Pioneers of mobile transformer oil regeneration plants, Fluidex, install locally manufactured Adroit open automation supervisory control and data acquisition (scada) systems as a standard in their highly sought-after mobile and skid mounted units.
This critical decision was taken two years ago when Fluidex sought to replace the use of US-made scada systems with what they considered to be the most technologically advanced package on the market. Fluidex's Nick de Kock comments, "Scada software generally has a two to three year obsolescence period. We considered Adroit the top scada on the market two years ago and continue to use the Adroit scada because it has maintained its technological advantage." Fluidex began installing Adroit Version 4.2 and have migrated to Adroit's recently released Version 5.0 which boasts 24 months of product research and market driven improvements to further enhance the scada's fundamental ease-of-use technology. UK-based National Grid, Eskom and The ABB Group are listed among the prestigious Fluidex client base.
Oil purification forms an important part of regular, preventative transformer maintenance. In the process of purification, water, dirt and gases are removed from the transformer oil. When oil in a transformer reaches a stage where purification and degassing is no longer efficient due to the ageing process of the oil, the oil must be changed or regenerated. Regeneration is the complete treatment of the oil to 'like-new condition'.
A Fluidex mobile transformer oil regeneration plant can be connected to a live utilities transformer saving downtime as well as the slow and messy business of draining oil from the transformer. These insulated semi trailer and sea freight container units have a processing capacity of between 1000 and 5000 litres per cycle with a flow rate of between 600 and 10 000 litres per hour.
Development on all Fluidex's cost effective, transformer oil regeneration plants is almost identical, each containing a vacuum chamber, roots type vacuum booster, Fullers Earth Columns, compressor, rotary vane vacuum pump, UPS and PLC control panel, with software configuration tailored to the client's specifications.
The Adroit scada is housed on the plant computer and monitors and controls the mobile transformer oil regeneration plant. Levels of water soluble acids, low molecular weight acids, fatty acids, free water, dissolved and emulsion moisture, visible and dissolved sludges of asphaltene, peroxide gas, alcohols, metallic soaps, aldehydes, ketones, lacquers and colour pigments are removed. Purification removes the solids, gases, water and light ends and improves the dielectric and gassing tendencies of the oil.
Transformer oil provides dielectric strength, cooling and protects the paper insulation in the transformer. IEEE defines a transformer end life at a point of 75% loss in paper strength. By using this fully computer controlled system, utilities and other companies with transformers can extend the life of the transformer, regenerate old oil, protect and conserve the current installed volume of transformer oil internationally, protect the environment, reduce oil transportation costs, and save expenses associated with premature transformer failure. Early action can maximise the life of the transformer's solid insulation and thus the transformer itself and also the oil.
Fluidex developed its scada graphics internally using the Adroit graphics wizard that depicts the regeneration process from start to completion allowing intuitive interaction between the operator and the complex equipment. Templates provide an easy to operate environment and include a main menu, plant overview, processing, heating and degassing, reactivation and transformer connection.
The scada system is connected to an Omron PLC via an RS323 communication cable and runs on either a desktop or a laptop. Fluidex has found an increase in popularity for the installation of the Adroit scada on laptops because this portability offers a security advantage both over rough terrain where the laptop can be transported in the cab of the vehicle - and for theft prevention purposes, where the laptop can be locked away.
Fatal alarm warnings, such as critically high oil levels, are given by the Adroit scada in the form of an on-screen warning and also stored in the Adroit system. The PLC implements the required controls to avert danger and is also responsible for non-critical alarms and their storage. Data and trending graphs are stored onto hard disk and saved for a period of 6-7 months. In this way, temperatures and other critical trending information can be kept and analysed for frequency of repetitive problems.
Fluidex's fully automated fuller's earth technology has a remarkably useful life of 2-3 years that gives companies the benefit of cost and downtime reduction, replacing the old dumping fuller's earth system in a process they call reactivation. The company also employs Opus reporting software to provide easily configured, customised progress reports to the operator on such detail as the progress and quantity of oil that has been regenerated per transformer.
Adroit is a natural choice of partner for Fluidex which is committed to reliability, simplicity of operation and competitive pricing. With footprints across five continents, guarantee claims of less than 0,3% annually and 80% of annual turnover from export, Fluidex is committed to quality control and continually strives to provide new and improved products to the market.
For more information contact Adroit Technologies, 011 781 3513, [email protected], www.adroit.co.za
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