Bachmann Electronic has been selected as the condition monitoring system (CMS) provider to one of Canada’s largest power producers. TransAlta commissioned an upgrade to its Melancthon wind farm located in Ontario, Canada. The wind farm, which is located near Shelburne, went online in 2008 and was Ontario’s first utility-scale wind site. With 133 wind turbines…
What methods of condition monitoring are available for wind turbines?
Condition monitoring, as the name implies, monitors the condition of a component or project. The purpose of monitoring machinery health is to predict maintenance rather than reactively maintain the project. Essentially, there are three ways to operate a wind turbine: Wait until something fails, then repair it Replace components regardless of their condition at a…
Bachmann nows offers a freely configurable watch list
Testing, commissioning and diagnostics are activities familiar to every automation technician. Efficient work is only possible if the elementary process variables can be monitored. The SolutionCenter provides users of the M1 automation system with all the tools needed for this. In version 1.95 a freely configurable variable list was integrated for process analysis, as well…
Grid measurements in the PLC
The M1 automation system has been improved with an additional grid measuring option. The direct integration in the M1 automation system simplifies and speeds engineering, enabling comprehensive remote diagnostics and teleservice. The fast sampling rate in each period also allows use for operational measurement, closed-loop control, as well as for condition monitoring. The fast memory…
Wind Talk: The truth about condition monitoring
Condition monitoring gets a bad rap from people that do not understand it. They think it’s complicated, expensive, and takes too long to learn. But those opinions are unfounded, says David Clark, a condition monitoring expert with Bachmann Electronic. He spoke at the recent WindTech Event in Columbia Gorge Community College in Oregon, dispelling the…
Simple solution for creating highly functional subsystems from Bachmann electronic
The ECS200 EtherCAT slave module enables M1 controllers to be connected as slaves to a higher-level EtherCAT network. This is used when the M1 is used to control an autonomous and intelligent subsection of a plant or machine. The actual connection status of the slave to the EtherCAT master is indicated in the program via…
Flexible project management with intelligent variant management
The new variant management function in the SolutionCenter Version 3.90 reduces engineering efforts for programming and project handling. The modern design of the user interface makes the major development steps clear. A large number of new and helpful functions are provided for working with the M1 controller. Nowadays plant builders almost always have to make…
New ATOM processors in the CPUs of the MC200 series of Bachmann electronic
Maximum performance for demanding closed-loop control tasks, process control and signal processing, as well as extensive communication protocols – these are the promising benefits of using the latest ATOM-E600 processor from Intel. It is integrated in the new generation of MC210 and MC205 CPUs. The Bachmann M1 controller uses it to also process complex applications…
Seven ways to ruin a condition-monitoring program
David Clark, Condition Monitoring Specialist, Bachmann Electronic, www.bachmann.info Here’s why condition-monitoring programs fail – and the “repairs” to ensure their success Condition monitoring drives predictive maintenance. It’s an accepted fact which is why it is so wide spread in many other industries besides wind. Because the wind industry seems a slow learner, let’s look at…
Bachmann’s GIO212 universal I/O module for all applications
With the new GIO212, Bachmann electronic is presenting a highly flexible I/O module: Each of the 12 channels can be configured either as a digital or an analog input or output. The module can therefore be used for a number of applications and is suitable for use with a wide range of sensors and actuators.…