Solutions | Industrial

With any industrial application, maintaining reliable power directly relates to bottom line decreased costs. Many industrials have co-generation or other forms of on-site generation to successfully achieve and maintain reliable power. Loss of these generators frequently results in plant production losses as well as increases in purchase power cost during the period the generators are out of service.

Generator & Transformer Protection

These generators require reliable generator protection, and monitoring and control, which are critical in avoiding shutdowns. Industrial medium voltage transformers at industrial facilities are generally grounded with resistor in the transformer neutral to reduce ground fault current. This type of installation requires sensitive and reliable ground fault protection to provide the necessary sensitivity to detect ground faults and yet they must be reliable and secure avoiding false tripping, which result in unnecessary shutdowns.

Motor Bus Transfer Systems

At many industrial facilities, distribution busses serving critical loads are supplied from two power sources. Typically, this bus arrangement is called a main-tie-main arrangement. Upon the loss of the normal power source, critical loads, which generally include a high proportion of motor loads, must be transferred to the alternate source without damaging the equipment, and ideally, without interrupting the industrial process.

Normally, bus transfers will be initiated due to a short circuit on the normal supply circuit by the relays controlling the source breaker when the breaker trip command is issued. A high-speed open fast transfer to the alternate source is the first attempt to restore the bus without interrupting the load or damaging the motors. In some cases, this transfer may not be successful because the fault on the normal source supply has disrupted the bus voltage. Transfer under these conditions would result in motor shaft torque damage. In the event that a fast transfer is blocked by voltage amplitude or angle, the in-phase transfer is attempted, which provides a second attempt to safe transfer all the motor loads before the motor controller contractors open for low voltage, preserving critical plant processes. If the bus voltage requirement was not met and the in phase transfer did not occur, the residual transfer would occur when the bus voltage collapsed, and would require loads to be restarted. This worst case operation matches the old residual voltage-based transfer system currently used at most industrial facilities. The addition of fast and in-phase transfer provides transfer of the entire motor bus without interruption and greatly increases reliable service to critical loads.

Beckwith Electric protection and control equipment is designed to deliver the ultimate protection, metering, monitoring, and control of medium voltage industrial power applications. Beckwith’s generator and transformer protection as well as Motor Bus Transfer Systems are designed for reliability in harsh environments.

With thousands of Generator Protective Relays, Transformer Protective Relays, and Motor Bus Transfer Systems, engineered, installed and continually working in the field, Beckwith Electric has the best expertise in the industry to supply you with products and systems you need for Industrial Plant and Process Applications.

Our in-depth of knowledge in these engineering application disciplines allows our Customer Technical Services Team to rapidly and efficiently assist you with the selection and use of the proper product or engineered system to provide the right solution now and in the future.

Motor Bus Transfer Solutions