Electronics Protection - Fall 2016 - 18

Application Feature Building the Power Architecture for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games A strict discipline of "preparation, process and perseverance" was the aim of every athlete earning a spot to compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. That same discipline applies to the planning for the electric power distribution and protection systems for 32 sports venues and facilities in Rio. For the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, GE helped deliver reliable, safe and efficient power and lighting for most of the Olympic Games' sports venues and critical operations facilities - including the Olympic Games International Broadcasting Center (IBC). Dozens of GE employees helped design and deliver power distribution equipment, transformers and emergency power backup systems in time for the Aug. 5 Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. Three of the many GE engineers involved in the planning, commissioning and servicing of the power for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Marcelo Baracioli, Thiago Monteiro and Elson Dutra, recently shared their stories about getting ready for these Olympic Games. When did the power planning for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games begin? Marcelo: We started planning for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the beginning of 2012. The planning for the power system for the Olympic Games' IBC started in the middle of 2013, with the final contract awarded in March 2015. Thiago: For the electric distribution operations team, our phase of the project started in March 2015. We began by analyzing the customer's documents. Our technical and commercial team then presented detailed documentation of the engineered solutions to the customer for approval. From there, all of the components were procured and the products were assembled in various GE facilities around the world. The biggest challenge with an event like this is that normally a customer's needs aren't 100 percent defined when the parts are initially procured. It is very common to receive change requests regarding design, load lists and other technical characteristics. It's essential to manage these changes to ensure all phases of the project move forward. For example, at the IBC, a lot of changes had to be considered and implemented late in the project. We had to accommodate uncertainties in the electrical systems and last-minute load requirements as specifications were submitted from various broadcasters using the facilities. Much of this occurred very close to the delivery date of the equipment or even during the commissioning and startup phases. Was GE involved in providing ideas or insights for the final specifications? Marcelo: When the officials from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games awarded the contract to GE, they wanted to learn about our new options for power solutions. They also helped GE connect with the engineering project consulting companies working for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Rio 2016 Organizing Committee to begin conversations about our technologies and solutions. Elson: When we started this work in 2010, we consulted with many of the project companies who worked on past World Cups and Olympic Games. So, early on, we were able to work directly with these companies to specify GE solutions and to understand the project timeline. 18 Fall 2016 * www.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com http://www.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electronics Protection - Fall 2016