Voltage Attributes and Usage

The VoltageGroup attribute must be added to all Electric Domain Network feature classes and Domain Network object classes to support the ArcFM UN. It is an integer data type whose values are interpreted with a user-defined coded value domain. For more information, see the Esri topic Introduction to attribute domains.

Electric Utility Network Foundation (EUNF) currently uses multiple numeric fields to represent various voltage values associated with equipment, such as NominalVoltage (line to line) and NominalVoltageLG (line to ground). The ArcFM UN configuration introduces the VoltageGroup field to represent multiple voltage values with a single encoded integer value. In this respect, the VoltageGroup attribute is equivalent to the OperatingVoltage field found in ArcFM 10 and earlier.

Required Configuration

Add the VoltageGroup attribute to all Electric Domain Network feature classes and Domain Network object classes.

Recommended Configuration

The VoltageGroup attribute can be used to replace the NominalVoltage, NominalVoltageLG, and other EUNF voltage attributes. If other voltage attributes are required for any reason, such as for integrations that may depend upon separate numeric database columns for the line-to-line and the line-to-ground voltages. Those attributes can be included beside with the VoltageGroup attribute in the ArcFM UN configuration.

If keeping other voltage attributes, create an attribute rule that automatically keeps the additional voltage values consistent with the VoltageGroup value when any of the fields areupdated.

Voltage Group Values

The VoltageGroup field and its coded value domain offers a single, human readable attribute to give an accurate and complete account of the nominal voltages that are associated with a piece of equipment, such as a switch, transformer, or conductor span. The description for each domain entry must be a clear and concise text value that readers of both map displays and tabular representations of electric equipment can easily understand.

Example: A domain entry that represents the nominal voltage of a conductor that makes available voltages of 12.4 kV line-to-line and 7.2 kV line- to-ground shows Code: 7201 Description: 12.4/7.2 kV.

The VoltageGroup attribute also gives voltage information to applications that consume GIS electric facilities data that requires voltage information. If an application requires three separate voltage values for a given type of equipment, then the domain must include entries that map to those three values.

Example: A domain entry that represents the nominal voltage of a transformer that offers secondary voltages of 240V, 208V and 120V. Code: 243 Description: 240/208/120V.

Transformer Voltages

Transformers pose a special challenge to the concept of nominal voltage, since each transformer possesses two different nominal voltage values (or even three, in the case of a 3-winding transformer). The ArcFM UN configuration addresses this situation.

For the unbalanced model of a transformer, specify that the primary (high side) voltage of the transformer is stored in the VoltageGroup attribute of the non-spatial transformer unit. The LowSideVoltageGroup attribute on the same unit is used to store the low side voltage. If you wish to populate the VoltageGroup and LowSideVoltageGroup fields on the transformer bank (device) feature for labeling or searching purposes, use an autoupdater to keep the fields on the transformer bank (device) feature in sync with the units.
For the balanced model of a transformer, the VoltageGroup attribute on the transformer device feature holds the high side voltage value. The LowSideVoltageGroup attribute on the same device feature is used to store the low side voltage.
For both models, the LowSideVoltageGroup attribute must be added to all the ElectricDevice feature classes and ElectricJuntionObject object classes to support the ArcFM UN.

Recommended Configuration

Use Description values in the VoltageGroup domain that are meaningful and important to human readers and viewers of the GIS data in map displays, tables, and reports.
Use entries in the VoltageGroup domain that represent multiple numeric voltages associated with an entity, as needed.
Develop lookup tables as needed to allow third party applications to decode VoltageGroup into the information that they need.
Add the VoltageGroup attributes to the UN feature classes and tables to accommodate third party requirements that consume the GIS data. Applications may require separate numeric attributes for the line-to-line nominal voltage and the line-to-ground nominal voltage for certain kinds of equipment. It may also require a MaximumVoltage attribute to be maintained in addition to the information captured by the VoltageGroup.