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TWACS: Basics

Introduction TWACS: Basics

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Proprietary Notice Information contained in this document is private to Distribution Control Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri (DCSI). This information may not be published, reproduced, or otherwise disseminated without the express written authorization of DCSI. Any software or firmware described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license.

Disclaimer The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by DCSI. DCSI assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of software on equipment that is not supplied by DCSI. TWACS, the TWACS logo, and the DCSI logo are registered trademarks of Distribution Control Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.

TWACS® Two Way Automatic Communication System,

a product of Distribution Control Systems, Inc.

Confidential and Proprietary Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

All Rights Reserved


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Production Code iii Distribution Control Systems, Inc.

Table of Contents

Using This Manual A brief description of the purpose, book design, audience, revisions, and who to contact with questions.

Chapter 1: What is the TWACS System?

• Introduction to the TWACS System • TWACS System Applications • TWACS User Roles

Chapter 2: TWACS System Design

• TWACS System Overview • TWACS Level 3 Components • Substation Electrical System Elements • TWACS Level 2 Components • TWACS Level 1 Components and Communication

Chapter 3: TNS System Design

• TNS System Overview • TNS Common User Elements


Production Code iv Distribution Control Systems, Inc.

Using This Manual This section contains information that helps participants understand and use this manual.

Purpose

The TWACS: Basics training manual is an instructional manual to be used during instructor-led training or for review following an instructor-led training class. This learning experience presents participants with the key concepts required to comprehend TWACS system applications. During this experience participants will learn the TWACS system architecture and nine core applications. Topics include: understanding basic applications, relevant electrical systems, TWACS components, and TNS system architecture.

Book Structure This book was designed with the participant in mind. As a participant in a TWACS training class the number one requirement is to retain and immediately put the concepts learned in class to use. To facilitate ease of learning, increased retention, and immediate use of concepts learned in class, this book was designed in a series of Learning Nuggets, Modules and Chapters. A Learning Nugget is a specific concept or set of specific actions a participant should learn and be able to execute, provided in a progressive and stepped-out (Step 1, Step 2…) design. Alone, a Learning Nugget can assist a participant in understanding a single concept or executing a single task.


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Although, Learning Nuggets are built to stand alone as small nuggets of knowledge, to increase a participant’s abilities to comprehend, retain, and execute TWACS system knowledge, Learning Nuggets are grouped together in Learning Modules. A Learning Module is a collection of Learning Nuggets encapsulated by an introduction, objectives, vocabulary, review, and practice with an understanding of how the Learning Nuggets in the Learning Module relate to one another. Related Learning Modules are grouped together in Learning Chapters. A Learning Chapter is a collection of Learning Modules encapsulated by an introduction, objectives, vocabulary, review, and practice with an understanding of how the Learning Modules in the Learning Chapters relate to one another and the TWACS system as a whole. The Learning Chapter also provides a more detailed table of contents as well as indexed reference to the Learning Chapters contents. As a whole, the book is designed to follow a typical path for participants as they begin to implement and use the TWACS system, broken down into more easily understood and retained Learning Nuggets. Back at work, the Learning Nuggets will allow the participant to use the training manual for ready reference, locating the exact nugget needed.

Audience To design this book, seven different audience roles were identified:

TNS Operator The Utility employee responsible for operating and maintaining the TNS system.

Customer Service Representative Manager The Utility employee responsible for interfacing with the customer regarding customer related issues.

Meter Technician The Utility employee responsible for installing and maintaining meters.

Substation and Transmission Engineer The Utility employee responsible for designing Substation and Transmission elements.


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Billing The Utility employee responsible for customer billing.

TWACS Project Manager The Utility employee responsible for Project Managing the TWACS implementation.

Customer Engineer The Utility employee responsible for interfacing with the Utilities large corporate customers on TWACS capabilities.

Based on these seven roles, the introduction of each Learning Chapter and each Learning Module includes a Utility Personnel table with recommendations as to which of the seven roles would find the following information a requirement or elective for their role.

Personnel Required Elective

TNS Operators √ TWACS Project Managers √

Customer Service Representative/Managers Billing Personnel Substation and Transmission Engineers √

Meter Technicians √ Customer Engineers √

Revisions DSCI periodically will issue revisions to this document as enhancements and changes are implemented, or as corrections are required. With each revision, the document will include a What’s Changed section describing the new or revised information.


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Support Please address your questions to Customer Care as follows: E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 1-800-892-9008 Address: Distribution Control Systems 945 Hornet Drive Hazelwood, MO 63042 USA

Chapter 1: What is the TWACS System TWACS Basics

Production Code 1 Distribution Control Systems, Inc.

What is the TWACS System?

Chapter Introduction

The TWO-WAY AUTOMATIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (TWACS) enables electric utility companies to perform enhanced functions and gather information not previously available to the utility. Through the TWACS system, electric utilities can revolutionize the way their business is done. As an electric utility begins the process of evaluating or implementing the TWACS system, it is important that those involved with the use and implementation of the system have a general idea of what the TWACS system will do for the utility. This chapter gives the participant a high-level understanding of how the TWACS System can change the way business is done in the electric utility. Utility personnel who will benefit from the information in this chapter include:


TNS Operators √

TWACS Project Managers √

Customer Service Representative Managers √

Billing Personnel √

Substation and Transmission Engineers √

Meter Technicians √

Customer Engineers √

The information in this chapter will help participants develop a base-level understanding of the TWACS system capabilities when preparing to use the TWACS system. This base-level understanding of TWACS system capabilities will help enhance the participant’s perspective as new TWACS system tasks are introduced throughout this and other TWACS system training courses.

Chapter Duration 60 minutes Schedule Time ____________

Equipment Needed • Laptop • Projector • Projection Screen • Whiteboard • ______________

Class Openers • Welcome/Thanks • Phone/Restroom

location • Leave class as

needed • Cells to vibrate • Intros 1Name

2Company 3Goals

• ______________

Intro This class is an overview of how the TWACS system enhances a utility’s service and productivity.

Relationship Understanding the TWACS system big picture will help you get the most out of the system.

Personnel Information in this class benefits…

Useful Information in this class is useful when preparing to implement or use the TWACS system.



Vocabulary introduced in this chapter includes:

TWACS AMR DCSI

FREEZE SNAPSHOT ON-REQUEST DEMAND READ

HIGH-WATER MARK LOAD CONTROL SERVICE DISCONNECT/ CONNECT

COLLAR PIRATE NO PULSE

BLINK COUNT TIME OF USE TNS OPERATOR

TWACS PROJECT MANAGER

The learning modules in this chapter include:

• Introduction to the TWACS System • TWACS System Applications • TWACS User Roles

Chapter Objectives

By the end of this chapter, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the TWACS system on a high level and recognize its place in the utility system hierarchy.

• Explain DCSI and its relationship to the TWACS system. • Describe the TWACS system in terms of what new functions

can be accomplished after the TWACS system deployment. • List the roles of various utility company employees as those

roles relate to the TWACS system.

Vocabulary Vocabulary to look for…(read vocab)

Schedule by Mod Morning:__________ 1st Break:__________ After 1st B:_________ Lunch:____________ After L:____________2nd B:_____________ After 2nd B:_________

Objectives Emphasize you will be able to…(list objectives)



Introduction to the TWACS System

Module Introduction

In this module, the participant will gain a high-level understanding of what the TWACS system is, what the TWACS system does, and how the TWACS system fits in the overall scheme of utility company systems.


TNS Operators

TWACS Project Managers

Customer Service Representative Managers

Billing Personnel

Substation and Transmission Engineers

Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

The information in this module is useful when the participant is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:

TWACS AMR DCSI

The learning nuggets in this module include:

• The TWACS System at a High Level

Module Objectives

• Develop a high-level understanding of the TWACS system • Develop an understanding of who DCSI is and their relationship

to the TWACS system

Module Duration 15 minutes Schedule Time ____________

Intro High-level overview of TWACS system


Useful Getting started with TWACS

Vocabulary Vocabulary to look for in this module…(read vocab)

Topics in Mod We will cover the following topics…




T H E T W A C S S Y S T E M A T A H I G H L E V E L

Two-Way Automatic Communication System (TWACS) is a system designed for electric utility companies that provides a unique bi-directional system for collecting, communicating, and analyzing information about and managing utility customer electricity usage. The TWACS system uses existing power line assets for two-way remote data acquisition and control solutions. The TWACS system is a critical business tool for utilities that understand that serving customers and keeping them loyal rests on: • The meter, • Near real-time data, and • The best-in-class performance and competitive advantages that the

TWACS system enables.

TWACS Enables New Functions

Using the TWACS system, electric utility companies can revolutionize the way they do business.

The TWACS system enables the electric utility to gather information and perform functions not

previously available to the utility. The TWACS system uses the existing infrastructure as the path for gathering information. The TWACS system can be valuable in many aspects of the utility’s

business including:

• Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) • Interval data collection • Line voltage and power quality

monitoring • Outage mapping • Remote service disconnect/connect • Load shedding

TWACS Business Tool

TWACS uses the existing infrastructure of the electrical system. Some alternative approaches use out of band information paths like radio or microwave. Examples of these types of companies include CellNet Data Systems (now Schlumberger) and Nexus.

Two-Way bi-directional remote data existing power line

Uses of TWACS



Who is DCSI?

Distribution Control Systems, Incorporated or DCSI developed TWACS. DCSI is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, and is a division of ESCO Technologies, Inc. ESCO Technologies is a publicly traded company trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ESE.

TWACS History

DCSI has a long and successful history with the TWACS system in the electric utility industry.

• The TWACS system was first developed in the late 1970s. • 1987 first load control contract sold to Florida Power and

Light. • 1991 Alberta Power and Light is first AMR customer. • 1997 Automatic Meter Reading dominates business growth. • Today, over 6 million addressable units installed or under

contract.

Additional History TWACS was developed at New England Power…. Emerson Electric bought the patent rights. TWACS was once called Chance Load Systems (from AB Chance) Esco was spun off of Emerson Electric in 1991 as Emerson was getting rid of defense contracting. DCSI is part of the communication segment along with Comtrak if looking at the annual or quarterly reports.



Introduction to the TWACS System Review

• The TWACS system is unique in using the existing infrastructure and meter signaling that enables two-way communication with all meters on the utility system.

• DCSI is a division of ESCO Technologies, a publicly held company based in St. Louis, MO.

• The TWACS system has been around a long time…since the 1970s.

Introduction to the TWACS System Practice

1. True/False: The TWACS system uses high frequency signaling on the electrical system to communicate with meters at customer locations. This factor limits the reach of the TWACS system to only certain customers.

2. DCSI first developed the TWACS system in what decade?

3. How many addressable meter and load control units are under contract and managed with the TWACS system?

Review The main points of this section…

Practice Let’s take a minute to practice what we have covered in this section:



Introduction to the TWACS System Practice Answers

1. True/False: The TWACS system uses high frequency signaling on the electrical system to communicate with meters at customer locations. This factor limits the reach of the TWACS system to only certain customers. False

2. DCSI first developed the TWACS system in what decade? In the late 1970s

3. How many addressable meter and load control units are under

contract and managed with the TWACS system? Over 6 million

Practice Answers Review answers and ask for questions



TWACS Applications

Module Introduction

The TWACS system enables applications in a utility not previously available to the utility. Having a thorough understanding of the TWACS system capabilities allows participants to optimize their results from their TWACS system deployment.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

The information in this module is useful when the participant is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. The participant can develop a general understanding of how the TWACS system can change business functions. Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:

AMR FREEZE SNAPSHOT ON-REQUEST

DEMAND READ HIGH-WATER MARK LOAD CONTROL

SERVICE CONNECT/ DISCONNECT

COLLAR PIRATE

NO PULSE BLINK COUNT TIME OF USE


Intro TWACS gives utilities new applications


Useful Starting to work with the TWACS System





• Automatic Meter Reading • Load Control • Service Disconnect/Connect • Tamper Detection/Energy Theft Reduction • Service Reliability/Outage Count Monitoring • Billing Enhancements • Cross-Utility Cooperative Work

Module Objectives

• Develop an understanding of the TWACS system applications • Determine what customer needs can be fulfilled by the TWACS

system • Determine what utility company needs the TWACS system can

fulfill • Develop a working understanding of the following functions:

• Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), • Load control, • Distribution automation, • Service disconnect/connect, • Tamper detection/energy theft reduction, and • Service reliability/outage count monitoring.





A U T O M A T I C M E T E R R E A D I N G

Traditionally, utilities read meters manually by a person actually going from one meter to the next documenting readings from the meter. Using the AUTOMATIC METER READING (AMR) function of TWACS, electric utilities can read meters for various reasons at various times of the month without ever dispatching a person to a meter site. AMR does provide a level of cost savings for the utility, and enables the utility to perform many other functions not previously available with manual reads. AMR can be a valuable tool in aiding both customers and electric utility personnel in resolving customer problems and managing customer energy use. Among these problems are customer situations like the following:

Customer Problems: Type of meter read that can help:

“I want to know why my bill was so high last month.”

AMR, Hourly, Daily Shift, On-Request

“I want to know how much energy we use when we’re at work versus when we’re at home.”

Hourly

“I want to know what impact my visiting kids have on my energy use.”

Daily Shift, On-Request, Hourly

“I want to know how much it would impact my energy costs to keep my business open another 3 hours in the evening.”

Hourly

“I want to use trend information on energy use as part of an analysis to see if it makes sense to adjust business hours during certain times of the year.”

Hourly, Daily Shift

“Can you help me figure out why my bill is so much more than my neighbors?”

AMR, Hourly Daily Shift, On-Request

Continued on next page….

AMR AMR is one of the fundamental benefits of TWACS. Using AMR, utilities can offer services to the customer like never before. Ask “How many of you are fairly new to TWACS?” “How many have used TWACS for a while?” Customer Problems Ask “What are your utilities using TWACS to accomplish?”



“I’m moving out of my home today. Can you disconnect my service now so I won’t get charged for additional days?”

On-Request, Service Disconnect

“How much capacity will we need in this subdivision in the next six months?”

Daily Shift, Demand, Hourly or Interval Data

“We’re in a mid-summer crisis. We need to reengineer the transmission facilities. How can I isolate which customers have a recent increase in usage?”

Daily Shift, Demand

Table 1 - Customer Problems Solved by TNS

The following sections detail the various read types.

Scheduled Daily Shift Reads

It is recommended the TWACS system be set up to perform reads at a minimum once daily. DCSI manufactures meters to store a FREEZE

SNAPSHOT at midnight, and the TWACS system has a 24-hour window in which to pull off the snapshot data for the daily read before it is overwritten. Using the TWACS system, the utility runs reports detailing the amount of usage per day. The utility can establish trends with this information.

Figure 1 - AMR Daily Usage Report

Reads Daily and hourly readings can help the utility provide customers with unprecedented service levels to isolate high-energy use.

Hourly Data History Instant feedback for customers on usage and reasons for changes in cost



Daily historical information shows the customer’s utilization. A customer may have a complaint about a bill. In Figure 1, AMR Daily Usage Report, the Customer Service Representative (CSR) views customer usage on a daily basis for the month of December. Reviewing daily information, it becomes clear to the customer that having two college age kids home over the December weekends and Christmas holiday caused a spike in utilization.

Figure 2 - Daily Usage Report

The daily read report in Figure 2, Daily Usage Report, combined with an analysis of the temperatures for those days listed, helped isolate the issue. The heater was running feverishly on cold days for this customer. After a site visit, the utility determined for the customer that the building contractor had neglected to insulate the attic properly.



Scheduled Hourly Reads

Meters can be read more often than every day. Meters can store information for hourly tracking of information. Reports that detail the amount of usage per day can be run to establish trends.

Figure 3 - Daily Usage Report

The hourly report in Figure 3, Daily Usage Report, is from a home in which the builder neglected to insulate the attic. The report shows the attic was insulated between 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning on December 5th. The report yields a good estimate of what the lack of insulation was costing the homeowner. Commercial customers benefit from this type of information as well. Hourly reports provide information to commercial customers that can be used in cost/benefit analysis for staying open later hours or cutting the workday shorter. Trends can also be established for specific times of the year to help determine optimal seasonal hours of operation.

Hourly Reads Establish trends Utility usage cost/benefit analysis



0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29

On-Request Meter Reads

Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) often receive calls relating to billing questions. In the days of manual meter reading, the utility would dispatch meter readers or customers would self-read their meters for an accurate count or verification. TWACS enables CSRs to take an immediate reading while the customer is on the telephone. This ON-REQUEST READ capability provides CSRs with new capabilities not available with the previous manual process. For example:

A utility’s customer contacts the utility and notifies them that moving day has arrived and the utility must disconnect service. The CSR can perform an immediate service disconnect followed by an on-request meter read with the customer on the line to provide the customer with a statement of the final bill.

Demand Reads

Peak demand is a tariff component for some utilities, particularly for commercial customers. Using the TWACS system, utilities can accurately track and bill for high periods of usage accordingly. It is often difficult to estimate energy requirements for a customer or group of customers. Using DEMAND READS, the utility can get an idea of how much energy to budget for a customer or group of customers. This can be particularly beneficial in a short-term energy crisis created by high use or power failure. With demand reads in the TWACS system, the meters store a HIGH WATER MARK for usage. This high-water mark represents the highest 15-minute demand of usage for the customer. Using this information, Substation and Transmission Engineers can estimate peaks more accurately based on high usage for customers and groups of customers. Some utilities use this high water mark reading as the basis of the billing rate for the rest of the year.

Figure 4 - Demand Read High Water Marks

On-Request Meter Reads higher level of customer service and responsiveness, not available before TWACS system. Example

Demand Reads Allows Customer Service a way to help customers determine source of high-energy use problems Allows for tracking and estimating peak use times



L O A D C O N T R O L

With two-way communications to the customer site, the TWACS system enables powerful methods for utilities to perform functions that allow management of peak power demand. One of those functions is LOAD

CONTROL. Using load control, utilities can remotely engage and disengage elements of high use on the customer premise. Among these problems are customer situations like the following:

Problems: “Peak times in July are causing us to have problems with brown-outs.” “When we lose power for a corporate customer and redistribute facilities to accommodate, load capacities are exceeded.” “Our customers ask us for help controlling their energy bills.” “Pricing changes from deregulation have created windows of opportunity for customers to shed peak time rate power costs.”

Table 2 – Problems TWACS Load Control Can Solve

Load control uses the same TWACS infrastructure deployed for AMR. Using TWACS load control, the utility can plan strategies that allow trimming of utilization during peak usage times. Load control allows the utility to remotely turn off components within a residential (or commercial) customer premise that draw substantial levels of power. This shedding of power allows the utility to control peak demand that can avert brownouts. Typical components set up on load control include items like water heaters and air conditioners.

Figure 5 - Water Heater Equipped with Load Control

Transponder

Load Control Control peak power demand Turn on or off elements using power

Problems Load Control Can Resolve



S E R V I C E D I S C O N N E C T / C O N N E C T

Using the SERVICE DISCONNECT/CONNECT features of the TWACS system, CSRs can perform a near immediate physical deactivation and reactivation of service without dispatching a meter technician to the premise. This feature can help resolve problems like:

Problems: “I’m moving today, and I want my billing to stop now.” “I can’t pay my bill this month…or next month…or next month.” “Can you disengage the service at our vacation home for the next two months?” “We just moved in. Can you turn our power on?”

Table 3 – Service disconnect/connect Problems Can Solve

Meters can be equipped with a COLLAR that can receive and respond to commands from the TWACS system to disconnect or reconnect the power in a matter of seconds. Connections may be made in response to a new customer who has just moved into a new home and is requesting power. Disconnects may be done on bad credit accounts who are continually late on payment. Disconnects may also be done at the time of account closeout when a customer is moving out of a home or business. Automatic disconnect followed by an on-request read can give the customer a bill of their exact usage. Due to the reduced time cost of connecting and disconnecting service through TWACS, utilities gain a level of responsiveness not previously available.

Service Disconnect/Connect Employee safety: frequent disconnects for failure to pay can be done remotely keeping utility employees from entering a potentially dangerous situation at the customer site. Problems Resolved by Service Disconnect/ Connect

Increase Responsiveness moving day with connect or disconnect and immediate exact usage bill



T A M P E R D E T E C T I O N / E N E R G Y T H E F T R E D U C T I O N

The TWACS system enables the utility to detect meter tampering, thus reducing the occurrence and impact of energy theft. Energy theft can take several forms including:

Problems: “We think the customer may have turned the meter upside down for part of the month, but we can’t prove it.” “The customer’s bill is substantially less over the past few months. It may be that they have bypassed the meter.”

Table 4 – Tamper Detection Problems TWACS Can Solve

The TWACS system can detect meter tampering. Customers who PIRATE

electricity generally do so by either: disconnecting the meter for a period of time, or by turning the meter to run in reverse. Both of these actions are illegal but can be difficult to prove without the TWACS system. TWACS transponders report three items that can indicate tampering:

• No pulses in 24 hours • Reverse rotation • Blink count

No Pulses in 24 Hours

This indicator identifies if the meter has not recorded energy use in a 24-hour period. In the case of this indicator, the TWACS system allows the utility to track nuisance NO PULSE indications from barns, light poles, vacation homes, etc., by documenting special fields that allow you to identify customers for whom a no pulse would be normal. Reverse Rotation

This indicator identifies if the meter has run in reverse. A customer may reverse the feeds on the meter causing the meter to run in the opposite direction, thus reducing the customer’s usage and bill. The TWACS transponders on the meter can detect this condition, report the theft attempt, and bill for the pulses in the reverse direction.

Tamper and Theft

Forms of Energy Theft

Meter Tamper 3 main detection points

No Pulse The TWACS system can help you remotely determine if it is normal for this customer to have a No Pulse or possible tampering

Reverse Rotation If tamper found can bill for pulses in reverse



Blink Count

When the meter loses power, the transponder in the meter tracks the outage through the BLINK COUNT. If a customer is intermittently bypassing the power throughout the billing cycle to avoid detection, the TWACS system records the blink count and provides an indication of what is happening.

S E R V I C E R E L I A B I L I T Y / O U T A G E C O U N T M O N I T O R I N G

The TWACS system enables the utility to detect outage counts and collect availability information in real-time, thus helping to isolate trouble and avert more major failures. Here are a few examples of customer problems that might occur:

Problems: “The customer says they are getting frequent power flickers. Can we isolate if it’s a customer problem or utility problem?” “We’ve had a customer call every couple of days about light flickers, but we haven’t been able to isolate the trouble. We need more information about the scope of the problem.” “The customer said their power was out. We dispatched a technician only to find out that it was the customer’s problem.” “Can we tell if all our customers are back in service after the outage?” “Our lost energy average runs too high.” “We lost another transformer to overload. We need to monitor these more closely.” “Our distribution path data is way off. We continue to make mistakes in our judgment.”

Table 5 - Outage Problems TWACS Can Solve

Blink Count Indications of Future Problems

Outage monitoring can be done through the use of the TWACS blink count tracking. Intermittent problems in service can be very difficult to troubleshoot and can be a sign of more major problems to come.

Blink Count TWACS records outages in the meter to help determine if customer is attempting to reduce bill by disconnecting power

Monitor Service Real-time monitoring for isolation of major failures

Problems Resolved by Monitoring Service Real-time

Blink Count As a warning for future failures



As an example, equipment intermittently failing or tree limbs brushing against power lines may cause a temporary power failure that the customer sees as a blink in their electricity. The customer may not report a minor outage such as this. The TWACS system will see these blinks and track them as part of its blink count. Since the meter reports the blink count, the focus on the problem is narrowed to the locations that share the problem. This forewarning might be used to summon tree service personnel focusing on specific neighborhoods and customer locations for trouble, hence narrowing the focus of where major trouble is likely to show. Using this blink count feature of the TWACS system effectively has the potential to save the utility major expenses associated with line repair, not to mention the potential of saving the life of an unfortunate person who could be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time if a power line falls due to the weight of a tree limb.

False Dispatch: Customer Problem

Outages reported by a customer often result in dispatching service personnel to the location of the outage. If the problem is the customer’s, the manpower of a truck roll is wasted. With the TWACS system, while the customer is on the line, the CSR can do a quick test on the line to see if the meter responds. If the meter responds, then the problem is beyond the meter and hence is the customer’s problem. There is no need to dispatch a technician to the site to ensure it is not the utility’s problem.

Are All the Customers Back Up?

After a major system outage, TWACS can be used to validate which customers are back online and which ones still have residual problems. This can save valuable time for the technician that is still in the area when they find out that three homes in the neighborhood are still without power. Figure 6 - Outage Map

Example Blink Count Warning

Real-time Line Test Can save a truck roll

Restored Service Rapid location of restored and non-restored power for better allocation of truck rolls



MTU OMU

MTU OMU

Area Network120/208V

SpotNetwork277/480V

D

D

D

D

D

D

Normally Closed

12.47kV

12.47kVD

D

Radial Circuit

Radial Circuit

LTN1LTN2

LTN3LTN3LTN4, ...

RAD1

RAD2, ...

Where Did the Power Go?

When utility companies purchase power from upstream sources, the difference between the amount of power they purchase minus the amount of power they sell represents the amount of power lost. While a certain amount of power loss is a normal part of distributing power, excessive amounts can cause unnecessary revenue loss. Excessive loss amounts can come from a variety of sources including equipment failure and customer theft. Using the TWACS system, a very accurate estimate of loss can be calculated at various levels, allowing the utility to focus efforts on when the power is lost and where the lost power is going. One utility was able to cut lost power from seven to three percent after deploying and using the TWACS system.

How is the Transformer Load?

Often times, utilities find out about overloaded transformers when the transformers blow and have to be replaced. Using the TWACS system, customer demand can be monitored so that when utilization exceeds certain thresholds, distribution problems can be handled in a more graceful manner.

Getting Path Maps Straight

Utility path maps and actual distribution facility configurations do not always match. Keeping these two elements in synchronization is particularly challenging when cabling is underground and out of visibility. Using the TWACS system, the utility can validate and correct path maps to avoid costly mistakes. For example, a

neighborhood that is documented on the wrong phase can have problems if they are redirected to another distribution path and consumption estimates are exceeded. Using the TWACS system, the utility can improve the accuracy of maps to avoid these types of mistakes.

Figure 7 - Path Map Illustration

Tracking Lost Power

Avoid Transformer Overload

Improved Accuracy of Path Maps



B I L L I N G E N H A N C E M E N T S

The TWACS system information can be used for a number of benefits relating to billing and other customer service related issues. Since it is easy and inexpensive to collect usage information down to the day, hour or 15-minute increment, the utility can enhance the way it interacts with customers relating to billing. Here are some examples of customer situations in which the TWACS system might be useful:

Problems: “Our customer wants a consolidated bill for 5 sites. We can’t provide one bill with the same interval, and we’re having to hold up billing while we queue the reads that come in.” “I get my Social Security check on the 5th. Can you bill me on the 6th so I’m sure to have enough money to cover the bill?” “Can you monitor the power at our vacation home so our pipes don’t freeze?” “We have implemented budget billing, but to save money, we only read annually. Now we have no idea how much lost power we have.” “We need to reflect in our customer’s billing our actual cost. That cost goes up if we need to go to outside resources during peak times, and our customer bills need to reflect this increased cost.”

Table 6 - Billing Problems TWACS Can Solve

Consolidated Billing

The TWACS system makes consolidated billing very easy. Since reads are generally done at least every day, a customer’s billing cycle does not need to be related to the geographical location of the customer. A customer with five different locations spread across the metropolitan area can have a consolidated bill for all the sites with minimal effort on the part of the utility.

Billing Focused on the needs of the utility and customer

Billing Problems The TWACS System resolves

One Bill For all of the customer’s locations



Specific Day of Month Billing

For many people, living from paycheck to paycheck is a reality, particularly for those living on fixed incomes. Some customers want to prioritize certain bills so they are paid as soon as they receive their paycheck. The TWACS system allows you to set up the billing cycles to meet the needs of the end customer. This ultimately means a more consistent revenue stream and less cost for the utility when they do not have to worry about funds availability with the customer.

Vacation Home Monitoring

People who own vacation homes that they visit infrequently or seasonally may need help monitoring the availability of electricity. If electricity is disrupted, there is the potential for bad things to happen like frozen water pipes or lost food in the freezer. Using the TWACS system, utilities can set up paid services in which they monitor the availability and use of electricity proactively at a customer’s vacation home to avoid such problems.

Budget Billing Causes Lost Energy Tracking Problem

When budget billing is implemented, there is temptation to save cost by reducing meter reads to a minimum annual reading. Reducing meter reads to once annually makes it difficult to track lost energy. With the TWACS system, you can implement budget billing and still maintain the daily or hourly reads needed for tracking lost energy without incurring additional cost.

Time of Use Billing

It is the law of supply and demand when a utility has to pay a premium for energy from sources like energy brokers during peak times. The result is higher energy costs during the peaks. At certain times of the day, energy demand and energy costs peak. Many utilities want customer billing to reflect this additional cost. Prior to the TWACS system, TIME OF USE

(TOU) billing required special meters and a lot of hassle. With TWACS, hourly billing can be enabled quickly and simply without additional cost simply by configuring the TWACS system and the meters for hourly billing cycles.

Increased Consistent Revenue Stream

Vacation Home Monitoring to avoid disaster can be an additional revenue stream

Budget Bill Without losing the ability to track lost energy

Time of Use Balance the cost of energy at peak times by billing customer with appropriate rates during peak times



C R O S S - U T I L I T Y C O O P E R A T I V E W O R K

The TWACS system enables the utility to interact with other meters on the customer’s premise. The electrical system provides an ideal path for flow of two-way information (unlike gas and water paths). The utility can use the communications path enabled by the TWACS system to read not only electric meters, but water and gas meters as well. This function may solve problems from several different perspectives:

Problems: “The water co-op has asked us if we can help them automate their meter reading process.” “The board is pressing us for revenue growth, so we are approaching the gas company to use automation of their meter reading as a source of revenue.”

Table 7 - Cross-Utility Problems TWACS Can Solve

Properly equipped electric meters, such as the meter pictured in Figure 8, Schlumberger Centron RF, have inputs for water and gas meters. The TWACS system can read all three meters automatically.

Figure 8 - Schlumberger Centron RF

Read All Meters Electricity Gas and Water

Problems Resolved By TWACS and cross-utility work

Read 3 Meters from 1 Meter



The TWACS System Applications Review

• The TWACS system provides extensive AMR capabilities for monthly, daily, hourly or shorter interval reads of KWH, consumption, demand, and other important meter information.

• The TWACS system provides shedding capabilities through extensive load control support.

• The TWACS system improves customer responsiveness by enabling automatic service disconnect and connect.

• The TWACS system reduces theft potential by tracking no pulses, reverse rotations, and blink counts.

• The TWACS system enables service reliability enhancements such as tracking of blink count indications, elimination of false dispatch for service outage, service monitoring, and power loss monitoring.

• The TWACS system enables new billing enhancements such as consolidated billing, specific day or month billing, vacation home monitoring, budget billing without lost energy, and time of use billing.

• The TWACS system enables a profit center for cross-utility cooperation in that it can read electric meters and other meters such as gas and water.

The TWACS System Applications Practice

1. What three items can the TWACS system track to help prevent energy theft?

2. What capability of AMR enables utility companies to adjust a

customer’s billing date?

3. What AMR function of the TWACS system enables a utility to help a customer estimate the impact of changing hours of operation?

4. What type of read helps utilities that may have a tariff component for peak demand?

5. What type of read helps utility customer service representatives

deal with problems while customers are on the telephone? 6. What function of the TWACS system helps make life safer for

utility employees by eliminating the need for employees to go to customer sites when bills are not paid?





The TWACS System Applications Practice Answers

1. What three items can the TWACS system track to help prevent energy theft? No pulses in 24 hours, reverse rotations, and blink count.

2. What capability of AMR enables utility companies to adjust a

customer’s billing date? AMR

3. What AMR function of the TWACS system enables a utility to help a customer estimate the impact of changing hours of operation? Hourly Reads

4. What type of read helps utilities that may have a tariff component for peak demand? Demand Reads

5. What type of read helps utility customer service representatives

deal with problems while customers are on the telephone? On-Request Reads

6. What function of the TWACS system helps make life safer for

utility employees by eliminating the need for employees to go to customer sites when bills are not paid? Service Disconnect/Connect




TWACS User Roles

Module Introduction

Specific roles exist for users when interacting with the TWACS system. This module explains the common roles defined for participants using the TWACS system. The TWACS system revolutionizes the way a utility can conduct business. To take full advantage of the TWACS system, the utility must understand who will need to use information from the TWACS system, who will use which capabilities within the TWACS system, and in what capacity.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

The information in this module is useful when the participant is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. The participant can develop a general idea of what roles will be performed by participants at the utility. Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:

TNS OPERATOR TWACS PROJECT MANAGER


Intro Roles of TWACS System Users


Useful Preparing to work with the TWACS system





• TNS Operator • TWACS Project Manager • Customer Service Representative/Manager • Billing Personnel • Substation and Transmission Engineer • Meter Technician • Customer Engineer

Module Objectives

• Develop an understanding of who in the utility should use the TWACS system

• Develop an understanding of who would use the TWACS system for which functions and applications

• Develop an understanding of the functional roles of the following participants:

• TNS Operator, • TWACS Project Manager, • Customer Service Representative/Manager, • Billing Personnel, • Substation and Transmission Engineer, • Meter Technician, and • Customer Engineer.





T N S O P E R A T O R

The TNS OPERATOR is a new role at the utility with the installation of the TWACS system. TWACS Net Server (TNS) is the computer system that controls aspects and interacts with components of the TWACS system. Although it is a new role, it is common that an existing utility employee will add the role of TNS Operator to their existing list of responsibilities. The TNS Operator is the person who has the most comprehensive knowledge of the TNS system and should be the focal point of responsibility for the TNS system. The TNS Operator is responsible for a number of critical system functions including but not limited to: • Entering information into TNS about substation equipment • Entering meters into the database • Configuring meter addresses • Setting up Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) • Using the system for enhanced functionality • Ensuring that TNS information is backed up

T W A C S P R O J E C T M A N A G E R

The TWACS PROJECT MANAGER (PM) is a new role at the utility that comes with the decision to deploy the TWACS system. The TWACS PM is responsible for successful deployment of the entire TWACS system. The TWACS PM must have a good understanding of the overall capabilities of the TWACS system and the goals of the utility in their deployment of the TWACS system. The TWACS PM must develop an understanding of many aspects of the TWACS system including, but not limited to: • What the TWACS system enables the utility to do • What the utility would like for the TWACS system to do • Meter capabilities • Read functions and their uses • Regulatory issues the utility may be facing • Billing capabilities the utility possesses or would like to possess • What customers want the utility to do for them • What the utility would like to do for its customers

TWACS Project Manager Manages the TWACS system implementation/ co-ordination of maintainace and upgrades, or, may be, a temporary position assigned for the duration of the TWACS installation.

TNS Operator A new role at the utility performing the following functions…



Although the TWACS PM is a new role introduced by the deployment of the TWACS system, the role of TWACS PM may be added to the functional responsibilities of an existing employee or it may be contracted out to a third party. In either case, the TWACS PM will work closely with DCSI personnel to develop an understanding of how the TWACS system should be deployed to meet the goals of the utility.

C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E R E P R E S E N T A T I V E / M A N A G E R

The Customer Service Representative (CSR) and the CSR Manager are existing utility employees who interact with customers on issues relating to the customer’s electric service. The CSR interfaces with the TNS system within the TWACS system for various functions including: • Immediate service disconnects/connects • On-request meter reads for customer billing complaints • Meter read history review • Read functions and their uses • Review of outage counts • Review of daily or hourly usage reports of customer energy use • Interaction with Load Control elements to tailor use to customer need • Interaction with the TWACS system to test voltage if a customer has

problems with power that cause dimming lights or other problems

B I L L I N G P E R S O N N E L

Billing personnel are existing utility employees responsible for billing customers for energy use. Billing personnel use the TWACS system through TNS relating to the following functions: • Collection of export files detailing customer use and input into existing

Customer Information Systems • Validation of billing data • Establishment of appropriate rate classes (in conjunction with the TNS

Operator) • Service disconnect for bad credit (in conjunction with CSRs) • Fraud and theft protection

Customer Service Existing roles at the utility able to perform the following functions with the TWACS system…

Billing Personnel Existing roles at the utility able to perform the following functions with the TWACS system…



S U B S T A T I O N A N D T R A N S M I S S I O N E N G I N E E R

The Substation and Transmission (S&T) Engineer is an existing utility employee that deals with the infrastructure that delivers power to the customer. An S&T Engineer might have the following responsibilities relating to the TWACS system: • Design of substation components for the TWACS system • Support of TWACS substation system components • Validation that the TNS system configuration mirrors the equipment

and configuration of the substation (with the TNS Operator) • Use of outage reports for indications of major problems • Support of Load Control applications for load shedding advantages • Review of consumption reports for short-term load estimates • Validation that Alternate Paths account for distribution changes (with

TNS Operator) • Use of testing tools for voltage validation

M E T E R T E C H N I C I A N

The Meter Technician is an existing utility employee that deals with installation and support of meters. The Meter Technician would interact with TWACS system components at the customer site for various functions including, but not limited to: • Determining meter configurations by working with the TNS PM and

the TNS Operator • Installing, configuring and supporting meters to support the utility’s

goals for the TWACS system • Determining device location identifiers to help the TNS Operator sift

through faulty tamper indicators • Determining load control unit configuration by working with TNS PM,

TNS Operator, and S&T Engineer • Installing, configuring, and supporting load control units to support the

utility’s goals for the TWACS system • Working with TNS Operator and Billing personnel to resolve energy

theft issues • Reviewing TNS quality of signal indicators that indicate meter

problems • Reviewing TNS outage reports that indicate service problems • Use of testing tools for voltage validation

Substation and Transmission Engineer Existing roles at the utility able to perform the following functions with the TWACS system…

Meter Technician Existing roles at the utility able to perform the following functions with the TWACS system…



C U S T O M E R E N G I N E E R

The Customer Engineer is a person who interfaces with predominantly large customers on issues relating to their service requirements. The Customer Engineer may or may not be a new role for the utility. The Customer Engineer must be fluent with capabilities provided by the TWACS system to perform the following functions: • Discussing with customers capabilities the utility can provide through

the use of the TWACS system • Producing/reviewing utilization reports for customers from TNS • Performing custom reads for customers in TNS • Use of testing tools for voltage validation

Customer Engineer Existing roles at the utility able to perform the following functions with the TWACS system…



TWACS User Roles Review

There are several functional positions in a utility relating to the TWACS system including:

TNS Operator Responsible for operating the TNS system in TWACS

TWACS Project Manager

Responsible for deploying the TWACS system at a utility

Customer Service Representative/Manager

Responsible for interfacing with the customer on service issues and gathering customer related information from the TWACS system

Billing Personnel Responsible for getting read information from the TWACS system for billing purposes

S&T Engineer Responsible for TWACS design, configuration, support, and operation at a substation level

Meter Technician Responsible for TWACS meter configuration, support, and operation

Customer Engineer Responsible for support of utility’s large customers and gathering information from the TWACS system relevant to those large customers

TWACS User Roles Practice

1. What role would be responsible for getting TWACS billing data into the billing system for a utility?

2. What role might be responsible for configuring meters?

3. What role is responsible for design and support of the TWACS

substation equipment?

4. What role is responsible for backup and configuration of TNS?


Practice Let’s take a minute to practice what we havecovered in this section:



TWACS User Roles Practice Answers

1. What role would be responsible for getting TWACS billing data into the billing system for a utility? Billing Personnel

2. What role might be responsible for configuring meters? Meter Technician

3. What role is responsible for design and support of the TWACS substation equipment? S&T Engineer

4. What role is responsible for backup and billing read monitoring for TNS? TNS Operator




Chapter Review

• The TWACS system has a long history of helping customers automate meter activity.

• The TWACS system enables utilities to change and improve the way they do business.

• The TWACS system enables a host of new functions a utility can perform including AMR, load control, automated service disconnect/connect, tamper detection, service monitoring, enhanced billing, and cross-utility meter reading.

• The TWACS system use involves interaction from a number of utility employees including the TNS Operator, TWACS Project Manager, Customer Service Representative, Billing Personnel, Substation & Transmission Engineers, Meter Technicians, and Customer Engineers.

Chapter Review The main points of this chapter…



Chapter Practice

1. What are two new roles the utility may have when deploying the TWACS system?

2. True/False TWACS system is a new system that revolutionizes the

way a utility does business.

3. What types of reads can the TWACS system provide a utility to assist in customer service issues?

4. What function enabled by the TWACS system enables a utility to shed load when utilization reaches critical levels?

5. What function enabled by the TWACS system keeps employees safe from disgruntled customers that don’t pay their bills.

6. What three things can the TWACS system detect that help a utility

identify energy theft?

7. Which of the following billing functions is not enhanced by the TWACS system?

a. Consolidated billing b. Specific day of month billing c. Time of use billing d. Budget billing e. E-commerce with large customers

8. Which of the following new potential revenue opportunities is not enabled by the TWACS system?

a. Cross-utility meter reads (gas/water company) b. Cross-utility billing (gas/water company) c. Vacation home monitoring d. Meter cleaning

Chapter Practice Let’s take a minute to practice what we have covered in this chapter:



Chapter Practice Answers

1. What are two new roles the utility may have when deploying the TWACS system? TNS Operator and TWACS Project Manager

2. True/False TWACS is a new system that revolutionizes the way a

utility does business. False. TWACS has been around since the late 1970s.

3. What types of reads can the TWACS system provide a utility to assist in customer service issues? AMR, Hourly, On-Request, and Daily Shift

4. What function enabled by the TWACS system enables a utility to shed load when utilization reaches critical levels? Load Control

5. What function enabled by the TWACS system keeps employees safe from disgruntled customers that don’t pay their bills. Service Disconnect/Connect

6. What three things can the TWACS system detect that help a utility

identify energy theft? No pulses in 24 hours, reverse rotation, blink count

7. Which of the following billing functions is not enhanced by the

TWACS system? a. Consolidated billing b. Specific day of month billing c. Time of use billing d. Budget billing e. E-commerce with large customers

8. Which of the following new potential revenue opportunities is not enabled by the TWACS system?

a. Cross-utility meter reads (gas/water company) b. Cross-utility billing (gas/water company) c. Vacation home monitoring d. Meter cleaning

Chapter Practice Answers Review answers and ask for questions



Version Record Item Record Product Reference B Cha 1 Introduction to TWACS Current Version 3.2 Date Issued 11/11/03 Owner Steve Seyer

Change History Date Version Summary of Changes 8/6/03 0.1 First informal reviewed version created 7/22-7/24 8/7/03 0.2 Kellee’s update 8/8/03 0.3 Update per Kellee’s changes 8/8/03 1.0 Passed to DCSI for review 8/29/03 1.1 John’s, Steve’s and Rick’s updates applied 9/3/03 1.2 Kellee’s review for AMRA Sample 9/17/03 2.0 Jason’s updates applied 10/23/03 2.1 Review questions added, instructor notes added 10/27/03 2.2 Kellee applied formatting, additional instructor notes, protocol issues, vocab clean up, style

clean up to ready for Sandy’s review 10/29/03 2.3 Sandy’s review 10/30/03 3.0 Kellee updated with Sandy’s Changes 11/11/03 3.2 Sandy’s updates applied Approval Date Version Name Signature

Chapter 2: TWACS System Design TWACS Basics


TWACS System Design


The Two-Way Automatic Communication System (TWACS) enables electric utility companies to perform enhanced functions and gather information not previously available to the utility. Through the TWACS system, electric utilities can revolutionize the way the utilities do business. As an electric utility begins the process of evaluating or implementing the TWACS system, it is important for those involved with the use and implementation of the system to develop a general idea of how the TWACS system is structured. The general areas of understanding covered in this chapter include:

• Knowledge of components involved in the TWACS system • Understanding how the TWACS system integrates with existing

electrical system elements • Knowing what changes utilities must make to equipment,

configuration, and procedure to deploy the TWACS system This chapter gives the participant a general overview of the TWACS component levels, what is included in the component level, and how these components fit in the overall scheme of the electrical system. Utility personnel who will benefit from the information in this chapter include:


TNS Operators


Customer Service Representatives/ Managers

Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers



Intro This chapter is an overview of the TWACS system component levels.

Relationship How the TWACS system component levels fit into the electrical system.




Information in this chapter is useful to develop a base-level understanding of TWACS structure and to prepare the participant to deploy and/or use the TWACS system. A base-level understanding of TWACS structure helps enhance the participant’s perspective as new TWACS system information is introduced throughout this and other TWACS system training courses.


TNS CRU OMU

MTU IPU FIXED SYSTEM

RCE METERS TRANSPONDER

METER NUMBER SERIAL NUMBER COMMERCIAL METER

RESIDENTIAL METER

THREE PHASE METER SINGLE PHASE METER

SOLID STATE SINGLE PORT MULTIPORT

DAILY READ HOURLY READ INTERVAL READ

FREEZE READ CONSUMPTION KWH

LCT SERVICE DISCONNECT/CONNECT MODULE

INTER-BASE COLLAR

BUS FEEDER PRIMARY

SECONDARY SCE TNS MASTER STATION

COMMAND RESPONSE ZERO CROSSING POINT

ORACLE DATABASE SERVER

TNS APPLICATION SERVER

COMMUNICATION SERVER

DIALUP COMMUNICATIONS

DEDICATED COMMUNICATIONS


• TWACS System Overview • TWACS Level 3 Components • Substation Electrical System Elements • TWACS Level 2 Components • TWACS Level 1 Components and Communication






Chapter Objectives


• Explain how the TWACS system interfaces with existing electrical system components.

• Name the changes required to implement the TWACS system. • Describe TWACS Level 1, 2, and 3 system components. • List TWACS communications options.




TWACS System Overview

Module Introduction

This module discusses the levels of components defined in the TWACS system. Three levels define the TWACS system at the:

• customer location, • substation equipment, and • base system at a utility company central office.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

The information in this module is useful when the participant is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. This module provides a high-level understanding of:

• what the TWACS system is, • what the TWACS system does, • and how the TWACS system fits in the overall scheme of utility

company systems. Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:

TNS CRU OMU

MTU IPU FIXED SYSTEM


• TWACS Levels Overview


Intro Setting the stage for following Mods by giving an overview of the TWACS system Level 1-3 structure


Useful Getting started with the TWACS system





Module Objectives

• Develop an understanding of the three Levels of TWACS elements.

T W A C S L E V E L S O V E R V I E W

There are three levels of TWACS components. Level 1 Central Control Equipment (CCE) includes computer and related components installed at the utility central office. These components include the TWACS NET SERVER (TNS), and communications equipment connecting the TNS system with Level 2 components. Level 2 Substation Communications Equipment (SCE) includes equipment found at the substation. Level 2 components interface the TWACS system with the electrical system to enable outbound and inbound communications across the existing electrical system infrastructure. The main components include the CONTROL AND RECEIVING UNIT (CRU), the OUTBOUND MODULATION UNIT (OMU) the MODULATION TRANSFORMER UNIT (MTU) and the INBOUND PICKUP UNIT (IPU).

Figure 1 – TWACS Level 1 Components



3 Level Overview try not to go into detail giving only a big picture of the 3 levels, more detail follows in the next Mods

Level 1 Overview Server(s) and Comm equipment

Level 2 Overview Substation: CRU, OMU, MTU, IPU



Level 3 Remote Communications Equipment (RCE) includes equipment found at the customer’s premise. Level 3 components include meters and other equipment designed to provide information about the services provided by the electric utility and allow the utility control of those services. The TWACS system is a FIXED SYSTEM because it uses existing infrastructure components to distribute electricity to automate communications with meters. In the case of the TWACS system, the communications infrastructure is in part composed of the electrical system infrastructure the utility already has in place.

Fixed System The alternative to a fixed system is a mobile system. In a mobile system, the meter reader carries a device that is used to track meter reads. Mobile systems do not replace the need for a human to visit each meter


Level 3 Overview Customers Site: Meters

Cost Savings The fact that TWACS uses the existing infrastructure provides a major cost savings when compared with alternative approaches like those that use cell services. Hourly readings with the TWACS system do not incur any more cost than reading once a month. For competing products like Cellnet, the more the utility reads, the more cost incurred since cell services are billed based on data transmitted.



TWACS System Overview Review

• The TWACS system components are divided into three major categories, the meter (RCE), the substation (SCE) and TNS.

• The TWACS system is a fixed system that uses the existing electrical system infrastructure as opposed to a handheld device.

TWACS System Overview Practice

1. The TWACS system can cost the same to operate if the utility reads every meter once a month or each hour. Why?

a. The TWACS system uses the utility’s existing electrical system for communication, hence there are no communication costs for communications from each meter.

b. The TWACS system uses free out-of-bandwidth cell service for transmission of information from the meters.

2. What are the acronyms for the three levels of the TWACS system?

3. What are the four major components of the SCE?

4. What is the major component of the CCE?





TWACS System Overview Practice Answers

1. The TWACS system can cost the same to operate if the utility reads once a month or every meter each hour. Why?

a. The TWACS system uses the utility’s existing electrical system for communication, hence there are no communication costs for communications from each meter.

b. The TWACS system uses free out-of-bandwidth cell service for transmission of information from the meters.

2. What are the acronyms for the three levels of the TWACS system?

RCE, SCE, CCE

3. What are the four major components of the SCE? CRU, OMU, MTU, IPU

4. What is the major component of the CCE? TNS




TWACS Level 3 Components

Module Introduction

There are three levels of TWACS components. Level 3 of TWACS is the remote communications equipment (RCE) found at the customer’s premise.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

The information in this module is useful when the participant is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. Participants who work with the TWACS system directly or indirectly will develop a more comprehensive understanding of what and how the TWACS system gathers information from the customer site. This section looks at the devices collecting information and responding to commands sent from the TWACS system. Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:

RCE METERS TRANSPONDER

METER NUMBER SERIAL NUMBER COMMERCIAL METER

RESIDENTIAL METER THREE PHASE METER SINGLE PHASE METER

SOLID STATE SINGLE PORT MULTIPORT

DAILY READ HOURLY READ INTERVAL READ

FREEZE READ CONSUMPTION KWH

LCT SERVICE DISCONNECT/CONNECT MODULE

INTER-BASE COLLAR


Intro Components at the customer’s site, or Level 3 of the TWACS system







• Remote Communications Equipment

Module Objectives

• Develop an understanding of TWACS Level 3 Components • Differentiate between a transponder and a meter • Define options for remote communications equipment • Build an understanding of meter serial numbers and their

relevance to the TWACS system • Differentiate between commercial and residential meters • Gain an understanding of load control transponders • Develop an understanding of disconnect/connect modules

R E M O T E C O M M U N I C A T I O N E Q U I P M E N T ( R C E )

The TWACS system includes components on the customer’s premise that allow the utility to gather information and perform activities relating to the customer’s electrical service. The generic term for customer premise devices is REMOTE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT (RCE). The most common RCEs are meters and Load Control Transponders.

Meter versus Transponder

Electric companies have used METERS for generations to track electricity usage. Utilities can equip a meter with a TRANSPONDER that reads the meter and relays information back to a central collection resource. DCSI manufactures transponders that attach to or integrate with a variety of meters. The meter in Figure 5, Meter with Transponder, is a traditional electro-mechanical meter with a transponder integrated within the lower half of the meter.

Figure 5 – Meter with Transponder

Figure 4 – Remote Communications Equipment



Starting with Meters We start with the meter because all participants know about meters and it keeps them in their comfort zone. Understanding the difference between meters and transponders and how the aspects of each determine what and how TWACS can communicate is paramount for the participants.

Meter Manufacture While DCSI manufactures the transponder, several companies manufacture meters such as GE/GEC, ABB/ Westinghouse and Schlumberger.



Think of the transponder as the brains of the meter. When using the TWACS system, the term meter refers to the combination of meter and transponder. Meters, Meter Numbers, and Serial Numbers

A meter manufacturer assigns a METER NUMBER to each meter it produces. Utilities key in the meter number into their billing system. The meter number is different from the SERIAL NUMBER of the TWACS transponder. DCSI assigns a unique serial number to each TWACS transponder it manufactures. A utility may track both the meter number and serial number in the customer billing system and in TNS. The utility may choose to replace the meter number with the TWACS serial number. In a TWACS deployment, the utility must populate the TWACS serial number field, and the meter number is optional. The TWACS system uses the serial numbers to communicate with the meter. The following is an example of the serial number and meter number assignments for the S4 meter pictured in Figure 6, Meter Number versus Serial Number.

Component name Meter/Serial # Manufacturer assigning #

Siemens S4 Meter Meter# 84 642 886 Siemens CMT-S4 Transponder Serial# 5859549 DCSI

Figure 6 – Meter Number versus Serial Number

Table 1 – Meter Number versus Serial Number

Meter/Serial Numbers Some utilities replace the billing system meter number with the TWACS serial number. The Utility can order the transponder with and without the meter manufacturer’s faceplate. If the meter manufacturer’s faceplate is retained, then the TWACS serial number is placed on a sticker on the lower part of the unit.



Commercial versus Residential Meters

Meters come in a variety of types and models, but the most general categories are COMMERCIAL METER and RESIDENTIAL METER. Since businesses generally consume much more energy than residences, commercial meters accommodate higher amounts of energy. We consider commercial meters THREE PHASE METERS allowing all three phases of energy to flow into a business. The phases are called Phase A, B and C. Since residences typically consume less power than businesses, residences receive a lesser-powered connection to the electrical system. Hence, residential meters are considered SINGLE PHASE METERS allowing only a single phase of energy to flow into the residence. Any available phase may service a residence. It is common to distribute residences across phases for load balancing. Utilities may use meters classified as residential for small business. Mechanical versus Solid State or Digital

Like our music and our watches, our electric meters evolved from mechanical (or analog) to digital. With mechanical meters, a technician will bolt the TWACS transponder to the mechanical meter, and the transponder reads a black mark on the bottom of the spinning disk. With digital meters, the TWACS transponder is a circuit board the meter manufacturer includes with the digital meter. It is common to refer to digital meters as SOLID STATE.

Single Port versus Multiport

Another way to categorize meters is with the number of ports the meter has for inputs. A SINGLE PORT meter can only track electricity use. A MULTIPORT meter has inputs for gas and water meter inputs. Note the meter displayed in Figure 7, Multiport Meter, has an extra set of inputs on the front panel for the water and gas meter plug-ins. Figure 7 – Multiport Meter

Commercial vs. Residential Meters The difference between commercial meters and residential meters is grayed a bit as we later discuss TNS issues relating to meter communications. Some commercial customers use single-phase meters, but the details get more complex than this. Don’t get into a big technical discussion about this. Again, broad-brush the strokes at this stage.

Ports Single = electricity only Multiport = electricity, gas, and water

Mechanical or Digital Mechanical meters = bolted on transponder Digital meters = transponder is internal circuit board



Read Frequencies

Another way to categorize meters is by the frequency of the reads the utility performs on them. Meter read frequency categories include DAILY, HOURLY, or INTERVAL. With daily reads, the utility will program the TWACS system to collect the meter information every day. The meter marks a daily FREEZE READ at midnight and the utility has until midnight the next day to read the meter before the next day’s read replaces the previous read. With hourly reads, the utility reads the meters three times per day and collects the information stored in the meter’s registers for the previous eight hours. Some meters are capable of more frequent reads. Commercial customers may want to see detail of electricity usage broken down into 15 or 30-minute intervals. For this level of detail, the customer needs a meter capable of interval usage tracking.

If the utility wants readings every:

then you read: or every x hours:

Day 1 time per day 24 hours Hour 3 times per day 8 hours 30 minutes 6 times per day 4 hours 15 minutes 12 times per day 2 hours

Read Types: Consumption versus Kilowatt Hours

The TWACS system categorizes read types into two groups, CONSUMPTION and KILOWATT HOUR (KWH). A consumption reading tells The TWACS system how much energy the customers used in a given interval. Meters track intervals in hour, 30-minute, and 15-minute increments. A kilowatt-hour reading tells the TWACS system what the meter dial settings are at particular moments in time. The type of read requested determines the information received.

Read Types The participants will have gray areas later when it comes to meter read types. Develop a clear understanding of terms. KWH reading = meter tech sees on the front of the dials. Consumption reading = how much energy used during a period of time measured in KWH. Establish a general terminology that KWH = front dials on the meter. Remember most meters report pulses of dial rotations. This gets converted to consumption or KWH readings in the TWACS system.

Reading Meters Remember, the more times you read, the more information the utility has to manage. Hourly and Interval reads may be appropriate for select customers and not the entire population.

Table 2 – Read Types by Time



If a utility is collecting interval data, then utility personnel will issue reads for consumption data. If a utility is collecting a monthly read for billing, then utility personnel will issue a read for KWH from the meter telling the utility what is on the meter dial. Figure 8 and Table 3, Sample KWH Readings from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., show the KWH readings from a meter at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. at 24730 and 24736 kilowatt hours respectively. The consumption reading for the hour between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. is the difference between the two readings or six-kilowatt hours. The following picture and table detail the KWH and hourly consumption readings for a three-hour period.

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Time KWH Hourly Consumption KWH 8:00am 24730 N/A 9:00am 24736 6 10:00am 24739 3 11:00am 24744 5

Table 3 – Sample KWH Readings from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Figure 8 – Sample KWH Readings from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00

KWH and Consumption Readings Focus on ensuring the participants understand what the difference is between KWH and consumption. Once you have explained ask participant to recap as a way to make sure there are no remaining questions or confusion.



Figure 9 – Residential Meters

Common Meter Reference Page

The following, Table 4 Meter Aspects, lists aspects of commonly used meters.

Meter Name Use Phase Category Ports Freq. IMT-3 Residential Single Mechanical 1 Daily IMT-3H Residential Single Mechanical 1 Hourly IMT-3H-3Port Residential Single Mechanical 3 Hourly Altimus EMT-3A Residential Single Digital 1 Hourly Centron EMT-3C-SP Residential Single Digital 1 Hourly Centron EMT-3C-MP Residential Single Digital Multi Hourly CMT-S4 Commercial Three Digital 1 15,30,60 CMT-Vectron Commercial Three Digital 1 Hourly

IMT-3/3H

IMT-3H-3Port

CMT-S4

CMT Vectron

Altimus EMT-3A

Centron EMT-3C-SP/MP

Figure 8 – Commercial Meters

Meter Aspects This is a very basic chart generalizing capabilities. More detail is provided as we start to enter meter information and in the TWACS AMR class. If a participant needs more detail on meter aspects ask to talk with them at break. Table 4 – Meter Aspects

Note The Centron EMT-3C-MP lists multiple for ports. This meter uses RF signaling to talk to other meters, so this meter is not limited to 3 ports like the IMT-3H-3Port which has 3 physical ports. The Centron EMT-3C-MP is designed to support multiple meters in the area including meters on other residences.



LCT

Common Meter Vendor Reference Page

The following, Table 5 Transponder with Meter Make and Model, lists the DCSI transponder name and the meter make and model with which the transponder will operate.

DCSI Transponder Name Meter Make Meter Model IMT-3 IMT3H IMT3H-3Port IMT3H-SCD

ABB/Westinghouse GE Siemens/L&G Schlumberger

D4, D5, AB1 I70 MS, MX J4, J5

Altimus EMT-3A Siemens Altimus Centron EMT-3C-SP SchlumbergerSema Centron Centron EMT-3C-MP SchlumbergerSema Centron CMT-S4 Landis+Gyr S4 CMT-Vectron SchlumbergerSema Vectron

Load Control Transponders

A LOAD CONTROL

TRANSPONDER (LCT) is remote communications equipment that helps avoid brownouts by diverting load. LCTs allow the utility to turn off components like central air conditioning units, electric water heaters, pool heaters, heat pumps, pool pumps, baseboard heaters, and other equipment remotely. Typically the utilities shed load during peak times of the day for selected components and at intervals designed to minimally impact the customer. LCTs provide the utility independent control of each component attached.

In some cases, the meter has LCT capabilities built into the meter. For example, the Altimus EMT-3A has an optional load control feature.

Altimus (EMT-3A)

Figure 11 – LCT Used with Water Heater

Figure 10 – Load Control Transponder

Figure 12 – Altimus Meter with LCT

Load Control Example Florida Power and Light uses TWACS for Load Control. FP&L is able to shed 1.3 Gigawatts of power when needed during peak times. WOW!

Table 5– Transponder with Meter Make and Model

Transponders to Meters This is a very basic chart. If a participant needs more detail on meter aspects ask to talk with them at break.



Remote Service Disconnect/Connect Modules

The TWACS system components can interface with remote SERVICE DISCONNECT/CONNECT (SDC) MODULES, which are useful for a number of applications. The transponder connects to an INTER-BASE COLLAR

that performs the connect/ disconnect function. There are three primary applications for the disconnect/connect feature: • Revenue collection tool for problem accounts • Customer Service enhancement for seasonal and rental

customers • Improved efficiency for safe and convenient

connects/disconnects from the central office Currently, the IMT-3H SCD transponder supports an interface to the service disconnect/connect (SDC) inter-base collar. Future enhancements will enable capabilities for disconnect/connect on additional meters.

IMT Family of Meters Please impress on the participants that the IMT-3H SCD is a different transponder than the IMT-3 or IMT-3H. The IMT-3H SCD has the interface connection for the connect/ disconnect collar which is manufactured by BLP Components, Ltd. DCSI is making a new DCS switch that is covered in the TWACS Advanced Applications class.

Figure 13 – Meter and Inter-Base Collar

Disconnect/ Connect Inter-base collar allows remote on and off switch for electric powered components at customer’s site.

Uses of Disconnect/ Connect



TWACS Level 3 Components Review

• TWACS Remote Communications Equipment (RCE) represents the meters and transponders at the customer site.

• Serial numbers are TWACS transponder specific and assigned by DCSI. The meter manufacturer may assign meter numbers.

• Multiport meters may be used to read gas and water meters. • The more information the utility wants from a meter, the more

frequently the utility must read the meter. • KWH refers to the dial readings on the front of the meter. • Consumption is how much energy was used during a period of

time. • Load control transponders help with load shedding. • Remote service disconnect and connect requires a special switch

at the customer premise.




TWACS Level 3 Components Practice

1. Three phase meters are often categorized as what type of meter? a. Commercial b. Residential

2. The number assigned to a meter by Schlumberger is called what?

a. Meter number b. Serial number

3. The number assigned to a meter by DCSI is called what?


4. The reading of the dials on the front of the meter is called what?

5. If a utility wishes to perform hourly readings, how many times a day must the system retrieve readings from the meter?

6. True/False The TWACS system only works with mechanical meters?

7. The amount of energy used for a given interval is called what?

8. What meter provides interval readings of 15, 30, or 60 minutes?

9. Name a device used to provide remote service disconnect/connect.




TWACS Level 3 Components Practice Answers

1. Three phase meters are often categorized as what type of meter? a. Commercial b. Residential

2. The number assigned to a meter by Schlumberger is called what?


3. The number assigned to a meter by DCSI is called what?


4. The reading of the dials on the front of the meter is called what?

KWH

5. If a utility wishes to perform hourly readings, how many times a day must the system retrieve readings from the meter? 3

6. True/False The TWACS system only works with mechanical meters? False, transponders exist for mechanical and solid state meters

7. The amount of energy used for a given interval is called what?

Consumption

8. What meter provides interval readings of 15, 30, or 60 minutes? CMT-S4

9. Name a device used to provide remote service disconnect/connect.

Inter-base collar




Substation Electrical System Elements

Module Introduction

This module discusses the base-level electrical infrastructure components into which the TWACS system will integrate. Topics covered include basic terminology, function, and placement of the electrical system infrastructure elements, and changes made to accommodate the TWACS system. Before addressing TWACS Level 2 components at the substation, the basic substation infrastructure components to which the TWACS system interfaces will be covered.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

The information in this module is useful when the individual is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. Participants who work with TWACS directly or indirectly will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the components at the substation into which the TWACS system integrates. Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:

BUS FEEDER MTU

PRIMARY SECONDARY


• The Electrical System Bus and Feeder


Intro This module is a prelude to the TWACS substation components. This is designed to give the students a lay of substation. Keep it high level and very general.







Module Objectives

• Develop an understanding of a Bus • Build an understanding of a Feeder • Develop an understanding of an MTU and why it is relevant to

TWACS deployment

T H E E L E C T R I C A L S Y S T E M B U S A N D F E E D E R

Utilities have designed the existing electrical system to distribute power to customers located all over rural and metropolitan areas. Utilities distribute power through a network of substations. Ultimately, utilities draw power from a power source such as a nuclear power plant, hydropower from a dam, wind-power from a windmill farm, or a conventional power plant drawing power from burning coal or natural gas. Power plants ultimately feed geographically dispersed substations designed to service large areas of customer populations. At the substation, utilities distribute power to area customers from large substation transformers through the use of buses and feeders. This nugget focuses on the substation where the TWACS system integrates with the electrical system.

The Bus

A BUS is the major transmission facility that distributes power from a substation transformer. It is common to have only one or two buses coming from a substation. Buses are contained within the substation area.

The Feeder

The bus or buses connect multiple FEEDERS. Feeders are the portions of the distribution network distributing power to utility customers.

Figure 14 – Substation Transformers

The Substation Substation transformers, buses and feeders are existing components in the substation. The MTU was added to the substation to accommodate the TWACS system.


Power Sources

Bus Distributes power from sub transformer to the feeder

Feeder Distributes power from bus to the customers



A substation may have many feeders distributing power to customer areas like neighborhoods. The following diagram, Figure 16 Bus and Feeder Configuration, illustrates a simple Bus/Feeder layout.

Figure 15 – Bus and Feeder Configuration

The MTU

Buses distribute power to the feeders at fairly high levels of voltage. Common voltage for a bus or feeder is between 4000 and 35,000 volts. For TWACS to interface with the power system, technicians install a MODULATION

TRANSFORMER UNIT (MTU) to step down the voltage.

The purpose of a transformer is to change the voltage from one level to another. Think of the MTU as having two sides. One side plugs into the bus (or the PRIMARY side at 4000 to 35,000 volts) and the other side plugs into the TWACS equipment (or the SECONDARY side at 480 volts). The TWACS: AMR class covers more detailed information regarding substation bus, feeder, and MTU components.

Figure 16 – MTU Placement

Figure 17 - MTU

Bus/Feeder Layout

MTU Steps down high voltage from feeder before reaching the customer. Primary = high voltage Secondary = stepped down voltage



Substation Electrical System Elements Review

• At the substation, the distribution system feeding customers is composed of buses, and feeders.

• Substation transformers, buses, and feeders already exist in the utility substation prior to TWACS.

• The MTU is added to the substation to interface the TWACS system with the substation.

Substation Electrical System Elements Practice

1. True/False To deploy the TWACS system, the utility must replace the substation transformers, buses and feeders with TWACS compatible components.

2. What component is added to the substation to interface the

TWACS system with substation equipment? 3. True/False The purpose of the MTU is to bring the voltage down to

a level the TWACS equipment can accept. 4. Which side of a transformer has the lowest voltage level to which

the TWACS system connects? a. Primary b. Secondary





Substation Electrical System Elements Practice Answers

1. True/False To deploy the TWACS system, the utility must replace the substation transformers, buses and feeders with TWACS compatible components. False, TWACS uses existing equipment

2. What component is added to the substation to interface the

TWACS system with substation equipment? MTU

3. True/False The purpose of the MTU is to bring the voltage down to

a level the TWACS equipment can accept. True

4. Which side of a transformer has the lowest voltage level to which

the TWACS system connects? a. Primary b. Secondary




TWACS Level 2 Components

Module Introduction

This module covers TWACS Level 2 Components. TWACS Level 2 components are the components that interface with the electrical system for communication with remote communications equipment (RCE) at the customer’s premise.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

All participants who will be working with the TWACS system directly or indirectly will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the TWACS Level 2 components found at the substation. The information in this chapter is useful when the individual is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. This module provides an understanding of:

• TWACS Level 2 components • The TWACS system interfacing to electrical system components • TWACS Two-Way communications over the electrical system

Vocabulary introduced in this module includes:

SCE CRU TNS MASTER STATION

COMMAND OMU MTU

RESPONSE IPU ZERO CROSSING POINT


Intro Overview of the Level 2 components. These components are covered in detail in the book TWACS AMR. This section should provide broad strokes of the components.







• Substation Communication Equipment

Module Objectives

• Develop an understanding of TWACS Level 2 Substation Communication Equipment (SCE) Components

• Detail the flow of information across TWACS Level 2 Components

• Create a general understanding of functional aspects of the following: • Control and Receiving Unit (CRU) • Outbound Modulation Unit (OMU) • Inbound Pickup Unit (IPU) • Modulation Transformer Unit (MTU)





S U B S T A T I O N C O M M U N I C A T I O N E Q U I P M E N T

The second level of TWACS is the SUBSTATION COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

(SCE) commonly referred to as the substation. There may be one or more substations in a utility. The main SCE component is the CONTROL AND

RECEIVING UNIT or CRU. A communications link (represented by the modem) connects the CRU to the TNS MASTER STATION located at a utility central office (likely in the computer center). The TNS master station is a TWACS Level 1 computer component providing a user interface to the TWACS system. Commands from the TNS master station are sent over the communications link to the CRU at the substation. The CRU then communicates with other SCE components to execute commands sent by the TNS master station. The following, Figure 19 Substation Layout with the TWACS System, depicts the SCE components and how the components fit the substation.

Figure 18 – Substation Layout with the TWACS System

CRU The CRU translates commands from TNS to the substation

TNS Master Station Allows end users to issue commands out to meters via a keyboard and mouse

Ask Ask participants: If the TNS Master Station was pictured in this diagram, what would it be connected to?



TWACS Flow of Information

Figure 20, Flow of Information in Substation, represents the flow of information through the SCE components. The TNS Operator or other user issues a command to the TNS master station. The TNS master station forwards the command over a communications link to the CRU. Once the CRU receives a COMMAND from the TNS master station, the CRU sends the required instructions over the power lines via the

OUTBOUND MODULATION UNIT (OMU) through the MODULATION

TRANSFORMER UNIT (MTU), to the meter (or other RCE). The meter sends a RESPONSE to the command over the powerlines and the response is picked up by the INBOUND PICKUP UNIT (IPU) which forwards the response back to the CRU. The CRU sends the response back to the TNS master station over the communications link. Hardware configurations vary slightly from installation to installation. More detailed information about each of the components and variations in hardware configurations are covered in the TWACS: Automatic Meter Reading course. TWACS Communications

As previously mentioned, communications in the TWACS system utilizes the existing power lines. Utilities distribute power to customers using a 60-hertz signal.

Figure 19 – Flow of Information in Substation

Figure 20 – Normal Energy Sine Wave

Zero Crossing Point Transmitting information at the zero crossing of the power signal makes the TWACS system unique. By taking this approach, TWACS has an extremely high success rate for communicating with meters. Basically, if the customer is getting power, TWACS can read the customer’s meter. Many competing products have restrictions on what customers they can reach. Some use high frequency signaling that has limited distance, and other use out-of-band signaling like cellular networks that increase in cost as use increases.

Ask Ask participants: to answer the following question without looking at the diagram: Once an end user enters a command into the TNS Master Station what path does the command follow before reaching the meter?



The CRU sends outbound commands to the OMU. The OMU then sends the command to the meter by varying the current slightly at the ZERO CROSSING POINT of the 60-hertz sine wave. This unique approach gives TWACS an advantage of reaching meters long distances from the substation, while still using the existing infrastructure provided by the electrical system. The longest recorded distance from substation to meter for an existing TWACS installation is 85 linear miles. If the utility can deliver electricity to the customer, then the TWACS system can automate meter reads and load control to the customer. Similarly, inbound communications from the meter to the IPU are accomplished by sending a signal near the zero volt crossover point. When the CRU sends commands out to the meter, the IPUs are instructed to watch for a return response on a particular path of the electrical system.

Figure 21 – Outbound Signaling

Figure 22 – Inbound Current Signaling



TWACS Level 2 Components Review

• The CRU controls communications at the substation. • The OMU is responsible for outbound transmission of

information. • The IPU is responsible for inbound communications of

information. • The TWACS system unique design of varying current of the

existing energy sine wave allows the TWACS system to reach nearly every customer.

TWACS Level 2 Components Practice

1. List the 4 major TWACS components at the substation. 2. What is the appropriate flow of information to the meter?

a. TNS to CRU to MTU to OMU to Meter b. TNS to CRU to OMU to MTU to Meter c. TNS to CRU to IPU to Meter

3. What is the appropriate flow of information from the meter?

a. Meter to MTU to OMU to Cru to TNS b. Meter to IPU to CRU to TNS c. Meter to CRU to IPU to TNS





TWACS Level 2 Components Practice Answers

1. List the 4 major TWACS components at the substation. CRU, OMU, IPU, MTU

2. What is the appropriate flow of information to the meter?

a. TNS to CRU to MTU to OMU to Meter b. TNS to CRU to OMU to MTU to Meter c. TNS to CRU to IPU to Meter

3. What is the appropriate flow of information from the meter?

a. Meter to MTU to OMU to Cru to TNS b. Meter to IPU to CRU to TNS c. Meter to CRU to IPU to TNS




TWACS Level 1 Components and Communications

Module Introduction

This module covers TWACS Level 1 Components. TWACS Level 1 components form the interaction point for TWACS users. Communications link options for connecting the substations to the Level 1 Components are also covered in this module.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

Participants working with the TWACS system directly or indirectly will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the TWACS Level 1 components found at a utility site and related communications options available to the utility. The information in this module is useful when the participant is preparing to work with the TWACS system and its components. This module provides an understanding of:

• TWACS Level 1 components, • TNS and database and communications servers, and • TNS communications options.


ORACLE DATABASE SERVER

TNS APPLICATION SERVER

COMMUNICATION SERVER

TNS MASTER STATION

DIALUP COMMUNICATIONS

DEDICATED COMMUNICATIONS


Intro TWACS Level 1 overview where end users interface with the system via TNS







• TWACS Net Server (TNS) • TNS Communications Options

Module Objectives

• Develop an understanding of TWACS Level 1 Components • Discuss TNS and its general capabilities and structure • Create an understanding of TNS communications options • Detail the functional aspects of the following:

• TNS, • TNS master station, • communication server, • communications link, and • modems.

T W A C S N E T S E R V E R

The TWACS Net Server (TNS) is the heart of the TWACS system. TNS interfaces the TNS Operator and other users to the TWACS system. While configuration options vary depending on the complexity established by the number of users and substations managed, the basic TNS configuration involves a server and some form of communications links connecting TNS to the substation.

Figure 23 – TNS Server



TNS Where the end user interfaces with the TWACS system



TNS Basic Configuration

Often times, TNS is configured with a bank of modems allowing the TNS server to dial out and connect with substations. (Additional communications options are discussed later in module TNS Communications Options.) A minimal base-level TNS server configuration involves a Windows 2000 server running three applications: • Oracle database server • TNS application server • Communication server The ORACLE DATABASE SERVER is responsible for managing the meter and meter-related databases.

The TNS APPLICATION SERVER is responsible for running the TNS programs and providing an interface for communications.

The COMMUNICATION SERVER is responsible for interacting with communications facilities like dialups or dedicated-line facilities to connect to the substation equipment.

Mod

em B

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Figure 24 – TNS Server Applications

TNS Configuration Most customers will have the three components on a single system.



TNS Advanced Configuration

In larger deployments of TWACS, the basic TNS configuration may not provide the optimum level of performance. It is possible to improve system performance, if necessary, by segregating the functions of the TNS system so that the Oracle database server, TNS application server, and communication server run on separate processing machines. In advanced configurations like the one pictured in Figure 25, Segregated TNS Components, the computers take on more distinct roles. In the advanced configuration detailed in the figure, the TNS application server is the TNS MASTER STATION. Although the TNS user stations can perform functions in the TWACS system, all of the commands and responses would flow through the TNS application server to the substation, as it is the TNS master station in this configuration.

T N S C O M M U N I C A T I O N S O P T I O N S

There are various ways to configure the TNS communications facilities linking TNS to the substations. There are many factors that might impact how a utility configures their communication options. These factors include, but are not limited to:

• Long distance costs between the substation and TNS • Support for interactive use by CSRs • Speed of processing reads • Cost of communications facilities • Use of existing infrastructure

General TNS Communications Topics

In the most basic configuration, the TNS server can have communication ports and modems built in and the TNS server can directly connect to a communications line connecting the TNS master station to the substation. In the substation, the equipment terminating the communications link is the Control and Receiving Unit or CRU. The CRU has communications ports able to connect to a modem or other data communications equipment.

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em B

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Figure 25 – Segregated TNS Components

Advanced TNS Configuration Larger customers will divide the components into multiple servers. This may be done if performance is an issue on a single system configuration or if distance creates a need to disperse communications servers.

Best Com Option The utility needs to determine the best way to configure their system based on their needs. This section gives them a few things to think about before making a decision.



Dialup versus Dedicated

Utilities can configure the TNS Server to operate using a DIALUP COMMUNICATIONS line. In this case, the TNS server must dial each time it has a need to communicate with a substation. This process can slow the overall communication time since it takes about 30 seconds to actually connect with the substation equipment. This slow connection feature may not be the best method if the utility wishes to use the TWACS system for Customer Service Representative (CSR) queries while tending to a customer calling for support. A potential exists for no available dialup facility when the CSR needs to connect to a substation. Busy signals, telephone system problems, and poor line quality can cause issues with dialup access. Alternatively, configuring the TNS Server to operate using DEDICATED COMMUNICATIONS facilities is possible. With a dedicated link to each substation, there is no communications delay in setting up the connection (as with dialup communications). Hence, CSRs and other users can expect much quicker responses from the TWACS system. While cost is certainly a factor, a utility, when considering dedicated versus dialup communications facilities, should acknowledge it is impossible to make a blanket assumption about which facility has a higher cost. For example, it may appear that dialup facilities are less costly than dedicated facilities. If the utility incurs long-distance charges when calling between the TNS Server and the substation the long-distance adds to the cost of dialup. If the utility already has a dedicated communications link in place designed for other communications with the substation, then it may actually cost the utility less to use the existing dedicated facilities.

Communications Facility Connect Speed

Cost

Dialup Slow ? Dedicated Fast ?

Figure 26 – Basic TNS Communications

Dedicated is Best Dedicated is always better (no busy signals, line always available, faster connection, consistent cost) if the utility can afford it.

Table 27 – Communication Facility versus Connection Speed

Dialup Not always the most cost effective if long-distance charges or have existing dedicated system.



Distributing Communication Servers

In certain geographically challenged TWACS deployments, it can be costly to network all of the substations back to a central site where the TNS server is located. Fortunately, utilities can design the TWACS system with geographically dispersed communications servers. In this diagram, notice the TNS Server is located in Mason City, Iowa, and the communication servers are in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Since Lincoln and Omaha are long-distance phone calls from Mason City, this configuration provides a cost savings by eliminating charges from dialing directly from Mason City to Lincoln and Omaha. Also, telephone companies bill some dedicated communications services based on distance, and this configuration allows a consolidation of substations in one area to share the communications link (through the communication server) back to Mason City. Notice also the design of the Lincoln system uses an existing radio network. As long as the network designer provides proper interfaces at the end equipment, the TWACS system is very flexible when it comes to communications options.

Geographically Dispersed Communications Servers Example



Using Existing Networks

Many utilities have an existing network connecting the substations to a utility central office. This network is normally some form of Wide Area Network (WAN) using telephone company services like Frame Relay, Private Line networking, or Internet Virtual Private Network (VPN). Using terminal servers to convert the serial inputs to a LAN based communication interface like Ethernet, it is relatively easy to use an existing network to connect the TNS server to the substations. Figure 29, TNS Using Existing WAN, details one of the ways you could configure WAN use for the TWACS system. The class TWACS: Automated Meter Reading covers communications options in more detail.

Figure 28 – TNS Using Existing WAN

Communication on Existing Networks Using existing network connections for the TWACS system network integration may take some help from communications consultants if the utility does not have the expertise in-house. DCSI field support personnel do not provide this type of consulting, but may be able to provide the customer with consulting company references.



TWACS Level 1 Components and Communications Review

• TNS is the heart of the TWACS system. • TNS can be configured as a standalone system or major

components can be spread across multiple computers. • Communications between TNS and the substation may be dialup

or dedicated. • The utility may use existing networks to connect substations.

TWACS Level 1 Components and Communications Practice

1. What is the major component of the TWACS Level 1?

2. What are the three major components of TNS?

3. What is the most likely reason a utility might split the

communication server into a separate computer? a. Job security for the IT department b. Reduce costs of carrier (LD) services c. Performance issues with the server

4. Why might a utility split the Oracle database server into its own

computer? a. Job security for the IT department b. Reduce costs of carrier (LD) services c. Performance issues with the server

5. True/False The Oracle database server, TNS application server,

and communication server may not run on the same computer.

6. True/False The TWACS system performs better when dedicated communications links connect substations to TNS.

7. True/False If an existing network connects the utility’s substations,

that network may not be used for the TWACS system.





TWACS Level 1 Components and Communications Practice Answers

1. What is the major component of the TWACS Level 1? TNS

2. What are the three major components of TNS?

Oracle database server, TNS application server, Communication server

3. What is the most likely reason a utility might split the

communication server into a separate computer? a. Job security for the IT department b. Reduce costs of carrier (LD) services c. Performance issues with the server

4. Why might a utility split the Oracle database server into its own

computer? a. Job security for the IT department b. Reduce costs of carrier (LD) services c. Performance issues with the server

5. True/False The Oracle database server, TNS application server,

and communication server may not run on the same computer. False

6. True/False The TWACS system performs better when dedicated

communications links connect substations to TNS. True

7. True/False If an existing network connects the utility’s substations,

that network may not be used for the TWACS system. False




Chapter Review

• The TWACS system is comprised of three levels of components, the RCE (Meter), the SCE (Substation) and the CCE (TNS).

• TWACS Level 3 components represent the meter and transponder.

• TWACS Level 2 components represent the substation elements that interface with the existing electrical distribution system.

• TWACS Level 1 components represent TNS, the system that controls the TWACS components.

Chapter Practice

1. What component added to the substation enables the TWACS system to interface with the electrical system for outbound communications?

2. True/False The TWACS system requires the utility to replace

substation transformers, buses, and feeders for implementation.

3. What component is the heart of the substation?

4. What component is the main control point of the TWACS system?

5. True/False Existing meters must be discarded for TWACS

deployment.

6. True/False Dialup is the most effective way to connect substations

to TNS. 7. True/False The TWACS system is less costly to operate than

competing products since the transport medium for the meter communications uses the existing electrical system network.

Review The main points of this chapter…

Practice Let’s take a minute to practice what we have covered in this chapter:





1. What component added to the substation enables the TWACS system to interface with the electrical system for outbound communications? MTU

2. True/False The TWACS system requires the utility to replace

substation transformers, buses, and feeders for implementation. False

3. What component is the heart of the substation?

CRU

4. What component is the main control point of the TWACS system? TNS

5. True/False Existing meters must be replaced for TWACS

deployment. False

6. True/False Dialup is the most effective way to connect substations

to TNS. False

8. True/False The TWACS system is less costly to operate than competing products since the transport medium for the meter communications uses the existing electrical system network. True




Version Record Item Record Product Reference B CHA 2 TWACS System Design Current Version 3.2 Date Issued 11/11/03 Owner Steve Seyer

Change History Date Version Summary of Changes 8/4/03 0.1 First informal reviewed version created 7/8 – 8/4 8/7/03 0.2 Kellee’s review 8/8/03 0.3 Updates per 0.2 review 8/14/03 0.4 Kellee’s review 8/14/03 0.5 Updates per 0.4 review 8/12/03 1.0 Passed to DCSI for review 9/3/03 1.3 Made updates per John, Rick and Steve’s changes 10/24/03 2 Updated with instructor notes and reviews 10/27/03 2.2 Kellee applied formatting, additional instructor notes, protocol issues, vocab clean up, style

clean up to ready for Sandy’s review 10/30/03 2.3 Sandy’s Review 10/30/03 3.0 Kellee updated with Sandy’s changes 11/11/03 3.2 Sandy’s updates applied Approval Date Version Name Signature

Chapter 3: TNS System Design TWACS Basics


TNS System Design


TWACS Net Server is the central control element of the TWACS system. TNS provides utility companies with a user interface to manage two-way communications with their meters. As an electric utility begins the process of evaluating or implementing the TWACS system, it is important those involved with the direct and indirect use and implementation of the system develop a general idea of TNS design and how TNS operates. Utility personnel who will benefit from the information in this chapter include:


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

Information in this chapter is useful when the participant is preparing to deploy and/or use TNS. This information will help the participant develop a base-level understanding of TNS system components and functions of those components. The base-level understanding of TNS system design will help enhance the participant’s perspective as new TWACS tasks are introduced throughout this and other TWACS training courses.



Class Openers • Welcome/Thanks • Phone/Restroom location • Leave class as needed • Cells to vibrate • Intros 1Name • 2Company 3Goals • ______________

Intro This chapter is an overview of how the TNS system works and relates to the TWACS system as a whole.

Relationship Understanding the design of TNS will allow the utility to set up TNS in the way that is most efficient for them.






ORACLE SERVER PROCESS ORACLE DATABASE MANAGER

DATABASE TABLE LOG FILE

WATCHDOG ALERT CIS

APPLICATION TOOL BAR

SCROLL BAR BUBBLE HELP

DROP-DOWN BOX DROP-DOWN OPTION LIST

CHECK BOX

RADIO BUTTON TEXT FIELD FORM

RECORDS FIELD BUTTON


• TNS System Overview • TNS Common User Elements

Chapter Objectives


• List major TNS system components. • Differentiate between TNS databases, tables, and logs. • Discuss options for interfacing TNS with existing customer

databases. • Identify TNS common user elements.






TNS System Overview

Module Introduction

This module discusses the general characteristics and design of the TWACS Net Server (TNS) typically located at the utility central office. TNS provides the user interface for utility company employees to interact with TWACS.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

Information in this chapter is useful when participants work with TNS directly or indirectly to develop an understanding of the elements that make up TNS. This module covers:

• TNS system components, • TNS databases, • TNS tables, and • TNS logs.


ORACLE SERVER PROCESS ORACLE DATABASE MANAGER

DATABASE TABLE LOG FILE

WATCHDOG ALERT CIS


Intro High level overview of basic system components of TNS (databases, tables, logs).


Useful For end users as they are starting to use TNS





• TNS System Components • Managing TNS • Integrating AMR Data with Utility Billing Systems

Module Objectives

• Develop a general understanding of TNS elements and system design

T N S S Y S T E M C O M P O N E N T S

TWACS Net Server or TNS provides utility employees an interface to communicate with the TWACS system. It is through TNS that the following functions are set:

• Batched automatic meter reads • Interactive meter reads • Management of load control elements • Interval data collection • Line voltage and power quality monitoring • Outage mapping • Remote service disconnect/connect

It is important to understand that TNS is comprised of many components. These components work together to complete the functions required of TNS. This module will cover a number of general aspects of TNS system design including the following concepts:

• Oracle Database Manager and servers • Databases • Tables • Log files

TNS Components TNS is a conglomeration of various server programs all running simultaneously in a multi-tasking environment.



TNS Functions functions set in TNS



Oracle Database Manager and Servers

DCSI has developed TNS around a database manager called ORACLE. Many system tasks known as SERVER

PROCESSES run through the ORACLE

DATABASE MANAGER. These server processes control aspects of the TNS system. Figure 1, TNS Server Processes, lists the critical servers found in TNS. Server processes must be active to perform certain functions. Each server process may have its own databases and logs of information, and server processes may share databases of information depending on requirements of the server process.

Figure 1 – TNS Server Processes

TNS Performance If problems occur in one or more of the servers, the entire TNS system performance can degrade. The TNS Operator should contact DCSI Customer Care if an application continues to crash. The Watchdog will not automatically restart servers.

Server Processes Server Processes are the main mode of communication between the components of TNS.



What Is a Database?

TNS uses several databases to track information. A DATABASE is nothing more than a collection of related items kept in an electronic folder. TNS uses several databases. For example, there is a permanent meter database responsible for tracking all meters found on one of a utility’s substations. There is also a temporary meter database that tracks meters TNS has yet to find. There is a database to track substation information. Another database tracks jobs to be scheduled. The TNS users employ TNS applications to read and manipulate TNS databases. Some examples of databases include:

Database Name TNS Program Name Used

Purpose

Permanent meter database

Meter Misc.

Tracks meters TNS has found on a substation.

Temporary meter database

Temp Meter Misc.

Tracks meters that have not made it to the permanent meter database.

SCE database

SCE Maintenance

Tracks substation equipment configuration.

Table 1 - Example Databases in TNS

Databases Collection of related items stored in a folder.

TNS Databases A few examples



What Is a Table?

Tables are simplified versions of databases. A TABLE is a simple list of items, and a table is usually limited in size. TNS uses tables for lists of information it must track. For example, there is a table to track the types of meters a utility uses. There is a table to track the types of substations relating to the meters used. Another table tracks blocks of serial numbers for meters used by the utility. A TNS user uses a TNS program to read and modify tables. Some examples of tables follow:

Table Name TNS Program Name Used

Purpose

Product Table

Product

Tracks types of meters used by a utility and aspects about the meter.

Sub Product Table

SubProduct

Tracks types of meters and how a particular substation should communicate with the meter.

Product Type Model Cross Reference Table

Product Type Model Cross Reference

Tracks serial numbers of meters utility will use and type and model of the meters.

Response Status Cross Reference Table

Response Status Cross Reference

Lists reference codes from various functions within TNS.

Meter Conversion Table

Meter Conversions

Tracks meter pulse conversions to KWH readings.

Table 2 - Example Tables in TNS

Tables List of items

TNS Tables A few examples



Log Files in TNS

TNS tracks some historical information about TNS activity in TNS databases. This information is available using the TNS programs. AMR read data is an example of this type of information. TNS also uses a number of LOG FILES that track historical information about various aspects of TNS operation. TNS users often view log files using a standard text editor like Microsoft® WordPad©. DCSI programmers and field support personnel use some of the log files to determine program problems. Utility employees will find some of the log files relevant when performing basic tasks within TNS. Some of the relevant log files include:

Log Name File Name Purpose Search-in History log SHyyyymmdd.dat Shows results of meters searched into

the database. PreTIQ log PreTIQ.dat Shows meters that failed the

prequalification phase of the meter search process.

Com Server Log CSyyyymmdd.dat Shows all connection and disconnection history for a communication server to substations.

Transaction (TR) Log TRyyyymmdd.dat Shows a history of all transactions to a substation and back.

Table 3 - Example Log in TNS

Log Files There are many logs in TNS used to track information. Users will want to work with only a specific few on a day-to-day basis.

TNS Log Files A few examples



Figure 2 – TNS Watchdog GUI

M A N A G I N G T N S

TNS provides the utility with valuable tools for managing the TWACS system, among these tools are TNS Watchdog and TNS Alerts. The utility can use these tools to proactively respond to problems that arise.

TNS Watchdog

The WATCHDOG application (found by following the path Start > TNS Watchdog GUI or by clicking the desktop button labeled TNS Watchdog GUI) monitors the availability of each critical server process in TNS. At

times, problems may arise with TNS components. Utility personnel can use the Watchdog application to view the general health of the TNS system. If a server process is not working properly, the TNS Operator can view the Watchdog to see if the application is no longer communicating with the Watchdog. From the Watchdog, the TNS Operator can stop and start server processes in an attempt to correct problems. Should a server process continually fail, the utility should contact DCSI Customer Care.

Watchdog Note: Utility can only view Watchdog on the server, not the clients (assuming clients run native applications).

Tools for Managing Watchdog Alerts



Alerts from TNS

The Watchdog application also allows the TNS

Operator to designate who receives ALERTS if the Watchdog discovers a problem with one or more of the server processes. Nearly every cell phone and pager today has an associated Internet email address. The utility may wish to send TNS alerts to employee cell phones or pagers to expedite problem resolution. Note: The TNS Operator can access the Options screen, as shown in Figure 3, TNS Watchdog Alert Options, in the TNS Watchdog Utility, by clicking Project > Options.

I N T E G R A T I N G A M R D A T A W I T H U T I L I T Y B I L L I N G S Y S T E M S

The TWACS system allows the utility to automate the meter reading process. Utilities must harness the information from the AMR process and insert the data into the existing billing process for AMR to be effective.

TNS Read Data

TNS outputs files from each AMR process with information relevant to customer billing. The TNS default billing file created from the AMR process may not be suitable for integration into a utility’s CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIS) or billing system. DCSI, on request, will program TNS to create a custom, billing file tailored to integrate with the utility’s billing system. TNS creates the custom file in addition to the default billing file.

Figure 3 – TNS Watchdog Alert Options

Figure 4 – Billing File Process

Alerts The utility might consider sending these alerts to the TNS Operator cell phone. All cell phones have an email address associated with them.

Billing Files Remind participants: Every utility has a different way to interface with their billing system. For utilities that have inflexible billing systems, billing files can be custom tailored to meet requirements.



TNS System Overview Review

• TNS is comprised of a number of servers working together to complete required functions.

• TNS data files are categorized as databases, tables, and logs. • The TNS Watchdog provides a graphical view of the server

status. • TNS has an alerting function that can notify an email recipient

of major TNS problems.

TNS System Overview Practice

1. What program provides a graphical view of the TNS server processes?

2. True/False TNS is comprised of a number of server processes

working together to perform various functions.

3. What type of file does TNS use for messages from processes?

4. Name three significant databases within TNS. 5. Which table is used to track serial numbers of meters the utility

will use? 6. Which log file shows when a meter fails to pre-qualify for the

meter search process? 7. True/False There is a standard format for billing files. If the utility

billing system won’t accept the standard TNS billing file, the only option for the utility is to have someone modify the utility billing system.





TNS System Overview Practice Answers

1. What program provides a graphical view of the TNS server processes? TNS Watchdog

2. True/False TNS is comprised of a number of server processes

working together to perform various functions. True

3. What type of file does TNS use for messages from processes? Log files

4. Name three significant databases within TNS. Permanent Meter Database, Temporary Meter Database, SCE Database

5. Which table is used to track serial numbers of meters the utility

will use? Product Type Model Cross-Reference Table

6. Which log file shows when a meter fails to pre-qualify for the

meter search process? PreTIQ log

7. True/False There is a standard format for billing files. If the utility

billing system won’t accept the standard TNS billing file, the only option for the utility is to have someone modify the utility billing system. False, a custom, billing file can be created in TNS




TNS Common User Elements

Module Introduction

This module discusses the common user elements users will find throughout the TNS programs. DCSI engineers designed TNS programs with a similar look and feel so that one module operates similarly to another.


TNS Operators



Billing Personnel


Meter Technicians

Customer Engineers

Information in this module is useful when participants work with TNS directly or indirectly to develop an understanding of the common user elements that make up TNS. This module covers:

• An overview of application groupings in TNS, • Common terminology used in TNS, • How to navigate through applications in TNS, and • How to query information in TNS forms.


APPLICATION TOOL BAR

SCROLL BAR BUBBLE HELP

DROP-DOWN BOX DROP-DOWN OPTION LIST

CHECK BOX

RADIO BUTTON TEXT FIELD FORM

RECORDS FIELD BUTTON


Intro This Mod introduces participants to common TNS user functions.


Useful For end users of TNS





• TNS Program Structure • TNS Navigational Aids

Module Objectives

• Develop a general understanding of TNS common user elements • Learn how to navigate TNS application use • Develop an understanding of TNS forms query techniques

T N S P R O G R A M S T R U C T U R E

It is important to understand that TNS is comprised of many components. These components work together to complete the functions required of TNS. This nugget covers an overview of the program elements to help the participant develop a general understanding of where to look for certain functions and how to use the forms provided in TNS.



TNS Components This nugget is an overview of functions in TNS.



Application Program Groups

TNS has many programs and forms that perform various functions. TNS groups these programs into logical categories found on the Windows Start menu. The following table lists the various program groups found in TNS that appear on the Windows Start > Programs list:

Program Group What Can I Do with it? TNS Max Demand Finder

Find the highest 15-minute interval for one or all meters deployed.

TNS Services Config Utility

Save the TNS configuration to a TNS Configuration file…used to set up new server, change the password of account no database server running TNS services, and by DCSI.

TNS Watchdog Utility Monitor, stop, and start servers within TNS. TNS AMR Hourly Applications

Review and graph hourly and interval data for one, some, or all meters.

TNS APM Search Search for meters on alternate paths (feeders, buses may have moved).

TNS City-SUB Maintenance

Group substations by city. You can set up groups of substations if a search fails on the substation where a user thought a meter was located.

TNS Generic Applications

Set up two-way addressing…DCSI personnel normally completes during installation.

TNS Load Control Applications

Set up load control.

TNS Metering Maintenance

Search and read meters and set up conversion tables.

TNS SCE Administrative Tools

View SCE logs.

TNS SCE Maintenance

Set up substations, bring substations online, issue substation commands, and view SCE logs.

TNS System Administration

Identify meter serial numbers, models, types, capabilities, and conversion factors.

TNS System Maintenance

Schedule jobs and display maintenance results.

TNS TCT Volt Applications

Test voltage levels on one or more meters.

TNS Test Communication Tool

Analyze inbound and outbound data and information.

TNS Trouble Server Applications

Identify meter tampering and diagnostics from RCE equipment.

Table 4 - TNS Program Groups

Certain meters support TNS Max Demand Finder like Type 31 and up. For example, Type 21 Model 52 does not support demand.

Program Groups The major program groups are listed in the table. Most of these (but not all) have tool bars associated with them. The benefit of opening a tool bar is that the user is prompted with username and password only once, and then any application can be opened without additional authentication.



The arrow symbol

to the right of an

application indicates sub-applications. When

placing the cursor on the application, the sub-

applications will show.

T N S N A V I G A T I O N A L A I D S

TNS has a common set of navigational aids used across the TNS programs. By mastering the navigational aids, users can optimize the use of and results from the TNS program.

Viewing Sub-Applications

When opening a program group, notice the symbol at the right of each group name indicates programs defined under the group name.

Application Tool Bars

Some of the TNS application groups have an APPLICATION TOOL BAR

defined. The advantage of using the application tool bar is the user must only enter the username and password once for the group of applications defined by the tool bar. As long as the user selects applications from the open tool bar, the user receives no password prompts once the user enters the initial tool bar username and password. The following represents the AMR Hourly tool bar selected from Figure 5, Sub-Application View. Once the user selects the AMR Hourly tool bar, TNS prompts the user for an initial username/password and database alias. The initial username is “dcsi”, and the password is “dcsi”. The initial database name for training is “meter” or “tsmeter” depending on the configuration.

Figure 5 – Sub-Application View

Figure 6 – Tool Bar Login Screen

Figure 7 – AMR Hourly Application Tool Bar

Windows Basics Some of this is basic Windows usage, but do not skip over it since those that most need it may be embarrassed to say.



The utility may change the default username and password if desired. The AMR Hourly Data Applications tool bar then appears on the desktop. As long as the user selects applications from the tool bar, the applications will no longer prompt the user for username and password. Scroll Bars

Many of the forms also have vertical and horizontal SCROLL BARS. Clicking on the bar and holding the mouse button down will allow the user to pull the bar down or across to view other information. Horizontal scroll bars are particularly useful because there are usually more columns than can be displayed on the screen.

Bubble Help

The user can identify the application represented by the icon by simply holding the cursor over the application for a few seconds. Notice that the application label View AMR Hourly Data Records now shows as the BUBBLE HELP in the first icon of Figure 9, Bubble Help Example.

Horizontal Scroll Bar Many of the Forms/Windows have Horizontal Scroll Bars allowing the user to view various Columns of Data.

Vertical Scroll Bars Many Forms/Windows have vertical Scroll Bars allowing the user to view various Rows of Data.

Figure 6 – Scroll Bars Example

Figure 7 – Bubble Help Example



Figure 8 – Drop-Down Menu Example

Drop-Down Menus

Most TNS applications make use of a Windows construct known as DROP-DOWN MENUS. Drop-down menus provide TNS with a more organized and ordered look and feel.

Drop-Down Option Lists

Many TNS applications make use of a Windows construct known as DROP-DOWN OPTION LISTS. Drop-down option lists provide the TNS user with an ordered method of selecting a limited set of values for a particular field.

Typical Windows drop-down menus

Figure 9 – Drop-Down Option List Example



Other Control Element Terminology

There are other types of control elements used in TNS. CHECK BOXES allow the user to select one or more options. RADIO BUTTONS allow the user to select only one of several options.

TEXT FIELDS allow the user to enter data into a field. To enter data, click in the field. A blinking cursor in the field displays to signal the field is ready for data entry.

Figure 10 – Checkbox Example

Figure 11 – Radio Button Example

Figure 12 – Text Window Example



Forms in TNS

Many applications within TNS make use of FORMS that allow for manipulating information in the database. Information in the database is stored as a group of RECORDS. Each line in Figure 15, Forms Example, represents a record. Records are comprised of FIELDS. Each record has several fields, for example, the meter record highlighted above has a Serial Number field, a Premises field, and a Substation, Bus and Feeder field visible. Forms make use of a standard set of BUTTONS for adding, deleteing, querying and moving through the information TNS tracks in the database. Not all forms will have every button, but there is a common set of buttons used across most forms.

Print screen

Save record

Page up

Cancel add and exit

Previous transaction

Cancel add without saving

Page down

Do search

Next transaction

Cancel this search

Query list based on criteria

Cancel searches

Cancel query

Cancel/exit without saving

Apply updates/execute

Comma delimited text file

Add record

Delete serial numbers

Delete record

Halt job

Edit record

Demand reset history

Figure 13 – Forms Example

Table 5 - Common Buttons in TNS



Query Options

When performing queries on a form, the user may wish to view all the information or just a subset of the information in the database. Depending on needs, the user can vary the query to view exactly the subset of records the user wishes to view. The following table lists examples that will help the user understand how to perform queries that meet user needs.

I want to view… Steps for query All records in the database Click the Query button once to clear all fields

on the screen.

Click the Query button once more to query all records.

Meter with serial number 17999 Click the Query button once to clear all fields

on the screen. Enter “17999” in the Serial Number field

Click the Query button once more to search for the meter with serial number 17999.

Records where serial # is greater than 17999 Click the Query button once to clear all fields

on the screen. Enter “>17999” in the Serial Number field

Click the Query button once more to search for all meters with serial number greater than 17999.

All meters on substation TNS, first bus, first feeder

Click the Query button once to clear all fields on the screen. Type “TNS” in the Substation field. Type “BUS1” in the Bus field. Type “FDR1” in the Feeder field.

Click the Query button once more to search for all meters that meet the criteria.

Table 6 - Steps for Queries

Figure 14 – Query Page Example

Query Tip When querying information, fields are typically case sensitive.



Freezing Display Data

The TNS system allows the user to freeze data so it will not change while the user is viewing it. There are various ways on different forms to freeze the display screen including the use of a drop-down window, a check box, or radio buttons to select the freeze function. Notice that the user can select the auto-refresh function in some forms. The refresh rate can be set for whatever time period desired. The refresh rate in the TNS system can be adjusted by the System Administrator.

Option Result Freeze Hold data in the form or window while the display is

open. Unfreeze Release data for update upon next refresh. Refresh Refresh data instantly. Auto-Refresh Refresh rate dependent upon form.

Table 7 - Steps for Queries

Figure 15 – Freeze Options



TNS Common User Elements Review

• TNS is divided into application program groups. Each group defines forms or applications with a common update theme.

• TNS has common user elements that permeate throughout the TNS program.

• The TNS Watchdog provides a graphical view of the server status.

• TNS has an alerting function that can notify an email recipient of major TNS problems.

TNS Common User Elements Practice

1. Which application program group allows the user to set up substations?

2. Which application program group allows the user to search and

read meters.

3. What benefit does the user have by opening an application tool bar instead of the individual applications?

4. On any query screen, how would a user query all records in the database?





TNS Common User Elements Practice Answers

1. Which application program group allows the user to set up substations? TNS SCE Maintenance

2. Which application program group allows the user to search and

read meters. TNS Metering Maintenance

3. What benefit does the user have by opening an application tool bar instead of the individual applications? The toolbar only has the user authenticate (username/password) once.

4. On any query screen, how would a user query all records in the database? Click the query button twice.

Chapter Review

• TNS has many system components including various server processes, databases, and tables that integrate to perform various TNS functions.

• TNS has several diagnostic tools including the Watchdog application, log files, and alerting functions that help the TNS Operator manage TNS operations.

• TNS is very flexible when integrating TNS data to other systems such as the utility billing system or Customer Information System.

• TNS is grouped into logical program segments that make it easier for the user to find applications for specific purposes.

• TNS has common user elements that recur throughout TNS programs that make using TNS easier.

Review The main points of this chapter…




Chapter Practice

1. In which database does TNS track meters it has not yet found? 2. In what table does TNS track meter pulse conversions to KWH

readings?

3. In what program can the TNS Operator set up alerts for TNS failures?

4. In which of the following TNS program elements can the user select one and only one option?

a. Radio buttons b. Check boxes c. Drop-down option lists d. A and C

Practice Let’s take a minute to practice what we have covered in this chapter:




1. In which database does TNS track meters it has not yet found? Temporary meter database

2. In what table does TNS track meter pulse conversions to KWH

readings? Meter Conversions

3. In what program can the TNS Operator set up alerts for TNS failures? In the TNS Watchdog application under Project > Options

4. In which of the following TNS program elements can the user select one and only one option?

a. Radio buttons b. Check boxes c. Drop-down option lists d. A and C




Version Record Item Record Product Reference B CHA 3 TNS System Design Current Version 3.2 Date Issued 11/11/03 Owner Steve Seyer

Change History Date Version Summary of Changes 8/12/03 0.1 First informal reviewed version created 8/8 – 8/12 8/12/03 0.2. Kellee’s updates 8/12/03 0.3 Steve’s upates per Kellee’s changes 8/14/03 0.4 Kellee’s Updates 8/14/03 1.0 Update to DCSI 9/3/03 1.1 Update per John’s changes 9/17/03 1.2 Update per Steve Lee’s changes 9/17/03 1.3 Update per Rick Will’s changes 10/23/03 2.0 Updates for instructor notes, review questions 10/28/03 2.2 Kellee applied formatting, additional instructor notes, protocol issues, vocab clean up, style

clean up to ready for Sandy’s review 10/30/03 2.3 Sandy’s review 10/30/03 3.0 Kellee up dated with Sandy’s review 11/11/03 3.2 Sandy’s updates applied Approval Date Version Name Signature