Customized energy distribution for reliable, continuous power supply

• Poland based specialist switchgear prefabricator, EL-Future, turned to ABB to engineer a custom switchgear solution

• Delivery of stable, reliable and constant power to mission critical petrochemical applications was imperitive

• Through state-of-the-art technologies, the solution gives full control over electrical distribution and high accuracy data for monitoring and maintenance and will deliver 20 percent energy savings

For EL-Future’s Petrochemical customer, the brief was clear. The facility required a tailor-made switchgear solution, capable of improving the operational dependability of its systems by providing a reliable and continuous power supply.

The bespoke adaptations also needed to intelligently measure individual loads without increasing the dimensions and footprint of the switchgear, with no system downtime during the installation process.

Radoslaw Dudzik, ABB Ability™ Business Development Manager explains: “When designing bespoke switchgear for mission critical applications like those in the petrochemical industry, we must ensure the solution can be installed and maintained without the need for downtime onsite.”

“With every tailor-made project, we carefully consider how ongoing maintenance of the system will be performed through data-driven condition monitoring, so that production output is not affected, like it can be with manual inspection procedures. Other important considerations include the safety and protection of the switchgear, easy modernization of components with minimal downtime, plus real-time and historic performance data analysis.”

Protecting the bespoke switchgear

ABB worked closely with EL-Future throughout the design process to ensure that all specification criteria was surpassed using the latest state-of-the-art switchgear technologies.

To protect the switchgear from dust and water damage, the team housed all components inside ABB TwinLine N55 (IP55) sheet steel cabinets. Offering tool-free installation and a user-friendly area for cable entry to facilitate fast installation, TwinLine not only protects the switchgear components throughout their performance lifespan but will also support a seamless installation process.

Inside the cabinets, the team specified ABB SMISSLINE® TP circuit protection, the world’s first plug-in socket system to ensure that load-free devices and components can be snapped on and off, under voltage with no need for added personal protective equipment to guard against electrical shock. In addition, the type F RCDs used provided enhanced protection for high frequency currents up to 1 kHz.

Radoslaw continues: “Our goal was to build a system that would allow maintenance engineers to quickly and efficiently replace damaged components or elements - even those with higher current parameters – without disabling the entire application. Using ABB SMISSLINE TP enabled us to engineer these capabilities, with the accuracy and reliability required for such a mission critical environment.”

Power and condition monitoring for complete reliability

Using the ABB Tmax XT2 circuit-breaker ensured the cabinet was supplied with a reliable and stable supply of power. The Tmax XT2 will be responsible for securing the circuit in critical mode as well as protecting and monitoring its basic electrical parameters, including the reliability of the device itself.

Condition monitoring of multiple circuits in a small footprint

EL-Future’s client requested that the bespoke switchgear system should be capable of intelligently monitoring multiple individual loads, without increasing the footprint of the switchgear. Standard energy meters require a prohibitive footprint inside the housing cabinet, and with almost 90 circuits to monitor, this simply was not an option. Instead, the team opted for ABB’s System pro M compact® InSite solution, offering all the intelligent monitoring capacity required, in extremely compact dimensions.

By continually monitoring individual loads, it is possible to prevent failures before they occur - maintaining system uptime and optimizing performance output. ABB’s System pro M compact® InSite solution can continually measure up to 96 individual circuits with an accuracy of 0.5 percent.

Installing technology that allows the customer to visualize key data and advanced measurements relating to the internal condition of the switchgear plus each individual load, allows engineers to assess performance and system condition in real-time. This facilitates fast, accurate diagnostic and preventative maintenance decisions.

So that the captured data can be used daily, EL-Future specified ABB M4M Analyzers, capable of displaying the visual data and measurements captured by the InSite solution. These analyzers have large color interfaces and display collected data in graphical formats that make analysis and evaluation easy and time efficient. They also store and recall historical data for a complete view of system performance over time.

All devices used in this bespoke system enable data transmission in different communication protocols to the master system, but the M4M analyzers also allow data to be displayed in a visual capacity and previewed on specific devices.

The system designed by EL-Future, with support from the expert team at ABB, was fully tested prior to delivery so that it could be installed without the need for production downtime. This bespoke system surpassed customer expectations for ease of installation and performance thresholds, with anticipated energy savings of 20 percent.

For more information on the systems used to create this bespoke switchgear, visit the ABB website. 

To learn how to make your electrical system smarter with ABB visit our 'Beyond Connected' Safe, smart & sustainable solutions for sub distribution web page.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

ABB’s Electrification BusinessArea is a global leader in electrical products and solutions, operating in more than 100 countries, with over 200 manufacturing sites. Our 50,000+ employees are dedicated to transforming how people live, connect and work by delivering safe, smart and sustainable electrification solutions. We are shaping the future trends of electrification, differentiating through technological and digital innovation while delivering an outstanding experience through operational excellence for our customers across utilities, industry, buildings, infrastructure and mobility. For more information visit https://go.abb/electrification