The Singapore Engineer March 2018

THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SINGAPORE

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

www.ies.org.sg

March 2018 | MCI (P) 009/03/2018

COVER STORY: I LIGHT MARINA BAY 2018 FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABILITY

PLUS

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: Johnson Controls and ITE open new Building Technologies and Solutions Centre ENERGY ENGINEERING: Demonstra ng Poten al CHEMICAL & PROCESS ENGINEERING: Coa ng processes with increased material and energy efficiency

CONTENTS FEATURES

COVER STORY 16 I Light Marina Bay 2018 focuses on sustainability Light art installa ons created with energy-saving ligh ng as well as recycled and environmentfriendly materials.

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MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 21 A clean and green approach to cooling water management A method for rapid, clean capture of water hardness as well as disinfec on, is presented.

24 Johnson Controls and ITE open new Building Technologies and Solu ons Centre Students will be able to operate a fully-func oning chiller plant system at the new facility.

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26 New chiller from YORK oers superior performance Low environmental impact, higher safety, and reduced energy consump on, among the many benefits claimed.

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President Er. Edwin Khew Chief Editor T Bhaskaran t_b_n8@yahoo.com Chief Execu ve Alvin Charm alvin.charm@iesnet.org.sg

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Publica ons Manager Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg Assistant Publica ons Manager Fenda Ngo fenda.ngo@iesnet.org.sg

Editorial Panel Er. Chong Kee Sen Dr Chandra Segaran Dr Ang Keng Been Mr Kenneth Cheong Mr Gary Ong Dr Victor Sim

Publica ons Execu ve Queek Jiayu jiayu@iesnet.org.sg

Media Representa ve Mul Nine Corpora on Pte Ltd sales@mul 9.com.sg

Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd Cover designed by Irin Kuah Cover image by Colossal Pro / Urban Redevelopment Authority Published by The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore 70 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289758 Tel: 6469 5000 I Fax: 6467 1108 Printed in Singapore

www.ies.org.sg

ENERGY ENGINEERING 28 Diamond Energy registers first Demand Response Capacity in Singapore’s electricity market Milestone achievement for pioneer in demand-side management.

30 Demonstra ng Poten al Developing new systems and technologies for a sustainable and accessible energy in Southeast Asia.

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34 Generator Field Repairs - An Operator’s Perspec ve The case study highlights an alterna ve to the tradi onal approach.

CHEMICAL & PROCESS ENGINEERING 39 Coa ng processes with increased material and energy efficiency Op mising all steps in the process sequence, in order to reduce unit costs per painted part.

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REGULAR SECTIONS 04 INDUSTRY NEWS 42 IES UPDATE 48 VIEWPOINT

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The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The Ins tu on of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publica on is distributed free-of-charge to IES members and affiliates. Views expressed in this publica on do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or IES. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine shall be reproduced, mechanically or electronically, without the prior consent of IES. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the content at press me, IES will not be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contribu ons are welcome but their inclusion in the magazine is at the discre on of the Editor.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PANASONIC AND TREND MICRO AGREE TO DEVELOP

CYBER SECURITY SOLUTION FOR CONNECTED CARS Cyber security solu ons to detect and prevent a acks against autonomous and connected cars will be jointly developed by Panasonic and cyber security firm Trend Micro.

Network (CAN) intrusion detection and prevention technology and Trend Micro IoT Security, a security solution for embedded devices connecting outside the vehicle.

The partnership will look into the development of measures to secure vehicle Electronic Control Units (ECUs), which control driving behaviour such as accelera on, steering and braking, as well as in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) devices including automo ve naviga on systems, and telema cs devices.

Panasonic’s technology will be able to detect any unauthorised commands sent to the ECUs that control driving opera on, while the IoT Security solu on, using Trend Micro’s global security intelligence and exper se such as malware analysis, will be implemented on IVI devices to detect a acks that seek to exploit vulnerabili es through the internet.

“New security vulnerabili es are discovered every day and they pose a risk for remote exploita on,” said Trend Micro in a press release.

“It is therefore more important than ever to not only implement security measures in each vehicle but also to analyse new a acks by constantly monitoring in-vehicle systems from the cloud and u lise the results to implement countermeasures … (on) all vehicles.”

This partnership will leverage Panasonic’s Control Area

Through this partnership, events iden fied by both technologies will be collected and sent to an analysis platform in the cloud to detect and block suspicious traffic.

The overall development will encompass mul ple soluons including in-vehicle and cloud systems to prevent cyber-a acks against autonomous and connected cars.

Both companies are targe ng to have market-ready products a er 2020.

The scope of the joint development explained.

Image: Trend Micro

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INDUSTRY NEWS

GERMAN AND CHINESE COMPANIES JOINTLY DEVELOP AI TECH FOR AUTONOMOUS PARKING ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF), in coopera on with Baidu, has developed an ar ficial intelligence system that can enable autonomous, driverless valet parking.

This is the first product resul ng from the strategic partnership between the German engineering firm and Chinese tech giant, and is based on ZF’s ProAI, a supercomputer with ar ficial intelligence capabili es.

It supports a feature that can drive a vehicle to a parking space and back without driver input. This can be performed using a smartphone app, which relies in part on an intelligent control box from ZF that “thinks” for the driver.

deep-learning capabilities and meets all the current automotive standards,” said Mr Li Zhenyu, vice-president and general manager of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group.

The new valet parking system directly addresses the needs of vehicle manufacturers as well as mobility service providers. Primarily, its goal is to significantly reduce the opera ng costs for car-sharing providers, while at the same me improving processes and convenience for customers and vehicle users.

The system can process data from the vehicle’s environmental sensors and from communica ng with other en es equipped with compa ble systems (V2X communica on). It can then send the relevant signals to the vehicle’s actuators such as steering and braking systems.

This valet parking func on debuted to the public in a test fleet from Pand Auto, one of the biggest Chinese car-sharing providers, in January 2018.

“ZF’s supercomputer is ideal for our autonomous driving applications, as it can process a huge amount of data such as high-definition digital maps in real time.

In addition, it combines with artificial intelligence,

The new autonomous parking system from ZF and Baidu enables vehicles to find and exit parking spaces on their own without any driver input. Photo: ZF Friedrichshafen AG

ST ENGINEERING REPORTS HIGHER PROFITS FOR FY2017 VS FY2016 ST Engineering has reported its full year financial results for the period ended 31 December 2017 (FY2017), with a Group revenue of SGD 6.62 billion, compared to SGD 6.68 billion for FY2016. Year-on-year, the Group registered higher profits, coming in at SGD 511.9 million (net), six per cent higher than the previous financial year.

At the business sector level, ST’s aerospace business posted revenues of SGD 2.54 billion, up two per cent from FY 2016, while its net profit remained similar at SGD 244.1 million.

Revenue for the Electronics sector was SGD 2.11 billion, up 12 per cent, with a two per cent increase in net profit to SGD 178.8 million.

ST Land Systems’ revenue saw a decrease of 11 per cent to SGD 1.24 billion. However, due to the absence of the prior year’s impairment of asset carrying values and the

provision of closure costs for its subsidiaries in China, ST Land System’s net profit improved 243 per cent to SGD 87.4 million.

The Marine sector revenue was SGD 637 million, down 24 per cent, with net profit decreasing by 60 per cent to SGD 27 million due to weak industry condi ons and its US opera ons.

In 2017, commercial sales and defence sales cons tuted 65 per cent (SGD 4.3 billion), and 35 per cent (SGD 2.3 billion) respec vely of Group revenue.

“Growth will come from the Aerospace sector as its A330 and A320 passenger-to-freighter conversion programmes gain momentum, and from the more expansive smart city offerings emana ng from the Electronics and Land Systems sectors in Singapore and overseas,” noted Mr Vincent Chong, President & CEO, ST Engineering.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

GE AVIATION INVESTS SGD 42M IN

NEW ENGINE COMPONENT FACILITY HERE GE Avia on will invest SGD 42 million in a new facility located in Singapore to manufacture components for its GE9X engine that will power Boeing’s 777X aircra . This facility will expand GE Avia on’s presence in the country where the company operates a sizable aircra engine component repair facility.

The manufacturing facility will incorporate ideas and concepts from GE Avia on’s Singapore component repair facility, which is known for its high-volume repair services and outstanding performance. A key feature of the new facility will be the introduc on of Digital and Lean manufacturing that will make it a smart factory.

The new 50,000 square foot facility will be located at the Seletar Aerospace Park and produce high pressure compressor (HPC) vanes. The facility is expected to open in late 2018 with an ini al workforce of 20 employees and could grow to employ about 100 skilled technicians and engineers by 2020, adding to the 1,800-strong workforce already employed in the engine component repair facilies at Loyang Industrial Park.

“GE Avia on adds to our vibrant community at Seletar Aerospace Park, which is now home to the top three aero-engine manufacturers in the world and a growing ecosystem of local suppliers.

This smart factory is also a good example of how Seletar Aerospace Park is an ideal loca on for companies to undertake digital manufacturing, leveraging our plug and play infrastructure,” said The GE9X jet engine.

Mr Alvin Tan, Assistant CEO Image: GE Avia on of JTC.

Recognising the importance of the new facility, Mr Ted Ingling, General Manager of the GE9X programme, commented that it would play a key role in the manufacturing of components for the more than 700 engines that are already on order.

SEMBCORP POSTS FY2017 RESULTS;

UNVEILS NEW STRATEGY FOR THE FUTURE Sembcorp Industries announced its full-year 2017 (FY2017) results as well as the comple on of its strategic review, unveiling a new strategy for the future to strengthen its businesses and pursue sustainable growth.

For FY2017, Sembcorp posted a net profit of SGD 230.8 million (down 42 per cent), profit from opera ons (PFO) of SGD 795.3 million (down 13 per cent) and turnover of SGD 8.3 billion (up five per cent).

Net profit from the U li es business was SGD 140.0 million, down 60 per cent compared to 2016. The excep onal losses mainly comprised refinancing costs, non-cash impairment charges as well as provisions.

The Marine business contributed a net profit of SGD 6.8 million in 2017, a decrease of 86 per cent year-on-year. The Urban Development business delivered record profits, with net profit growing 150 per cent to SGD 83.2 million.

A key focus of Sembcorp’s future strategy is to reposi on

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its U li es business to become an integrated energy player that will benefit from the global energy transi on.

To balance its por olio in developing and developed markets, the U li es business will focus on growing three business lines (Gas & Power; Renewables & Environment; and Merchant & Retail) and deepen its presence in four key markets – Singapore and Southeast Asia, China, India, and the UK. It has also ini ated the process for an ini al public offering of Sembcorp Energy India Limited, and is planning to divest a number of peripheral u li es assets.

According to Sembcorp, these new strategies con nue to be underpinned by its strong commitment to sustainability and sustainable value crea on.

The company is targe ng to double its renewables portfolio and reduce its carbon emissions intensity by close to 25 per cent by 2022.

INDUSTRY NEWS

EUROPEAN FIRMS JOIN FORCES WITH MALAYSIAN PARTNER TO BID FOR KL SINGAPORE HIGH SPEED RAIL PROJECT Siemens, Alstom, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, PORR and Malaysian manufacturing and engineering firm George Kent have mutually agreed to form a consor um to bid for the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project.

This partnership combines European technology and project experience with local exper se. Hailing from Germany and France respec vely, Siemens and Alstom have decades of experience in technology leadership and the delivery of complex cross-border high speed railway projects.

other high speed railways.

The consor um is very keen on the project and is commi ed to technology transfer to both countries, according to Mr Michel Obadia, Head of Siemens Mobility for the Asia-Pacific region.

They will be up against other consor ums formed by major engineering firms from China, Japan and South Korea.

The third member of the consor um, Italian firm Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, is experienced in railway opera ons and management. Rounding out the team is George Kent, a Malaysian company with construc on experience in rail transporta on projects.

George Kent is partnering with PORR, an Austrian track work provider whose technology has been proven in opera on on

An ar st’s impression of the HSR terminus in Jurong East. Image: Farrells

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ITALIAN RESEARCHERS CREATE FIRST HYBRID NANOTECH DEVICE

MIMICKING BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER Researchers at the Is tuto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Ins tute of Technology; IIT) fabricated an ar ficial device, reproducing a 1:1 scale model of the blood-brain barrier, which protects the central nervous system from external substances, such as contaminants, but also drugs when they are injected intravenously into the body.

Associate Professor Gianni Ciofani, senior researcher at IIT, coordinated the team that worked on the device.

This was part of a research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC), which aims to develop new nanotechnologies for the treatment of brain diseases.

Published in the scien fic journal Small, the device is described as “a microfluidic device that combines ar ficial components made with 3D advanced microfabricaon techniques (two-photon lithography) and biological endothelial cells (the cells covering blood vessels)”.

The microprin ng was realised with advanced 3D-printing technology that makes use of a laser to scan through a liquid photopolymer and solidify the material

locally, building complex 3D objects with submicron resolu on layer by layer.

Mimicking the brain’s microcapillaries, the model consists of a microfluidic system of 50 parallel cylindrical channels connected by junc ons and featuring pores on the cylinder walls. A er fabrica ng the complex scaffold-like polymer structure, endothelial cells were cul vated around the porous microcapillary system.

Covering the 3D-printed structure, the cells built a biological barrier resul ng in a biohybrid system which resembled its natural model. The device is a few millimetres big and fluids can pass through it at the same pressure as blood in brain vessels.

According to IIT, which issued a press statement, the device will be will be fundamental for studying how drugs or drug delivery nano-vectors can overcome the blood-brain barrier and target the central nervous system. The main goal is to find new therapeu c strategies for the treatment of brain cancer and brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and mul ple sclerosis.

LTA AWARDS CONTRACTS TO UPGRADE NORTH SOUTH, EAST WEST LINES The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded contracts to upgrade and renew the power supply and track circuit systems on the North-South and East-West Lines (NSEWL).

Two contracts, worth a total of SGD 500 million, were awarded to engineering firm Meiden Singapore to upgrade and renew the NSEWL power supply system. A third contract valued at SGD 73 million was also awarded to a consor um comprising Siemens and ENGIE Services Singapore to replace the NSEWL track circuit system.

The new power supply system will be equipped with features that significantly reduce the number of power-related faults.

For example, the system will be able to automa cally switch the power supply source during a power outage. It is also equipped with a Voltage Limi ng Device-Fault Iden fica on System, which will isolate power faults to specific stretches and speed up service recovery.

Through the power Supervisory Control and Data Acquisi on (SCADA) system, train engineers will be able to monitor the health of the power supply system in real- me, iden fy potenal faults and rec fy them before they can occur.

In addi on, LTA will also be increasing the capacity of the trac-

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on substa ons and intake power substa ons at Yasin, Bishan and Stamford. This will increase the NSEWL’s power capacity and allow the safe support of more trains running on the line. It will also improve overall power supply network resilience.

Alongside the new Communica ons-Based Train Control signalling system, the new track circuit system can detect the loca on of trains on the line and facilitate speedier recovery from a signalling system failure.

It can also detect the presence of broken rails, as well as use its built-in condi on monitoring system to pre-emp vely address possible track circuit failures before they occur.

Mr Chua Chong Kheng, LTA’s Deputy Chief Execu ve for Infrastructure and Development, said, “We are deeply commi ed to improving the reliability of the NSEWL, our oldest and most heavily-u lised rail lines. We expect the new power supply and track circuit systems to significantly reduce the number of related faults … Once this and other renewal projects are completed, commuters can look forward to be er journeys and improved reliability.”

The design and on-site works for these systems will commence in 2018 and are targeted for comple on by the early 2020s.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

YALE NUS COLLEGE AND SURBANA JURONG

TEAM UP TO TEST BED SMART CITY SOLUTIONS Yale-NUS College (Yale-NUS) and Surbana Jurong (SJ) will collaborate to test-bed the next genera on of Smart City solu ons within the college campus. A Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed by the two organisa ons, in confirma on of the collabora on.

Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry graced the signing ceremony.

The two par es will use their respec ve resources and exper se to co-develop a digital masterplan for the ‘Smart City in a Campus’ ini a ve

by Yale-NUS. The collabora on will include:

At the signing of the MOU between Yale-NUS College and Surbana Jurong are, seated from le , Mr Teo Say Hong, Group Director, Strategy M&A and Integra on, Surbana Jurong Private Limited; Mr Poon Joe Keen, Managing Director (Smart City Solu ons), Surbana Jurong Private Limited; Prof Tan Tai Yong, President, Yale-NUS College; and Ms Kristen Lynas, Execu ve Vice President (Administra on), Yale-NUS College. Standing, from le , are Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Prof Lam Khee Poh, Dean, School of Design and Environment, Na onal University of Singapore. Image by Yale-NUS College.

• Knowledge sharing to co-create solu ons: Yale-NUS students, staff and faculty members will share their feedback and experience on using SJ’s smart facili es management solu ons, and explore the use of Ar ficial Intelligence in Yale-NUS’ upcoming mobile app, to allow users to conveniently submit feedback or report defects.

• Test-bedding and refining technology innova ons: SJ will deploy and test its Smart City solu ons such as a predic ve li monitoring system at the campus, to enhance the residen al living facili es and built environment of the college. Yale-NUS faculty and students will play an ac ve role in improving and refining the prototypes alongside SJ, via user tes ng and feedback as well as applica on of faculty exper se in colla ng and analysing data findings from the project. The college’s wide range of research exper se, which spans across the humani es, sciences and social sciences, will contribute to the unique solu ons that can be developed as a result of this partnership.

• Training of students: SJ and Yale-NUS will explore various collabora on channels (eg internships, job a achments and lectures) to educate Yale-NUS students and equip them with relevant skills, for the development and applica on of Smart City solu ons.

These ini a ves are aimed at enriching Yale-NUS’ unique residen al living and learning model, while providing an ideal environment to test-bed SJ’s technology solu ons.

Currently housing more than 800 residents, the 64,000 m2 Yale-NUS campus consists of three residen al colleges (RCs), 1,000 student rooms, seminar rooms, laboratories, a library and a performance hall, among other facili es.

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With students staying in suites, housing four to six people within three RCs, Yale-NUS is a microcosm of a small town, allowing SJ to test their solu ons accurately in a real-life environment.

The college’s close-knit community will also facilitate the collec on of data and feedback that will enable SJ to improve their Smart City solu ons.

“Yale-NUS College is excited to partner Surbana Jurong by providing our fully-residen al campus as a site for test-bedding their ideas, as well as contribu ng our research exper se. Our students are curious and have inquisi ve minds that enable them to challenge the status quo and innovate. They are well-equipped to delve deep into these Smart City ini a ves and contribute to its further development, to be er improve the way we live. Our faculty members are also well placed to contribute their research exper se to the smart city research projects. We are excited by the opportunity to translate research findings into real-world technology solu ons for meaningful outcomes”, said Prof Tan Tai Yong, President, Yale-NUS College.

“Surbana Jurong looks forward to suppor ng Yale-NUS College in developing their ‘Smart City in a Campus’, by leveraging our strong exper se and 30-plus years of experience in developing and managing smart solu ons for Singapore’s HDB town councils. We hope this meaningful collabora on will lead to the robust crea on of innova ve ideas for the next genera on of Smart City solu ons”, said Mr Wong Heang Fine, Group CEO, Surbana Jurong.

INDUSTRY NEWS

PHILIPS LIGHTING TO CHANGE COMPANY NAME TO ‘SIGNIFY’ Philips Ligh ng, a world leader in ligh ng, recently announced its inten on to change its name from Philips Ligh ng to ‘Signify’. The choice of the new company name originates from the fact that light becomes an intelligent language which connects and conveys meaning.

The company will con nue to use the Philips brand, under the exis ng licensing agreement with Royal Philips.

“We’re excited to announce our new company name as another step in our transforma on journey”, said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Ligh ng.

“Our new company name is a clear expression of our strategic vision and a fabulous opportunity to introduce a new corporate look and feel that is uniquely our own and will serve to further unite our 32,000 employees. At

the same me, we remain proud to con nue to use the Philips brand on our products”, he added.

Philips Ligh ng’s roots date back more than 125 years, to the business founded by Frederik and Gerard Philips in 1891 in the Dutch town of Eindhoven. Throughout its history, the company has been at the forefront of many of the ligh ng industry’s major advancements. Today, it leads the industry worldwide in conven onal, LED and connected ligh ng - with the largest connected lights network in the world.

The new company name sa sfies the company’s contractual requirements under the Company Name License Agreement with Royal Philips, which requires a change of name, in less than 18 months a er Royal Philips no longer has a controlling interest.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

GRUNDFOS INTRODUCES IE5 RATED MOTORS Grundfos, a global leader in advanced pump solu ons and water technology, has launched its new genera on MGE motors, in the range 0.25 kW to 11 kW, which comes with an IE5 ra ng - the highest efficiency level a ainable for electrical motors today.

The MGE IE5 motors will enable Grundfos pumps to achieve 10% in energy savings and a 25% reduc on in payback me, as compared to the IE3 solu on.

Reaching IE5 in efficiency means that businesses, residences and industrial players will not only meet but exceed IE3 premium efficiency legisla ve standards set worldwide, including in the European Union and in the US, as well as in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and China, in the Asia Pacific region. To align with interna onal standards, the minimum energy performance standards for industrial motors in Singapore will be set at the IE3 level, from 1 October 2018.

Mr Eric Lai, Regional Business Director - Industry, Asia Pacific Region, Grundfos, said the pump manufacturer is dedicated to suppor ng worldwide efforts to reduce energy consump on and carbon dioxide emissions, in line with the Paris Agreement commitments.

sector. They perform to the highest standards and we are proud to announce they have been awarded IE5, the highest energy efficiency ra ng worldwide”, Mr Lai added.

The key to the performance of Grundfos’ new MGE motors is their ability to provide intelligent solu ons, as they adapt to the surrounding system, which, coupled with the high-efficiency IE5 motor, drive down energy consump on.

The combina on of pumps driven by the new motors and customisable control so ware, which leverages on the company’s accumulated experience in this field, op mises a system’s performance for any load point, resul ng in reduced energy consump on.

The new IE5 classified MGE-motors have a wide applicaons in the industrial and commercial building sectors.

The new motors are expected to enable Grundfos pumps reduce energy consump on and payback me.

“Sustainability is a very important part of Grundfos’ DNA and we aim to create cleaner and more energy-efficient technologies to enable our customers to reduce their water and energy consump on to limit the impact on the environment”, he said.

“Our new MGE motors are a result of our con nuous development efforts and extensive experience in the pumps

GRUNDFOS APPOINTS NEW HEAD FOR ASIA PACIFIC REGION Grundfos recently announced the appointment of Mr Kim Jensen to the role of Group Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director, Grundfos Asia Pacific.

Mr Jensen has been with Grundfos for more than 25 years, working across Europe and the Middle East.

Mr Poul Due Jensen, Group Execu ve Vice President Sales, Marke ng & Service, Grundfos said, “I am looking forward to working with Kim, to con nue growing our business in the Asia Pacific. Over the years, Kim has done a fantas c job, leading his team and building a strong sales approach for the EMEA markets. We are excited to bring his Mr Kim Jensen extensive experience and deep understanding of managing businesses in dynamic markets to this growing region”.

Having held numerous senior management posi ons within the company, Mr Jensen assumed the role of Group Senior Vice President in 2006, where he was in-charge of developing Grundfos’ global water u lity business, a er which he served

Mr Kim Jensen succeeds Mr Okay Barutçu who held the role since 2014. Mr Barutçu will move to Dubai and take on the role of Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director, Grundfos EEWAA (East Europe, Western Asia and Africa).

In his new role, Mr Jensen will lead the company’s business across 22 countries, carried out from 13 wholly-owned sales companies and local assembly plants in the region. He will also be spearheading opportuni es for the company’s development and expansion in Asia Pacific.

Prior to his Asia Pacific role, Mr Jensen was Group Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director, Grundfos EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), since 2015, where he oversaw 2,800 employees in the areas of sales, marke ng and customer service.

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the Central and Eastern Europe (CEREG) markets in 2010.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

DANFOSS UNDERTAKES ENERGY EFFICIENCY TOUR

The inaugural Danfoss Drives Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Tour commenced in Singapore, in early November 2017, and covered more than 20 ci es which included ci es in Malaysia and Thailand, as well, in a span of three months.

The tour also featured interac ve experiences that contributed to a be er understanding of the benefits offered by Danfoss drives.

Danfoss, a key player in the energy efficiency sector, embarked on its inaugural Danfoss Drives Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Tour, in Singapore, in early November 2017, to raise awareness on the importance of energy efficiency and empower businesses to adopt brand new innova ons in energy-efficient technologies. The tour covered more than 20 ci es which included ci es in Malaysia and Thailand, as well, in a span of three months.

The Danfoss Drives Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Tour enabled stakeholders to understand the applica on of energy-efficient drives in the manufacture of steel and other metals, cement, paper, food & beverage, and industrial equipment. These drives deliver energy efficiency and cost savings, while reducing carbon emissions and boos ng process efficiency in these energy-intensive sectors.

The tour also featured customer seminars and 3D interac ve experiences, where stakeholders could be er understand the direct and indirect benefits from Danfoss drives in their everyday lives.

The Southeast Asia edi on of the tour leveraged on the success of the Danfoss tour in India, South Korea, US and Europe.

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Speaking at an industry event in Singapore, to mark the launch of the tour in Southeast Asia, Mr Soren Kvorning, President, Danfoss Asia Pacific said, “Singapore currently has among the highest rates of power consump on per capita among the economies in the ASEAN region, with 40% of Singapore’s energy being consumed in buildings, heavy industries and water treatment. The Danfoss Drives Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Tour is a mely message to businesses on the need to adopt energy-efficient technologies. With our established leadership in the drives division, we believe that, by 2025, more than 5 billion people worldwide will benefit directly or indirectly from Danfoss Drives in their everyday lives”.

“Commercial buildings, food & beverage processing plants, as well as heavy duty industries like manufacturing, water treatment, oil & gas, and marine & offshore sectors are highly energy-intensive. The need for improved efficiencies is all the more important, as connected devices grow in number and require more energy to power them. The Danfoss Drives Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Tour will support Singapore’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement goals”, he added.

Danfoss has also established a Centre of Excellence in Singapore, focusing on energy efficiency and crea ng applica ons for the energy-intensive marine and offshore sectors. The centre offers opportuni es for collabora on with technology partners, academic ins tu ons and the public sector.

Danfoss Drives Danfoss Drives, a member of the Danfoss Group, is a world leader in variable speed control of electric motors. Since 1968, Danfoss Drives has been a pioneer in the AC drives business and has become one of the largest companies in the industry. The company’s VACON drives help to op mise industrial applica ons, while its VLT drives play a key role in global resource management and factory automa on. The AC drives adapt to any motor technology and serve in the power range 0.18 kW to 5.3 MW.

Danfoss Danfoss engineers address the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency and climate-friendly solu ons. The company’s products and services are used in areas such as refrigera on, air-condi oning, hea ng, motor control and mobile machinery.

The company is also ac ve in the fields of renewable energy as well as district hea ng infrastructure for ci es and urban communi es. Founded in 1933, Danfoss currently has 24,000 employees and serves customers in more than 100 countries.

COVER STORY

I LIGHT MARINA BAY 2018 FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABILITY Light art installa ons created with energy-saving ligh ng as well as recycled and environment-friendly materials.

Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), i Light Marina Bay 2018, this year’s edi on of the sustainable light art fes val, opened on 9 March 2018, with Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Na onal Development and Second Minister for Finance, officia ng the opening ceremony. The fes val, which is being held around the Marina Bay waterfront and Esplanade Park, will end on 1 April 2018.

Featuring 22 installa ons, created by ar sts from 14 countries, including Singapore, this year’s fes val saw

greater par cipa on from the community in the crea on of sustainable artworks. Some of the artworks were created from recycled plas c and glass bo les donated by the public and corporate partners.

Designed with energy-saving ligh ng as well as recycled and environment-friendly materials, the showcase of light art installa ons reinforces Marina Bay’s posi on as a sustainable precinct and serves to encourage fes val-goers and the public to adopt sustainable habits in their everyday lives.

ARTWORKS FROM SINGAPORE

Cradle2Cradle

by DP Design Pte Ltd in collabora on with LUX Light Fes val Inspired by Newton’s Cradle, the kine c-light installa on blurs the boundaries between science and art. Through public interac on, the device demonstrates the conserva on of momentum and energy, using a series of swinging spheres. These same spheres illuminate upon impact and energy transference, resul ng in a mesmerising display of light and logic. Cradle2Cradle uses an emerging micro-generator technology to harness kine c energy produced from the cradles and supplement the power required to illuminate the spheres in the installa on.

The arƟst With a deep concern for the built environment, DP Design Pte Ltd offers interior design, space planning and branding strategy services. The design firm takes a holis c approach to interior spaces, as a direct response to a building’s intrinsic architectural and formal rela onships. At DP Design, interior architects create environments that would seamlessly integrate people, architecture, technology and the ul mate purpose of the space.

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COVER STORY

Himantura

by School of the Arts (SOTA) A kine c sculpture, Himantura is an abstract representa on of a s ngray and its movements. The artwork is composed mostly of acrylics, and its various arms are driven in a wave-like mo on to imitate that of a live s ngray. The pulsing blue, green and yellow ligh ng is inspired by the bio-luminescence of sea creatures, in order to give a more natural feel to the artwork. This, coupled with the acrylics used to disperse the light as well as the wave-like movement, will help to capitalise on the ligh ng, to create an immersive interac ve viewer experience.

The arƟst The School of the Arts (SOTA) is Singapore’s only na onal, pre-ter ary, specialised arts school, with a six-year integrated arts and academic curriculum, leading to the Interna onal Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or a career-related programme.

Under the ambit of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), SOTA offers a dedicated development path for those who have interest and show early talent in the arts, providing a learning environment, where both the ar s c and academic poten al can best be realised. With a vision to shape and impact society through an educa on in the arts, SOTA aims to iden fy and groom future genera ons of ar sts and crea ve professionals to be leaders in all fields, and to be patrons and supporters of the arts.

Kloud

by School of Interac ve & Digital Media, Nanyang Polytechnic Kloud is an interac ve light installa on that connects people and the colours of their ever-changing emo ons. For physical interac on, the audience can touch the clouds to disrupt their lights. These fluctua ons demonstrate the flow and transi on of emo ons within humans. The accompanying web app extends this experience into a digital interac on and provides a means for the par cipants to express their emo ons onto the physical installa on. They can select and alter the colours on mul ple surfaces through the app.

The arƟst The School of Interac ve & Digital Media at Nanyang Polytechnic focuses on a dynamic mix of crea vity, the applied arts and digital media technologies, and is a pioneer in challenging students to develop content that goes beyond screens, for excep onal user experiences. Students are encouraged to explore topics like interac ve environments, the Internet of Things, mobile applica ons and solu ons for future mobility, among others, to place them at the centre of Singapore’s rapidly developing Smart Na on vision.

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COVER STORY

Light Breeze

by LASALLE College of the Arts Inspired by the gentle sway of the cogon grass, affec onately known as the lalang plant, Light Breeze is a tribute to the overlooked and diminishing flora and fauna within Singapore’s ever urbanising landscape. The installa on isolates and emphasises the gentle swaying mo on of the cogon grass, through the use of lights and its monumental structure. The light installa on, though towering, is not imposing. It is both calming and gentle - swaying ever so slightly against the surrounding landscape. Light Breeze seeks to pay tribute to the nostalgic nature of yesteryears, through the crea on of a medita ve installa on. The installa on hopes to increase awareness of nature and sustainability, specifically with reference to Singapore.

The arƟst LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore is a leading ter ary ins tu on in cu ng-edge contemporary arts and design educa on and prac ce. The college offers over 30 undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in art, design, film, anima on, fashion, dance, music, theatre, arts management, ar st educa on, art therapy, Asian art histories and crea ve wri ng. Its faculty is led by a community of award-winning ar sts, designers, educators and researchers, and their prac ce-led research sets LASALLE apart as an interna onal centre of excellence.

Cri cally acclaimed alumni form the core of the cultural and crea ve sectors in Singapore and, increasingly, interna onally.

Milk Bo le Cows

by BP Loh Milk Bo le Cows presents the milk bo le, an everyday object, in an unfamiliar way to the spectators. It invites mental and physical engagement to the message of sustainability, with a posi ve sense of delight. The installa on uses produc on and consump on of milk as a metaphor to imagine alterna ve technology and behaviour that could lead to a more efficient and sustainable future. It also promotes recycling and up-cycling by reusing more than 2,000 plas c milk bo les, which is equivalent to approximately seven months’ worth of plas c waste generated by an individual. These containers are then shaped and presented as life-sized cows and calves leisurely grazing on a grass field, for public viewing.

The arƟst BP Loh is a Registered Architect in Singapore and Australia with over 17 years of experience in projects in Australia, China and Southeast Asia. He prac ses extensively in the areas of urban design, trnsporta on, educa on / science as well as ins tu onal, commercial and mixed-use developments.

To him, design is not only an essen al act of crea vity to resolve the programma c complexity of the physical world, but also a means to foster the posi ve interac on and psychological fulfilment of all stakeholders including the general public and natural environment. Hence, the objec ve to raise the spirit and quality of lives forms the ar s c and ethical basis of his pursuit of various architecture and art crea ons.

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COVER STORY

The Bu erfly Effect

by The Caterpillars The Bu erfly Effect is a conversa on about the rela onship between collec ve ac on and individual responsibility. In a world on the brink of ecological catastrophe, the sense of urgency is flee ng when compared to the magnitude of the problem. Society must recognise that environmental protec on is not the responsibility of an establishment, but of the individual. The Bu erfly Effect u lises drums and a field of lights to represent this reasser on of the urgency for change. As each drum is struck, a ripple of lights propagates across the field, from one to many.

Urban Rice Fields

by Raffles College of Higher Educa on Urban Rice Fields is an immersive and interac ve ligh ng installa on inspired by the sustainable development of Singapore - a small, densely populated island with no natural resources, and yet which managed to create an urban habitat that embraces the natural environment.

Providing a sensory experience, Urban Rice Fields features a pathway where the audience can travel through the rice fields, immersing themselves in the undula ng curvy disposi on of the emerging bamboo rods. It gives a photogenic and dynamic impact, as the background se ng for the artwork.

The arƟst As a premier private educa on group, Raffles Educa on provides quality educa on with a well-rounded, hands-on experience relevant to the industry.

Since establishing its first college in Singapore in 1990, Raffles Educa on has grown to operate 26 colleges and universi es in 24 ci es across 14 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the US. THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2018

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COVER STORY

Light Play by by School of Art, Design and Media, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Informa on Engineering and Media Programme, Nanyang Technological University Sustainability is essen al to various parts of our lives, including our well-being, happiness and health. Revolving around the theme of well-being and social sustainability, Light Play encourages relaxa on through play. With social interac on as an indirect outcome of play, we hope visitors will open up and chat with fellow visitors in the midst of engaging with the installa on. Light Play is a simple reminder for our audiences to loosen up and get in touch with the child in them.

Starlight

by School of Art, Design and Media, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Informa on Engineering and Media Programme, Nanyang Technological University Most of the world lives under light-polluted skies. In 2016, the scien fic journal, Science Advances, published an ar cle naming Singapore the most light-polluted country in the world, in which 100% of the popula on is exposed to light pollu on. Light pollu on not only hides the sight of stars but also robs us of our privacy and a good night’s sleep as one’s surroundings are bright all the me.

Starlight brings the light from the stars back into the heart of the city.

Before ge ng drowned in the light pollu on of the ci es, starlight used to mesmerise the people. Is it possible for our ac ons to bring back the stars? Starlight prompts viewers to ask how we, as humans, can come together as a community to make a change.

The arƟst The School of Art, Design and Media (ADM), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore is the first comprehensive art school in Singapore.

It offers a studio-based professional educa on in a comprehensive university se ng, providing students the knowledge and skills needed to develop and produce groundbreaking artworks and related scholarly ac vity. ADM also promotes Singapore’s crea ve culture and iden ty, and is posi oned to play a central role in the transforma on of Singapore into a regional centre of media and crea vity.

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MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

A CLEAN AND GREEN APPROACH TO COOLING WATER MANAGEMENT

by Mr Ng Bee Keong, Managing Director, Innova ve Polymers Pte Ltd, Singapore Scale deposi on is a challenge commonly encountered when processing aqueous solu ons containing ions of sparingly soluble salts. Scale deposits can readily form on flow surfaces, when a solu on is concentrated beyond the solubility limit of a dissolved, sparingly soluble salt or when a solu on containing an inverse solubility salt is in contact with a hot surface.

Introduc on Our world today is progressing at breakneck speed compared to a decade ago. As such, we are faced with two possible futures, a clean and green future or one of clima c catastrophes. Scien sts and environmentalists have warned us that we are headed in the wrong direc on.

Facili es Management (FM) personnel are, therefore, obliged to do their part in changing course and moving towards a clean and energy-efficient future.

Many brackish water sources contain alkali-forming ions which tend to precipitate CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) and Mg(OH)2 (magnesium hydroxide). Controlling the scaling poten al of water circula ng in cooling towers, using precipita on by electroly c methods, has long been recognised. But now, it can be enhanced with a modern, chemical-free control system.

Green ini a ve Modern HVAC (hea ng, ven la on, and air-condi oning) systems, today, consume more than 60% of the total power requirements in a building.

For large HVAC systems, with capacity greater than 400 RT, cooling by water, which is more energy-efficient, is recommended or mandated.

Enormous power consump on is also seen in industrial applica ons, for example, in the processing of food (fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood) and in its preserva on under a chilled environment.

One of the goals of FM is to help reduce carbon emissions through efficient cooling water management, which will also result in savings, in the use of energy, water and chemicals, as well as a reduc on in maintenance costs.

Water-cooling tower system To ensure that the water-cooling tower system is being properly maintained, we first have to understand how a water-cooling tower operates.

Cooled water in the basin of the cooling tower is pumped through a heat exchanger. The water picks up heat and its temperature increases.

The warm water then flows through spray nozzles at the top of the tower and falls as droplets on the fill media below.

A fan on top of the tower draws in air from below, through the fill media, accelera ng the vaporisa on and hence the cooling of the warm water. The cooled water drips down through the fill media and back to the basin.

The cycle is then repeated, star ng with the cooled water again being pumped through the heat exchanger.

Blow-down of tower water Dissolved impuri es from the make-up water will be le behind, when the water evaporates. These impuri es will concentrate and cause scaling and corrosion.

The concentrated impuri es in the water-cooling tower are removed through blowing down of tower water to the drain. The basin water level drops due to evapora on and blow-down losses. More make-up water is added to maintain the water level.

Poten al problems with water-cooling tower system Every newly commissioned water-cooling tower system is capable of opera ng within the system specifica ons.

Over me, however, the system performance may deteriorate if not properly maintained.

In a worst-case scenario, the water used for cooling in the water-cooling tower system becomes an incubator for Legionella bacteria. In recent years, there have been cases of fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks in several major ci es around the world.

An eco-sustainable approach As men oned above, cooling of water, using evapora on equipment such as cooling towers, will increase the concentra on of solids in the equipment, resul ng in scaling and corrosion.

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MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Conven onal cooling water management methods use chemicals which are not eco-friendly, to deal with these issues. However, scale deposits s ll build up over me in heat exchanger tubes, pipes and cooling towers and will require periodic chemical cleaning that commonly uses hazardous substances. These, together with the blowdown, which also involves chemicals, produce effluent that can pollute waterways when discharged into them.

On the flip side, a Non-Chemical Device (NCD) approach can be used but may not yield sa sfactory results.

The undesirable effects of this prac ce can now be circumvented using the environment-friendly DeCaIon (DCI) system.

The DCI system DeCaIon, as the name suggests, is a device that removes Ca (calcium) ions which would otherwise cause scale deposi on. In addi on, it also removes Mg (magnesium) ions and SiO2 (silicon dioxide). DCI uses electrochemical energy to dissolve exis ng scale from pipes, cooling tower packing and the heat exchanger/condenser unit, and con nuously prevents further scale from forming during opera on.

The scale removal principle in the electrochemical technique is based on the crea on of a high pH environment around the cathode, due to the release of hydroxyl ions as a result of the reac on between water and oxygen.

The alkaline environment induces precipita on of the calcium hardness, in the form of CaCO3, and the magnesium hardness, in the form of Mg(OH)2.

It also removes dissolved oxygen in water. The oxidaon-reduc on poten al (ORP) is therefore reduced. It ensures alkaline cooling water with a pH~8.5, which

The DCI does not disrupt any opera on of the water cooling system.

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thus protects the tubes and pipes from oxida on and corrosion. One other notable feature of the DCI System is its CataGreen component which disinfects water, preven ng bio-fouling and the growth of algae as well as heterotrophic and Legionella bacteria. All these are achieved within a compact unit, without any external addi on of chemicals.

Amongst other reac ons, the following take place at the anode and cathode: Anodic reac ons

Cathodic reac ons

4HCO3- – 4e = O2 + 4CO2 + 2H2O

4Ca2+ + 4HCO3- + 4e = 4CaCO3 + 2H2

Resultant products

Resultant products

Oxygen and carbon dioxide are produced.

Some biocides are also produced.

Solid calcium carbonates (CaCO3) are deposited on cathode surface.

Magnesium (Mg2+) hardness and silica (SiO2) are also removed in the process.

The DCI process descrip on DCI is a stand-alone piece of equipment. That is to say, its connec on does not disrupt any opera on of the water cooling system. An inlet pipe connects the DCI to a pump and to the cooling tower, while an outlet pipe connects the DCI to the tower basin, as indicated in the schema c below.

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Water from the cooling tower system is pumped into the DCI electrolyser chamber wherein the electrochemical reac ons occur.

During this process, the drain valve is in the ‘closed’ posion. The processed water from the electrolyser chamber is channelled back to the cooling tower basin. Over me, the en re cooling water volume is electrolysed. Periodically, the contents in the electrolyser chamber, together with the scale precipitated, are discharged and the electrodes regenerated. All these are done automa cally.

Performance of DCI Prior to commercialisa on, intensive R&D and tests were carried out in-house and by independent professional ins tu ons. Upon successful tes ng, DCI has now been introduced to the market place. Some performance findings are presented below.

The FM perspec ve FM, being a cost centre, is compelled to look into all possible avenues to reduce both CAPEX and OPEX. The following are some benefits that DCI can provide: • > 50% water savings • 100% savings in the use of chemicals • ~7-20% power savings

• • • • • •

Stand-alone installa on Minimal maintenance Good return on investment Higher product yield due to efficient cooling Consistently high product quality due to efficient cooling Environment-friendly process without the use of chemicals - the blow-down does not pollute waterways • Compressor maintenance / replacement reduced

Conclusion The electrochemical system, coupled with CataGreen, provides a means for rapid, clean capture of water hardness as well as disinfec on. It is simple, easy to maintain and requires no chemicals. This technology has proven to be a valuable new tool, effec vely allowing cooling water to be treated under a new strategy that not only improves chiller/condenser performance, but also significantly saves water and power.

(Innova ve Polymers Pte Ltd is a Singapore-based company that provides engineering plas cs / polymer solu ons as well as sustainable water treatment technology for cooling water management, using DCI, a device that has been patented by the company. DCI has since gained recogni on from Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC). More informa on on DCI can be obtained from www.innova vepolymers.com).

Av Power before DCI = 52.6 kW Percent Saving = 17.4% Av Power a DCI @ eqm = 43.4 kW

The results of tests conducted at Singapore Ins tute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), a research ins tute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Results • Hardened scales are so ened and dislodged from the cooling tower and chiller tubes • Power Savings

: 11.2%

• Water Savings

: 50%

The results of tests conducted by a semiconductor company in the Philippines.

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JOHNSON CONTROLS AND ITE OPEN NEW BUILDING

TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS CENTRE Students will be able to operate a fully-func oning chiller plant system at the new facility.

Johnson Controls and the Ins tute of Technical Educa on (ITE) have officially opened the ITE-Johnson Controls Building Technologies and Solu ons Centre at ITE College East, which will enable ITE students to acquire authen c experience in chiller plant systems.

The partners have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mark their commitment to develop a technical workforce for the future, with the help of the new facility. The agreement was inked by Mr Ken Lim, General Manager, Building Technologies & Solu ons Singapore, Johnson Controls and Ms Low Khah Gek, Chief Execu ve Officer, ITE.

At the Official Opening of the ITE-Johnson Controls Building Technologies and Solu ons Centre at ITE College East are, from le , Dr Yek Tiew Ming, Principal, ITE College East; Ms Low Khah Gek, Chief Execu ve Officer, ITE; Mr Ken Lim, General Manager, Building Technologies & Solu ons Singapore, Johnson Controls; and Ms Megan Chua, Country Lead, Human Resource Field Solu ons, Johnson Controls, Singapore.

“We are entering into a new era of facili es management with the Internet of Things, advanced analy cs as well as an increasing need for sustainability and security”, said Mr Ken Lim, General Manager, Building Technologies & Solu ons Singapore, Johnson Controls.

“As more technology-enabled applica ons impact our daily lives, a Smart City is no longer just an abstract concept.

In fact, we are gradually transi oning into what can be described as a responsive city, where we are no longer just passive beneficiaries but also ac ve players and contributors. To ensure ci zens are ready and able to ride the waves of change, technology companies will have to assume a bigger role in empowering the workforce”, he added.

Johnson Controls is a global leader in the crea on of intelligent buildings, efficient energy solu ons, integrated infrastructure and next genera on transporta on systems.

Established under the Ministry of Educa on, ITE is a post-secondary educa on ins tu on, comprising the ITE Headquarters and three ITE Colleges - College Central, College East and College West.

A comprehensive training centre The ITE-Johnson Controls Building Technologies and Solu ons Centre is said to be the first fully-func oning chiller plant system designed for a classroom se ng in Singapore. It will serve as a training centre for students

“The partnership between industry and educa on ins tu ons makes a big difference in the teaching and learning of work-relevant skills. With this MOU with Johnson Controls, theory lessons come alive for students as they can use and work on a real chiller plant system. It makes learning authen c and helps our students to be assimilated quickly into the actual work environment”, said Ms Low Khah Gek, Chief Execu ve Officer, ITE. The MoU also extends Johnson Controls’ already exis ng support to ITE and its students via sponsored book prizes and internship opportuni es - an ini a ve by both par es started in 2014. Under the exis ng collabora on, book prizes are given to students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrate exemplary conduct.

Students are also provided with internships at Johnson Controls offices and facili es around the country.

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The ITE-Johnson Controls Building Technologies and Solu ons Centre is equipped with a fully func oning chiller plant system, designed for a classroom se ng in Singapore, to give students a more immersive learning experience.

MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

enrolled in Higher Nitec in Facility Management, Nitec in Facility Technology, and the new Work-Learn Technical Diploma in Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Services Supervision, allowing them to apply their knowledge to real-life smart building management systems. Previously, students could only a end observa on lessons outside of the classroom and did not have access to live systems for experimenta on and opera on in real- me.

The centre will feature top-grade technical equipment, programmed and installed by Johnson Controls to simulate a real-world chiller plant room, including: • Water-cooled YORK chiller • Smart building management system powered by Metasys • Smart connected chiller applica on • Physical security and video management solu on

Students will also have the opportunity to control and monitor the systems, in order to be er manage the facility’s energy efficiency.

Forum on ‘A Smart Workforce for a Smart Na on’ Following the MoU-signing ceremony, ITE and Johnson Controls hosted a thought leadership forum that addressed the theme ‘A Smart Workforce for a Smart Na on’.

The forum featured keynote addresses by Mr Swarup Biswas, Vice President, Commercial & Opera ons, Service Business Unit, Asia Pacific, Johnson Controls and by Mr Poon King Wang, Director, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innova ve Ci es, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and a panel discussion moderated by Mr Adrian Tan, Managing Director, Consul ng Group - Asia Insight Pte Ltd. The panelists were Dr Yek Tiew Ming, Principal, ITE College East; Mr Ken Lim, General Manager, Building Technologies & Solu ons Singapore, Johnson Controls; Mr Poon King Wang, Director, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innova ve Ci es, Singapore University of Technology and Design; Mr Eddy Lau, Director, Cer fica on and Technology, Singapore Green Building Council; and Mr James Ng, Deputy Director, Business Strategy & Development, Facili es Management, SMM Pte Ltd (a member of Surbana Jurong).

The panel discussion in progress

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NEW CHILLER FROM YORK OFFERS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE Low environmental impact, higher safety, and reduced energy consump on, among the many benefits claimed.

Johnson Controls has introduced the YORK YZ magne c bearing centrifugal chiller which is claimed to be the first chiller fully op mised for ul mate performance, with R-1233zd(E), the next genera on, low-global warming poten al (GWP) refrigerant. Chosen for its efficiency, safety, availability, low environmental impact and cost, non-flammable R-1233zd(E) has an ultra-low GWP of 1 and is readily available from refrigerant manufacturers.

“We have long led the industry in delivering chiller innova ons”, said Ms Laura Wand, Vice President, Chiller Solu ons, Building Technologies & Solu ons at Johnson Controls.

“With the new YORK YZ, we have engineered the world’s most efficient low-GWP line of centrifugal chillers. Our broad range cooling capacity will serve our customers’ many diverse applica on needs”, she added.

The YORK YZ magne c bearing centrifugal chiller is fully op mised for ul mate performance with R-1233zd(E), the next genera on, low-global warming poten al (GWP) refrigerant.

Johnson Controls used a holis c approach to system design and engineering, op mising every component around a carefully selected next genera on refrigerant for ul mate performance.

The YORK YZ chiller uses an integral, variable speed drive and advanced magne c bearing technology that features a single moving assembly suspended in a magne c field, and does not require lubrica on. This technology is said to require 80% fewer moving parts than tradi onal oil- or refrigerant-lubricated drivelines. The result is enhanced reliability, reduced maintenance and improved efficiency.

Compared to tradi onal, fixed-speed oil-bearing chillers, the YZ is said to deliver up to 35% annual energy savings.

The chiller is said to require 80% fewer moving parts than tradi onal oil- or refrigerant-lubricated drivelines.

The YZ chiller can deliver energy savings and lower opera ng costs by taking advantage of the off-design condi ons under which chillers operate 99% of the me.

The YZ operates with entering condenser water temperature as low as 40° F (4.5° C), providing enhanced performance in every opera ng condi on and a wide opera ng envelope. The YORK YZ uses an op mised single-stage design to provide energy efficiency. The chiller can also operate with condenser temperatures below the evaporator temperatures, elimina ng the need for a water-side economiser, which simplifies the system, requires less mechanical room space and saves money on components, piping, controls and maintenance.

The YZ chiller brings together YORK innova ons refined over decades of real-world use.

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The Smart Equipment digital control system is an innova on from YORK.

ENERGY ENGINEERING

DIAMOND ENERGY REGISTERS FIRST DEMAND RESPONSE CAPACITY IN SINGAPORE’S ELECTRICITY MARKET Milestone achievement for pioneer in demand-side management.

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ENERGY ENGINEERING

Diamond Energy is con nuing its efforts to help electricity consumers reduce their expenditure while contribu ng efficiency gains to the electricity market. The company has successfully registered the first Demand Response Capacity in the Na onal Electricity Market of Singapore (NEMS), under a programme introduced in 2016. The company becomes the first licensed electricity

retailer to manage capacity under the Demand Response programme, on behalf of contestable consumers that have signed up for the innova ve energy management service offered by the company. With an ini al capacity of 7.2 MW now registered in the NEMS, the Demand Response programme has finally gone live. This follows a final determina on in October 2013, by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) to implement a Demand Response mechanism in the NEMS. The Demand Response mechanism provides contestable electricity consumers with the opportunity to reduce their electricity consump on voluntarily. Energy Market Company (EMC), which operates the NEMS’ wholesale market, will pay Diamond Energy one-third of the savings generated due to the reduced consump on. In turn, Diamond Energy will share the savings with its clients who par cipate in the programme. Two thirds of the savings will flow to the market, resul ng in lower wholesale electricity prices.

The programme is thus a win-win for all electricity consumers, as they will benefit from lower wholesale electricity prices, ul mately.

“As the operator of Singapore’s wholesale electricity market, EMC fully supports such demand-side management programmes, as they can help to lower electricity prices and improve system reliability”, said Mr Toh Seong Wah, EMC’s Chief Execu ve Officer.

“Companies like Diamond Energy play an important role in the success of these programmes. They drive the adop on of the programmes by crea ng awareness among electricity consumers, and offering innova ve services and pla orms for those who wish to par cipate. In the process, they also help to increase compe on in the electricity market, and this can further drive prices down”, he added.

Diamond Energy’s state-of-the-art Demand Response Centre is a 24 x 7 x 365 facility that monitors usage and system frequency in the electricity market and manages all aspects of par cipa on in the Demand Response programme. The company’s clients benefit from having access to the company’s real- me energy management pla orm which provides them with valuable insights into their energy consump on and cost-saving strategies. Upon receiving a price signal and a corresponding reduc on schedule from EMC, Diamond Energy will shi or reduce the client’s electricity consumpon that is flexible.

“We are pleased to achieve this milestone and we look forward to working with our customers to expand the reach of Demand Response in Singapore. Our technology truly has the ability to change how electricity is consumed in Singapore and our efforts are aligned with the country’s current Smart Na on push”, said Mr Dallon Kay, President & CEO, Diamond Energy.

Diamond Energy’s track record spans more than 10 years in the field of energy management in the electricity sector in Singapore. The company has also established itself as an innovator in the space, by bringing smart energy solu ons to the region. Diamond Energy has implemented Demand Response programmes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and is currently doing the same in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

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ENERGY ENGINEERING

DEMONSTRATING POTENTIAL

by Hans B. (Teddy) PĂź gen, Professor and Sr. Director, Energy Research Ins tute at Nanyang Technological University Principal Inves gator and Director, REIDS and Roch Drozdowski-Strehl, Deputy Director, REIDS Developing new systems and technologies for a sustainable and accessible energy in Southeast Asia Mankind is witnessing a divergence in the energy transition challenges being faced worldwide. In developed countries, the clear challenge is to reduce the carbon footprint. This can be achieved through increasing the penetration of renewable energies supported by suitable energy storage, on one hand, and through the pursuit of a more rational end-use of energy, on the other.

Since the vast majority of the renewable energies to be relied upon use electricity as the preferred energy vector, a resolute move toward an electric world needs to be pursued. There is a great societal need to maintain a positive outlook for the quality

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of life of future generations. It is therefore no longer acceptable for present generations to plunder natural resources at their expense.

In developing regions, the challenge will be to meet growing aspirations for a better quality of life. The growing availability of information about standards of living around the world continues to drive these ambitions. It is well recognised that improved quality of life is closely connected to better and more affordable access to energy. As such, the challenge is to meet these fully justified aspirations while avoiding irreparable damage to the environment we all share.

ENERGY ENGINEERING

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ENERGY ENGINEERING

The challenge is to meet... jus fied aspira ons while avoiding irreparable damage to the environment we all share.

The Southeast Asian challenge Africa and Southeast Asia are the two major regions of the world where challenges to forging be er and more affordable access to energy are most acute. The Renewable Energy Integra on Demonstrator - Singapore (REIDS) project seeks to first address challenges in the Southeast Asian region while remaining aware of the African challenge.

The cumula ve popula on of the 10 countries generally grouped under Southeast Asia— Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—presently stands at 625 million. Some 100 million people live in the 10 largest metropolitan regions. Another 125 million have either no access at all or very sporadic, insufficient access to energy.

Clearly, be er serving the energy needs of the la er group is not only a societal necessity but a formidable economic and market development opportunity that REIDS and its industrial partners seek to adwdress.

Another notable characteris c of Southeast Asia is its geographical spread. It includes large, sparsely populated regions in some countries and a very high number of islands in others, with over 17,000 in Indonesia and 7,000 in the Philippines alone.

Contras ngly, North America, Europe and China are in pursuit of the deployment of renewable energies, and

such applica ons feed into large, exis ng transmission and distribu on networks.

As many parts of Southeast Asia lack these transmission grids, it is both technically and financially unrealis c to cover the region with such systems.

Instead, decentralised microgrids are the proposed key energy infrastructure required to address the need for be er and more affordable energy access in the region.

The path forged by REIDS technology path will therefore focus on the planning, deployment, and opera on of microgrids suited for islands and isolated villages in rural Southeast Asia.

Stakeholders In aid of this vision, the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore and the Na onal Environment Agency (NEA) and other agencies have provided support for the project. Major funding for REIDS is provided by EDB. REIDS is a consor um of several large industrial partners from Europe, North America and Asia such as ENGIE, Schneider Electric, GE-Alstom, LSIS and SONY. The Energy Research Ins tute at Nanyang Technological University is leading the consor um. REIDS was formally announced in October 2014. The physical deployment planning and early implementa on of the three microgrids have been underway since early 2016

Improved quality of life is ghtly connected with be er and more affordable access to energy.

Workers installing PV panels atop the roof of the Transfer Building at Semakau Landfill.

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ENERGY ENGINEERING

REIDS aims to test and demonstrate, on a largescale level, the proper integra on of a broad range of renewable energy produc on op ons, both onshore and offshore.

As a first step, over 3,000m2 of photovoltaic panels were installed on the Transfer Building at Semakau Landfill.

The photovoltaic installa on will provide NEA and the REIDS industrial partners with solar energy on the island.

Subsequent phases are under planning and will be rolled out in the coming months.

The vision and objec ves REIDS is a Singapore-based RD&D pla orm dedicated to designing, demonstra ng and tes ng solu ons for sustainable and affordable nenergy access-for-all in Southeast Asia.

Paving the way towards sustainable mul ac vity off-grid communi es, REIDS fosters systemic RD&D in the broad energy arena in support of Singapore-based corporate and public stakeholders, thereby strengthening their posi on on the rapidly growing renewable energy and microgrid markets.

Installa on in progress for required electrical equipment on site.

REIDS aims to test and demonstrate, on a large-scale level, the proper integra on of a broad range of renewable energy produc on op ons, both onshore and offshore.

It will also showcase energy storage, and ra onal energy end-use technologies to supply of a wide pale e of industrial, commercial and residen al loads.

The REIDS RD&D pla orm is a neutral se ng that benefits private and public sector en es in support of their on-going efforts, as required for prototyping, tes ng, large-scale demonstra on and, eventually, showcasing ac vi es along the complex energy technology and product development cycle.

The implementa on site on Semakau Landfill is located 8km south of Singapore’s mainland. This is Singapore’s only landfill where the ashes from the four waste incinera on plants and other non-incinerable waste from the mainland are taken for disposal.

Technicians test part of the technology for the microgrid.

The core value proposi on of REIDS is shown by implemen ng it on Semakau Landfill and using it to demonstrate the vast poten al of renewable energies for Southeast Asia.

Three separate microgrids are under construc on on a 64,000m² plot of land at Semakau Landfill set aside for this purpose. The intent is to be able to operate each microgridseparately and also to interconnect them to demonstrate how different systems can operate together.

Hopefully this project will enable developmentof technology solu ons that can be applied to projects throughout the region. By doing so, successful deployment of renewable energy applica ons can be championed, and improvements can be realised in the quality of life for many s ll living without stable access to energy.

Schema c illustra on of renewable energy installa ons on Semakau Landfill

This ar cle previously appeared in Issue 12 of the Na onal Environment Agency’s ENVISION Magazine. To read more about these and other topics, please visit: h p://www.nea. gov.sg/training-knowledge/publica ons/envision-magazine THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2018

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GENERATOR FIELD REPAIRS AN OPERATOR’S PERSPECTIVE

by Frank Thiel and Ivan Chlapecek, Quezon Power (Philippines) Limited Company, Philippines One of the worst incidents that can be experienced in a power plant is a generator motoring incident.

There are volumes wri en about these types of incidents, as the consequences can some mes be catastrophic in nature. When this type of incident happens, the sta on is usually in for a long period of down me, while the rotor is removed, inspected, bundled up, and then transported to a qualified off-site facility for repairs. The average down me can range from 3 to 6 months, depending on the sta on’s loca on. The cost can run into the millions of dollars, plus it triggers things like business interrup on insurance claims. So how does a sta on deal with such an event? Tradi onally, a er the event has happened, a plan is set in mo on, usually following the steps indicated above. In all cases, insurance underwriters and loss adjusters are involved from the very beginning. Are there other alterna ves? Here is a case study on an alternate path we chose to follow in our facility, when such an event happened early in 2017, and how the work was performed.

INTRODUCTION The Quezon Power plant is located in the eastern seaboard of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines archipelago, and it houses the country’s capital, Manila. The capital has one of the largest load demands in the country and its electrical needs are supplied by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), under a distribu on arrangement. Meralco has a customer base of 6 million.

The installed capacity in the island of Luzon is around 12,000 MW (megawa s), with a dependable capacity of 10,500 MW, and daily peak demands ranging from 7500 to 8300 MW. The opera on of the grid is undertaken by Naonal Grid Corpora on of the Philippines (NGCP), through a franchise arrangement. Coal and gas are the dominant fuels, in almost equal propor ons. The Philippines is one of the few countries that has fully deregulated its power sector. There is a power exchange, Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), in place for Luzon, and all generators are expected to bid their capaci es into it on a daily basis.

However, a number of generators - Quezon Power among them - operate under bilateral long-term Power Supply Agreements (PSAs). The power exchange pool comprises 10% -15% of the daily load requirements.

Quezon Power is a 500 MW subcri cal coal-fired power plant. Its loca on is 120 km from Manila, near the city of Mauban. It is located by the sea, in a fairly remote site. It has its own unloading port facili es, as well as an operaons je y, to allow for the export/import of materials and equipment by sea, as needed. The sta on has its own living accommoda on for the opera ng staff, due to its remote loca on. The sta on delivers its rated output to a main substa on located in the city of Tayabas, via a double circuit transmission line covering a distance of 31.5 km.

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The sta on was declared commercial in 2000, and is fully contracted to Meralco under a long-term PSA, un l Year 2025. Historically, and considering its loca on and opera ng regime, the sta on performs an annual planned maintenance outage in the early part of the year, to take advantage of the dry weather season. In 2017, the planned overhaul was scheduled from 21 January to 17 February, for a total planned down me of 28 days. Seven days short of the outage’s end date, and during the startup ac vi es, a generator motoring event took place, which required the generator’s rotor to be pulled out for inspec on and repairs.

DAMAGE DUE TO GENERATOR MOTORING During an inadvertent, or accidental off-line generator energisa on event, voltage is admi ed to the stator winding and it creates a synchronous rota ng magne c flux. The generator then behaves like an induc on motor.

The field is subjected to sub-transient currents which heat up the rotor and all rotor components (wedges, retaining rings) very fast. This causes arcing in between these components. The generator can thus be damaged beyond repair. These incidents have happened many mes and are well-known to the insurance industry.

The generator does have protec on in case of an offline energisa on event. However, the protec on is not always able to prevent damage in the generator. In our sta on’s case, the protec on was ac vated. Unfortunately, the protec on was not able to prevent the field from experiencing the grounding damage.

A er the generator motoring event took place, different sets of tests were performed to ascertain the extent of the damage. The field IR (Insula on Resistance), and

ENERGY ENGINEERING

winding resistance tests were performed. The winding was found to be in good condi on. However the IR readings were very low, at 15 Ohms only. The field was rotated several mes, and IR readings were taken at different posi ons. The IR readings remained low, all the me. This confirmed that the field had experienced a solid grounding. The stator’s winding and insula on were checked, as well, and no damage was no ced.

REPAIRING THE DAMAGE Two op ons on how best to repair the grounded field were evaluated: • Removal of the field, packaging and sending it to the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), or a qualified facility by sea/land. That way, the en re field repair is done in a controlled environment, with the proper specialists, tools and material being readily available. The downside of that op on, however, is a long return to service me, due to extended shipment and land transporta on considera ons. The sta on es mated the me required for this op on to be between 4 to 6 months. That meant a significant nega ve impact to the company business performance, and also to the off-taker.

• Repair of the grounded field at the site. The return me to service could very well be significantly shorter.

However, the concerns included significantly more challenges in regard of special tools, availability of specialists and the limita ons of the on-site workshop. For instance, there are no Induc on Heaters (IHs) normally used for removing the retaining rings (RRs), readily available in the Philippines. Mobilisa on from abroad was es mated to take several weeks. In addi on, the sta on does not have a covered turbine building, and the site is subjected to high humidity and heavy rains, due to its loca on.

One mi ga ng factor in considering the second op on was the fact that the sta on had already performed a rewinding of the field in 2015, and thus there was confidence in performing the necessary repairs at the site. The decision was thus made to perform the work on site. It should be noted that an insurance claim had already been filed, and insurance loss adjusters were invited to come in.

Since the sta on does not have a covered turbine building, and in order to accommodate the rewinding effort, a special tent which could accommodate the field had been designed. It included a frame for the RR handling as well as the air-condiioning and de-humidifiers necessary to control temperature and humidity. The tent had two rooms. One was a clean room and the second room was an entry room to control the environment.

When the field is placed on the supports in the tent, there is no access to the field for the overhead crane, without removal of the tent. However, when the tent is removed, the environment and humidity go out of control. This could affect the windings in a nega ve way.

In 2015, the sta on had designed two sets of special-purpose, hydraulically operated supports, for the rota on and posi oning of the field. One set consisted of two saddles. The saddles were posi oned under the field’s body and these were used when the field needed to be li ed for the removal of the RRs. The second set of supports, also on rollers, could rotate the field as well as posi on it ver cally.

The capacity of each support was 60 t (the field weight is 75 t). There was enough safety margin for the handling of the field (total support capacity was 120 t).

Quezon Power’s generator par ally assembled

Another mi ga ng factor was that the contractor entrusted with the annual inspec on of the turbine was s ll on site, when the event took place, so they were readily available to pull the field.

In addi on, a local contractor whom the sta on had previously used for HV motor rebuilds, and also for electrical tests on the generator, was mobilised within a few days. The sta on also contracted a US-based contractor with qualified manpower, to work together with the local contractor.

The foreign contractor was mobilised and available on the site within one week. Within the span of a week, the generator field was thus removed and placed on temporary rollers.

GENERATOR FIELD DISASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION The sta on had prepared some special tools for its 2015 field rewinding, which were deployed this me, too.

The tent for the field inspec on THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2018

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The RRs needed to be heated up to a required temperature, in order to be able to remove them. In the US, IHs are widely used for these purposes. There are however no IHs available in Philippines.

Quezon Power decided to use Resistance Heaters (RHs) instead of IHs. These do not work as fast as induction heaters. Just the same, when properly installed, they can be used successfully in lieu of the IHs. Our contractor unfortunately had limited experience with RHs. For instance, after RR preheating, the heating elements were removed, in order to install the pulling jack and jigs. Getting the RHs to work in conjunction with the placement of jacks and jigs for the removal of the RRs took several days of trial an error.

In one instance, the RR cooled down and was stuck part of the way.

Resistance heaters installed on the RR.

After several days, the contractor was able to keep the heaters on until the RR was fully removed.

Having learned that lesson, the insertion of the RRs went very well.

The lesson learnt was that the RHs work very well for RR removal and installation, but the heating elements must be kept on until the RR is entirely removed.

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The field support rollers and saddles

RR amor sseur arcing damage

The field supports

Slot amor sseur arcing damage

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It must be noted that loca ng the winding insula on failure is a challenging job, as damaged insula on is inside of the slot under the coils. It is desirable to minimise li ing of coils, to avoid turn to turn and slot insula on damage.

There are, however, dierent ways to find the loca on of insula on failure.

The sta on opted to use a Ba ery Ground Fault Tracer.

With this tracer, any insula on that is aected was idenfied in less than 1 hour. The loca on of damage was somewhere around coil #6. For further inves ga on, a jumper, in between coils #6 and #5, was used.

Then we proceeded with li ing of the turns of coil #6.

The test was repeated a er each turn was li ed. When turn #2 was li ed, we found damaged slot armour.

The Slot #6 armour was found physically burnt. It was damaged by molten metal from the slot amor seur. The damage was on the Collector End (CE) side slot #11 from the nega ve pole.

When two turns were li ed, further tests proved that the ground condi on was cleared. The first turn of the coil #5 had been li ed, too, for cleaning up.

At this point, for the replacement of slot armour, slot #6 coil turns were li ed and thorough cleaning of coil turns, slots and wedges was done.

Eddy current test, dye penetrant test and hardness test were done on both RRs. Dye penetrant test on the coil slots and wedges, and eddy current and hardness test on the slots and dovetails, were also performed. No signs of damage were detected.

Loca on of slot armour damage Loca on of insula on failure

Ba ery ground fault tracer

Slot armour damage THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2018

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A er cleaning of the slots, the coil turns were returned back to the slots with turn insula on properly fixed, while measuring the IR a er each turn was inserted. The IR started to drop down with more turns inserted. When the last coil turn was inserted, the IR was only 1 MOhm which is below acceptance criteria.

All coil turns were thus removed, and the insula on was checked.

The slot armour was subjected to high voltage tes ng. Readings were not consistent, but were above 100 MOhms. A er all the coil turns were returned, the IR had not improved.

All turns were removed again, and the old slot armour was installed instead of a new one, with no significant improvement on IR.

Slot #6 coil turns li ed and ready for reinstalla on

The contractor then decided to heat the insula on up, by placing heaters under the field. The IR improved almost immediately. It was thus proven that the issue was limited to wet insula on. Further insula on hea ng improved the IR to the required acceptance level.

One major issue faced was the environmental control challenge within the tent. Despite the two-room design intended to keep moisture out, through air-conditioning and de-humidifiers, the contractor kept the inlet doors open frequently and humidity was thus high. Installing damp insulation did not help the process, and caused several days of delay. This was another lesson learnt.

ROOT CAUSE FAILURE ANALYSIS When an event such as this occurs, a Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) is required by both the station and the insurance underwriters. The station performed one. The station operates through a ring bus configuration. It is a fairly simple arrangement, and the breakers and their position status are clearly annunciated in the control room screens. In this case, however, there was a lack of situational awareness of activities being performed in the switchyard, and both the shift supervisor and control room operator on duty failed to recognise the condition of the breakers line up at the time. They proceeded to close the generator’s breakers, leading to the motoring and grounding of the generator’s field. Additional lights and alarms have now been installed to prevent a recurrence.

CONCLUSION Despite the many challenges enumerated above, regarding the site’s location and conditions, both local and foreign contractors showed high dedication and commitment to complete the job soonest and to the best possible quality.

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Quezon Power’s own maintenance staff did an excellent job in suppor ng the outage’s addi onal work brought on by the motoring incident. This was achieved despite the fact that they had already worked non-stop on the planned outage’s ac vi es.

Quezon Power benefi ed from the rewinding job which was done in 2015. It already had the experience with rewinding at the site, and had secured a special tent, hydraulic rollers and saddles. It also had available a ba ery ground fault tester, slot armour and an RR insula on kit, from the previous rewind. More importantly, it had the confidence that the work could indeed be done at the site.

Quezon Power also benefi ed from the availability on site of a skilled turbine contractor who was able to start with the field’s pull out, without delay, as soon as the electrical tests confirmed that the field was indeed grounded.

Overall, the field’s rebuild and installa on on the generator took 30 days. Execu ng such work on the site, in such harsh condi ons, without a proper workshop, or even a covered turbine building is se ng new limits for on-site O&M field repair capabili es.

(This ar cle is based on a paper authored by Frank Thiel and Ivan Chlapecek, Quezon Power (Philippines) Limited Company, Philippines, and presented at Asia Power Week Conference and Exhibi on 2017. The paper won a Best Paper Award.

Asia Power Week Conference and Exhibi on 2017, comprising POWER-GEN Asia 2017 and Renewable Energy World Asia 2017, was held from 19 to 21 September 2017 at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand.

Organised by PennWell Corpora on, Asia Power Week is the industry’s premier regional conference and exhibiton dedicated to the power genera on, renewable and alterna ve energy industries).

CHEMICAL & PROCESS ENGINEERING

COATING PROCESSES WITH INCREASED MATERIAL AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

by Doris Schulz Where coa ng and pain ng processes are concerned, the goal is the same around the world - to reduce unit costs per painted part. This is possible only where the specified surface quality and high levels of produc vity are achieved with as li le material and energy consump on as possible. Key to this is the op misa on of all steps along the process sequence.

Coa ng embodies a key technology which is indispensable for product manufacturing in prac cally all industry sectors. Coa ng of metal parts and substrates is essen al for mee ng a great variety of func onal, decora ve and hap c requirements with specified quality characteriscs. Increased individuality and sustainability are further challenges which have to be mastered by job-shop coaters and companies with in-house pain ng opera ons.

At the same me, growing compe ve pressure necessitates the reduc on of unit costs per painted part. An essen al factor in reaching this goal involves the use of the required resources in the form of materials and energy with the highest possible levels of efficiency. Opportuni es for conserving resources can be found throughout the en re process sequence.

Simula on from pre-treatment to final inspec on The quality and economics of coa ng processes depend decisively on op mised interac on amongst various system components and the paint itself. Today, new and further developments in the field of numeric simula on make it possible to virtually replicate all of the steps of the pain ng process. For example, it is possible to represent, within the model, inflow and ou low performance in pre-treatment; applica on with pneuma c, electrosta c, airless and highspeed rota on systems; airflow within the pain ng booth; film forma on; development of paint films and layer thickness; overspray; and the spreading of solvents and drying. If the right simula on instruments are used, the process pays off for smaller companies, too, with the efficient layout of pain ng processes and the op misa on of exis ng systems.

Numeric simula on makes it possible to virtually replicate all of the steps of the pain ng process, such as targeted heat input via drying nozzles, resul ng in quick drying of thick-walled areas of the painted components. Image by Fraunhofer-IPA.

Op mising the paint system selec on The use of a new paint system o en results in reduced material consump on. For example, liquid paints as well as powdered enamels are available, by means of which the specified quality of the coa ng can be achieved with fewer applica ons. In the case of powdered enamels, these include, for example, the so-called powder-on-powder solu ons which permit coa ng without energy-intensive cross-linking. New systems are also being offered for wet-on-wet processes. In addi on to reducing process cycles by roughly 20%, these also make it possible to reduce overall process costs and increase produc vity without compromising quality. Paints which dry or cross-link at low temperatures also contribute to considerable cost reduc ons.

Increasing transfer efficiency and reducing loss In order to realise poten al savings within the pain ng process, possible causes of loss must be eradicated, such as atomiser overspray, as well as losses due to colour changeovers, during applica on and in the paint supply lines. Savings of this sort can o en be implemented by modifying specific system characteris cs. One approach involves increasing transfer efficiency by using a spray pa ern which is matched to the geometry of the part to be painted, as well as electrosta cally supported paint guns and spray guns with pre-atomiser technology and slot nozzle. Where automated applica on is involved, there is a trend towards high-speed rotary atomisers,

Low-pressure, air atomising electrosta c spray guns, powered by inbuilt turbines, offer not only superior atomisa on and high transfer efficiency, but also improvements that help to reduce operator fa gue. Image by Carlisle / Ransburg.

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CHEMICAL & PROCESS ENGINEERING

Transfer efficiencies greater than 90% can be achieved with high-speed rotary atomisers. Image by Sturm.

with which transfer efficiencies greater than 90% can be achieved.

More and more importance is being given to paint applica on technology. Ideally matched equipment makes it possible to avoid coa ng errors, simplify and op mise processes, and reduce produc on costs. For example, the respec ve industry sector offers mechanical and electronic mixing systems for two-component paints, which are used to an ever greater extent for coa ng metal, plas c and wood substrates. They ensure precise dosing of the components and homogenous mixing of the paint.

Also, only the actually required amount of material is mixed. A er pain ng or a colour changeover, only those system components have to be rinsed, that are actually covered with mixed material. This results in significantly reduced paint loss and rinsing agent consump on.

Pain ng booths and dryers The trend towards automated applica on with robots remains unbroken, as well. And it is no wonder, because in addi on to reduced material consump on, it also results in be er reproducibility of the pain ng results and lower scrap rates. Automated paint applica on has a posi ve effect, expressed in terms of savings, because it is easier to switch from fresh air systems to recircula ng air for condi oning the paint booth. Energy savings of 60% to 70% can be achieved. Energy consump on can be reduced in pain ng booths for manual applica on, by op mising air flow and precisely adjus ng air volume, as well as by reclaiming heat from exhaust air.

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Conventional wet scrubbing for overspray also consumes a great deal of energy and water. Dry scrubbing systems can be used to obtain savings in this area. Various solutions are available. They make use of different scrubbing concepts, including the use of brushes, electrostatics, powder and special carton constructions.

In addi on to dryers, air-condi oning and overspray removal are amongst the hungriest energy consumers in the pain ng process. Where conven onal paint drying is concerned, op mised air rou ng through sluice and tunnel areas, as well as improved hea ng units and waste-heat u lisa on systems assure penny-wise consump on of costly energy. Infrared drying can be used as an alterna ve, or as a supplement, and is also suitable for temperature-sensi ve workpieces. The radia on penetrates the material and dries the paint layer from the inside out. This prevents the occurrence of a skin or bubbles on the surface, and paint drying is accelerated. This frequently leads to shorter drying tracts and faster pain ng processes.

Selec ng the right process is a prerequisite for a material- and energy-efficient coa ng process, with the lowest possible unit costs. Whether liquid pain ng, powder coa ng, a UV pain ng process or a combina on, is best, depends on, amongst other factors, the goods to be painted, the required quality and the degree of flexibility.

And it pays to closely scru nise processes which have been in use for years or even decades, and to compare them with alterna ves.

CHEMICAL & PROCESS ENGINEERING

Where overspray scrubbing is concerned, there is a trend towards dry scrubbing systems. They make use of different concepts, including the use of brushes, electrosta cs, powder and, as shown here, special carton construc ons. Image by Eisenmann.

Singapore safety ini a ve secures IChemE Global Award

Infrared drying can be used as an alterna ve, or as a supplement, and is also suitable for temperature-sensi ve workpieces. Image by Heraeus Noblelight.

PaintExpo 2018 to be held in April PaintExpo 2018, this year’s edi on of the leading interna onal trade fair for industrial coa ng technology, will be held at the exhibi on centre in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 17 to 20 April.

The event will feature the en re spectrum of industrial coa ng technology, including systems and applica on technology, drying, automa on and conveyor technology, paints, paint stripping, cleaning and pre-treatment, environmental technology, air supply, pneuma cs, exhaust air and wastewater treatment, disposal, measuring and test technology, quality assurance, accessories, job-shop coa ng, services, training and R&D. Nearly all renowned suppliers will be present at PaintExpo 2018. Their comprehensive and representa ve offerings will allow visitors to gather detailed informa on in a targeted fashion, and to make direct comparisons between various systems and processes at a single loca on. More informa on on the event can be obtained from www.paintexpo.com

Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Na onal Environment Agency (NEA), and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) won an IChemE Global Award 2017, in the Process Safety Category, for their successful roll out of a safety case approach to major hazard installa ons. It is the first me that a Singapore entry has won this pres gious award.

In a further development, chemical engineers in Singapore also celebrated the success of A*STAR’s Dr Ong Wee Jun, who was highly commended in the Young Researcher Category.

IChemE’s Singapore Board Chair, Joe Eades, said, “We started a local awards scheme here in Singapore, back in 2012. Interest in the programme has grown significantly over the last six years. Now it is great to see a Singapore entry reach the top of the pile and receive interna onal recogni on for the work in process safety - a key issue, given the importance of the chemical industry to the local economy. At the same me, we also saw one of our leading young researchers recognised on a world stage. Clear proof of Singapore’s posi on as a world-leading research hub”.

Er Go Heng Huat, Director, Major Hazards Department, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore, said, “We are honoured to receive this award today from IChemE who have been very suppor ve of our ini a ves over the years”.

IChemE con nues to promote the work of professional chemical engineers in Singapore as part of its interna onal ambi on to advance chemical engineering world-wide.

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IES UPDATE

CIJC INKS MOU WITH NORTH WEST CDC TO BUILD SME CAPABILITIES AND EXPAND CSR EFFORTS A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on 27 February 2018 between members of the Construction Industry Joint Committee (CIJC) and North West Community Development Council (CDC).

The first of its kind between CIJC and a professional body, the MOU is a three-year collaborative agreement which aims to foster greater engagement and exchange between the North West community and CIJC. It will strengthen collaborations for mutual benefit through sharing industry knowledge and experiences with SMEs, as well as through meaningful community projects initiated from the ground.

IES President Er. Edwin Khew, currently the Chairman of CIJC, said: “CIJC is excited to have the opportunity to directly engage with SMEs, professionals and the …

North West community about the many developments in Singapore’s built environment sector. It widens our efforts in harnessing and applying our members’ diverse knowledge and skills to advance the construc-

tion industry and drive Singapore’s economic growth.

“We also look forward to helping and supporting needy residents in this district through (the) various community projects. It dovetails well with our members’ shared goals to enhance the quality of life of Singaporeans.”

The Mayor of North West District, Dr Teo Ho Pin, was optimistic that this initiative would enable the industry to connect to the community, thus promoting a culture of giving back.

The ultimate aim, he stated, was to strengthen North West CDC’s mission of building a caring community through aggregating resources from different stakeholders and building community ownership.

Under the MOU’s terms of reference, CIJC and North West CDC will jointly organise three engagements per year, targeting some 240 professionals from 200 SMEs by the time it is up for renewal in 2021.

(L to R) Er. Chua Tong Seng (President, ACES); Ms Quek Chay Hoon (Honorary Assistant Treasurer, REDAS); Mr Lam Kong Hong (Executive Director, SCAL); Er. Edwin Khew (President, IES), Dr Teo Ho Pin (Mayor, North West District), Mr Ong Tze Boon (President, SIA); Mr Peter Chua (President, SIBL); Mr Khoo Sze Boon (President, SISV) and Dr Ting Seng Kiong (President, SPM) pose for a photo after signing the MOU at IES’ premises at Bukit Tinggi Road.

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IES UPDATE

IES SPRING FESTIVAL 2018 IES celebrated the Year of the Dog on the evening of 1 March 2018, the second last day of the Lunar New Year period. A sumptuous, 9-course dinner, catered by perennial favourite Yan Palace, was held at the Mul -Purpose Hall in the Charles Rudd Building.

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In a endance this year were two special guests: REDAS President Augus ne Tan and SCAL President Kenneth Loo. As is customary for Lunar New Year celebra ons at IES, two lions from the Nam Sang Lion Dance Troupe pranced through the Secretariat office. Decked in resplendent orange, red and gold trim, the lions helped to “chase” away “evil spirits” and ushered in good luck for the year ahead.

The lions then “plucked the green” (cai qing) at the Mul -Purpose Hall, blessing all members and guests with good fortune for the year, leaving behind several “auspicious numbers” for punters to try their luck with.

IES President Er. Edwin Khew delivered the opening address next, focusing on new social ac vi es and other achievements this year, such as movie screenings and the newly-set up Cycling Interest Group. He also commended IES for giving a good showing at the most recent Inter-Professional Games, having successfully clinched the Golf Event Title.

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In addi on, he encouraged members to par cipate in November’s CAFEO 36, which would be held in Singapore this year and organised by IES. Entertainment-wise, the kam- kam game came back due to popular demand, giving guests a shot at the SGD 12 million TOTO Hongbao Draw. A series of performances were brought to us by Ms Ong Shi Qing (who also performed last year) and her younger siblings Si Xuan and Si Han. Mr Liu Soon Leong, who played the flute last year, upped the ante by turning into a magician this year, wowing the audience with his card tricks, the classic split-and-join strings trick, and even a “disappearing act” with fire!

The evening’s ac vi es was rounded out as usual with a game of Bingo. This me, however, instead of using a digital random number generator, IES brought in a tradi onal hand-cranked Bingo machine for that touch of nostalgia.

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It’s tikam time!

And the lion goes om nom nom…

Does feeding the lion more correlate to more blessings?

Er. Khew delivering the the opening address.

A mother’s pride and joy.

I’m going to make this card disappear.. (kids, don’t try this at home!)

7. How did he just do THAT? 8. The Bingo Game with a blast from the past! Best one ever this side of Singapore!

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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2018

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IES UPDATE

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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2018

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STUDENT CHAPTER CHRONICLES

Student Chapter Chronicles is a new quarterly column in this magazine where we showcase the various ac vies that the IES Student Chapters have organised, and provide our Student Members with a pla orm to air their views and reflec ons on all things engineering. Fancy contribu ng your thoughts and ideas?

Email us a publicaƟons@iesnet.org.sg and we’ll be in touch!

TO MAKE

THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE Rishab Sharma, Diploma in Integrated Facility Management President, IES-Temasek Polytechnic Student Chapter On 3 February this year, I par cipated in “Our City of Sharing 2018” with my fellow IES-Temasek Polytechnic (IES-TP) Student Chapter members. It was a door-to-door collec on and distribu on of canned and dry food ra ons for the benefit of needy residents in the community.

Organised by the People’s Associa on (PA), it was spearheaded by the PLKYEC - Paya Lebar Kovan Youth Execu ve Commi ee on the ground. Apart from us, various other TP student clubs also joined in.

The full day event covered an extensive area: Bedok Reservoir – Punggol, Hougang, Kaki Bukit, Paya Lebar and Kovan. We were deployed to these various different estates to collect food dona ons, before finally assembling at Kovan to sort them out and pack them into custom-

ised hampers of up to 15 kg.

These included rice sacks, the collected food ra ons, and even school supplies for children!

It was a li le messy at first but we were quickly able to sort things out on our end. I a ribute this to the camaraderie we have built up as IES-TP Student Chapter members over the past year or two.

Since we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, our game plan for the day was quite simple: A few to take charge of the collec ng and sor ng, the fit ones to handle the heavy li ing, and the more people-oriented communicators handled outreach to both the donors and the beneficiaries.

The IES-TP team poses for a group photo before the City of Sharing event. Photo: IES-TP Student Chapter 46

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER March 2018

STUDENT CHAPTER CHRONICLES

This sounded like it would be a cakewalk, but I found out as we went along that it wasn’t so easy a er all. What struck me the most was the difficul es we encountered in communica ng our inten ons; why we were knocking on the beneficiaries’ doors and seemingly wan ng to hand them goodies out of the blue. I no ced that language barriers were the main obstacle towards our efforts; fortunately, our maroon “City of Sharing” T-shirts and the PA flyers proved to be quite useful in establishing our credibility.

This is something I think we all have to work on, I think – bringing our communi es closer (regardless of race, age, or background) and understanding their thinking through the way they speak. Apart from working on our mother tongues, perhaps it would be good to pick up a second community language.

It was an exhaus ng day indeed for us all but I definitely think it was worth it. To me, volunteering be ers and benefits a person. Such work really does make a difference in people’s lives – the wide smiles we saw on the faces of many families, as we presented them the hamper, was heartening.

This brings me back to last year, where I went on a mission trip with my church to Cambodia. The village we went to was very remote – it was not connected to the grid, neither could they afford to pay for electricity even if they were connected. We brought solar panels out there and installed them, providing them with a source of electricity and ensuring that the village need not be shrouded in darkness a er the sun sets.

The solar panels changed their lives, and mine, too – I am now certain that we will be able to use our knowledge and skills to improve and iterate on things to make the world a be er place.

I believe in the adage “what goes around, comes around”. If you’re out there doing good deeds, then you’ll definitely receive blessings in return.

Someone asked me how we, as engineers-to-be, could contribute to making the world a be er place, now that we’ve seen that there were others out there who needed a helping hand.

The most clear-cut answer for me was to put our technical exper se and problem-solving skills to good use by crea ng products or innova ons that would benefit others. It could as simple as energy-saving lightbulbs for the needy, or a smart monitoring device for the elderly who live alone.

Ge ng the dona ons sorted into halal and non-halal food items.

Photo: IES-TP Student Chapter

SIT VISITS TRAIN DEPOT SBS Transit (SBST) conducted a railway educa onal trip on 22 February 2018 for 30 Singapore Ins tute of Technology (SIT) engineering students. Hailing from the Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land) degree programme, the students visited Sengkang Depot and were given a tour to witness first-hand how things worked in a major support hub for Singapore’s public transport.

They were brought around by a SBST staff member, who introduced and explained the responsibili es of the departments visited, and elaborated on recovery procedures in the event of a train breakdown.

The visit was quite beneficial as it gave the students an insight into the poten al departments they could apply to work for during the Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP). IWSP is a special feature of SIT’s degree programmes, in which students undertake paid employment with companies, giving them opportuni es to be involved in the daily opera ons and challenges of their host organisa ons.

It also enabled them to understand the importance of communica on during regular train opera ons, to ensure incident-free travel and to facilitate quick responses, in order to resolve incidents as fast as possible.

The IES-SIT Student Chapter is grateful to both SBST and IES for helping to enable this trip.

The students pose for a group photo with their SBST guides.

Photo: IES-SIT Student Chapter

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VIEWPOINT

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND THE FUTURE ECONOMY Er. Ho Siong Hin President, Professional Engineers Board

“Singapore was built on the backs of engineers… as our economy developed and become more sophis cated, so too has the prac ce of engineering,” said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the IES Golden Jubilee Gala Dinner in 2016.

These words highlight the cri cal role that engineers play in na onal development, in parallel with economic growth. As the world con nues to change, engineers need to keep abreast with future demands.

This requires the development of deep engineering capabili es to give us an edge in solving complex engineering problems, such as building higher, denser and deeper to maximise land use and overcome land scarcity.

It is an urgent task, especially in the face of emerging disrup ve technology, Singapore’s Smart Na on ambi ons and the necessity to stand out as a global city.

To future-proof one’s engineering competencies, engineers should consider going beyond their comfort zones to acquire specialised skills in other areas. The Professional Engineers Board (PEB) has been earnestly suppor ng this through various registra on schemes for PEs in specialist branches such as geotechnical and amusement ride engineering.

In early 2017, PEB went even further, adding 4 more specialised branches: li and escalator engineering, crane engineering, access pla orm engineering and pressure vessel engineering. These specialist PEs will carry out du es as Competent or Qualified Persons under BCA’s or MOM’s regulatory framework, with nearly 240 having been registered to date.

Adop on of new technologies Our engineers need to proac vely embrace smarter (digital and data-driven), more produc ve ways to solve engineering problems.

In the built-environment sector, tools and technologies such as Building Informa on Modelling (BIM) and Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DfMA) are already in play, and the use of app-based and unmanned pla orms are currently being examined by many.

Despite this, engineers must constantly keep on top of technological changes so as not to be caught off-guard, such as when tradi onal taxi companies were disrupted by the entrance of private-car hire services such as Uber and Grab.

With the recent amendment of the PE Act in September 2017, PEB gained the mandate to further develop the engineering profession. This will be done in close collabora on with other stakeholders such as the IHLs, IES and ACES, to raise the competencies and acumen of PEs. This will help future-proof our PEs to be er prepare them for bigger and more demanding roles in the new economy.

Regional opportuni es It is es mated that the en re South East Asian region would require some USD 3 trillion in infrastructure investment from now ll 2030. This presents huge opportuni es for our engineers, especially those who are Registered Foreign PEs (RFPE), to offer services, exper se and knowledge in regional projects.

PEs can register through PEB as an ASEAN Chartered PE which will help open up pathways for them to work in ASEAN as RFPEs, in collabora on with their local counterparts.

The future opportuni es for engineers are immense. However, engineers, including PEs, will need to rise up to the challenge to fulfil their role in shaping a be er future for Singapore.

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Building and Construc on Authority ––––––––– Page 43 CAFEO –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Inside Back Cover

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Igus Singapore Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––––– Page 01 IES Publica ons Commi ee –––––––– Inside Front Cover

Cementaid S.E.A. Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––– Page 09

Mitsubishi Electric ––––––––––––––– Outside Back Cover Asia Pte Ltd

Goodrich Global Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––– Page 13

ST Synthesis Pte Ltd ––––––––––––––––––––––– Page 11

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER February March 2018 2018