PROCESS EQUIPMENT UPDATE The true benefit of PLM
can be seen when multiple machines and in use and multiple controllers are connected across a network
Watlow’s ASPYRE group of SCR power controllers
as stable and balanced as possible, eliminating instantaneous peaks and as a result ‘smoothing out’ the power consumption curve. Load shedding involves limiting and shifting the overall energy consumption altogether, or within user-defined priorities. PLM is a feature of many of the
SCR power controllers that Watlow manufactures. At the level of a single machine or device, a power controller with PLM can allow an operator to set a power threshold to ensure that the process will never draw power over that threshold. But the true benefit of PLM can be seen when multiple machines are in use and multiple controllers are connected in a network. Then, PLM-equipped controllers can uniformly distribute power loads, ensuring that at any given moment, the overall power is as stable and balanced as possible.
A PLANT’S PROCESS LINES Take for example, a plant that has ten process lines, each of which has
a thermal array that draws power. Any individual machine has a power draw limit of 200 kw. However, the plant will receive some hefty charges from the utility company if it exceeds 1,000 kw during its peak period. Without any sort of networking or demand management, in the worst- case scenario, all ten lines could run simultaneously and draw peak power. To be safe, each machine would need to be limited to 100 kw.
MANAGING DEMAND AT THE PLANT LEVEL Alternatively, consider an additional power controller with PLM attached to a network of devices. The controller can set an overall network threshold, which in this case is over 1,000 kw. Now, the individual controllers will synchronise and communicate, providing a level of demand management at the plant level. Without this kind of network
capability, engineers are forced to make very cautious and conservative guesses as to what the peak power
demands of each machine is separately, and this can effectively limit what the plant is capable of overall. But with networking, it is possible to measure power supply and demand dynamically, allocating power in the most efficient way possible. This helps to achieve the demand flexibility needed, resolving the issue of whether the grid can sustain electrification without decreasing throughput or creating downtime. Electrification is not as simple as
replacing fossil fuels with electric alternatives. In fact, the electrification of processes and process heating requires a change in power management. The issue is not just about power availability, it’s also about finding a balance between power demands and supply availability to enable a smooth transition.
For more information visit:
www.watlow.com
www.engineerlive.com 09
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