Distribution and generation of energy

About distribution and generation of energy

Energy distribution and transformation stations are installations that are responsible for receiving electricity in high voltage and transform it into electricity in medium/low voltage. As part of this definition, we embrace all the elements that are involved in the electricity transformation, including swithcing and measuring elements, the transformer and the protection equipment required.

These stations needs a surveillance system that collects data with maximum precision in order to analyze every electrical parameter of the facility. In particular, the required solution must measure active, reactive and apparent energy, power, voltage, current, the environmental temperature of the centre and other electrical parameters. The main objective is to help the electrical companies departments of maintenance and ops in the daily operation tasks.

In this case study we will explain and analyze the project deployed directly by CIRCUTOR about monitoring the medium and low voltage transformer station along the whole spanish territory .

 

 

Needs and goals

This project requires a device for controlling the main parameters of MV/LV transforming centers. In particular, the requirements of the project are the following:

• Low voltage monitoring with split-core current transformers in order to not stopping the energy service
• High accuracy and precision to deliver reliable data to the company
• 4 quadrant energy monitoring of parameters including active, reactive and apparent power and energy
• PT100 input in order to monitor the temperature of the facility
• Optimization and improvement of the maintenance of the center through the collection of electrity data and communication to the master concentrator through RS-232, RS-485 with Modbus RTU protocol. As well Modbus TCP over Ethernet

The scope will be divided into two products, in agreement of different scenarios demanded by the final customer:

• Supervisor fitted with only one energy meter. This device is suitable for the scenario 1, single transformer with single low voltage switchboard
• Supervisor fitted with two energy meters. The device has two current inputs but only one voltage input. This device is suitable for the scenario 2, single transformer with two low voltage switchboards

In conclusion, the project needs two specific devices which don't match with any existing product. The only viable solution is designing customized devices for this project.

Solution

Once the needs and goals are fixed, it's time to study the most effective way to get it. CIRCUTOR proposed to use the eMOD technology in order to design the perfect device for this project.

For those who doesn't know what is eMOD tecnology, it is a DIN rail modular solution designed for creating IoT devices in accordance with the specific needs of a project. The solution is composed of pre-certified industrial modules portfolio which includes power supplies, processors, communications, digital/analogue inputs/outputs, energy metering, PT100, etc... Combining them allows you to quickly developing industrial customized devices for specific applications in an agile and cost-effective way.

 

 

For this project, where we needed to design two different devices, we choosed the following eMOD modules:

• Supervisor fitted with only one energy meter
  • Module 1: 230 VAC Power supply
  • Module 2: Three phase energy meter
  • Module 3: RS-232, RS-485 and Ethernet
• Supervisor fitted with two energy meters
  • Module 1: 230 VAC Power supply
  • Module 2: Three phase energy meter
  • Module 3: Three phase energy meter
  • Module 4: RS-232, RS-485 and Ethernet

It was as simply as that. We combined the eMOD modules to create the devices that this project needed.

As a final point we added our customer logo to present a full customized device. Below you find the supervisor with one energy meter:

Results

One thing was clear before the start of the project: if a big hardware developing investment is needed, the project will not progress.

eMOD technology was the key to avoid R&D hardware developing costs and allowed our technicians to only focus on developing the application firmware. We eliminated any project costs related to hardware design, prototypes, verification and certification.

Nowadays, there are more than 5.000 MV/LV transforming centers being monitored by these devices.

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