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MCEER Establishes Electrical Utility Consortium

230 kV 3-phase disconnect switch being tested on the shake table at the University at Buffalo.

The newly established MCEER-Electrical Utility Consortium (EUC) was created in response to the needs of electrical utilities and focuses specifically on the seismic behavior of electrical substation equipment. The EUC was established through collaboration with and matching funds from the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI), which regroups electrical utilities in North America (US, Canada and Mexico). The Consortium is investigating unresolved issues related to the IEEE-693 Standard on Recommended Practice for Seismic Design of Substations.

MCEER Investigator Andrei Reinhorn and EUC Oversight Committee Chair Anshel Schiff discuss EUC projects.

Research work is being carried out at the University at Buffalo by MCEER investigators Andrei Reinhorn, Andre Filiatrault and Ph.D. student Dohwan Kong. The research focuses on shake table testing of large and potentially vulnerable substation equipment such as transformer bushings and disconnect switches. Testing of three electrical 230 kV disconnect switches has been completed to date, and more tests are planned in the near future. Also, shake table testing of a 500kV bushings is planned for Fall 2005.

A technical oversight committee, chaired by Dr. Anshel Schiff from Precision Measurement Instruments, sets overall strategy, goals and schedule for the EUC research program. The committee is composed of one representative from each participating utility. Dr. Schiff is well recognized for his expertise on the seismic qualification of electrical substation equipment..