The first Doble Client Conference was held in 1934 and lasted three days. The invitations to the first Conference were relatively informal and were accompanied by requests that the clients bring their power factor test sets for overhaul and calibration. Attendance at the first Conference totaled 20, including 12 engineers representing 11 utilities in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. It’s interesting to note that the original 11 utilities still remain active Doble Clients today.
Starting in 1935, design engineers of the large electrical manufacturers were invited to participate in the Doble Conferences. The major bushing manufacturers presented information on the theory of the design and construction of bushings manufactured by General Electric, Ohio Brass, and Westinghouse manufacturing companies. These early presentations obviously were extremely helpful in promoting a better understanding of bushing construction which related to enlightened interpretation of field results and improved maintenance practices.
Participation in the Conference by power-system operators has developed over the last seventy-five years from the original 12 companies to a group now representing over 90% of the electric energy generated in North America. The Doble Client Group includes electric utility systems in all 50 of the United States, nine provinces in Canada, and every Continent except Antarctica.
The mission of the Client Conference was – and still is - “to assemble all those involved in the design, testing, maintenance, and operation of power system apparatus (in particular the insulation system of that apparatus) to meet and share their product performances for the common good.”
A CONFERENCE DESIGNED BY UTILITY CLIENTS; AND FOR UTILITY CLIENTS
As the Doble Client Group grew, and the Doble Client Conference expanded its scope, the need grew for a better way to coordinate the cooperative research on power apparatus systems, studies of operating experiences, and the dissemination of information gathered
by clients. To accomplish this, the Doble Client Committees were created in 1936. Today there are nine Client Committees that help the entire Doble Client Group investigate and discuss the problems associated with the testing and maintenance of electrical insulation and the operation of electric power apparatus. While the Doble Engineering Company is responsible for the overall quality and character of its Conference, the development of the Annual Conference Program, including the formulation of Technical Questionnaires, comes about as a result of twice yearly meetings of the nine Doble Client Committees.
The current Committees include: Asset and Maintenance Management; Arrestors, Capacitors, Cables and Accessories; Bushings and Instrument Transformers; Circuit Breakers; Insulating Materials; Oil; Protection Automation, Communication and Controls; Rotating Machinery; and Transformers. The Doble Client Advisory Committee made up of representatives from each Client Committee, represents the “technical” committees and considers matters of common interest to those committees and the client group.
The Doble Client Committees are composed primarily of representatives of electric power companies and specifically do not include manufacturers, although many manufacturers are also Doble Clients. This does not mean the Conferences exclude manufacturers. On the contrary, Doble cooperates closely with manufacturers in seeking solutions to their mutual concerns. However, the Doble Conference Program (subjects for presentation, authors, and technical questionnaires) is ultimately the decision of the apparatus-users—the Doble Client Utility Group. And that is why it is called A Conference Designed by Utility Clients; and For Utility Clients.
