Port Authority Metro Transit

Among the things lost in the disaster of 9/11 was the Port Authority train station, one of the busiest in the PATH network. In re-building, the station needed reconstruction, a new passenger terminal, tracks, and an electrical substation to supply power. The decision was made to develop a whole new SCADA system, with AETA selected as the system integrator.

Reliability was the biggest concern for this new system. Typical PLC systems are expected to operate 99% of the time, but the PATH system required 99.999%. Using triple modular redundancy, AETA was able to achieve this, resulting in a fault-resistant, fault-tolerant system, able to continue normal operation even with malfunctioning hardware.
 
The HMI system developed incorporated a power management and control system. Power meters in various substations were monitored, allowing for the state of the electrical system to be viewed in real-time. Quality was monitored and recorded, and allowed for a “trip” when certain conditions were met. This recorded data was then available for analysis by PATH engineers to prevent further “trips”.
 
AETA produced over 200 drawings in the development of this project. SCADA equipment panels were constructed and tested in-house in our Johnstown, PA facility. The system was fully operational come November 2003 when the Trade Center Station opened.