Remote condition monitoring – the low-cost solution
Graeme Ford, managing director of Graybar Ltd, writes on a key asset management issue. It
is now more than 20 years since Graybar introduced
what has proved to be a
very successful switchpoint heating system, incorporating our unique self-regulating heater element utilising the very best semi-conducting carbon technology available.
The unique operating characteristics of the heating element ensure that it injects just the right amount of heat into the rail efficiently and reliably and, now that we have the extensive field experience behind us on the tram and light rail networks, Network Rail, London Underground, overseas etc, we can justifiably claim to have a system that will give our customers exactly what they need to ensure fault free operation of their switches and crossings (S&C).
diagnose and determine degradation of products and materials so that a planned preventative maintenance regime can be carried out without any interruption to the flow of traffic.
Graybar, with our self-regulating switchpoint heating system, has also included various forms of Remote Condition Monitoring (RCM).
These have been from a simple lamp indication remotely located in a control room to give an indication of ‘heating on’ to the latest top-level monitoring and interrogation of each system location.
Depending on the level of monitoring demanded by our customers, we can provide the add-on package designed to suit their specific needs. However, this has all previously come at a high cost and has, in fact, precluded the use of RCM at many key locations.
However, over the last 20 years there have also been technical developments in the acquisition of data (SCADA) from installed products on the railway infrastructure. The main reason for needing to know the status of the installed product is for operational reasons. A failed component is not going to be known about until it is too late and traffic is delayed, with the resultant costly claims from the train operating companies.
A further reason is the fact that health and safety of personnel on track is a factor, labour is expensive and no longer can the maintainer be expected to be close by to repair the failure quickly and efficiently with the minimum of delay.
So there is a greater need for a reliable remote condition monitoring system able to monitor,
102 | rail technology magazine Apr/May 14
We in Graybar have felt for a long time that, with the latest technology and ‘off-the-shelf’ PLC packages available, we should be able to provide a low-cost, simple and effective add-on monitoring and self-diagnostic package that is easy for the point heating maintainer to use. It should avoid the need to bombard him with data-streaming that usually fills his available memory to the point that he eventually ignores the very crucial data he should respond to.
We have recently embarked on a development of our own low-cost RCM that we can easily install during the manufacture of our switchpoint heating package or retro-fit on-site into our existing point heating control cubicles (PHCC).
It is worth mentioning here that our self-regulating system utilises transformers that are mounted within the PHCC. Apart from the obvious benefits of negating the need for expensive transformers mounted at the trackside at every point end, it allows easy access within the cubicle for individual heater current to be accurately monitored.
It is well-known that our self-regulating heating element has a 40-plus year life, is extremely reliable, cannot overheat and contains no filament. However the failure mode can still be the disconnection of the power supply to the heater from cable damage etc, so RCM can still be necessary.
This type of failure needs to be monitored and, in the event of a failure, it is vital that it is notified back to the control/maintainer.
RCM has been able to achieve all this but at an abortive cost – until now. Our recent development has now produced a low-cost RCM package that can monitor just about everything the customer could wish for, at a price that will not deter him from making the investment and will give him open internet access to monitor his asset from anywhere in the world.
He can choose to add the monitoring of other infrastructure assets from the same PLC at minimal extra cost, giving him the peace of mind that what is out there is functioning as it should.
Of course he would not want others being able to interrogate his asset, but precautions can be built into his package allowing only authorised personnel to access and monitor the situation on the ground.
So we believe the time is right to introduce this to the market and finally give the rail industry the low cost RCM it deserves. We all look forward to meeting you on our stand at Infrarail 2014!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.graybar.co.uk
ON STAND SEE US -E52-
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