Power and Frequency Logging System

THE CHALLENGE

The client, a large UK power station, has been a longstanding partner of Jubilee Electronics, embarking on various projects together over a period of 25+ years (see the image above for another project undertaken in close collaboration with the client…this one sits atop a cooling tower at a height of 110m!). The client operates on a wood-pellet based fuel process.

As part of their shift from coal burning to a more efficient and environmentally friendly wood pellet-based fuel process, they faced the challenge of meeting new National Grid monitoring and logging regulations.

THE SOLUTION

Jubilee Electronics was enlisted to design, develop, and manufacture a data logger device capable of processing, time-stamping, and categorizing the required data before transmitting it to the National Grid.

The power station, equipped with six 660MW turbine generators, needed to adhere to stringent National Grid requirements mandating the real-time logging of power and frequency output from each turbine.

This data had to be accurately time-stamped and categorized for further processing, before being presented in real time to the Grid. These requirements posed a significant technical challenge.

THE IMPLEMENTATION

The design involved measuring the frequency and power output of each turbine using specialised transducers, connected to Jubilee-designed equipment via an RS485 data link utilizing the Modbus protocol. This system was integrated into the power station’s local Ethernet network, facilitating monitoring and data retrieval from the central control room.

Key requirements included the storage of up to one year (or more) of data, with automatic deletion of the oldest stored data once storage capacity was exhausted. Each data record was to be stored with a date and time stamp, necessitating a real-time clock synchronized with the plant LAN radio clock time server.

The Jubilee equipment continuously reads the power and frequency at a rate of one reading per 500mS, with the sample rate increasing to one reading per 50mS under specific conditions. Additional features included the ability to view stored data, download data to the control room, and power the logger unit with a local 240V AC supply.

The data logging system boasted ample internal memory capacity, capable of storing data for up to 25 years with file compression. Moreover, a user-friendly GUI application, developed using .Net and WPF, facilitated real-time data viewing, browsing, retrieval, and optional data export into Excel format.

THE RESULTS

In conclusion, our collaboration with the UK power station exemplifies our commitment to delivering innovative solutions tailored to our clients’ evolving needs. By leveraging our expertise in design, development, and manufacturing, we have provided a robust data logging solution that ensures compliance with National Grid regulations while enhancing operational efficiency and reliability. We are proud to have contributed to our client’s success and look forward to future collaborations.