Installation of 1000HP Solid State Starters in Integrated Control Building
Occidental’s U.S. business is focused in the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeast New Mexico, one of the largest and most active oil basins in the United States. This accounts for approximately 30 percent of the total U.S. oil production. As the No. 1 producer in the Permian Basin focused on the Delaware and Midland basins, as well as the Central Basin Platform reliability is extremely important.
One of the major issues in this area is with power quality and power limitation. Many of the applications require large motors which consume electricity. The large motors have very high inrush currents which create significant voltage drops on the utility line affecting other processes and other consumers. The utility is forced to put significant starting kVA limitations on these large machines. Many companies are left with having to consider alternate methods of starting these motors. The simplest and most proven method to reduce motor inrush current is with a reduced voltage solid state starter (RVSS). The graphs below illustrate a 2700HP motor started at across the line with a full voltage starter and started with a reduced voltage solid state starter (RVSS). When motors are started at full voltage they pull 6-7 times the running current to start most applications. A RVSS starter, by limiting the voltage to the motor during starting, allows the motor to produce the exact amount of torque the load requires instead of what the motor is capable of producing, eliminating un-needed inrush back on the utility line. This motor below wanted to pull 700% of motor FLA during starting. When the motor is energized with a RVSS the inrush is limited to 30% of motor FLA. This reduction in inrush allows the sites to operate these large motors.
A typical site would include 3-4 centrifugal pumps or compressors ranging from 350HP-2700HP at 4.16kV. Shown below is one of the custom starter packages we supply. It includes a Benshaw medium voltage solid state starter designed for a 2700Hp synchronous motor with an integrated control section housing Schweitzer Relays, a Basler DEC-200 Brushless Exciter and 29 Test Switches. The client’s operation protocol requires the ability to remotely communicate with the Schweitzer relays to monitor site operations. This type of remote interface and automation eliminates unneeded trips to the isolated job sites to check and monitor the operation.
Five Star Electric was the chosen supplier for these packages because we have the ability to provide the client the simplest, most basic motor controller or a complete custom engineered package housed in its own portable control building or enclosure. Our expertise in the application of variable speed drives and solid state starters has made us the chosen supplier for many of the leading companies across Texas.
