In the latest of network augmentation works planned for the Emerald People’s Utility District in Oregon, EPUD has procured, deployed and commissioned NOJA Power’s OSM series reclosers for the replacement of aging network assets. EPUD has completely overhauled its Elmira Substation with the replacement of all four outgoing circuit breakers with NOJA Power OSM Reclosers. Not only was EPUD able to replace bulky aged assets with the light reclosers, it has successfully deployed remote HMI panel control connected via fiber through to the substation control room.
The upgrade works at the Elmira substation are only the beginning for this industrious utility, as major deployments of NOJA Power OSM Reclosers are imminent with the success of the initial deployment.
NOJA Power’s engineers traveled to Eugene, Oregon, to provide assistance and support to help EPUD achieve its goals of network reliability to its community.
While traditional substation circuit breakers are often required to have high interruption capabilities, public utility districts, co-ops and rural utilities are often blessed with lower fault currents at their substation levels. As long as the interruption requirements are below 16kA with a consistent current rating below 800A (or 1000A at 38kV), the NOJA Power OSM Series Recloser provides exceptional value for the price. NOJA Power’s OSM Series Recloser is supplied together with the RC10 controller, providing the comprehensive suite of protection, automation and communications capabilities as standard – from overcurrent right through to IEC 61850 and power quality monitoring. Rural utilities the world over are opting to forego the traditional circuit breaker route in their substations to capitalize on the value of the recloser system.
EPUD’s retrofit operation at the Elmira substation was simple, with the OSM Recloser units being mounted on the old circuit breaker stands. While the size comparison was "quite humorous,: according to NOJA Power, the compact design of the OSM Recloser system is right at home in the substation environment. Not only was EPUD able to reuse old mounting platforms, it was also able to remove approximately 330 yards of copper cable running from their old breakers to the substation control room. As the OSM Recloser already has integral current transformers and voltage sensors in every bushing combined with the adjacent RC10 controller mounted to the substation switchgear frame, there was no need for additional cabling to the control hub. All the legacy wiring, relays and outdoor CTs were replaced by a single fiber connection running to the remote HMI panel of the OSM recloser system mounted in the substation.
