Context
This project began with EDM (Electricité de Mayotte) already possessing a detailed mapping database of its electrical network. They aimed to complement this with a new modeling software for electrotechnical studies: PowerFactory. In this scenario, both software tools—the existing geographic information system (GIS) and the future electrical engineering tool—would each contain a network description, largely redundant since they describe the same physical network.
Problem Statement
This situation presented several practical and methodological challenges. Firstly, it’s undesirable to enter the same information twice—once in the GIS and again in the electrical modeling software. This double entry leads to increased workload, wasted time, and heightens the risk of inadvertently introducing inconsistencies between the two network representations. Lacking a single model that simultaneously captures both electrical and geographical information, the best solution is to enable single-point data entry for the network description and implement a gateway capable of automatically generating both redundant models while ensuring their consistency.
Ideally, this single entry should originate from the electrical model, which is richer in information than the mapping model. Crucially, it explicitly contains network connectivity, which is often only implicit in geographical data. Consequently, exporting the electrical model to the mapping model is relatively straightforward, whereas the reverse export requires inferring certain topological relationships, which can be complex and prone to errors.
However, other considerations often lead network operators to prioritize exporting in the other direction—from the geographical model to the electrical model. Mapping software generally offers more advanced features for entering and manipulating geographical data, which mapping teams are proficient with. This makes data entry faster and more reliable in a GIS than in electrical modeling software, which isn’t designed for this purpose. Furthermore, at the project’s outset, it’s necessary to import existing data from the historical mapping database into the new electrical engineering software anyway, which necessitates an initial synchronization in this direction.
Achievements
Roseau Technologies migrated EDM’s existing mapping data to an electrical model compatible with PowerFactory. Roseau Technologies’ engineers conducted this operation using Roseau ETL software, specifically designed for this type of data processing. Throughout this process, numerous anomalies were detected and corrected, including: identifying missing data, such as unrepresented lines or isolated network fragments, as well as missing technical attributes, particularly conductor materials and sections; resolving conflicts between labels or the absence of consistent labeling on objects presumed to belong to the same feeder; deleting duplicated or superimposed data in the mapping repository; correcting labeling errors on MV/LV substations, or adding missing labels; and detecting MV/LV substations isolated from the main network.
Impact
The work successfully generated a complete and usable electrical model, directly applicable for studies such as connections or master plans. Beyond this primary objective, the electrical modeling also had the beneficial effect of enhancing the reliability of mapping data. Building a consistent electrical model indeed requires rigorous data consolidation, allowing for the detection and correction of gaps or inconsistencies present in the initial database. These corrections were subsequently reflected in EDM’s mapping database, thus contributing to the overall improvement of data quality, even though this enhancement wasn’t the project’s initial goal.
