Engineering and Project Management Services

Transmission and Distribution System Planning and Protection

• Develop settings for electro-mechanical or microprocessor based relays
• Create complete protection schemes for substations including protection for:
• Power Transformers
• High and Low Voltage Buses
• High and Low Voltage Circuit Breakers
• Create complete protection schemes for distribution lines including protection for:
• Distribution Feeder Breaker/Recloser
• In-line reclosers or sectionalizers
• Downstream fusing recommendations
• Construct specification documents for SCADA systems
• Recent Projects:
  • Northeast Substation, Tell City, IN – For this newly constructed substation, IMPA Service Corp developed the entire protection scheme for the substation, including protective relay recommendations, setting development and final testing and checkout.
  • SCADA Specification and Installation, Lawrenceburg, IN – Lawrenceburg wanted to purchase and install a SCADA system and IMPA Service Corp was able to provide all the necessary tools to accomplish the task.  IMPA Service Corp drafted the specification for the system, evaluated the bids and was on-site to oversee installation and resolve issues as they arose.

Transmission and Distribution Engineering Design and Project Management

• Develop routes for the placement of new distribution or transmission lines
• Pole Loading analysis of new or existing poles to determine recommended pole size and class
• Create plans for re-conductoring existing pole lines
• Project management services that include interaction with the on-site contractor, coordination of equipment delivery, etc.
• Recent Projects:
  • Distribution Line Construction, Tell City, IN – After constructing a new substation, Tell City wanted to add distribution feeders to help serve load in their community.  They turned to IMPA Service Corp for the design of the entire 22,500 feet of three-phase Hendrix Spacer cable distribution circuits.  This included pole loading calculations and development of bid specifications for the project labor and materials.
  • Generation Plant Transmission Line, Rensselaer, IN – For this project, ISC designed 1.7 miles of 69 kV transmission line with distribution underbuild.  The purpose of the project was to allow Rensselaer to generate at 12.47 kV and be able to step that voltage up to transmission levels to be used at their substations.

Substation Planning and Project Management

• Develop site layout and plan for the construction of new substations which will include:
• Steel Structure layout
• Specifications for all major equipment
• Ground Grid Design
• On-site project management and oversight
• Relay protection schemes and panel layout
• Control Building specification
• Retro-fit existing substations for the addition of a new transformer, metal-clad switchgear or upgrades to protective relaying.
• Recent Projects:
  • North Substation, Lebanon, IN – Lebanon wanted to eliminate a 4 kV transformer and metal-clad switchgear at the North Substation.  The equipment was to be replaced with a new 12.47 kV transformer and switchgear.  IMPA Service Corp helped Lebanon develop the specifications for the new transformer and switchgear, as well as upgrades to the transmission and distribution protection schemes.
  • Hastings Park Substation, Greenfield, IN – This substation was needed to help serve large industrial customers in Greenfield.  IMPA Service Corp was there from the beginning to end with initial substation layouts to the final checkout and testing of the protective relays.

Development of System Maintenance Programs and Procedures

• Develop five, 10 and 15 year plans for system upgrades and equipment replacements
• Produce general practice documents for the installation and inspection of major equipment
• Perform a system-wide Arc Flash analysis and make recommendations for personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Help create, review and execute system switch orders to de-energize or restore distribution lines for maintenance.

System Power Quality Monitoring and Power Factor Assessment

• Monitor specific customer locations to determine power quality problems
• Develop methods of reducing system losses
• Review system loading data to determine amount of power factor correction needed for the system
• Develop the size and determine placement of the capacitor bank to help reduce or eliminate penalties paid due to poor power factor
• Recent Projects:
  • Lawrenceburg, IN – IMPA Service Corp was able to create a system model for Lawrenceburg and determine the size and placement of capacitors on their distribution system to eliminate their power factor penalty for most months of the year.

System Infrared Observations

• Use infrared scans to observe and diagnose common hot-spot problems such as:
• Loose connections
• Failure of insulating materials (bushings, insulators, etc.)
• Premature failure of power fuses
• Potential issues in metal-clad switchgear
• Maintaining underground equipment such as padmount transformers and underground cables

Substation/Switchgear/Relay Testing and Maintenance

• IMPA Service Corp has the ability to test most electro-mechanical and microprocessor based protective relays including Schwitzer Electric Laboratories, ABB, General Electric and Cooper Recloser Controls.
• Develop testing requirements for newly installed equipment such as power transformers, circuit breakers and metal-clad switchgear.
• Create maintenance plans for existing substation and line equipment