C37.2 – 1996 Reaffirmation
Electronic Balloting Worked
And With
No Extensions To The Balloting Period!
John Tengdin, Editor-in-Chief
October 2001
Once
in a while, in the great scheme of things, everything that is supposed to work
does in fact work. Glory be – we just finished an electronic balloting without
a major glitch. True, it was a reaffirmation ballot on “C37.2 – 1996 IEEE
Standard Electric Power System Device Function Numbers and Contact
Designations”.
Reaffirmation
severely constrains a potential balloter
Although
one has all the options as on a regular ballot – “Approve, No Comments” or
“Approve, With Comments” or “Disapprove” – the practical effect is
either to Approve or Disapprove.
Comments attached to Approve ballots, if pointing out typographic errors,
will be reflected in an Errata sheet when the standard is reprinted. However,
the document itself is not changed. On the other hand, any comments that are
editorial or technical nature are forwarded to the Working Group for
consideration when the standard is next revised. No further action is taken on
such comments. Thus, if one feels strongly that the document should be revised
now rather than reaffirmed, that person has no option but to vote
“Disapprove”. If 25% of the ballots are “Disapprove”, then the
reaffirmation fails and the Working Group must consider other options.
C37.2
is used by relay engineers
Standard
C37.2 is the responsibility of the PES Substations Committee. However, they
recognize that the function numbers are widely used by relay engineers. It is
their shorthand notation on relay diagrams. When C37.2 was revised in 1996, it
was done with strong input from the Power System Relaying Committee. PSRC
established a special working group with particular emphasis on methods of
representing multifunction devices. The standard has included, for many years,
Device number 11 – multifunction device defined as “A device that performs
three or more comparatively important functions that could only be designated by
combining several device function numbers.” With the advent of microprocessor
based relays that were true multifunction devices, utilities were looking for
guidance on how to represent the all the functions on drawings. The PSRC working
group developed the two alternate means of representation that are now in Annex
A.1 of the 1996 standard.
As
C37.2 was last updated in 1996, its five year life was about expire. Before the
Substations Working Group C3 made a decision on how to proceed, they asked PSRC
to review the present document. PSRC appointed an ad hoc task force, and their
conclusion was that the 1996 standard should be reaffirmed. With that input, C3
voted to proceed on the reaffirmation route.
Ballot
results
In the balloting, we did receive just
one negative ballot. That person felt that the definition of multifunction
devices was inadequate. When made aware of how the 1996 update had been
accomplished, and of the fact that a PSRC task force had recommended
reaffirmation, that person changed his vote to “Affirmative, No Comments”.
No other negative ballots were received.
We did receive three “Approve, with
Comments” ballots pointing out several typos that obviously were overlooked
when the standard was published in 1996. As these were typographic errors, they
will all be included in an Errata sheet.
Finally, there were several “Approve
with Comments” ballots suggesting editorial changes. These will be filed for
use by the working group the next time the standard is revised.
The invitation to electronic ballot was sent to the
Substations Committee and the Power System Relaying Committee. Of those on the
Email lists, 82 individuals signed up to ballot. Of the 82, 76 ballots were
returned (92%). There were 73 affirmatives (100%), 3 abstentions and no negative
ballots at the end of the 30 day balloting period. The results of the balloting
are on the agenda for the IEEE Standards Association RevCom November 2001
meeting.
We’re
told that such overwhelmingly positive results are unusual. Perhaps so, but the
balloting clearly shows the continuing support for this shorthand notation that
first appeared as a part of AIEE Standard No. 26 in 1928 for automatic
substations! Back then, PSRC was a part of the Substations Committee.
The lasting message is this
If
you sign up to ballot on an IEEE standard, get your ballot in on time. Even
better, get it in well before the end of the 30 day balloting period. You’ll
be doing the Working Group Chair a great favor by doing so. It will minimize his
efforts to cajole the tardy ones to vote.
Where do you want to go now?
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