February 25, 2015 - Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) introduced a comprehensive, centralized control system that monitors, controls and protects low-voltage motor control systems. Scalable to any size motor control center (MCC), MOTORMAX is a turnkey system that ships to customers fully configured, tested and ready for immediate assembly into MCCs.
High-speed arc-flash mitigation technology comes standard in the MOTORMAX. The system detects arc-flash events and trips upstream breakers to protect personnel.
Another safety feature of the MOTORMAX is its remote human-machine interface (HMI), which allows operators to control motors from a safe distance. The HMI displays warnings, alarms and status indication signals to maintenance and process personnel. To assist in troubleshooting and diagnosing fault events, the system automatically collects time-synchronized Sequence of Events (SOE) records and COMTRADE oscillography in the SEL-849 Motor Management Relay, a standard component of the system. Time synchronization between the relays is accomplished via the Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP). A standard Modbus interface allows process control systems remote status and control of MCCs.
A typical round-trip time for controlling a motor contactor is 100 ms and can be faster.
“Arc-flash detection and mitigation are effective methods for reducing incident energies in old MCC gear,” said Manson. “MOTORMAX is a low-cost alternative to replacing existing MCC line-ups while still allowing users to keep up with modern safety requirements.”
