Interface Engineering

Power system protection & control integration

Acrastyle has several dedicated Interface Engineers who can provide clear diagrams and schedules that enable customers to combine sub-system elements into a completely integrated system.

‘Interface Engineering’ is the term given to this detailed design work which shows how to connect the switchgear, transformers and relays via the various multi-core control cables and marshalling kiosks. These then connect all of the different parts of the system.

Multi-core cabling Interface engineering

The usual deliverables of Interface Engineering are:

  • Cable Block Diagrams which show what type of cable, how many cores, and where these start and finish
  • Termination Schedules which show all the terminals at that location and which cores are connected to these
  • Core-sheets which show the usage of each core for each multicore cable
Interface multi-core cable block diagram

In addition, the Engineer provides cable length data, termination gland requirements and calculates that the core sizes are all correct for the application. This ensures that when the installation and commissioning engineers come to connect the substation system, all the separately designed and supplied elements join up as an integrated whole.

Without good Interface Engineering, you don’t have a system; you have a collection of separate and isolated components which will not work together properly.

With good Interface Engineering the overall system forms a complete, interconnected and coordinated solution.

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