Issued by: Electrical Business Group - Tailormade Products, LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED, Powai Works, Mumbai 400
072
Prospect / Retrospect
Are IED Costs Justified?
Whenever there is a proposal for
incorporating new technology,
apart from its reliability and proven
performance reference, the
question most frequently asked is
about its cost viability. The
intelligent system for switchgear is
no exception.
In our series of articles in L&T
Current Trends, advantages of
Intelligent systems have been
elaborated. One question asked by
many readers is, how could they
justify the cost of such a system.
How can the protection and control
of a fractional horsepower motor
be justified by an expensive
Intelligent Electronic Device
(IED) ?
The answer encompasses multiple
issues. It lies in the reduced
operating costs for automated
plants compared to unmanageably
high costs of manual controls. It
lies in the speed and effectiveness
of operations. The answer is
demonstrated simply in our day-to-
day life by the example of
computerisation in banks.
January - March 2000
Cost effectiveness in a project is
always in two parts - one tangible
and another intangible. Tangible
savings are in terms of material cost,
lesser space requirement and
operational cost --- such savings can
be worked out. Intangible benefits
cover savings due to
standardisation, easy trouble
shooting, fewer failures, speedy
L&T's Powai
Switchgear Works has
Been awarded ISO 14001
Certificate by BVQI.
commissioning and testing. Yet
another intangible but major saving
is due to pre-alarm and saving of
unplanned tripping of process.
Savings due to efficient operations
by automation are also added to the
intangible benefits. It is difficult to
arrive at the savings which can be
accrued by such intangible benefits.
Plants and processes having high
efficiency, higher volumes of
production, continuous processes
will find intangible returns due to
Intelligent systems more attractive.
Processes where interruptions can
cause major losses and damage to
the plant and machinery will realise
the advantages in pre-alarm signals
and diagnostic information for
probable future failures. Properly
coordinated, fine tuned protections
for motor and processes by
comprehensive IEDs will save not
only the motor but also avoid the
damage to the associated
mechanical equipment and the
process.
In this issue of L&T Current Trends,
we bring a summing up of the
advantages that IEDs and Intelligent
systems offer to the user industry.
This comparison will help our
readers to assign overall benefits/
savings by changeover to Intelligent
systems.
We welcome views and queries from
our readers on this subject and our
team of engineers can be contacted
on the email address given on the
last page for further information and
application guidance.

Integrated Protection & Control Systems
For Process Plants - Part IX
In the previous issues of L&T
Current Trends, we have given a
brief overview of changeover from
conventional protection and control
systems to Intelligent Electronic
Devices (IEDs) and Intelligent
Protection, Control and Data
Acquisition Systems. Now the issue
that remains to be addressed is cost
effectiveness. How to work out cost
effectiveness of such technology
changeover? How to justify use of
such comprehensive yet expensive
products?
All of us know that cost
effectiveness is not only the
arithmetic sum of prices in
alternatives. It encompasses factors
like capability for finer controls and
precise settings, ease of operation,
ability to acquire more information
for decision making, flexibility in
dynamic situations, advantages of
standardisation, ability to avoid
major damages by raising alarms in
the event of probable dangers and
many more similar intangibles. The
more the critical process, the higher
is the cost of such factors and the
higher are savings that can be
ADVANTAGES OF USING INTELLIGENT SYSTEM COMPRISING
INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICES (IEDs) AND DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM
Sr.
No. Parameter
1. Device Count
FEATURE
— R.S. Mahajan, Asst. General Manager
accrued from such intangible
factors, if any alternative takes care
of these factors. One such example
is advantages offered by
changeover from conventional
electromechanical to
microprocessor-based devices. The
list of advantages include :
– wide setting range and ability to
set precise setting;
– Versatility of characteristics
choice;
– High repeat accuracy;
– Watchdog function monitoring
healthiness of hardware and
software.
It is almost impossible to assign any
cost advantage tag to such factors.
Yet all of us know the immense
benefits these factors offer to the
system design engineers, operation
and maintenance engineers.
Yet another example is elaborated by
the case of changeover system of
incomers. Apart from reduction in
device count (from 53 discrete
devices in a typical conventional
Conventional System
Large number of function specific
devices in each feeder :
– Specific protection relays.
– Meters (Ammeter, Voltmeter,
Energy meter, PF meter etc.)
– Transducers and analog input
cards
– Separate metering and protection
CTs.
– Indicating lamps.
case of just 4 in case of IEDs), a
major benefit is experienced in
trouble shooting. If such a
complicated changeover scheme is
not functioning, tracing the circuits
spread over a couple of panels is a
nerve testing exercise for operations
and maintenance engineers.
However, when the status of all
connections is monitored and
reviewed on IEDs, this becomes a
simple job. Some of the plant
engineers, who have already
experienced it will certainly be able
to quantify time savings due to such
advantages.
It is well known that the cost of
prevention is always lower than the
cost of repair - the reason being that
repair is only for the equipment. Lost
time, lost opportunity, lost production
output cannot ever be recovered.
In this concluding article, we are
reproducing a table, listing major
advantages of using IEDs and
Intelligent systems. Our readers are
welcome to add to this list by
presenting their views or
experiences.
Intelligent System
Comprehensive IED, only one per
feeder. Not only reduce components
in Switchgear, but also eliminate need
for analog cards in PLC (for
transducer data)
Sr.
No. Parameter Conventional System
2. Space in compartment Large compartment space is occupied
by conventional devices.
3. Cost of inventory More components, hence more
spares and higher cost of inventory.
4. Probability of failure With more components, higher
probability of failure.
5. Isolated failures With PLC control, failure of PLC
results in loss of entire process
control.
6. Alarms to avoid Alarms are normally not available. If
unplanned trips made available, monitoring is also
manual. It results in unplanned trips of
process, thereby causing heavy
losses.
7. Maintenance log Normally available from log-books,
memory and hence less dependable.
8. Periodic testing Again of mechanical springs
necessitate periodic testing. Electro-
mechanical relays operate once in a
while. Hence, healthiness also needs
to be checked.
9. Engineering Less standardised schemes and
hence more engineering time.
10. Cabling Control cables for start/stop/reset
commands, inputs/feedback to DCS/
PLC, remote metering and alarm
indication result in 6 to 17 cores of
control cables per feeder. Hence, for
an average MCC of about 30 feeders,
200 to 500 cable cores are essential.
Requires larger cable trays.
11. Commissioning, testing, More laborious, more time consuming.
trouble shooting Individual protection settings can be
erroneous.
12. Protection settings Specific relays offer limited choice.
Change may result in replacement of
a relay.
13. Fault data and history Not available. On standalone relays,
even if data is available, loss of
control supply results in loss of data
since it is not in EEPROM.
14. Versatility For protection settings, in case of
motors, characteristic curves are ess-
ential, which are normally not available.
Also, in field, after motor rewinding, new
characteristics are not available.
Operations engineers are setting relay
with trial and error method.
Intelligent System
Comprehensive IED occupies lesser
space. Overall switchboard size
reduces. Results in space saving in
sub-station thereby lower
civil/construction cost.
Lesser cost of inventory.
Comprehensive IED reduces
probability of unplanned tripping/
Component failure.
With IEDs, even failure of one of the
IEDs results in loss of control for only
one drive.
Pre-trip alarms can be logged and
monitored by software.
Log maintained by supervisory PC
and hence accurate. Helps in
prioritising activities during shutdown.
Aging effect or shift of characteristics
is almost nil. Since IEDs are always
operative and monitored by watchdog,
separate periodic testing is not
essential.
High degree of standardisation
reduces engineering time.
All control, metering and data
acquisition possible on one twisted
pair cable - that too a common cable
for upto 32 feeders.
Faster less engineering and testing
efforts. Setting of IEDs on PC results
in standardised settings and
elimination of human error.
Comprehensive IEDs offer vast choice
of characteristics and settings.
Precise settings for drives and
processes are possible.
Data storage and trending is done by
supervisory PC. Trending possible for
upto 99 days, with specific software.
Fault data in various IEDs allow
analysis of propagation of fault.
IEDs (specifically Motorvision from
L&T) display motor starting
characteristics and hence settings can
be precise and accurate, irrespective
of data availability from motor supplier.
Sr.
No. Parameter Conventional System Intelligent System

15. Diagnostic information
16. Intelligent protection (specific
protections in specific condition
of a motor)
17. External monitoring devices
18. Ease of operation, monitoring
in the central control room
19. Speed of response
20. Availability of spares
21. Range of settings, voltage:
field flexibility during
commissioning and operations
22. Future cost of operations
Generally not available.
Normally not available. If desired,
requires more relays, timers, limit
switches, etc.
Monitoring devices like zero speed
switch (ZSS) are required on motors
and need to be cabled to starter for
'run' status.
Clumsy due to large mimic panels and
elaborate annunciation panels.
Voluminous panels occupy large
space in substations/central control
room.
With large number of Digital inputs,
PLC response time is more.
Electromechanical relays are getting
phased out worldwide.
Relays have specific band of settings,
specific coil voltages. Changes
desired means replacement, which is
expensive and tedious.
High cost due to manual operations.
Also, will result in lower efficiency of
operations.
Motorvision relays give graphical as
well as numerical information for easy
start of the motor, thereby making it
possible to monitor healthiness of
motor winding and associated
mechanical bearings, couplings etc.
Pre-trip shutdown can save
tremendous losses.
IEDs distinguish starting and running
situations of a motor and make specific
protections applicable. This enables
lower protection settings and thereby
elimination/restricted damage in case
of failure. Eg. Locked motor protection
can be set at 150-200% of FLC with
1.0 - 2.0 sec. time delay, instead of
650-700% settings and 6-8 sec. time
delays. This saves entire system from
severe mechanical damage.
Since relay monitors current
continuously, it is able to distinguish
whether the motor has reached steady
state. Separate ZSS, cabling, timers
can be eliminated.
Graphical user interface permits on-line
monitoring and a compact supervisor
PC room/central control room.
With unitised digital inputs with each
relay, speed of response improves.
Card technology will make spares
management easy. Common IEDs for
different ratings and applications
simplify spares management.
Wide band of protection settings.
Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS)
permits wide range of control supply.
Together, they offer wide flexibility in
the field.
Low operational cost due to integrated
automation, precise control. Higher
efficiency of operations and hence low
cost in future.

For further details on this subject, please contact ;

Switchgear Contracts Division, Larsen & Toubro Limited, Saki-Vihar Road, P. O. Box 8901, Powai, Mumbai 400 072
Fax : 022-85811024 e-mail : nk-swtc@pgriii ltindia. com

Edited, printed and published by S. R. Talwar for Larsen & Toubro Limited from L&T House, Narottam Morarji Marg, Ballard Estate, Mumbai 400 001 and
Printed at Uma Offset, 359, A to Z Industrial Estate, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013. Associate Editor: Luis S. R. Vas