Industrial grid planning

Industries need reliable, economic and safe power to supply their process loads. As the supply of industrial loads deals with conditions that are more extreme than those serving other types of loads, reliability of supply is a decisive factor. While historically grown system structures often lead to operational difficulties, high power quality is a key element to be maintained at all times. Siemens PTI provides support in the development of your industrial network towards a more efficient and resilient power supply system:

• Utilization of equipment according to National Electric Codes or Industry Standards
• Determination of appropriate circuit arrangements, voltage levels, and switching and protection devices
• Evaluations of arc flash, motor start, harmonic resonance, shunt compensation, series compensation, power quality, voltage flicker, stability and efficiency
  

Certain process equipment causes significant challenges in power supply. Power quality related problems, such as harmonic distortion, switching surges and voltage dips, are coming to the forefront, especially for industrial power networks. These can lead to interruptions and damage to the network assets, resulting in costs for the operator. Rely on Siemens PTI’s experience to develop the optimum solution for your industrial power supply. Our services include:

• Development of mitigation measures (e.g. grid optimization, harmonics filter design)
• Power quality measurements with high resolution and automated data transfer
• Continuous remote monitoring of harmonic and transient phenomena
• Damage and interruption prevention
  

No matter how well designed, faults will always occur in electrical power systems. These can lead to severe damage to installations and equipment, and may even cause personal injury. Accordingly, the design of an adequate protection system is an indispensable and integral part of power system design. Siemens PTI provides:

• Design of protection systems and definition of required protection functions (motor protection, generator protection, decoupling schemes)
• Evaluation of system and machine protection, from converter design and equipment protection to setting calculation and coordination of low, medium, and high voltage protection
• Dimensioning of instrument transformers according to national and international standards

Connecting powerful converters, such as large variable speed drives or electrolysis rectifiers, requires filter circuits for harmonic mitigation and power factor correction. In process automation, the full integration of functions, such as diagnostics and fault messages, plays a major role. Admissible operating criteria need to be defined. Siemens PTI has the detailed knowledge of converters and underlying processes needed to determine a technically suitable and cost-efficient solution that ensures the stability of your power system. Measurements and solutions include:

• Analyzing and proposing protection schemes and settings
• Harmonic filter design

With a decreasing levelized cost of energy (LCoE) in decentralized and smaller generation units, more and more energy is being produced locally. As a consequence, distributed energy systems or microgrids are being increasingly recognized as a complementary concept to industrial supply systems. There are often contradictory factors which influence planning and operation, such as economics, reliability, operability, system reserves, independency, and sustainability. To support you, Siemens PTI offers:

• Evaluation of network connection, dimensioning of captive generation and storage, and analysis of the industrial supply system to ensure network resilience and operability
• Help achieving optimal LCoE and network tariffs in order to reduce total energy costs
• Reduced emissions and improved carbon foot-print

While equipment faults and failures in system operation occur frequently, some failures are not easily understood. Multiple faults may lead to disastrous consequences and unforeseen operating sequences. The knowledge of different specialists has to be coordinated (e.g. protection, insulation coordination, system dynamics, network operation, and equipment of different vendors). For the disturbance evaluation Siemens PTI offers:

• Data collection and verification, including site visits, interviews, analysis of reference events, and measurements on-site or in a laboratory, as required
• Consideration of post failure conditions, events and operational procedures and cross checking of official statements
• System modeling to verify the root cause and validate proposed mitigation measures and sustainably improved system reliability

Analysis of incident energy and recommendation of proper personal protective equipment.

Defined back-up concept to bring the system from emergency or blackout system state back to normal state immediately.

Determining and dimensioning required momentary, short-term and long-term reserve power in order to maintain frequency stability and a stable power system.

Analysis of CHP integration to evaluate optimal dimensioning and secure network connection.

DC connections on distribution level can limit short-circuit currents and allow new ways of voltage support and utilization of reserve capacity.

Dimensioning of converters for industrial application with special emphasis on harmonic modeling.

Analysis of interferences from power supply systems on other networks and systems, modeling and calculation of electromagnetic fields.

Modeling and analysis of overvoltages and other transient phenomena, as well as of switching actions and their impact on system performance.

Analysis of losses in power systems and recommendations to improve efficiency.

Dimensioning of instrument transformers in substations and switchgear, especially current transformers in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS).

Evaluation of voltage stresses and determination of appropriate insulation levels and of protective devices for equipment and systems.

Measurements, development of lightning protection and grounding concepts, performance validation of installed systems and related disturbance analyses.

Realization of cost-saving capabilities while securing required power quality level by using Reliability Centered Asset Management.

Evaluation of impact of new loads and customer behavior on the energy demand for optimized grid dimensioning and operation. 

Design and monitoring of a customized regulatory compliance program and assistance during audits to avoid monetary penalties and reputational impact.

Optimal connection strategy regarding losses, power quality and reliability of supply including selection of connection point and switchgear dimensioning.