Beckhoff offers a broad portfolio of solutions from energy measurement to grid analysis for a wide range of applications, including machines and production equipment, factories and buildings, as well as wind and hydroelectric plants. The product range includes a standalone energy meter as a cost-effective solution configured from standard industrial components. Yet on the other hand, the Beckhoff Bus Terminal system offers ample scope to meet a wide range of requirements, both for individual applications as well as for integrated energy measurement.
Through continuous and intensive efforts, industrial productivity has already increased to a level where the potential for further improvements is limited, at least for the time being. In contrast, energy efficiency still offers immense potential for improvements. Without requiring major financial investments, cost savings can be achieved simply by making energy consumption more transparent and by optimising production processes: a reduction in peak loads and corresponding agreements with the energy supplier can be sufficient to make substantial progress.
Standalone and integrated energy measurement made easy
The Beckhoff solution, in the form of standalone energy meters, already offers advantages over conventional devices: the modular configuration, consisting for example of the compact CX8090 Embedded PC (with standard Ethernet connectivity) and the EL3403 power measurement terminal results in a highly customisable solution. The user benefits from reliable, cost-effective and standard industrial components.
The integrated approach, however, opens up significantly larger potential for efficiency improvements. The open and integrated Bus Terminal I/O and software system from Beckhoff enables simple and cost-effective energy measurement that is fully integrated in the system. The energy consumption of all consumers can be measured anywhere in a plant or building and at any number of locations. The benefit of this integration is that the power measurements are available directly in the I/O system, without the need for a separate automation system. The corresponding Bus Terminals and software modules can simply be added to the control system as required. On the one hand this reduces the efforts to implement comprehensive monitoring of energy consumption, and on the other, it makes total consumption data available as well as the data for all sub-processes.
Modular and integrated measurement of energy data
The solution is based on a large number of I/O modules for energy data acquisition. For example, commonly used gas, water and heat meters can be integrated very easily via the KL6781 and KL6401 Bus Terminals and the M-Bus or LON interface. In addition, the compressed air supply can be monitored directly with the KM37xx differential pressure measuring terminal and the IP67-rated EP3744 differential pressure measurement box, which can be deployed locally. In this way, the system can be monitored for energy-wasting leaks, for example. Electrical parameters can be monitored conveniently via the KL/EL3403 power measurement terminals. The EL3413 and EL3433 power measurement terminals and the EL3773 mains monitoring terminal offer further analysis functionality.
The different Bus Terminals can be used locally in the areas where they are required for precise measurements. This minimises the wiring effort for measured data acquisition. A single EtherCAT cable (standard Ethernet media) can connect the individual stations, so that all data can be collected and analysed in a central PC controller. In this way the energy consumption of individual components, sections or the whole plant can be fully monitored. The energy consumption data for the entire factory, offices and other buildings are also available.
Analysing and utilising consumption data via software
The logged energy consumption data are available in an open, PC-based system at all software levels via EtherCAT – or via any other fieldbuses as required. The TwinCAT automation suite can be directly deployed at the control system level, both for control parameter use and for condition monitoring and energy consumption analysis. Thanks to the system openness, connectivity to a higher-level energy management system can be provided via any of the established and open software standards such as OPC UA.
TwinCAT PLC software makes consumption data available directly for correcting control algorithms, in order to improve the energy balance of the machine, system or production process. The automation suite also offers useful tools for monitoring and analysis: The Beckhoff TwinCAT CMS Condition Monitoring library offers a modular system of mathematical algorithms for analysing measurement readings, so that energy monitoring of machines and systems can be realised efficiently. The user can select components from this modular system as required for the respective application to develop solutions that are scalable for different platforms. The library’s primary functions include: analysis, statistics and classification.
Comprehensive monitoring of energy data is also possible with the TwinCAT Scope software oscilloscope, which combines fast data-logging with a powerful graphic display tool. The logger can process long-term recordings as well as very fast cycles in the s range, e.g. from EtherCAT measuring terminals such as the EL3773 with oversampling function. The results are then displayed in the viewer section of the scope. The viewer can display virtually any number of curves with high temporal resolution. In this way the user can reliably detect whether the voltage is sinusoidal or subject to harmonics. Thanks to the high temporal resolution, it is possible to analyse very short-term peaks, which are difficult to handle with conventional EMS/scada systems.
The versatility of integrated energy measurement technology
Rising energy costs mean that energy data-logging is becoming more important in all industrial sectors. The EtherCAT power measurement terminals from Beckhoff with their different voltage ranges and optional features are suitable for a wide range of applications. They are ideally-suited to achieve cost-effective and efficient power data acquisition and analysis, enabling better system productivity through integrated measurement of current and voltage. The modular and distributed configuration enables the measurement of energy at any location in the system. The RMS value can be logged either directly by an EtherCAT terminal or, in the case of the EL3773, by a higher-level controller.
In this way it is possible to stabilise production processes, avoid production losses, detect stray couplings and identify power waste in areas such as machine construction and plant engineering, the process industries, renewables as well as building and home automation. Other options include correct cost centre allocation, supply monitoring, mains synchronisation and current quality monitoring. The benefits of the holistic, integrated Beckhoff solution become particularly apparent if you look at a complete production hall, for example: Energy data for machines and systems, right down to individual motors and building services such as lighting and HVAC, can be logged in an integrated manner. These comprehensive data enable truly holistic energy management across the enterprise.
The KL/EL3403 energy meter
The KL3403 and EL3403 3-phase power measurement terminals enable the measurement of all relevant electrical data of the mains supply with a measuring voltage of up to 500 V AC. The mains voltage can be connected directly. The current measurement takes place via simple current transformers. The measurement readings for all currents and voltages are available as effective values directly in the terminal. For each phase the effective power, apparent power, reactive power, energy, frequency and phase shift angle cos ø are all calculated.
EL3413, the ‘feature-filled’ energy meter
The EL3413 three-phase power measurement terminal, with a test voltage of up to 690 V AC (3-phase, 5 A), has electrically isolated current inputs. Thanks to the integrated calculation of harmonic oscillations, simple grid analysis up to the 21st harmonic can be carried out. With a higher test voltage of 690 V which is common in wind turbine applications the EL3403 is suitable for a feed-in monitoring of wind turbine generators, for example.
EL3773, power oscilloscope
The EL3773 mains monitoring terminal logs the actual values of current and voltage with very short sample times and is therefore ideally suited for high-end grid analysis and state monitoring of a 3-phase AC power supply system. For each of the phase voltages, up to 288 Veff/410 VDC and currents up to 1 Aeff/1,5 ADC are sampled as instantaneous values with a resolution of 16 bit. The six channels are simultaneously sampled based on the EtherCAT oversampling principle with a temporal resolution of up to 100 μs, i.e. with a temporal resolution that is significantly higher than the communication cycle time.
Seamless integration of measurement technology even permits use in smart grid applications
With Scientific Automation, Beckhoff seamlessly combines the functionality of conventional control technology such as PLC, motion control and automation technology, with precise and fast measurement technology and engineering algorithms. The solution can be implemented on a standard, integrated platform and, thanks to the modularity of the systems, optimally adapted to the respective application and easily expanded at a later stage. It provides users with a compact and cost-effective alternative to make energy consumption highly transparent. This in turn is a prerequisite for maximising energy efficiency and can serve as the basis for future smart-grid applications.
For more information contact Kenneth McPherson, Beckhoff Automation, +27 (0)11 795 2898, k.mcpherson@beckhoff.com, www.beckhoff.co.za
| Tel: | +27 11 795 2898 |
| Fax: | 086 603 6868 |
| Email: | info@beckhoff.co.za |
| www: | www.beckhoff.com |
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