topic Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device in ArcGIS Utility Network Questions

Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

BillShoop — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:22:11 GMT

Hello all, could someone please explain to me how/why the Phases Energized field is not getting updated to 'De-Energized' in the below scenario?

- I am setting the Normal Operating Status field to 'Open' on on a Three Phase Switch Device along with its contained and connected unit.

- I validate network topology, run Update Subnetwork, and Export Subnetwork. The Phases Energized field is still set to 'ABC'

- Running a Trace Subnetwork in the Find Subnetwork pane results in the trace stopping at the Open Switch Device. So why is Phase Energized still set to 'ABC'?

We are using the PhasesNormal user edited field to propagate PhasesEnergized. Right now the PhasesNormal is still set to 'ABC', but shouldn't the Open Device cause the propagation to update PhasesEnergized to the features pass it to De-Energized?

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

MikeMillerGIS — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:36:43 GMT

That device is the barrier, so one side is techincally energized, so it gets the phases energized field. Even if you turn off "Include Barriers" in the subnetwork definition, since it has a multi terminal configuration, it will still get the energized value. The features downstream are reporting De-Energized, correct?

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

BillShoop — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:48:36 GMT

No, they are not. That's why I am so confused. On the screenshot below the left of the Red Open Device is ABC - This should be De-Energized

To the right of the Red Open Device it is ABC as expected

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

RobertKrisher — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 17:47:52 GMT

@BillShoop do the lines on either side of the switch belong to the same subnetwork? Are they connected to the same terminal on the switch?

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

BillShoop — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 17:54:15 GMT

Yes, both lines belong to the same subnetwork - They are not connected to the same terminal on the switch.

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

MikeMillerGIS — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:02:37 GMT

are you modeling units in that switch? Are the units open?

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

BillShoop — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:15:45 GMT

Correct. We are modeling units and the ABC unit is set to Open with the Terminal Path on the Device set to None.

Device:

Unit:

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

RobertKrisher — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:22:16 GMT

it's odd that there are two three phase units in that device. Double check the status, phase, and connectivity associations of both units to ensure that they are stopping the trace.

A quick way to test this is to create a version and delete both units. If you do that, then there should be no way for the trace to go from one terminal of the switch to the other (terminal path = None, no units, no j-j connectivity).

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

MikeMillerGIS — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:03:27 GMT

What is the other unit? Do both units have a phase change set? If the other unit does not and not open, that is allowing the phase to push through.

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

BillShoop — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:50:42 GMT

Firstly, I want to thank both of you @MikeMillerGIS and @RobertKrisher for the assistance! The switch only has one ABC unit that is connected to both terminals SS:S1 and SS:S2 of the Device. Isn't that why in the "Connected to" dropdown in my screenshot lists 2? Nonetheless, I did create a new version and delete all the Device's associations with the same result of the downstream line showing PhasesEnergized ABC.

We do not have the propagation configured to look at the Phase Change field (see image in original post). Instead we use the PhasesNormal field. As you can see in the screenshots, PhasesNormal is set to ABC for the line downstream of the Open Device. However, I would expect the Open status would cause the propagation to change the PhasesEnergized field to De-Energized while keeping the PhasesNormal at ABC. Am I mistaken?

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

MikeMillerGIS — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 15:01:11 GMT

If you do a subnetwork trace, does it select that downstream line? If you place a barrier pass that line? We need to find if there is a loop somewhere.

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

BillShoop — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 15:43:54 GMT

The subnetwork trace stops at the Open Device as expected. Also, the subnetline stops at the Open Device as expected.

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

MikeMillerGIS — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:09:34 GMT

Hmm. Well it could be two things

A: Using Phases Normal instead of Phase Change could be setting the phases energize. I do not think it is this though. That should only be set if the propagator can reach the asset, which it appears it cannot since the subnetwork trace stops

B: Since the value was set and now the propagator cannot reach it, it does not know it has to reset it.

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

BillShoop — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:44:14 GMT

I updated PhasesNormal to De-Energized of the downstream line, validated, and Update Subnetwork. Now PhasesEnergized is De-Energized and the subnetworkname is Unknown. For my case, going forward it seems we would need to set all the downstream features of the Open inline Device PhasesNormal to De-Energized. This is not the behavior I expected. I expected the system(propagation) to update PhasesEnergized to De-Energized if the subnetwork trace no longer reaches it.

I guess for the Phase Change configuration we would set Phase Change to De-Energized at the line after the Open Device?

Re: Phase Propagation not working - Open Device

MikeMillerGIS — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 14:38:31 GMT

Phase Change or the Network Attribute configured for phase propagation should only ever be set at locations where phase changes or deviates. This allows the system to calculate the downstream phase without the editor have to make downstream edits.