drforsythe

Need Suggestions for Real-time Power Monitoring Products

4 posts in this topic

Hello All:

Our plants are going through some expansion and the forecasts for more business are looking quite nice.  I have been tasked with determining where we stand in regards to available electrical power, chilled water capacity and compressed air availability.  For now, I am going to concentrate on the electrical aspect, but maybe there is a device that could cover all three.  I am looking to monitor the three phase voltage, power, frequency and calculate power factor on at least eight (8) main transformers.  I may decide to monitor to the bus level at a later date.  I would like a system with an OPC server that can serve this data to our OSI PI data collection system. 

Regarding the chilled water system, I have four (4) systems to monitor. I would simply monitor set point (which may be manually set), outgoing water flow and temperature and return water flow and temperature.

I have two air compressor systems to monitor.  For that, I would simply need pressure.

I could always connect the sensors for the chilled water and compressor into a PLC and then connect our OPC server to that device, but for the electrical power, I would like something off the shelf.  Ideally, if I could have one device do all three, that would simplify things.

If you have any experience with a device that would work, please share.  

 

Thank you in advance.

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Have you been given a budget?  What is the objective of this system, to only tell you how much energy you are using? 

For monitoring power usage, the key aspect needed...voltage and current per leg.  There are a variety of power monitoring equipment and devices, so you need to hone in your specification.

Rockwell/Allen-Bradley has a good power monitoring product profile.

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/sg/1400-sg001_-en-p.pdf

Monitor power, monitor compressed air, monitor chilled water system...this sounds like a great SCADA application with data reporting.  Does your organization use a SCADA or HMI package already?  By going with the same software, you can reduce project cost for not duplicating development licenses.

We engineered a similar system some years ago.  Intellution iFix (then migrated to CiTect) SCADA system to give user interface screens and archive data, communicating with Allen-Bradley PLCs for bringing in the data, PTs and CTs for power grid monitoring.

I am not aware of a black box solution that will provide all of what you desire.

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kaiser_will:

 

Thanks for the response.  I am trying to hone in on my spec by asking what is out there and for experiences of those out there.  My primary experience is control system design.  I have a call in to some reps, but I don't want to rely on salesperson advice only.

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Often times, power monitoring devices have to be installed in the switchgear.  Your switchgear may have power monitoring ability already, but may not be networked,  Or, your switchgear may have ability to add the feature to the "buckets".  Vendors will ask these same questions.  Pull together schematics of your switchgear or find someone in your organization who knows it well.  Some companies contract out switchgear support and maintenance due to the substantial risk of harm to unqualified technicians.

Also, your electrical utility may be interested in this conversation.  Utilities like large industrial customers that are serious about managing their electrical load, and sometimes would be interested in playing a part in you having the ability to monitor and report on your electrical load.  

If you have an electrical contractor that has an engineering group or works with an engineering group, those 2 parties are key to understanding the infrastructure you need to build a system like this, a utility reporting system.  Vendors who sell equipment will sell you a system and may not fully understand the infrastructure needed to make their solution work; contractor/engineer will have experience in applying the vendor solution.

Directives often do not take into account what it takes to make a system like this work.

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