Utility Network Assembly

Question

In a tutorial video when Geometric Network is translated to Utility Network, there was a transformer and a fuse in the Geometric Network but in utility network the transformer device and the fuse device were placed into a Transformer bank assembly.

1. Are Assemblies physical assets OR a grouping of multiple devices based on functionality and not a physical asset?

I am not a SME and would like to know how migration of real-world physical assets to utility network works.

2. Which utility network feature classes should be used to store such Assets? (which I presume should retain accurate geometric location of the asset)

Ayan Palit · Accepted Answer

@rohanrajan_hms

The Assembly feature class in an Utility Network domain, is a conceptual representation that would contain other physical features.

* Assembly—Represents point features that contain other features. As with device features, assembly features are compact features, but they differ in that assemblies contain other significant devices. Assemblies are useful to show a single symbol on the map yet model the internal features and their connections. You can view the internal features of an assembly on the map or in the diagram view. Examples of assembly features are switchgear, transformer banks, and pump assemblies.

Physical Assets in a domain network are typically stored in device, line and junction feature classes. There are instances where an organization may not have the assembly details or the desire to model all the components. In that case the entire 'enclosure' (which is physical) is modelled as the assembly (leaving out the internal physical details).

Other supporting physical assets are modelled as part of the structure network. Structural attachments are typically stored in boundary, line and junction feature classes.

RobertKrisher · Accepted Answer

I agree with everything @AyanPalit has said, but it's worth noting that the newer electric model has started to rely less on assemblies/devices to model banks and units. Instead, they've started moving to using devices and non-spatial objects. Watch the Electric Deep Dive presentation from IMGIS 2023 to learn more about how to achieve this, why they made this decision, and different ways this can be implemented depending on the amount of informaiton availalbe in your model.