The intelligent switchgear for a new Po Valley water purification plant in Italy is all made by ABB, employing the very latest technology for power monitoring and control.
ABB is providing technology for the expansion of a cooperative water purification plant in Northern Italy. This project is fundamental for the protection of water quality in the rivers and lakes of one of the most industrialized areas of the Po Valley.
The purification plant will treat wastewater from 26 municipalities across two provinces, servicing the needs of more than 90,000 inhabitants.
Building an intelligent system with ABB technology
The hub of the electrical system for the plant is a switchgear that handles a complex system of tanks, pumps, mixers and compressors. The switchgear will allow convenient and detailed monitoring of the system and its components, with remote management via computer, tablet or smartphone.
The switchgear is being built by CS Elettrotecnica Industriale of Brescia, Italy, an electrical plant designer and builder with 30 years of experience in the design and construction of electrical installations and switchgear for industrial, civil, commercial, alternative energy and water purification applications.
CS Elettrotecnica Industriale found the perfect technology partner in ABB. All the components integrating the intelligent switchgear are ABB products and systems, including the compact and easily assembled System pro E power distribution switchboard.
A first for a new generation of circuit-breakers
The use of the brand-new line of Tmax XT molded-case circuit-breakers (MCCBs) is the first to be installed in Italy. The new series optimizes data and connectivity and offers better performance, greater protection and more precise measurements than other units on the market. Available in seven sizes, Tmax XT enables remote information access, monitoring and control anywhere, anytime.
The new Tmax XT MCCBs are compatible with the most widely used communication protocols (Modbus RTU, Profibus-DT, DeviceNetTM, Modbus TCP/IP, Profinet, EtherNet/IPTM and IEC61850). The ability to use Ethernet/IP was a massive plus for CS Elettrotecnica Industriale, enabling a rapid configuration of the entire system without adding external converters and thus increasing overall reliability.
The latest generation of Tmax XT MCCBs reflects a complete revamping of the product line, guaranteeing improved performance and ease of installation.
At the heart of the intelligent power monitoring and control system, in addition to Tmax XT MCCBs, are Emax 2 air circuit-breakers, equipped with Ekip Touch digital trip units that allow remote monitoring of the main electrical values.
The purification plant’s switchboard is also equipped with a CMS-700 modular system, composed of a control unit and an array of as many as 96 sensors, to precisely and thoroughly monitor the energy consumption for each user. M4M network analyzers offer advanced analysis functionalities and allow real-time measurement and analysis of voltage, current, frequency, power factor, power and active and reactive energy at the plant.
A trusted partnership
Roberto Mensi, director of CS Elettrotecnica Industriale, said: “Finding a technically and commercially competent partner with whom we can discuss new functions, characteristics and unique product features, while simultaneously evaluating the economic advantages for the customer and the most convenient choices, has made it possible to consolidate a relationship founded on mutual trust. ABB convinced us because it was able to provide the functionalities requested by our customer together with a comprehensive service of assistance and technical support, ensuring an economic advantage over competing offers.”
