Monitoring for Electric Power Generation

Electric Power Generation is a sector of the industrial market with the specific need of assuring that power sources are running properly, ready for operation and well maintained. With a range of standard configurations for this market, Monico Gateways can add generator monitoring and integration quickly and easily into an overall facility or generator monitoring system. Following are the three main categories of the EPG market we provide monitoring for.

Mission Critical Applications & Data Centers

• Data collected from a generator provided to a BMS or the IT Management Software through a single interface
• Transfer switches, high resistance ground monitors, circuit breakers and other auxiliary equipment monitored and integrated into the overall monitoring system
• Data collected from both gensets and auxiliary equipment sent to the BMS via BACnet UDP or SNMP, or a virtual HMI can be provided from any browser device on the network 
• Available remote Start/Stop functionality for generators with that capability
• Help prevent downtime by monitoring test and exercise periods to detect potential causes of Failure to Start and Failure to Run issues

Prime Power

• Monitoring and data collection on equipment provided to an overall monitoring system to track fuel consumption, power factor, and engine hours
• Improve preventive maintenance efforts by adding analytic capabilities and prevent failures with alarm notifications via Email or SMS
• Virtual HMIs provided for instant data including complete fault code support with text descriptions

Standby Power

• Monitor and collect data from the generators as well as auxiliary equipment such as transfer switches to integrate into your overall monitoring system
• Send all data collected back to the Building Management Systems via BACnet UDP or SNMP or provide a virtual HMI from any browser device on the network
• Use data collected to add an analytic capacity to preventive maintenance programs
• Remote start/stop functionality is available for generators with that capability

Remote Generator Monitoring Solutions

If a BMS system is not available, then a Monico PLUS Gateway can act as the primary interface if an Ethernet network is available, making remote generator monitoring simple. The Gateway offers a pre-configured virtual color touch screen HMI over the internet. The email server can notify the customer when certain conditions occur and the Virtual HMI is available from anywhere on the network for viewing live data and detailed fault codes. If an Ethernet network is not available or the customer does not want the Generators connected to the BMS then we can also offer cellular solutions that provide a cost-efficient alternative.

Natural Gas and Diesel Generator Monitoring Solutions

A very common application for Monico Gateways is the monitoring and basic control of natural gas fueled and diesel fueled generators. We regularly provide customer interfaces for Caterpillar®, Cummins® , Generac® and MTU® equipment, and the Gateways can also be used to provide data concentration for other devices such as Digital I/O, Analog I/O, Thermocouples, RTD's, Switchgear and fuel tank level monitoring.

The Gateway can gather electrical information from the Generator Set Controller (GSC) and detailed information from electronic engines. If a mechanical engine is used, then we communicate directly with the GSC to gather complete electrical data and basic engine data. Complete fault code support is available. Gensets with mechanical engines and basic GSCs will provide about 8-10 valuable monitoring parameters plus fault codes. Gensets with more robust GSCs offer very detailed electrical information including line to line and line to neutral voltages, line currents, and various power calculations. Electronic engines will provide about 50-80 additional parameters of detailed information, and some of the larger gensets will have 4-5 Electronic Control Modules and provide up to about 220 parameters of data for monitoring purposes.

Monico Gateways are an asset to both natural gas and diesel generator monitoring systems.

Read More:
The Role of Monitoring in Industrial Automation 
Monitoring in the EPG Market
Monitoring on Industrial GenSets