Electrical distribution network operators face ever increasing challenges, with higher performance targets as customers and regulators raise the bar of expectations.
The PowerOn Fusion Advanced DMS (ADMS) enables distribution utilities to deliver higher reliability, customer service and reduced operating costs while maintaining workforce safety and addressing major evolving technology challenges. The growth of embedded generation, the volume of electric vehicles and management of an active distribution network present fundamental challenges to utility control systems. At the same time new measurement and control technology is being introduced. All of this must be integrated with the wider organization IT systems, ensuring operational security, while continuing to manage changing business processes. PowerOn Fusion digitizes where paper once ruled, and provides the proven, robust, scalable platform for Smart Grid deployments and business transformation.
Increase operational efficiency: Do more with less, automate workflows, reduce operator time and maximize team utilization.
Reduce outage restoration times: Fault Detection, Isolation and Service Restoration (FDIR), Smart Switching Advisor, integrated OMS and mobile field dispatch allow the restoration process to connect, end-to-end, for faster response and better operational decisions.
Improve situational awareness: Achieve full network visibility, and avoid overloading assets, with real-time distribution power flow.
End-to-end Distribution Management: Take control of high and low voltage networks, with connected data models and scalable technology to manage active networks at all levels.
Shift peaks and reduce losses: With multi-objective Integrated Volt-Var Control (IVVC).
Lower cost of data maintenance: Out-the-box GIS integration using CIM for distribution Industry Standard for incremental model maintenance.
Integrated Smart Grid Solutions: Service-based interoperability to the enterprise and other Smart Grid solutions, providing IT integration for a connected utility.
With the global drive towards clean energy and energy security concerns, the way we generate and consume energy is changing at an ever increasing rate. Distribution operators must continually reduce their costs while increasing reliability and customer service as consumer expectations and regulator targets only go up.
The rise of domestic generation, plug-in electric vehicles and emerging technologies like energy storage create a dynamic distribution grid with energy flows that were not envisaged when networks were designed. Increasingly higher percentages of assets are reaching their intended end-of life, requiring strategies to extend lifespan and manage replacement.
Add to this the seemingly conflicting needs for enterprise system integration and enforcing cyber security policies against threats, it is clear that a new approach to operational management technology is required.
PowerOn Fusion ADMS is a comprehensive, fully integrated operational technology (OT) solution for the distribution utility. PowerOn Fusion encompasses monitoring and control of the distribution network, fault and outage management and network performance optimization. Service bus integration provides flexible connection to the entire Smart Grid solution. PowerOn Fusion is actively used by major distribution utilities around the globe, and forms the basis of some of the most innovative Smart Grid research projects in the world today, delivering cutting edge technology on a proven platform.
Distribution Management provides the network management tools for planning and executing switching work and operating the distribution network at all voltage levels, from EHV sub transmission through HV and LV distribution. The distribution management modules of the PowerOn Fusion ADMS are deployed on the same core platform base functions and single network model as Outage Management and Distribution Optimization.
PowerOn Fusion's advanced switching applications provide distribution utilities with state-of-the-art tools to improve the quality of their supply. Whether reconfiguring the network or controlling voltage, every switching step can be simulated and visualized online against current and network normal states. Switching is authorized using business-specific safety rules and work practices; topology processing and automatic distribution power flow, including look-ahead studies. The system automatically captures all actions into a work package for record keeping.
Switching operations, including applying cuts and jumpers, can be operated in ganged or un-ganged mode. Complex situations, like temporary re-phasing on site can easily be represented. The network is divided into control zones and assigned to specific desks, allowing workloads to be shared or transferred between central or remote control centers.
Standard modern protocols are supported providing off the shelf interoperability with SCADA equipment. Tools are provided to help manage the commissioning process for the ever-increasing number of new SCADA and telemetered devices and monitor communication with existing equipment including RTUs.
PowerOn Fusion extends out from the control center into the hands of the field crew. Switching work can be electronically sent with mobile devices, and the crew can instantly confirm authorized switching by secure communication, while obtaining greater visibility of other crews, promoting safe working. The use of mobile switching has been shown to shorten outage durations and reduce crew to control room interaction times enabling more crews to be coordinated by control operators.
Integrated OMS brings many operational benefits, with a shared network model supplying up-to-date network status to the dispatchers, while providing instant outage related information to control. This connection means that switching work for fault restoration need only be recorded once and in the same way as all other types of switching. The Outage Management modules of the PowerOn Fusion ADMS build on the same core platform as Distribution Management and Distribution Optimization, and can be deployed on the same servers, or in synchronized sets of servers in a different security zone.
An integrated OMS has been shown to result in higher network reliability when compared to standalone OMS and DMS deployments. PowerOn Fusion connects the network asset and customer models to accurately understand customer impact of outage events, and provides the cornerstone for improving customer service.
OMS can offer a distribution utility a web-based call taking application, smart meter interfacing, mobile dispatch for both planned and fault tasks and integrated outage reporting. These provide a direct link from the customer experiencing an outage through to the crews working in the field, to put customers back on supply. All the while the system automatically captures times, durations and affected customers for the generation of CAIDI, CAIFI, SAIDI and SAIFI reports for regulators.
Distribution Optimization brings operationally relevant analyses and optimizations to the control room with a focus on short-to mid-term that aids operational decision making.
Key applications include Automatic FDIR, Centralized IVVC, Intelligent Interactive Switching Advisor with online simulation, load forecasting, Fault Location, Fault Level and Protection Studies, Feeder reconfiguration, and distribution load transfer capacity calculations. The Dynamic Thermal Line Rating product has been proved to increase circuit capacity for new wind generation connections significantly, avoiding the need for costly capacity upgrades. The PowerOn Fusion capability continues to expand with the proven base proving an ideal platform for innovative low carbon technology innovation with utilities around the world.
ADMS utilizes a single power system model to incorporate Generation and Transmission at the higher voltages as well as fully modelling down to the meter for low voltage operations and analysis. PowerOn Fusion incorporates online applications suitable for any voltage level. The underlying technology avoids the compromises on radial only networks for distribution or segment network models for scalability or to run different analyses. The single system, single model simplifies the deployment and operation of the ADMS even with these advanced applications.
As factors like embedded residential generation and plugin electric vehicles increase, the strain on LV networks increases and the presence of possible non-isolated power sources under fault conditions creates potential hazards for field crews. The same types of tools and processes used at higher voltages can be used to manage work at low voltages. PowerOn Fusion supports LV network management.
The LV network can be ten times larger in terms of assets than the higher voltage networks. It is therefore vital to be able to automatically import the LV network from another source, such as a GIS, rather than have to maintain it in the operational system. The ADMS network model update interface supports both bulk and on-going incremental updates of the LV network from an external system to avoid data maintenance overheads.
The safety rules, that is to say the checks that the system should automatically perform for each switching action, can be set up specifically for LV switching rules. Similarly, operator roles can be set up to allow LV operations, while protecting access to higher voltages.
PowerOn Fusion provides a full range of data management options to manage data and protect your investment. A powerful tool chain of built-in functions enables system build and data maintenance as part of your business processes. For the connected utility, comprehensive external interoperability with CIM v15, DXF and other formats are supported for import, allowing for a single point of data maintenance.
PowerOn Fusion offers multiple approaches to data mastering with sophisticated built-in editing tools and automated data re-conciliation to an external GIS to break the dependency on timing of data updates availability in the GIS.
All model changes are made on-line, including SCADA, ensuring seamless data updates whether they are applied automatically from external sources or by operators into the system. Future designs are also modelled so they can be studied and simulated as well as introduced in phased, controlled steps.
Built for Distribution
The PowerOn Fusion ADMS has been designed and built for distribution management, rather than evolving from a transmission management product like many similar technologies. With this, a flexible approach to data modelling is taken, instead of fixed schema data models used in older systems.
The PowerOn Fusion data model is object based, with comprehensive libraries of standard objects defining classes available for use in the system. These class libraries are entirely user extendable without code changes, giving complete freedom to customize asset models, symbol sets and business rules should you choose. Data model changes can be made after the network build, with changes to the class template reflected to instances used in the network.
The data model holds full asset information, hierarchical relationships (e.g., substation, busbar, bar, feeder), and the network connectivity model. In addition the system holds load models, customer models, operational models, crew models and more to give a fully integrated representation of the distribution system.
PowerOn Fusion is designed to handle the high volume of network and SCADA changes that a modern distribution utility experiences.
Utility Operations Systems 
