The SEL-734B Three-Phase Monitor and Capacitor Bank Control automates and monitors three-phase banks, combined with T&B’s selection of VerSaVac one and three-phase vacuum switches for pole-top capacitors, and VBM distribution vacuum switches.

Voltage regulation and volt ampere reactive (VAR) compensation wield the most influence over the efficiency of a power distribution system, according to Sergio Arellano, product line manager with Thomas & Betts. “The fastest way to improve the efficiency of power distribution is to install switched capacitor banks with smart electronic controls. It also provides the quickest return of investment of all possible methods.”

Among the new capacitor bank controls offered by this collaboration is the SEL-734B Three-Phase Monitor and Capacitor Bank Control, which is used to automate and monitor three-phase banks, combined with T&B’s selection of VerSaVac (VSV) one and three-phase vacuum switches for pole-top capacitors, and VBM distribution vacuum switches. Capacitor bank upgrade kits are also available for applying the capacitor bank control system to existing fixed-capacitor banks.

The new capacitor-bank control includes a power-quality monitoring, control, and reporting functions, and can be combined with metering accuracy measurements. Its plug-and-play pole mount enclosure provides weather-protected space to mount network radios, power supplies and encrypting transceivers. The capacitor-bank controls also include SEL standard software tools, a 10-year product warranty on SEL products, and technical support.

 Thomas & Betts Corp.

www.tnb.com

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
www.selinc.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

The length of The Switch 2 MW cabinet is now only 2.4 meters, which makes the placement of the converter easier in the nacelle or the tower.

A full-power converter design by The Switch features fault ride-through (FRT) capability for better grid-side performance. The new converters match the most stringent grid code in the world to date, the German BDEW 2008 directive. They also comply with E.ON 2006, Transmission Code 2007 and Chinese grid code 2008. During faults, the converter stays connected to and supports the grid – even with zero-voltage ride-through capability. This results in future-proof grid compliance. The built-in FRT capability also creates a cost advantage. Even the smallest turbines on wind farms are being retrofitted with additional FRT upgrade kits that cost as much as new, complete converters by The Switch.

The new converter design is ideal for offshore installations, because the cabinet has been improved to minimize the impact of environmental influences in harsh ocean conditions. The upgrades include a more rugged enclosure and better sealing. In addition, the converter includes a built-in humidity control that removes humidity from inside the cabinet, making it highly reliable. The new converter, designed to match all turbine applications ranging from 1 to 6 MW, also reduces cabinet size by up to 30%. The length of The Switch 2 MW cabinet is now only 2.4 meters, which makes the placement of the converter easier in the nacelle or the tower. Higher power density is the design criteria also in higher power ranges.

“In China, the importance of FRT capability has been recognized only recently as a result of large power outages, and the slowdown in the market is closely linked to these quality issues. The new products exceed the maximum grid performance requirements in China,” says Jukka-Pekka Mäkinen, President and CEO. Sales of the new converter series will start early in 2012.

The Switch
theswitch.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

The C22 pushbutton line includes LED illuminated pushbuttons and pilot lights, twist-to-release emergency stops, selector switches, as well as flat and extended non-illuminated pushbuttons.

 Customers can change a button’s function in the field. Maintained pushbuttons and momentary selector switches can be field converted to momentary and maintained, thereby reducing inventory. ”

The C22 product line is compact and easy to install, features monoblock construction with built-in contacts, and engineered for simple push-through and tighten installation. Although the 22-mm design is compact, it offers the same pressable area as 30-mm pushbuttons.

The C22 devices are engineered for harsh industrial environments with an IP67 rating on most front elements. Many standard operators also have more stringent IP69K ratings, protecting them from submersion and high pressure and temperature wash-down.

Standard C22 pushbuttons have a mechanical lifespan of five million operations and can operate in temperatures between -25 and 70°C. The pushbuttons meet Underwriters Laboratories , Canadian Standards Association, and International Electrotechnical Commission standards.

Eaton Corp.
www.eaton.com 

Windpower Engineering & Development

Due to high security and availability requirements, MOXA and Dongfang engineers selected the ring topology in the wind-farm network for fast redundancy in case of network failure.

Chinese manufacturer Dongfang Steam Turbine Works (DSTW) was working on a wind farm project of 66, 1.5-MW turbines and had to establish a SCADA system to remotely monitor on-site equipment and operations while recording operation data for real-time analysis. To make matters worse, Northeast China’s harsh weather called for rugged and reliable networking devices.
The company also decided the system needed network redundancy with a fast recovery for system reliability, and at least three fiber-optic ports for uplink and long distance outbound transmissions. In addition, network-management software had to monitor and manage the system without undue complexity.

After sufficient evaluation, the Chinese engineers selected MOXA/s rack mount managed industrial Ethernet switches an excellent fit for their network infrastructure requirements.

Moxa engineers suggested installing one industrial Ethernet switch (EDS-208A-M-SC) atop each wind turbine to connect to the equipment inside the turbine. This switch connects to another switch (EDS-408A-2S1M-ST-T) at the bottom of the turbine by a fiber optic port. The switch comes with three fiber optic ports, one of which is the uplink connection to the EDS-208A and the other two connect to adjacent wind turbines.
Due to high security and availability requirements, the company used a ring topology in the wind-farm network for fast redundancy in case of network failure. The control center uses Moxa’s rackmount managed industrial Ethernet switches (IKS-6726) to connect field switches with the SCADA system and network management servers. MXview 1.0 network management software then helps operators monitor network status by automatically discovering the network topology and displaying real-time alarm information. The software supports SNMP V1, V2c, and V3, and presents historical traffic statistics and event logs for troubleshooting. The equipment is rated for -40 to 75°C.

Moxa Industrial Network Solutions
www.Moxa.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

In this webcast, a brief overview of state of art simulations tools available from Altair Engineering will be presented. Following the introduction of the tools, two of the most influential simulation technologies will be discussed. Namely, multibody dynamics (MotionSolve) and computational fluid dynamics (AcuSolve). The webcast proceeds with a discussion of case studies that demonstrate areas in which these technologies have been successfully applied to wind power engineering.

3 Bullet Points of What Participants Can Expect to Learn:

1. Computer Simulation Technologies that will help deliver optimal wind turbine design and as a result improve turbine power output and overall operating efficiency and performance

2. State of Art Simulation Technologies for Wind Turbine Designers and Engineers

3. Reduce Time to Market and Reduce Dependency on Physical Testing

REGISTER BELOW

Windpower Engineering & Development

Premo Group offers a wide range of EMC filters for UPS, with various ranges of current, voltage and filter stages, built according to UL1283 and EN60939-2 standards.

An uninterruptable power supply or UPS may be a best way to provide stable power to a company network. Current UPS designs store energy in batteries in dc mode. When necessary, the device supplies power in ac mode, thanks to a dc-to-ac converter. It works in switch-mode and so generates electromagnetic noise, conducted and radiated, which affects its operation and nearby electronic devices. This electromagnetic emission has to meet limits established by applicable standards, and the environment in which it is supposed to work. Typical standard are EMC IEC 62040-2 and EN 50091-2.

One EMC test, for conducted emissions, measures noise in the power using a LISN. The measurement frequency is 150 kHz to 30 MHz and the maximum limit allowed depends on the applicable standard and the environment where the unit will work, domestic or industrial.

To overcome these conducted emission tests, Premo Group offers a wide range of EMC filters for UPS, with various ranges of current, voltage and filter stages, built according to UL1283 and EN60939-2 standards. The company offers a new PFT series, a three-phase UPS with neutral filter for three-phase power delivery without transformer. This PFT Series offers currents from 3 to 150A and working voltage to 520 Vac, 50 or 60 Hz, providing high common mode attenuation and differential, as well as low-leakage current. This family of filters offers a compact design and is available in different versions, with fast-on connection, screws, or terminal blocks. The filters have been developed to fulfill the specific needs of this application in terms of attenuation levels, volume, weight, and connections. Premo continuously improves its EMC filter designs, in collaboration with development centers, universities, suppliers and customers, innovating new technologies such as IPEM and introducing new magnetic materials (nanomaterials, and new alloys) for optimum results in operation mode, reliability, size and efficiency. Premo EMC has fixed an on-site laboratory to carry out the EMC tests in machines or installations of its customers. Solutions are suggested to fulfill a specific EMC standard. Download this product datasheet: http://www.grupopremo.com/es/file/73

Premo
grupopremo.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

The system has flexible architecture and integrated security to meet monitoring and control application needs.

A manufacturer of automation and control products offers a  high-density, highly configurable modular RTU and programmable logic controller (PLC) system. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) says their SEL-2240 Axion extends their automation and control product family. The system has flexible architecture and integrated security to meet monitoring and control application needs. Users simply select the right combination of modules in almost any arrangement to create a customized solution for each job.

David Whitehead, SEL’s vice president of research and development explains that the Axion can help solve tough control system and substation automation problems. Users can build an Axion system with up to six units, or nodes, which are connected in a network using the EtherCAT protocol. Each node can accommodate ten modules, including a processor module, one or two power supplies, and a user-determined mix of I/O modules suitable for the application. An Axion node uses an integrated RTAC module as its CPU, which means the device is not only an RTU, but also a complete substation data concentrator and integration platform. The company says the power supply module employs the same technology found in their protective relays and supports an entire node. In critical situations where two incoming power sources are available, install dual power supply modules in each node so the Axion can control needed processes even if one power source should fail. Even when the Axion nodes are distributed using the available fiber Ethernet connections, all of the I/O points are updated every millisecond. All of the tags in the system can be logged for a system-wide sequence of events report. Engineers can combine the Axion with the SEL ICONTM communications networks when they need to place nodes significant distances apart with no loss of determinism.

The Axion has a complete IEC 61131 logic processor, secure communications, advanced data concentration, local and remote I/O, and protocol conversion capabilities between multiple built-in client/server protocols. The IEC 61131 engine provides a means for engineers to run their custom control logic at two different rates. The higher-speed solve rate can be as fast as 4 ms and is intended for critical control loops. The slower solve rate can be as slow as 1 second and is perfect for SCADA reporting. The solution also gives integrators the necessary tools to easily integrate and concentrate information from the wide variety of microprocessor-based devices found in plant applications.

SEL says the Axion works seamlessly with their SEL-3530 Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC), SEL-2411 Programmable Automation Controller, SEL-2440 DPAC Discrete Programmable Automation Controller, and SEL-2523 Annunciator Panel to provide I/O, control, and annunciation for many industrial applications.

ACSELERATOR RTACTM SEL-5033 configuration software is included with each Axion for no additional cost. SEL says it features everything you need to set up I/O, communications, security, and programmable logic in one easy-to-use package.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. www.selinc.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

The Hall effect sensor meets the highest safety requirements and is isolated with plastic housing, meeting isolation values higher than 4,000 Vac.

The continuous shortage of Hall Effect sensors is generating trouble for manufacturers such as those for PV and eolic inverters. So, Premo has introduced a family of Hall effect sensors which are equivalent to the LEM DHR-C420 family. The main characteristic of this series is the output current, which has a fixed range of 4 to 20mA. Such RMS sensing is the most accurate way to measure power supply and it is also used to indicate how a motor and load are operating. The rms function measures pulse signals. The developer has a completed family with input sensing currents from 20 up to 1,000 A.

The new series provides a linearity <0.5% with a ±1% accuracy levels. The bandwidth is up to 6kHz with a response time is below 200 ms. The offset drift-versus-temperature is as low as 0.5 µA/ºC and consumption of the circuit is only 30 mA at no current condition.

The units meet the following standards:

• Isolated plastic case recognized according to UL94-V0
• EN 60947-1:2004
• EN 60950-1:2001
• EN 50178:1998

Premo Group
www.grupopremo.com/es/technology/476/hall-effectsensors.html

Windpower Engineering & Development

The SNAP-AIPM-3 and SNAP-AIPM-3V can each monitor 480 Vac, 3-phase electrical equipment without need for a potential transformer.

Opto 22 has enhanced the capabilities of its most widely used power monitoring modules to give clients broader voltage input ranges and better resolution for their three-phase power monitoring and energy management applications. The SNAP-AIPM-3 and SNAP-AIPM-3V can each monitor 480 Vac, 3-phase electrical equipment without need for a potential transformer. Both modules accept voltage inputs up to 300 Vac, so 277 volt line-to-neutral signals from lighting systems and other equipment can be wired directly to the module. Eliminating the transformers to step down higher voltages significantly reduces installation cost and complexity.

Additionally, the SNAP-AIPM-3 now accepts current inputs from 0 to 5 A. This improvement doubles the module’s current input resolution, letting clients observe changes in their power usage in higher detail. The SNAP-AIPM-3 is compatible with the most common current transformers-which step down a primary current to a secondary of 5 amps or less-making engineering unit conversion and scaling for the SNAP-AIPM-3 easier as well.

In energy monitoring applications, the SNAP-AIPM-3 and the SNAP-AIPM-3V let building managers, maintenance engineers, and other business stakeholders monitor three-phase equipment power in their facilities. Each module returns up to 14 channels of data including volts, amps, volt-amps, and true power for all three phases, plus true power sums. Clients can use the modules as part of a SNAP PAC System to correlate their energy usage with specific business operations. At that point, real-time data can be used to identify problems and design energy management initiatives to reduce energy costs.

System integrators can use the modules to develop control systems for commercial and industrial clients to monitor and regulate 3-phase power consumption so they can reduce energy usage, avoid peak pricing charges, and lower energy costs. For OEMs, the modules provide a simple and straightforward method for integrating power monitoring and energy consumption into their machine control, establishing an important differentiator in their offering.

For its six wired input channels, the SNAP-AIPM-3 has input ranges of 85 to 300 Vac RMS and 0 to 5 ac Amps RMS. The module offers 12 mV resolution with accuracy of ±0.2 V for voltage inputs, and 200 mA resolution, ± 4 mA for current inputs.

For its six wired inputs, the SNAP-AIPM-3V has input ranges of 85 to 300 Vac RMS and 0-0.333 Vac from current transformers with a 333 millivolt secondary. Accuracy is ±0.2 V for inputs and 13.3 microV ac for current inputs.

Both modules are guaranteed for life, transformer isolated, and (like all Opto 22 SNAP I/O modules) optically isolated from the equipment and devices they connect to, as well as from other modules on a shared I/O rack. SNAP-AIPM-3 and SNAP-AIPM-3V are available at a list price of $495.00 USD each.

Opto 22

www.opto22.com

Windpower Engineering & Development

The controls are for the 15 MW of storage.

Renewable energy projects often cannot consistently deliver electricity so some of the power must be stored, often in larger batteries. For example, the Notrees wind project will be the largest that uses a battery backup, and more such projects are in the pipeline.

“We have a few large projects awaiting to be announced later this year or into next year that are related to either renewable integration on a large-scale or renewable integration under challenging transmission and distribution circumstances,” said Xtreme Power CEO Carlos Coe. “Industry observers are seeing increasing use of storage alongside renewable assets, and in areas where the grid system is more constrained and isolated, such as Hawaii. A 30-MW wind project there went into operation recently using a 15-MW storage system from Xtreme. Duke won in November 2009 a $22 million U.S. Energy Department grant for a large-scale battery storage system at the Notrees project. Electricity from Notrees is sold to Bentonville, Arkansas- based Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Xtreme Power
http://www.xtremepower.com/

Windpower Engineering & Development