ABB’s next generation monitoring systems for generator circuit-breakers to enhance power plant reliability

GCB protects the important assets in power plants such as generators and transformers by clearing potential harmful short-circuit faults in tens of milliseconds preventing severe damages. GMS600 is a state-of-the-art monitoring system that provides full control of the GCB operational parameters enabling preventive and predictive maintenance.

Built on the already established GMS600 technology, the updated version of the product offers unique features such as gas and temperature monitoring, enhanced drive supervision and intuitive network interface via web client application. Depending on customers' needs, the device comes with either gas monitoring functionality (GMS600-G) or gas and temperature monitoring functionalities (GMS600-GT).

Intelligent electronic device based on ABB common platform

Optimized by a powerful processor, the GMS600 provides user-friendly displays which simplifies the data visualization on both the product display and the web client application. Based on ABB's well-proven Relion^® Series 650, it provides precise indications of the GCBs remaining time to service with an efficient data logging system.

Main functionalities

• Time to maintenance analysis provides information of the remaining time till next overhaul of the GCB based on three criteria such as electrical lifetime, number of mechanical operations and time period.

• SF6 gas monitoring and trending - GMS600 is equipped with a transducer for online measurement of the SF6 gas density and an algorithm calculates the actual leakage rate and relevant trending over time.
  

• Temperature monitoring - GMS600-GT provides monitoring of the real temperature of the primary conductors with relevant logging over time to enable a real time analysis of the thermal status of the GCB.

• Supervision of GCB operating mechanism detect change in performance characteristics for early and preventive planning of correcting actions.

• Warning and alarm indication are presented locally on the GMS600 via LEDs and remotely within the webclient application. This indicates the need of a service activity planning (warning) or the need of intermediate action in case of an alarm notification.

• Data Logging is a powerful feature of GMS600 for quick and easy analysis of any event involving GCB.

• Webserver functionality allows access from remote to the actual and logged values of GMS600 via Ethernet by any internet browsers.

Value Based Customer Care (VBCC)

Data retrieved from the GMS600 enables analysis of the actual GCB status through the Value Based Customer Care (VBCC), a unique expert knowledge from ABB. Through this, customized reports consisting of overall condition of the breaker, time to service, and prognostics of gas and temperature trending, and drive results. Forecasts and recommendations are then generated to help customers better plan their maintenance activities, decrease maintenance costs and prolong the lifetime of the GCBs.

Independent from the control and protection system used in the power plant, GMS600 can be integrated in new GCBs or retrofitted into existing GCB applications. It supports power plant operators and maintenance engineers for a proactive and cost efficient maintenance program. With improved diagnostic capacity, the reliability of the power plant is further increased.

ABB is the leader in design and manufacturing of GCBs since 1954 with more than 8,300 deliveries for all types of power plants in over 100 countries.