Recommendations for software

[operator jay]

I am looking to buy some software at work. I would like to do

1. short circuit studies
2. coordination studies

and MAYBE in the future (but maybe not)

3. voltage drop
4. load flow (hopefully allowing for pf correction caps to be applied)
5. harmonic load flow (hopefully allowing for pf / filtering L & C to be
applied)
6. ground grid design (enter soil layers, conductor & rod layouts, etc.,
calculate Rg, step & touch potentials, etc.)

and finally,

7. some function you think is a good one that I didn't include above

Money is an object, to some extent. If anyone can recommend some
software(s) they like for the above functions, please include a guess at a
ballpark cost with it, if you can. I know some packages offer basics for
one price, and for increasing price you get more functionality. Something
like that would be fine, too. I do not work at/for a utility, it is
consulting, largely in the commercial and institutional building sector.

I used to use a lot of EDSA. Very expensive and it seemed a bit of a
clunker. I like to copy and paste text (i.e. coordination study breaker
settings, short circuit study fault levels, etc.) and graphics (i.e.
time-current curves, harmonic waveforms, etc.) from these programs into,
say, Word, so that I can make a decent looking report, all in one file. It
would be nice if the software I find allows for this.

If there is software freely available for any of the above, of course I
would like to hear about that, too.

Thanks to any and all for their help,

j

 

[CLT]

www.powerworld.com

CLT.

 

[John C]

My opinions based on use of several of the major packages:

For utility transmission & distribution systems -- Aspen One-liner. It has
the overwhelming market share amongst utilities and is well supported and
documented. Only negative about it is that it doesn't support low-voltage
(below 480V) industrial protection devices very well. It also doesn't have
the complete set of functions that you specify. http://www/aspeninc.com

For industrial, generation, and small utility applciations -- SKM Powertools
for Windows. A quality product with a long history. I believe that SKM is
the oldest of the manufacturers of this type of software. Their first
packages were written for Alpha machines. Full suite of capabilities (for a
price of course) and great support.
http://www.skm.com

John

 

[SQLit]

I am looking to buy some software at work. I would like to do

1. short circuit studies
2. coordination studies

and MAYBE in the future (but maybe not)

3. voltage drop
4. load flow (hopefully allowing for pf correction caps to be applied)
5. harmonic load flow (hopefully allowing for pf / filtering L & C to be
applied)
6. ground grid design (enter soil layers, conductor & rod layouts, etc.,
calculate Rg, step & touch potentials, etc.)

and finally,

7. some function you think is a good one that I didn't include above

Money is an object, to some extent. If anyone can recommend some
software(s) they like for the above functions, please include a guess at a
ballpark cost with it, if you can. I know some packages offer basics for
one price, and for increasing price you get more functionality. Something
like that would be fine, too. I do not work at/for a utility, it is
consulting, largely in the commercial and institutional building sector.

I used to use a lot of EDSA. Very expensive and it seemed a bit of a
clunker. I like to copy and paste text (i.e. coordination study breaker
settings, short circuit study fault levels, etc.) and graphics (i.e.
time-current curves, harmonic waveforms, etc.) from these programs into,
say, Word, so that I can make a decent looking report, all in one file. It
would be nice if the software I find allows for this.

If there is software freely available for any of the above, of course I
would like to hear about that, too.

Thanks to any and all for their help,

j

before you jump off and buy the software, are you an licensed electrical
engineer or with a PE?
I am not and have run into areas that need a pro to decide what to do. I am
comfortable with doing some calculations to get to an "go-no go" situation.
It is the ones that do not fall into these categories easily that are the
ones that need an experienced person.
My old company had a product called Pow-R-Designer, check Eaton Electric.
There are a lot of choices out there good luck on your search.

 

[Tzortzakakis Dimitrios]

You can get the software in any college (mine: www.teiher.gr )and the former
www.teikoz.gr but its homepage sucks.Literallynly engineers know these
things (and the professors that teach these engineers).

 

[operator jay]

before you jump off and buy the software, are you an licensed electrical
engineer or with a PE?
I am not and have run into areas that need a pro to decide what to do. I am
comfortable with doing some calculations to get to an "go-no go" situation.
It is the ones that do not fall into these categories easily that are the
ones that need an experienced person.
My old company had a product called Pow-R-Designer, check Eaton Electric.
There are a lot of choices out there good luck on your search.

Thank you for the help, and the advice. Let's just say that if I were a
professional engineer, I'd be disinclined to say so because who knows what
liability issues could arise. Even if not now, what about in the future.
I'll check Cutler for that program.

j

 

[operator jay]

You can get the software in any college (mine: www.teiher.gr )and the former
www.teikoz.gr but its homepage sucks.Literallynly engineers know these
things (and the professors that teach these engineers).

Thanks for your response. I was unable to search those links very well as I
run out of English pages right away. If you know of any software there that
is in English, could I get you to post links to some of those pages for me?

j

 

[operator jay]

Looks like they disco'ed Pow-r Designer but they are offering a free version
of some new program, for Cutler devices. Thanks for the tip.

j

 

[Tzortzakakis Dimitrios]

I thought they had an english version.Better ask a local engineer, or attend
classes better in ee (if you have money and can get in a ee course in a
local college).I don't know any ready-to-use software, as told these
knowledge is engineers' secret.