zek HYDRO 2021

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MW. Das Kraftwerk liefert im Jahr rund 2 bis 2,5 GWh. Der gesamte Stahlwasserbau wurde in bewährter Manier vom Südtiroler Branchenspezialisten Wild Metal realisiert.

photo credits: Troyer

HYDRO

Today, the latest visualisation systems give users the benefits of customised and optimised communication with their power plants. Troyer AG works unceasingly on the on-going development of central interfaces between operators and power plants.

THE HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACE IS A PREREQUISITE FOR MODERN HYDROPOWER TECHNOLOGY Nowadays, hydropower plant operators generally communicate with their station infrastructure thanks to visualisation systems. Operators observe all the key parameters via a user interface that also facilitates the execution of remote commands. The user-­ friendliness is relative: it is more a question of developing and implementing the optimal visualisation system for the respective requirements of the operator. Troyer AG is a hydropower specialist from South Tyrol with many years of experience and expertise in this field, providing customers with visualisation systems and remote-control systems with personalized software. In order to find out what is particularly important at Troyer, we asked Dipl.-Ing. Philipp March, Head of the Automation Department.

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isualisation and remote-control systems are developed to ensure all data and processes can be recorded and controlled. Over the past decades these systems have greatly simplified the task of operating a plant, increased the ease and convenience of operation, and enhanced the safety and reliability of such power stations. A visualisation system is the interface between the plant operator and the plant itself, providing the operator with a real-time ‘experience’ of his/her power station. Nevertheless, Philipp March reiterates the fact that there is not a generally accepted norm regarding what is considered an optimally and intuitively designed inter­ face: “In my opinion there is no universal answer to the question of whether a visualisation system is intuitive and user-friendly, ­since requirements can vary so immensely.

Visualisation that works for commercial electricity providers, and is seen as intuitive and user-friendly by trained and specialised staff, may still confuse the average consumer. Conversely, simple, pared-down visualisation system may provide an experienced operator with too few functional options and be too limited. This circumstance makes it impossible to design a visualisation system that facilitates an optimum solution for every plant and customer.” March points out that, in his experience, this is precisely the aspect of plant automation and process visualisation that requires the greatest amount of discussion with the customer. Requirements here are mostly dominated by operational goals and standardisation measures, so obviously implementation must be guaranteed in line with customer demands.

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UNIFORM ‘LOOK-AND-FEEL’ This is where Troyer's expertise in visualization systems comes in: Troyer is a water-to-wire specialist. In other words, the company is a full-service, single-source supplier, providing turbines and visualisation systems, the accompanying control software, switch cabinets and control panels. It’s how the company ensures compatibility across all components to cut out the risks of interface problems. “One goal we set for the development of our visualisation systems was the creation of a ­seamless concept for graphics and operation, regardless of the other hardware and project software in use. This has enabled us to achieve an uniform ‘look-and-feel’ without the deviations caused by varying plant hardware. Another goal was to allow for a broad range May 2021

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07.05.2021 10:31:45


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