[September 09, 2011] Siemens Partners with A&N Electric and RuggedCom to Deploy High-Speed Distribution Feeder Automation System Tweet Sep 09, 2011 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Siemens Energy, together with A&N Electric Cooperative and RuggedCom, has successfully deployed an ultra high-speed distribution feeder automation system that improves service for Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Nassowadox, Virginia. According to a release, the combined smart grid distribution feeder automation solution allows for optimized fault detection, isolation and restoration. The Siemens distribution feeder automation-decentralized system achieves high-speed operation by detecting faults using Siemens Siprotec protective relays located at each feeder section point. When a comparison reveals a differential exceeding predefined parameters, the affected relay issues a fault notification to all other relays in the system. The relays then direct switching devices to reconfigure the feeder, isolating the fault and transferring viable line sections to another substation power source when necessary. Officials noted that system communications are handled by standard WiMAX wireless links consisting of RuggedCom's RuggedMAX base stations and subscriber units. "Because Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital is so critical to our community, we needed a way to reduce the impact of outages caused by numerous automobile collisions with our pole lines. The SDFA-DC distribution feeder automation system from Siemens meets our needs by detecting faults, isolating problems, and transferring to alternative power sources in less than half a second," said Kelvin Pettit, vice president of system reliability at A&N. A&N plans to use Siemens technology to expand automation to other distribution feeders as time and finances permit. Mike Canales, director of facilities at Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital said, "We expect most service disruptions to be so short that they won't be visible to our patients. Our staff will be able to focus on caring for patients without the distraction of checking on equipment or implementing downtime procedures. This is just one of several examples of A&N's efforts to make a difference here on the eastern shore of Virginia." The Siemens Energy Sector is a supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. A&N Electric Cooperative serves Accomack and Northampton counties on Virginia's Eastern Shore, and Smith Island in Somerset County, Maryland. RuggedCom is a provider of rugged communications networking solutions designed for mission-critical applications in harsh environments. ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]