Recorders tune in for power station upgrade

An ABB Automation Tech (Instrumentation + Automation) product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 14, 2004

ABB has supplied 24 InformIT SM series videographic data recorders to Ferrybridge C power station as part of an upgrade of the station's control room equipment.

ABB has supplied 24 InformIT SM series videographic data recorders, including 20 new large-screen SM3000 units, to Ferrybridge C power station as part of an upgrade of the station's control room equipment.

Since they were installed, the units have helped to eliminate the time and cost associated with maintaining and running the station's previously installed paper chart recorders.

Ordered through ABB Instrumentation Alliance partner KC Controls, the videographic data recorders are being used to monitor and collect data on a range of processes within the power station.

The 24 units supplied have been installed at each of four 500MW generating control panels within the control room, each comprising of five SM3000s and one SM1000.

At each station, the SM3000 units are used to collect data on boiler emissions and for turbine and boiler feed pump monitoring.

The SM3000's 12.1in backlit colour display enables this information to be easily read at a distance, which was one of Ferrybridge's main requirements.

The smaller SM1000 units are used to monitor boiler performance and collect data on parameters including pressure, temperature, feedwater and steam and air flows.

Both types of recorder are very simple to operate, with all commands and information presented in a familiar Windows based environment.

Ferrybridge previously had 34 paper chart recorders installed on each generator control panel, comprising a combination of different models with anything from one through to 30 channels.

Problems were experienced with frequent breakdowns, incurring long periods of downtime.

Some of the units were over 15 years old and were obsolete, increasing the time and cost needed to purchase replacement parts.

These problems have now been overcome by ABB's videographic data recorders.

Protection against mechanical failure is guaranteed by the absence of any moving parts, eliminating the reliability problems experienced with the previous units.

All of the SM3000 units have 36 channels, enabling data to be recorded from analogue, digital and Modbus inputs.

This data can be viewed in a variety of formats, with strip and circular chart, bargraph and process views all included as standard.

Another key benefit of using ABB's SM series recorders is the ease with which recorded data can be retrieved.

Flash memory cards can store several months' worth of data, which can be imported into ABB's DataManager PC software tool, which provides graphical presentation, automatic validation and spreadsheet-style formatting of archived process data files.

"Finding a piece of data recorded by one of our old chart recorders often meant trawling through yards of paper".

"Even when we found it, there was no way of quickly presenting it an electronic format", says Dave Sprakes, Control and Electrical Services Manager, Ferrybridge Power Station.

"Using the SM recorders has greatly simplified the process of searching for historical data has given us a quick and efficient means of obtaining a clear overview of what's happening at the station".

The data recorders supplied by ABB were further enhanced by the addition of several new functions requested by the customer for the installation.

One new feature provides the ability to view multiple data on a single screen.

Using the Windows tile format, operators can quickly select the data they want to view without having to scroll through several screens of information.

Another request involved linking the recorders via an Ethernet network to a PC set to the time signal from Rugby Radio Station.

The PC is used to synchronise the recorders to ensure a consistent time-stamp for recorded data.

"The ability to use the Rugby time signal to provide a consistent time stamp is invaluable", says Dave Sprakes.

"We can now tell exactly when an event occurred and can cross-reference it with any other events that occurred at the same time to identify possible causes".