Purpose: The purpose of the Electrical Power and Communications Committee is to develop design guidelines, identify earthquake performance equipment, influence methods and emergency operation procedures for power and communication systems to improve their earthquake performance through the reduction of damage and other activities that results in improved post-earthquake response.
For additional information contact the chairperson: Anshel Schiff at - schiff@stanford.edu
Current Activities:
Guide to Reliable Emergency Power
The committee is finishing the development of a "Guide to Reliable Emergency Power for Lifelines an other Critical Facilities".
Guide for the Selection, Installation, and Use of Raised Computer Floors
The committee is developing a seismic guide for raised computer floors. The guide will include a description of various design features of raised floor systems, review shake-table test results of raised floors, review earthquake performance of raised floor systems, and identify features that appear to contribute to good seismic performance. Guidance will be provided for selecting raised floors, anchorage and restraint of equipment on raised floors, and retrofitting of raised floors.
You can participate by serving as a reviewer, providing information about past earthquake performance of raised floors, or contribute to the writing of the document.
Seismic Guide for Energy Control and Emergency Response Centers
The document will provide guidance for the design and installation of control rooms and emergency response centers. Issues to be addressed are emergency power, anchorage, non-structural details that would effect operations, such as suspended ceiling, and alternate centers. This information could also be applied to the telecommunications industry and similar facilities used by other lifeline organizations and financial institutions.
You can participate by serving as a reviewer or contribute to the writing of the document.
Topics of Interest to Power System Personnel
- A research projected funded by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and conducted at Portland State University (STAR Lab) investigated power transformer bushings. This project was directed at identifying the effect of various features used to install bushings on the bushing's earthquake performance. Testing was completed mid September and data is currently being analyzed. The parameters investigated included the effect of a rubber gasket between the bushing flange and the surface to which it is mounted (typically to the top of turret), the difference in performance when the bushing is mounted on a stiff plate (as currently called for in IEEE 693) and on a flexible plate (more closely approximating the top of a transformer), and the effect of a short (1-1/2') and tall (4-1/2') turret. When results are available they will be summarized in this newsletter and the source of the full report will be identified. The focus of this research is to develop a valid method of qualifying bushings for IEEE 693. The standard, as currently formulated, has not captured importance features of bushing installations.
- A research project conducted by G&E Engineering has been funded by Bonneville Power Administration to evaluate the potential of disruption caused by earthquakes in the northwestern region of BPA service area. The project has a strong emphasis on the use of graphical presentation of the system response data. The project is in its final review phase.
- An Electric Utility Consortium (EUC) has been established within the Multidisciplinary Center on Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) centered in SUNY at Buffalo. The first project of the EUC will be to qualify the disconnect switches (230 kV) from two manufacturers and conduct research on changing porcelain used in a disconnect switch without having to re-qualify by shake-table testing the entire switch. Other issues related to the support structure will also be investigated. that the plan is to start the testes around the end of the year using the new NEES test facilities at MCEER.
- The EUC is also conduction tests on a 500 kV transformer bushing in coordination with the EUC. This project will further extend the work performed at PSU (Item 1 above) to address the same objective of improving IEEE 693.
