Timber Line Electric and Control Corp.

CAREFUL SELECTION OF SCADA SYSTEM YIELDS GREAT RESULTS IN BUFFALO

In November of 1997, the City of Buffalo was awarded the Community Achievement Award from the Wyoming Contractors Association which recognizes excellence in planning for water projects.  Part of this thorough planning is evident in Buffalo's long term commitment to developing Tie-Hack Dam, and in its careful selection of a SCADA system to monitor the dam system

Tie Hack Dam

In the early 1980's, the City of Buffalo began the process of planning for an addition to their water supply system known as "Tie-Hack Reservoir".  The approval, funding and design processes turned into long-range planning effort as nearly a decade passes before the order to proceed was given.  In the mid 1990's, the City of Buffalo selected a consortium of engineering firms consisting of States West Water Resources of Cheyenne, Grizzly Engineering of Buffalo and Woodward Clyde Consultants of Denver to design and commission the dam.  As lead engineer, States West provided design & construction management on all phases of the dam.  These tasks included overseeing placement of 80,000 yd3 of concrete, construction of a hydro-electric facility, creation of 40 acres of wetlands, establishing new campgrounds and providing required contro & data acquisition for the entire system.

 

 

Hydro Electric Plant

It became evident in the early planning stages of the Tie-Hack Dam that the city possessed significant resources in the form of hydro- electric potential.  In 1995, States west conducted a feasibility study for the construction of a hydro-electric plant West of the city.  The  study revealed that a capitalization cost of $1,000 000 could yield revenues of $16 million dollars over the next 40 years.  This hydro-plant unit replaces the pressure reduction valves which eliminates nearly 300 psi in the system.  The reduction in pressure now operates the 225KW generator providing a year round supply of power to Pacific Corp Power Company.

The SCADA System

With regulator requirements to monitor and control such a wide array of sensitive equipment in an area that it not readily accessible throughout the winter months, the selection of an industrial hardened SCADA system was of paramount importance to the operation of the project.  In conjunction with KNS consultants of Denver, States West prepared the SCADA system specification & plans. The SCADA system would allow monitoring of Tie-Hack Dam for water level, discharge water quality and remote control 12" and 18" flow control valves.  in addition the SCADA system would serve as an early warning system for obstructions forming at the intake to the Hydro-Plant, the monitoring of the Hydro-Plant performance, as well as monitoring the City's finished water storage system, the following criteria were put forth.

* Remote terminal units must have proven reliability in extreme weather climates.
* Radios must have an excellent performance record and be capable of channel monitoring.
* The communications protocol must allow for report-by-exception monitoring.
* A single manufacturer for all components is preferable to reduce troubleshooting problems.
* The manufacturer should show a history of providing migration paths for upgrading to new technology.
* A system integrator with at least five years of proven experience is preferable.
* The SCADA system must demonstrate the ability to be expanded & modified at the local level.

After researching specifications and bid pricing, the City and Engineer selected the Motorola MOSCAD SCADA system.  The Motorola MOSCAD System met all of the listed criteria.  It has a track record of providing reliable service for many high-country water districts.  It has a sophisticated "Store & Forward" network communications protocol, and all the components are packaged by Motorola.  In addition, Motorola has a strong history of providing migration paths to new technology; several Rocky Mountain systems are still using 20 year old components!  In addition, with minimal training, operators are able to conduct routine & some emergency trouble shooting & repair.

A contract for the SCADA system was placed with Timber Line Electric & Control Corporation of Denver in June of 1997.  The requirements of the system presented several challenges to Timber Line ranging from providing reliable radio communications in harsh mountain terrain to interfacing to the complex Hydro-Electric Plant control system.  The flexibility and sophistication of tme Motorola MOSCAD system provided solutions for both of these issues.  Motorola's unique "Store & Forward" technology provided reliable radio coverage without the need for expensive repeaters and Motorola's adaptive protocol allowed a seamless interface to the Hydro-Electric Plant control system.  With the assistance of City Electric in Buffalo, Timber Line had 5 sites on-line by the middle of October.  The plant operators were impressed that the system worked on the first try!

An integrated modem support system allows for remote diagnostics and viewing of the entire system from City Hall and various other locations inside and outside the City.  Ken Gross, Buffalo's city manager, said "This is an extremely valuable management and control tool which will greatly aid in system oversight".  With expansion capabilities of up to 256 remote locations the City is already in the planning stages for monitoring additional pressure zones within their distribution system.

Terry Wilson from States West noted "With the ability to remotely monitor & control the system, we can provide our client with rapid & cost effective assistance and assure regulatory compliance".

The attention to detail shown in planning and selecting a SCADA system is part of what earned Buffalo their recognition for planning excellence.  If you would like an on-site tour of the MOSCAD system, contact Les at Buffalo or Randy at Timber Line (303)697-0440.

Article from the Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems "Quality On Tap" Winter 1998 publication.

Timber Line Electric & Control Corp.
17591 Hwy. 8, P.O. Box 793, Morrison, CO 80465-0793
Voice (303) 697-0440 Fax (303) 697-0450
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