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Rockwell Automation News
| Rockwell Automation's Products and Services Allow Manufacturers to Effectively Control Their Energy Use |
October 2004 Automation Fair Competitive pressure in manufacturing has never been higher. Considering that manufacturers are the largest users of energy in the country, and the growing acknowledgement that energy costs can be a controllable line-item expense, many manufacturers are putting tools in place to gain control of their energy costs. These tools go beyond simply measuring energy — they enable companies to improve their processes through tools that fit the myriad needs of manufacturers in a variety of industries. Energy solutions can include energy monitoring, management, efficiency, power quality, as well as combustion controls. Rockwell Automation offers a variety of products and services that give manufacturers the power to gather information and effectively control their energy use. Energy Management In the past, energy issues were relatively simple. Manufacturers received a bill from the utility company and paid it. That landscape has changed as new ways of managing energy consumption and quality through energy monitoring have emerged — providing the information manufacturers need to act on their energy use. Rockwell Automation offers companies concerned about energy use a variety of tools to manage energy safely and wisely. These tools include monitoring systems that capture energy load data, as well as profiling information. The tools, viewed through the PCbased Rockwell Software® RSView®32™ human-machine interface (HMI) software from Rockwell Automation or RSEnergyMetrix®, a Web-based tool, for historical and realtime information, provide information about cost allocation — namely, how much energy each process in a plant is using, as well as load profiling. Information can be collected from water, air, gas, electric and steam meters, including third-party meters through an Ethernet Energy Module. Users can model their energy profiles by calculating consumption and peak demands, visualizing demand patterns, measuring power quality parameters, correlating energy consumption to weather patterns, aggregating loads, and calculating energy costs by business group, department or site. This modeling approach can save time and costs since solutions can be verified before committing capital to install new systems or equipment. The tools can also monitor power quality factory-wide or down to the machine level so users can identify voltage sags or spikes during their processes. The company offers controller-based solutions to control energy after information has been collected and analyzed. Using the Allen-Bradley® family of programmable controllers — including SLC™ 500, PLC-5® and ControlLogix®, manufacturers can control their electric loads manually or program systems to vary loads automatically. For example, if certain machines are used at different points of a manufacturing process, they can be programmed to partially shut down when they are not needed, thus saving energy costs. Virtually all manufacturers can benefit from increased knowledge and control of their energy usage, particularly large energy consumers in food and beverage, life sciences, automotive, metals and oil and gas industries. Rockwell Automation Solutions: HVAC Solutions Every facility has an HVAC system, and although it is one of the easiest systems to control, it’s the one most often overlooked. HVAC systems are important to facilities for two major reasons: settings where temperature, humidity and pressure are processcritical, as well as the impact of HVAC systems on energy costs. Rockwell Automation offers process and equipment-based solutions to HVAC issues. Rockwell Automation Solutions - Dedicated fan and pump application - Pre-engineered solution is ideally suited for applications where HVAC control is process-critical (e.g., clean room requirements in life science, semiconductor, automotive and government applications) - Based on standard, off-the-shelf Allen-Bradley CompactLogix™ platform - Easily configured with “data-table” parameters - Low total cost of ownership Energy Solutions Fact Sheet - Expandable to include other advanced control algorithms specific to process and facility needs (e.g., matching of fume hood exhaust unit makeup and intake) - 21 CFR 11 validation-ready architecture to meet FDA compliance - Reduced validation costs due to common templates AC Drives Deliver Energy Efficiency and Control Energy consumption can be drastically reduced by simply decreasing fan and pump speed. For example, if a producer is running a fan and needs only half the airflow of the fan at maximum speed, a drive can slow the fan to half-speed. The workload of the fan goes down to 1/8th (1/2)3. That means that 7/8ths of the money previously spent to operate the fan stays in the user’s pocket. For motor control applications from low to medium voltage, and from simple to complex, the PowerFlex family of drives from 0.2kW (0.25 hp) to 6770 kW (9000 hp) offers worldclass motor control solutions while optimizing energy consumption. PowerFlex Component Class Drives offer cost-effective motor control for machine-level and stand-alone applications, while PowerFlex Architecture Class Drives are designed for superior application flexibility and control system integration. The new Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000 Medium-Voltage AC drive with Direct-to-Drive technology, allows customers to connect utility power directly to the drive without an isolation transformer. Direct-to-Drive technology represents advanced technology, offering customers a transformerless medium-voltage drive option with improved efficiency, reduced size and weight, and lower total cost of ownership. The Direct-to-Drive feature combines three innovations designed to eliminate isolation transformers on applications with either new or existing motors. The Symmetrical Gate Commutated Thyristor (SGCT) semiconductor’s high-voltage rating and ability to be connected in series allow the PowerFlex 7000 to be rated up to 6600V, without added complexity, reducing total component count and increasing reliability. The active front end (AFE) rectifier uses active switching and Selective Harmonic Elimination to reduce harmonics. For additional information about Rockwell Automation, visit www.rockwellautomation.com |