Electric Power Distribution Handbook

Of the "big three" components of electrical infrastructure, distribution typically gets the least attention. In fact, a thorough, up-to-date treatment of the subject hasn’t been published in years, yet deregulation and technical changes have increased the need for better information. Filling this void, the Electric Power Distribution Handbook delivers comprehensive, cutting-edge coverage of the electrical aspects of power distribution systems. The first few chapters of this pragmatic guidebook focus on equipment-oriented information and applications such as choosing transformer connections, sizing and placing capacitors, and setting regulators. The middle portion discusses reliability and power quality, while the end tackles lightning protection, grounding, and safety. The Second Edition of this CHOICE Award winner features: 1 new chapter on overhead line performance and 14 fully revised chapters incorporating updates from several EPRI projectsNew sections on voltage optimization, arc flash, and contact voltageFull-color illustrations throughout, plus fresh bibliographic references, tables, graphs, methods, and statisticsUpdates on conductor burndown, fault location, reliability programs, tree contacts, automation, and grounding and personnel protectionAccess to an author-maintained support website, distributionhandbook.com, with problems sets, resources, and online appsAn unparalleled source of tips and solutions for improving performance, the Electric Power Distribution Handbook, Second Edition provides power and utility engineers with the technical information and practical tools they need to understand the applied science of distribution.

"... an outstanding reference book that will definitely serve the power distribution community well for many years. It will provide a utility or power engineer wth the tools needed to understand current issues related to the existing distribution system, and to modify today’s best practices so as to ensure a better system for future generations. The author does not present just a data cookbook, but explains in detail the theory behind the equations. The reader is provided with a large set of practical reference tables and data, and with the equations used in designing distribution systems. This book will be used by many power engineers for many years to come."—IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine, September/October 2015 — Vol. 31, No. 5"… an excellent balance of theory, applications, and solutions of wide ranging issues on utility distribution systems. Great resource!"—Surya Santoso, The University of Texas at Austin, USA"A major update of an excellent book for a distribution engineer wanting to know about the fundamentals of power distribution networks. Brand new material covering or updating important issues missing from the first edition. An essential handbook well worth checking out!"—Dimitris P. Labridis, Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece"Mr. Short explains in a very clear language, using a minimum of mathematical tools, the basic phenomena and the mechanisms that characterize the flow of energy in our distribution systems. … is a must read for the young and the old engineer involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric energyI welcome this book. It will occupy an easy to reach spot on the shelf of my engineering lIbrary."—Alexander E. Emanuel, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, USA"This book, based on the extensive experience of Mr. Short, provides an excellent balance between practice and theory, without being tedious. In this context, the book really can be named as a handbook, since it can be used as an everyday reference for utility engineers. In addition, this book is more than "only a handbook" for practical engineers. It presents useful information in an accessible way to be used by students and younger engineers to build their understanding about the best practices in distribution systems. Each important topic is discussed in detail, including not only the relevant facts, but also…different possibilities used to solve the problems. I have been using the first edition of this book for the last ten years in my research and in my classes, and certainly, I will use this new edition for many years ahead."—Walmir Freitas, University of Campinas, Brazil and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

T. A. (Tom) Short is a technical executive at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). His leadership on the EPRI arc flash collaborative research has led to changes in the NESC. A technical lead on EPRI’s green circuits project, he holds an MS in electrical engineering from Montana State University. As an IEEE Working Group chair, he led the development of IEEE Std. 1410-1997, Improving the Lightning Performance of Electric Power Overhead Distribution Lines. He has also served as chair of the IEEE Schenectady Section and the Task Force on weather normalization of reliability data. Before joining EPRI, he worked for Power Technologies, Inc.