South Africa’s water infrastructure woes are well documented; however, it has also become increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks which could lead to devastating consequences. In some instances, service outages could result in operational malfunction and worse – contaminated water.
To this end, the recently launched Schneider Electric ATS480 soft starter, which has been designed to optimise the entire lifecycle leading to a digitalised, efficient environment, also offers sophisticated cybersecurity features. Its embedded security meets the requirements of IEC 61443, protecting equipment against causal or coincidental violations.
“The Schneider Electric ATS480 soft starter, in essence, represents the next evolution in soft starters, optimised for digital environments while meeting rigid cybersecurity standards,” says Jaque Mare, product manager: VSD & Soft Starters at Schneider Electric.
Looking specifically at the water and wastewater industry, the ATS480 offers the following important benefits:
• Secure operations and pumpstations – the soft starter protects water and wastewater infrastructure against cyber threats.
• Reduced engineering time – it offers digital tools and selections, which enable faster decisions and procurement.
• Moisture repellent – the soft starter features conformal coating as standard on its internal printed circuit board, which prevents corrosion – a major plus at water and wastewater facilities.
• Motor protection – it slowly starts the motor until it reaches its full load and current/speed.
• Digital environment – the soft starter features an embedded digital QR code which assists installers with code fault-finding and other important material.
Prevention of water hammering
While leaking or burst water pipes are often attributed to age or extreme temperatures, water hammering is a major culprit of pipe damage and degradation.
Water hammering occurs when water flow is suddenly reduced at the end of a pipeline system, leading to pressure waves in the pipe. In essence, it creates shockwaves in the piping systems, which impacts mechanical equipment like pumps and pipes. This in turn can lead to pipe bursts and water leaks, which leave communities without water.
“The Altivar ATS480 reduces water hammering by gradually starting and shutting down motors, protecting our pipeline system and drastically reducing maintenance,” explains Mare.
The technical specifications of the soft starter include:
• Power range: 4 to 900 kW.
• Operational voltage range: 208 to 690 V.
• Operational current range: 17 to 1200 A.
• Operating cycle: Normal duty and heavy duty.
• Motor type: Asynchronous motors, IE2/IE3/IE4.
• Motor control: Torque control (TCS), voltage control.
• Current limitation: 500% current rating (up to 700% of the rated motor current).
• Cybersecure by design.
• Compatible with its predecessor, the ATS48, improving on initial expenditure and ROI.
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