About the SES Conductor Database

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About the SES Conductor Database

The SES Conductor Database contains the electrical characteristics of a large number of conventional conductors, which can be exported in several locations where this information is needed in the SES software. The database categorizes the data into several classes of conductors, with the specifications of each conductor class listed in a detailed grid.
The database contains two types of classes: SES classes, which are predefined and cannot be modified, and user-defined classes, which can be modified. In user-defined classes, the individual characteristics of conductors can be changed and new conductors can be defined. Entire classes of conductors can be created or deleted.
The database is stored on disk as a collection of files with a file extension SCC (for SES Conductor Class). These files reside in the Databases\Conductor sub-folder of your SESSoftware installation folder.

Note:
This version of the SES Conductor Database uses a new file format for the database classes. The older format ("TRD") is still recognized, and can be imported into the new database.

For more information on the SES Conductor Database, please refer to the following related topics:
Types of Conductors in the Database describes the kind of information that is stored in the database.
Using the Conductor Database shows how to use the SES Conductor Database to manage conductor information.
Database Management Overview describes the various database-level management operations that are available.

Types of Conductors in the Database

The SES Conductor Database currently stores data for three different types of conductors:

Solid or Tubular Conductors: Contains the electrical parameters of standard solid conductors, including hollow conductors.

Stranded Conductors: Contains the electrical parameters of standard stranded conductors.

Rail Conductors: Contains the electrical parameters of common rail conductors.

In all cases, the information stored in the database is sufficient to allow a computation of the self impedance of those conductors and of the mutual impedances between them. This includes:

The inner and outer radius of the conductors, or their effective radius in the case of rails.

The number of strands, and their radius.

The resistivity and permeability of the material in the conductor, or an equivalent measure of those quantities, such as the DC resistance and the Geometric Mean Radius (GMR).

For the first two types of conductors, this information is static: you use the database simply to store and retrieve the electrical parameters. For the Rail-type conductors, however, the values of the electrical parameters can vary considerably depending on the amount of current flowing in the rail. In this case, the electrical parameters can be computed for any specified value of the current, as well as for three
different values of the frequency.

Initially, the SES Conductor Database contains several predefined conductor classes. The contents of these classes cannot be modified. You can, however, create new classes (or copy existing) ones. These new user-defined classes are editable: you can modify the properties of existing conductors of these classes, add some new conductors, delete some conductors, etc...

Using the Conductor Database

The SES Conductor Database is used from the CDEGS, Right-Of-Way, and AutoGrid Pro packages of SES to help define the characteristics of overhead and buried conductors. Typically, the database is made accessible through an Import From Database button. Clicking on this button brings the following screen:

This screen can be used to export the data of an existing conductor to the parent program (e.g., AutoGrid Pro, Right-Of-Way, CDEGS, ...), and to edit existing conductor information or add new conductors to user-defined database classes. It can also be used to initiate several database management operations (creating a class, copying a class, deleting a class, importing data into a class, etc...). See the topic
The Conductor Database Screen for more details.

In the TRALIN program of Input Toolbox as well as in the Right-Of-Way program, the SES Conductor Database is also used to edit or view the characteristics of conductors. This is typically done through a View / Edit Data or a Specify Data option, which brings the following screen:

This screen is used to specify the characteristics of a single conductor. See the topic The Conductor Specification Screen for more details.

Consult the following topics for more information:

Exporting a Conductor
Editing a Conductor
Deleting a Conductor
Creating a New Conductor
Database Management Overview

Exporting a Conductor
When exporting a conductor, the electrical parameters of that conductor that are relevant to the parent program are transferred to that program.

To Export a conductor from the database:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Select the desired conductor class from the Conductor Class drop-down menu.
3. (Optional) If the selected class is for Rail-type conductors, select the frequency at which the parameters are going to be used from the Frequency drop-down menu, type a value for the Current, then click on Apply. The program will re-calculate the electrical parameters for all entries in the Conductors grid. Note that you do not need this step if the initial values for the Current and Frequency are
suitable.
4. Select a conductor from the Conductors grid by clicking on any cell in the grid row displaying that conductor. The selected conductor is shown by a

icon to the left of the corresponding row in the grid.

5. Click on Export. The electrical parameters for the selected conductor are exported to the parent program, and the screen is closed.

Editing a Conductor
You can edit the electrical parameters of conductors that are stored in user-defined classes.

To Edit a conductor:
1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Select the name of the conductor class containing the conductor you wish to edit from the Conductor Class drop-down menu.
3. Select a conductor from the Conductors grid by clicking on any cell in the grid row displaying that conductor. The selected conductor is shown by a

icon to the left of the corresponding row in the grid.

4. Click on Edit. This loads the Conductor Specification screen that allows you to modify the characteristics of the conductor.

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Click on OK in the Conductor Database screen to confirm the changes.

Deleting a Conductor
You can delete conductors from any user-defined conductor database class.

To Delete a conductor from a class:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Select the desired conductor class from the Conductor Class drop-down menu.
3. Highlight the conductor(s) to be deleted in the Conductors grid. See the topic Selecting and Highlighting Conductors for details.
4. Click on Delete. After confirmation, the data for the highlighted conductors is removed from the selected class.
5. Click on OK in the Conductor Database screen to confirm the changes.

Creating a New Conductor

You can create new conductors in user-defined classes by entering the data from scratch, or by copying the data from existing conductors from the same or a different class.

To create a new conductor from scratch:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Select the conductor class in which to create the new conductor from the Conductor Class drop-down menu.
3. Click on New. This loads the Conductor Specification screen that allows you to specify the characteristics of the new conductor.

To create a copy of an existing conductor (or of several conductors):

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Select the conductor class containing the conductor(s) to be copied.
3. Select the conductor(s) to be copied from the Conductors grid. To select more than one conductor, use the Ctrl and Shift keys.
4. Click on Add to Database to load the Add to Database screen. This screen allows you to select the name of the class in which to create a copy of the selected conductor(s). See The Add to Database Screen for more information on the behavior of that screen.

Click on OK in the Conductor Database screen to confirm the changes.

Customizing the Display

You can customize the type of information that is displayed in the Conductors grid of the Conductor Database screen. The information can be customized on a class by class basis.

To customize the display of a class:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Select the conductor class whose display is to be customized from the Conductor Class drop-down menu.
3. Click on Customize. In the resulting screen, the displayed fields appear under Selected Data Fields and the hidden ones under Available Data Fields. Transfer the field names from one column to the other as needed. The changes take effect as soon as you click OK in this screen. See The Customize Display Screen for more details on the behavior of that screen.

Database Management Overview

Several operations can be carried out on the classes in the SES Conductor Database. You can create new classes, delete or rename existing classes, and import data into existing classes. These operations are regrouped in the Database Management screen. Click the Advanced button to go to the Database Management screen from the Conductor Database screen.

Consult the following topics for more information:

Creating a New Class
Creating a Copy of a Class
Renaming a Class
Deleting a Class
Converting an Older Conductor Database
Importing Conductor Data
Exporting a Class

Creating a New Class

The databases classes provided by SES cannot be edited. You can save your own data in the SES Conductor Database by creating a new class or by copying an existing class.

To create a new database class:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Click on Advanced. This loads the Database Management screen.
3. Choose New Class under Select Database Operation.
4. Type a unique class name in New Conductor Class Name, then specify the Frequency and Temperature at which the data was collected, and the Conductor Type that the new class is to contain.
5. Click OK. A new, empty class is created.

Creating a Copy of a Class

The databases classes provided by SES cannot be edited. You can save your own data in the SES Conductor Database by creating a new class or by copying an existing class.

To create a copy of an existing database class:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Click on Advanced. This loads the Database Management screen.
3. Choose Copy Class under Select Database Operation.
4. Select the name of the class to copy from the Reference Conductor Class Name drop-down menu. You can select either an SES class or a user-defined class.
5. Type a unique class name for the new class in New Conductor Class Name.
6. Click OK. A new class is created containing copies of all the conductors that were found in the original class. The contents of this new class can now be edited.

Renaming a Class
To rename an existing user-defined database class:
1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Click on Advanced. This loads the Database Management screen.
3. Choose Rename Class under Select Database Operation.
4. Select the name of the class to rename from the Reference Conductor Class Name drop-down menu. Only the user-defined classes are available from this menu.
5. Type a unique class name for the new class in New Conductor Class Name.
6. Click OK. The original class is renamed.

Note:
This operation may cause some problems if a program maintained a reference to a conductor of that class. After renaming the class, the conductor will not be found at the expected location in the database. Only the association to the database will be lost, however: the data will be correctly preserved.

Deleting a Class
To delete an existing user-defined database class:
1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Click on Advanced. This loads the Database Management screen.
3. Choose Delete Class under Select Database Operation.
4. Select the name of the class to delete from the Reference Conductor Class Name drop-down menu. Only the user-defined classes are available from this menu and can be deleted.
5. Click OK. After confirmation, the original class is deleted.

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Notes:
1. This operation may cause some problems if a program maintained a reference to a conductor of that class. After renaming the class, the conductor will not be found at the expected location in the database. Only the association to the database will be lost, however: the data will be correctly preserved.
2. The deleted class is permanently deleted from its location on disk, and cannot be recovered.

Converting an Older Conductor Database

You may already have some conductor data stored in a user-defined class of an older version of the SES Conductor Database that you wish to import into the current conductor database. This operation creates a new class in the SES Conductor Database containing the imported definitions of the conductors from the older class.

To import the data from an older version of the SES Conductor Database:
1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Click on Advanced. This loads the Database Management screen.
3. Choose Convert under Select Database Operation.
4. In the Old Database field, type the name of the file containing the old conductor database class to convert, or browse to it using the ... button. These files have a TRD extension, and can be found in the CDEGS installation folder of older CDEGS installations.
5. Type a unique class name for the new class in New Conductor Class Name.
6. Click OK. The old class is imported and the new class is created.

Note:
The new SES Conductor Database has stricter requirements than the old one regarding the validity of the data it stores. When converting an older class, you may be prompted to fix certain problems found in the older class.

Importing Conductor Data

You can import the electrical parameter data for conductors stored into a text file into a new class. The conductor data in the text file should be written in columns, and can contain an optional header.

To import conductor data from a text file:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Click on Advanced. This loads the Database Management screen.
3. Choose Import from Foreign Database under Select Database Operation.
4. Click OK. This starts the Foreign Database Wizard that guides you through the import process. Click Next on the Welcome screen.
5. Define the name of the file to import under Foreign Database Name and type a unique name for the new class under New Conductor Class Name (or accept the program's suggestion). Click Next.
6. Define the structure of the file to import. You can specify the number of lines to skip at the top of the files (Number of Header Lines), the delimiter used to separate the columns in the file (Delimiter Selection), and the Conductor Type contained in the file, as well as the Units of the data and the Current, Temperature and Frequency at which the data was obtained. Click Next.
7. Map the columns of the file to the fields supported in the SES Conductor Database. Every column in the imported file (shown in the Specified Foreign Database Fields list) should be mapped to one field of the Standard SES Conductor Fields. Use Ignore Column if you a want to skip over a column of the imported file. Click Next.
8. Click Finish. The file is imported and the new class is created.

Exporting a Class
You can export the electrical parameter data for conductors stored in a class of the SES Conductor Database into a simple text format for use by other programs.

To export the conductor data into a text file:

1. Load the Conductor Database screen. This is typically done through an Import From Database button in the parent program.
2. Click on Advanced. This loads the Database Management screen.
3. Choose Export to Text File under Select Database Operation.
4. Select the name of the class to export from the Reference Conductor Class Name drop-down menu.
5. Define the name of the file in which to export the data under Text File Name (or accept the program's suggestion).
6. Click OK. The data from the selected class is exported to the specified file.

The Conductor Database Screen

This screen gives you access to the SES Conductor Database. You can use it to view the data of existing conductors, export conductor data to the parent program (e.g., AutoGrid Pro, Right-Of-Way, CDEGS, ...) or to initiate several database management operations. The functions available on this screen are described below.

General Data
Conductor Class: Selects a conductor class from a list of existing classes. When a class is selected from this list, the data for all conductors belonging to the class are shown in the Conductors grid. The classes are divided into two categories: the SES classes, whose content cannot be modified and the User-Defined classes, which can be modified at will.
Conductor Class Locked: This check-box is checked when the selected conductor class is an SES class, to indicate that it cannot be modified; conversely, it isn't checked for a user-defined class, to indicate that it can be modified. The status of this check-box is set automatically by the program, and cannot be modified.
Units: Selects the system of units used to display the data in the Conductors grid. Two options are available:

Metric: The data is displayed using the metric system of units, with the conductor radii expressed in centimeters.

Imperial: The data is displayed using the Imperial system of units, with the conductor radii expressed in inches.

Note that this choice of units doesn't affect the numerical value of the data exported to the parent program when clicking Export. The latter is always determined by the system of units used in the parent program.

Conductors Grid
Displays the data for the conductors in the selected class. The individual conductors are identified by their Conductor Name (see Conductor Naming Conventions for details). The remaining fields can be customized; see Customizing the Display.

Class Attributes
Current <Real value, Valid range of values = (0, ...], Default = 100>: Specifies the value of the current (in Ampere) to use when computing the electrical parameters of the conductors. (The parameters are computed after clicking on Apply.) This field is available only when the selected conductor class contains Rail-type conductors.
Frequency: The behavior of this field differs depending on whether the selected conductor class contains Rail-type conductors or other types of conductors. For Rail-type conductors, this field is a drop-down menu that allows you to select the frequency (in Hz) at which the electrical parameters should be computed. (The parameters are computed after clicking on Apply.) For other types of conductors, this
field displays the frequency (in Hz) for which the data applies, and cannot be modified.
Temperature: Displays the temperature (in Celsius) for which the data applies. This field cannot be modified.
Apply: Refreshes the data displayed in the Conductors grid by computing it based on the specified Current and Frequency values. This option is available only when the selected conductor class contains Rail-type conductors.

Operations on Individual Conductors

Selecting a Conductor: To select a conductor from the Conductors grid, click on any cell in the row for that conductor. The selected conductor is shown by a

icon to the left of the corresponding row in the grid. Most of the operations below always apply to the selected conductor.

New: Adds a new conductor to the selected class. This loads the Conductor Specification screen (initially blank) that allows you to specify the characteristics of the new conductor. This option is available only when the selected class is a user-defined class.
View: Views the characteristics of the currently selected conductor. This loads the Conductor Specification screen (initialized with the characteristics of the selected conductor) that allows you to view the characteristics of the conductor. This option is available only when the selected class is an SES class. When the selected class is a user-defined class, this option is replaced by the Edit option.
Edit: Edits the characteristics of the currently selected conductor. This loads the Conductor Specification screen (initialized with the characteristics of the selected conductor) that allows you to edit the characteristics of the conductor. This option is available only when the selected class is a user-defined class. When the selected class is an SES class, this option is replaced by the View option. Note that you
can also edit the characteristics of the conductors directly in the Conductors grid by typing or selecting the desired value in the grid cells.
Delete: Deletes the currently selected conductor from the currently selected class. This option is available only when the selected class is a user-defined class.
Export: Exports the data for the selected conductor to the parent program.
Display: Displays a schematic drawing of the currently selected conductor.

Management Operations
Settings: Loads the Settings screen, allowing you to specify some general settings controlling the behavior of the SES Conductor Database.
Add to Database: Copies the currently highlighted conductors to another database. This brings the Add to Database screen that allows you to specify a database class (either an existing one or a new one) in which to copy the highlighted conductors.
Customize: Loads the Customize Display dialog that allows you to define which fields are displayed in the Conductors grid.
Advanced: Loads the Database Management screen that allows you to perform several operations on the database, such as creating, renaming or deleting classes, or importing / exporting data from a class.

The Conductor Specification Screen

This screen allows you to edit the characteristics of conductors that are part of the SES Conductor Database, or to add new conductors to the database. It is also used in some programs (the TRALIN program of CDEGS and Right-Of-Way) to edit the characteristics of conductors that are not part of the conductor database.

Conductor Identification and Type

Conductor Class Name: Name of the conductor database class containing the edited conductor, or that is to contain the new conductor. This field cannot be edited.
Conductor Name <Alphanumeric string>: Alphanumeric name for the conductor used to identify the conductor in the database. It must be unique within its class, and may contain blanks. The conductor name can contain at most 40 characters.
Conductor Type: Identifies the type of the conductor. Two options are available:

Solid or Tubular Conductor: The conductor is a simple solid or hollow conductor. When this option is selected, the Stranded Conductor Data doesn't have to be specified.

Stranded Conductor: The conductor is a stranded conductor. When this option is selected, the Stranded Conductor Data should be specified, and the Conductor Inner Radius is ignored.

Basic Conductor Data

Cross Section <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Defines the cross section area covered by the metallic part of the conductor. This is used only to help identify the conductor, and is not used in calculations. You can choose to specify the cross section area in one of two different unit systems:

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kcmil: The cross section area is specified in kcmil.

2
mm : The cross section area is specified in square mm.

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Whenever the cross section is specified for one type of units, the other is automatically recomputed.
Conductor Outer Radius <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Outer radius of conductor (in centimeters or inches). The outer radius specified here represents the outer metallic surface of the conductor.
Conductor Inner Radius <Real value, Valid range of values = (0,...]>: Inner radius of a hollow conductor (in centimeters or inches). The inner radius can be specified only for Solid or Tubular Conductors. A value of 0 can be specified to define a solid conductor.

Stranded Conductor Data

Number of Outer Strands <Integer value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Specifies the number of outer strands in the conductor (e.g., number of aluminum strands in an ACSR conductor). If the conductor is made of only one material, specify the total number of strands.
Outer Strand Radius <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Radius of the outer strands of the conductor (in centimeters or inches).
Core Radius <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Distance from center of conductor to the innermost perimeter of the innermost outer strand layer, i.e., core radius (in centimeters or inches). For example, for an ACSR conductor, this would be the radius of the steel portion of the conductor; for a conductor made of only one material, specify zero.
Number of Core Strands <Integer value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Optional. This value is used to help identify the conductor type in the database and is not used in calculations.
Core Strand Radius <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Optional. This value is used to help identify the conductor type in the database and is not used in calculations. (in centimeters or inches).

Impedance Computation Method

Real Part
Click on one of the three radio buttons to indicate what type of data is being entered for the calculation of the internal resistance of the conductor, and then enter the corresponding value:
Relative Resistivity <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: This is the relative conductor resistivity (relative to annealed copper, 1.7241 E-08 ohm-m).
Rdc <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: DC resistance of the conductor in ohms/mile or ohms/km.
Rac <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: AC resistance of the conductor in ohms/mile or ohms/km. This resistance value should correspond to the specified power system frequency.

Imaginary Part
Click on one of the three radio buttons to indicate what type of data is being entered for the calculation of the internal reactance of the conductor, then enter the corresponding value:
Relative Permeability <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Relative permeability of the conductor (relative to free space, 1.2566 E-06 henries/m).
GMR <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Geometric mean radius of the conductor. In meters or feet.
X (1ft.) <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: 60 Hz reactance at 1 ft spacing of the conductor. In ohms/mile or ohms/km.

Other Data
Units: Selects the system of units used to display the data in the screen. Two options are available:

Metric: The data is displayed using the metric system of units, with the conductor radii expressed in centimeters.

Imperial: The data is displayed using the Imperial system of units, with the conductor radii expressed in inches.

Reference Picture Name <Alphanumeric string>: (Optional) Filename of a picture file to be associated with the conductor. Click the ... button to browse to a file.

The Edit Button

An Edit button is sometimes available in this screen when editing / viewing the conductor data directly from the parent program (as in the TRALIN program of CDEGS, and in Right-Of-Way). This happens when editing the characteristics of a conductor that was previously exported from an SES class of the conductor database. By default, the characteristics are not editable in this case. Click on this
button to edit the characteristics displayed in the screen; the link with the database will then be broken, and the data will be saved only to your input file.

Internal Impedance
The internal impedance corresponding to the data specified on the screen is displayed as read-only information in this section. The internal impedance is computed at the specified Frequency. The internal resistance and reactance values can be copied.
Frequency <Real value, Valid range of values =(0,)>: Frequency (in Hz) at which the internal impedance is to be computed.
Resistance: Conductor internal resistance, in ohms/mile or ohms/km.
Reactance: Conductor internal reactance, in ohms/mile or ohms/km.

The Add To Database Screen

This screen is used to select a new or existing database class in which highlighted conductors are to be added.

Add Conductors To: Selects whether the conductors are added to a new or to an existing class. Two options are available:

New Conductor Class: The conductors are added to a new class. When this option is selected, the fields in the Reference Conductor Class frame allow you to define the properties of the new class.

Existing Conductor Class: The conductors are added to an existing class. When this option is selected, the fields in the Reference Conductor Class allow you to select the class in which the conductors should be added, and describe the properties of that class.

Reference Conductor Class

New Conductor Class Name <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the name of the new database class in which the highlighted conductors should be added. This field is available only when the New Conductor Class option is selected.
Existing Conductor Class Name: This drop-down menu allows you to select the name of an existing class in which the highlighted conductors should be added. This field is available only when the Existing Conductor Class option is selected. This menu allows you to select only user-defined classes.
Current: Displays the value of the current (in Ampere) used for Rail-type conductors. This field is currently not available.
Frequency <Real value, Valid range of values = [0,...]>: Displays or defines the frequency (in Hz) for which the data stored in this class applies. This field can be modified only when the New Conductor Class option is selected.
Temperature <Real value, Valid range of values = [-273,...]>: Displays or defines the temperature (in Celsius) for which the data stored in this class applies. This field can be modified only when the New Conductor Class option is selected.

The Customize Display Screen

This screen allows you to select which fields should be shown in the Conductors grid of the Conductor Database screen. The fields can be customized independently for all conductor classes. The displayed fields appear under Selected Data Fields and the hidden ones under Available Data Fields. Transfer the field names from one column to the other as needed.

The following buttons are available to help transfer the field names between the Selected Data Fields list and the Available Data Fields list:
>: Transfers the currently selected field name from the Available Data Fields list to the Selected Data Fields list.
>>: Transfers all field names from the Available Data Fields list to the Selected Data Fields list.
<: Transfers the currently selected field name from the Selected Data Fields list to the Available Data Fields list.
>>: Transfers all field names from the Selected Data Fields list to the Available Data Fields list.

Use these settings for all conductor classes: Check this option if you want the settings defined in this screen to apply to all classes of the SES Conductor Database.

The ordering of the fields in the lists is not related to the ordering of the columns in the Conductors grid. The latter is fixed, as described in Location of Fields in Conductors Grid.

Note:
The Conductor Name field must be selected, and cannot be transferred from the Selected Data Fields list to the Available Data Fields list.

The Settings Screen

This screen is used to specify preferences regarding the behavior of the screens in the SES Conductor database component, in particular as regards messages issued by the program. The screen is divided into three tabs: General, Edit, and Database Management.

General
This tab contains general options applicable to all screens of the SES Conductor Database.

Give an estimate of the cross-section area when none is specified: Check this option if you want the program to provide an estimate of the cross-section area (MCM) of a conductor when you do not specify any. The cross-section is estimated from the specified inner and outer radius in the case of a solid conductor, and from the strand information in the case of a stranded conductor.

Edit
This tab contains options applicable to the Conductor Specification screen.

Cancel Changes: Controls the behavior of the Cancel button when changes were made to the screen. There are three options:

Prompt me: When using this option, you are prompted to confirm the cancellation whenever you click on the Cancel button.

Exit without saving: When using this option, the screen closes without saving and without any confirmation whenever you click on the Cancel button.

Disable the Cancel function: When using this option, clicking on the Cancel button has no effect.

Edit a conductor imported from the SES Conductor Database: In the TRALIN program of Input Toolbox as well as in Right-Of-Way, when you edit a conductor that is part of a SES class in the SES Conductor Database, the link with the database is broken. This option controls the behavior of the program when this happens. There are three options:

Prompt me: When using this option, you are prompted to confirm when clicking on the Edit button before the link to the database is broken.

Enable: When using this option, you are not prompted to confirm when clicking on the Edit button; the link to the database is immediately broken.

Disable: When using this option, clicking on the Edit button has no effect; it is impossible to edit a conductor that is stored in a SES class.

Save a modified conductor to the database from which it was imported: In the TRALIN program of Input Toolbox as well as in Right-Of-Way, when you edit a conductor that is part of a user-defined class in the SES Conductor Database, you can automatically update the conductor data in the database with your changes. This option controls the behavior of the program when this happens. There are three
options:

Prompt me: When using this option, you are prompted to save the changes to the database when you click on the OK button.

Save: When using this option, the changes are automatically saved to the database when you click on the OK button.

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Disable: When using this option, the changes are not saved to the database when you click on the OK button.

Database Management
This tab contains options applicable to the Database Management screen.

When an error occurs while converting a conductor class: Controls the behavior of the program when erroneous data is encountered while converting an older SES Conductor Database class (TRD file) to the new format. There are three options:

Prompt me: When using this option, you are prompted to either stop or continue the conversion.

Continue converting the other conductors: When using this option, all valid conductors are converted. You are not prompted for the presence of invalid conductors.

Stop converting the class: When using this option, the conversion process stops the moment some invalid data is encountered.

If the source and target attributes are different: Controls the behavior of the program when attempting to add conductors to a class (through the Add to Database function) which has different attributes (temperature, frequency, and current) than those of the conductors. There are three options:

Prompt me: When using this option, you are prompted to confirm the operation when you click on the Add to Database button.

Add them anyway: When using this option, the conductors are added to the class without confirmation.

Don't add: When using this option, the conductors are not added to the class.

Note:
If you accept to add the conductors, they will inherit the attributes of the class they are added to.

Duplicate conductor name: Controls the behavior of the program when duplicate conductor names are encountered during a Convert or an Import from Foreign Database operation.

Prompt me: When using this option, you are prompted to provide a name, or to accept the supplied default name.

Automatically create another conductor name: When using this option, the program automatically renames the conductor by appending a dash (-) followed by a number so as to make it unique.

The Database Management Screen

This screen is used to carry out several operations on the SES Conductor Database, such as creating new classes, deleting or renaming existing classes, and importing data into existing classes. The screen is divided into two parts: the Select Database Operation panel, which allows you to select the desired operation and the remainder of the screen, which is used to identify the desired database class(es),
and to specify their attributes.

The operations available in this screen are:

New Class: Select this option to create a new class.

Delete Class: Select this option to delete an existing class.

Rename Class: Select this option to rename an existing class.

Export to Text File: Select this option to export the conductor data from an existing class into a text file.

Copy Class: Select this option to create a new class that is a copy of an existing class.

Convert: Select this option to convert a database class saved in the older format (TRD) of the SES Conductor database to the new format.

Import from Foreign Database: Select this option to import conductor data from an external source into a new class. This starts the Foreign Database Wizard, which guides you through the steps required to import a file containing the data.

The behavior of the buttons is as follows:

Apply: Carries out the selected operation using the data defined on screen. At the end of the operation, the screen remains available for further operations. In the case of Import from Foreign Database, this actually starts the Foreign Database Wizard. Control returns to this screen only after completion of the wizard.
OK: Does the same thing as Apply, then closes the screen.
Cancel: Closes the screen without carrying out the selected operation. Note that this doesn't cancel any operation that was previously performed using Apply.

The New Class Operation

Use this operation (part of the Database Management screen) to rename an existing user-defined class of the SES Conductor Database.

New Conductor Class Name <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the name of the new database class to be created. Type a unique name in this field. This name should be a valid name for a file.

Database Attributes
Current: Defines the value of the current (in Ampere) used for Rail-type conductors. This field is currently not available.
Frequency: <Real value, Valid range of values = (0,...]>: Defines the frequency (in Hz) for which the data stored in the class to be created applies. Select one of the pre-defined values, or select Specify Value and type in any other value.
Temperature: <Real value, Valid range of values = [-273,...]>: Defines the temperature (in Celsius) for which the data stored in the class to be created applies. Select one of the pre-defined values, or select Specify Value and type in any other value.
Conductor Type: Defines the default type of conductor that the database class to be created will store. Two options are available:

Solid: The new class will contain solid conductors.

Stranded: The new class will contain stranded conductors.

The Delete Class Operation

Use this operation (part of the Database Management screen) to delete an existing user-defined class from the SES Conductor Database.

Reference Conductor Class Name: Use this drop down menu to select the name of a class to delete. This menu contains only user-defined classes.

Note:
The deleted class is permanently removed from disk, and cannot be recovered.

The Rename Class Operation

Use this operation (part of the Database Management screen) to add a new, empty class to the SES Conductor Database.

Reference Conductor Class Name: Use this drop down menu to select the name of a class to rename. This menu contains only user-defined classes.
New Conductor Class Name <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the new name of the selected class. Type a unique name in this field. This name should be a valid name for a file.

The Export to Text File Operation

Use this operation (part of the Database Management screen) to export the data of an existing conductor class of the SES Conductor Database to a text file. All of the data from the class is exported. Each conductor in the class is saved on a single line, with the data fields separated by a ":". See The File Format for Exported Data for more details.

Reference Conductor Class Name: Use this drop down menu to select the name of a class to export.
Text File Name <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the name of the file in which the data for the selected class should be exported. Type a valid file name in this field, or accept the program's suggestion.

The Copy Class Operation

Use this operation (part of the Database Management screen) to create a new class that contains a copy of all the conductor data stored in an existing class of the SES Conductor Database.

Reference Conductor Class Name: Use this drop down menu to select the name of a class to copy.
New Conductor Class Name <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the name of the new class that should become a copy of the selected class. Type a unique name in this field. This name should be a valid name for a file.

The Convert Operation

Use this operation (part of the Database Management screen) to import the data from an older SES Conductor Database class to a new class in the new format.

Old Database Class Name: Type the name of the file storing the old database class. These files are located in older CDEGS installation folders, and have an extension TRD. Use the ... button to select the file with a browser.
New Conductor Class Name <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the name of the new database class that is to contain the converted data. Type a unique name in this field, or accept the program's suggestion. This name should be a valid name for a file.

The Foreign Database Wizard

This screen is the starting point of the Foreign Database Wizard. This wizard guides you through a 4-step process that allows you to import conductor data stored in text files into a new class in the SES Conductor Database.

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Step 1 - Identification: Identify the file containing the data to import and the name of the new class to create.
Step 2 - Import Options: Define the characteristics of the format of the file to import, as well as the attributes of the class to be created.
Step 3 - Field Selection: Map each column of the imported file to one of the supported fields for the SES Conductor Database class.
Step 4 - Conclusion: Complete the import operation.

The text file to be imported should be in the format described in The File Format for Foreign Databases.

The behavior of the buttons is as follows:

Next: Moves to the next step of the wizard
Back: Returns to the previous step of the wizard.
Finish: Completes the import operation. This can only be done once all the necessary data has been specified.
Cancel: Cancels the import operation.

Step 1 - Identification
In this step of the Foreign Database Wizard, you should specify the name of the text file to import and the name of the new database class that should be created to store the data from the imported file.

Foreign Database Name <Alphanumeric string>: Type the name of the foreign database file to import, or use the Browse button to navigate to the file. The file should be in a specific format, as described in the topic The File Format for Foreign Databases.
New Conductor Class Name <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the name of the new database class to be created. Type a unique name in this field, or accept the program's suggestion. This name should be a valid name for a file.

Step 2 - Import Options

In this step of the Foreign Database Wizard, you should specify the characteristics of the format of the text file to import as well as the attributes of the new database class that should be created to store the data from the imported file.

File Format Characteristics

Defines the characteristics of the format of the file to be imported. See the topic The File Format for Foreign Databases for more details about the supported format.
Number of Header Lines <Integer value, Valid range of values = (0,...], Default = 0>: Defines the number of lines to skip at the top of the file. All lines that do not represent conductor data in column format should be skipped.
Is there a line that represents SES conductor fields name?: Set this to Yes if the file includes a line identifying the field names stored in each column right above the first data line. Note that if this line is present, it should not be counted in the lines to be skipped defined under Number of Header Lines.
Delimiter Selection <Alphanumeric string>: Defines the delimiter used to separate the columns of data in the imported file. Select one of the predefined choices, or select Other and type the delimiter.

Database Attributes
Defines the attributes of the new class created to store the imported data.
Current <Real value>: Defines the value of the current (in Ampere) for which the imported data applies.
Frequency <Real value, Valid range of values = (0,...]>: Defines the frequency (in Hz) for which the imported data applies.
Temperature <Real value, Valid range of values = [-273,...]>: Defines the temperature (in Celsius) for which the imported data applies.
Units: Defines the units in which the data is stored in the file to be imported. Tow options are available:

Metric: The data is stored in the metric system of units, with the conductor radii expressed in centimeters.

Imperial: The data is stored in the Imperial system of units, with the conductor radii expressed in inches.

Conductor Type: Defines the default type of conductor that the database class to be created will store. Two options are available:

Solid: The new class will contain solid conductors.

Stranded: The new class will contain stranded conductors.

Step 3 - Field Selection

In this step of the Foreign Database Wizard, you should identify which type of data is stored in each column of the foreign database file. The Standard SES Conductor Fields list shows all the fields of a SES Conductor Database class that have not been assigned to a column of the imported database yet, and the Specified Foreign Database Fields shows the list of fields assigned to a column.
The assignment of fields to a column in the Specified Foreign Database Fields list follows the order of specification in the list: the first field in the list is assigned to the first column in the imported file, the second field in the list is assigned to the second column in the file, etc... The total number of entries in this list should therefore be equal to the total number of columns in the imported file.
To skip a column in the imported file (i.e., not assign it to any data field in the SES Conductor Database class) use the field name Ignore Column. This field name is the only one that can be repeated in the list.
Note that the field assignment is done automatically if the imported database file contains a special field identification line just above the first data line. Consult the topic The File Format for Foreign Databases for more details on the format of the imported foreign database, and for the definition of the field names.

The following buttons are available to help assign fields from the Standard SES Conductor Fields list to the Specified Foreign Database Fields list:
>: Transfers the currently selected field name from the Standard SES Conductor Fields list to the Specified Foreign Database Fields list. The field name is added at the end of the Specified Foreign Database Fields list. Use the up and down arrow buttons to move it to its proper location.
>>: Transfers all field names from the Standard SES Conductor Fields list to the Specified Foreign Database Fields list. The field names are added at the end of the Specified Foreign Database Fields list. Use the up and down arrow buttons to move them to their proper location.
<: Transfers the currently selected field name from the Specified Foreign Database Fields list to the Standard SES Conductor Fields list. The field name is added at the end of the Standard SES Conductor Fields list.
>>: Transfers all field names from the Specified Foreign Database Fields list to the Standard SES Conductor Fields list. The field names are added at the end of the Standard SES Conductor Fields list.
: Moves the currently selected field name up in the Specified Foreign Database Fields list.
: Moves the currently selected field name down in the Specified Foreign Database Fields list.

Step 4 - Conclusion
This is the last step of the Foreign Database Wizard. Click Finish to complete the import operation.

Save the Current Settings: Check this option if you want the information defined in the other steps of the wizard to be reused the next time you use this wizard.

Conductor Naming Conventions

The names used to identify the conductors in the SES classes of the SES Conductor Database are the standard names of the conductors, whenever possible. One exception is for the Pipes-Steel class. For this class, the name is constructed out of the values for the diameter and wall thickness schedules of the pipes.
The pipe sizes and pipe wall thickness schedules are based on American Standard ASA-B36.10 and B36.19, which are applicable for carbon steel. The relative resistivity and permeability for carbon steel are 10 (with respect to copper) and 300 (with respect to free space), respectively.

The Conductor Name in the database consists of two fields: the Nominal Pipe Diameter followed by the Wall Thickness Schedule.

Note that in the field for the Wall Thickness Schedule, ES = Extra Strong, STD=Standard, and DES = XX Strong.

Selecting and Highlighting Conductors

All operations in the Conductor Database screen apply either to the selected conductor, or to the highlighted conductor(s).

The selected conductor is the conductor identified by a

icon to the left of the corresponding row in the Conductors grid. There can be only one selected conductor. The highlighted conductors are identified by a different background color for all cells of the corresponding row. There can be several highlighted conductors, and they need not form a contiguous block.

To select a conductor from the Conductors grid, simply click on any cell of the row corresponding to that conductor in the grid.

To highlight a conductor in the Conductors grid, click on the left-most cell of the row corresponding to that conductor in the grid. To highlight several conductors in the Conductors grid, press the Shift or Ctrl key while highlighting a conductor. Pressing the Shift key extends the highlighted range to form a block. Pressing the Ctrl key toggles the highlight of the row on or off.

Location of Fields in Conductors Grid

The Conductors grid in the Conductor Database screen is separated into three regions, the Conductor Fields, the Real Part and the Imaginary Part. Each region always contains the same fields, although you may choose to hide some of those fields using the Customize Display dialog. Each region is equipped with its own horizontal scroll-bar to allow you to view any field that cannot fit in the current view.
The regions can be resized by dragging the handle bar located between the scroll-bars.

The following fields are available:

Conductor Fields
Conductor Name: Alphanumeric name for the conductor used to identify the conductor in the database.
Cross Section (kcmil): Cross section area covered by the metallic part of the conductor, in kcmil.
Cross Section (mm2): Cross section area covered by the metallic part of the conductor, in square millimeters.
Conductor Outer Radius: Outer radius of conductor (in centimeters or inches).
Core Radius: Inner radius of a hollow conductor or distance from center of conductor to the innermost perimeter of the innermost outer strand layer for a stranded conductor (in centimeters or inches).
Number of Outer Strands: Number of outer strands in the conductor.
Outer Strand Radius: Radius of the outer strands of the conductor (in centimeters or inches).

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Number of Inner Strands: Number of inner strands in the conductor.

Inner Strand Radius: Radius of the inner strands of the conductor (in centimeters or inches).
Picture Name: Name of the file storing the picture representing this conductor.

Real Part
Rho: Relative conductor resistivity (relative to annealed copper, 1.7241 E-08 ohm-m)
Rdc: DC resistance of the conductor in ohms/mile or ohms/km.
Rac: AC resistance of the conductor in ohms/mile or ohms/km.
Resistance Flag: Specifies which of the above three values is used in the calculations.

Imaginary Part
: Relative permeability of the conductor (relative to free space, 1.2566 E-06 henries/m).
GMR: Geometric mean radius of the conductor (in meters or feet).
X 1ft: 60 Hz reactance at 1 ft spacing of the conductor (in ohms/mile or ohms/km).
Reactance Flag: Specifies which of the above three values is used in the calculations.

The File Format for Foreign Databases

In the Import from Foreign Database operation, the foreign database is assumed to conform to a rather strict format. This topic describes the supported format.

The imported file can consist of three sections:

The header: This part can contain any number of lines (including zero), and any data whatsoever. It is ignored when the data is imported. You must provide the total number of lines contained in the header of the imported file to the Foreign Database Import Wizard.

A field identification line: This optional line contains the names of the fields that should be associated with the data in the corresponding columns. If this line is not specified, you have to provide a mapping of the field names to the data columns in the Foreign Database Import Wizard.

The conductor data: Any number of lines, each containing the data for one conductor. The data should be in columns, as described below.

The columns of data (and the fields in the field identification line, if it is present) should be separated by a delimiter. Any delimiter that uniquely delineates the columns (for instance, a space or a comma) can be used. This delimiter must be provided to the Foreign Database Import Wizard.
The numerical data in the conductor data section should be written in neutral form, i.e. the decimal separator of floating point numbers should be a period. The data can be specified in either Metric or Imperial units. The actual units used must be provided to the Foreign Database Import Wizard.

The Field Identification Line

The field identification line (when present) is used by the Foreign Database Import Wizard to identify the type of data contained in each column of the data section. This line should contain the data type name for each column separated by the chosen delimiter, using the same order as for the data. The data type names should be taken from the list below. The names are not case-sensitive. To skip a column,
write any name not in the list below, for example "Ignore".

Name: Alphanumeric name for the conductor used to identify the conductor in the database.
MCM: Cross section area covered by the metallic part of the conductor, in kcmil.
CrossSArea: Cross section area covered by the metallic part of the conductor, in square millimeters.
EquivalentCR: Outer radius of conductor (in centimeters or inches).
CoreRadius: Inner radius of a hollow conductor or distance from center of conductor to the innermost perimeter of the innermost outer strand layer for a stranded conductor (in centimeters or inches).
NumOuterStr: Number of outer strands in the conductor.
OuterSR: Radius of the outer strands of the conductor (in centimeters or inches).
NumInnerStr: Number of inner strands in the conductor.
InnerSR: Radius of the inner strands of the conductor (in centimeters or inches).
PictureName: Name of the file storing the picture representing this conductor.
Resistivity: Relative conductor resistivity (relative to annealed copper, 1.7241 E-08 ohm-m)
Rdc: DC resistance of the conductor in ohms/mile or ohms/km.
Rac: AC resistance of the conductor in ohms/mile or ohms/km.
ResistFlag: Integer value specifying which of the above three values is used in the calculations. (0): Resistivity; (1): Rdc; (2): Rac.
Permeability: Relative permeability of the conductor (relative to free space, 1.2566 E-06 henries/m).
GMR: Geometric mean radius of the conductor (in meters or feet).
X1ft: 60 Hz reactance at 1 ft spacing of the conductor (in ohms/mile or ohms/km).
ReactFlag: Integer value specifying which of the above three values is used in the calculations. (0): Permeability; (1): GMR; (2): X1ft.

Example
The following is an example of a file that has a correct format for import through the Import Foreign Database Wizard. This file contains 3 header lines and a field identification line. It uses ":" as a field delimiter. It contains 8 data lines. While the file does not contain this information directly, it is known that the data was written in the Metric system of units.

Line 1 of the header.

Line 2 of the header.
Line 3 of the header. The following line is
Name
:kcmil :CrossSArea
:EquivalentCR
#6
:26
:13.17439
:0.23368
#6-1
:26
:13.17439
:0.23368
Akron
:31
:15.70793
:0.25146
Kazoo
:31
:15.70793
:0.25146
#4
:42
:21.28171
:0.29464
#4-1
:42
:21.28171
:0.29464
Alton
:49
:24.82867
:0.3175
Kaki
:49
:24.82867
:0.3175

the "field identification line".

:NumOuterStr :OuterSR
:Rdc
:7
:0.077724
:2.51717
:7
:0.077724
:2.56564
:7
:0.083947
:2.1574
:7
:0.083947
:2.19965
:7
:9.804399E-02 :1.58139
:7
:9.804399E-02 :1.61246
:7
:0.105791
:1.35459
:7
:0.105791
:1.38193

:Rac
:2.51717
:2.56564
:2.1574
:2.19965
:1.58139
:1.61246
:1.35583
:1.38193

:ResistFlag
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1

:GMR
:1.70688E-03
:1.70688E-03
:0.0018288
:0.0018288
:0.0021336
:0.0021336
:0.002286
:0.002286

:X1ft
:0.391402
:0.374749
:0.385934
:0.385934
:0.374003
:0.374003
:0.368411
:0.368411

:ReactFlag
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1

The File Format for Exported Data

The file format generated by the Export function of the SES Conductor Database is a special case of the format described under File Format for Foreign Databases. Specifically, those files contain:

A header of 51 lines describing the contents of the remainder of the file.

A field identification line describing the type of data that can be found in the data section.

A data section listing all the data for the exported class.

Example
The following is an abbreviated example of a file generated by the Export function of the SES Conductor Database.

#
Header description and values:
#
#
VersionTag
= TRDB_VER_004
- shows the version of the file.
#
Locked
= True - shows whether this file is an SES conductor class or not
.
.
.
Name
:kcmil :CrossSArea
:EquivalentCR ...
:GMR
#6
:26
:13.17439
:0.23368
...
:1.70688E-03
#6-1
:26
:13.17439
:0.23368
...
:1.70688E-03
Akron
:31
:15.70793
:0.25146
...
:0.0018288
Kazoo
:31
:15.70793
:0.25146
...
:0.0018288
#4
:42
:21.28171
:0.29464
...
:0.0021336
#4-1
:42
:21.28171
:0.29464
...
:0.0021336
Alton
:49
:24.82867
:0.3175
...
:0.002286
Kaki
:49
:24.82867
:0.3175
...
:0.002286
.
.
.

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:X1ft
:0.391402
:0.374749
:0.385934
:0.385934
:0.374003
:0.374003
:0.368411
:0.368411

:ReactFlag
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1
:1

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