Utility station automated design system and method

A computer-implemented electrical power substation design and materials list compilation expert system, comprising:

• a first computer readable memory configured to hold data that defines symbols of electrical components for an electrical utility substation to be designed;
• a second computer readable memory configured to hold attributes associated with said symbols, at least one of said attributes for said symbols includes a description of equipment to be ordered for including a predetermined electrical component as part of the electrical utility substation to be designed;
• a computer having
• a display, configured to present an indication of candidate electrical components available for selection for the electrical utility station to be designed, each indication being associated with a portion of said data that defines one of the symbols;
• a user interface, configured to enable a selection from an external source of said indication, and
• a processor configured to
• retrieve from the first computer readable memory the data that defines one of the symbols associated with the indication selected via said user interface,
• present the symbol on said display as a component of said electrical utility station to be designed,
• retrieve from said second computer readable memory preselected attributes associated with the symbol associated with the indication selected via the user interface,
• recognize the selection of at least one of a component of the facility and a design parameter for the facility, and based on said selection automatically define which of at least one of said plurality of symbols of the facility and design parameters are candidates for a subsequent selection, and
• collect said description of said equipment from said preselected attributes in a file containing information for compiling a materials list for said electrical utility station to be designed.

A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having a computer code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium enabling an expert system for designing and performing cost estimations on electrical power substation designs, the computer program code mechanism configured to hold:

• data that defines symbols of electrical components for an electrical utility substation to be designed,
• attributes associated with said symbols, at least one of said attributes for said symbols being cost information for including a predetermined electrical component as part of the electrical utility substation to be designed, and
• computer readable instructions that when are executed by a processor implement
• a first presentation mechanism configured to provide to a display an indication of candidate electrical components available for selection for the electrical utility station to be designed, each indication being associated with a portion of said data that defines one of the symbols;
• a selection mechanism configured to enable a selection from an external source of said indication,
• a first retrieval mechanism configured to retrieve from memory the data that defines one of the symbols associated with the indication selected via said user interface,
• an association mechanism configured to recognize the selection of at least one of a component of the facility and a design parameter for the facility, and based on said selection automatically define which of at least one of said plurality of symbols of the facility and design parameters are candidates for a subsequent selection,
• a second presentation mechanism for providing to the display the symbol for display as a component of said electrical utility station to be designed,
• a second retrieval mechanism configured to retrieve from memory said preselected attributes associated with the symbol associated with the indication selection mechanism, and
• a collection mechanism configured to collect in a file said cost information from said preselected attributes containing cost estimate information for said electrical utility station to be designed.

A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having a computer code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium enabling an expert system for designing and compiling a materials list on electrical power substation designs, the computer program code mechanism configured to hold:

• data that defines symbols of electrical components for an electrical utility substation to be designed,
• attributes associated with said symbols, at least one of said attributes for said symbols includes a description of equipment to be ordered for including a predetermined electrical component as part of the electrical utility substation to be designed, and
• computer readable instructions that when are executed by a processor implement
• a first presentation mechanism configured to provide to a display an indication of candidate electrical components available for selection for the electrical utility station to be designed, each indication being associated with a portion of said data that defines one of the symbols;
• a selection mechanism configured to enable a selection from an external source of said indication,
• a first retrieval mechanism configured to retrieve from memory the data that defines one of the symbols associated with the indication selected via said user interface,
• an association mechanism configured to recognize the selection of at least one of a component of the facility and a design parameter for the facility, and based on said selection automatically define which of at least one of said plurality of symbols of the facility and design parameters are candidates for a subsequent selection,
• a second presentation mechanism for providing to the display the symbol for display as a component of said electrical utility station to be designed,
• a second retrieval mechanism configured to retrieve from memory said preselected attributes associated with the symbol associated with the indication selection mechanism, and
• a collection mechanism configured to collect in a file said description of said equipment from said preselected attributes in a file containing information for compiling a materials list for said electrical utility station to be designed.

A computer-implemented expert method for designing and preparing a cost estimate for an electrical power substation, comprising steps of:

• holding in memory data that defines symbols of electrical components for an electrical utility substation to be designed;
• holding in memory attributes associated with said symbols, at least one of said attributes for said symbols being cost information for including a predetermined electrical component as part of the electrical utility substation to be designed;
• displaying an indication of candidate electrical components available for selection for the electrical utility station to be designed, each indication being associated with a portion of said data that defines one of the symbols;
• selecting an indication corresponding with one of the candidate electrical components;
• retrieving from memory the data that defines one of the symbols associated with the indication selected in said selecting step;
• recognizing the selection of at least one of a component of the facility and a design parameter for the facility, and based on said selection automatically define which of at least one of said plurality of symbols of the facility and design parameters are candidates for a subsequent selection;
• displaying the symbol as a component of said electrical utility station to be designed;
• retrieve from memory preselected attributes associated with the symbol associated with the indication selected in said selecting step, and
• collecting said cost information from said preselected attributes in a cost file containing cost estimate information for said electrical utility station to be designed.

A computer-implemented expert method for designing and preparing a materials list for an electrical power substation, comprising steps of:

• holding in memory data that defines symbols of electrical components for an electrical utility substation to be designed;
• holding in memory attributes associated with said symbols, at least one of said attributes for said symbols includes a description of equipment to be ordered for including a predetermined electrical component as part of the electrical utility substation to be designed;
• displaying an indication of candidate electrical components available for selection for the electrical utility station to be designed, each indication being associated with a portion of said data that defines one of the symbols;
• selecting an indication corresponding with one of the candidate electrical components;
• retrieving from memory the data that defines one of the symbols associated with the indication selected in said selecting step;
• recognizing the selection of at least one of a component of the facility and a design parameter for the facility, and based on said selection automatically define which of at least one of said plurality of symbols of the facility and design parameters are candidates for a subsequent selection;
• displaying the symbol as a component of said electrical utility station to be designed;
• retrieve from memory preselected attributes associated with the symbol associated with the indication selected in said selecting step, and
• collecting said description of said equipment from said preselected attributes in a materials file containing information to form a list of materials for components used in said electrical utility station to be designed.