4000kVA Substation Design project, at a leading aviation metal manufacturing facility

Designed and managed in-house by senior facility electrical engineer in conjunction with design build on-site contactor; from inception to turn-key completion. What started out with a 55 years old obsolete dual-1000kVA substations, at load capacity, sitting exposed on the manufacturing floor, with no additional space available. The old electrical substations were recycled with the new technologically advanced substation with twice as much power on the same foot-print, that in the end, cost half the amount of the originally-estimated kind-for-kind replacement cost estimates, thus creating four times the value! Thanks to an impressive display of tireless collaborative teamwork during the design-build approach; including the engineer & designer, Christenson Electric (IBEW Local 48 electricians), Omaga Morgan and Vertiv; combining equipment vendors ABB, Schneider Electric and CED; what we refer to as the “A” Team!

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The project proceeded at an incredible pace; for example, the engineer’s scope, design & specification reached 90% complete in only 2-weeks and the contractor’s installation, including commissioning, occurred over Christmas break of 6-days! Substations like this transform the incoming medium-voltage 15kV electricity to a lower voltage of 480V with distribution so it can used for infrastructure & machine loads across the manufacturing building. The demolition activities were intense; removed equipment was responsibly refurbished or recycled. We were committed to sustainability!

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The task of fitting a newer, 2X larger substation with a perimeter safety barrier on the existing floor slab posed a significant “fit” dilemma for the team. The outdated transformers were already at load capacity and aged at functional obsolescence; the team felt they could no longer consider a modernization upgrade with such unreliable degraded equipment. Challenges included; the new 4000kVA bussing and the transformer’s had to be custom designed at a certain impedance and manufactured by rotating the transformer 90 degrees to decrease the physical footprint width. Further design enhancements with the new design including additional technological & safety features; kirk key isolation switching scheme, lighting arrestors, network SEL relays, networked sub-meters, SPD/TVSS, monitored cooling fans, electronic-trip circuit breakers with 1,200-amp or larger Energy Reduction Maintenance Settings (ERMS). The ERMS function reduces protection settings so that a circuit breaker trips as soon as possible in case an arc fault occurs. Minimizing the time between fault and trip helps reduce the risk of injury to qualified electrical personnel working near energized equipment. Utilizing technology advances to improve safety!

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The project included in-house engineering design, project & construction management, the vendor’s coordinated power study/arc flash, delivery pre-testing & circuit breaker settings, a new I-line diagram, over 70 cumulative linked excel panel schedules, and was field commissioned by the manufacture, doubling the warranty period. Another technical achievement resulting in a long-term value win!

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The new substation is both; technically advanced and a beauty to look at with an impressive array of overhead symmetrical raceways, substation section lineup with custom gasketed-doors (innovative, never done before), incoming medium voltage metal enclosed HVL with current limiting fuses, large electronic-trip circuit breakers in front QED enclosures’ and smaller 100Amp and below circuit breakers in the I-Lines’ directly behind the front line-up, overhead J-Cans with re-wired Polaris lugs, overhead emergency LED lights, floor poly striping and a movable safety barrier all around. We satisfied the extremely tight installation schedule with advanced laser field measuring & 3-D modeling and machined shop work by the contractor’s shop folks, which paid huge dividends at the time of installation. Conduits and enclosures fit together like a glove. Quality: not one pre-built conduit was re-bent in the field! Proud of this team!

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Design team knew intuitively by engineering, contractors and vendors working together that it was possible to advance the technology, improve safety, increase the value while doubling the power on an existing footprint, and our leap of faith and our diligent persistence paid off. The design philosophy, including the “five elements for truly lasting designs” - simple, innovative, intuitive, beauty and honesty, the team kept the substation replacement project simple, and didn’t unnecessarily overly complicate the plans, details or goals. Couldn’t ask for a better outcome; the project and team were so successful, that we performed essentially the same replacement activities with the same outstanding results two more times in subsequent years. Talk about better, faster, cheaper! Imagine delivering a $3million project for $750k and repeating the design concept two more times!

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Project’s initial conceptual design vision was methodically laid-out (an iterative process, checking all the relevant details & deliverables) by analyzing intended power use/+future loads together with desired aesthetics, conducting code & safety research, conducting through field work, risk assessment, developing preliminary design elements, determining interdisciplinary engineering support requirements, determining constructability, ensuring quality and standards are met, estimating resource costs/requirements, identifying materials, equipment, and services, supply chain, and developing & monitoring project milestone schedule, creating a material schedule of values and schedule of testing in order to establish delivery scope in response to project requirements. Support and manage the day-to-day project planning, daily safety roundup, weekly project reporting, coordination, milestones, permit & Record Drawings, Capital asset acceptance, deliverables, testing and commissioning phases. We also surveyed our team for lesson’s learned! Our team’s enthusiasm never tired!

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AcDc Engineering continues to provide high level design collaborations, walk-thru Gemba at industrial facilities, mentoring, design review and project management on a wide range of electrical projects. AcDc Engineering principal is recognized as a NCEES Model Law Engineer, with P.E. licenses in several states. AcDc Engineering is also accredited to evaluate and approve Industrial Utilization Equipment & Controls, within a manufacturing process, for use in Washington State per WAC 296‐46B-903 & 296‐46B-997. These types of large Industrial Capstone projects like this substation do not succeed safely by accident. Put our professional experience to work for you.