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Q 3 / 2 02 0
Customer Magazine informative · up-to-date · pioneering
Green Power –
Fit for the future
Connectivity: BELATRON charger 3–7
A facelift for run-of-river power plants 20 – 29
International HVDC connection 30 – 31
www.benning.de
POWER news Q3/2020
Editorial
Dear Reader,
the last few months have given the Earth’s climate something of a The new generation of BELATRON
breather. Emission levels have dropped, whilst previously smog-laden
capital cities have become clearly visible once again on satellite im- chargers combine efficiency with
ages and fishes could be seen enjoying the crystal clear waters of the
canals of Venice. Could this mean that one upshot of the pandemic connectivity
is that it has given the environment a chance? At first glance, that
might seem to be the case; but if we want to achieve a sustained ef- Thanks to process monitoring as the basis for smart energy management, a sustained
fect, there needs to be a marked increase in the investments made in
renewable power sources and energy-efficient systems.
reduction in the operating costs for a fleet of floor conveyors can be achieved.
The German Government’s national climate protection targets are based on the objective out-
lined in the Paris Agreement: to limit the rise in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere to
an increase on the favourable side of 2°C. This will put us on the road to achieving greenhouse Over the last few years, energy costs have grown into a significant component of to come up with proof of a certified environ-
gas emission neutrality by the year 2050. A particular focus is placed on Industry, which is companies’ running costs in terms of production. Here, energy becomes a strategic mental management system corresponding
presented with a challenge inasmuch as it is accountable for a share of approximately 46% in resource with a significant influence on maintaining international competitiveness. to EMAS or an ISO 50001 compliant EMS
the overall levels of consumption of electricity. Digitalisation and the systematic improvement By 2050, we need to have reduced our consumption of primary energy in Germany (energy management system).
of industrial efficiency in the use of energy are some of the possible means of saving electricity. by 50% relative to the 2008 levels. This is where the German government has placed
Whilst efficiency has an important part to play in relation to individual items of industrial plant, the objective of a marked increase in the efficiency achieved. Attaining optimum efficiency
we need to consider more than just efficiency if we are to achieve the optimum levels. To that
end, we need to include the process cycles that feature most prominently in any given period There is particular focus on Industry, which of industrial energy efficiency. For example, In many cases, companies don not even know
of operation. consumes a share of approximately 46% in in order to secure energy tax concessions, where they are using disproportionately high
These requirements were incorporated into the development of the new generation of the overall power consumption. That gives rise such as the “peak compensation” or a cap on amounts of energy. Consequently, they are
BELATRON chargers. These chargers provide the maximum of energy efficiency and digital to an obligation to improve the whole system the EEC subsidy, industrial companies have generating additional expense unnecessarily.
connectivity. In this issue, you can read about the major advantages they provide for floor One important factor in assessing this is the
conveyor operators when it comes to saving energy and reducing the overheads for a floor level of energy efficiency of individual items of
conveyor fleet. You can also find out how sustainable infrastructure projects are boosted by plant. Efficiency in scientific terms can be drawn
BENNING. For example, in connection with a high-voltage DC connection between the Euro- upon as an indicator. What is harder to analyse
pean continent and Great Britain, the benefits of which will include the integration of sustainable is whether the process cycles which determine
energy sources into the European electricity grid. You can find out how the availability of mod- the operating periods of machines and
ern interlock systems is ensured thanks to UPS systems which are designed specifically for
the railways sector and the way in which run-of-the-river power stations generate sustainable
energy with the aid of the products & services of BENNING.
I trust that it will all make enjoyable reading for you – meanwhile, stay safe!
Warmest Regards, Dietmar Papenfort
e-mail: d.papenfort@benning.de
telephone: +49 2871 93 264
Contents
3–7 The new generation of 20 – 29 History meets modern engineering
BELATRON chargers combine efficiency A facelift assuring the future operation
with connectivity of equipment in run-of-river power plants
Thanks to process monitoring as the basis at Ryburg-Schwörstadt and Wyhlen
for smart energy management, a sustained for coming decades.
reduction in the operating costs for a fleet
30 – 31 Maximum protection for international
of floor conveyors can be achieved.
HVDC connection
8 – 15 Harrbach run-of-river power station BENNING used a redundant power supply
Generator overhaul system to ensure the uninterrupted
Nuts & bolts overhaul of a classic example operation of the high-voltage direct current
of clean, safe power production – (HVDC) connection "Nemo Link".
all 80 tonnes of it.
16 – 19 Maximum of safety and availability
in today’s interlock/signal-box systems
BÄR Bahnsicherung AG relies on
BENNING’s custom-built, modular power
supply systems.
Publication details Liability and Copyright Picture credits
BENNING Elektrotechnik und Elektronik All texts are protected by copyright. The © BÄR Bahnsicherung AG © chungking, davooda, denisismagilov,
GmbH & Co. KG’s client magazine publication, adoption or use of texts, pic- © BENNING Elektrotechnik und Elektronik FTLPhotography, hacohob, hxdyl,
tures or other information is subject to the GmbH & Co. KG JustContributor, kornkun, lpstudio,
Publisher: BENNING Elektrotechnik und
written agreement from BENNING GmbH. © Energiedienst AG marius1987, mozZz, nadiinko, nirutft,
Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG,
No liability is accepted for any guidance, © Energiedienst AG / Hubert Strittmatter picoStudio, striZh, THINK b, Victoria,
Münsterstrasse 135-137, 46397 Bocholt
references, recommendations or evalua- © Kraftwerk Ryburg-Schwörstadt AG yelantsevv, yewkeo, Zffoto, 安琦 王 –
Design und Production: Advertising Agency tions. In spite of making every effort to © Uniper stock.adobe.com
Paus Design & Medien GmbH & Co. KG, carry out a correct presentation and
Brinkstegge 13, 46395 Bocholt checking of the subject matter, errors or
2 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 mistakes in interpretation remain possible. BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 3
[%] 1st shift 2nd shift
100
80
Capacity
60
40
20
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Time [h]
The illustrated curve is the capacity curve for a LIONIC ® energy system 24 V / 9 kWh (360 Ah)
in 2-shift operation with intermediate charges. Where intermediate charges are applied
in a 2-shift system with the respective breaks (1x15 minutes and 1x30 minutes per shift),
no replacement battery is required and phases with a lower power draw are made use of
more efficiently in terms of optimised energy management.
BELATRON Li+ chargers in the WT 60 casing
and the BELATRON WT 7 casing
Monitoring and reporting platform: BENNING traction portal, Status display optimised thanks to
user-friendly interface for displaying a charging station’s relevant operating parameters large touch screen
items of apparatus are making use of all of the a substantial component in the cost of elec- • identifying the main consumers the most energy intensive concerns in the BELATRON chargers
possible scope for optimising efficiency. Con- tricity for corporate customers. In most cases: • reducing load peaks company. Accordingly, this is a problem area “The value of
sequently, an initial step must be to determine high loading peaks are expensive. A load • detecting faults, and revealing scope for where the use of energy efficient products, The BELATRON range is supported by the BELATRON
how much energy the company is consuming management system based on the informa- modernisation – with a view to reducing products which can also be included in digital latest generation of future-oriented, energy- chargers – for our
and at what topographical and chronological tion from energy monitoring will continuously failures and bringing down the costs of workflow processes and management sys- efficient charging technology. This equipment customers – is
points. This is where we turn to energy moni- adapt itself to ongoing changes in consump- servicing. tems, becomes essential. has been available as standard since April enhanced thanks
toring. That means logging, monitoring and tion conditions. The extreme differences be- As highlighted by Peter Hoeptner, BENNING’s 2019, in the wake of completing an extensive to using digital
controlling the consumption figures. For this tween high consumption and low consump- Predefined standards for the most common distribution manager for traction, “The digiti- phase of testing over a broad range of appli- communication
purpose, the widest range of types of data, tion will be smoothed out by switching the applications or individually defined routines sation of processes and the Internet of Things cations. Chargers of as much as 96 V and solutions. The
such as the consumption of electricity, gas relevant consumers on or off or just by reduc- will help to achieve rapid, reliable and fault- (IoT) are increasingly highlighting the signifi- 300 A are available as standard. range of possible
and water; and also the levels of atmospheric ing the power they are receiving. Accordingly, free process control. cance of connectivity and data exchange”. applications is
humidity and temperature, will be logged from cost-intensive load peaks are avoided. Notice- This will crucially depend on precise mea- He went on to say “Accordingly, our objective The required grid connection capacity is expanded, giving
sensors. On the analysis of the information able downturns in the costs for electrical surement and seamless logging of structured is not merely to supply energy-efficient prod- minimised thanks to the achievement of as rise to enhanced efficiency and extra
thus obtained, consumption can be actively power will be achieved. operating data, such as energy consump- ucts, but also to develop apparatus which much as 96% efficiency together with a cost savings.”
controlled with the benefit of reducing costs. Energy management software uses a range of tion, temperature and operating hours. makes it possible to exchange data in a cos φ of up to ~1, and this in turn reduces
smart technologies which focus on more than straightforward, flexible way. For example, investment, installation & operating costs. Peter Hoeptner,
Avoiding load peaks just saving electricity. Examples of their appli- Relevance to intra-logistics this will enable smart networking with energy- Thanks to the sinusoidal power draw and the Traction Distribution Manager, BENNING
cations include: management systems. These objectives are satisfactory output power factor, there is no
Load peaks or “maximum output levels” • monitoring the consumption of electricity, In the context of intra-logistics, the charging- fulfilled by our completely upgraded range of need for the reactive current compensation
which are continuously measured, represent gas and water up of your fleet of floor conveyors is one of BELATRON chargers.” system to be expanded.
4 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 5
Charger
Charger Charger
03
02 04
Charger Charger
01 05
EMU
Energy Management Unit
(PC, PLC or similar
system …)
Mains connection point
Logging of relevant measurement
variables for further processing
in the EMU
Charger Charger
or possibly also via 10 06
a cloud Charger Charger
Charger
09 07
08
optional
communication controller
Front-end for
management of
regulation
tery pool’s capacity, operating characteristics optimise the situation. For example, choices suffer production shutdown, because the re- Conclusion: Efficiency and prevention The facility of a display and data availability
The size of the casing has been almost and condition in general. It’s just this trans- include future control of charging, individually quired goods can no longer be transported. with the new BELATRON chargers provides
halved, whilst retaining the same output parency which means that companies can tailored to the respective battery and/or en- In that event, prompt intervention is abso- At the present time, data reliability is crucial the following 2 benefits: (1) Optimisation of
power. Compact construction makes it pos- operate their charging stations more effi- vironmental situation. Processes such as lutely essential. And this is where it helps to to all energy-technical processes. Reliability the energy consumption required in order to
sible to achieve a high density of installation ciently and hence more cost-effectively. “load shedding” (applied in order to avoid have modular technology with output elec- increases quality, saves on valuable re- charge up motive power batteries and (2)
in the smallest space. This reduces the space peak loading levels) can be automated in tronics that can be swapped over on site. sources and makes you more competitive. Maximisation of their availability. Thanks to
taken up in the charging station. A new addi- Chargers can interact with each other using conjunction with LIONIC® lithium energy sys- Accordingly, the MTTR can be kept as short With an EMS, complicated consumer data the fact that recommended preventive ac-
tion is the multi-voltage function which makes the option of an interface card, i.e. interfacing tems. as possible. can be displayed and analysed with a few tions have been highlighted.
it possible for the widest range of different with energy management systems. In con- The logged charging data can be used as the control clicks. A given company’s energy
batteries to be charged up with just one junction with the BATCOM digital+ battery basis for obtaining further important informa- With modular-design BELATRON chargers, usage becomes transparent, and energy ef- author/contact: Peter Hoeptner
BELATRON. This ensures additional flexibility controller, the communications interface tion, thus enabling early detection of possible the system can continue to operate with the ficiency can be maximised. telephone: +49 2871 93 233
in the optimisation of charging processes. provides comprehensive energy data, thus defects in your battery. remaining modules if an output section fails. e-mail: p.hoeptner@benning.de
enabling seamless recording of power draw On-site service staff will be able to assign But there are further benefits that will prompt
User-friendly data exchange levels. Availability is maximised master functionality to a different output a company to include chargers in their digital
module. Accordingly, data communication processes (further to the need to comply with
A big plus point with the new generation of Important conclusions concerning the charg- Failures in the charging technology can and display to the outside world will still be energy-saving regulations, and further to the
chargers is their high connectivity. Because ing procedure’s energy efficiency and the quickly bring about negative repercussions assured. drive to reduce energy costs). As a rule, there
the data from chargers and batteries can general condition of your batterie can be on the availability of the floor conveyor fleet. is also the fact that preventive servicing can Scan the QR code for
now be continuously transferred to an EMS, drawn thanks to visual display on the EMS. Especially if you are not operating with inter- Charging can continue, albeit at a reduced always be performed more favourably than further information
you have a clearer idea as to your entire bat- At any time, you can intervene in order to changeable batteries. In the worst case, you level, until the spares arrive. remedial repairs.
6 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 7
Harrbach run-of-river power station Run-of-river power stations normally
feature slow turning synchronous gen-
Generator overhaul erators with salient pole rotors whereby
the shaft is in a vertical arrangement di-
Nuts & bolts overhaul of a classic example of clean, safe rectly above the turbines. “Slow run-
ners” of this type frequently feature rotor
power production – all 80 tonnes of it
diameters in excess of 20 m.
Over the last 120 years, the output available
from salient pole machines has been multi-
plied, thanks to development, by more than
100. The largest machines today run at ap-
proximately 750 – 850 MVA output. In the 1st
decades of the 20th century, however, it was
the peak of engineering to succeed in achiev-
ing an approximate output of 6 MVA from any
machine.
The category of umbrella-type alternators to
some extent represents a variation of salient
pole rotor systems. Generators of this type
are only single-bearing, hence more eco-
nomical to manufacture: the shaft supports
not only the turbine rotor but also the gener-
ator rotor. Between the generator and the
turbine, there is only a guide bearing, such
that the construction resembles an umbrella.
In order to service or to repair plant of this
size, where rotor diameters come to several
metres, the whole system has to be disman-
tled. The weight and the diameters involved
are so large as to preclude the possibility of
transporting the whole plant in one.
Clean, safe power generation
Technical data for generator:
Many German run-of-river power stations
Manufacturer: BBC Mannheim featured systems of this type and were in op-
Year of construction: 1940 eration in the first half of the last century.
Reference output: 4000 kVA They still stand as a classic form of sustain-
Rated current: 1215 A able energy sources and are still contributing
Rated RPM: 68 min-1 to the production of clean and safe power
generation.
Stator:
Approximate weight of stator: 28 t
Bore diameter: 7200 mm
Casing diameter: 8600 mm
Efficiency figure: 792
Photo: © Uniper
Rotor:
The picture shows the generator just Approximate weight: 51.6 tonnes
before disassembly commenced. Pole count: 88 Overview of Harrbach
run-of-river power station.
8 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 9
Stator segments in the electrical machinery
section – on the point of being manufactured
One such plant is the Harrbach run-of-river Cost-effectiveness and know-how: The end result was that the online auction
power station that was commissioned in convincing factors that took place on 8 January 2019 saw
1940. It is operated by Uniper Wasserkraft BENNING being awarded this valuable pro-
GmbH and is located on the River Main, at a The final contract award was negotiated via ject by virtue of having put in the most cost-
point which is 219 km from the source, be- an internet auction. Bidders could propose effective bid.
tween the municipal districts of Gmünden only such repair measures as had been Since the 1930s, BENNING’s electrical ma-
and Karlstadt. awarded preference during the pre-selection chinery department (commonly abbreviated
The hydroelectric generating set, whose phase where the bidder had put in a convinc- to “BeM”) has specialised in repairing gener- Stator segments 2 and 3
rated output is 4000 kVA, is driven via a tubu- ing bid, highlighting its technical expertise ators and motors. take to the road
lar turbine. The overall weight of the genera- and relevant reference projects on record. The department boasts decades of experi-
tor is approximately 80 metric tonnes. Of that It was judged to be in BENNING’s favour that ence: with references in the building, rebuild-
weight, the three-part stator on its own, it had already repaired run-of-river generators ing and repairing of electrical machinery for 2019. Re-assembly and recommissioning the power station, the possible value of plan-
whose 8600 mm diameter is almost as im- for other power station operators. the widest range of sectors. had to be completed no later than by the end ning the infrastructure such as to facilitate the
pressive now as it was back in the day, ac- Not only that, but Uniper was also impressed of September. The rotor, weighing 52 tonnes, eventual need for the generator to be trans-
counts for 28 tonnes. by the excellence of service which it had ex- Tight window of opportunity had to be reconditioned within the power ported. In the meantime, road layouts had
It was in August 2018 that Uniper decided to perienced in connection with the retrofit of station. The work that had to be done to the been altered, and a new bridge over the rail-
overhaul the generator, prompted by the fact the four generators at the Kachlet run-of-river The objective was for the plant to be disman- stator, whose diameter is in excess of 8 m, way lines had been constructed.
of damage to the stator plate laminations power station (please refer to our previous ar- tled, repaired and recommissioned as quickly had to be carried out at BENNING’s repair Specifically in order to avoid overloading the
combined with unsatisfactory insulation val- ticle in POWER news 04/2015). BENNING as possible, so as to restore normal power centre in Bocholt. railway bridge, the maximum permissible
ues of the stator and of the rotor. shone through in terms of its flexibility: its ca- generation, minimising the period for which weight of the transporters required extremely
pacity to achieve what it achieves with no no valuable electrical power would be pro- It was something of a logistical challenge to precise calculation. On that basis, the loading
Let’s continue with an account of how the sacrifice in terms of industrial safety or quality duced. transport these components, because no- consignments for the stator, which can be di-
lamination pack, the stator winding and the and also the increased output achieved from The window of opportunity was indeed tight, body had ever considered, in the decades vided up into 3 sections, were distributed
magnetic field windings were re-insulated. the generators. the deadline for disassembly was 10th June that followed the original commissioning of over several transport vehicles.
10 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 11
Quality control from the outset tion pack that was also going to be replaced.
In parallel with cleaning the ,now completely
BENNING’s machinery team had a few qual- empty, stator casing and repainting it with
Old Roebel bar (top left in picture), ity control measures of their own up their base coats, work could now start on manu-
new Roebel bar (top right in picture) sleeve. Even before they started on the task facturing the set of approximately 24,500
of dismantling. The machine’s origins went new laminations. Despite the enormous
back so far that there was little documenta- quantity of sheets involved, and the tremen-
tion available. This prompted BENNING to dous time pressure in the background, a pro-
start by taking a wide range of measure- duction tolerance of no more than a few hun-
ments on site. Thanks to adopting that pre- dredths of a millimetre had to be adhered to. Lamination pack with Roebel bars installed –
caution, it was possible to assess operating The high requirements associated with the shortly before completion of manufacture
characteristics and to project definitive curves. precision sheets that had to be lasered out
The temperature curves associated with a meant that a suitable new material had to be
range of different operating points was used. The principle of the Roebel bar was devel- They improve efficiency and enhance the tion, in a procedure to which the customer
placed on record, with the aid of modern They succeeded in starting on the process of oped as long ago as 1912. The electrical power output. was specifically invited.
thermography cameras, and certain assess- laminating the new stator pack. conductor for a Roebel bar is divided up into Because the circuitry for the Roebel bars had
ments were entered into on that basis. several parallel sub-conductors. A customer-specified test program was ap- to be embodied with threaded fasteners,
As the stator arrived at the repair centre in Windings based on Roebel bars These sub-conductors are insulated from plied to each of the 792 Roebel bars required BENNING started by carrying out thermo-
Bocholt, it was met by a team ready to place each other. They are specifically coated and for the new winding, before it came to be in- graphic investigations. The benefit of this is
further measurements and readings on The generator winding exhibited some un- they are made with a twist. The manufactur- stalled. that it enables the thermal characteristics of
record. The original winding had to be taken usual features. For example, it did not consist ing procedure is very labour-intensive, and it As a means of gauging the limits of the sys- the connections to be analysed in the most
out in order to determine the conductor siz- of individual bars as electrical conductors, entails relatively high costs. For that reason, tem, some of the finished bars were sub- accurate way possible. Accordingly, it was
ing and the stator plate geometry. They had but of a quantity of approximately 800 Roebel bars are normally used only when it jected to specific overvoltage tests where the possible to confirm that no unforeseen tran-
to completely remove the old stator lamina- Roebel bars. comes to large-sized electrical machines. loading was extended to material destruc- sition resistances would arise.
12 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 13
Construction of a Roebel bar
Side view
Changeover from level 1 to level 2
Principle of a
Roebel bar
Photo: © Uniper
Changeover from level 2 to level 1
Plan view
Level 1
Level 2
Protecting the eel population: sustain-
ability and environmental protection
thanks to Uniper
Over the last few years, Europe’s population
of eels has markedly declined. This is be-
What the magnet wheel looked like during the cause, in many rivers, their route back to the
process of rebuilding the 1st stator segment spawning grounds in the Saragossa sea – in
the western Atlantic – has been blocked by
hydroelectric power stations.
Consequently, Uniper adopted an approach
Following the successful completion of fur- which was completed in no more than 2 formed on-site, with the facility for document- to protect eels in the context of power station
ther high voltage and partial discharge read- days, featuring collaboration with the power ing test voltage values of up to 12 kV. operation. This would not only protect them
ings in the works, the 3 stator segments station operator on a laborious measurement Once the no-load curves and the short-cir- directly but would also improve their migra-
were packed off back to the power station. programme which was constructed from cuit values had been noted, initial synchro- tion experience. An alerting signal is triggered
The components of the generator had to be customer requirements, but also took in the nisation with the grid was carried out. This on a fully automated basis by “eel migro-
loaded onto specialised transport trailers with BENNING machine team’s recommenda- was a tense moment for all those con- mats” once the migration process is begin-
the aid of a mobile crane, if they were to fit tions. Because the power station itself, with cerned. They ran the system up to a range ning. Within a few minutes of this alert, hy-
into the machine shop. reference to its control system, had been of different loading statuses. It transpired droelectric plants’ control centres can be
Once the stator was inside the machine modernised in parallel with the work of over- that – in respect of every parameter – the switched over to “eel saving mode”.
shop, work began on reconditioning it fit for hauling the generator, this was now the time generator’s oscillation and temperature char-
duty in the power station. By now, it had for the redesigned control system to be initi- acteristics provably fulfilled the expectations Generator following completion of re-installa- In parallel, it is then necessary to round up
been fitted with freshly insulated pole coils, ated into harmonised operation with the gen- of BENNING’s machine specialists and tion at Harrbach run-of-river power station the eels, transfer them to generously-sized
drawing on modern developments in insulat- erator. those of the operators. tanks and transfer them to the Rhine. They
ing materials. These assembly works were are then released and have the best
followed up with quality control procedures. Once the installation values had been re- Accordingly, commissioning was successfully author/contact: Matthias Loerwink prospects of continuing their migration back
Using assorted testing and measurement checked, the machine was switched on by completed by the end of day 2. Since then, the telephone: +49 2871 93 318 to the spawning grounds. That’s a journey of
methods, a range of installation values was the specialists. BENNING also placed partial Harrbach run-of-river power station, having e-mail: m.loerwink@benning.de several thousand kilometres.
placed on record. discharge readings on record. These will placed 80 years of operation on record, has
serve as reference values down the line, sim- continued making its reliable contribution to
Scope of expectations excelled plifying the tasks entailed whenever the gen- sustained, environmentally friendly energy
erator is to be assessed. BENNING’s ma- production. Undeniably a very major part in
The overall project was successfully com- chinery department is equipped with the this successful process was contributed in Scan the QR code for
pleted with the generator’s recommissioning most modern metrology apparatus for this the form of expertise from BENNING’s elec- further information
on 13 December 2019. This was a process purpose: high-voltage tests can be per- trical machines department.
14 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 15
Maximum of safety and availability in
today’s interlock/signal-box systems
BÄR Bahnsicherung AG relies on BENNING’s custom-built,
modular power supply systems
The next generation of trains is ultra and inter-operability. These are key as- Costs should be reduced thanks to the vice life. With a canny eye on just these re- EUROLOCKING® systems are of modular
high-speed, energy-efficient and smart. pects of rail traffic which will be “Smartrail 4.0” program, in the short-term quirements, BÄR Bahnsicherung AG has de- construction. This holds many advantages.
Locomotive drivers are a thing of the strengthened as the result of the and mid-term. Safety will be further en- veloped the electronic EUROLOCKING® pro- For one thing, it means that custom solutions
past, these trains drive themselves. They Agency’s efforts. hanced and there will be a massive increase grammable logic control system. SIL 4, the can be applied very cost-effectively. Future-
will be crossing continents at 400 kmh. in capacity. The existing control, signalling highest safety integrity level under the CEN- proofing is achieved in spades, because
The new “Silk Road” China to Europe Modernisation is promoted and interlock techology requires modernisa- ELEC system of standards, is achieved. At these interlock systems are more straightfor-
train project could come to rely on future tion, or better, complete replacement in order the same time, it has been possible to ward to adapt to changes in conditions.
trains such as these. Switzerland, which is surrounded by EU to meet the more stringent demands now on achieve a marked reduction in the costs of
countries, boasts one of the World’s most in- the table in terms of profitability, maximum investment and operation, whilst preserving The modular hardware can be expanded or
Photo: © BÄR
A vision such as this will crucially rely on tensively utilised rail networks. The limits of availability and safety. high availability and quality. extended entirely according to preference.
control and safety technology, hand-in- capacity are being approached in more and Changes in software – or expansions to the
hand with harmonisation of rail traffic more cases in this region. Swiss experts are Cost levels down; safety levels up. Operational success system at a later date – can be achieved
worldwide. These aspirations have long hoping that the self-driving train system will cost-effectively.
been active in Europe. It was in 2019 that enable the benefit of a more dense service When it comes to clearing out the old inter- The first EUROLOCKING® systems were in-
the European Rail Agency, originally schedule, since this will enable higher traffic lock systems and replacing them with new stalled and commissioned as long ago as the Hot-swap functionality and plug & play are
In the foreground, we see the Bellevue signal- founded in 2004, came to be awarded of- frequency levels. On the other hand, it is not ones, infrastructure operators will not be sat- stage of equipping the complex of La-Chaux- amongst the advantageous features pro-
box interlock control systems, and further back, ficial status, with a view to expediting expected that public service operation, i.e. isfied with the key factors of high reliability de-Fonds (Bellevue station), Montbovon, vided. Maintenance & repair tasks are simpli-
BENNING’s EUROLOCKING® power supply and simplifying the processes that are beyond the confines of test tracks, can be and availability. They also require attractive Châtel-Saint-Denis and Palézieux (all of fied, and MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) cycles
system. entailed. There has to be greater safety achieved this side of the year 2040. levels of costs in terms of systems and ser- which are in Switzerland). are competed much more quickly.
16 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 17
Modular rectifier module, output
24 V - 280 A
Custom solutions
It was at least 4 years ago that BÄR launched
its development of the new SIL 4 interlock
system. It was not long before it became ap-
parent that equally stringent requirements
had to be fulfilled by the power supply sys-
Photo: © BÄR
tem, which was to be protected by the whole
interlock system, from suffering power cuts.
Once the corresponding evaluation process
had been conducted, BÄR opted for collab-
oration with BENNING. Pride of place went
to high product quality and to the supply BÄR Bahnsicherung AG
company’s capability in terms of precisely Luppmenstrasse 3
meeting a client’s specification. Cost was not CH-8320 Fehraltorf
the only criterion. Telephone +41 44 956 52 52
For decades now, the BENNING company
has excelled in smart solutions for transform- BÄR Bahnsicherung reviews its cor-
ing electrical power into versatile or readily porate history, going back over 30
Photo: © BÄR
storable energy. BENNING’s modular power years. The company has several sites
supply systems offer safety 24/7. They com- in Switzerland. From these sites, rail
bine the highest levels of cost-effectiveness projects for the whole of Switzerland
with maximum reliability and flexibility. – together with international projects
– are worked on.
The power supply system which BENNING Here’s a look inside the new Montbovon interlock system plant during the process of instal-
has designed for the EUROLOCKING® inter- lation. BENNING’s EUROLOCKING® power supply system (illustrated in the background) ENERTRONIC modular SE with 20-kVA modules The majority of private-sector rail-
lock systems is based on a standardised protects the heart of the interlock system, the PLC control system, against grid faults. and a modular battery cabinet ways in Switzerland, together with
basic module concept. Consequently, it can SBB, are willing to confirm that they
be adapted to each situation’s requirements belong to BÄR’s client base.
on an individual, custom basis. Essentially, BENNING’s EUROLOCKING® battery cabinet. It achieves maximum avail- enjoyed with BENNING was even further en- operating an interlock system, thus contribut-
It is not only the interlock system that is cov- modular power supplies consist of the follow- ability (99.9999%) with n+1 redundancy, hanced. Now, power supply systems for in- ing to the reduction of our CO2 burden and The range of products & services has
ered, it also provides power for the signals, ing: hot-swap capability and a low MTTR (Mean terlock upgrade projects are being prepared lowering the consumption of resources. been continuously expanded since
points and crossings that are operated all • an AC connection and distribution section, Time To Repair). Points motors and signal in Palézieux and in Châtel-St-Denis (both of the time of the company’s foundation
along the rail routes. A back-up power time including input isolation transformers technology are amongst the consumers these are in Switzerland) and in Cochabamba author/contact: Juerg Badertscher and right up to the present day. Al-
of between one and six hours is normally • a modular, 2N redundant, battery-support equipment served by the triple-stage sys- (Bolivia). Five other such projects are already telephone: +41 44 805 75 81 though the project work of Domino in-
guaranteed. 24 V DC supply which is based on the tem, beyond the confines of the interlock in the planning stage. e-mail: juerg.badertscher@benning.ch terlocks (relay tech) took pride of
TEBECHOP 3000 HDI robust industrial system itself.*1 place at the outset, BÄR is now active
Modularity and flexibility rectifier. This technology employs A & B It must be realised that we have a long way in all project phases.
rails to protect the core of the interlock Quality that succeeded in convincing BÄR to go before the vision of intercontinental
When it comes to re-fitting interlock plant, system, the PLC control system, against high-speed goods traffic, based on self-driv- With the aid of more than 100 employ-
you often have to allow for interfaces and de- grid faults and failures. An overall system which had BÄR convinced ing trains, actually becomes reality. ees, the Company plans, projects,
pendency of peripheral equipment which • an ENERTRONIC modular SE AC-UPS in all areas thanks to quality, maximum safety However, the new, modernised electronic in- completes, fits and tests railway
have expanded as time goes by but, which system. The UPS system comes with and the highest availability. The result was terlock systems, supported by BENNING’s safety systems and provides support
of course, have not yet been upgraded. For 20kW modules and comprises a modular that the excellent collaboration that had been safe and reliable EUROLOCKING® power- not only in new builds but also in the
that reason, the system’s DC power supply supplies, constitute a crucial contribution to context of adaptations to existing rail
is not based exclusively on 24 volts, but also *1:ENERTRONIC modular SE RAIL represents an optional choice of UPS catering specifically for typical rail the sustained and continuous development Scan the QR code for interchange systems, interlocks, train
covers custom voltage levels such as 48, 60, industry needs, since it simultaneously stores power from the public grid (400 V / 230 V / 50 Hz) and of rail traffic. At the same time, they are already further information control and management systems.
72, 84 and 96 volts that clients may rely on. from the rail grid (230 V / 16.7 Hz). reducing the energy consumption required in
18 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 19Photo: © Kraftwerk Ryburg-Schwörstadt AG
Ryburg-Schwörstadt hydro power station
Constructed: 1927 – 1931
Turbine types: 4 Kaplan turbines
Output: 120 MW
Annual production: 760 million kWh
Weir length: 111 m
Weir control gates: each is 24 m wide,
12.5 m high, and up to 140 t in weight
Wyhlen hydro power station
Constructed: 1908 – 1912
Modernised: 1990 – 1994
Turbine types: 6 Straflo and 5 Francis turbines
Output: 38.5 MW
Annual production: 255 million kWh
Weir length: 212 m
Weir control gates: each is 20 m wide,
9 m high, approx 100 t in weight
Photo: © Energiedienst AG
History meets modern engineering
A facelift assuring the future operation of equipment in run-of-river power plants
at Ryburg-Schwörstadt and Wyhlen for coming decades.
Modular, cycled power-supply and con- engineers in charge have taken the bold fully realised, thanks to the advantages of
verter technologies have already been step of migrating to innovative power- this technology, which includes high
successfully utilised for several years supply systems – promoting their intro- availability, flexibility, simple maintenance
now, in various market segments, such duction to industry. and optimised efficiency. Consequently,
as in IT, in automation and in the field of The need to provide for critical-function this was a logical step to take, based on
telecoms. In these market segments, the business processes in a reliable way is limitless configuration options.
20 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 21“Because BENNING produces both
Photo: © Energiedienst AG / Hubert Strittmatter
thyristor technology and also highly
modern, cycled plant in a modular design,
we had an impartial position in terms of
cost and technology, when it came
to advising the operator.”
Claus Kirmaier,
Director of Southern Branch of
BENNING
In conventional industrial applications, it has which were written decades ago, are based
taken a very long time for this modern tech- on the thyristor technology that was prevalent
nology to establish itself. In particular, the when those specifications were introduced.
power station sector, which is rather conser- Consequently, there has been a time-lag in
vative in its approach, has been dominated the introduction of modern system designs
by long-inherited thyristor technology. Until and in the process of innovative technologies
recently, that is. penetrating this sector of industry. It’s taken
The operators of the types of power station this long.
we are concerned with have applied, and are The project we’re describing here is an im-
still applying, their own versions of technical pressive illustration of a power station opera-
Highly integrated power supply system with redundancy, to provide secure supply of power principles for the purpose of supplying the tor’s change in attitude towards innovative,
to turbine buildings at Wyhlen hydro power station power station’s “own power requirements”. modular power supply systems – once given
The corresponding specifications, most of cost-neutral, competent technical advice.
22 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 23Photo: © BENNING / Claus Kirmaier
View of generator shop
at Wyhlen river-run hydro power station.
Energiedienst Holding AG, based in Laufen- quirements. A seamless data logging record machinery which is employed, when required, station operation even in the event of a grid of questions from potential providers, and thyristor equipment that had been specified
burg, Switzerland are the owners and opera- over a wide range of measurement points pro- to back up the more recent Straflo turbines. failure. The objectives included achieving re- these questions themselves would allow the in the first place. Because BENNING’s prod-
tors of the power stations. They started work vides the basis for all open-loop and closed- Any failure in the supply of power could lead, mote, 24/7 monitored and automated, and client to assess the pros and cons of modern, uct catalogue also includes conventional
at the beginning of 2019 on the initial planning loop interventions over a massive range of in the worst case, and that also goes for the hence cost-optimised, operation for its power cycled technology as compared with the technology, alongside the modular cycled
for the modernisation and replacement of the parts internal to the power station, most cru- Ryburg-Schwörstadt power station, to seri- stations. specified conventional, thyristor-based equip- units it promotes, the power station operator
on-site power supply systems for their fully cially including its generators. ous damage to these irreplaceable, historic ment. received the valuable option of benefitting
automated run-of-river hydro power stations At that stage, it was more than 25 years ago generators which have been producing so Planning and expert assessment from advice that was inherently cost-neutral
in Wyhlen and in Ryburg-Schwörstadt, where that the power supply systems of these power much power output for so many decades. BENNING had already submitted an initial and technology-neutral.
the plant managers are responsible for power stations, which had been commissioned be- Also in June 2019, there was the first onsite quote by the end of July 2019. There were,
supply. tween 1908 and 1931 in the Hochrhein (liter- In June 2019, in order to avoid production meeting to review local conditions. Consid- in fact, two quotes. The next step was to have a comprehensive
ally: “Upper Rhine”) region, had last been shutdown and all of the entailed consequen- erations that required discussion included comparison and assessment of the respec-
Highest priority goes to availability modernised. Accordingly, it was extremely tial costs in the run-of-river hydro power sta- looking at the ways & means of updating the Because although the planning engineers tive types of equipment taking account of all
likely that something would fail within the next tions, a corresponding outsourcing specifica- “state of the art” systems in place at the time. were already convinced that the specified re- of the relevant criteria. They considered not
In this context, it’s a maximum priority to have few years. tion was published. The investment plan quirements could be better fulfilled using only maximum availability but also user-friend-
an on-site power supply, that is reliable, to It’s essential for the Wyhlen power station to embraced by the Energiedienst company, as This was followed up by refining the outsourc- modern, cycled technology, a further alter- liness and all of the cost-related issues. The
cover the power station’s crucial operating re- have a reliable power supply for the Francis the operator, was to secure continued power ing specification, in July 2019, with a range native was also duly submitted to cover the Energiedienst company was insistent on
24 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 25Section view of controller for regulation
of water intake for a turbine
at the Ryburg-Schwörstadt power station
Photo: © Kraftwerk Ryburg-Schwörstadt AG
Photo: © BENNING / Claus Kirmaier
Distribution with power-feed redundancy 19” DC/DC converter module
Power supply system to protect energy supply for the Francis with five TEBECHOP modules, 3000 IDC
for 40-megawatt switching system turbine shed at the Wyhlen power station
maximum sustainability of entire power sup- to the systems’ being designed with N+1re- fault arising, but also with regard to handling Product diversity, but still “tailor-made” tion, the power stations did not receive the torised power circuit breaker which enable the
ply system in terms of environmental protec- dundancy. There was more than that in the and transporting of any components. addition of the conventional 48 VDC rectifiers power stations to be controlled remotely from
tion and ecology. balance; Energiedienst appreciated the sub- As a globally established manufacturer of AC but only the modular type 3000 IDC DC/DC the central console. The capability of on/off
stantial operational advantages inherent in As far as the industrial department was con- and DC power supply systems, BENNING converters that were based on 220 VDC on switching for individual power station sections
Inspired by the advantages using standardised components over a num- cerned, it was of crucial value to have 100% has very high product diversity and is able to the input side. Thanks to using these modular and also the fact that they can be coupled, is
ber of different power station sites. integration into the infrastructure on the develop and apply individual, custom solu- 19 inch systems, it was possible to achieve a not only important for normal operation but
Ultimately, the customers found that they power station side, together with equipment tions at short notice. This means that the great reduction in the energy loss caused by also enables the optimum emergency mode
were inspired by the advantages of the highly The inherent simplicity of immediate response automation. customer always receives the solution that is the voltage step down. These DC/DC con- if a supply issue arises, such as a comprehen-
modern and modular technology that was from in-house engineers, with hot plug/swap The solution to this objective turned out to be ideal for him – in technical terms and accord- verters simultaneously provide (even in the sive blackout. When an emergency supply
available. Accordingly, the order for the pro- capability and the employed automatic mod- surprisingly straightforward. Thanks to the ing to design criteria. event of a grid failure) a 48 VDC power supply issue does arise, the energy stored in the bat-
ject on the Wyhlen run-of-river power station ule configuration feature, also helped to influ- versatile configuration of the modular power In the context of this project, for example, not which remains constant at all times, specifi- tery systems that come supplied as standard
was awarded in December 2019, whilst the ence the decision. supply systems’ data interfaces, all of the his- only were the thyristor units (originally speci- cally for the legacy Francis generators, which by BENNING as system components will then
go-ahead for the Ryburg-Schwörstadt power Accordingly, duty staff will have an easier job torically entailed range of interfaces in the fied by the planner) for the required 220 VDC are quite sensitive. provide the reserve power required in order to
station was awarded in January 2020. thanks to the plants being managed in a power station’s control technology exhibited and 48 VDC voltage levels replaced by cycled guarantee fully uninterrupted operation of all
The operators’ decision was swayed not only closed-loop control, with greatly simplified versatility and comprehensiveness of control modules of the most modern design; also, The scope of supply also includes highly au- items of plant in the event of a grid failure.
by the maximised availability obtained thanks handling of components in the event of any in operation. thanks to BENNING’s expert recommenda- tomated distributon with a wide range of mo- At the same time, the accumulators in
26 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 27Energiedienst Holding AG “Thanks to our partnership
Photo: © Kraftwerk Ryburg-Schwörstadt AG
The head office of Energiedienst Holding AG is with BENNING, we have
in Laufenburg, Switzerland. the facility to team up with
The sites where power stations in the Hochrhein region a reliable service provider
are located include Wyhlen and Ryburg-Schwörstadt. which can boast the ideal
product portfolio.”
Energiedienst operates a total of 21 hydro power stations,
some larger, some smaller, and also collaborates Marco Gerspach,
with its subsidiary – ED Netze GmbH – Engineer in
as the grid operator. energy management (B. Eng.)
Power station engineering,
Energiedienst
Thanks to motorised output switching in the distribution systems supplied by BENNING, there’s fully automated 220 V rectifier system in the transformer house Distribution of consumers
management of operations from the control console at all of the power stations’ system-related voltage levels – facility for coupling to the generators, at the Francis generators
Wyhlen hydro power station
the power stations make it possible to carry island mode can be drawn from the battery BENNING’s expertly trained staff are able to influenced by the opportunity to receive cost- manufacture and a smoothly completed in- provide a reliable supply of power, around the
out a “black start”. In the event of a compre- systems; and once the mighty turbines are provide support with “AuS” (corresponds to neutral, credible, competent information on stallation are assured, thanks to the decades clock, making a major contribution to the
hensive grid failure or in the event of a simul- spinning, the corresponding power is of Working Live) issues. Appropriately trained the advantages and the benefits of this solu- of experience and expertise in the field of move towards sustainable energy.
taneous power station shutdown, the regula- course available as a by-product. staff can ensure that any power station’s tion as compared with conventional monobloc hardware design, quality management and
tion of the weir could carry on with battery consumers that must be kept running are systems. Together with the opportunity to ask installation planning. author/contact: Claus Kirmaier
power for only a short bridging period. In BENNING’s capacity as the system partner switched over, without interruption, to the whatever questions they needed. telephone: +49 8332 936363
In order to be able to monitor the flow of water for Energiedienst, it also provided the installa- newly installed plant systems. This will be completed with commissioning – e-mail: c.kirmaier@benning.de
through the control gates at all times, how- tion service – in addition to manufacture. The Energiedienst’s much trusted partnership with planned for July 2020.
ever, it’s essential for these components to scope of services includes an assessment for Conclusion: BENNING meant they had the facility to work
have the necessary power supply at all times. grid and selectivity, extraction of old systems, with a reliable service provider who can offer And this is how the Energiedienst’s run-of- Scan the QR code for
In the first instance, the “start-up power” re- transporting the new equipment to site, instal- The customer’s decision to select modern, the comprehensive product portfolio to fully river hydro power stations at Wyhlen and Ry- further information
quired in order to initiate fully-independent lation, cabling and commissioning. modular power-supply systems was greatly satisfy all of the clients requirements. Efficient burg-Schwörstadt are going to continue to
28 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 29Maximum protection
for international HVDC connection
BENNING used a redundant power supply system to ensure
the uninterrupted operation of the high-voltage direct current
(HVDC) connection "Nemo Link".
The high-voltage direct current connec- Siemens Transmission and Distribution Ltd
tion "Nemo Link" is intended to ensure (Manchester, UK) and Siemens Belgium.
that the power grid of GB is connected
with the Belgian grid. It is a 140 km long Experienced industrial partner
connection via an undersea cable
across the North Sea. The objective of To secure the system against grid distur-
the project is to provide increased en- bances or failures, Siemens looked for a
ergy security for both countries. partner with appropriate experience of sup- TEBECHOP 13500 SE, ENERTRONIC I 3-3,
Secondly the NEMO Link is designed to plying highly reliable power supplies and 19” plug-in rectifier, INVERTRONIC, industrial UPS systems,
encourage the integration of renewable UPS systems into industrial applications. output 110 V - 110 A inverter, output 15 kVA 160 kVA - 384 V DC bus voltage
energies into the European energy Consequently in August 2016 an inquiry was
system. With this international power sent to BENNING, who have a long-standing
exchange, the variability of regional pro- successful global partnership with Siemens 2n + 1 redundant. Two industrial UPS sys- transformer is specifically designed to cope The power supply system was commis- Efficient transfer – maximum reliability
duction can be smoothed out. and who had demonstrated their low risk tems of the ENERTRONIC I 3-3 series are with the high currents produced when start- sioned in August 2018 and in the meantime
and reliability as a supplier through their ex- used (160 kVA / 384 V DC bus voltage), two ing the motors. If a failure of the UPS system the commissioning of the entire HVDC sys- Together with HVDC Plus technology from
cellent support in the Western Link HVDC modular rectifier systems in n + 1 redun- occurred here, the water cooling system tem has also been completed. Siemens, the BENNING power supplies and
project. dancy design (each based on five modules would also fail. A total failure of the power UPS systems ensure the permanent and
The end point in Belgium is the industrial area The design phase was completed between of the type TEBECHOP 13500 SE / 110 A) supply system would lead to the site systems Other HVDC projects efficient transfer of electricity over a distance
of Herdersbrug, a district of Bruges. On the August 2016 and February 2017, where the and two industrial inverters of the type being unavailable which would lead to an of about 140 kilometres. Both companies
UK side, the connection terminates on the final system design and commercial terms INVERTRONIC I (15 kVA). In addition, there interruption of the HVDC connection. In addition, BENNING was awarded the therefore make a significant contribution to
site of Richborough power station, which were agreed. A technically compliant and are two battery banks which can supply the contract for the power supply systems for sustaining an undisrupted supply of power to
was decommissioned and demolished in highly reliable solution with a long service life loads with electricity for a maximum bridging Permanent customer contact Cobracable HVDC link, an interconnector European households on both sides of the
2012, near the town of Sandwich in Kent. and low total cost of ownership was devel- time of six hours. The redundant system de- between the Netherlands and Denmark, Channel as reliably as possible.
The backbone of the transmission system is oped in accordance to the individual require- sign guarantees maximum availability of all The entire production period was 21 weeks. Aachen Liège Electricity Grid Overlay (ALEGrO)
two undersea cables, which operate in a ments and requested specifications of the connected critical loads. The delivery at the Belgian location took the first electricity interconnector between author/contact: David Whitlow
symmetrical monopole configuration, each at customer. In February 2017 Siemens placed place in July 2017, and at the British site in Germany and Belgium as well as Eleclink telephone: +44 118 973 1506
a high voltage potential with respect to an order for the manufacture of the desired The rectifier and inverter systems are used to November 2017. BENNING UK was respon- HVDC Link which will connect the power e-mail: david.whitlow@benninguk.com
ground in opposite polarity, with a DC volt- dual power supplies and UPS systems. supply the control and safety systems on sible for managing the project, working in grids of France and Great Britain through the
age of ± 400 kV. The maximum transmission site. At the same time, the UPS systems se- support of Siemens in Manchester. operational tunnel of Eurotunnel.
power is 1 GW. The design and supply of the Maximum availability cure the motors of the HVDC converter water BENNING UK was in constant personal con- "We see this as confirmation of our profes-
power converter stations and transformers cooling system against a power failure and tact with the customer, which has always sional work and as an incentive for future Scan the QR code for
required for its operation were supplied by a The structure of the system designed by bridges the period until the back-up diesel been the central basis for building successful projects," says David Whitlow, Managing Di- further information
consortium of Siemens AG (Germany), Siemens and implemented by BENNING is generator has started up. The UPS bypass relationships within BENNING group. rector at BENNING UK.
30 | BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 BENNING | POWER news | Q3/2020 | 31You can also read
