Why FAT Is Good.

No, we’re not talking about the “spare tire” on those of us who like beer a little too much. A FAT — or Factory Acceptance Test — is the special testing provided by a manufacturer, at their facility, to verify that complex, customer-specified equipment works as intended. It’s particularly valuable for a system of interconnected components, such as computers, controllers, and other microprocessor-based hardware, to ensure the equipment is built to specification, and that components function properly as a unified system.

FATs are common for SCADA suppliers to verify that computers, associated software, and peripheral components such as printers, displays, communication devices, and servers work together as planned. But until now, FATs generally haven't been performed on feeder automation equipment . . . probably because of the difficulty in developing realistic simulations for the interconnected components.

S&C leads the industry by offering factory acceptance testing for the IntelliTEAM II® Automatic Restoration System, providing tremendous benefits for customers as well as S&C. We’ve developed an IntelliTEAM II Test System that can handle up to 40 real 5801 or 5802 Automatic Switch Controls and their communication devices. The test system uses a computer to simulate voltage and current inputs to the controls. The controls respond just as they will upon installation, operating Scada-Mate® Switches to restore service to all but the faulted segment of a power line.

The IntelliTEAM II Test System provides a graphical representation of the customer’s distribution system, showing power connectivity between feeder switching and protective devices. The system model is typically developed by an S&C Application Engineer, using information obtained from the customer with respect to line loading limitations, circuit interconnections, and protective device settings. Circuit fault and outage scenarios are developed prior to the FAT.

The test system is flexible enough to permit creation of new scenarios “on the fly.” In this way, the customer can review the scenarios developed prior to their arrival at S&C — but can easily ask for “a fault here . . . or a fault there” to see how the system reacts. They can change circuit loading parameters and see how IntelliTEAM II’s load management functions prevent overloads during service restoration. They can even see how the loss of a communication device impacts service restoration.

Benefits

An IntelliTEAM II Factory Acceptance Test simplifies field configuration too, eliminating costly, time-consuming “tweaking.” The customer is confident that their system will perform as expected in the field, under a wide range of scenarios. The FAT also helps customers identify changes they can make to system inter-tie points or protective device settings to further optimize IntelliTEAM II operation — and thus provide faster, more accurate service restoration.

The IntelliTEAM II Test System provides a digital "replay" of every system scenario. Many customers replay these files back at their headquarters to train engineering personnel. More importantly, they replay the files to train system dispatch personnel, so they're better prepared to perform switching and dispatch operations personnel on IntelliTEAM II-equipped feeders . . . and thus optimize service continuity.

A FAT is a critical element of any feeder automation project. It saves time and money during system startup and provides useful tools to ensure good training and better understanding of project across a wide range of utility personnel. And better system understanding leads to more efficient operation of the system. Utilities who invest in a FAT for their feeder automation system will serve their customers better and at less overall cost than those who forego this modest investment.