System safety in automation

As electrification, networking, and automation increase, so does the need for reliable power supply and monitoring. Automation specialists can prevent system failures by integrating a comprehensive supply concept.

Population growth and climate change challenge society and the economy globally. Consequently, the solution is the vision of an All Electric Society, where renewable electrical energy is the primary, affordable, and sufficient energy source worldwide, achieved through the electrification, networking, and automation of all sectors of the economy and infrastructure.

The need for reliable supply solutions is increasing

Climate change is making power supply more volatile and causing more frequent, intense weather extremes, increasing the probability of grid interruptions and system failures. Today’s systems, controlled by various devices and automated routines, are highly efficient but also highly sensitive and prone to interference.

Unplanned downtime can cost €36,000 per hour for consumer goods and up to €2.3 million per hour in the automotive sector. Therefore, to avoid this, planners should use a comprehensive protection concept, including surge protection, power supply, device protection, and energy monitoring with the necessary measurement technology.

Analyses and optimization with data

Application data is crucial for monitoring system behavior and integrating data into processes. The EMpro energy measuring devices from Phoenix Contact can acquire and display all electrical values via device display or communication interface. They support single-phase, two-phase, and three-phase AC networks, as well as direct current and conventional current transformers. The EMpro family offers front panel and DIN rail versions, and supports various communication protocols, including Modbus/TCP, Modbus/RTU, Profinet, Ethernet IP, and a REST API interface.

Modular approach for every application

Protecting valuable data is crucial. Therefore, a suitable surge protection system, like the VAL SPP product family, offers reliable protection with reinforced insulation and an integrated remote indication contact. Additionally, it protects the backup fuse and installation with direct response behavior and ensures high operational safety through rapid disconnection.

The controller needs a reliable and sufficient power supply. Relevant data, such as power utilization, operating hours, and 3-phase AC supply status, can be collected and transmitted via the Quint 4 3-phase power supply’s IO-Link interface. Quint Power supplies feature a reliable output, robust input, and preventive function monitoring for early error detection and localization. This modular system, with an uninterruptible power supply, meets all buffered requirements.

Communicative solution

A UPS features intelligent battery management, advanced load management, and communication interfaces. It monitors output and battery voltages, currents, and determines remaining service life and buffer time, communicating this data to the higher-level system. This ensures optimal monitoring and supply, maintaining system operation during errors.

Electronic multi-channel circuit breakers protect connected loads from overcurrent and short circuits, can be adjusted to the load via an adjustable nominal current, and can be remotely reset. They also provide detailed information on the current flow per channel, enabling precise energy tracking.

The Caparoc device circuit breaker system can connect to a Quint 4 power supply via a system bus interface, allowing data from both devices to be centrally accessed through a Profinet interface.

Read more about power reliability.