Power Plant Asset Health Data Visualization Enabled by NI cDAQ

Applied research institute enabled live generator and excitation system asset health updates to power plants with generating capacities up to 348 MW.

*As Featured on ni.com

Original Author: Nemanja Milojčić, Electrical Engineering Institute "NIKOLA TESLA"

Edited by: Cyth Systems

Project Summary

Applied research institute enabled live generator and excitation system asset health updates to power plants with generating capacities up to 348 MW.

System Features & Components

• Millisecond-level transient capture for excitation systems and synchronous generators

• Custom signal conditioning equipment for isolating voltage and current measurements

• LabVIEW UI-based data visualization with live graphs, on-demand data recording, and external triggering options

• Multi-facility deployment capability supporting generators from 20 MW to 348 MW

Outcomes

• Successful deployment across multiple power generation facilities monitoring generators ranging from 20 MW to 348 MW capacity

• Enabled detailed transient analysis and proactive maintenance without compromising plant safety or normal operations

• Scalable monitoring architecture with planned SCADA integration and remote Ethernet access enable the continuous integration capabilities required bymodern power plants

Technology at-a-glance

• NI cDAQ-9172 chassis

• NI 9203 analog input modules

• NI 9245 digital input modules

• NI LabVIEW software

• Industrial 15-inch touch panel PC

• Electrically isolated voltage and current sensors

• Custom signal conditioning equipment

Understanding Transient Behavior

Modern electrical grids depend on the seamless operation of power plants that supply electricity to millions of homes and businesses. When these facilities experience unexpected failures or transient events, it can impact entire regional power networks, and potentially cause widespread blackouts that affect the essential infrastructure communities depend on.

Disturbances to the excitation system, even on a microsecond-level, can trigger catastrophic equipment failures and grid instabilities that could cost utilities providers millions in lost revenue and emergency repairs.

In modern power plants, the main sources of electrical energy come from synchronous generators. This type of generator is an AC electrical machine that rotates at a constant speed synchronously with grid frequency. It uses an excitation system to control the strength of the magnetic field through its rotor windings, thereby regulating voltage output and reactive power. Understanding and monitoring the transient behavior of these systems is crucial for maintaining grid stability and preventing equipment failures.

Asset Health Monitoring

The Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering, an applied research institute that designs and manufactures complete excitation systems for synchronous generators, took on the challenge of designing and implementing a solution to monitor the behaviors of excitation and generator systems during normal operation and failures.

They recognized the need for a data acquisition solution completely independent of the control signals of the excitation system to enable experimentation without risking the health of primary equipment or interfering with normal plant processes.

Instantaneous Data Visualization

The research engineers decided to built their monitoring solution with NI CompactDAQ (cDAQ) hardware and LabVIEW software.

A few of the key system hardware components were:

• NI cDAQ-9172 chassis with NI 9203 analog input modules and NI 9245 digital input modules

• Industrial 15-inch touch panel PC for operator interface and manual system control

• Custom signal conditioning equipment with isolated voltage and current sensors to bring output signals into a range compatible with the NI cDAQ and maintain linearity across measurement ranges

  
  

  

The LabVIEW-based application provided comprehensive monitoring capabilities:

• Live visualization of the entire excitation system on a primary screen

• Live graphs of analog signals that could be initiated on-demand or by an external trigger

• Intuitive operator interface for quickly viewing data, adjusting triggering conditions, and monitoring digital inputs

  
  

To iteratively improve on their monitoring system design and safely validate its performance, the research team implemented a phased deployment strategy that included multiple power plants:

• First deployment: Nikola Tesla A Thermal Power Plant in Obrenovac, Serbia; new excitation system for generator No. 4 (308 MW)

• Second deployment: Kostolac B Thermal Power Plant in Kostolac, Serbia; generator No. 1 (348 MW)

• Planned third deployment: Potpec Hydro Plant in Priboj; generator B (20 MW)

  
  

  

  
  

The research team is currently working on implementing a few features to make the system even more robust and provide even more detailed information for power plant operation teams.

• Generator synchronizer monitoring with comprehensive data recording capabilities throughout synchronization processes

• Automatic reconnection systems for the power plant's 6 kV self-supply

• Complete capture of all changes in busbar systems

• Linking the cDAQ monitoring system to power plant supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) power plant control equipment

• Making all measurement data accessible on local, secure networks

  
  

Proactive Maintenance Enablement

The research engineers from the Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering were able to deliver multiple operational benefits to their power plant clients through their synchronous generator monitoring solution:

• Multi-facility deployment success: Capability to monitor generators ranging from 20 MW to 348 MW capacity

• High-bandwidth transient event capture: 10 kHz data acquisition bandwidth enabled monitoring of the excitation system disturbances and generator response characteristics on the microsecond-level

• Enhanced analysis capabilities: Live system health status, intuitive data visualization and flexible data recording capabilities significantly improved the analysis of excitation system performance

• Proactive maintenance: Early identification and resolution of potential issues before power generation is impacted

  
  

As the researchers incorporate more capabilities into their systems, they look forward to offering their clients:

• Expanded monitoring scope: Live health status of generator synchronizer and 6 kV self-supply

• Future-ready architecture: SCADA integration and remote Ethernet access for comprehensive power plant monitoring

• Modular foundation: NI hardware and LabVIEW software architecture provides scalable platform for continued facility expansion

  
  

Throughout system development and continuous system improvements, the NI cDAQ paired with LabVIEW software has provided the research team with a scalable and flexible foundation to adapt their system to the current and future needs of their power plant clients.

Original Author:

Nemanja Milojčić, Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering

Edited by: Cyth Systems