Written by Dipl.-Phys. Claas Rittinghaus, Product Marketing Surge Protection, Business Unit Trabtech, Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, Blomberg, Germany
Condition Monitoring with ImpulseCheck
Surge protective devices are safety-related components and, as such, an essential part of process plants. Information about the status and performance of these components as well as on the status of the plant itself play an important role in continuous monitoring and predictive maintenance. ImpulseCheck acquires all this information – and also enables it to be utilized in the Internet of Things.
The green “OK” notification on a typical status indicator of an SPD (Surge Protective Device), displayed on the device itself or read out by means of a remote indication contact, is not indicative of the current status of the arrester. Neither does it provide any information on the specific stress caused by surge currents and transient overvoltages since the installation of the SPD. Taking a look at the indicator during the maintenance or periodic inspection of a lightning protection system thus isn’t very meaningful. The surge protective system might fail just the next day – or in a few years’ time.
This is where ImpulseCheck, Phoenix Contact’s new system, comes into play. Surge currents and transient overvoltages discharged and limited by the SPD are detected in real time, and can then be analyzed in ImpulseAnalytics – a Proficloud application. In addition to comprehensive tools for the evaluation of the measured data, which are available to the user, the state of health (SoH) for each mode of protection is calculated for Phoenix Contact SPDs. The state of health is the current state of the arrester. As opposed to former, purely reactive replacements of surge protective equipment based on the green/red status indicator, this status information allows for the implementation of predictive maintenance plans. The efficiency of maintenance work can thus be improved, money can be saved, and system availability better protected.
Ideally suited for simple, space-saving potential distribution: the PTCB single-channel electronic circuit breaker can be bridged to the CLIPLINE complete terminal block system, and offers a setting range from 1 to 8 amperes with an exceptionally narrow overall width.
Continuing to supply machinery and equipment with power, even in the event of a mains failure, is imperative. Similarly, the ability of the UPS to communicate plays an important role in meeting this requirement. For that reason, we came with the new Quint DC UPS is the first intelligent and network-capable uninterruptible power supply for connecting to the Industrial Ethernet.
Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) have become a standard in industrial applications. However, it’s not just the DC consumers that need to be protected against power drops. AC loads, such as camera systems or IPCs, also need to keep running during temporary supply failures. Phoenix Contact’s industrial-grade Quint AC UPS with IQ technology offers a more suitable alternative to the office UPS solutions frequently encountered in this area. The Quint AC UPS can be latched onto the DIN rail, it is certified for all standard industrial requirements, and thanks to a range of different power storage concepts, it can be deployed very flexibly.
The Field Analog process indicators allow you to monitor and display analog and temperature signals as well as control them via digital and analog inputs and outputs. The field devices enable you to acquire and convert the signals from resistance thermometers, thermocouples, and resistance-type sensors and voltage sensors directly on site.
With the Termitrab complete product range, Phoenix Contact now offers the the narrowest surge protective devices on the market. They are suitable for MCR applications starting from an overall width of just 3.5 mm. This means that the protective devices can protect up to 572 signals against surge voltages on just one meter of DIN rail.
Over 40 parameters can be adjusted individually with the new power supplies of the Quint Power series from Phoenix Contact. The devices can be ordered from the factory with customized parameters that vary from standard settings. The integrated NFC interface makes changing the signaling thresholds and characteristic curves more convenient than ever before.
