Abstract

BECERRA C, César A; LOZANO M, Carlos A  and  GARCIA G, Diego F. DILATE, A COMPUTER TOOL FOR DESIGN OF POWER OVERHEAD TRANSMISSION LINES. Ingeniare. Rev. chil. ing. [online]. 2007, vol.15, n.2, pp. 149-157. ISSN 0718-3305.  doi: 10.4067/S0718-33052007000200005.

In this article, a free distribution computational tool for academic use called DILATE is presented. The tool was developed using Microsoft^® Excel using Visual Basic^® for Applications (VBA), which facilitates the design of three-phase overhead transmission lines. DILATE integrates three principal calculation modules: electrical calculation, mechanical calculation, and tower spotting and transmission line alignment: the latter is done directly on the graphical representation of the longitudinal profile of the land, imported from a DXF file. The result is a computational tool that helps with all the processes of calculation and updating of results, reducing the time spent in the design and the possible errors that could arise from a manual procedure. The designer's work is focused on the data input and the results analysis through its user friendly interface.

Keywords : Excel VBA; macros; DILATE; computational tool; design of overhead transmission lines.