Services

LOAD FLOW STUDIES

How much capacity does your power system have ? Do you need an automatic transformer tapchanger or switched capacitor bank ? Are your ductbanks and cables at risk of overheating ? Do you need redundancy built into your network ? Will starting that big motor cause a brownout ? Answer these questions and more with a load-flow study.

 

SHORT CIRCUIT STUDIES

Will your circuit breakers handle the fault current? Have you reassessed your short circuit levels since adding those large motors? If something fails, will your insurance company or safety inspector have some difficult questions for you? Stay ahead of the game by having your system short circuit levels checked and/or designed correctly.

 

HARMONIC STUDIES

Modern drive systems are great - we can do things with motors that were never practical in the past. But they come with a price, and you might not realize it until your motors are overheating and your electronics are failing. Wind farm systems are also susceptible to harmonics and care must be taken to stay within the limits specified by your utility.

Strutherstech will assist you to get a handle on your harmonics with a harmonic study.

  • Determine the natural resonant frequencies in your power system.
  • Model the harmonics generated by your non-linear equipment.
  • If harmonic filters are required, optimize them to provide maximum filtering for the lowest cost.

 

GROUNDING SYSTEMS

Good grounding is an essential part of a safe and reliable electrical system and you can't afford to leave it up to chance. Unfortunately, we rarely get to build a system with ideal soil conditions. Whether you are limited by excavation boundaries in an urban setting or trying to build in permafrost, grounding can be challenge.

Strutherstech and associated specialists will help you obtain the optimal grounding design for your site.

  • Provide direction on soil resistivity testing or survey of an existing system.
  • Calculate the ground potential rise during a ground fault condition.
  • Explore the benefits of resistively grounded power system.
  • Determine the optimal grounding design that meets code requirements, ensures safety and reliability while keeping costs under control.
  • Manage external grounding system influences such as pipelines, railroad tracks and other nearby electrical installations.

 

ELECTRICAL PROTECTION STUDIES

Protection technology has come a long way since fuses were first invented. A single modern digital relay can take the place of an entire 1990's era protection panel.

Strutherstech can provide expert service for any of your electrical protection needs.

  • Develop protection co-ordination charts.
  • Devise settings for complex elements, including distance protection, directional protection, generator protection and differential protection.
  • Correctly select current transformers that will operate correctly under the expected fault conditions.
  • Eliminate nuisance tripping from transformer inrush, sympathetic ground faults or current transformer errors.
  • Troubleshoot problematic relays.

 

ELECTRICAL TESTING AND COMMISSIONING

Need your electrical system tested and/or commissioned?

Experienced in commissioning a wide variety of power systems and industrial plants, Strutherstech is able to provide engineering expertise to complement your testing and commissioning team.

  • Develop testing and commissioning procedures for your project.
  • Assist with contracting a team of testing and commissioning technologists.
  • Review test reports and verify conformance with design.
  • Assist with troubleshooting problem areas.
  • Develop safety procedures for use while testing and commissioning.

 

POWER SYSTEM DESIGN

It's one thing to design and build a power system. It's another to build the optimal system for your application. Ensure all of your requirements are met for the lowest practical cost with an optimized design by Strutherstech.

  • Determine the optimal voltages and placement of transformers for your network.
  • Eliminate any unnecessary equipment while still meeting applicable codes.
  • Keep It Simple! The simplest design is usually the best one.
  • Eliminate or minimize safety hazards (eg arc flash) during the design, don't wait until commissioning to find out.
  • Use our experience in construction and manufacturing to ensure that your system is the most cost effective and reliable solution for your application.

 

EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT

It's your money, make sure it's spent wisely. Whether you are purchasing a transformer, generating system, switchgear, protection system or any other piece of electrical equipment, Strutherstech can assist with your procurement process to ensure you get value in what you are paying for.

  • Write technical specifications and assist with quotation reviews.
  • Find the right vendor for your product.
  • Review approval drawings, make sure what you are getting is what you paid for.
  • Ensure that what you are buying integrates correctly with your other equipment.

 

FACTORY INSPECTIONS

Timely delivery of a quality product is crucial to the success of your project. Strutherstech can provide factory inspection services to help ensure everything stays on the right track.

  • Audit the facility prior to awarding the contract: Verify if the factory is properly equipped to fulfill their promises.
  • Perform surveillance audits during the manufacturing process. If there is a quality or scheduling problem with your product, the sooner you know the better.
  • Witness the factory acceptance tests. Ensure they are performed correctly and the recorded results are genuine.

 

ARC FLASH STUDIES

Management of arc flash hazards is no longer 'the big new thing' - it is now the norm. Surprisingly though, misinformation and poor decision making continue to be widespread on this issue. You don't want to be that organization where your workers are donning excessive amounts of PPE when a simple engineering fix is the right solution.

Rather than punching numbers blindly into a computer program and slapping on the stickers that are spat out, Strutherstech applies solid engineering judgment to the arc flash study process.

  • Reduce the arc flash hazard by adjusting protection settings wherever possible.
  • Confirm the geometry and construction of high risk equipment to ensure that correct approach distances are calculated.
  • Correctly take into account the quenching effect of current limiting fuses, or the rapid current decay of a generator source.
  • Take arc-flash hazards into account when designing a system. Don't wait until commissioning to find out that your gear is Category 4 if a simple design fix could eliminate the hazard.

 

SUBSTATION DESIGN

Need a new substation or an expansion to an existing one? Strutherstech is experienced in substation design of all kinds. Contact us a for a competitive design proposal.

  • Fixed AIS substations and switchyards of any voltage, transmission or distribution.
  • Generator step-up substations.
  • GIS substations.
  • Mobile substations and moveable mining switch-houses.
  • Modular E-house design.

 

CONTROL PANEL DESIGN

Strutherstech can provide complete design and procurement services for all of your control panel needs.


  • Relay protection panels.
  • Generator synchronizing panels.
  • Pumping, ventilation or other motor control panels.
  • PLC control cabinets.
  • Wireless control systems.
  • Control cabinets using the latest HMI touchscreen technology.
  • Programming and testing of control panel components.
  • Interconnection and wiring diagrams for field equipment.

 

PLC AND DCS DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING

Writing PLC and DCS code is not particularly difficult - with a minimal amount of training, almost anyone can start pecking in lines of code. Properly engineering a software system for long term reliability and maintainability is another matter entirely.

Contact Strutherstech for a competitive proposal to engineer your control software systems for optimal results.

  • Top-down design where coding does not begin until the software structure is properly defined.
  • Modularised software design where each component handles a minimum amount of data on a 'need to know' basis only.
  • All Strutherstech software includes thorough annotation and/or documentation for future maintainability and traceability.
  • All major PLC / DCS makes and models supported by Strutherstech.

 

CONTROL SYSTEM MODELLING

Strutherstech is able to model your complex control applications ahead of field testing, to ensure that the control algorithms, gains and time constants are appropriate for your project. Strutherstech can also review existing systems that require improvements, ensuring the highest level of stability and reliability.

  • Determine optimal proportional/integral gains, limiters and feedforward signals ahead of time.
  • Assess the impacts of signal noise, system resolution and scan cycle times.
  • Develop control block diagrams that easily implemented and traceable in your PLC/DCS code.
  • Philosophy can be applied to any control application. Temperature controls, pumpbox levels, headpond levels, turbines and governors, crusher / conveyor feed controls and reel drive tension controls… are just a few examples.

 

ELECTRICAL AUDITING SERVICES

When was the last time your electrical system was thoroughly reviewed by a professional engineer ? Systems have a habit of growing and changing over time. Maintain the safety and reliability of your electrical system with an audit by Strutherstech.

  • Reassess fault levels and load flows; ensure your equipment is still rated correctly.
  • Identify areas of obsolescence or in need of improvements and upgrades.
  • Verify that relay protection settings are adequate for your application.
  • Make recommendations for improved energy efficiency and reliability.
  • Review your operating and maintenance program to ensure it meets your needs.
  • Assess the health and life of your equipment for a potential sale or purchase.

VIEW CASE STUDY

FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND COST ESTIMATES

Contact Strutherstech to assist in the preliminary design stages of your project. Strutherstech can provide a wide range of feasibility and costing services to help assess your project.

  • Engineering, procurement and construction cost estimates.
  • Long term energy consumption (or production) estimates.
  • Economic life cycle models for your electrical equipment and machinery.
  • Assess the financial feasibility of different options. (For example, diesel generating plant vs. new transmission line).

 

ENERGY AND ECONOMIC MODELS

Whether your business is into energy production or consumption, Strutherstech can produce a long-term energy economic model to properly assess your project.

  • Assess the profitability of generating project based on a range of models of the energy source.
  • Assess the energy consumption costs of an industrial or mining project.
  • Evaluate the long term energy cost differences between different equipment vendors.
  • Assess the long term risk of variations in the price of energy or availability of energy source.

 

GOVERNING AND STABILITY STUDIES

Ensure your islanded generating systems are going to provide reliable and stable power with a governing and stability study by Strutherstech.


  • Assess the ability of your voltage regulators and excitation systems to respond to rapid load changes such large motors or sudden pickup / dropoff of a large feeder.
  • Correctly take into account the time constants and transient response of your energy source (hydroelectric penstock, for example).
  • Identify the optimal gains, time constants and load-sharing algorithms for your generating plant.
  • Investigate alternative devices for improving system stability, including synchronous condensors, STATCOM's, load-banks or non-essential load-shedding.

 

ELECTRICAL TRAINING

With baby-boomers coming to retirement age, North America is set for a severe shortage in technically skilled electrical personnel. Developing economies also have challenges in training and staffing.

Help overcome the shortfall with electrical training services by Strutherstech.

  • Training in high voltage design and construction methods.
  • Training in power and control system design and testing.
  • Electrical safety training, including lockout systems, high-voltage and arc-flash.

 

CONSTRUCTION POWER

Large engineering firms typically do not cater well to projects requiring temporary construction power. The design methods and priorities used for a temporary system can be quite different from those required for a permanent system. Contact Strutherstech to assist in the design of your temporary construction power system.

  • Evaluate existing used or low-cost surplus equipment for use in temporary power.
  • Keep design and construction costs to a minimum while meeting minimum code requirements.
  • If new equipment is required, design and specify it to maximize the reusability or resale value.

 

UTILITY LIAISON

Working with a large utility to get your project connected to the grid can be a minefield. Utilities work with budgets, schedules and technical requirements that can be entirely different from your organization. Contact Strutherstech to assist in the utility interconnection process.

  • Provide drawings, specifications and data in a format requested by the utility.
  • Help assess the utility's proposed costs, technical requirements and schedules to ensure they are reasonable.
  • Ensure your proposed system is in accordance with utility specifications.
  • Review the pricing tariffs and conditions to ensure they are the best choice for your project.
  • Act as technically competent representative on your behalf.

 

TIME DOMAIN ANALYSIS (PSCAD)

Strutherstech can provide specialist engineering services for time-domain analysis of power systems using PSCAD. This cutting-edge software developed by the Manitoba HVDC Research Center can be used to perform real-time modeling and analysis of any power system.

  • Model power systems with highly variable loads.
  • Model non-linear power devices such as large VFD's, wind generators, STATCOM's and other flexible AC transmission system devices.
  • Model high voltage surges and switching transients.
  • Model turbine governor systems for stability analysis.

CASE STUDY: STATCOM LOAD BALANCING

ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW RAMPING

Done correctly, run-of-river hydroelectric power is one of the most environmentally sound forms of power generation. Environmental flow ramping of your turbine system is a critical part of any environmentally friendly run-of-river solution.

British Columbia, Canada, has the strictest flow ramping regulations in the world. Other jurisdictions are now taking notice. Strutherstech has significant BC experience in the modeling and implementation of environmental flow ramping controls for hydroelectric turbines. Contact us for professional advice on your project.

  • Modelling the response of turbine and creek flows during normal startup/shutdown scenarios, as well as emergency shutdowns.
  • Develop control algorithms for multiple-unit plants and those including synchronous bypass valves.
  • Provide advice on turbine/generating hardware for flow ramping suitability.
  • Experience in flow ramping for both Pelton and Francis turbines.

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