Industrial Automation

Applications of SCADA

Applications of SCADA

SCADA Application

What is SCADA?

  • SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition.
  • SCADA is a computer-based system to analyze real-time production data. SCADA monitors and manages alarms, and programs for automatic responses triggered by system parameters.
  • SCADA system is a very essential tool for process automation.
  • It helps to be aware of potential network issues.
  • It makes informed decisions to respond accordingly on time.
  • It is a type of remote monitoring system to manage and control equipment to eliminate human error.
  • SCADA is widely used in various sectors such as chemical, gas, water, communications, and power systems.
  • SCADA is a combination of software and hardware elements for process industries to
SCADA in industries
  • Process Control & monitor in real-time from a remote location
  • Analysis & calculation of complex processes & maintaining control signals accordingly.
  • Data Acquisition, Historical Data Logging, Archiving & Retrieving
  • Trend & Alarm Generation
  • Recipe Management in Process & Chemical Industries
  • Report Generation

Applications of SCADA include      

SCADA Application

1. Electricity Generation, Transmssion, and Distribution Systems:

Power SCADA
  • SCADA systems are used in electric power generation plants, transmission areas, and distribution systems.
  • SCADA systems monitor each and every phase of the generation of electricity from fuel input to electrical output.
  • SCADA systems can also be used to monitor and control electrical switchboards, Grids, and transmission lines.
  • SCADA monitors and controls the actual electrical power being transmitted over long distances.
  • This system responds to load fluctuations instantaneously.

2. Manufacturing Industries or Plants:

  • A SCADA helps in managing various raw materials or inventory items, to control automated systems in synchronous order.
  • SCADA precisely controls every plant operation to ensure all systems run smoothly and meet productivity targets.
  • SCADA tracks the number of units produced, & measures process values such as temperature, pressure, and humidity at various production phases.
  • It also controls assembly line robots.
SCADA in Manufacturing Industries or Plants

3. Food & Pharma Production:

  • SCADA system monitors and controls all stages of the production unit.
  • Controls the exact mixture of required ingredients.
  • Monitors the time and temperature required to manufacture & process food & beverages or pharmaceutical products.
  • SCADA documents data to prove the production meets the industrial standard and government regulations.

4. Telecom & IT-based systems:

Managing different Radio Frequency based systems, communication mediums, and large communication systems such as logging data and information through an antenna using a SCADA system is very easy.

5. Water Treatment Plants, Sewage Treatment Plants, & Supply Management:

SCADA in Treatment Plants
  • Municipal Corporations and other government sectors are using SCADA for monitoring, controlling, and regulating the level and flow of water in dams & reservoirs.
  • SCADA system monitors and controls the water being pumped from bore wells and treated at WTP.
  • This system controls flow rate sensors and contaminant sensors.
  • This controls the booster pump to regulate the water pressure supplied to the process.

6. Traffic Controls:

  • In metropolitan cities, SCADA regulates traffic signal lamps, detects signals out-of-order, & controls traffic flow.
  • In railway systems, on-road systems, & airlines the traffic flow is controlled by the SCADA system.

7. Lift & Elevator Controls:

SCADA system can also be used to lift and control elevators in commercial malls and in large industries.

8. Buildings & Society Environments:

Facility managers use SCADA to control High Voltage AC, refrigeration units, lighting, and entry systems.

9. Oil & Gas Systems:

SCADA in Oil & Gas Units
  • SCADA system monitors wells and pumping sites, pumping pressure, pipeline flow, and compressor stations.
  • It detects irregularities to prevent catastrophic events from occurring for safety.

10. Mass Transit & Railway Traction:

  • Transport authorities use the SCADA system to
  • Control supply of electricity to subways, trams, and trolley buses.
  • To automate traffic signal indication for railways.
  • To track and locate trains and buses.
  • To control railway crossings.
  • SCADA protocols also regulate electricity in remote locations.

SCADA in Power transmitting Systems

  1. Re-routing services for station maintenance
  2. Service Restoration
  3. Protective relay interface/interaction
  4. Voltage regulation management
  5. Load tap changer control
  6. Transformer management
  7. Real-time modeling.
  8. Automatic control of circuit isolation.
  9. collective  switch control display
  10. Interface real-time single-line displays
  11. On-line operation and maintenance logs
  12. Automatic system diagnostics through system alarm management.

Some of the applications are

  • Comprehensive operational planning and control
  • Fuel resource scheduling
  • Optimum power flow
  • Network security
  • Economic dispatch
  • Generation dispatch control

Benefits of SCADA for Power Systems

  • Improved quality of service
  • Improved reliability
  • Reduced operating costs
  • Maintenance /Expansion of customer base
  • Ability to defer capacity addition projects
  • High-value service providers
  • Improved information for engineering decision
  • value-added services
  • Flexible billing option
  • Improved customer information access
  • Reduced system implementation costs
  • Reduced manpower requirements

The general features of a SCADA substation system are

  • Substation parameter monitoring
  • Controlling electrical network components remotely
  • Safety tagging
  • High-resolution time stamping
  • The sequence of event reporting for post-event analysis

Additional features of the substation control system

  • Demand side management
  • Volt/VAR control
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Fault detection isolation and restoration.

SCADA for Power Utility Network

  • Power Utility Network (PUN) software provides an electrical utility with tools to enhance system operation at a very low cost.
  • The PNU software consumes real-time SCADA data.
  • PNU logic is a combination of both mathematical and logical techniques.
  • The present scenario is to produce and distribute quality power at the minimum investment.
  • Proper operation of the electrical network & having real-time data about the network helps to achieve the required goal.
  • PNU provides the user with a host of applications to distribute automation.

Features of Power Network Utilities

  • Component Modeling
  • State Estimation
  • Bad Data Suppression
  • Contingency Analysis
  • Fault Isolation/Islanding
  • Load Shedding
  • Volt/VAR Scheduling
  • Dispatcher Power Flow
  • Short Circuit Analysis
  • Network Topology Processor

Objectives of SCADA

There are many objectives of the SCADA System.

  • Improves overall System efficiency such as capital & energy.
  • Increases penetration of energy sources along with renewable energy sources.
  • Reduces energy requirements at generation and transmission sections
  • Increases sequence to essential loads.

The application of SCADA

  • In power plants, the SCADA serves the invaluable safety and protection
  • This system attempts to solve the fault that occurred and restore power quickly when a fault is experienced in a transmission line.

SCADA Advantages

  • Receiving real-time information to monitor equipment
  • Remote industrial control
  • Storage of performance data for later analysis
  • It allows for dynamic maintenance and reduces downtime

Frequently asked Questions

What are the four types of SCADA?

The SCADA systems are classified into four types

  • Monolithic SCADA system,
  • Distributed SCADA system,
  • Networked SCADA system, and
  • I-o-T SCADA system.

What is an example of SCADA?

Basically, SCADA systems control and monitors physical processes. General examples of SCADA are

  • Transmission of Electricity,
  • Transportation of Gas & Oil in Pipelines,
  • Water Distribution,
  • Traffic Lights.

What are the four functions of SCADA?

The four primary functions of the SCADA system are:

  • Data Acquisition,
  • Network Data Communication,
  • Data Presentation,
  • Data Control.

What language is SCADA?

  • Most SCADA systems are now programmed using standard interfaces.
  • Basically, C, or a derived programming language is used as a SCADA language.

What is the main function of SCADA?

The basic function of SCADA systems are

  • Collects field information,
  • Transfer it to the main computer.
  • Displays the process information as a graphical representation.

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