Rise SCADA and electrical system: A report pertaining to the condition and serviceability of the electrical and SCADA systems of the former RISE facility

Woodard, Chris (2013) Rise SCADA and electrical system: A report pertaining to the condition and serviceability of the electrical and SCADA systems of the former RISE facility. Other thesis, Murdoch University.

Abstract

The former Research Institute for Sustainable Energy (RISE) testing laboratory was originally a facility for measuring, monitoring and testing a variety of renewable energy systems. The RISE facility was independent of the School of Engineering and Energy, but has recently been taken over by the School as the Engineering and Energy Laboratory.

Many of the systems associated with the laboratory have not been operated for a number of years and the condition of these systems, and the equipment that is associated with them, is not known. Personnel involved with the former RISE facility have since left Murdoch taking with them their knowledge of the facility.

This project was primarily concerned with re-commissioning these systems and developing an operational knowledge of the SCADA based control system. Areas to be covered in particular were:
• connections to the grid from PV arrays and wind turbines
• PLC system and software
• inverters, solar array simulator, environmental chamber and other peripheral equipment
• power supplies such as the diesel generator, motor generator set and battery banks
• 3 phase permanently connected power monitors
• AC and DC electrical systems

Initial inspections of the electrical systems showed that two key components of the facility were found to be defective and would need to be rectified if the facility was to function properly. These components were the diesel generator which provided electricity totally independent of the grid for testing purposes, and a fault on the PLC which was affecting the operation of the electrical systems. Also several main pieces of equipment had since been removed from the facility; most notably of these being the battery banks, main test inverter and the DC supply from the wind turbines located in what is now known as the Renewable Energy Outdoor Test Area (ROTA). Several pieces of equipment required for the operation of the diesel generator would also require attention such as the fuel tank and starting battery.

Approval was granted for the alternator to be repaired and placed back into service. Approval was also granted for the purchase of a replacement analogue input card to rectify the fault with the PLC.

In addition to this another requirement of the project was to develop a system so that the laboratory could be used as a training facility for future students. A procedure was developed so that an electrical system consisting of actual real components; a source, a transmission and distribution system and a load could be simulated. Software was also developed using National Instruments LabVIEW software to monitor and record various power parameters from the system. The system is referred to as the “Small Electrical Distribution System”.
As an aside to this a program has been developed that monitors and records voltage, current and power that is being produced by the Real PV Array located on the roof of the Energy and Engineering Laboratory building.

For someone who is unfamiliar with the setup of the electrical systems that make up the Energy and Engineering Laboratory a simplified block diagram of the Main AC switchboard has been produced. Schedules have been included of all socket inlets and outlets, main AC and communications cables and the Main AC Switchboard nomenclature.

The diesel generator is nearly ready to be re-commissioned after approximately 5 years of non use. Procedures have been developed so that a user can configure the Main AC switchboard so that the “Small Electrical Distribution System” can be operated safely and measurements obtained and analysed.

The main goal of the project was to get the diesel generator operating; therefore this report is focused on the equipment associated with the diesel generator. The equipment focused on was the diesel generator itself, the Main AC Switchboard, the Load Bank and the PLC system. Systems such as the Main DC switchboard and Solar Array Simulator were not covered in as much detail as they are not required for the “Small Electrical Distribution System”.

Item Type:	Thesis (Other)
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Engineering and Information Technology
Supervisor(s):	Cole, Graeme and Calais, Martina
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/14809

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