Standby power systems, remote control and monitoring

Mitsubishi Electric UK Limited and British Telecom Power & Building Services have combined their local resources to develop an integrated and highly flexible system using programmable logic controllers and computers using an interactive graphic package (MING). The main feature of the system is that either a local engineer or an engineer at a remote maintenance location can interrogate the complete standby installation, including each generator control system and the synchronizing system, to check all fault status and availability of equipment data. A major factor is that this operation can be carried out via modem over the Public Service Telephone Network, thereby allowing one centralized maintenance controller to monitor and interrogate a number of different installations in his geographical domain. Any faults or error conditions can be logged locally if required, so that when a scheduled maintenance visit takes place the previous faults can be investigated and acted upon. By operating in a real-time environment, this allows the central maintenance controller to initiate any urgent remedial activity should he find that an alarm condition at one of his sites demand immediate attention. In addition to the access by local and remote operators, each site has a similar configuration of programmable controllers.<>