Electricity and Control September 2020

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR

At a glance  The cost of running and the cost of NOT running plant or equipment both form part of the total cost of ownership.  Selecting the right equipment, energy efficiency, predictive maintenance and long service life are all factors that contribute to optimising plant performance and operational costs.

High-efficiency motors can contribute to energy and cost savings and improved productivity. of running. Although the initial outlay may be higher, a VSD pays for itself many times over, and in a short time, through energy savings and productivity improvements. Its soft start, smooth process control and safety features, among other factors, play a significant role in improving the overall reliability of the entire process – and contribute to a lower cost of running. It also pays to replace old motors with modern high- efficiency ones. This further contributes to energy saving and has the additional advantage that their durable design leads to less downtime, which lowers the cost of not running. And they pay for themselves surprisingly quickly. For example, upgrading to ABB’s IE5 ultra-premium SynRM motors which offer up to 50% lower energy losses compared to IE2 motors, would deliver valuable energy cost savings. VSDs, combined with ABB’s high-efficiency motors, can drive efficiency across applications while ensuring the highest reliability and safety standards. Improving maintenance efficiencies Once the latest technology is in place, it is important that the overall system is looked after. This is the role of a predictive maintenance or condition monitoring programme. Being able to predict when critical motors will fail by knowing their condition allows the plant engineer to plan effective maintenance and get it done during scheduled plant outages. Condition monitoring, which informs predictive maintenance, helps to identify the problems and shortens the time taken to fix them, again bringing down the cost of not running.

To improve the cost of running equipment, ABB advises plant engineers to look at improving energy efficiency, optimising operating

performance and reducing maintenance demands.

A key element in advanced analytics and maintenance planning is the ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor, which converts traditional motors, pumps and mounted bearings into smart, wirelessly connected devices. It measures key parameters from the surface of the equipment, which can be used to gain meaningful information on the condition and performance of the equipment, enabling users to identify inefficiencies within the system and to reduce risks related to operation and maintenance. Maintenance can be planned according to actual needs rather than based on generic schedules. This extends the lifetime of equipment, cuts maintenance costs and reduces or prevents unplanned downtime due to breakdowns. Advanced services – such as integration of the ABB Ability™ Cloud Interface for drives, ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for motors and ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for powertrains – allow customers to access the data acquired and integrate it in their own monitoring systems. Further benefits lie in sourcing motors and drives from one supplier. It reduces purchasing administration, fewer parts need to be stocked, and maintenance personnel need only to familiarise themselves with a range from one vendor, all of which contribute to reducing cost of ownership. These various tools and services together offer a lowest cost of ownership. Plant engineers have an efficient and reliable system, operating at optimum efficiency, resulting in higher productivity. □

Smart sensors convert traditional motors, pumps and bearings into connected devices that monitor the condition of equipment and inform maintenance needs.

For more information visit: https://new.abb.com/africa

Electricity + Control SEPTEMBER 2020

11