Building the System

All network editing capabilities are available through the Component Editor. Using the Component Editor, you can add new components, edit component data, connect components, take components in and out of service, rename components, delete components and so on.

Tip: Consider using a One-Line Diagram to connect components. In many cases, the One-Line Diagram gives you an advantage over the Component Editor when working with connections, because connections can be established visually using a convenient drag and drop method.

4.5.1. Adding a New Component

You can create a new component in the project at any time. When you add a new component to the Component Editor, PTW automatically creates and adds the component to the project database. After you add a new component, that component appears in the components box regardless of the component set being displayed. New components have certain default data associated with them depending upon type, and that you may want to edit based on the needs of the project.

To add a new component 1. Do one of the following:

Add a new component to the project by clicking one of the component buttons.

• On the toolbar, click the type of component you want to add. If you don’t know which button represents the component you want to add, point to each

component button and pause. The fast tip tells you what component type that button adds.

• Click the Component>New command and select the component you want to add.

4.5.2. Cloning a Component

The clone command duplicates a selected component. Component clones are exact duplicates of the originals in all respects, except for their names and connections. Because each component must have a unique name to exist as an individual entity in the database, cloned components are automatically assigned the next available name according to the component naming convention. The cloned component is not connected to the system. Note that cloning de-selects the original component and selects the cloned component. To clone a component

1. Select the component you want to clone. 2. Click the Component>Clone command.

4.5.3. Connecting and Disconnecting Components

Using the Connect Components dialog box available from the Component Editor, you can connect and disconnect component nodes.

Tip: Consider using a One-Line Diagram to connect components. In many cases, the One-Line Diagram gives you an advantage over the Component Editor when working with connections, because connections can be established visually using a convenient drag and drop method.

Each component has one or more connection points, called nodes. The number of nodes depends upon the component type. Loads have one node, cables have two, three-winding transformers have three, and so on. A node can be connected to any bus in the system, but no two nodes on a single component can be connected to the same bus. All nodes on a given component must be connected for the component to be connected. If you fail to connect one or more nodes of a given component, the Studies issue an error message to that effect.

You can connect or disconnect components at any time. Note that in order to change a connection, you must disconnect the node first, and then reconnect it.

4.5.4. Renaming Components

The name of each component is displayed in the Name dialog box which is always located on the first component subview. You can change the name at any time by typing a new name into the box. PTW uses the component name to identify the component, so it cannot accept component names that already exist in the project database.

To rename a component

1. In the components box, select the component you want to rename.

2. In the component "Name" field on the first subview, type in a new component name. 3. Click the OK button.

The name in the components box is updated immediately to reflect the change. You can also change component names by double-clicking the left mouse button on the one-line diagram with the cursor pointing at the component name you want to change.

4.5.5. Taking Components In and Out of Service

If you do not want to consider a component or a group of components when you run a Study, you can take them out of service. While out of service components do not affect Study calculations, they do maintain an electrical connection, keeping the network topology intact. (Note that when you take a Protective Device out of service, the downstream branch will also be taken out of service. While the downstream branch will not change to the out of service color, it is indeed out of service.)

Tip: You might consider using One-Line Diagrams to take components in and out of service. One-Line Diagrams offer you a very convenient way to select multiple components and take them in or our of service with a single command. For more information, refer to the “One-Line Diagrams” chapter.

Select the node you want to connect.

Select the bus you want to connect to the selected node.

When you take a component out of service, the name of the component in the components box changes to gray.

In service. Out of service.

To take a component in or out of service

1. In the components box, select the component you want to take in or out of service. 2. In the first Component Editor subview, do one of the following:

• To take a component out of service, clear the In Service check box. • To take a component into service, select the In Service check box.

4.5.6. Destroying Components

Destroying a component deletes the component from the database, and removes it from the components box. When a component is destroyed, all connections going to that component are broken.

Warning: Destroying components affects the structure of the power system. Destroying a component is permanent: once you destroy a component, it cannot be recovered.

To destroy a component

1. In the components box, select the component you want to destroy.

2. Click the Component>Destroy command. PTW asks if you want to proceed. 3. Click the OK button.