preventing downtime

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©2002 Power Measurement Revision Date: November 2002 of 10

Application note:Preventing Downtime

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 1

Solutions for Preventing Downtime ................................................................................................. 1

Alarming ............................................................................................................................................. 2

Preventative Analysis......................................................................................................................... 4

Scheduled Maintenance..................................................................................................................... 5

Monitoring Breakers for Scheduled Maintenance ........................................................................... 6

Generator Control for Backup Supply ............................................................................................ 6Redundant Systems Support............................................................................................................. 7

Backup Data Logging ........................................................................................................................ 8

Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 9

Introduction

Sags, transients, outages, or harmonics can cost a company millions of dollars an hour—data may be lost, equipment damaged, and employees left idle. An ION enterprise energymanagement (“EEM”) system from Power Measurement provides the solutions necessary

for power downtime prevention.

Solutions for Preventing Downtime

An ION EEM system provides the extensive monitoring, analysis and control capabilitiesnecessary for optimizing a power distribution system and pinpointing problems that causeunscheduled power downtime.

There are six main approaches to preventing downtime using an EEM system:

• Alarming

•

Preventative analysis• Scheduled maintenance

• Generator control for backup supply

• Redundant systems support

• Backup data logging

Let’s look at each one in more detail.




Alarming

An ION EEM system can use alarming to prevent downtime and save significant revenueand productivity costs. An ION EEM system with alarming provides:

• Instant notification: An ION EEM alarm notifies key personnel the instant an alarmcondition occurs, so they can react appropriately by either taking immediate remedialaction to repair a breakdown, by remotely retrieving logs from the site for analysis, orby meeting an impending equipment maintenance deadline.

• Quick detection of faults: An ION EEM alarm message provides comprehensiveinformation, so faults can be pin-pointed and the most appropriate corrective actionfor the alarm condition can be provided.

• Alarms configured for specific applications: The flexibility of an EEM systemallows alarms to be configured for a specific application, such as over- and under- voltages, transformer temperatures and pressures, or cooling fan overloads. Alarms

can be remotely custom-configured with software, without requiring hard-wiring orsite visits.

• Multiple alarm communication options: An ION EEM system can send an alarm via email, pager, PDA, cell phone, or software package to a user-specified contact. Thesystem can also be configured so that a single event triggers notification of more thanone person at the same time, using a combination of contact methods. The wide arrayof possible methods means that the system can be configured to meet everyone’scontact requirements. An ION EEM MeterM@il alarm can be sent to anywhere in theworld, but the system can also perform local annunciations, such as turning on a lightor horn to alert staff in the vicinity of the alarm status through the input/output (I/ O)capability of an ION meter.

• Security and affordability : With an ION EEM system, MeterM@il real-timealarming links to the public Internet infrastructure and will not affect corporatesecurity because email travels easily through most firewalls and security systems,removing the need for a costly private communications link for meter polling.

• Extensibility : One ION meter can be used to send alarms from several connectedmeters, reducing the number of communications links required. Certain ION meterscan act as a Modbus Master that has other meters connected to it serially using RS-485.The Modbus Master forwards alarms from all of the connected meters to theappropriate destinations via Ethernet or modem.

• Remote and/or automatic system control: An appropriate corrective action for thealarm condition can be made remotely using ION Enterprise software, ensuring thatthe power distribution system performs optimally even when key personnel are off-site. An ION Enterprise system can also be set up to automatically respond to alarmconditions when they occur, notifying personnel of corrective actions taken.




A typical ION EEM system for alarming might include:

• ION 7600 meter with an internal modem, connected to an Ethernet network

• ION Enterprise software (optional; for setup and/or analysis)

• Alphanumeric pager, cell phone, or PDA• Communications links

A typical system may use an ION 7600 meter to monitor power quality events such assags, swells, or outages, set up to issue an alarm for any voltage dip below a certainsetpoint and to capture a predetermined number of data cycles when a power quality eventis occurring. This meter can also be programmed for email (MeterM@il) and pageralarming, and can send a similar message via both communications channels, includinglocation, duration, date/ time stamps, and max/ min voltages by phase for any occurrence.

When a power quality disturbance exceeds the meter pre-defined setpoint, the ION 7600

meter establishes communications with an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) mailserver, either through the Ethernet connection or through a modem dial-up connection.The SMTP mail server, configured by the Network Administrator to forward MeterM@il(email) alarms from the meter to their final destinations, sends the MeterM@il to theappropriate recipient(s)—for example, the facility manager or members of a user group. AMeterM@il address can be set up for a user group that contains the email addresses ofuser group members, allowing them to be notified simultaneously.

At the same time ION 7600 meter is sending the MeterM@il alarm, its internal modemestablishes communications over the telephone network with the paging service modem.When the paging service modem is contacted, the ION meter’s internal modem transmitsthe alarm message. The alarm message is forwarded to the specified alphanumeric pager.

Pager and email messages can be accessed and received through many devices, dependingon the system put in place by the user. For example, it is possible to automatically direct apager alarm message to an email address or voice line using the third party systemsprovided by paging companies or certain software packages. This is convenient for userswho want email notifications, but do not have an Ethernet connection to the meter. Emailmessages can also be received via web-enabled cell phones or PDAs.

If the ION EEM system includes ION Enterprise software, notified personnel canrespond to the alarm condition remotely using ION Enterprise software to direct thesystem to make the appropriate response. Alternatively, ION Enterprise software can be

set up to react automatically to the alarm condition. When the system senses a conditionthat requires a response, the software decides on and enables the appropriate response.The software may still send out an alarm to inform personnel to what has occurred, but itdoes not require his or her intervention or direction to remedy the situation.




Preventative Analysis

Preventative analysis is another advantage of an ION EEM system. In any electricalsystem, faults produce voltage or current sags that can damage or shut down equipment.For some manufacturing processes, the slightest interruption or power quality event canresult in severe product losses costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Accuratelypinpointing the origins of the faults with the comprehensive power quality analysisthrough an EEM system improves responsiveness to these problems and preventsdowntime.

An EEM system with ION Enterprise software is ideal for outage management,dramatically speeding up diagnostics with problem monitoring in real-time that can beperformed remotely. This takes the guesswork out of troubleshooting a problem, andsaves the time that a site visit requires.

To avoid repeat occurrences of faults on a distribution system, and to ensure that the

power system operates more efficiently, an ION EEM system can also provide historicalrecords that can be analysed for details on the cause, duration, and frequency of outages.

A typical system for preventative analysis might include:

• Electrical load, system or equipment being monitored

• ION 7350 meter

• ION Enterprise software

• Communication links

For example, one common form of preventative analysis is load profiling on the large

motors used in many industrial processes. To ensure that a large motor is runningoptimally, the ION 7350 meter monitors the “in-rush” phase voltages and currents duringstart-up. This verifies that starting conditions are consistent over time, and that the currentstabilizes at predicted levels. In addition, the ION 7350 meter calculates the total motorhours of operation, so maintenance can be scheduled.

Motor start-up in-rush voltage and current trending can be viewed as data points orplotted in the data log viewer in an ION Enterprise software diagram.




Figure 1: A sample ION Enterprise diagram showing motor voltage and current trending.

If this display indicates the motor current takes progressively longer to stabilize for eachsubsequent start-up, then an operations issue is developing such as worn bearings, andmaintenance can be scheduled. Total motor hours of operation can also be displayed andreset from a custom ION software diagram with ION Enterprise. The displays can beprinted out in a report that can be forwarded to the appropriate staff, sharing informationand ensuring that the appropriate solution is carried out.

Scheduled Maintenance

An ION EEM system’s real-time and historical display and analysis functions providecomprehensive information for detailed maintenance and operations planning necessaryfor preventing downtime. The system can provide:

• Real-time and historical records that identify equipment that will exceed safe operatinglimits, by tracking the number of operations or hours of use.

• Alarms that can be set up to notify key personnel when equipment has reached itsmaintenance threshold.

• Automatically generated reports that can be regularly sent to key personnel, to assist instudying system stresses and maintenance requirements.

• Real-time and historical data that provides the information required for schedulingmaintenance during the time least disruptive to the power distribution system.




Monitoring Breakers for Scheduled Maintenance

Beyond monitoring each 3–phase power feed, ION meters can make use of their extensiveI/ O to oversee breaker positions, earth switch positions, protective relay contacts, controlswitch positions, or any change of state within the power system.

Breaker monitoring has proven to be a cost-effective way of troubleshooting problemsbefore they arise. For example, if a power system uses gas breakers and the gas pressurefalls too low in these breakers, they won’t function properly. With an ION EEM system,any pressure drops can be detected instantaneously, eliminating the potential for problemsbeyond the breakers themselves.

A typical EEM system for scheduled maintenance through monitoring breakers mightinclude:

• Equipment and breakers being monitored

• ION 7700

• ION Enterprise software (optional)

• Communications links

Breaker replacements are scheduled by counting the trips of each individual breaker. TheION 7700 meter is connected to the breaker through its I/ O status input port. The meteris programmed to count breaker trips, and has a predetermined setpoint of the maximumnumber of breaker trips that can occur before maintenance personnel must be alerted.(Typically, this number is within 10% of the maximum number of trips recommended bythe manufacturer.) The system can alert personnel in a number of ways, including a litLED on a panel, an email, a page, or a log record displayed in ION Enterprise.

If ION Enterprise software is included in the system, historic data can be reviewed onlineor in an automatically generated report, and a replacement breaker can be planned basedon the number of breaker trips over time that the historic data reveals. In this case, thealert to personnel may be based on a date rather than the number of breaker trips. Systemdata can also reveal when breaker replacement will be least disruptive to the system,minimizing the impact of maintenance on productivity.

Generator Control for Backup Supply

For many companies with sensitive loads, power reliability is a major issue. Generators can

be used to prevent downtime by ensuring an uninterrupted power supply, connecting agenerator to the power distribution system that will turn on in case of a power outage.The system may include back up for all loads or may simply focus on maintaining powerto critical systems while allowing the outage to affect less sensitive loads.




A typical system for a backup generator might include:

• Generator

• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

• ION 7500/7600 meter• Programmable logic controller (PLC)

• ION Enterprise software (optional)


The ION meter monitors the main service entrance. If the power feed from the utility isinterrupted, the meter (or the ION Enterprise software, in a more complex system) sendsa message to the PLC to start up the generator. It also sends commands that ensure thatthe part of the system that will be powered by the generator is isolated from the utility feedby opening a main circuit breaker, to ensure that no damage occurs when the utility powerfeed is restored.

Because it usually takes a period of time between 30 seconds and 5 minutes for a generatorto come up to speed, a UPS is required to ensure uninterrupted power. Either battery orrotary UPSs can be used in this application.

Redundant Systems Support

A redundant power distribution system typically has additional back-up power supplies,and additional ION meters set up for extensive notification (alarming) to indicate changesof state within the ION EEM power distribution system. Changes of state that could

trigger a notification might be: load transfer from Source 1 to Source 2 (such as from theutility feed to a generator or vice versa), UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery levels,or transfer switch status.

A typical ION EEM system for redundant power system support might include:

• Generator (includes a transfer switch)

• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

• ION 7500 meter

• Programmable logic controller (PLC)






When a facility uses an on-site generator as an auxiliary (redundant) power supply, loadscan be transferred between the utility service entrance and the generator when a faultdisrupts power to the feeder, or for applications such as peak shaving. When a loadrequires transference from the service entrance to the generator, an ION 7500 meter sends

an “enable” message to a programmable logic controller that activates a transfer switchlocated on the generator. This enables the generator, and while the generator comes up tospeed, a UPS battery is used as a power supply.

If the redundant power system includes ION Enterprise software, then the ION softwarecan use information provided by the ION meter to trigger the command to start thegenerator.

The success of these auxiliary power processes is guaranteed with an ION EEM systemthat pulls together all of the redundant power distribution system components into asingle, coordinated system, and provides the information and control required to avoidcritical errors and maximize uptime.

Integrating seamlessly with existing systems, EEM provides a unified system thatcorrelates real-time and historic data from power backup devices and other intelligentmetering devices so that impending faults can be predicted and prevented, damage due tooutages can be minimized, and long term fixes can be planned. Redundant power systemUPS battery and generator information (typically in Modbus protocol) can be obtained inION Enterprise via its multi-protocol, multi-port communications capabilities.

An ION meter offers extensive I/O connections that allow status monitoring and systemcontrol of redundant power system transfer switches. Direct Ethernet links between themeters and the software ensure that data is transferred at maximum speed; web-enabled

ION devices allow power system data to be viewed, worldwide via a web browser. Instantnotification of status changes or user-defined priority events can be provided to relevantpersonnel locally or worldwide over a variety of media. Because an EEM system deliversinformation and control to everyone who needs it anywhere they are, power reliability andquality are ensured, increasing the uptime of your redundant power distribution system.

Backup Data Logging

An EEM system also provides data retrieval redundancy—a secondary communicationssystem can be added to preserve and protect data in case of a primary communicationssystem failure. An ION EEM system can play a crucial redundancy role; in the case of a

network failure, ION meters save historical data otherwise lost because their onboard datastorage can provide data backup for a compromised system database. Many meter pollingsystems rely on communication links to transmit real-time data from the meters to adatabase on a remote workstation for storage. When the communication link isunavailable, the meters either flush the current data, so that it is irretrievably lost, or theyhold the existing data and stop collecting any new data until the link is restored. IONmeters maintain data accumulation and storage despite unavailable communications links.




A typical ION EEM system for this application might include:

• An ION 8000 series meter


• Communications links

An ION EEM system can be designed using meters with on-board memory (like the ION8500 meter), so that if the communication links between the meters and the database arelost, the meters are able to continue to both collect and store data. ION meters monitorthe power system throughout the facility—at the main feed, sub-feeders, generator site,and other points. When a communications network failure occurs, the configured meterscan store data for up to 120 days. Once the network is restored, the unread data istransmitted to the ION Enterprise database, which can provide historical (“backfill”) datato the servers. This ensures that even when the network is down, valuable data is safe. Thisis especially critical for systems that use meter information for billing or cost allocationpurposes.

Summary

Power downtime can result in repercussions throughout an organization, including hugefinancial costs of damaged equipment, wasted materials, and lost productivity. An IONEnterprise energy management system provides comprehensive solutions for preventingpower downtime.

Alarming: Alarms can be set up for any condition that needs to be monitored. Customalarms are configured conveniently in ION software, without hard-wiring or site visits.

Alarms are generated the instant a problem occurs, and provide the information requiredto make the most appropriate response, either manually by an operator or automatically bysoftware.

Preventative analysis: ION meters and ION Enterprise software provide the right datafor detecting and correcting faults quickly— ultimately preventing future occurrences.

Scheduled maintenance: Real-time and historical records allow equipment operationhours to be tracked for scheduling maintenance and notification of impending equipmentmaintenance deadlines.

Generator control for backup power : Generators integrated into an EEM system

prevent downtime by ensuring an uninterrupted power supply during a power outage.

Redundant systems support: Integrating seamlessly with existing systems, an ION EEMsystem pulls together all redundant power distribution system components into a singlecoordinated system that delivers information and control to everyone who needs itanywhere they are.




Backup data logging: An ION EEM system can play a crucial redundancy role; in thecase of a network failure, ION meters save historical data otherwise lost because meteronboard data storage can provide data backup for a compromised system database.

An ION Enterprise energy management system delivers the right information to make thebest decisions and effective control to act on them. EEM system solutions for preventingdowntime enable you to achieve that goal by contributing to an optimal power distributionsystem 24/ 7.

ION and ION Enterprise are trademarks of Power Measurement.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

Revision date: October 2002 MRP #70030-0210 © Power Measurement. All rights reserved.

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