engineering data. At the end, we introduce some research results we achieved in recent

years.

 

Key words: substation, digital design technology, modeling, data treatment, information integration

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1 Overview

At the beginning of 1990’s, computer-aided drafting led the first revolution in the design

industry. It increases the efficiency of design to several times of it than before by using

Computer-Aided drafting to replace hand drafting. In the contemporary information age, CAD

begins to restrict the ability of sustainable development of the electrical design industry.

With the rapid development of the grid technology, the grid construction and operation are

being deepened to the direction of delicacy, integration and informatization. The disadvantages in

the traditional substation design method gradually show up to this new situation.

The outputs of the traditional design are drawings used for construction. There is no equipment

parameter information needed for life cycle analysis, equipment stateful operation and delicacy

management. It cannot communicate with the interfaces of those systems.

The material statistics in traditional design is not deep enough and it is easy to make loss and

waste, which cannot meet the requirements of energy saving and environment protect. The

traditional design is for single project and lacks of supports from integrated data base. Simply

copying individual drawing cannot maximize reuse the project information. Also, it is common to

lose data when communicating between specialities by paper works or orally. It is difficult to do

cooperative digital design. All those problems on different levels of design, operation and

management restrict the rapid construction and development of the grid, especially in today with

continuously deepening in informatization.

In the later period of 1990’s, digital design technique realizes cooperation among

multi-disciplinary based on data base with the quick development of information network

technology. It is firstly applied to petrochemical, nuclear power, thermal power and metallurgic

industries in Europe. It is gradually being used in nuclear power, hydropower, and petrochemical

industries in China. [1]

The smart grid construction in China is a technology revolution on the premise of big data. As

a critical part of the smart grid, the application of digital technology in substation design directly

relates to the process of smart grid construction.

Digital design in substation can increase the level of project management at the period of

construction, shorten the construction cycle, and improve project quality by its brand new design

method, strong support from data base and high efficiency within multi-disciplinary cooperation. It

provides tremendous data and establishes cornerstone for the grid construction, and meets the

requirements of the grid development at maximum. It will lead another revolution in the design in

power industry.

2 Content of substation digital design platform development

2.1 Methodology of Digital design technology

2.1.1 Research Situation

In some existing substation projects in some countries, 3D method was applied in design to

realize 3D modeling, 3D checking, and digital 3D methods in data base management and gains the

ability of digital transfer.

Recently, the substation digital technology is at the beginnings stage in China. The electric

power design companies are launching to it gradually. However, from the perspective of application

situation of digitalization design, the project data from each implementation phase are not really

integrated and used. Most of applications are only staying on the preliminary stage with 3D

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modelling and simple collision checking.

We are seeking for resolution for the digital design and digital transfer in substation projects,

including detailed system composition and relative software tools. We are also feeling our way in the

actual projects and accumulated some experience and found some problems need to be resolved.

There is some software for substation design in China. Its functions cover each chain of the

substation design area. There is respective software for survey, electric, structure, architecture, and

waterworks. Those software is divided by specialties and it can only be used for that specialty.

There is not an integrated design platform and the data from different specialties cannot be shared by

others. Furthermore, there is not data interface among those software developers which limits the

function when we using it.

2.1.2 Methodology of Digital design technology

Substation digital design technology shall be an integrated innovation in modelling technology,

information technology and network technology. It is based on the digital expression of substation

design objects, to realize substation based information integration, intelligent design, integrated

design platform, collaborative professional design, design results digitalization and visualization,

application of the results in the whole process. The digital design technology will result in smooth

flow of data of design objects and project process information in project life cycle management. [1]

Substation design, entering the digital design phase, will project digital information model as

the core, digital design technology as the leading, and target to improve the design precision, to

strengthen multi-disciplinary, multi-role collaboration, and to realize frequent and accurate data

exchange.

The STD digital design platform developed by Bochao Soft(Beijing bochao soft Co., Ltd.) and

us is a platform based on Auto CAD. It is a 4D design integrated with the 2D logic design and 3D

layout design added with time control. It is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary design platform to

process and manage engineering data, combined with the 2D and 3D design tools and graphic,

meteorological data integration processing methods. It realizes to provide data services to

engineering construction, procurement, operation and maintenance services and to provide data for

the data source of substation lifecycle management. It can promote information sharing and better

delivery of engineering design, construction and operation and maintenance at various stages and

realize the project overall lifecycle management.

2.2 Main content of digital design platform

STD substation digital design platform includes basic database construction, sub-platform of

project management, sub-platform of professional design, and sub-platform of collaborative design

and output and data interfaces. See figure 1.

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Figure 1: Platform structure

2.3 Digital Design Platform Key Technology

The digital design platform based on Auto CAD is a comprehensive platform for integrated

management of engineering data. It realizes integrated design of substation electrical primary design,

electrical secondary design and civil engineering design (including plumbing design, fire protection

design) on the same platform.

2.3.1 Breakdown of the traditional design ideas

The traditional substation design in China is an expression with a variety of design drawings,

and text, and its design results can only rely on manual checking of data accuracy. The use of digital

design technology for substation design, the design process is to structure design data, and make full

use of modeling technology, information technology, and network technology to the processing and

managing design data. The goal of digital design technology for substation design is not to simply

design drawings, but to show a complete substation design content by using digital simulation data.

It means you can put all the objects in the substation into the smallest unit by the device properties,

design property, and other logical attributes.

2.3.2 Overall technical structure

Using C / S structural system, the digital design platform based on Auto CAD development is

well-known as a structure with combination of clients and servers. Through which it can take

advantage of both ends of the hardware environment, the rational allocation of tasks to the Client

side and Server side achieves reducing communication overhead of the system.

In the C / S structure, database deploys in the institute center computer room, substation digital

three-dimensional co-design platform deploys on the terminal of staff workstations. Data

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communication interacts through the internal optical fiber. A disk array is used in the server for data

storage, and cold, and hot backup is to ensure data security. The clients in the internal network can

dispatch data with appropriate permissions through security system. Deployment system

schematically shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Overall technology platform structure diagram

2.3.3 Database construction

Database construction includes public database, project database, and a typical schemes library.

The public database stores typical devices. Device types and device properties can be flexibly

personalized configured. It can be individually customized, freely classified and freely added with

equipment attributes by the users according to their requirements.

The engineering database mainly stores project-related information (including all data used in

various equipment and materials, and engineering design generated data) and effectively manages

valid versions according to the substation logical structure for data storage. Each project database

stores separately to meet the engineering migrate, backup, deletion and other application

requirements. Those data is secure, and to can satisfy subsequent Engineering database transfer

needs.

A typical schemes database mainly stores all engineering database information of typical

designs to meet user requirements for project reuse.

2.3.4 Data center construction

Data center logic tree is the starting point for the design of digital substation to construct the

logical framework of the entire substation digital design. Establishing a logical tree determines the

logical relationships between all design data, manages data structures, and establishes storage tags.

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All digital design data generated during the project can be gradually written into the database and the

project logic information will be managed at the same time.

The design process relies on data flow and data-driven, that is, the design is the whole process

of engineering data construction. Any one of the details of the design is achieved through digital

expression, engineering design data is constantly updated and extracted throughout the whole data

flow.

2.3.5 Coding System construction

The design uses a coding system platform, digital design technology is a key point. A good

coding system should not only consider the needs to the data of the professional design process. It

should also take the encoded content into account which may be applied to the full life cycle.

All materials codes and system codes can meet the code design function of the coding

identification in grid projects, and realize platform automatically encoded .

2.3.6 Digital collaborative design

Collaborative design platform is the core issue at the digital substation design arrangement

design stage, including internal collaboration and multi-disciplinary collaboration. Internal

coordination is to design the substation layout synchronize inside one discipline or subsystems.

Multi-disciplinary collaborative design is the process of facing the same object and gradually

improving the design. For example, there is only a small number of control parameters in electric

primary design structure, while when proceeding to civil design, complete design data are needed.

All the design process and design result are all expressed on the same platform.

Digital collaborative mechanism is applied in project application platform for collaboration

between multi-disciplinary designs. Data is interacted by data flow and recorded by the platform to

ensure accuracy of the data collaborated between different specialties and synergy records can be

well preserved.

2.3.7 2D and 3D data model associated technology

There is relationship between the main connection logic design and layout design of the

substation. The main connection design is a logic figure, while the layout design is the physical

model. Both models show the same design content and are different attributes of the same design

object.

Because it is digital design, designers only need to modify the attributes of design objects

through the associated technique to achieve the changes. The logic outputs and arrangement outputs

are the same. It ensures that all the content need to be modified be modified and avoids omissions,

thereby improving design efficiency.

2.3.8 STD engine technology of platform drafting

STD engine technology of platform drafting can intuitively reflect the rendering results of the

preliminary model, and you can check the data consistency and security collision from the model

based on the results. As intuitive and visual tools in digital design, It has a very high availability and

makes the design task easier

Checking and reviewing on the drafting engine, it is intuitive, accurate, and saves a lot of time.

When needing to adjust the project data model, it can be done on the platform and refreshed

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synchronically and confirmed at the engine interface. Crash safety checking includes electrical

safety clearance check and the three-dimensional structures collision safety checks.

Timely adjustment of the design according to the results of the collision check can reduces

more than 90% design change notices due to the collision between multi-disciplinary. It has

important significance for the realization of fine design, site construction and installation guide.

2.3.9 Highly integrated computing tools

The design can be done by highly integrated platform professional computing tools, or data can

be two-way transferred through the data interface technology. The required data is automatically

extracted from the project model. It is accurate and efficient, can reduce the risk of input errors by

designers.

2.3.10 Interface technology and digital transfer

We did research on data interface for substation digital design technology and geological

information system (GIS). Using the EIM (Engineering Information Modeling) technology and GIS

technology to achieve effective combination of a refined 3D small scene and interactive 3D large

scenes. Especially in the early site selection, it provides effective technical support.

Application of this technology can effectively promote the digital transfer of power engineering

projects and effective usage of transferred data. Application of the two techniques, can effectively

improve the cost analysis of a project in progress of construction and construction process

simulation.

Application of this technology can also realize to display a existing project and a project in

construction at the same stage, and can track construction conditions.

3 Achievements of substation digital design platform STD

Currently, the digital design application most remains in the 3D layout design. 2D logic design

is separated from the 3D layout design. It is more in catering to the traditional design mode, the

professionals have not worked on the same platform and the data has not been comprehensively

connected.

The development of digital design tools is a process to explore. On the one hand it demands to

develop the platform towards digitized direction, on the other hand the design ideas and design

method also need to be improved and be free from the shackles of traditional design ideas.

We achieved some progressive objectives in the research of substation digital design platform

in the past two years.

3.1 Digital electric main connection design

(1) The digital design is used in main connection design. Input from original system, construct

digital main connection topology logic at the data center, and draw the main connection drawing

using symbols from the standard symbol library so that the main connection drawings are unified

and standardized. When calling a standard design, any increase, insertion and removal intervals by

intervals will speed up the work efficiency.

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Figure 3: Example of data center logic tree of a real project

(2) Assign data to each electrical component, and each component corresponds to a device in

the data base, so we can design all the equipment in the substation in the main connection drawing.

(3) All information apparatus assignment is simple and rapid. Either a single device or an

equipment set can be easily identified and assigned. Data and all the information of the

sub-equipment in the equipment set can be listed. See figure 4 for a real project case.

Figure 4: Main connection drawing on substation 3D design platform

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3.2 Digital layout design

(1) STD Substation overall layout design can be done on the digital design platform through

internal and multi-disciplinary collaborative design. The equipment layout and main parameters of

each equipment can be displayed visually with the integrity of data and uniformity of those data to

the main connection design.

Figure 5: Distribution equipment layout on digital design platform

(2) Section view drawing and bill of material can be generated by specifying a set of graphics

stretch in the 3D overall layout. 3D perspective view can also be automatically generated in the

section view drawing.

Figure 6: Distribution equipment section view drawing on digital design platform

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(3) Overhang tubular buses, support tubular buses and rigid conductor and other forms of buses

design can be done on the platform to meet the needs of different projects.

(4) Wire connection check can quickly check the wire connections between equipment.

(5) The 3D safety clearance can also be quickly checked.

If problems are found timely in the project model, they can be fixed in design before

construction. It can efficiently prevent safety risks and engineering emergencies.

In a HGIS layout model for a 500kV substation, when checking the safety clearance on the

platform, the minimum safety clearance A1 between the grading ring and the bus structure cannot

meet requirements at the side of main transformer inlet.

See figure 7, there is one collision at the foundation in a 220kV substation. The position

pointed by the red bolded arrow is the location where the structure foundation in grey of a 220kV

distribution equipment crashes with the cable tray in green.

Figure 7: Collision check results at a 220kV substation

3.3 Smart cable laying

(1) Parametric design of cable channel

On STD digital design platform, the cable channel and cable tray are designed by parametric

design with detailed property information. By collision checking, we can reasonably cooperate with

other specialties on the early stage of design.

(2) Unobstructed data flow. The starting and ending point of cable can be automatically located.

Each device and screen cabinets have the location information on STD digital design platform.

The position information of cable starting and ending point will be automatically identified.

Connection points are determined by the position of the terminal box of the equipment. Cable

channels are determined via locations of buried pipe and cable trenches. The design of cable laying

is automatically completed in the digital 3D layout by using the identified cabling rules on the

platform.

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Figure 8: Schematic diagram of AutoRoute cable

(3) Automatically layered cable, accurate estimation of cable length and amount of protective tube

Various types of cables are laid in layered cable trench or cable tray, and a sectional view of the

cable arrangement can be automatically generated. The warning of volume rate exceeded may

prompt when necessary. Users can customize the cable length and additional statistical margin to get

accurate statistics on the number of cable length and the protective tube.

Cross sections of cable ditch and cable tray can be automatically generated and labeled with

cable number. Cable number label sections of each layer are arranged each cable and each cable

number including the arrangement of each cable, cable type and cable length. It can be used to guide

the construction at site to improve the accuracy and efficiency of construction.

3.4 Digital information design of secondary electrical system

(1) The traditional design platform and ideas are abandoned in secondary electrical system design.

With strong digital design platform, a fully digital information design is achieved.

A standardized secondary electrical database is included in the public library. The designer can

call a secondary electrical component information, atlas of secondary electrical principle, and typical

wiring diagram directly from the database. It significantly reduces the workload of the designer and

ensures compliance of all finished secondary electrical design with standards

In order to standardize substation coding, there is a set of detailed coding rules on the STD

digital design platform to automatically identify and code the secondary electrical device, so that the

parties of the substation construction and the project owners can share information to ensure the

recognizability and shareability of information in substation construction, operation and maintenance.

It can improve the intelligent management and safe operation of the substation.

(2) Fully parameterized type defined man-machine interactive technology is adopted in the

secondary electrical system design. It can precisely define the required parameters for each

project, make a large number of discrete design information into one intelligent interactive

information chain to support the whole secondary electrical design, including cubicle parametric

information of secondary electrical system, parameterization of secondary electrical schematic

diagram, and parameterization of secondary terminal block style.

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(3) Automation and standardization of finished design; intelligent cable inventory check

Drafting of cables from terminal block and statistics of secondary electrical cables can be done

on the STD digital design platform. Parameters in screen cabinets, schematics, terminal blocks and

cables inventory are interrelated, and any change in a parameter will result in a number of other

modifications in associated drawings.

Secondary electrical system design is performed on the digital design platform. Parameters of

screen cabinets, schematics, terminal blocks and cable inventory are unified, and the linkage can

modify all associated drawings. It can eliminate the tedious process of artificial back and forth

modification, which greatly improves the efficiency of designer.

4 Digital design development advantages and application prospects

In 21st century, the big data technology and development of cloud computing will lead design

technology enter a new stage. Digital design technology will give new chapter to substation

engineering design. Pushing digital design technology forward is the historical mission of substation

engineering design industry.

By using of digital substation design technology in the digital design process the digital

outcome is the source of information throughout the substation project lifecycle management. It will

achieve the simulation of design objects, design information sharing in full life cycle. Meanwhile, it

will provide strong technical support to transition from design companies to engineering companies.

(1) Substation digital design technology development time is not long, mainly in the recent three

years it has been extensively developed, but the trend is unstoppable. It will bring 6 advantages

by applying digital design in substation design.

a. Design performance. The use of digital design platform can get a better understanding of

design concepts and better design scheme by scheme comparison. All construction

participants can directly understand the design through a visual display design results, and all

parties can involve in the problem resolution.

b. Design efficiency. All design data flows on the same platform. It can avoid data isolation

and will not cause errors and loss by unsmooth and not shareable data in traditional design.

The design efficiency can be increased about 35% and the construction period of the project

can be reduced about 5%.

c. Design quality. Design on the digital design platform can reduce errors and avoid collisions,

reduce waste and save work man-hours.

d. Construction safety. Combined with construction simulation management platform,

construction safety can be improved by the digital design results.

e. Construction predictability. The substation digital design technology can predict

construction cost and strictly control time cost and participate in construction simulation.

f. Construction cost control. Application of substation digital design technology can save

project cost about 10-15% in terms of smart cable laying.

(2) Substation digital design technology will promote the progress of design tools and design

techniques.

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Compared to traditional cartography (including manual, computer cartography), the digital design

technology integrates work of other specialties on a unified platform, and achieves "one platform,

all specialties, and whole process" integrated design.

Digital design based on the complete coding system ensures that the data source established in

engineering design process with integrity, accuracy and uniqueness. Digital design data is with the

"input once, use many times" features. While it optimizes the design process, improves the quality

of substation design, efficiency, and optimizes human resources allocation.

Digital design technology can effectively improve the design quality, efficiency, and make up for

deficiencies of conventional two-dimensional design, and provides the best solutions for the

owners.

Integrated professional computing on the platform effectively ensures data, graphics and

computing integration. Through multi-disciplinary collaborative design, the existing design flow

can be improved, and design errors be reduced which are caused by mutual information

obstruction.

(3) Substation digital design technology optimizes human resources allocation.

The productivity feature of design companies is people-oriented. Scientific allocation of human

resources will determine the core competitiveness of the company. The production method of the

information age adds technology management system to the design platform. Full application of

design platform can enable conventional designer get high-level design outputs. The small part of

high-end professional technical elites of the design company will be the business standard-setters

and facilitators of the technology.

(4) Digital design results truly serve the production, operation and management

The digital design outcomes from the digital design platform can be further applied to the future

operation, maintenance and equipment management at the substation. It can change the current

status of manually input of essential data, duplicate data entry, inefficiency and high error rate.

Digital design technology can improve the level of engineering management in the substation

construction period, shorten construction period, and improve project quality. At the same time it can

provide vast amounts of data flow for the smart grid construction, especially the use of graphics and

data combination provide owners rich design results. It can effectively provide the data in the design

phase throughout the lifecycle of the grid construction. [1]

5 Substation digital design development direction

Substation digital design technology will develop into 5 directions in the future.

(1) The use of modern development of cloud technology integrates digital cloud platform, and

will be able to make data frm design, construction, operation and maintenance smooth in life

cycle.

(2) Cloud services of digital equipment model: Diversified equipment suppliers provide

standard equipment digital model by establishment of data standards. Data cloud service can

be shared in the industry.

(3) Data models are standardized, and data delivery is standardized.

(4) Training for the platform structure designers will be strengthened.

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(5) Digital results can guide material process. After accurate digital design, engineering material

management is more refined. You can arrange the construction material to be machined and

construction assembly according to pre-construction process.

References:

[1] Dakai Sheng; “Power transmission engineering digital design technology” [M], Beijing, China

Electric Power Press, 2014, On page(s): 167-173

[2] Electrical Power Engineering Design Manual (Volume 1): Electrical Primary Part [M],

Northwest Electric Power Design Institute of Hydraulic Ministry; Beijing, China Electric Power Press,

1989

[3]Electrical Power Engineering Design Manual (Volume 2): Electrical secondary Part [M],

Northwest Electric Power Design Institute of Energy Ministry; Beijing, China Electric Power Press,

1991

[4]Power System Design Manual [M], Electric Power Planning & engineering Institute; Beijing,

China Electric Power Press, 1998

Authors:

Zhou, Qingyuan (1974 - ), female, senior professional engineer in electrical engineering, working in

projects of electrical design for thermal power plants and substations, and research and development of

substation digital design technology.

Zhu, Yong (1977 - ), male, professor engineer in electrical engineering, working in projects of

electrical design for thermal power plants and substations.