Siemens develops a new monitoring system for medium-voltage switchgear

With Assetguard MVC, Siemens has developed a new monitoring system for circuit-breakers in medium-voltage switchgear. The system monitors, in particular, the operability of the circuit-breaker drive, which is often exposed to harsh ambient conditions and yet rarely trips.

Over the years, the mechanical components can become dirty and fail to work in the worst case scenario. The monitoring system checks the reliability of the triggering system, the effectiveness of the closed circuit and the condition of the primary contacts. If the measured values do not match the preset values, the system signals the need for the maintenance of a component such as a switch or the drive.

This allows more efficient planning of maintenance routes and possible component replacement, making the switchgear more reliable and preventing the expense of unscheduled intervention.

To simplify the installation and configuration of the monitoring system, all functional components – power supply, data acquisition system and data memory, optical fiber communication system and the web server for data visualization – are designed as a switchgear cabinet slide-in module and accommodated in a 19-inch housing.

The integrated data memory also records measured data before the actual switching operation, analyzes the measurement curves and compares characteristic points with the preconfigured limit values.

If these limit values are exceeded, the system sends an alarm to the control center, where any maintenance activities that may be necessary are initiated immediately. One slide-in module can monitor six circuit-breakers. Each add-on module ensures that up to 54 additional circuit breakers can be checked.

Assetguard MVC can be integrated as a standalone component in SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and ISCM (Integrated Substation Condition Monitoring) systems. The devices can thus be combined with other monitoring systems, which also facilitates user-specific diagnoses using third-party equipment.

As a monitoring system for medium-voltage switchgear, Assetguard MVC also rounds out Siemens' monitoring systems for high-voltage switchgear (Assetguard PDM/Assetguard GDM/Assetguard CBM) and for transformers (Assetguard TXM).

Additional information about the Energy Management Division can be found at www.siemens.com/energy-management

Additional information about Asset Management is available at www.siemens.com/assetguard

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 343,000 employees worldwide on a continuing basis.

Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com

Reference Number: PR2015060255EMEN

Contact
Mr. Dietrich Biester
Energy Management Division
Siemens AG

Freyeslebenstr. 1

91058 Erlangen

Germany

Tel: +49 (9131) 7-33559

dietrich.biester​@siemens.com