MANAGING ASSET PERFORMANCE LINKING CONDITION ASSESSMENT TO WORK MANAGMENT A CRITICAL STEP John E.

Stead Joe S Gilbert Altalink Management

INTRODUCTION Altalink, located in Calgary Alberta Canada is an independent transmission facilities owner & operator established in 2002 during the de-regulation of the electrical industry in Alberta. Altalinks assets were previously owned by the vertically integrated TransAlta Utilities (TAU), which divested itself of all regulated assets beginning in the mid 1990s and ending with the transmission asset sale to AltaLink. Altalinks power system covers over 200,000 square kilometers of land and supplies the transmission capacity for 85% of Albertas load. The system is comprised of approximately 280 substations and 11,600 kilometers of transmission lines with voltages ranging from 69 kV to 500 kV. Within this system are approximately 600 power transformers and 1,400 circuit breakers. Following the conclusion of the RCM implementation project in 1996, it was recognized that in order to sustain the value gained through the RCM analysis an effective computerized maintenance management system was required. TransAlta selected SAP as the structure and the framework for the modernization of the computerized maintenance system. AltaLink inherited the SAP system from TAU when the assets were divested. After working with this system for several years, AltaLink determined that a more adaptable system combining maintenance and operational data was needed. The power system is a dynamic and complex combination of components with numerous criticality levels. As AltaLink began introducing more on-line monitoring devices providing real time asset condition and operating parameters, it was determined that we needed to bundle this information into one database in order to establish multiple condition triggers. SAP was evaluated for its capabilities in receiving data from multiple sources, analyzing the data, initiating action and tracking the outcomes of that action including cost tracking return of technical data etc. It was determined that SAP could not in its present form, effectively perform all these tasks to the level required by AltaLink. In 2004 Altalink moved toward development of a real-time monitoring system for more accurate and timely knowledge of asset condition. The philosophy has been to consolidate in one convenient location, all available information required for making asset health conditions. Altalink determined a front-end application capable of assessing equipment on multiple conditions taken from various sources tied to SAP was needed. SAP was retained as the database to manage the work modules. Cascade, a CMMS developed by Digital Inspections, was
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selected to track physical condition of assets and the operating conditions in order to initiate the work. The best of breed approach was decided upon in order to maximize the value of both software packages.

PROJECT CONCEPTION The project consisted of the purchase and integration of an analytical predictive maintenance application. AltaLink currently relied on two age-sensitive triggers to maintain all components of its transmission system: time and number of operations. This is not wholly effective as useful life is a function not only of age but also of conditions such as temperature, load and fault currents. An effective predictive maintenance tool would enable AltaLink to schedule maintenance based on risk assessment, real-time condition of individual assets, consequence of failure, and life cycle decisions (retire, refurbish, replace or relocate). Through the use of monitoring devices, AltaLink can limit the dependence on labor intensive, intrusive maintenance tasks applied in the past. Tear down maintenance performed to determine condition is no longer cost effective and unnecessary with the introduction of monitoring devices and computerized analytical diagnostic tools. The development and implementation of CASCADE into a monitoring system involved a number of steps primarily based on utilizing the CARE (Cascade Algorithm and Rules Engine) module as the base from which to develop a condition based maintenance system. Steps and milestones over the past couple of years have included a pilot project, database management of SAP, TOA (Transformer Oil Analyst), DTA Office and OSI PI, Cascade setup of algorithms, triggers and the SAP interfaces for equipment data transfer and notification management and status updates. In 2005 the CASCADE Corporate Implementation phase of the project was completed. The CASCADE software application was implemented for use at all AltaLink substations. By the end of 2005, CASCADE was creating alerts and e-mail notifications to Asset Management using PI data for all transformers. As for next steps in this process, AltaLink anticipates completing its ultimate plan in 2006/7 and continues to use Cascade as a major part of its ongoing development of real-time maintenance. In 2006, the next and final stage of the SAP interface was completed. This was the Cascade to SAP Notification interface which allows triggers in Cascade to initiate notifications in SAP which can then be converted to SAP Work Orders. In addition to this, the groundwork has been prepared to allow application of PI operations count triggers for circuit breakers. These algorithms have been applied to a few select Circuit Breaker types and will be expanded as experience is gained. This will allow triggers in Cascade to automatically create notifications in SAP when breakers # of operations as seen from PI (via SCADA) exceeds pre-determined threshold limits. Notifications in SAP will also be created when Breakers have not operated for a pre-determined period such as 12 months, indicating they should be exercised. Future plans are to link to other databases such as Kelman, Hydran and others. The real time monitors will trigger through SCADA to PI and we will see the results in Cascade. Once the PI data has been evaluated with the algorithms set in the Cascade\CARE, notifications will be communicated to the SAP asset management system. The overview of the concept is shown in Figure 1.

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Where does CASCADE Fit?

Raw data Data Collection (multiple sources, PI, TOA, Doble, etc.) Raw Data & Condition Codes Analysis via Algorithms/Triggers (Cascade) Notifications Maintenance Management (SAP)

Feedback & Adjust

Notifications

Work Orders

1/29/2007

John Stead

AltaLink Management

FIGURE 1

GOALS OF INTEGRATION PROCESS Leverage existing operational data presently collected for the real time operation of the power system. Collect and utilize all applicable operational data in order to identify conditions requiring immediate action in order to prevent failures and to trend this data to provide indicators of deteriorating condition. Provide a single point of contact for engineers and technicians to access data in order to make faster and more confident decisions to initiate maintenance or remove components from service. Integrate the priority rankings developed during the mid 1990s with the condition of existing components in order to flush out critical and poor performing assets. Adjust the maintenance program to accurately reflect the service history and performance of the assets. Link the condition and criticality analysis (Cascade) of assets to the work management system (SAP). Capital replacement programs to be driven by the real time condition and critically of the assets.

Figures 2 and 3 show the application and interface points established for the first and second stages of the project. The ultimate goal would be to utilize all data originating from condition

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based maintenance tasks, on-line monitoring systems, and real time operational data to create algorithms within the Cascade CARE module in order to trigger condition based maintenance.

2005
TOA
DGA Results, Oil Quality ALERTS
(human intervention) CASCADE

Breaker Status, TC Position, Load, Thru faults

OSI PI
SCADA

Update Condition Notifications

Equipment Details, Work Activities, Status Updates

Perform Maintenance Status Updates

Maintenance Management (SAP)

Work Orders

Scheduling (SAP)

Scheduled Maintenance
1/29/2007 John Stead AltaLink Management 13

FIGURE 2

Doble Results

On-Line Gas Monitors

Future
TOA
DGA Results, Oil Quality

Infra-red Results
CASCADE

Breaker Status, TC Position, Load, Thru faults

OSI PI
SCADA

ALERTS
(human intervention) Update Condition Notifications Perform Maintenance Status Updates Equipment Details, Work Activities, Status Updates

Maintenance Management

Work Orders

(SAP)

Scheduling (SAP)

Scheduled Maintenance

1/29/2007

John Stead

AltaLink Management

14

FIGURE 3

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There are three primary ways in which action will be triggered in Cascade based on the condition and operational effects: Cascade is a flow though device where triggers set in monitoring devices are automatically sent to SAP to initiate action (DGA results in TOA) Cascade receives 2 or more parameters from separate monitoring devices used in an algorithm to trigger action (DGA results on a transformer in a critical location, loaded to 90% of its capacity) An alert is triggered where human intervention is requested due to a trend seen by the monitoring devices or by condition based tasks performed by maintenance personnel.

The actions triggered in the three examples above vary due to criticality, thresholds and operational conditions. Figure 4 below illustrates the use of the Algorithm function for circuit breakers

C A R E C B O perations A lgorithm

FIGURE 4

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MAJOR ISSUES DURING IMPLEMENTATION The two most critical interfaces during the implementation process were the connection of Cascade to the PI historical system (operational data) and SAP. There were several encumbrances during these steps including: SAP data was found to be incomplete and inaccurate (existing data was verified and the addition of new data was required in SAP in order to facilitate the interface) Synchronizing the data was found to be difficult, new data fields in SAP had to be defined and installed. Turnover in SAP technical support staff slowed the progress. Circuit Breaker PI data algorithms in Cascade were deferred as SAP processes were learned and their impacts to the interface were understood before options could be identified for the passing of SAP Circuit Breaker maintenance history information to enable the trigger cycle. Drop down lists were be added in SAP to provide future data consistency by way of data entry controls.

PRAGMATIC VALUE During the implementation, we discovered valuable PI data being collected by operations that Asset Management could utilize. Since this data was collected electronically via our SCADA system it was easily interfaced to our health assessment tool (Cascade) via CARE. Since our service territory is very large and widespread, the manual collection of this data was cost prohibitive. With the utilization of Cascade/CARE/PI, sampling rates could be increased with little or no increase in costs. We are able to utilize this system on approximately 70 % of our substations. Fortunately, these are our large more critical sites.

The interface with our PI system has enabled us to utilize real time conditions including: Transformers: Monitor the thru faults on transformers (protection operations) Identify heavily loaded transformers Alerts of monitor alarm states (bushing & gas monitors) Alert of any failures on our monitoring systems (bushing & gas monitors) Alert of transformer & LTC high temperature alarms. Alert of transformer & LTC fast gas protection Circuit Breakers: Monitor circuit breaker operations with a sampling rate of every 24 hours Identify potentially frozen breakers due to lack of operations SUMMARY In order to manage our assets effectively and make educated competent decisions on what maintenance to perform or what assets to retire, we must have an accurate picture of the condition

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our assets. We need to know the duty they are exposed to, the health of the assets, as well as fully understand the consequence and probability of the failure of the assets. Through the application of RCM we began to more fully understand the need for condition based maintenance because not all assets deteriorate at the same rate nor do all failures have the same consequences. With the advances in technology and monitoring devices we discovered it was more cost effective and reliable to monitor key parameters rather than perform teardown maintenance (culture shift). The next step in the process was to realize more effort was required in the management of this condition based data and the selection of best of breed software was the most effective way to maximize value. Altalink believes the marriage of our operational data (PI), our analytical tool (CARE module of Cascade) and our work management system (SAP) can provide us with an effective asset management program. We also understand that we have taken a small step towards that goal and constant improvements and expansion of what we have initiated needs to happen. We have effectively built the foundation from which we can develop a focused condition based maintenance program with Cascade at the centre and PI, TOA, Doble and other expert systems and databases feeding into it.

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