Reference Case: Sölvesborgs Energi

Emotron drives you can ‘install and forget’ – now come with automatic reset functionality for remote locations

Sölvesborg Energi manages water and wastewater facilities in the municipality of Sölvesborg, in southern Sweden. The company’s water division operates numerous boreholes for water extraction across the municipality. Some 20 Emotron variable speed drives have been installed in these pumping stations over the years since 2000.

Getting supply to match demand

Emotron variable speed drives bring many advantages to operations like Sölvesborg Energi, delivering clean water with minimal energy consumption, particularly where demand varies widely. Rugged low-maintenance Emotron drives are designed specifically for plant such as pumps, with linear stops to prevent water hammer and extend equipment life. The built-in load monitor protects against damage and downtime, should a pump run dry or a pipe become blocked.

Pumping stations in challenging locations

The company’s Water Engineer, Ronny Svensson, is very pleased with Emotron’s install-and-forget drive quality, and its high reliability in demanding applications. However, he was able to come up with one new challenge for CG Drives. Sölvesborg Energi’s pumping stations are often in remote locations. If the power supply is disturbed (e.g. a voltage alarm), the company has to send an engineer to reset the drives.

Remote or automatic reset functionality

CG Drives & Automation was able to offer two different solutions to make life easier at Sölvesborg Energi. First, where possible, a digital reset signal from the main control PC was connected to the station, enabling it to be reset remotely.

Second, the drive can be programmed with an automatic reset that still transmits an alarm to the control PC.

Sending an engineer to a distant station is expensive in terms of travel time and costs.Being able to reset remotely from the main control PC saves all this, and frees up the engineer to do other more value adding work. Pumps get back in action rapidly, water supplies are disrupted less, and customers are happier – possibly even unaware of any supply issues.

Finally, the automatic reset solution still delivers an alarm signal to the control PC, giving the assurance of the usual warning in the event of a power disturbance.

In brief

Customer

Sölvesborg Energi

Challenge

To simplify response to power supply disturbances at remote pumping stations

Solution

  • Install direct digital reset signal enabling remote reset from control PC
  • Program drives with auto reset plus notification of alarm to control PC

Benefits

  • Saves the fuel, time and expense of sending engineers to perform local resets
  • Pumps are back in operation more quickly following a power supply disturbance
  • Reassurance of an alarm signal to the control PC even with automatic reset