Why you should think about upgrading your ATS
04/07/2018 Hitachi Energy UK Limited
Len McGanity, Product Manager for ABB addresses some of the key questions about the capabilities of the latest Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) including its digital monitoring and control capabilities - and the results of this for industrial and commercial facilities.What are ATSs used for?
In industrial, commercial and some residential buildings ATS units are installed to prevent detrimental power outages. Even the most reliable power supplies (at 99.999 percent) will experience a power outage at some point, and it is the job of an ATS to ensure a smooth transfer of power by switching to a secondary supply or by starting a backup generator.
ATSs are especially important when it comes to mission-critical equipment where a continued unbroken power supply is absolutely essential for example data servers, safety equipment and essential process kit.
They are also installed in virtually every building that is more than three stories high, including residential towers as well as commercial buildings, retail centres and sports and entertainment venues.
The role of ATSs in these buildings is to power sprinkler pumps, smoke extractors, emergency lighting and fire lifts meeting the BS 8519 fire safety standard of 2010. Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 these safety systems have been a particular focus because of the importance of fire safety equipment coming to light in subsequent investigations.
What's important to look for when choosing an ATS?
Due to the role that ATSs play in mission-critical applications, the most important thing to consider when choosing and ATS is how reliable it is. High reliability is crucial and ATSs with the smallest number of electronic connection points between the switch and controller are preferable. This is because electronic connections can be a potential source of failure, therefore the more electronic points, the higher the failure risk. Some ATSs can feature as many as 30 connection points, but the latest have only a single digital wire connector - increasing their reliability.
It is also important to be able to manually operate the switch under load to allow restoration of power immediately in the case of equipment malfunction, but this is not straightforward for all ATS types.
ATSs that have a self-contained design and plug-in modular accessories are also easier to install and maintain due to a reduced number of external components. This enables the use of standard cabinets and saves both time and effort during installation. Modules can also be changed quickly if needed, reducing downtime and service costs for operators.
ATSs must be able to withstand harsh and extreme environments that could be found in industrial settings. The latest generation of ATSs has in-built condition monitoring which means that when an operator needs to switch to back-up, the ATSs are always ready. It should have the ability to do this in the most unexpected situations and regardless of extreme temperatures, voltages, vibration or exposure to a short circuit.
Should digital communication be a priority when choosing an ATS?
Nowadays, facility owners expect key equipment to integrate into building management systems due to the ever-growing trend towards intelligent buildings. SCADA systems and cloud-based control systems are just a couple of examples of building management systems that ATSs need to integrate with. This allows facility managers to make the most of their operating budgets by using remote monitoring and diagnostics to ensure that maintenance is only carried out when required.
Digital communication is also beneficial during installation and commissioning as it allows for remote programming, configuration and testing. This is really helpful when there are multiple ATSs on a single project as they can all be configured from one central point, rather than locally at each unit.
For facilities where the backup generator is only sized to power essential loads an important new capability is the integration of automatic load shedding into the ATS itself. Before this development, a system of load control devices, external meters, PLCs and controllers would have been required. However, now these can be replaced by integrating an intelligent decision-making module into the ATS itself. As part of powering up and switching to the genset, low priority loads are automatically disconnected and then when the power returns the process is reversed.
For these features the ATS must be compatible with the facility's communication protocol such as Profibus, Modbus, DeviceNet, Profinet, Modbus TCP EtherNet/IP, Open ADR or IEC 61850 - some ATS units also have the ability to use two of these at once.
What led to ABB developing the TruONE ATS?
There has been various feedback from the industry that the current ATSs are complex to install as they require a combination of switches, controllers, sensors and communication interfaces.
Therefore, ABB developed the TruONE ATS to be the first device with the switch and controller to be incorporated into a single package. This package can accommodate accurate metering, sensors and communications modules. It is future-proofed as it allows for remote diagnostics and cloud-based monitoring like the ABB Ability digital platform. It is also straightforward in terms of installation in standard enclosures and is compatible with standards in Europe, North America and China.
The TruONE ATS has only one connector between the switch and controller. Ergonomic studies have shown that it can speed up installation by 80 percent and cut cable commissioning time by up to 90 percent. This is because there is only one digital connector between the switch and the Human Machine Interface (HMI) which allows for the HMI to be isolated from the line voltage and mounted on the exterior of the panel door. This is enhancing operational safety as the ATS can be switched manually without opening the panel door.
It also has the option for emergency manual operation under load, avoiding the need to evacuate a building in order to manually change over the supply. Operators can simply restore power if there is a malfunction with equipment.
For more information, please contact:
Len McGanity
Product Manager for ABB
Tel: 0247 6368500
Email: len.mcganity@gb.abb.com
Web: www.abb.com
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