Using the Premium Monitoring System application, you can view data and set thresholds for data capture. The monitoring system is equipped with a fully-functional, calibrated touch-screen monitor, but using a plug-in style USB mouse improves the ease of navigating the system, especially if conducting activities more advanced than basic screen views, such as setting thresholds or manipulating waveforms.
The Premium Monitoring System display contains four areas:
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Header: Displays the plant name, unit name, date/time, Monitoring System Application version number and the X icon for closing the application.
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Tabs: Click tabs to display the HOME, SHAFT GRAPHS, and SHAFT SETTINGS pages.
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Page Area: Displays the currently selected page.
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Controls and Indicators: Alarm indicators and buttons to display pages, pause monitoring, and download data.
For EZDP-2038:
For EZDP-2020:
The pages are grouped into two views: Rope view and Shaft view:
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Shaft View: The default view when the Premium Monitoring System launches. Contains the HOME, SHAFT GRAPHS, and SHAFT SETTINGS tabs. From Shaft view, you can click the GO TO ROPE VIEW button to switch to Rope view.
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Rope View: Contains the ROPE STATS, ROPE GRAPHS, and ROPE SETTINGS tabs. From Rope view, you can click the GO TO SHAFT VIEW button to switch to Shaft view.
The area at the bottom of the screen contains controls and alert indicators. These controls and indicators are displayed regardless of which page is displayed.
For EZDP-2038:
For EZDP-2020:
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GO TO ROPE VIEW / GO TO SHAFT VIEW Button: In Shaft view, the button is labeled GO TO ROPE VIEW, and clicking it displays the last-displayed tab in Rope view. In Rope view, the button is labeled GO TO SHAFT VIEW, and clicking it displays the last-displayed tab in shaft view.
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PAUSE MONITORING Button: Stops monitoring and reporting activities, including LIVE values. Period or limit calculations, time-based averages, and alert or warning triggering are paused. Pause monitoring is an option available to the plant for any situation when it may be preferable to have the generator running without monitoring.
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DOWNLOAD WVFM'S: Displays the Premium Monitoring System File Manager, which you can use to manage your file storage and download data.
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ROPE Fault Alarm: Turns red to indicate a rope fault. The alarm continues until the fault is cleared.
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Storage Low Alarm: Turns red when the storage space on the hard drive reaches approximately 95% of its capacity. The alarm continues until files are deleted and the status clears. If the Premium Monitoring System reaches maximum storage capacity, the application will return an error message and monitoring will not continue. The time it takes to reach storage capacity depends upon where plant personnel set their thresholds, how frequently they are cleared, and overall unit operation. Check the Premium Monitoring System File Manager as part of your routine visual inspection process. Clear the storage as needed to maintain proper monitoring system operations.
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Ground Lost Warning: Turns red if the Premium Monitoring System detects that ground current falls below the minimum threshold in conjunction with shaft voltage stepping up at a rate that is greater than the system's set ratio limit. The alarm continues until the situation is cleared. If this warning occurs, a qualified plant electrician should immediately assess the grounding integrity. The electrician should also inspect the grounding rope. Confirm continuity between the grounding rope and case ground and its connection to the generator shaft. In the event of a false alarm, consult with Cutsforth Engineering to assess potential custom threshold or high limit ratios to be considered for your generator.
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Steps Up Counters: Increment when voltage and/or current steps up:
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Shaft V & Gnd A Steps Up: Triggers when both ground current and shaft voltage step up.
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Shaft V Steps Up: Triggers when shaft voltage steps up.
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For EZDP-2038:
Exciter V Steps Up: Triggers when exciter voltage steps up.
To set counters back to zero, press RESET. Resetting the counter allows four more snapshots to be recorded—it does not delete previously captured snapshots.
The system automatically averages the ground current or shaft voltage zero-to-peak values for two separate periods:
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PERIOD1 is approximately 20 seconds.
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PERIOD2 is approximately 200 seconds.
If PERIOD1 / PERIOD2 > a RATIO limit of 1.5, it is considered a step-up condition. Up to four snapshots will be recorded, assuming the RATIO stays above the threshold. No alarm is triggered on a step-up condition. Upon reset, the PERIOD1/ PERIOD2 averages begin recalculating from that point forward. No more snapshots are taken until the longer PERIOD2 has elapsed.
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Unit Status: Displays GEN ON and GEN OFF status:
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GEN ON: When both ground current and shaft voltage zero-to-peak values are maintained above their minimum threshold for at least 30 seconds, Unit Status is GEN ON and monitoring is operational.
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GEN OFF: When both the ground current and shaft voltage drop below minimum threshold, the Unit Status is GEN OFF.
The GEN ON and GEN OFF thresholds are set at the factory or during installation. Sometimes, with new installations, some adjustment of these values is required for proper operation. If your monitoring system indicates an incorrect GEN ON or GEN OFF status, contact Cutsforth Engineering to help determine what adjustments might be best to take. Cutsforth will require a copy of the waveform snapshots recorded by the system while operating to help make a proper determination of any changes required. When GEN OFF is sensed, live values still update, but any period or limit calculations, time-based averages, and the ability to trigger fault conditions pause until the ground current and shaft voltage zero-to-peak values once again rise above their minimum thresholds and maintain those levels for at least 30 seconds.
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The Premium Monitoring System Application normally launches automatically on power-up, but you can also launch it manually. To launch manually, from the Windows Desktop, double-click the Premium Monitoring Application shortcut:
To close the Premium Monitoring System Application, In the top-right corner of the screen, click the X icon:
The HOME page displays values for the parameters listed on the left side of the page. The columns display live values, averages over time, and thresholds, as described below.
For EZDP-2038:
For EZDP-2020:
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LIVE Column: Displays the value in real time for all fields.
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HOUR, DAY, WEEK, MO, QTR, and YR Columns: Display the cumulative average for the periods indicated and provide a quick view of whether those values have been consistent or trending over time. Each column shows on the screen only after its associated time value has passed since the last reset. Time is counted only when the Unit Status is GEN ON.
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THRESHOLD Column: Displays the value entered on the SHAFT SETTINGS page. The counter next to the THRESHOLD field indicates the number of times that the threshold has been crossed since the last time its associated RESET button has been clicked. A system snapshot is recorded each time the counter advances. The related green indicator turns red when the recording limit of four snapshots has been reached. When the RESET button is clicked, the counter returns to zero and the system repeats the process recording up to four more snapshots each time the threshold is crossed. Resetting the counter does not delete previously captured snapshots.
The Premium Monitoring System displays shaft graphs and rope graphs. Operation of the SHAFT GRAPHS and ROPE GRAPHS pages is the same.
To View Graphs
| Click UPDATE to capture a new waveform set. This operation is memory and processor intensive and system response will be slow while viewing waveforms on the SHAFT GRAPHS and ROPE GRAPHS pages. |
Waveforms initially display auto-scaled to fit the screen and represent .02 seconds in time, or 1.2 shaft revolutions on a 3,600 RPM generator. At this full view, the waveforms may appear as a block of data. This is not an error, but rather it indicates that the zero-to-peak values are relatively consistent and the screen contains more data points than can be individually seen. To see waveform details, use the zoom function, as described below, or download the files to your flash drive to review on a computer able to read .tdms formatted data files.
To Zoom In
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In the upper-right of a waveform view, click the magnifying glass.
The zoom window opens.
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Click an icon to select a zoom preference. The zoom options are as follows:
Drag your cursor to select a rectangular section of the graph on which to zoom.
Drag your cursor from left-to-right (or right-to-left) to zoom in on the X-axis only. The range of the window (y-axis) stays the same. This is the most commonly used zoom option.
Drag your cursor from top-to-bottom (or bottom-to-top) to zoom in on the y-axis only. The domain of the window (x-axis) stays the same.
Return the window to original size (full view).
Click anywhere on the graph window to zoom in on the location of your mouse click.
Click anywhere on the graph window to zoom out around the location of your mouse click.
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Drag the cursor on the waveform to capture the area for the zoom. You may need to zoom multiple times on a small area to see the desired detail of the underlying waveform.
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Before pressing RESUME MONITORING or navigating to any other page, click CLEAR to clear the page.
Be patient between requests. The system may seem very slow to respond while performing this function, but monitoring is still active, taking the higher priority with the system.
The SHAFT GRAPHS page displays the latest collected ground current and shaft voltage waveforms.
The ROPE GRAPHS page displays waveforms for the ground rope, the metering rope, and the exciter rope.
Be familiar with your generator’s typical waveform display for each of the ropes in your system. These waveforms are included in any system snapshot whether the snapshot was system initiated or manually recorded. Changes in these waveforms may help identify the root cause of a false rope alarm.
For EZDP-2038:
The Premium Monitoring System records a system snapshot when the measurement taken is greater than the user-defined thresholds for either shaft or rope. You can set these threshold values using the SHAFT SETTINGS and the ROPE SETTINGS pages. These pages provide fields for setting shaft thresholds and rope limits, respectively. Additionally, they both provide the following buttons:
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LOGOFF: Reserved for maintenance and some user-definable settings. Provides access to the TECHNICIAN screen, which allows the operator to adjust the event and 6-hour snapshot lengths if desired.
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To log into the TECHNICIAN screen, press the LOGOFF button, and select TECHNICIAN from the user dropdown list. Press LOG ON. The application will request a password. The password for the TECHNICIAN screen is “tech1”.
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To return to the monitoring view of the application from the TECHNICIAN screen, press BACK. Select OPERATOR from the user dropdown list and press LOG ON. No password is required to log on as OPERATOR.
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SHOW KEYBOARD: Displays the touch screen keyboard for entering threshold values.
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RECORD WVFM’S: Initiates a single waveform snapshot recording.
To Set Thresholds on the SHAFT SETTINGS and ROPE SETTINGS Pages
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Click SHOW KEYBOARD.
NOTE:
You can also use an external USB keyboard connected to the Premium Monitoring System USB 2.0 port.
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Select the field for the desired threshold value.
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Enter the desired threshold value.
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In the top-right of the keyboard, click X to close the keyboard.
To Record Waveforms on the SHAFT SETTINGS and ROPE SETTINGS Pages
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Make sure that Unit Status is GEN ON.
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Click RECORD WVFM’S.
The Premium Monitoring System initiates a single waveform snapshot recording.
You can define threshold limits so that your snapshots collect routine data or capture data for alarm events. The Premium Monitoring System comes from the factory with the thresholds intentionally set to levels that will never trigger a snapshot or an alarm. This ensures that plant personnel do not misinterpret any factory-set thresholds as being applicable to their generator.
Thresholds may be different from generator to generator, even when two identical generators are operating at the same plant. This can be due to variances in individual generator usage, the age of the generator, or other unit-specific variables. Additionally, the Cutsforth Premium Monitoring System contains voltage-sensing equipment that is in many cases able to measure current and voltage frequencies at levels that are not commonly considered by generator manufacturers when determining their expected AC values.
Cutsforth Engineering will review any waveforms collected by the plant during normal operations to help give advice on alarming limits to be considered for monitoring application purposes, but unit-specific threshold or alarm limits must ultimately be determined by the generator manufacturer and plant personnel.
You can set shaft thresholds on the SHAFT SETTINGS page.
For EZDP-2038:
For EZDP-2020:
To display the SHAFT SETTINGS page:
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With the HOME page displayed, click GO TO SHAFT VIEW.
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Click the SHAFT SETTINGS tab.
The SHAFT SETTINGS page allows the user to input custom thresholds for each of the below described parameters for ground current and shaft voltage.
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DC: Threshold is crossed when the DC measurement on the HOME PAGE exceeds the associated threshold value entered on the SHAFT SETTINGS page.
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RMS: Threshold is crossed when the RMS measurement on the HOME PAGE exceeds the associated threshold value entered on the SHAFT SETTINGS page.
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0-Pk: Threshold is crossed only when all four of the below criteria are met by the associated waveform:
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0-Pk measurement on the HOME PAGE meets or exceeds the associated threshold value entered on the SHAFT SETTINGS page.
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Time (in microseconds) that the voltage or current is sustained above the specified 0-Pk threshold and meets or exceeds the value entered on the SHAFT SETTINGS page for Min Pk Width. This setting must be set to 2 microseconds or greater.
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Required number of valid peaks must occur within the time (in seconds) entered on the SHAFT SETTINGS page for Measurement Period.
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Number of valid peaks within the measurement period meets or exceeds the value entered on the SHAFT SETTINGS page for Pks Within Period.
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You can set limits for rope monitoring and reset rope replacement dates on the ROPE SETTINGS page.
For EZDP-2038:
For EZDP-2020:
To display the ROPE SETTINGS page:
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With the HOME page displayed, click GO TO ROPE VIEW.
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Click the ROPE SETTINGS tab.
The GROUND ROPE HI, the METERING ROPE HI, and the EXCITER ROPE HI settings determine at what wear indicator voltage, as a percentage of shaft voltage, triggers a rope fault alert. The values set in these fields are displayed in the corresponding FAULT LEVEL % fields on the ROPE STATS page as a percentage.
When you install a new rope, click the REPLACE button for the associated rope. This tells the Premium Monitoring System that a new rope has been installed. The REPLACED date and time are changed to the current date and time.
You can view rope data on the ROPE STATS page.
For EZDP-2038:
For EZDP-2020:
The ROPE STATS page displays the following data for ground rope and metering rope:
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WEAR INDICATOR VOLTAGE: The voltage at each rope’s insulated wear indicator.
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% OF SHAFT V: The real-time ratio of the rope wear indicator voltage to the shaft voltage, shown as a percentage.
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FAULT LEVEL %: The associated threshold, as a percentage, entered on the ROPE SETTINGS page.
If you see any wear indicator voltage that is significantly different than what you have historically witnessed as normal for that rope, consider performing a resistance test on the associated remote meter panel test points to see if a short circuit or a low-resistance connection is present, which would be interpreted as a failing wear indicator or a condition warranting a root cause analysis. For more information on the test points, see Taking Test Point Readings.
If you experience a false alarm, take the following actions:
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Note the date and time.
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Using a smartphone or digital camera, take a picture of the ROPE STATS page and the ROPE GRAPHS page while the generator is in service.
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Download waveforms as described in Downloading Data.
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Email the photos and waveforms to Cutsforth Engineering.
Cutsforth will collaborate with you to make adjustments on your wear indicator FAULT LEVEL % settings.
It is necessary to download snapshots and baseline recordings for offline analysis and to clear drive space to ensure proper operation of the Premium Monitoring System Application.
To download automated-threshold and operator-created waveforms:
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At the bottom of the screen, click DOWNLOAD WVFM’S.
The FILE MANAGER screen appears.
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Using the slider bar under File Type, select the type of file you wish to download.
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Take note of the MB value displayed under the Recordings Folder. That value is the amount of space that you need on the flash drive to which the data will be transferred.
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Insert a USB 2.0 flash drive. The free space on the drive is reported in the MB field under Free Space On Thumb Drive. If the drive has sufficient space available, the indicator will turn green.
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Click COPY. Files are copied to the flash drive root directory.
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When the copy has finished, remove the flash drive and copy the files to your plant’s designated permanent storage location. Confirm that the files copied successfully prior to returning to the Premium Monitoring System File Manager to delete the files.
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Return to the File Manager and click DELETE. Deleted files cannot be recovered.
Snapshot file names are designed to provide the user with as much identifying information about the snapshot as possible. Each snapshot file name includes:
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An acronym indicating the reason for the snapshot
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The plant name
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The unit name
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A time stamp indicating the exact time the snapshot was recorded
This table lists the Snapshot Reason Acronym Legend:
|
Acronym |
Description |
|---|---|
|
GNDL |
Ground possibly lost. Current is below minimum threshold and shaft voltage is above maximum threshold |
|
MAN |
Recording manually requested by operator or scheduled 6-hour snapshot |
|
RFGR |
Rope Fault Ground Rope |
|
RFMR |
Rope Fault Meter Rope |
|
RFER |
Rope Fault Exciter Rope (if SCA installed) |
|
SUVI |
Step Up Voltage and Current |
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SUSV |
Step Up Shaft Voltage |
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SUEV |
Step Up Exciter Voltage |
|
TGID |
Threshold Ground Current DC |
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TGIR |
Threshold Ground Current RMS |
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TGIP |
Threshold Ground Current Peak |
|
TSVD |
Threshold Shaft Voltage DC |
|
TSVR |
Threshold Shaft Voltage RMS |
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TSVP |
Threshold Shaft Voltage Peak |
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TEVD |
Threshold Exciter Shaft Voltage DC (if SCA installed) |
|
TEVR |
Threshold Exciter Shaft Voltage RMS (if SCA installed) |
|
TEVP |
Threshold Exciter Shaft Voltage Peak (if SCA installed) |
Cutsforth does not provide technical support for TDMS file viewers. The information provided below is for reference only and to provide a starting point for waveform analysis. The information and links below are not guaranteed, but are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of this writing. The opinions expressed are our own.
Scout Light (free) or Scout (paid) is an easy-to-use, quality viewer.
We recommend the DIAdem product if you require advanced waveform viewing, compiling, sorting, and analysis capabilities. This tool has the largest learning curve and cost. At the time of this writing, a free trial download is available.
This free software is based on the simple example program provided with the LabVIEW Developer Environment. It includes a few added features that make it fairly user friendly.
You can download the TDMS Excel Plug-In from:
http://ftp.ni.com/pub/gdc/epd/nitdmexcel_15-0-0.exe.
The plug-in runs on Windows Vista or newer systems.
To import data:
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Start Excel with administrator privileges.
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Click the Add-ins tab.
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Click the TDMS Importer icon.
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Browse to a stored .tdms data file, select it, and then click Open.
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Check the Apply this start index to all channels with more than N values box, and then click Import.
The first sheet contains summary information. The second sheet contains the sampled data.