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ATS panels in sites with unstable electricity grids

The envisaged surges and instability in the main grid has to be taken into account in order to prevent future incidents, switching failures and subsequent outages in the supply and overrun costs in the installation.

Antonio Moreno, HIMOINSA Sales Engineer

应急发电机组用于市电供应故障时的备用电源时，安装地点的特性很大程度上决定了开关系统的选择。在决定前，超出供应的实际功率、电网的电压及频率、安装的位置和布局等因素必须校准好。选择不当会导致设备安装发生故障、断电以及增加额外成本。市场上现有的技术都能很好地进行故障切换，但它们都适用于电网不稳定的地方吗？在选择开关时，应该考虑哪些因素呢？

开关类型和标准解决方案取决于电流量

ATS面板装置由一个电源输出和两个电源输入构成，其中一个对应主要电源（通常是电网），另一个对应应急电源(通常是发电机组)。当电网维持正常运行时，ATS上连接电网的电源输入被激活，当电网故障或参数超过设定值时，面板上与发电机组相连的电源输入被激活，这样便能保证持续的电源供应，直到电网恢复稳定，又会切换回另一个电源输入。

目前，很多技术都能实现一般的故障切换操作，更具体而言，是从电网切换到发电机组的操作。

一对接触器

包括两个机电开关,当电压输入线圈时,马上产生或阻止电流；这是市面上最简单的开关系统。

一对隔离器或电操断路器

这使它能管理两个电源供应，以运行一个备用或同步供应。在应急电源可与主用电源同步的项目中，这一特性使它成为一种非常有用的开关。电操断路器允许在无过零点的情况下从市电网恢复电力，因此能避免在电源切换过程中发生电力中断。

电动开关

与前两者不同，这是一个单一装置，通过一个内置发动机控制器来激活一个或其他电源。除了便于组装外，它的主要优势是耐用性强，并能允许大量操作。

如何选择最适当的故障切换类型，由安装空间的大小及预算决定。因此，根据电流量，通常适用下列标准的解决方案：

安装在电网不稳定地点的ATS面板出现的问题

当安装地点的电网不稳定时，电源供应在电网和发电机组间的转换会发生改变。 HIMOINSA的工程团队发现，频繁断电，特别是过电压会损坏采用交流线圈的接触器和带发动机控制器的电动开关的ATS面板并引发操作故障。

就考虑使用接触器而言，我们发现安装中出现的故障大增。电网中持续的浪涌最终会损坏接触器的线圈而导致其停止运行，从而在电网供应故障时无法完成故障切换。

使用一对隔离器或带交流发动机控制器的电操断路器时，也观察到很多故障。在这种情况下，过电压会损坏发动机控制器或分闸线圈，会阻止已收到指令的开关改变位置，从而导致电源供应中断。

主用电源供应不稳定时，最适当的开关解决方案

切换失败最终导致电源供应中断，从而使客户遭受经济损失，更不用说维修产生的额外成本会增加初始投资成本。

在这些案例中，最常用的解决方案是在安装设计时采用电涌放电器。然而，这虽然能在前期解决问题，但随着时间增长，电网的持续浪涌会损坏这些设备。

y and profitability of the installation, HIMOINSA recommends certain specific ATS panels when there is evidence that they are going to be located in a region with frequent electricity supply problems.

1. For an amperage of up to 3200A, we recommend using motorised switches with VDC engine control units rather than VAC units, in order to isolate them from voltage fluctuations. In addition, the engine control unit must be 12 VDC or 24 VDC depending on the auxiliary voltage of the generator set.

2. For switches above 3200A, we recommend the use of a pair of motorised magneto thermal breakers or motorised isolator switches with 24 VDC coils and engine control units.

In this way, using a VDC power supply, the elements of switches that are more sensitive to fluctuations in the electricity grid, such as coils and engine control units, are isolated from such fluctuations, thereby providing the installation with greater durability.

The next question is: what source must the VDC supply come from, for these more sensitive elements? One key factor shall exclusively determine the most appropriate answer for each project: the layout of the installation and the distance between the ATS and the generator set. To determine whether the distance is excessive or not, we will take as a parameter the section of cable needed for the expected consumption. We will also take into account a drop in voltage within the most restrictive limit recommended for the element of the installation in question.

When the distance between the ATS panel and the generator set is such that the section of cable required is less than 6-10 mm², we recommend that the power supply should come directly from the auxiliary electric system of the generator set, i.e. from the batteries of the generator set.
When the above option is not feasible and the generator set is too far away from the ATS panel, we recommended using a proprietary VDC supply system in the ATS panel, with a battery charger and batteries.

Conclusions

The actual power that is supplied, the voltage, the frequency of the grid and the budget are not the only circumstances that influence the emplacement of one or another type of switching. The envisaged surges and instability in the main grid has to be taken into account in order to prevent future incidents, switching failures and subsequent outages in the supply and overrun costs in the installation. By isolating the elements that are most sensitive to variations in voltage, such as coils and engine

control switching systems, we can prevent these failures and ensure that ATS panels in locations with unstable grids work properly.

HIMOINSA manufactures ATS panels that carry out the transfer of the power supply between the grid and the generator set; we can provide you with the advice you need as to the installation that best suits the needs of your project.

Antonio Moreno Carrasco. An Industrial Engineer specialised in electrical installations. He has been working in the Commercial Engineering Department of HIMOINSA since 2013, carrying out technical and financial feasibility studies for special projects and advising on the quality and costs of engineering solutions in order to adapt the product to the needs of each project.

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