Enhancing Manpower Safety Through Individual Wind Turbine Operation via USS/PSS

Enhancing Manpower Safety Through Individual Wind Turbine Operation via USS/PSS

Introduction

A power generation company Renew power private limited specializes in erecting and commissioning of hybrid power generation (renewable energy) projects such as solar farms, wind turbines and hydroelectric power. The company has multiple remote sites, each equipped with data acquisition devices and SCADA for monitoring and controlling the grids. The management realizes the importance of human safety while operating the USS 33Kv circuit breaker, to address the need for human safety GEISPL proposed an intermediator DAQ system between USS ( Unitized Substation ) & PSS ( Pooling Substation ) to ensure the human safety at site.

Overview
In USS, When 33Kv CB trips due to any of the technical conditions like internal short circuit in transmission tower , internal issue inside the turbine/ transformer etc.. At PSS, the turbine will shut down. The SCADA will receive the information regarding the turbine working status however at this stage SCADA will not able to derive the reason behind the turbine shutdown.

Human safety

The workers at USS will have the permission to manually operate to turn on the breaker. If there is no personal communication between the workers at USS there might not be any intimation about the workers working at the defected area to the rest of the crew at site. This might lead to human safety issues causing even death due to the electrocution if the workers accidentally switch on the breaker.

Manual Operation (WTG)

At present, there is no option in SCADA to operate devices like USS CB remotely from PSS.

Practically the geographical distance between USS and PSS will be (10-120Km). If there are multiple such occurrences of USS- CB going down, then the process of switching on the CB becomes tedious due to the long distance travel from PSS to the USS due to the unavailability of workers at the USS .

Communication Record

Since SCADA at PSS does not receive any communication from USS related to the working status of the devices like CB/transformer at USS, there is no record of monitoring the working status, Overcurrent protection relay status, DI / DO of various functions of the CB.

Gigahertz Engineering and Industrial Solutions Pvt Ltd proposed to Renew power private limited to implement a DAQ system using the following steps

DAQ / Hardware selection

After careful evaluation, Advantech DAQ device along with hardware shall be selected for the USS location to maintain real-time operation and monitoring of the USS 33Kv CB.

DAQ / Hardware installation

        • Advantech DAQ/Hardware Set up will be installed in the existing panel at USS.
        • 33Kv CB feedback will be fed to the DAQ input.
        • The Switch will be installed in the existing USS panel.The DAQ output will be given to Switch.
        • The OFC communication from PSS will be tapped from existing USS panel through the switch.
        • The data from the USS DAQ will be received and monitored in PSS-SCADA.

        The implementation of intermediator DAQ system between USS & PSS yields the following result

        Feasibility of End-to-End remote operation

        With the help of OFC communication, the data will be transmitted and received PSS–SCADA . The PSS user can operate the USS CB from PSS-SCADA remotely.

        Human Safety

        There is no option for the USS workers to operate the USS CB manually, Hence ensuring the human safety.

        The DAQ system enables real-time monitoring and control of 33Kv USS CB to ensure the human safety through PSS-SCADA

        Real-time Reporting, Monitoring and Control

        Data received from USS DAQ will be stored in Server and it can be viewed in SACADA dashboard.

        The integrity of the data is not compromised because it is view only.

        Conclusion

        By implementing, the Intermediator DAQ System between USS and PSS at Renew power private limited successfully addresses the challenges of to related human safety, feasibility of remote access between the sites and reporting at RE site by removing the access to local USS users. Now all control will be given to the authorized PSS users through remote access. The company can employ only the authorized personnel to monitor and control the USS 33Kv CB. The solution contributes to the company’s overall safety of manpower and time management working at WTG HT yards.