Distribution

Fulfilling all of a client's distribution system engineering needs is an ECF specialty. ECF engineers are well versed in the assessment, planning, design, and construction of distribution systems up to and including 69 kV voltage.

With experience from design and working within many types of systems, ECF has helped strengthen and improve operation as well as help assess and upgrade equipment.

While employed as utility and consulting engineers, ECF engineers worked with many type of distribution systems from network to redial facilities. Each project is approached with a valuable breadth of experience, and with a creative eye toward safe and efficient future operation.

ECF engineers are prepared to respond quickly and professionally to a client's distribution system needs for:

• Distribution System Studies
• Conceptual Design and Cost Analysis
• Structural Design and Analysis
• Permitting and Environmental Studies
• Land Surveying, Mapping and GIS Location Services
• Route Selection
• Motor Start Analysis
• Work Plan Studies for Budget Approval
• Overhead & Underground Lines
• Conductor and Cable Design
• Generator Placement Analysis
• Power Factor Analysis
• Capacitor Bank Analysis
• Voltage Studies
• Fault Studies, Overcurrent Protection DC Battery Systems & alarm systems within substation control rooms

Smart Grid

At ECF, we believe that a smart or intelligent grid is an electrical network that can cost-effectively integrate the behavior of all components connected to it and this includes generators transmission, substations, distribution, smart meters and end users. To that end, we have listed some relevant projects at various aspects of the power system that will demonstrate our experience undertaking projects of this nature. Knowledge centered only on the function or operation of various meters usually does not provide our clients with optimum solutions.

• Substation Automation
• Generation Automation
• Communications Networks
• Protection & Controls

Project Highlights

We assemble crew job package and give to crew GF, order material, staking if needed, ensure any environmental requirements are met, obtain all necessary switching orders for the crews, monitor progress of project to ensure due date will be met, set up any customer outages needed, remove any barriers that may hinder crew's progress, address customer complaints / inquires, and obtain all necessary switching orders for the crews. Perform crew safety visits at a minimum of 3/week, approve any additional work the crews request beyond what is engineered on job print, ensure post project restoration work is completed satisfactorily, attend weekly project status / work load conference calls, and work with FPL PL in completing job in WMS and assist in close out and payment process. Some Cable Services CPL's also do AMS data updates and run reports from WMS for the FPL manager and are also available for storm restoration assistance.

Cable Contractor Lead Services - FPL

This involves the visual detailed foot assessment survey on overhead distribution feeders. The purpose of the assessment is to locate and identify any potential problems with overhead equipment that could affect the reliability of the feeder. Each feeder is surveyed using a visual criteria that identifies disconnect switches that have Damage, Corrosion, are Misaligned, or have Flashed Insulator(s), Broken Insulator(s), Missing or Blown Arrestor Stations and are usually in an open or closed position. We perform a thorough and complete visual inspection designed to detect any and all potential problems that can affect the reliability of the line. A thorough and complete foot assessment involves a stop at the location of the equipment being inspected to ensure all potential problems are identified.

Condition Assessment Contractor Lead Services - FPL

Crandon Park and Trividia - FPL

It was requested by FPL for ECF to provide engineering services for a 750kW UPS (uninterruptable Power Supply) optional stand-by unit for the Crandon Park tennis center and the Trividia Health Facility. The UPS was used to mitigate voltage sags, surges and momentarys which occur when both customers lost power and had to be switched over to an emergency feeder. In order to achieve this, the UPS was engineered in series with the customers in- coming utility service after the service meter. Since this was after a service meter installation, ECF produced signed and sealed engineered drawings which were used to secure a permit from the building department in order to start construction. The clients criteria for the installation of the UPS was that it had to be removable from the customers existing utility service, so it could be relocated and used at another site. ECF was challenged with not only this criteria but also making sure the customer maintained utility power while the UPS was being removed. ECF was able to achieve this, leading to the project completed successfully and on schedule.

We perform pre-project constructability meetings with project designer and GF. Receive work package from FPL admin tech – ensure all necessary paper work in included and attend project pre-construction meetings. We order material, staking if needed, ensure any environmental requirements are met, ensure tree trimming is completed if needed and obtain all necessary switching orders for the crews. Monitoring progress of project to ensure due date will be met, set up any customer outages needed, remove any barriers that may hinder crews progress, address customer complaints / inquires, and perform crew safety visits at a minimum of 3/week. We approve any additional work the crews' request beyond what is engineered on job print, ensure post project restoration work is completed satisfactorily, and attend weekly project status / work load conference calls. We work with FPL PL in completing job in WMS and assist in close out and payment process and are available for storm restoration assistance.

Hardening Contractor Lead Services - FPL

Install Automatic Field Switching SSN - FPL

Installed Antenna, SSN ebridge Radio, Substation Communication Platform and other site upgrades to support FPL distribution System automatic Field Switching installation.

Project work involved the configuration (programming field devices) of radios that are paired with intelligent electrical devices (IEDs), program management and technical troubleshooting of Automated Feeder Switches (AFS) and their associated communications, as well as process and application improvement support.

Smart Grid FL - IED Tech Support - FPL

The Remediation Team is responsible for identifying The malfunction of smart devices and trouble shoot diagnosis and resolutions of any issue in collaboration with the other group part of the Reliability program. The Forensic Storm Team prepares to respond after natural event (Storm/ Hurricane/ Tornado/ Flooding) to track and diagnosis any effect on the functionality of the smart grid devices. We also respond efficiently to bring back up service from unit damage cause by natural events. We patrol any part of the Distribution or Transmission lines that are part of the FPL Electric Grid. The Field Service Group Smart Devices troubleshoot field service for the Smart Devices in some of their components to design and maintain the reliability of the communications of the devices. This is done to visualize through multiple applications the signals from the system and data analysis is collected to increase the reliability of the electric system. This is all done with the goal to minimize the time response under emergencies as well as normal service interruptions for customers, and providing data accuracy and geography data to respond more efficiently.

DISTRIBUTION