As a high-performance enabler of Industry 4.0 concepts, IO-Link has become indispensable in machine tool engineering and production plants. Today, even in hydropower plants, IO-Link can be used for fast and efficient connections: the Mount Coffee dam in Liberia uses intelligent IO-Link, which connects dozens of sensors and actuators over long distances.
The simplicity of operation and the saving of time and costs have already been realized by the operators of power plants in terms of diagnostic functions and maintenance. The integrated wiring solution, developed by Balluff and its project partner ANDRITZ Hydropower, is scalable and can also be used in future power plant projects.
In December 2016, the moment finally came: after more than 20 years of hiatus, the first turbine was started again, and now all four turbines each provide 22 megawatts of electricity to the grid. The Mount Coffee Dam, which winds 30 kilometres northeast of Liberia's capital, Monrovia, dates back to 1966, when its predecessor was completed but was almost completely destroyed during the Liberian war between 1989 and 2003. It wasn't until June 2014, when the Liberian Electricity Company (LEC) signed a contract with an international group of companies to rebuild the dam, that the extension of the power plant was actually launched.
ANDRITZ Hydro from Australia, together with other contracting companies, rebuilt the hydropower plant on the St. Paul River.
ANDRITZ Hydro was responsible for the complete hydraulic steel structure with all electronics, drive technology, and control systems, and refurbished 10 curved gates on the dam and 4 inlet gates on the turbines. The curved gate is used to control the water level at the dam surface upstream of the reservoir and is driven by a steel cable winch. The inlet gate directs water into the turbine and blocks the flow of water when the water level exceeds the pressure line and an error occurs (shut-off valve), which is hydraulically driven and consists of electric and hydraulic drives and a variety of auxiliary systems.
Mount Coffee Dam, although 160 metres long with 10 curved gates every 15 metres, is not the largest dam to date. However, over a long distance of the entire dam, several analog and digital signals need to be collected and transmitted to the control layer.
Bernd Schneider, Energy Industry Manager at Balluff, emphasises: "In terms of complexity, the dam area is multitasking and requires network connectivity, and in reality, the dam is like a widely distributed industrial system. Ten years ago, Balluff, which specializes in industrial and factory automation and whose products range from sensors to linear measuring systems to intelligent RFID solutions, realized that IO-Link could solve the problem of communication between the bus and the process level as well as the clutter of wiring cables.
As a highly standardized, point-to-point connection, this universal interface is indispensable for Balluff and its customers, as simple wiring as well as diagnostics and configuration functions are most needed, which are almost universally required in today's highly automated systems.
Balluff's presentation on IO-Link led to the deal: ANDRITZ Hydrohydro and engineers from Balluff Austria developed a coherent electrical concept that enables easy wiring, standardization, and modularity.
Two Balluff IO-Link masters are installed in the control cabinet on each of the 10 curved gates and the 4 inlet gates, which can collect up to 20 different signals in the area. These signals come from inductive or electromechanical limit switches and sensors that determine the direction of rotation of the arc gate and control, regulate and close valve terminals, signal lights and illuminated switches. Two IO-Link masters are installed in the hydraulic station and are used to connect the relevant sensors and actuators.
Without exception, all components in the field use the same standard three-core cable and a uniform M12 plug. When it is not possible to process the analogue signal from a specific sensor, the compact Balluff adapter can be used to convert the analogue signal into a noise-resistant digital signal. The IO-Link master from Balluff transmits data to the control level via Profibus DB. Due to the redundancy of the system, the embankment is divided into two sections and requires a cable line of up to 75m long.
Berthold Wiesinger, Electrical Engineer at ANDRITZ Hydropower, emphasizes: "The advantages were quickly apparent: because we were using standard cables and plugs instead of individual wiring, wiring was done in half the time compared to usual. With IO-Link, you can test each module in the factory in advance by simply inserting it, which significantly reduces costs. "The IO-Link concept eliminates wiring errors, saves space and makes the situation of the device clear. Multinationals in particular appreciate the fact that IO-Link can be used in any bus system: the overall structure below the bus level is always the same, and only the bus nodes need to be adapted to the specific country.
The standard for bidirectional communication also offers even greater advantages in other forms: IO-Link's diagnostic information quickly locates and corrects error points, thus reducing unnecessary downtimes. Berthold Wiesinger: "For some reason, our sensor box was out of order at start-up, but a colleague conveniently replaced and reinstalled it, and then the box with the relevant parameter values acquired the data from the IO-Link master. After a short hiccup, the system started running again. This is an advantage when the system is not nearby and there are no specialists: IO-Link enables remote maintenance down to the process level. The predictive maintenance concept with clear diagnostics and clear operating and operating guidelines in the event of a problem also makes it easier to implement.
Berthold Wiesinger further adds: Smart sensors will increase the availability of systems in the future.
"Sensors that measure oil temperature and moisture monitor the temperature of the high-pressure motor and the condition of the bearings, and it will be essential for us to be able to understand the maintenance interval independently."
There will be more and more products that are universally compatible with IO-Link. For the user, this further optimizes wiring, diagnostics and configuration. "For example, the analogue junction boxes from Balluff also enable thermal coupling and similar devices to be connected to modules. With the new safety concept 'Safety overlaid on IO-Link', Profisafe can now also be used for the direct connection of safety aids. The advantage is that in the future, only one basic device will be used for automation and safety technology in this standard wiring concept. Mario Ober, responsible for the related business at Balluff Austria, also emphasises that "this concept achieves the highest PLe/SIL3 safety level."
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