Energy Success Stories
Siemens - Grid Alert, Fault Diagnosis, and Power Restoration
The Challenge:
Siemens is a worldwide leader in providing power system control and management solutions to electric utilities. The Power Systems Control unit has more than 575 control center projects commissioned or underway at electric utilities worldwide. These utilities have a compelling need for advanced distributed applications because the systems they operate are complex, require real-time performance and are broadly interconnected to other companies.
The Template Software Solution:
Siemens used the advisory services of Template Software as well as the Foundation Template Software product to build three critical applications for managing power distribution systems: The Intelligent Alarm Processor, which analyzes changes in the power supply grid to determine if they lead to an abnormal situation that should be brought to the attention of the operator; Fault Diagnosis, which aids in fault recovery by preparing a listing of all the components included in the blacked-out area; and Restoration Assistant, an expert system that analyzes available resources and loads to create a plan that brings a high voltage transmission system back to service safely. Template Software's SNAP®/Template Foundation enabled the rapid design, development and deployment of these applications with its rule-based capabilities, object-oriented architecture and soft-real-time performance.
Top
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) - Power Grid Behavior Modeling
The Challenge:
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is considered the leading edge in research and development for electric utilities. More than 700 such utilities in the U.S. and around the world look to EPRI for scientific, technical and analytical leadership. Their mission is to discover, develop and deliver advances in science and technology for the benefit of member utilities, their customers and society in general. The Institute needed a precise Operator Training Simulator to support the planning and operation of bulk power systems in an economical, reliable and environmentally responsible manner.
The Template Software Solution:
EPRI used Template Software's SNAP/Template products and services to create software for the world's most advanced power training facility. The resulting software can be easily configured to model any utility's power grid and choice of hardware. The system realistically models any power grid response, from system breakup through weather-induced outage to brownout or blackout. The system is used to train operators in making power transactions, and also helps in daily operations by exploring alternatives in scheduling resources and selecting the most economical interchange transactions.
Top
Northern Natural Gas - Pipeline Management
The Challenge:
Northern Natural Gas, a natural gas pipeline subsidiary of MidAmerican, operates a 23,500 mile pipeline that stretches across North America from Texas to Minnesota. Northern's business dramatically changed in 1992 when the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission deregulated the natural gas industry, shifting the business of interstate pipelines from a merchant to a transporter role. The company found itself in a more open and competitive market in which it had to radically reduce costs and quickly improve efficiency. These goals were realized by turning to Template Software's products.
The Template Software Solution:
To increase competitiveness by improving operational flexibility and automating its pipeline facilities, Northern used the Foundation Template Software product to create the Northern Expert System (NES). NES is a set of decision support applications, which includes a knowledge-based alarm manager, real-time and predictive pipeline models, a neural network-based gas demand forecaster and an expert system-based pipeline configuration advisor. The system increases the degree of automation and enables key operational decisions to be made on a more timely and consistent basis.
Top
PEMEX - Product Management and Distribution
The Challenge:
PEMEX Petrochemica, a major player in the Petrochemical industry in Mexico, wanted to construct an enterprise-wide commercial product management and distribution system for deployment in 72 locations.
The Template Software Solution:
PEMEX used our Foundation Template Software product to develop this complex, distributed business system which they now use to support the functions of order entry and tracking, logistics planning, distribution, inventory equipment, invoicing, and accounts receivable for its 2300 clients, handling over 8000 purchase orders and 30,000 shipments per month. The system was developed in four months with a team of two people. This $2 million development project handles two billion dollars per year in business. An overall productivity improvement of 10-20% is the expected return on investment within six months of operation.
Top