HV Circuit Breaker via HMI Remote Control to Improve Safety

June 13, 2024

PROJECT: Gold Mine

INDUSTRY: Mining

LOCATION: Western Australia

 

HV Circuit Breaker via HMI Remote Control to Improve Safety

The Challenge

A large mining operation in Western Australia faced a safety challenge at its HV circuit breaker switching infrastructure, located in the substation. It was identified that the existing setup posed a risk of exposing workers to arc flash during switching operations.

An arc flash can happen in a split-second, causing serious burns, injury and death as well as damage to property and equipment.

CSE Uniserve was presented with the challenge of ideating a solution that would eliminate the risk of arc flash exposure by enabling remote switching, from the safety of the substation control room.

The Solution

CSE Uniserve addressed this challenge by leveraging the GE UR Protection Relay hardware infrastructure on site. Our team implemented an integration layer to interface with Human Machine Interface (HMI) screens installed in the airlocks (Safe Zones) of the substations. These HMI screens not only facilitate remote control of the circuit breakers, but also display CCTV footage of the substation interior, ensuring the area is clear before switching operations commence.

The implementation of the remote-control system has significantly enhanced safety during circuit breaker switching operations. By eliminating the need for personnel to physically interact with the circuit breakers, the risk of arc flash exposure has been effectively mitigated.

This solution effectively safeguards the well-being of the mining operation’s personnel, while also minimising the potential for equipment damage and operational downtime. In addition, the system provides our customer with the ability to implement switching from a remote operations centre in the future.