Standy generator control panel issues

[Navaraj]

As I said I have been thinking on your problem so more questions for you.

Do you have a transfer switch to connect the installation between utility supply and generator supply? Is it manual or automatic?

What are the approximate lengths of cables - perhaps you could provide a one-line layout drawing which shows the electrical items and the cabling between them. This is relevant because for a short interconnection one surge suppressor could be effective but for a longer length - which can pick up lightning pulses like an antenna - a surge suppressor at each end of the interconnection is probably required.

Similarly all the earth/ground/bonding need to be short and have a high surface area - a low surge impedance; otherwise they present a high impedance to short high intensity lightning pulses which means they are less effective at conducting short-lived high currents to ground and thereby reducing overvoltages occurring at places in the installation where there are sensitive electrical components.

Does the building itself have lightning protection installed?

4 pole manual change over switch is present with type 2 spd conncetion and then 3 phase and a neutral of length(35m) is then connected to volatge stabilizer,stabilizer output is connected to standby generator ( generator has contactors which are not damage so far ) then its output is then connected to online UPS (three phase in and single phase out )
Volatge stabiliser and ups are grounded too
But problem is that only generator control panel and stabiliser display panel get damage which do not pass the line ,generator do not self start) and during normal lightning ,main utility line is cut off from manual change over and generator is operated under lightning condition ) and normal lightning ,generator was operating smoothly for three days lightning .after heavy lightning which was high enough to shake earth structure ( as per source ) ,control panel was badly burnt .(generator works perfectly great after controller replacement)
If possible , will you please send me your email id ?
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As I said I have been thinking on your problem so more questions for you.

Do you have a transfer switch to connect the installation between utility supply and generator supply? Is it manual or automatic?

What are the approximate lengths of cables - perhaps you could provide a one-line layout drawing which shows the electrical items and the cabling between them. This is relevant because for a short interconnection one surge suppressor could be effective but for a longer length - which can pick up lightning pulses like an antenna - a surge suppressor at each end of the interconnection is probably required.

Similarly all the earth/ground/bonding need to be short and have a high surface area - a low surge impedance; otherwise they present a high impedance to short high intensity lightning pulses which means they are less effective at conducting short-lived high currents to ground and thereby reducing overvoltages occurring at places in the installation where there are sensitive electrical components.

Does the building itself have lightning protection installed?

4 pole manual change over switch is present with type 2 spd conncetion and then 3 phase and a neutral of length(35m) is then connected to volatge stabilizer,stabilizer output is connected to standby generator ( generator has contactors which are not damage so far ) then its output is then connected to online UPS (three phase in and single phase out )
Volatge stabiliser and ups are grounded too
But problem is that only generator control panel and stabiliser display panel get damage which do not pass the line ,generator do not self start) and during normal lightning ,main utility line is cut off from manual change over and generator is operated under lightning condition ) and normal lightning ,generator was operating smoothly for three days lightning .after heavy lightning which was high enough to shake earth structure ( as per source ) ,control panel was badly burnt .(generator works perfectly great after controller replacement)
If possible , will you please send me your email id ?
[automerge]1584597468[/automerge]

As I said I have been thinking on your problem so more questions for you.

Do you have a transfer switch to connect the installation between utility supply and generator supply? Is it manual or automatic?

What are the approximate lengths of cables - perhaps you could provide a one-line layout drawing which shows the electrical items and the cabling between them. This is relevant because for a short interconnection one surge suppressor could be effective but for a longer length - which can pick up lightning pulses like an antenna - a surge suppressor at each end of the interconnection is probably required.

Similarly all the earth/ground/bonding need to be short and have a high surface area - a low surge impedance; otherwise they present a high impedance to short high intensity lightning pulses which means they are less effective at conducting short-lived high currents to ground and thereby reducing overvoltages occurring at places in the installation where there are sensitive electrical components.

Does the building itself have lightning protection installed?

4 pole manual change over switch is present with type 2 spd conncetion and then 3 phase and a neutral of length(35m) is then connected to volatge stabilizer,stabilizer output is connected to standby generator ( generator has contactors which are not damage so far ) then its output is then connected to online UPS (three phase in and single phase out )
Volatge stabiliser and ups are grounded too
But problem is that only generator control panel and stabiliser display panel get damage which do not pass the line ,generator do not self start) and during normal lightning ,main utility line is cut off from manual change over and generator is operated under lightning condition ) and normal lightning ,generator was operating smoothly for three days lightning .after heavy lightning which was high enough to shake earth structure ( as per source ) ,control panel was badly burnt .(generator works perfectly great after controller replacement)
If possible , will you please send me your email id ?

 

[marconi]

I have sent you in a private message an email address for me.

In your post #8, the third picture shows a bunch of wires. What was the damage and was it all internal to the bunch or did arcing occur to surrounding metalwork?

Does the generator control panel share the same low voltage dc supply as the voltage stabiliser (whose panel also fails)?

From where does the dc power supply for the generator control panel come from? Is it a battery which is trickle charged by a mains battery charger?
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Is the 35m cable a steel wire armoured cable?

Is it practical to co-locate all the electrical equipment (ie Generator,Stabiliser, UPS, COS) inside an earthed metal shielded container (Faraday cage)?

I am researching low voltage dc lightning/surge suppressor technology for the Aux Power supply and sensor inputs.
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https://library.e.abb.com/public/ec...se Electronic systems protection brochure.pdf

Please take a look at the link and turn to page 7/12. This is a nice diagram which shows the way to protect sensitive electronic/electrical equipment from lightning. Could you compare your installation to it and report back to me please?

My thinking at the moment is along the lines that at the moment everything is too dispersed, your grounding is inadequate and not single point, cable lengths are too long and thus acting as antennae, and some simple low voltage dc surge suppression is missing from the power and sensor inputs to the AMF controller.

 

[marconi]

Navaraj: I am in contact with a company in Sheffield, United Kingdom which supplies circuit protection products from the CIRPROTEC range to the telecommunications and energy industries to avoid damage from lightning surges in low voltage applications.

Cirprotec · Protection contre la foudre et les surtensions - http://www.cirprotec.com/

Do you have a budget to spend money on such items? You would buy them not me. If you have not then it is pointless me investigating further - (apart from keeping me amused )

 

[Navaraj]

Navaraj: I am in contact with a company in Sheffield, United Kingdom which supplies circuit protection products from the CIRPROTEC range to the telecommunications and energy industries to avoid damage from lightning surges in low voltage applications.

Cirprotec · Protection contre la foudre et les surtensions - http://www.cirprotec.com/

Do you have a budget to spend money on such items? You would buy them not me. If you have not then it is pointless me investigating further - (apart from keeping me amused )

Sorry i am not trying to amuse you or waste your time ,i will keep it touch with you ,i have lots of queries to ask you.i will chat you after i got free time.

 

[marconi]

Oh - my sense of humour has misfired - I love these types of problems and understand the challenges of dealing with them and you over the distance between us, the language and different time zones. Please tell me more about your qualifications and experience and fluency in English so I can talk to you in the right way.



M

 

[Strima]

I'd be interested in the solution to this.

 

[marconi]

Navaraj: I sent this email to First Power and Surge Protection in Sheffield UK:

First Power - Lightning and Surge Protection Specialist | First Power & Surge Protection - http://www.firstpowerandsurgeprotection.com/

'Good morning from London and thank you for responding so promptly.

I am helping a client in Nepal protect the electronic controller (GADC 321/422) which automatically starts a standby diesel generator and carries out the switchover of supplies. Following two episodes of lightning - which were indeed intense - the electronic controller has failed - presumably from some sort of over voltage picked up in the wiring to and from it.

All the main voltage cabling already has some surge protection installed and (so far) has suffered no damage whatsoever. So it is the low voltage dc (12V-24V) for which I am investigating technology which can be easily installed by the client (an electrician).

At the attachment is the ubiquitous controller. It has a dc Aux input 8-35V(bottom right), several on/off inputs from water temperature, oil pressure and fuel sensors; some current clamp inputs from the alternator output; some voltage and current sensor inputs from alternator output and utility supply; and finally some on/off outputs for cranking, hooter, etcetera.

Could you recommend please some transient over-voltage protectors for some or all of these inputs and outputs, or provide me with some pointers towards devices which may be suitable for me to study their specification and suitability for this application?