I came across mention of "pulse recorder" and would appreciate it if someone can please explain what the purpose of that item's use is in an electric utility. My thanks for any info which can be provided.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 1999

Answers

Absolutely just guessing here, but maybe it records Electro Magnetic Pulse or geomagnetic activity related to CME's?

Or perhaps they are getting the jump on an air burst nuke (just kidding!).

-- Anonymous, July 14, 1999

Bonnie,

While I have never heard the term or used a pulse recorder, pulse transmitters are used in Automatic Generation Control (AGC) systems to send raise or lower commands (pulses) to electric turbine- generators. These pulses are measured in milliseconds and instruct the turbine governor to open or close the governor valves to allow more steam to the turbine-generator. This occurs during each AGC cycle and results in a re-dispatch of generation that is on control. I would presume, perhaps incorrectly, that this recorder simply records the length, frequency and or magnitude of the pulse over time.

If the term is used in the context of transmission or distribution systems, it may refer to the use of digital voltage or current recorders whose sample rates are configurable by the user through laptop computers. Generally, these recorders are used to do distribution studies or power quality checks.

Just my best guess.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

I have not heard the term "pulse recorder", but the name suggests what we called an event recorder. This is a device that records the time when a monitored "event" occurred. Most of these recorders were multi-channel, and could be connected so that the time relationship of several electrical happenings could be recorded for observation or later analysis. In a electrical utility, these devices could be used to determine the time relationship between many separate events. I suspect their use would be more for test purposes, rather than for routine data gathering in sustained use.

That is my guess.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

Bonnie:

It would be helpful if you could provide more context for your query. However, in line with the previous response, Pulse is a manufacturer of event recorders (they got their start in the railroad industry), and their products were referred to as "Pulse recorders".

Regards,

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

For large customers, metering may be made on various sites, each of these meters send pulses to a pulse recorder which record theses informations on different channels and one more channel for time recording. Each pulse has a predetermined value of consumption.

Hpe my answer may help

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

Thanks so much, everyone. I didn't realize there might be more than one possibility to describe a pulse recorder. I don't have Powerpoint on my computer, but my husband does on his laptop. A while back I was browsing through some NERC powerpoint files on the laptop; didn't have much time so I just made some quick notes to myself. My husband is out of town so I'll have to wait to re-investigate this weekend and pay more attention to possible context. I do know I was looking at several different files for the sessions for a Y2K NERC conference held the end of May.

What I copied was:

*Vendor information

--One pulse recorder. Diagnostic failed in 2000. All functions shut down in 2001. Upgrade 6/99. [I got the impression this was when the upgrade would be available.]

*Vendor certification

-Some using little testing - mostly rely on vendor

-Helps to have a maintenance contract

I'll try to find the right link and look at the info again this weekend. I just had no idea if the item mentioned was important or simply a nicety. Serves me right for not doing a more thorough job of annotating but many other demands are cutting into my available time. Again, thank you to all who responded.

I can't resist adding that I got a short e-mail from someone with a delightful wit, who surmised that a "pulse recorder" might be used to determine if engineers were actually human beings. I love engineers' solid evidence-and-math based outlooks, but I hope you can still laugh along with me about that definition! *grin*

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

Bonnie,

If it is truly a recording device then it is probably an "event recorder" as dave states. Here in the telecommunications business we call them "event recorders", "call detail recorders" (CDR) and "enhanced call detail recorders" (ECDR).

The "pulse" terminology might be a reference to a "heartbeat" event. In many clustered, networked and distributed computer systems (such as SCADA, DCS, factory automation, and telecommunications) one subsystem will output a periodic "I'm alive" event, or "heartbeat". if the heartbeat is not received by the downstream system or the central monitoring system within a given timeout period, an alarm condition is raised and appropriate action is taken.

--aj

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

Bonnie,

I've heard about that "laughing" thing you referenced. I assume that it is related to "sense of humor" that I also recall hearing in discussions. Not personally familiar with these, but understand they are over-rated.

Regards,

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

CL, I have it now! Sounds like you're at least part Vulcan! Pointy ears, but not definitely not pointy head, right? *wink*

Rick, will you indulge some comic relief?

There was an engineer who, after serving his company loyally for over 30 years, happily retired.

Several years later his company contacted him regarding a seemingly impossible problem they were having with one of their multi-million dollar machines. They had tried everything and everyone else to get the machine fixed, but to no avail. In desperation, they called on the retired engineer who had solved so many of their problems in the past.

The engineer reluctantly took the challenge. He spent a day studying the huge machine. At the end of the day he marked a small X in chalk on a particular component of the machine and proudly stated, "This is where your problem is!" The part was replaced and the machine worked perfectly again.

The company received a bill for $50,000 from the engineer for his services. They demanded an itemized accounting of his charges. The engineer responded briefly:

One chalk mark .. ..... ..... $1

Knowing where to put it ..... $49,999

~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Engineer Anthem song..

Godiva was a lady who through Coventry did ride To show to all the villagers her lovely bare white hide; The most observant villager, an Engineer of course, Was the only one to notice that Godiva rode a horse.

~~~~~~~~~~

A boy was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess". He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week." The boy took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and do ANYTHING you want." Again the boy took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, that I'll stay with you for a week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"

The boy said, "Look I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog is cool."

~~~~~~~~~

You may be an engineer if:

If you have no life - and you can PROVE it mathematically.

If it is sunny and 70 degrees outside, and you are working on a computer.

If you know vector calculus but you can't remember how to do long division.

If you know how to integrate a chicken and can take the derivative of water.

If you hesitate to look at something because you don't want to break down its wave function.

If the Humane society has you arrested because you actually performed the Schrodinger's Cat experiment.

If you can translate English into Binary.

If you can't remember what's behind the door in the science building which says "Exit."

If you'll assume that a "horse" is a "sphere" in order to make the math easier.

If you understood more than five of these indicators.

~~~~~~~~~~

ENGINEERING IDENTIFICATION TEST

You walk into a room and notice a picture is hanging crooked on the wall.

You...

A. Straighten it.

B. Ignore it.

C. Buy a CAD system and spend the next six months designing a solar-powered, self-adjusting picture frame while often stating aloud your belief that the inventor of the nail was a total moron.

The correct answer is "C" but partial credit can be given to anybody who writes "It depends" in the margin of the test or simply blames the whole stupid thing on Marketing.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

What's so funny? :)

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

"If you can translate English into Binary." 0100100101100110001000000111100101101111011101010010000001100011011000 0101101110001000000111010001110010011000010110111001110011011011000110 0001011101000110010100100000010001010110111001100111011011000110100101 1100110110100000100000011010010110111001110100011011110010000001000010 011010010110111001100001011100100111100100101110

:-)

==========================================

Hardware engineer: "What do you mean my RTC has a bug? It works as designed. See, right here it says "only supports two digit dates". You can deal with it in software."

Software engineer: "There was was a bug in the hardware and they wouldn't change it. So the software only supprts two digit dates. That's the way it was designed. Check the functional spec, here's the number QSFS-1995-4631-2. Tell Tech-Pubs to document it.

Technical Writer: "Yea I know. I complained about that three years ago. I was told by the engineers that it works as designed. Have customer service open a ticket on it.

Customer Service Rep: "Yes, I know sir, I'm very sorry sir but the product works as designed. It was clearly stated in the RFP. You'll have to upgrade to service pack 4.34D...

===================================

I guess it's not that funny... ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

"Engine engine, number Nine...

goin down chicago line...

If the Train rolls off the track...

do you want your money back????"

(an old jump-rope sing-song)

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999

Ring around the rosie, pockets full of posie, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

-- Child's nursery rhyme about the black plague.

-- Anonymous, July 15, 1999