Olsson Industrial Electric was tasked with addressing challenges faced by North Wasco County PUD (NWCPUD) and creating a reliable, scalable solution. NWCPUD needed a reliable way to monitor Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) across nine substations within their 87-square-mile coverage area. Olsson built a solution to address the limited real-time visibility and raise operational efficiency, particularly for monitoring protection relays, voltage regulators, and power quality monitors.
Overcoming Challenges
The vast geographical area presented connectivity issues, making linking the substations to the central office hosting the Ignition server difficult. To tackle this, NWCPUD partnered with TosiBox to create a robust SCADA network. The TosiBox Virtual Central Lock and 670 lock solutions laid the groundwork for connecting field devices, establishing a reliable communication pathway crucial for operational monitoring.
Implementing the Solution
With the TosiBox infrastructure in place, OS Engineering spearheaded the development of a comprehensive Substation Monitoring application. They integrated IED configuration and data mapping with SEL real-time automation controllers (RTACs) using the DNP3 driver. A structured tagging system and User Defined Types (UDTs) were created to optimize Ignition’s object-oriented capabilities.
Key features included:
Consistent UI/UX Design: All substation screens were standardized, featuring dashboards for essential parameters, one-line diagrams, and monitoring dashboards for RTACs and IEDs.
Comprehensive Monitoring: Operators can access over 23,000 tags for detailed insights, with each IED having a dedicated faceplate for real-time status updates.
Custom Tagging System: This innovative feature allows operators to flag equipment for maintenance, with historical data easily accessible through the object’s faceplate.
The entire system was developed and commissioned remotely, showcasing the power of the TosiBox network in streamlining operations.
Conclusion
NWCPUD’s partnership with the Olsson Industrial Electric team not only improved real-time visibility but also enhanced operational efficiency across its coverage area. Additionally, as the project was designed to make full use of Ignition’s UDT and template capabilities, additional devices can be added to the system with ease with a full complement of templates, faceplates, and other objects created to suit the needs of NWCPUD.