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Contents A6 Connect with community
colleges for a stronger workforce Collaborative programs benefit employers, colleges, and students
A10 Low battery self-discharge: the
hidden secret to long operating life While much media attention has been focused on extending battery operating life through the use of low-power chipsets and communication protocols, the potential energy savings gained from all of these schemes fails to compare with the energy lost to annual self-discharge
A6
ON THE COVER: The Innovation Center at Folsom Lake College in Folsom, California enables students to develop skills in laser cutting, water-jet cutting, 3D printing, 3D scanning, and much more. Courtesy: Inductive Automation
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Applied Automation October 2019
•
A3
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COMMENT
Workforce development, batteries
T
Jack Smith Editor
he challenge moving forward is finding qualified staff to design, deploy and maintain complex automation technologies. Effective training in new technology is fundamental. Organizations need to focus on the value of their total workforce and develop strategies to train, retain and engage them with the next generation of employees. With the experience and skills developed from many years of employment, retaining these experienced workers and using them to mentor new talent simply makes sound business sense. The cover story in this issue of AppliedAutomation is about workforce development. The author writes: “Education of our young people is an important foundation for our future. Replenishing the industrial workforce is also crucial to our country’s progress. At the intersection of these two ideas are community colleges – a great source of employees in a wide range of fields. Industrial organizations have a lot to gain
from collaborative programs with community colleges. And there are a variety of ways to work together.” The cover story also includes three examples of industrial organizations working with community colleges – providing stronger education while meeting potential employees. Each of these stories includes how-to advice, and could be a model for other programs. The other story in this issue is about long-life batteries. He writes: “Self-discharge is a natural phenomenon that affects all batteries, as chemical reactions occur even when the battery is in storage and not being used. Self-discharge rates vary based on a number of factors, including the current discharge potential of the cell based on its design, the purity and quality of the raw materials and the ability of the battery manufacturer to control cell passivation, thereby slowing down the chemical reactions that lead to selfdischarge.”
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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Connect with community colleges for a stronger workforce Collaborative programs benefit employers, colleges and students By Jim Meyers
Brown Engineers of Little Rock, Arkansas, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant of $225,000
to develop a curriculum in water engineering for students in high school and two-year colleges. The content is being piloted at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, to see how the curriculum could be enhanced to benefit water training at community colleges. The content includes interactive training that allows students to be engineers at water/wastewater facilities in a simulated environment. Included are operation of systems for human-machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). Brown Engineers also created a hands-on, design-build, water treatment plant kit for students. Regina Blasberg, chair of the Engineering Technologies Department at College of the Canyons, said this type of training is very beneficial for students. “It’s a safe environment for students to play,” said Blasberg. “Students can learn without having the feeling that they could break something.” Collaboration with industry is a key factor for the school. “Here in California, we’re required to collaborate,” Blasberg said. “Every community college here, by law, is required to work collaboratively with our industry partners. We do that primarily through our advisory board meetings.” Industry members on the advisory board give input on curriculum, equipment, employment trends and more. “We ask whether we’re meeting the needs of employers,” said Blasberg. “Do the students have the skills they need to be successful? Are we using the right equipment?” Keeping the curriculum current and relevant is good for the school, the students and organizations seeking quality employees.
Figure 1: College of the Canyons worked with Brown Engineers to create a prototype video game for teaching water engineering. Courtesy: Brown Engineers
Figure 2: Interactive training simulations are popular with students and complement other types of collaborations, including internships, job shadowing, field trips, and more. Courtesy: Brown Engineers
Inductive Automation
E
ducation of our young people is an important foundation for our future. Replenishing the industrial workforce is also crucial to our country’s progress. At the intersection of these two ideas are community colleges – a great source of employees in a wide range of fields. Many community colleges have a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Many students prefer two-year schools over a four-year college experience. Community colleges provide a faster, lower-cost route to good-paying jobs. Students also like the flexible schedules, smaller class sizes and online learning opportunities. Industrial organizations have a lot to gain from collaborative programs with community colleges. And there are a variety of ways to work together. Following are three examples of industrial organizations working with community colleges – providing stronger education while meeting potential employees. Each of these stories includes some how-to advice, and could be a model for other programs.
College of the Canyons/Brown Engineers
A6 • October 2019
Applied Automation
Brown Engineers applied for the grant to explore the idea of using gaming and simulation to teach young people about water/wastewater treatment (see Figure 1). “I thought if we could teach students with a simulation environment, that would be pretty neat,” said Ben Rainwater, electrical engineer with Brown Engineers. “I thought of SCADA and water/wastewater, and the types of projects we build for our clients.” The pilot project aimed to be different from traditional teaching. “We wanted to develop something that was more interactive and engaging for the students,” Rainwater said. “So, we built a high service pump room in a water plant, and put a character in there that could run around and eventually be able to control stuff.” That was for the prototype; more development will be done if the project is awarded additional NSF funds. Finding the right spot for the content is important. “Everybody agrees water is a great topic for students to learn more about,” said Rainwater. “But where does that fit into the curriculum? Is that a day-long resource that a teacher uses to teach a unit? Is that a whole course?” College of the Canyons is involved in other types of collaborations, which can include internships, job shadowing, field trips, guest speakers from utilities and tours of facilities (see Figure 2). “I think it’s a benefit for everyone,” said Blasberg. “For students, any interaction they have with our industry partners is an opportunity for them to network. It helps them start to figure out what area of the water industry they really want to go into.” The college has found course instructors from the ranks of its industry partners. It also received help from industry when it converted all textbooks to open documents that are freely available for students. Employers see benefits too. “They get a free look at potential employees,” said Blasberg. “And when our local utility was doing internships, they said it was phenomenally beneficial to their own employees – because those employees got to train someone. Every time you teach someone, you learn something too.”
Cuyamaca College/large water district “All the water districts are facing the need for certified replacement staff,” said Henry Palechek, information and process control supervisor for a large water district in California. “And you can’t run a treatment plant without enough education. The community colleges can help meet this need.” Palechek has a broad view of the issue, since he works in the industry and also teaches young people about it at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, California. Palechek teaches three courses: instrumentation and controls, basic water treatment and advanced water treatment. He’s proud of the school’s many accomplishments. For example, the school wanted a hands-on system for students, so it built a SCADA system for training. Ignition SCADA software provides students with training on a standards-based, open platform – giving students experience with software they could work with during their professional careers.
Figure 3: Inductive Automation has helped Folsom Lake College make its Innovation Center Makerspace an inspiring place for students to learn. Courtesy: Inductive Automation
“Cuyamaca got a grant, and built a hands-on demonstration facility, where we have two water tanks,” said Palechek. “I think they’re 14-foot-high tanks with two 7.5hp motors and pump control valves. And we automated that with the SCADA talking to a couple of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and a touchscreen. I don’t think there are many places west of the Rockies that have a system like that.” It’s a great example of how vendors, water districts and others can help a school do its very important job. “When they built the demonstration facility, there was some grant money, and Cuyamaca put up some money and the community also pitched in,” Palechek said. “A lot of the piping, and some money in general was thrown in by pump and valve vendors, for example. And some of the water districts wrote checks. It really was a team effort.” Palechek also noted that utilities can support education with tuition reimbursement programs. This can help people get the classes they need for their certifications. “Community college is a cost-effective solution for that,” said Palechek. For those looking to start collaborative programs with schools, he suggested leveraging progress made by others previously. Talk to an organization or community college that’s already doing something. A lot of instructors will share curriculum. See what others have done, and ask for help and guidance. “People want to share their knowledge,” said Palechek. And don’t forget that many community colleges offer plenty of hands-on experience for students. “That’s pretty important,” Palechek said. “When we want to hire people, we’ll ask them to assemble something, and we’ll lay out different tools. Do they grab the right tool for the job?” When a water district works directly with a school, it can help ensure that graduates have some real-world knowledge when they graduate. Cuyamaca’s hands-on SCADA system is a good example. “It’s modern, state-of-the-art SCADA software,” Palechek said. “So the students get to use something that wasn’t written 20 or 30 years ago.” The school benefits, as do students and employers. “I’ve seen water districts all over the place hire Cuyamaca
Applied Automation October 2019
•
A7
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Figure 4: The Innovation Center at Folsom Lake College enables students to develop skills in laser cutting, water-jet cutting, 3D printing, 3D scanning, and much more. Courtesy: Inductive Automation
graduates,” said Palechek. “I think more than half of our operators here at the plant came through the Cuyamaca program.”
Folsom Lake College/Inductive Automation The Innovation Center Makerspace at Folsom Lake College (FLC) in Folsom, California, is a place where students share knowledge, enthusiasm and effort on a wide variety of projects (see Figure 3). The space encourages students to create, and allows them to develop skills in laser cutting, water-jet cutting, 3D printing, 3D scanning, audio and video recording and much more (see Figure 4). Inductive Automation provides funding for the purchase of lab equipment. The company also has pilot projects planned with the lab and college to use Inductive Automation’s Ignition as an HMI/SCADA platform for the school’s aquaponics project and chemistry lab courses (see Figure 5). “The Innovation Center is a discipline-agnostic makerspace,” said Zack Dowell, faculty Makerspace director at Folsom Lake College. “Spaces like this are often narrowcast into engineering, or engineering design or sometimes architecture. Our space intentionally reaches out to all disciplines, not just engineering – although engineers are welcome here, as are computer scientists and the like. But we really make a concerted effort to include other disciplines, because we think you get better solutions with different perspectives, disciplines and habits of mind.” The program encourages collaboration. Students can get advice and input from others, many of whom are studying entirely different subjects. The program also has an active blog with text and photos showing the step-bystep processes involved in creating some of the projects.
A8 • October 2019
Applied Automation
Figure 5: Inductive Automation has helped Folsom Lake College with funding for lab equipment, and is collaborating with the school on several pilot projects with HMI/SCADA. Courtesy: Inductive Automation
In educating the students, FLC provides the skills employers are seeking. “They’re the kinds of things employers tell us they want – the soft skills, working in teams and solving real-world problems,” Dowell said. “And we’re really about prototyping here. We’ve built into the culture that the quicker you can get to version 1 of your idea – your minimum viable physical or digital representation – the sooner you can put it in someone else’s hands and hear their perspective on it.” The SCADA system is being phased in over time, and will be connected to numerous projects, giving students exposure to a real-world SCADA tool that they could encounter later in life. Max Mahoney, chemistry faculty at FLC, wants to get SCADA more directly incorporated into the curriculum for water chemistry. “This system allows us to capture a lot more data, more types of data, over a wider time range,” said Mahoney. “It will broaden the way students look at data acquisition and science.” Dowell and Mahoney appreciate the support Makerspace gets from collaborating with a local company. “Inductive Automation has been a fantastic and longstanding partner, going back a long time,” said Dowell. “In very real ways, the company believed in us before we had anything to show for it.” “We like this program a lot,” said Kent Melville, sales engineer at Inductive Automation. “Because too often education provides academic knowledge but very little practical knowledge. Graduates thus aren’t ready to contribute immediately. Programs like the Makerspace turn this model on its head. As companies sponsor this new method of learning today, the result is a workforce ready to solve the problems of tomorrow.” Jim Meyers is success manager at Inductive Automation, maker of the Ignition industrial application platform for SCADA, HMI and IIoT.
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Low battery self-discharge: the hidden secret to long operating life While much media attention has been focused on extending battery operating life through the use of low-power chipsets and communication protocols, the potential energy savings gained from all of these schemes fails to compare with the energy lost to annual self-discharge By Sol Jacobs V P a n d G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, Ta d i r a n B a t t e r i e s
R
emote wireless devices used in industrial automation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) increasingly require the use of long-life lithium batteries to ensure reliable performance and to reduce the total cost of ownership. Powering these devices with industrial-grade lithium batteries can eliminate the need for hard-wiring devices to the power grid, which is prohibitively expensive, costing roughly $100/ft for any type of hard-wired device, even a basic electrical switch. These costs can rise exponentially in hard-to-access locations.
Figure 1: Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries have been proven to last up to 40 years in certain low power applications. All images courtesy: Tadiran Batteries
A10 • October 2019
Applied Automation
If a remote wireless device draws an average current in microamps, it typically can be powered for extended periods using an industrial-grade primary (non-rechargeable) lithium battery. If the device draws an average current in milliamps, then it may be better suited for some type of energy harvesting device in conjunction with a Lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable battery to store the harvested energy.
Lithium thionyl chloride batteries last longer Lithium batteries feature a high intrinsic negative potential that exceeds all other metals. As the lightest non-gaseous metal, lithium offers the highest specific energy (energy per unit weight) and energy density (energy per unit volume) of all available battery chemistries. Lithium cells operate within a normal operating current voltage (OCV) range of 2.7 to 3.6 V. These chemistries also are nonaqueous, making them less likely to freeze in extreme temperatures. Numerous primary lithium chemistries are commercially available, including iron disulfate (LiFeS2), lithium manganese dioxide (LiMnO2), lithium thionyl chloride (LiSOCl2) and lithium metal-oxide (see Table 1). Of all these alternatives, LiSOCl2 chemistry is preferred for long-term deployments involving extreme environments, including AMR/AMI metering, machine-to-machine (M2M), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), tank-level monitoring, asset tracking and environmental sensors, to name a few. Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries feature the highest capacity and highest energy density of any lithium battery, which supports product miniaturization. These batteries also feature a low annual self-discharge rate (under 1% per year for certain cells), permitting up to 40-year battery life. Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries also offer the widest possible temperature range (-80 to 125 C), and are made with a superior glass-to-metal hermetic seal that resists leakage (see Figure 1).
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 3: Bottle examples: low flow/ low self-discharge (a); Medium flow/ medium self-discharge (b); High flow/ high self-discharge (c).
Figure 2: Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries allow medical RFID tags to undergo high temperature autoclave sterilization without having to remove the battery.
Specially modified bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries are used in the cold chain to continuously monitor the transport of frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, tissue samples and transplant organs at -80 C. Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries also are uniquely adaptable to high temperatures. For example, these batteries power active RFID tags that track the location and status of medical equipment without having to remove the battery prior to autoclave sterilization, where temperatures can reach 125 C (see Figure 2).
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 4: Comparative flow rates: XOL TL-49xx Series (a); IXTRA TL-59xx Series and other manufacturers (b); LiMnO2 and alkaline cells (c).
Lower self-discharge is crucial While much media attention has been focused on extending battery operating life through the use of lowpower chipsets and communication protocols, the potential energy savings gained from all of these schemes fails to compare with the energy lost to annual self-discharge. Self-discharge is a natural phenomenon that affects all batteries, as chemical reactions occur even when the battery is in storage and not being used. Self-discharge rates vary based on a number of factors, including the current discharge potential of the cell based on its design, the purity and quality of the raw materials and the ability of the battery manufacturer to control cell passivation, thereby slowing down the chemical reactions that lead to self-discharge.
Understanding passivation Passivation is a thin film of lithium chloride (LiCl) that forms on the surface of the lithium anode, creating a high resistance layer between the electrodes, thereby restricting the chemical reactions that cause self-discharge. When a load is placed on the cell, the passivation layer causes higher resistance, which can cause the cell’s voltage to dip temporarily until the discharge reaction slowly removes the passivation layer. This process repeats itself each time the load is removed. Different factors can influence the amount of passivation, including the current capacity of the cell, length
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 5: Comparative evaporation/self-discharge rates: XOL TL-49xx Series (a); IXTRA TL-59xx Series and other manufacturers (b); LiMnO2 and alkaline cells (c).
of storage, storage temperature, discharge temperature and prior discharge conditions, as partially discharging a cell and then removing the load increases the amount of passivation relative to when the cell was new.
Better batteries balance passivation and energy discharge Passivation is essential for reducing battery self-discharge, but too much of it can restrict energy from flowing when its needed most. Conversely, less passivation permits a greater rate of energy flow, but the tradeoff is a higher self-discharge rate and a shorter operating life.
Applied Automation October 2019
•
A11
BATTERY LIFE
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 6: Volume left after 10 and 20 years of self-discharge only (no load): XOL TL-49xx Series (a); IXTRA TL-59xx Series and other manufacturers, generally not recommended for applications requiring more than 10 years of operating life where the average daily current drawn to operate the device plus the annual self-discharge rate will deplete cell capacity to a point so low that it compromises longterm reliability (b); LiMnO2 and alkaline cells, high annual self-discharge rates make 10+year battery life impossible (c).
Comparing the effect of passivation on self-discharge and energy flow is like comparing bottles of fluid with different size openings (see Figures 3 - 7 and Figure 9): • The volume of the glass/ bottle is equivalent to battery capacity • Evaporation/self-discharge is equivalent to capacity loss • Flow volume is equal to discharge/energy flow
Figure 7: Clogged openings – passivation – prevent flow. Low quality fluid/electrolyte can freeze in the opening in cold and can plug up the opening in the heat.
• Low liquid/electrolyte quality can cause the opening to get plugged up, which can cause flow stoppage/passivation • Low liquid/electrolyte quality can cause evaporation/ self-discharge • Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries have very “small openings” • LiMnO2 and alkaline batteries have “larger openings” that permit higher flow rates but also result in faster evaporation/self-discharge • Large openings are good for fast flow/discharge but not for storing fluids for a long time • For long operating life you need a small opening for low evaporation/self-discharge
A12 • October 2019
Applied Automation
Figure 8: PulsesPlus batteries combine a standard bobbin-type LiSOCl2 battery with a patented hybrid layer capacitor (HLC) to deliver the periodic high pulses required for two-way wireless communications.
• Opening size/battery design is a critical issue – too large an opening can cause too much evaporation/selfdischarge; too small an opening and there is no flow and the opening can be clogged (passivation) • Fluid/chemistry quality is imperative to keeping impurities/passivation low.
How to deliver low self-discharge and high flow/pulses Remote wireless devices increasingly require periodic high pulses to power two-way wireless communications and other advanced functionality. These requirements invariably draw additional current, so various methods are used to conserve energy, including low-power communications protocols (ZigBee, WirelessHART, LoRa, etc.), low-power microprocessors and more efficient data sampling and transmission.
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The long-term impact of a battery with a higher self-discharge rate may not become apparent for years Standard bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries are not designed to deliver high pulses due to their low rate Figure 9: XOL/HLC in design. However, this can action: Heavy flow be solved easily by using a upon discharge patented hybrid layer capacitor (HLC). The standard bobbin-type LiSOCl2 cell delivers low daily background current while the HLC handles periodic high pulses. The patented HLC also features a special end-of-life voltage plateau that can be interpreted to deliver automatic lowbattery status alerts (see Figure 8). Supercapacitors deliver high pulses electrostatically rather than through a chemical reaction. While popular for use in consumer electronics, supercapacitors generally are unsuited for industrial applications due to inherent drawbacks such as short-duration power, linear discharge qualities that prevent use of all the available energy, low capacity, low energy density and high annual selfdischarge rates (up to 60% per year). Supercapacitors linked in series also require the use of cell-balancing circuits, which add to their cost and bulkiness and consumes energy to further raise their self-discharge rate (see Figure 9).
Testing for annual self-discharge can be misleading The long-term impact of a battery with a higher self-discharge rate may not become apparent for years, and theoretical methods for predicting actual battery life generally under-represent the importance of the passivation effect along with long-term exposure to extreme temperatures. If your application demands long-life power, then you need to conduct proper due diligence by thoroughly evaluating potential battery suppliers. This process starts by demanding fully documented long-term test results along with long-term in-field test data and customer references from real-life devices operating under similar loads and environmental conditions. For example, accurate long-term test data is essential to specifying batteries for AMR/AMI utility meter transmitters, as a large-scale battery failure can disrupt customer billing systems and disable remote service start-up and shut-off capabilities. The city of Springfield, Mass.,
A14 • October 2019
Applied Automation
Figure 10. AMR/AMI meter transmitter units (MTU) are often buried underground, exposed to extreme temperatures and difficult to access for replacement.
learned this lesson the hard way, as the municipality was forced to begin prematurely replacing thousands of water meter batteries each year to avoid the potential of a mass disruption to its automated billing systems (see Figure 10).
Further considerations When specifying an industrial-grade lithium battery, various technical requirements should be factored in, including: the amount of current consumed in active mode (along with the size, duration and frequency of pulses); energy consumed in standby or sleep mode (the base current); storage time (as normal self-discharge during storage diminishes capacity); expected temperatures (including during storage and in-field operation); equipment cutoff voltage (as battery capacity is exhausted, or in extreme temperatures, voltage can drop to a point too low for the sensor to operate); and the annual self-discharge rate of the battery (which can approach the amount of current drawn from average daily use). A top-quality bobbin-type LiSOCl2 battery can enable certain low power devices to operate for up to 40 years, achieving a low cost of ownership due to a very low annual self-discharge rate. When calculating your projected cost of ownership, make sure to include all anticipated expenses, including future battery replacements over the lifetime of the device, as well as calculating the added costs and risks associated with premature battery failure. When extended battery life is essential, remember that theoretical claims regarding battery life are often misleading by failing to properly measure the passivation effect and energy losses caused by long-term exposure to extreme temperatures. So, do your due diligence. Sol Jacobs is vice president and general manager, Tadiran Batteries.
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