Fully utilizing intelligent electronic devices capability to reduce wiring in cement industry distribution substations

Each wired termination in a substation represents a cost associated with engineering, installing and testing that wired point. These costs include the obvious financial labor costs, but also include intangible costs such as installation and commissioning time, potential for human error, panel space, increased resistive burden in circuits, and larger raceways. Additionally, each wired termination represents stranded engineering time that is used to design these terminations rather than allowing the engineering staff to solve problems. Most cement industry wiring design practices are taken for granted without thought as to the true cost and reliability of the practice and whether or not the function can be implemented with less wiring. Some standard cement industry practices have evolved that seek to minimize wiring. An example of this practice is the use of multifunction microprocessor based relays that can logically develop a trip bus from protective elements rather than having to wire individual elements to create the same trip bus. This paper seeks to expose some of the hidden financial costs and reliability costs associated with copper process wiring. Additionally this paper will discuss ways in which modern lEDs can be fully implemented to further reduce wiring. The cost and reliability benefits associated with the reduced wiring will be discussed and quantified. Some of the solutions to be addressed include the use of breaker lEDs as an interface for breaker control, IED to SCADA communications, IED to IED communications, internal lockout relays, IED pushbutton control, and process bus for remote motors in cement industry. Motors located a long distance from switchgear present an interesting protection challenge. The challenge is both technical and economic in nature. The technical challenges are those of being able to measure current and motor operating temperature accurately enough for electrical protection and thermal overload protection of the motor. Each o- - f these solutions is currently available in today´s market place and has varying degrees of acceptance within the industry. The benefits and liabilities of each solution using traditional IED implementation versus maximized IED implementation shall be discussed.