ICE BREAKERS

ICE BREAKERS
by Domineko du Surigao


“What good does it profit a man
if he owns the whole world
but knows not even the sound
of his own laughter ?”

Ok-enim-do

____________________________

Which is right: The monkey eating eagle or the eagle eating monkey?

******


TEACHER: ‘What is your favorite food ?’
PUPIL: ‘Seafoods, Maam’.
TEACHER: ‘Why ?’
PUPIL: ‘Because everytime I see foods, I eat !

******


Women talk fast and longer than any man could. That’s why they never grew a moustache!

******


‘It is easy to identify the male from the female chicks’, said the expert.
‘How?’ asked the audience.’
‘The male chick eats female earthworms, while the female chick eats a male earthworms’, answered the expert.
‘Wow, how can we identify the male from the female earthworm?’ countered the audience.
‘On that, I’m no guru. I’m only expert on chiks,’ said he.

******


While Muhammad Ali has his ‘Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ theme, the Pacman also has his ‘Bra-Ba-Li-Bin-Ta-Wan’. Courtesy of Alaksan.

******


HOST: ‘Lady, going back to High School Chemistry, can you still recall what this symbol NaCl (Sodium Chloride or Table Salt) stands for?’

LADY CONTESTANT: ‘Well, I seem to have forgotten it already’.

HOST: ‘I’ll give you a clue: It is a substance which you use to sprinkle on the eggs of your husband every morning’.

LADY CONTESTANT: ‘Yes, yes. I got it now’.
HOST: ‘What is it ?’
LADY CONTESTANT: ‘It’s Johnshion’s Baby Powder !

******


Pacman to the Hitman after that killer Left Hook: ‘Now, you know.’

******

Which do you prefer: The man who fart, or the woman whose snot have blown like a bubble gum upon hearing the fart ?


******

The rule says ¨LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Is’nt it Love another one?’

******


TEACHER: ‘Our lesson for today is about the letter M. Example: Mmmmman ! Mmmmmoon ! Mmmmmusic ! Alright, Peter, give me three words beginning with the letter M with emphasis on the Mmmmm sound, okay ?
PETER: Caught unprepared, suddenly answered : ‘MmmmCAT ! MmmmDOG ! MmmmPIG !

******


When the Presiding Judge said : ‘Let there be order’, the accused Politician retorted : ‘We have plenty of order, Your Honor. Depending on the pish and the dynamite!

******


Once upon a time in the far flung mountain barangay of Kanturatoy, there lived a farmer who had a 100 hectare land on which he patiently planted corn, corn for everybody within the vicinity, corn for all the livestocks raised in every household, corn for his keens and for his subsistence, too.

Harvest was bountiful for the first fifteen years.

The preceding years brought gloom and hunger while the corns saw a dwindling and dwindling produce as the earth became barren and dry like the wombs of a wilted woman. Except for the one and only one stalk of corn in the middle of the field that grew bigger and taller by the day like the proud and lofty trunk of a Philippine Lauaan Tree having then a base diameter of two meters. Indeed, it became a tree. Yes! A corn tree!

But without its ears. Without its fruits.

Thus, the painful conclusion of the owner to finally cut it off and end the anguish caused by the already unyielding land.

One day, the farmer took an axe and went to the middle of the field to cut the corn tree.

He struck on the trunk once, twice, thrice. The third strike took a good fist size chunk of the already wooded trunk and when he cleared the chips that barred the hole, there came a strange rumbling from within the bowels of the corn tree, a gurgling sound akin to the growling of a dragon from some subterranean tomb.

He leapt backward and took a stock of the white granules that seemed to ooze out of the hole… and then … Lo ! and Behold !

He suddenly shouted to the top of his voice: ‘Sacks ! Give me empty sacks ! Plenty of empty
Sacks !

For what came out from the severed trunk in endless fashion were grits, CORN GRITS already milled and polished to exact whiteness and size 12 of the true Cebuano corn !

Thus was born the Cebuano’s passion for corn and all those that goes with it.

******

HUSBAND: ‘That man is doing to his wife what I won’t do to a pig.’
WIFE: ‘Why, what’s he doing ?’
HUSBAND: ‘He’s kissing her !’

******

A Peeping Tom on his nocturnal voyeurism paying a peep to a newly-wed couple supposedly billeted in a beach house.

Upon coming to his hole in the wall, he peered through but was met with the inky darkness of the room. There was a whispered sound, however, resembling the knocking clap of castanets: Takatak ! takatak ! takatak ! takataktak !

He used his NVG (Night Vision Goggles) and … PRESTO !

What he saw was a pair of Human Skeletons … dancing the CHA-CHA !

Hence, the sound! hehe …

******

WHAT’S THIS ???

BEN: ‘Steve, you going fishing ?
STEVE: ‘Who, me ? No, I’m going fishing.’
BEN: ‘Oh, I thought you going fishing !’

******

The woman in the bar said: ‘Can you tell me about this story that you seem to be preoccupied these days?’

The author answered: ‘Alright. Listen. There was once a trio of ants marooned in an empty cup. Two of them were females and the other, a male. The females kept asking the male to help them get out of the cup for fear that hot water might be poured unto them.

The male merely shrugged and gave his Mona Lisa smile.
The two females became hysterical but then again pleading to the male to please help them find a way out.

Finally, the male ant answered: ‘Yes, I can help you get out but on one condition.’

‘Why, what is in your mind? What is that condition?’ asked the females.

‘I’d like to make love to the both of you,’ answered the male ant.

And so they made love surrounded with the claustrophobic wall of the cup; the male pouring out the passion and lust for the two female ants until exhaustion consumed them to slumber and the dawn found them already out of the cup.

The two females looked out for the male but he was nowhere to be found.

And then the eerie SILENCE …

WOMAN: ‘What happened? How did they get out from the cup?’
AUTHOR: ‘You want to know? Well, I can satisfy you curiosity it you agree to a one Condition.’
WOMAN: ‘And that would be….
AUTHOR: ‘Same with the ants !’

******


People, like many other things become dull when alone. Perhaps that was why God, seeing Adam so lonely in the garden of Eden, took a rib from him and invented the first “Loudspeaker”.

******


A young matron greeted her husband on the front porch and said: ‘Darling, let’s kill the turkey for tomorrow is our wedding anniversary.

’The husband, knowing that their marriage was not a successful and happy one; answered’: ‘Let the poor animal live. It has nothing to do with our rotten marriage!’

THE TRUTH OF THE MOMENT

THE TRUTH OF THE MOMENT
By Domineko du Surigao


“Nemo me impune lacesit” – from A Cask of Amontillado
By Edgar Allan Poe

THE DRAMA in that late morning of May 3 was akin to the principle of ambuscade executed in blinding rapidity as in that stealthy frontal interception that jarred and rattled the senses. The purpose of which is to inflect not only injury but mental anguish, dread and amazement to the recipient while evading at bay in anticipation for a fight another day.

Such was the climactic performance of the Pacman’s patented tactics of speed, precision and his capricious but fluid cadences in the square arena. A subtle resemblance of East Asia’s temperament during the 60’s: EXPLOSIVE and RESTLESS!

That, being contrasted on the other hand, with the somnambulant oscillations of the Hitman upon stumbling into dreamland – a replica of Western Europe after World War II: RUINED and DEVASTATED!

East met West.

Each in their sinister but mesmeric lethal dance of bloodlust for the win; exchanging blows like the clashing of minute swords of grass in the wind-blown verdant green, each fully clad and gleaming with the crimson dew of covetousness – leaping for the sky, reaching and both wanting for the sun…..

After the raucous din, only one man remained standing for the accolade. It was over. Brief. Clearcut. Neat. Swift as lightning.

Thus, was punctuated Europe’s best P4P fighter in that electrocuting flash of a pugilist’s dream: entering with as bang, departing in deafening silence.


THE UNSEEN WHYs and WHEREFOREs

After the Hitman had awakened from that sweet slumber initiated by that famous left hook, he allegedly said: ‘All right Coach, let’s get on with it! Let’s go for a jog before I floor that Pacman in the ring.’ The Coach answered: ‘What jog, the game is over’! Harharhar!

The simulated conversation is reflective of the human tendency to fall into that familiar trap labeled as the abnormal loss of memory. Amnesia. Forgetfulness. Oversight of the little things that when magnified should have considerably swayed the outcome of a projected goal.

Fatally overlooked by the Hitman was the wisdom of KNOWING. “It is in the knowing that we find resilience to cope with the demands of what we seek.” To vanquish one’s adversary, the doctrine of Ninjutsu stated among others: “Know your enemy. Become his friend and the other phases of his defeat will come in handy and in succession.”

Also forgotten for scrutiny was the psyche of the Pacman.

At an early age, the Pacman learned the rudiments of boxing in his frequent brawl while peddling his Pan de Sal, Newspaper and or shoe-shinning in the streets and alleyways of GenSan. This knowledge, if only pursued, would have given a hint of deducing that the Pacman was already a STREET FIGHTER prior to his involvement in the punching scene.

And the Hitman challenged this guy to a fracas of fists inside the ring! Who can deny him the privilege? It was like dispatching the proverbial turtle into the river! So, the ember flamed. And the splinters flew thereafter.

Another yarn has it that when a reporter asked why the fight was lost so quickly, the Hitman retorted: ‘Oh, Boy, how can you ever expect to win against a dude with eight fists?’ Harharhar!

Speed. Discipline. Concentration. Wisdom. Truthfulness in war or combat. These are the attributes of a good warrior. He must know how to incite fear, hate, anger, confusion and fright into the soul of the enemy. These are aspects of one attitude: INSECURITY. Feed this to the enemy in great dozes.

Failing to do this, one cannot win. One merely survives.

No matter how much the Hitman denies it, there was fear in his eyes upon climbing the stair to the ring. That was proven later when he bulldozed his way to test the water with a dubious thrust to the Pacman’’s side. There was also fear when he succumbed to the floor the first time while the second fall contrived revenge as reflected in the shock on his face. His body language confirmed all these and was magnified on the life-sized screen.

As long as there is fear, there will be defeat. This is a posture that invites revenge. And if one begins to think only of revenge, one’s body will be made weak by that obsession. One will cease to have options open until all strategy disappears, leaving only one thing: the thought of revenge.

The cause of the first knockdown, according to Doods, was reminiscent of Jeet Kune Do. Precisely right. He also chimed it was a shot from Nimo Naranai Do. Not wrong either. One or the other, they have that common mode of execution: Astounding SPEED.

Speed kills. Or maim. Hence the sealed fate of the Hitman in five minutes & fifty seconds. Whether it was JKD or NND that made it, was not the issue that hanged at bar.

It was Pacman’s fist that brought the house down along memory lane.

Dismissed, too, as irrelevant was the concentrating power of the Pacman. Unknown, perhaps, to the Hitman’s party, concentration plays an important role in any form of combat. This was one of Pacman’s aces: “To meet the enemy with the mind settled on that spot where one’s offence must constantly hammer the adversary into oblivion.”

On the contrary, the Hitman’s intentions were clearly telegraphed by his body and eye movements prompting the other party to anticipate in the form of mind-reading and intercept the blows prior to being consummated. Thus, the Jeet Kune Do slash in the first salvo.

And that was the CHIN of the matter. The LOWER JAW in another.

Alien to the Western mind is the almost fanatical preoccupation of the Pacman to indulge in moments of SILENCE in his Mass Offering a day before the fight and again kneeling in STILLNESS on his corner prior to the action. Why is this?

Kenjutsu affirms: “Combat is a very deep SILENCE attacked. Just as man can create silence, so does the human psyche: thought. Without silence, thought is impossible. Without thought, strategy cannot be formulated. Unless one actively seeks out the SILENCE in the midst of combat he cannot attain victory. He can only be there as witness to his own defeat.”

These intangibles, basically regarded as negligible, became in fact the fatalistic factors pushing the Hitman into his own pit. Were you to agree or not, that is the infallible palindromic message etched on the mirror on the wall.


BODY LANGUAGE

While the Pacman almost always wear that enigmatic grin before his fights, the body speaks a tune rather contrary whenever blows are inflicted unto him. Albeit the Pacman knowing this or not, is clearly manifested everytime he retaliates to the opponent.

The language being Latin and written as the lead of this article, it is herein translated into English meaning thus:

“No one attacks me with impunity.”

That, is the tenet of the warrior under stress. That, also is the truth of the moment. More or less.


Domineko du Surigao
May 10, 2009

SHOCK, AWE & HORROR - THE FINAL CHAPTER

SHOCK, AWE & HORROR:
THE FINAL CHAPTER

by Doods A. Amora, PEE

From the edges of the earth to the center of the ring, the East collided with the West and three explosions shook the world..!

Two volcanic eruptions in the first; followed by the exclamatory climax in the second round.

Three knockdowns: SHOCK, AWE and HORROR - yes, what else could it be?

The first bomb sent shockwaves. The second delivered a nerve-breaking awe and the last one detonated sheer horror. Shock, Awe & Horror to the 25,000 adoring Hattonites who trooped to Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena and to the millions around the world watching their TV screens. On the other hand, romping in celebration were deafening roars of pandemic approval on the side of the Pacmanites - me and my cohorts included!

The first knock-down came from a right hook. It looked like a counterpunch but it wasn’t. It was a looping right hand from Pacquiao that landed right on the dot just as Hatton went for a left of his own. Reminiscent of Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, it was more of a shot from Nimo Naranai Do that only the wisdoms of Freddie Roach and Dumineko du Surigao can explicate.

The second knock-down came from Pacman’s patented combinations punctuated by a left straight penultimate finale. As expectators, we had seen it several times in previous Pacman fights. But live at the center of the ring, with so much power, speed and fluidity, there was no way Ricky saw it.


Short, swift and easy. It’s all over in 5 minutes & 59 seconds.


HATTON IN TWO ROUNDS

Yet, the Mancunian pride is a double edged sword. It can drive one to great heights or drive one to the point of near death in the pursuit of victory.

Hatton chose the latter. If this was what death must be like, then so be it. The eyes in his tiger inside were still sharp & piercing – still determined! Ricky hopped into the center of the ring seemingly re-energized as the second round bell rang.

But all of a sudden, Hatton was gone. A final perfect left hook delivered in surgical brutality to the side of the chin sent Hatton seemingly lifted sideward. Unconscious even before hitting the canvas at the closing of the second round, the crystal-eyed and motionless Mancunian Hitman appeared to have dreamt of flashes of morbid hallucinations. And as the bile slowly creeped inside Ricky’s system, the deeper, the more infectious the pain was. Unmoving, eyes open but unseeing, Ricky must have seen himself floating in "Hatton Wonderland".

Indeed, Pacquiao mercilessly ended Hatton’s reign as Ring Magazine’s light welterweight champ. “It was a hard punch,” said Pacquiao. “I didn’t think he would get up.” Truly, Hatton did not get up—yes, for several minutes. Lying in partial life flat on his back, the breathing was painful and hard, his senses out of sync.

Referee Kenny Bayless knew he need not count. He knew it was over way back in the first round. The second round was just bonus.

Before this fight, Hatton came in his prime with a record of 45-1 with 32 KO’s and he had never lost in his 140 pound territory. His only defeat was when he ventured into higher weight division to mix it up with Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather Jr. Of course, he lost through a 10-round TKO to the pound-for-pound great PBF, but then the boxing world was so kind to excuse him, much less, history forgetting of this defeat.

Days before the fight, the match promised of an electrifying war between two most exciting warriors of the modern world. Hatton was perceived to have found his match in the equally aggressive & volume punching Pacquiao - the challenger to his lineal IBO and Ring Magazine belts. On the other hand, Hatton wanted so badly Pacman’s title as the World's No. 1 Pound for Pound fighter. Electrifyingly before the fight, he declared to shock the world.

The world was indeed shocked! But to Pacman’s favour. Then I joined with the sea of all fellow Filipinos in the swelling of the national pride as we were all part ingredient of a nation charmed of Pacquiao’s triumphs again and again!

And it was bitter reality as Hatton Promotions CEO Garret Williams in apparent respect to the Pacman, summed it up, “Ricky is desperately sorry to all his fans. Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter, possibly of all time there’s no shame in losing to somebody like that.”


SURPRISE

In the shortness of the fight, there’s not much to say in this article. The fight was self-explanatory as it was not complicated. Simply put, Hatton was no match to the tornado from the East.

But I could not have dreamt of a more spectacular outcome, for I for one was surprised how it came so easily. I expected peaks and valleys as the fight would go on, I mean the excitement, the electricity.

In my last article, I was looking at a knock-out in the later rounds. Ricky Hatton, known for his durability and being much fresher than Oscar Dela Hoya, the Hitman needed to be softened up until the late rounds where the knock-out would be ripe.

But with the Pacman as opponent, the actual fight seemed to expose that Hatton could have been thought of as a bum. Had it not been for his impressive credentials, Hatton would have not belonged to the class of the Pacman. Don't get me wrong. Ricky is one of the greatest fighters in the modern world. But Manny is just much better.

So easy, so swift, so clinical – that’s how dramatically Manny dismantled Hatton.

In retrospect, David Diaz looked good in his ninth round TKO loss to Pacman. Oscar Dela Hoya was much better in his own eight round combat with the Pacman. And Pretty Boy Floyd’s performance over Hatton now appears to be mediocre.

Manny Pacquiao himself admitted he was surprised by the ease of his win over Ricky Hatton. Hatton used to clinch the Pacman two times in every thirty seconds as part of his roughhousing strategy but then, the hittable Hitman from Manchester got hit – 57.5% percent of the time. In fact, he only connected 18 out of his 78 punches. Pacquiao on the other hand, connected 73 out of 127. It means that the Hitman was hittable in a frequency of 12.2 blasts per minute while the eely Pacman absorbs only 3 punches per minute, in a lopsided ratio of 4 hits to 1.



THE COACH ROACH FACTOR

But then before the fight, Freddie Roach said that this epic match has the makings of a brand new offering never before seen by boxing fans. “The match-up is the best kind of fight ever to be made”, Freddie as quoted. Before the match, Freddie Roach, the Coach, predicted a knockout in three, Pacman made it shorter in two, through the so-called "ROACH TRAP", which Freddie himself devised.

“I knew it was over,” said Roach. “Ricky fights the same way over and over. He doesn’t have the ability to adjust. I watched the tapes over and over the last few months. I know him as well as I know my fighters.”

“Every time he throws the left hook and cocks it, he is wide open for the right hook from the southpaw stance,” Roach explained. “We worked on that every day in the gym and it just worked beautifully.”

“Manny is unbelievable, he performed the gameplan flawlessly,” said Roach at the press conference. “I’m the best trainer in the world because I have the best fighter in the world.”

Needless to say, Pacman's victory is sweetest to a coach who himself was involved in a bout with the trainer at the other side of the fence. After all that’s said and done, Freddie Roach, the Hall of Famer, is the best boxing guru the world has ever known.


DOODS A. AMORA
May 4, 2009

SHOCK, AWE & HORROR

SHOCK, AWE & HORROR

THE PACMAN Vs. THE HITMAN

(PART 1)

By Doods A. Amora, PEE
(April 12, 2009)

THE EAST MEETS THE WEST

The confrontation is still sneaking weeks away, but the brewing tension of a fierce combat smells irresistibly towards one hell of a war. There’ll be non-stop action. There will be blood flowing - lots of them, and someone will fall down.

The Tag: PACQUIAO Vs. HATTON

On May 3 (Manila Time), The Pacman and The Hitman would come to clash a serious business, and everyone expects it.

Big Fames - Big Fight! The names alone are enough to make mouths water.

To their callings, they both have machine guns; and big guns, too. All said and done, each protagonist promised to knock the other out in three rounds!

This time, no more trash tales of ‘aged’, ‘washed-up’, ‘dehydrated’ or ‘passé’ characters... Both are in their prime at 30.

In the ensuing fracas, surely brutal as they come, both fighters are presaged to be tenacious, unyielding and potent. Both are forward-moving, volume-punching aggressors - capable in blasting their opponents for good. Hatton has 32 knock-outs, Manny has 36; nothing to downplay on either sides.

And when the EAST collides with the WEST, it will be nuclear fission in overwhelming proportions! The explosion must be much more deafening than Pacquiao-Dela Hoya and Hatton-Mayweather episodes, combined!

Shock & Awe! How else could it be?


THE EQUATION

Manny has 48 fights in his resume against the demanding future Hall-of-Fame brawlers like Barrera, Morales, Marquez, and more recently, David Diaz and Oscar de la Hoya among others.

But except for Dela Hoya, Pacman’s victories were over small men, by welterweight standards...

On the other hand, Ricky’s numbers boast of 45 bouts against the likes of Urango, Castillo, and Collazo; punctuated with a spectacular victory over the once invincible Kostya Tszyu, and having lost only once to the undefeated pound-for-pound great, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

It goes without saying, Hattons’s lion dens, are all the time, BIG men.

Nevertheless, Ricky is for sure the stronger and bigger fighter, and at 140, he’s fighting at his best weight where he is the Boss. Manny had once tested the density of the 147 pound waters, but boxing skeptics said, “it was a fluke for the one he faced was an aged man who can’t pull the trigger anymore”.

Unlike the ‘recent’ Oscar Dela Hoya, the Hitman Hatton, is a monster in the inside. Aside from his natural powers, “the Hitman is deadly, very capable in using his shoulders, elbows, hips, and torso to set up awesome upper cuts and hooks to the body, while throwing additional shots from unorthodox angles”, as one notable sportswriter wrote.

Indeed, the Hitman, reportedly packs close to a half-ton punching power. And he is not sluggish either. Hatton's punch was clocked in at 32 mph or 51 kph. In a left hook that had floored 32 of his 45 opponents, it means a speed of 46.5 ft per second. This translates to 43 milliseconds (0.043 sec) of near 1,000 lbs of dynamic force of an uppercut to reach a target of two feet distance.


THE FIGHT PLANS

But then, mentally and physically, Hatton and Pacquiao will report for duty prepared with strategic fight plans.

And both fighters have the trade’s finest coaches in their respective corners. Freddie Roach, who has honed Pacquiao into a perpetual punching machine, is confident that Hatton would only last for three short rounds.

But Ricky has the treasure of Floyd Mayweather Sr. in his corner. An astute, deep-rooted boxing shaman, Trainer Mayweather Sr. is predicting that the “Hitman will squash the Pacman like an egg.”

“Freddie, the joke coach Roach, is counting his Easter chickens before they hatch, but there will be no resurrection in the ring for him that night,” said the outspoken trainer.

So then, not only that the two most exciting boxers in the planet will execute toe-to-toe rumba; certainly the world’s two best trainers in Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Freddie Roach are doing the same in their respective corners.

This makes this fight a lot more electrifying. The verbal fisticuffs had already started and more are coming.

“I'm in the Hall of Fame. He's not. I have 23 world champions, he has only one. All his were already champions when he took them over. He has never trained his son. Roger, his brother, did”, said Roach in apparent response to Trainer Mayweather’s offensive poetries.

Expect then that relentless pressure and non-stop assaults showcasing the uppercuts and hooks to the body of Pacman will devour the better part of the evening. Hatton had done it successfully many times before. He will do the same on May 3. Remember, Hatton was able to bring the fight to Mayweather in the early rounds, making the Pretty Boy Floyd uncomfortable at the first half of the fight. That, in itself was quantum performance a few mortals dare to replicate.

Undoubtedly, Ricky Hatton, the stronger fighter, will bring the fight on to Pacquiao right after the opening bell. Forward marching, occasionally weaving his head but with little use of lateral movements, he will slog to grab the Pacman, swarm him, and intimidate him inside the ring. That’s the shortest route to the heavy bombs aimed at Pacquiao’s body and later the concluding hard right to the head.

His mission will be an utter knockout in the early rounds. It has to be quick and the pound-for-pound title will be his.

Expectedly, Hatton will throw his newly mastered decoys, the double jabs followed by intense combinations. Sort of Pacman’s own medicines, the Briton will then swing to the left - that will place him away from Manny’s vaunted left straight and oblige the Filipino to use his right hook.

Pacman’s right hook? Nah! That’s Mayweather Sr’s homework. Hatton has rehearsed it several times in the gym.

But then, this epic match has the makings of a brand new offering never before seen by boxing fans. “The match-up is the best kind of fight ever to be made”, Freddie as quoted.

"To stand in front of Ricky, is not our plan. I expect Ricky to be better than Oscar was, at this point. He is younger, fresher. Ricky gets hit - he wants to fight. Manny gets hit - he wants to fight. They revert back to what they do best. If you hit Manny, he claps his hands together and away he goes." Freddie must have something diversified in his mind and he must have more tricks in his sleeves.

On the other hand, Pacman’s signatures of power and speed are foreshadowed to redeem himself from the obvious disadvantage. Like his latest fight, Manny would be an elusive target to hit. Weaving, bobbing and circling, Pacman will hit his targets at will. His tornadoic speed is not on one punch alone but from two-fisted multiple combos from multiple angles all set up from the speedy, springy legs. Shock and Awe! That’s what he did to Oscar Dela Hoya.

Then, a gory of blood will ooze. Smothering, confusing and denying his opponent air to breathe, that’s how the Pacman dismantles the warrior instincts from his opponent’s wits.

Horror will then creep in slowly and the will to fight effaced... maybe or maybe not.


THE VISION OF THE FIGHT

Let’s go fast forward...

Eight rounds had been history. The Pacmanites are already romping in celebration. In the span of eight chapters, Ricky Hatton only won two marginal rounds. Hatton had been down to the canvas a couple of times - his face now a bloody pulp. Score: 78 - 72 for the Pacman!

Yet, the Mancunian pride is a double edged sword. It can drive one to great heights or drive one to the point of near death in the pursuit of victory.

Hatton chose the latter. If this was what death must be like, then so be it. The eyes in his tiger inside are still sharp & piercing – still determined!

Pacquiao on the other hand, just like his bout with Oscar – except for a few blisters, is unscathed. As Freddie tells him, it’s now a matter of the finishing touches - he is now ready to punctuate a smashing victory.

The bell rings and as if the dreaded cluster bombs falling from the sky, Pacquiao storms at Hatton with a series of blinding combinations. The Hitman akin to the previous rounds, opts to eat lots of leather, it doesn’t matter anyway. Manny is winning...

As the Pacman bobs and weaves; Hatton fires his powerful darts, hitting air... again and again.

Then, at the spur of the moment, the two trade the bests of their body shots. Pak, pak, pak, bog, bog! Machine guns and big guns too! “So what if you are a master body destroyer? I have same tools that I want you to taste!” The Pacman must have that frame of mind at the moment.

All of a sudden, The Hitman clinches The Pacman, and as Hatton bulldozes forward, Pacquiao backpedals to the ropes, to a corner of the squared ring. This is what Ricky is waiting for.

Then, The Hitman stoops his whole configuration down and positions himself to deliver a huge half-ton stab on Pacquiao’s solar plexus.

Kaboom! The Pacman plunges flat on the canvas face down – panting, eyes seemingly crossed, the breathing was painful.

One big hit..., unseen, swift, heavy...!

The Pacmanites, the Hattonites, the Referee, Freddie Roach and even the Hitman himself are stunned, and for a moment all awed, hypnotized. The announcers are shocked and so is the crowd. The Pacmanites - the Filipinos at the venue and those watching on TV’s are shaken, visibly.

The Hattonites on the other hand, realizing imminent victory of their idol, roar in pandemic approval.

Shocked, Awed, Horrified! “Pacquiao is down! Manny’s hurt!” The TV commentators shout.

Meanwhile, as the bile creeps inside Pacman’s system, the deeper, the more infectious the pain is.

Down on the canvas, Manny’s visions roll, he closes his eyes. Then shadows of the past flash back into the soaring panorama. He sees the sight of Torrecampo did the same to him, many years past. Then he sees the silhouettes of his triumphs over Barrera, Morales, Marquez, Diaz, Dela Hoya and the grandeur moments while supplicated in the gorge of the all-time superstars. He then sees faces. Faces of his countrymen, horrified, looking at him and in their eyes he sees but flickers of paling trust and valour.

As his senses involuntarily jerking in partial life, he hears the referee yelling, “six…seven”; somehow floating on the clouds, half groggy, he gets up at the count of eight.

Then the bell rings. Thanks!

In his corner, efforts are frantically tried to revive him.

In his stool, Manny’s thoughts travel into realms of truths. He has been winning fights in a long streak. Now, he has forgotten how it is like to lose. He sees defeat in front of him beckoning into the emptiness of a black hole. Humbly, “I’m losing the war...”, he admits. It pains hard, he wants to sleep and forget. For forgetting even momentarily, is healing to the soul.

Hazily, Pacman looks at Hatton across the ring. There is no miracle. Hatton’s face still pulp. He too, is struggling for dear life. He closes his eyes and calls on the powers above. He had done this before, and he is always heard. With all humility, he implores it again.

He sees a glimpse of the crowd cheering him – same faces of his countrymen, the good men, the bad men, the politicians of all sorts included, the rich, the poor; all extending their arms begging him for a life to be lived. Then he hears sounds resonating agreeably to the ears – pleasingly getting louder and louder in unison. Then he sees the outlines of the Filipino people some 95 million of them, all over the world, praying and saying:

“We need your victory Manny, at least for this moment that we are one”...

Suddenly, a gush of hope and the will for life...!

He again looks straight to Hatton, and tells Freddie and Buboy, “I must win! This is my moment of truth. That is why I’m here. This is for my country!”

The bell rings signalling the tenth canto, a new Pacman hops to meet Hatton in the middle. Never mind that lucky unseen punch, because it never comes again.

Pacquiao hits Hatton real hard. With an assault so stunning no one has ever imagined, in a rapidity no one has ever seen..., and with a strange power mysterious to many, he attacks the Hitman like a swarm of killer bees out for a kill.

As the dust settles... one minute in Round 10, IT’S ALL OVER!

Ricky never gets up as the Hattonites, this time in SHOCK, AWE & HORROR.


DOODS A. AMORA, PEE
(April 12, 2009)

A METAMORPHOSIS

Note:

Domineko du Surigao is the pen name of an ‘invisible writer’ who actually was my townmate, neighbor and friend. He was a big brother and mentor to me in many ways. Not having seen nor heard of me for quite three long decades, here’s his discourse on the subject, ‘METAMORPHOSIS’.

Doods

A METAMORPHOSIS
By Domineko du Surigao

We know what we know viz what we do not. And what we know, we act on or do not...

This is the air pervading in the mind of the author months ago and it was only at this instance that, finally, the need to write it all came into fruition. That, in a manner of speaking, is in itself an evolution or a kind of lethargy awakened by the need to be heard..?

Doods at the onset, the owner of this blogsite, with all the plusses and minuses of being himself is a townmate, neighbor, little brother and above all, a friend to this invisible writer.

In fact, they are namesakes!

This seems to make the subject Doods an easy prey to dissect with. But wrong gentlemen, for reasons that the continuity of their familiarity had been frozen for the past 33 years - that, is owing to the diversities in their chosen paths. And while the subject was occupied in building his professional realm in that span of time, the friend was left in the proverbial pit of anonymity like the frog in the subject’s parable.

Nonetheless, this is the friend’s way of brewing his own tea and serving it with a fitting dough.

Set back. Take it sans prejudice. Never waste anything as overflow…

Lightning play:

What was once in the east
Is now in the west.
- Japanese Haiku

The rock speaks because it is silent;
the sand moves because it is still.
- Zen Philosophy


Then…

Bitbit ng umaga’y isang tula!!
Bukambibig, madugong tula
Na sa mundo’y ibig makialam
At mabasag – saplot ng kamangmangan !

Yaman ay basang papel –
Pluma’t tugmang di makikitil –
Sigaw ng budhi’y ibig ipaalam
Upang dunong sa madla’y mapagtikman !
-excerpts from TULA IV
By Domineko du Surigao


Years had passed since the poem was written and finally found print in the most unexpected medium largely at the insistence of the subject of this intellectual discourse.

Like the literary gem supposedly held within the poem’s lines, the subject Doods, was already a shining jewel in his hometown long before he had shone in the limelight of his inspiring career and accomplishments. Needless to say that starting from the lowest rung, the ‘boy in Doods’ with plenty of marbols in his mind had risen into what he is today: a man of substance, a complete engineer and a big brother to look up to.


LEARNING AS A PROCESS

But glancing back, it was not an easy task all the way. The road was full of potholes, the journey – rough. Still, he prevailed…

The subject’s encounter with the bitter truth began on his first job. He found, among others that what was learned only possessed a modicum of substance viz a viz reality. This, however, is the awakening and enlightening phase of any thought processes as mirrored in the Confucian premise that learning is an infinite cycle.


Knowing, as experienced, is repetitious. It is thru the knowing that we find resilience to cope with the demands of what we seek. It is in finding the path pointing to the truth that we undergo a kind of fulfillment bordering on the spiritual. Self-taught knowledge therefore conveys stranger facts than what was gleaned from the academe. Hence, the birth of his ‘cuaderno’ and consequently, the books it produced thereafter.

And he discovered another truth: that writing became his faithful mistress.

What a sweet reality. For from it, sprang the treatises on the axioms and logarithms of engineering and other facets of his personality. Writing too, as his mistress has transported his train of thoughts into a language that offered awe to the uninitiated and wonderment to the cynics.

Engineering English? Probably irrelevant. Because the point is: what then does it take to write? To write is to weave anew the fragments of the past – then fashion them into moments of splendor - into another flash of wholeness whilst opening more doors into looking beyond. What’s sought, after all, is the purity of truth and the beauty of the interwoven words in the best medium of expression and the simplest inflection of its metaphors. Thus, one feels safe that having written, the words became deeds and that these deeds having been acted and lived, finally defines the man. No fancy words - just the real ones...

Then words merely spoken become in fact, a simple fart in the wind.

So then, where does this repartee sit in with this man we know as Doods? In fact, as the distance reaching this far, the subject has been seen as the centroid and the fulcrum of the mass of knowledge he is imparting to all his audiences be they belong to the engineering discipline or not. He is also a disciple of the principle of creating opportunities when there was none at the time; discovering circumstances where there seems only to be a void in a space of a black hole.

What, then, is the purpose of his CESEEPS Blogspot?

Sigaw ng budhi’y ibig ipaalam
Upang dunong sa madla’y mapagtikman !

That.., is finger pointing to his working mind. That is supposedly, the purpose of all these…


THE METAMORPHOSIS

The subject as his friends knew, is an intransigent fan of the Pacman. Not surprising to this writer, by the way!

With some parallels, Doods and the Pacman have that same propensity to delve into the hypotheses of speed, force and timing - or the mathematical dissection of a problem in a surgical execution of a plan. Doods had some knowledge of what it has to be in the square ring. Of course, that was before the subject has shown a remarkable progress on his belly while indulging on his sedentary and physically inactive life form. Like Freddie Roach, this writer was there when Doods, should we say; 'was still fit, agile and a counter-dude more than three decades ago'.


But like the Pacman that becomes refined in every bout, the subject has in many ways, underwent a very distinguishable change from what he has been to what he is now - hence, the title of this article. And while he had shed most of the shell that enveloped him ages ago, he emerged as a leader in his own field but other than that, he is more like the Zen Policeman as told to us by Eric Van Lustbader.

Read on.

“Many centuries ago, there was a young Buddhist priest who travelled to Tibet to further his understanding of religion and philosophy. In due course, he was accepted into the monastery, but it was some days before he was summoned to the presence of the high lama.

“ ‘I understand that though you are a priest, you do not believe that your spiritual education is complete.’

“ ‘That is correct, sir,’ the young priest said in a somewhat overawed voice.

“ ‘What is it you seek to learn here?’ The old lama asked.

“ ‘Why, all there is to learn,’ the young priest said immediately.

“The old lama looked at him and smiled. ‘We shall see,’ he said. ‘In the meantime, we require you to remain awake and on guard during the night.’

“That night, the young priest was shown to the spot in the exact center of the monastery where he must keep watch. It was a crossing of the four corridors of the stone structure, and from his vantage point, he could see most, if not all the monk’s sleeping cells.

“The hours of the night crept by with agonizing slowness. Nothing happened. The silence became a weight on the young priest’s eyelids, so that once or twice he found himself drifting off into a slight slumber before starting awake. He yawned and stretched to keep himself alert.

“Then all at once, he stood up. He looked from corridor to corridor; sure that he had heard a sound. But there was only the awful silence, claustrophobic as the inside of a tomb. Then he became aware that the sound was an ethereal stirring, as if in his own mind, and he whirled around.

“Suddenly, it burst out of the corridor, coming upon him like a whirlwind, and he felt a chill down his spine. It was as translucent as the wings of an insect; he could clearly see the corridor behind it, through it.

“The young priest feels a fright welling up inside him. What were these forms? Were they the enemies of the Tibetan monks? If so, how was he to combat them when violence was anathema to him? But as if in a dream, he felt rooted to the spot. He did not know whether to fear for the loss of his mind or his life.

“Then he noticed a curious thing. The fear was coming from inside him. When he concentrated his spiritual powers, he realized that the wraiths, whatever or whoever they might be, posed no threat to him or to the people of the monastery. The CHAOS of their rushing to and fro was, in a way, self contained.

“And then the young priest understood everything.

“The wraiths were the spirits of the monks. Unleashed as they slept, freed from the bonds of their daytime work, these spirits were prone to the CHAOS that lurked within the innermost recesses of even the most disciplined mind. They lacked but a single soul – a kind of Zen Policeman – to see them on their proper paths, to keep them from the dangers inherent in CHAOS.



THE AWAKENING

Sometimes ways have to be changed in order to survive the demons peculiar to one’s genius.

This Zen Policeman could be the embodiment of the subject of this exercise – guiding and acquitting his colleagues from the constricting bond of orthodoxy with the old school of thought; setting about to provide harmony among the conflicting concepts permeating within their professional circle and finally propelling the minds into their proper organized state and purpose. Indeed as the lines say, ‘the rock speaks because it is silent; the sand moves because it is still’.

What can be said of the subject’s accumulated elucidation on the field of Electrical Engineering? Nothing sort of wonder if one merely digs on his scholastic record but everything of essence when viewed from the professional contributions and achievements that he had shaped on his person and his profession in particular. What was once the object of his co-workers mischievous tricks is now the prancing Big Chap in a world where ohms and volts remain the main condiments in turning the wheels.

“What was once in the east is now in the west.” That is the essence… The fundamental change in form and oftentimes the habits of a living thing accompanying transformation of a young into an adult is called: Metamorphosis. Can this be it?

The Haiku, in fact, imparts change that man courses thru on life’s strange panorama. Some are swift; some are slow as a snail’s gait. The visual perspective mirrors a different angle when one is perched on a promontory higher than the usual point of view or blander when seen from a lower plane.

It is then that the drama of light and shade comes into play to give meaning and depth to the composition. As in the trials faced man’s quest for the empirical reality.

In the end … it is Doods personified..?



The mystery writer:

Domineko du Surigao
(April, 2009)

Postscript: This invisible writer is known in Nasipit as DNA.

MYSTIQUES IN SYSTEM PROTECTION - PART 3

MYSTIQUES IN SYSTEM PROTECTION
By Doods A. Amora, PEE

[PART 3 OF A SERIES OF 3]

PROTECTIVE RELAY SETTINGS & COORDINATION

The output of Fault Calculations is equally vital as inputs and/or reference range in setting-up protective relays. It also serves as “key-ins” in the simulation of relay responses to various modes and magnitudes of fault currents. After all, the relays must be armed ready to respond to the various modes of faults at any magnitudes of over-currents that could happen in any part of the system and at any possible operating conditions. These now form part of the so-called System Protection & Coordination Study.

RELAY SETTING & COORDINATION consists of the selection or the setting-up of all protective devices in series from the load side, then going upstream and finally to the power generators. In arming up these protective devices, a valuation is made on the operating times of all the devices in response to various levels of over-currents. Again, the objective, of course, is to design a selectively coordinated electrical power system.

With power analysis software such as ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM DESIGN & ANALYSIS (EDSA) or its equivalent, “Coordination Tables & Curves” can be established based on the relay setting schemes -- and simulations to predict relay responses can easily be accomplished. The procedure involved is to select or set up the various protective devices so that the resulting characteristic curves established on a composite time-current graph from left to right corresponding to relays from the downstream to the upstream with no overlapping of curves. Should there be any overlapping of these relay response curves in extremely remote but possible conditions, they are referred to as ‘compromise’.

In the case of the IPP described in this article; the Coordination Curves derived from the “As-Found” settings has to be established on paper. In the same manner that the “New” Coordination Curves derived from the recommended new setting parameters; simulations and/or predictions on relay responses can be finally done at any mode and magnitudes of faults. These outputs must be compared with each other. It is then expected that the new curves must be in better health than the previous coordination schemes that had caused the problems.

However, the attempts made to re-parameterize the relays of the IPP Power Plant in this article to respond and operate as ideally desired at all possible operating conditions, at all modes of faults and at all magnitudes or severity of faults; may not at all be possible because of the following factors as: limitations of existing relays, overlapping zones of protection and even the sizes and number of generators viz-a-viz the power transformers. Thus in this scenario, this is where the so-called “compromise” in protective relaying comes in.

It is in this light that the system protection engineer has to seek for the best relay settings possible to effect the paramount but not necessarily the perfect coordination given these limitations.


METHODOLOGY FOR THE STUDY

Since the coordination requirements differ for each power system, all programmable protective devices must be set in the field to achieve the desired coordination. In setting the relays, "there is no mystery involved; rather, it is a case of perseverance in trying various combinations of characteristic curves to insure correct operation on both maximum fault currents”.

Going back to the IPP problem described in this article; if a study has to be conducted, the following legs have to be undertaken in crafting the complete job, to wit:

1) Understanding the System: At the onset, the system as it was historically and what it is today have to be understood. As such, establishment of the system single line diagram with the latest interconnections with the grid becomes imperative. Existing protective devices and their functions in the system likewise have to be probed along with their corresponding sensors as PT’s & CT’s.


2) Physical Inventory of System Components: Physical inventory on all circuit breakers, power fuses, disconnects, overhead lines, transformers, generators, disconnecting switches, etc have to be performed to confirm what’s on paper are the ones in actuality. Establishment of nameplate capacities & ratings (whenever and wherever possible) and the capabilities of circuit breakers, transformers, generators & other major components have to be done.

3) Fault Calculations & Simulations: Fault Calculations have to be performed to confirm that the circuit components especially the protective devices are still within operating limits in events of faults. It is also from these calculations that simulation of faults for various conditions can be conducted and their magnitudes recognized. By using EDSA analysis software or its counterpart, fault duty simulations can be made straightforwardly, especially in establishing relay responses to various magnitudes and modes of fault currents.

4) Establishment of Relay Setting History: It is important to understand the frames of minds behind the previous relay settings. From the original set parameters, there could have already been several events of relay resetting in its history. Taking off from these previous parameters, the engineer will understand the “why’s” and “how’s” the old frameworks of set-parameters were laid down.

5) “As Found” Relay Settings: History’s latest “as-left” settings should be what the engineer finds out in actual inspection in establishing the “as-found” settings. This activity will confirm that the actual relay settings jibe with what’s on paper.

From this information, the engineer can make “As-Found Coordination Charts” where faults can be simulated and responses of the relays established based on the existing settings. An analysis on the “As-Found Coordination Charts” will explain inconsistencies of relay performances and why the unwanted trippings happened. This activity must not be limited to paper works alone but includes circuit tracings on actual wirings and connections made on the relays so with the confirmation of CT ratios actually used.

6) Formulate New Schemes of Relay Settings: With all the above information and the ensuing analyses especially on the “as-found” data, a new scheme of relay settings could be formulated to address present problems. Again with EDSA software, “Coordination Tables & Curves” can be established based on the new scheme and simulations to predict relay responses can be accomplished.


EPILOGUE

The action of the 86T’s (Lock-Out Relays) of the twin transformers in the scenario of the IPP in this article is triggered by the stroke of the 51G’s (Transformer Back-Up Ground Protection). Note that the 51G’s in this case are wired to interface with the Lock-Out Relays. Once activated, the Lock-Out relays in turn trip both the Primary and the Secondary Circuit Breakers of the Transformers. The simultaneous triggering of the 51G’s are due to the fact that the two 40 MVA 13.8–69 kV step-up, delta-wye transformers are paralleled at 69 kV (secondary) side through a tie bus. Hence, any ground fault current sensed at the neutrals of the two transformers can be seen simultaneously by the 51G’s.

As being said earlier, a single line-to-ground fault scenario away from the Power plant occurred at the 69 kV feeder for one of its customer – the Industrial Economic Zone. But then, the Feeder Circuit Breaker through the 67N (Directional Ground Fault Relay) protecting this line must have tripped ahead of the 51G’s of the two transformers.

But alas! It didn’t live up to expectations. It thus meant a faulty coordination. Among other causes, there could be three most probable reasons (or a combination of these probable causes) why the scenario:

1) Faulty settings on the cascading relays with respect to each other,

2) Wrong choice of threshold pick-up currents, relay operating characteristic curves & Time Multiple Settings (TMS),

3) Or it could be: wrong CT tap used, especially in multi-tap multi-ratio CT’s.

But then, as being said earlier, an attempt to re-set some relays in the system to address specific problems may upset like domino effect the discrimination of the operation of other relays with respect to each other. To ensure total coordination of protective devices in the system, all other relays in the system (from the load ends to the generating end) must likewise be probed and re-set whenever found necessary. So the story on the IPP’s predicament in this article could be a tip of the iceberg. For instance, out of 50 relays being considered, it could be that 20 of them may need some re-programming.

Finally, adequate control of short circuits & faults through proper settings are one major consideration, because uncontrolled short circuits can cause service outages with accompanying production downtime and associated inconvenience, interruption of essential facilities, extensive equipment damage, personnel injury or fatality & fire damage – even explosions.

For all possible conditions (normal & abnormal), it is the responsibility of the system designer to build electric systems in a safe and reliable manner. It is also the plant management’s responsibility to see to it that protective devices are armed to pre-determined performance either by his engineers or by consultants.

Ultimately therefore, it is service continuity that is the rationale of good system protection.

End of Article ...
DAA 3/12/2009

MYSTIQUES IN SYSTEM PROTECTION - PART 2

MYSTIQUES IN POWER SYSTEM PROTECTION

By Doods A. Amora, PEE

[PART 2 OF A SERIES OF 3]

OVERVIEW OF FAULTS

Before attempting to set-up any system protection scheme, faults as complex phenomena must first be understood & their magnitudes calculated.

As the name implies, a ‘fault current’ is one which flows outside the normal conducting paths. Fault modes refer to: Three-Phase Faults, Single Phase (Line-to-Line) Faults, Double Line-to-Ground Faults and Single Line-to-Ground Faults. And these currents always come in large magnitude!

Contributing sources of fault currents into a system in focus include: Grid Generation, Local Generation, In-Plant Synchronous Motors and Induction Motors. Therefore, Fault Calculation is needed to establish new levels of fault duties brought about by any changes in the grid or in the industrial plant system itself.

Three-Phase Bolted Short Circuits: This describes the condition where the three conductors are physically held as if they were bolted together. In this condition, the impedance between these conductors or terminals is zero and the short circuit current flowing into the fault point at the time is influenced by the sub-transient impedance of the system at the inception (1/2 cycle) of the fault. This establishes a “worst case” condition, which results in maximum thermal and mechanical stress in the system. While ‘bolted short circuit condition’ seldom occurs, it generally results in maximum short-circuit values and for this reason that the “basic short circuit calculation” in power systems is employed.

Subsequently, it is from these ½ cycle maximum values that the selection of fault duty ratings of circuit breakers, power fuses, other protective devices and switchgear withstand ratings shall be based, busway bracings included.

Line-to-Line Bolted Short Circuit: From the three-phase fault calculation, other types of fault conditions can be obtained. The levels of line-to-line (single phase) bolted short circuit currents in most three-phase systems are approximately 87% of three-phase bolted short circuit currents, but this calculation is seldom required because it is not the maximum value, especially for establishing circuit breaker ratings. But then these values are needed as bases in relay settings or other purposes.

Line-to-Ground Bolted Fault Circuits: In solidly grounded systems, single line-to-ground bolted short circuit current in general terms, can be almost equal to the three-phase bolted short circuit current. Most of the time, actual SLG fault currents are lower than the 3Φ short circuit current due to the impedance of the ground return circuit and due to the non-zero-sequence current contribution from the motors which are usually ungrounded.

In resistance-grounded medium voltage systems common in generators, the Neutral Grounding Resistor (NGR) is generally selected to limit ground fault current to a value ranging between say, a few tens or hundreds of amperes allowed to pierce into the neutral of the generator. Magnitudes of Line-to-Ground fault currents on these systems are limited primarily by the grounding resistor itself and a line-to-ground fault calculation using symmetrical components is generally required to size up the resistor.

Arcing Faulted Circuits: In actuality, faults in many power systems tend to be arcing in nature. Statistics say that Single-Line-to-Ground Arcing Faults are the most frequent faults experienced in any power system.

Arcing faults are much lower level short circuit currents than the bolted ones at the same fault point. These lower levels of currents are due to the impedance of the arc ‘inserted’ into the circuit and the impedance of the ground return path. Normally, arcing fault currents fall in the range from 40% to 50% of the bolted values or could be much lower especially in limestone earthing environments.

In the real world, statistics showed the frequency of occurrence of these faults are as follows:

Single Line-to-Ground Faults: 70% – 80%
Double Line-to-Ground Faults: 10% - 17%
Phase-to-Phase Faults: 8% - 10%
Three-Phase Faults: 2% - 3%


FAULT DUTIES

For new installations, Fault Calculations must precede any effort to procure system protection devices purposively to arrive at the appropriate ratings & capabilities that fits various system conditions to include future considerations.

For existing plants where Power System Study is conducted, this activity is likewise imperative to establish that the protective devices such as circuit breakers in switchgears are still within operating limits. Updating the awareness in system fault duties is always true to situations where the Grid has changed significantly where fault duties have also changed.

While overloads do occur at somewhat modest levels, the ‘short-circuit’ or ‘fault current’ can be hundred times (or more) larger than the normal operating current. A high level fault in the medium voltage systems may be 40,000 amperes (or even larger). If not interrupted within a matter of a few thousandths of a second (depending on the magnitude of fault current), damage & destruction can become very serious. There can be severe insulation damage, melting of conductors, vaporization of metals, ionization of gases, explosion, arcing & eventually fires. Moreover, high level short-circuit currents can develop huge magnetic-field stresses between switchgear buses that can reach destructive forces beyond their short-time ratings that even heavy bracings may not be able to keep them from being distorted beyond repair.


Protective devices such as circuit breakers in switchgears must be rated to withstand the destructive energies of fault currents. If a fault current exceeds a level beyond the capability of the protective device, the device may rupture and disintegrate in its attempt to interrupt a fault. This is the first step.

It is therefore important to de-mystify the stigma of faults and its counter-measures. Again, the system designer is responsible for the selection of the right equipment; and would generally have the task of calculating system short circuits.


PROTECTIVE RELAYS

Today, Fault Control by protective relays is just one part of a protective umbrella covering such conditions as equipment & component deterioration, natural hazards, reliability requirements and similar considerations. As one article on the web puts it: "But if system protection is the “heart” then, electronic devices now being integrated into electrical systems have become the “nerves” of today’s systems. In just one generation, the introduction of new, “smarter” devices has significantly changed equipment and design practices."

Protective relays have been described as the watchdogs or silent sentinels in the power system. They come in anticipation for faults. Again, to minimize the effects of faults on the system, these devices should be selective in operation so that the one nearest the fault downstream will operate first and, if any device should fail to function, the next closest device on the upstream side should open the circuit. This is what is globally referred to as “failing well”.

It may be convenient to think of the circuit breaker as the muscle providing brute force that does the work of isolating the component, while the relay is the brain which decides that isolation is required and the command for the circuit breaker to trip.

Most switchgear-type relays are enclosed in a semi-flush-mounting draw-out case. Relays usually are installed on the door of the switchgear cubicle. Again, protective relays are arguably the least understood component of medium voltage circuit protection. And, coordination doesn't need to be complicated too, that is, if we know some basic relay and sensor information. Let's then try to unravel the mystery.

Protective Relays come on the form of electro-mechanical, solid state and more recently the digital relays.

Electro-mechanical Relays: These relays are now extinct and therefore need no further discussion as far as this article is concerned.

Solid State Relays: These relays can perform all the functions that can be performed by electro-mechanical relays and, since the precision of solid state electronic relays is greater than that of electro-mechanical relays, they allow closer system coordination. In addition, because there is no mechanical motion and the electronic circuitry is very stable, they retain their target accuracy for a long time. Incidentally however, Solid State Relays had a short-lived popularity. Sooner than expected, these types of relays are now out of manufacture.

Digital Relays: Solid State relays were replaced by the development of more modern & superior Digital Relays that are now used in newer installations. Compared to its predecessors, digital relays carry superior functions than the electro-mechanical and solid state units. Because of the versatility of digital circuitry and micro-processors, these relays provide many functions not previously available in electro-mechanical & solid state counterparts.

Today’s Digital Relays are built immune to severe electrical environment of industrial or utility applications. They are built to withstand failure, especially from high transient voltages caused by lightning, on-site switching and other rugged application conditions. Digital Relays have gained a strong and rapidly growing position in power systems in terms of accuracy, dependability, versatility, and reliability, and most of all; they come in, much cheaper.

To be continued...
DAA 3/8/2009