Migration of Utility Network Tools to ArcGIS

ArcFM Environment

Background and Objectives

The client is an international energy services and delivery company based in Texas. Energy Services includes power generation, energy trading, marketing of energy and related services, while Energy Delivery covers local distribution of electricity and gas. The client is primarily an ESRI user with almost all the applications running on ArcGIS 8.X.

The project's primary focus has been to consolidate and standardize towards a single GIS solution throughout the different service divisions of the client in order to realize significant cost savings in data maintenance, training, and application development. The first phase included the conversion of electric connectivity tools from ArcGIS to ArcFM environment followed by the conversion of gas distribution data management tools from GE Smallworld to ArcFM/Geodatabase.

Key Aspects of the Project

• Review of existing applications at CPE
• Feasibility Study on ArcFM
• Study of Data Model and Workflow
• Existing GIS Setup and Need Analysis
• Understanding the Electrical & Gas Data Model and Distribution work flow and hence identifying the needs of Data management and automation tools
• User Interface / Methodology descriptions for developing such data management & automation tools
• User Needs Statement and Statement of Work (SOW) Documentation
• Designing the Geodatabase in consultation with customer or domain experts
• Defining Data relationships
• Defining the Data Verification & Validation Rules
• Design for the proposed Data management & Automation Tools
• Feasibility Analysis with respect to given Data Model Structure
• Database completeness verification
• High Level Design (Database, Architecture & External Interface Design)
• Low Level Design (Screen Navigation Diagrams)
• Construction / Migration
• QC & Verification
• Deployment of Geodatabase and related software at customer site

Services Rendered and Methodology

• System Study
  • Included study of client's workflow
  • Existing GIS setup of the client
  • Existing client custom application setup and functionalities
  • Roadmap of migration of client custom application to new ArcFM based environment
• SOW Analysis
  • Statement of Work Elicitation
  • Preparation of Statement of Work
  • SOW Reviews
  • System Test Case Preparation as applicable
  • Acceptance Test Case Preparation as applicable
• Design
  • Review of existing RCA code
  • Feasibility Study on ArcFM
  • High Level Design (Database, Architecture & External Interface Design)
  • Low Level Design (Screen Navigation Diagrams)
• Data Migration

Methodology

The custom application of the client consists of approximately 150 tools built in VB using Arc Objects. The application suite is used to query and update data in geodatabase using ArcSDE. The application consists of several tools, grouped in broad functional groups of electrical, gas and land-based functionality. Each tool performs a specific task. Migration of electric connectivity tools from ArcGIS custom application to ArcFM without changes to data model, retaining all feature classes and attribute data as such, with no changes (Figure: Automatic connection of selected transformer)

Migration of gas distribution tools from Smallworld to ArcFM/Geodatabase:
Gas distribution network and gas data requires continuous updating. This is essential for the true representation of the gas distribution network and hence for effective distribution. A set of relationships and rules exist that must be governed for every updation, as specified in the CPE Gas Data Model developed on top of ArcSDE.

The tools used for the auto validation and updation of gas objects include:

Bridge Editor:
This tool creates standardized bridge shape with parameters such as height, width and wing length of the bridge using inputs from the user.

Casing Geometry:
This tool is used to create/update the casing data of the gas distribution line. Using the user- entered parameters (like length and width) a casing geometry feature is created dynamically. After applying a set of "Auto-Update" rules, this feature is appended to the respective feature class in the geodatabase. It runs on the Arc FM environment

Asbestos Inspection:
Since inspections of the gas distribution network are frequent, this tool is used to update the details and data related to the latest inspection. The field crew provides an inspection report, which is attached to the respective inspection point features as attributes. It also allows the performance of analysis.

Pipe in Polygon:
This tool is used for clipping and measuring of the length and diameter of the pipes. Pipe in Polygon involves the application of specific set of rules:

• Gas Mains should be clipped at the polygon edges
• Length and Diameter of the Gas Mains inside the polygon must be measured

Reassign Repairs:
This tool is used to detach the selected mains that need repair. This also provides a facility to re-attach the selected gas objects and attaching orphan repairs to any gas objects. Point feature repairs and the line feature (gas main and gas service line) relationships are maintained and verified for the repair correction, before re-assigning to the gas objects in the Gas Distribution Network.

Print Current Objects:
This tool is used by the dispatcher to print the gas main and gas service line along with the repair details, required by the field crew for corrective maintenance. The output includes the print of the object attributes and the join object names and its attributes.

Plot Leak Survey:
This tool is used for batch plotting of leak survey areas. The orientation is determined from the shape of the leak survey area polygon and the appropriate plot template is automatically selected.

• Testing
  • System Testing
  • Integration Testing
  • Independent Testing
• Release
  • Package Preparation
  • User Manual/User Documentation as applicable

Tools Used

• ArcFM 8.2
• Oracle 8i
• ArcSDE 8.2
• ArcGIS 8.2
• Visual Basic 6.0