The Use Of Computers In Power Supply Design For A Railway Mega Project
The design of the power supply network for a modern metro railway mega project is a complex undertaking. From the earliest conceptual designs through to the finished project a large number of issues must be addressed and a vast amount of data reviewed, collated and held for posterity. Computers offer the only means available of managing this information. The paper describes the computer systems that are currently being used in a modern design office. These computer systems range from the humble spreadsheet through the complex network simulation packages to advanced system engineering tools. The author draws on experience in the development of software engineering tools to give his views on how the design process can be managed with the use of computer systems. A common thread is drawn through the latest thoughts in system engineering and software engineering to give a vision of what the next generation of power system design tools will look like. The use of object oriented methods such as the object modelling technique as a underlying technology within these next generation design tools is proposed.