Feature Applications in Ireland


Monitor energy at the touch of a button E


The Tinytag Energy Logger from Gemini Data Loggers is helping Irish energy supply company Energia assess its customers’ power consumption with a view to providing vital information on how usage can be reduced


nergia is the largest independent energy supply company in Ireland, supplying over 65,000 business customers with gas and


electricity. Energia uses the Tinytag Energy Logger as part of its service of providing customers with information about key areas of their energy usage. As an integral part of its additional ser- vices, Energia frequently undertakes site visits to help customers identify specific areas of consumption. Information gained from this monitor- ing is then submitted in audit reports or presented to customers to help them make informed decisions about alter- ing their energy behaviour.


Monitoring power usage The Energy Logger is a safe and non- invasive tool for monitoring power usage of entire premises or individual high-consumption equipment. This portable, self-configuring device can be used for spot-checks or for longer term recording of single or three phase power supplies. Recorded data is


downloaded to a computer to identify times of peak load, to analyse energy profiles, and to identify power hungry or inefficient equipment. The Energy Logger combines ease of use with accuracy. Logging can be initiated by the touch of a button, so users do not need a laptop to operate the device on site, and it does not require the expo- sure of any live wires or terminals. Non-invasive flexible coils are used to monitor the current in each phase of a three phase supply while the voltage information may be obtained via a standard 13A wall socket.


Comparison of data


Due to the varied nature of Energia’s customer base, the Energy Loggers are installed in a variety of facilities from heavy industrial sites to small retail units or supermarkets. Typically the loggers are left in place for a minimum of one week and the data used to com- pare it to the quarter hourly metering data from the incoming meter. Energia chose the Energy Logger for


Anti-ragging routine reduces pump blockages


aintenance costs and out of service hours of a critical pumping application at a Dublin Bay wastewater treatment works have been cut by using the anti-ragging routine on ABB’s ACQ810 variable speed drive. The Ringsend wastewater treatment works, operated by Celtic Anglian Water (CAW), features three 90 kW pumps used for transferring accumulated water from six storm tanks back to the plant for treatment. These pumps were prone to rag- ging, caused by debris fouling the pump inlet and preventing the pump from operating normally. When this occurred, the pumps had to be removed, stripped down and cleaned, before being re-assembled and lowered back into their housing. At least one pump would need to be lifted every storm event, with all three sometimes needing attention simultaneously due to heavy ragging. The procedure was costly and time-consuming, and the cleaning task dirty and expensive. The ACQ810 industrial drive from ABB has solved this problem thanks to its anti-ragging technique. When the function


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is triggered, a cleaning cycle is initiated and operates in a number of user-defined cleaning cycles. The function enables the drive to automatically perform preventive maintenance on the pump. Brendan Riley, CAW’s site maintenance engineer for the plant, asked ACS Drives and Control Systems, a member of the ABB Drives Alliance, to provide a solution. “ACS installed a trial drive free of charge to prove the effectiveness of the ACQ810 which eliminated the problem. They then installed a 90 kW trial drive in a similar way and it delivered the same result.” During the month long trial period, no blockages were experienced and there was no reduction in flow. Following the trial, a permanent installation was provided for all three pumps. As a result, CAW have not had to lift the pumps once. Seamus Butler of ACS Drives said: “One of the major advantages of our solution is that the drive can take in a signal


from an external flow meter mounted to measure the output from the pump. The standard way of detecting flow problems is to react if the pump is drawing a higher than normal cur- rent or torque as it tries to deal with the extra load. This method of detection is not always reliable and can be too late as the blockage has already reached a critical stage and cannot be undone easily... The ABB drive takes action before things get critical, instigating the cleaning cycle once the flow rate starts to drift away from the nominal rate. The ACQ810 has multiple cleaning triggers that can be programmed.” ABB T: +353 (0) 1 4057345 www.abb.co.uk/energy


Enter 222 Irish Manufacturing WINTER 2013 The Tinytag


Energy Logger can monitor the power


usage at entire premises or on individual pieces of equipment


a number of reasons. The unit is portable and easy to set up, and the Tinytag Explorer desktop software is user-friendly. In addition, the CTs (cur- rent transformers) or flexible coils are easy to attach to conductors when compared to other systems. The inclu- sion of batteries in the system also improves its usability.


Portable and easy to use Cormac Mannion, energy services manager, Energia, said: “We have found the Tinytag to be an excellent unit to use in a wide variety of facili- ties. It is extremely portable and easy to use and captures the relevant data that we need in order to help our cus- tomers make informed decisions con- cerning their energy usage.” Manufactured in the UK, data log- gers in the Tinytag range monitor envi- ronmental parameters including temperature, humidity, power usage and CO2


in a range of applications and industries across the world. Recorded data is downloaded to a PC via a USB cable and viewed with easy to use Tinytag Explorer software. The Energy Logger costs £795 +VAT.


Gemini Data Loggers T:+44 (0)1243 813008 www.tinytag.info


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