Paolo Pinceti - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Paolo Pinceti
Durante una ricerca sui sistemi di High Voltage Direct Current, i moderni sistemi che consentono ... more Durante una ricerca sui sistemi di High Voltage Direct Current, i moderni sistemi che consentono di controllare enormi flussi di energia elettrica su grandi distanze, ci siamo imbattuti nella pagina di Wikipedia (edizione in inglese) che elenca questo tipo di impianti suddivisi per continente ed ordinati cronologicamente. I pi\uf9 antichi sistemi di trasmissione di energia elettrica sono ovviamente in Europa, ed il pi\uf9 vecchio \ue8 un impianto sperimentale tra Monaco e Miesbach in Germania, del 1882, oggi non pi\uf9 operante. Il secondo pi\uf9 antico, del 1889, collegava il \u201cGorzente River\u201d con \u201cGenoa\u201d. Incuriositi, e anche un po\u2019 infastiditi per aver dovuto scoprire la faccenda su un sito americano senza che noi, genovesi, ne sapessimo nulla, abbiamo approfondito la storia di questo collegamento. Abbiamo cos\uec avuto modo di riscoprire la storia di un primato genovese ormai dimenticato che merita di essere conosciuto e ricordato
2019 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2019 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe (EEEIC / I&CPS Europe), 2019
The profitability of a PV plant is strictly related to its maintenance. Failures can occur during... more The profitability of a PV plant is strictly related to its maintenance. Failures can occur during the lifetime of the modules, the strings and all the other devices that operate in a PV plant. For this reason, it is extremely important to carry out a policy of maintenance that optimizes the operational costs and maximizes the energy production of the plant.One of the most promising maintenance policies is based on imaging techniques like visual inspections, thermography and electro-luminescence performed using unmanned aerial vehicles (especially for large PV plants).These techniques produce a large amount of raw data that are to be analyzed to calculate the return of maintenance interventions or substitutions. These decisions can be taken only comparing the economic losses due to a failure with the repairing cost.This paper, starting from well-known mathematical models of PV modules, proposes an innovative approach to correlate the results of a thermographic inspection with the power losses and the consequent income reduction. This approach is a valid tool for supporting decisions about the maintenance actions on PV plants.
International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 2019
The international standard IEC 61508 introduces the concept of "safety related function" to achie... more The international standard IEC 61508 introduces the concept of "safety related function" to achieve a satisfactory level of safety in processes that show unacceptable risks. A safety function is actuated by a safety system made up of one or more "sensors" that detect the abnormal condition, a "logic solver" that acquires the data from the sensor(s) and commands one or more "actuators" to drive the plant in safe condition. In many applications, the actuator is an electrical device, i.e. a circuit breaker that may be controlled through an IEC 61850 network. A typical architecture for industrial applications sees a PLC/DCS for controlling the process and an IEC 61850 network for controlling the electrical system. Safety related systems (SIS) are to be certified, and the availability of the system must be calculated using the procedure described in IEC 61508. Today, electrical devices with IEC 61850 are not yet certified for safety applications, so a formal issue arises. In this paper we compare the technical specifications of IEC 61850 with the requirements for safety fieldbus specified by IEC 61784-3. A complete series of tests was carried out to verify the robustness of IEC 61850 to the communication errors that may affect a network, and results are reported.
Transactions on Environment and Electrical Engineering, 2016
Safety is an essential issue for processes that present high risk for human beings and environmen... more Safety is an essential issue for processes that present high risk for human beings and environment. An acceptable level of risk is obtained both with actions on the process itself (risk reduction) and with the use of special safety systems that switch the process into safe mode when a fault or an abnormal operation mode happens. These safety systems are today based on digital devices that communicate through digital networks. The IEC 61508 series specifies the safety requirements of all the devices that are involved in a safety function, including the communication network. Also electrical generation and distribution systems are processes that may have a significant level of risk, so the criteria stated by the IEC 61508 applies. Starting from this consideration, the paper analyzes the safety requirement for the communication network and compare them with the services of the communication protocol IEC 61850 that represents the most used protocol for automation of electrical plants. The goal of this job is to demonstrate that, from the technical point of view, IEC 61850 can be used for implementing safety-related functions, even if a formal safety certification is still missing.
The growing size and complexity of industrial power systems, plus the requirements of more and mo... more The growing size and complexity of industrial power systems, plus the requirements of more and more reliable operation, particularly in continuous process plants, call for the utilization of structured approaches which make use of off-line computer programs both at design and control stages. As a general rule, the use of such computer programs has been restricted to the analysis of the load-flow and fault conditions without taking into account the dynamic behavior of the system. The aim of the paper is to introduce the dynamic simulation in industrial power system analysis and to point out the fall- out on the design and management of such plants. In particular, reference is made to a large steel plant, supplied from the electrical utility in connection with in-site generation; knowledge of dynamic performance of the system is shown to provide the engineer the essential information to optimize system protection and operating reliability.
International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 2015
Parallel filters for industrial and large commercial plants are often not as effective as expecte... more Parallel filters for industrial and large commercial plants are often not as effective as expected. Several factors contribute in modifying their filtering characteristics, so reducing the filter effectiveness. The paper defines these factors, indicates their expected range of variation, and shows how to calculate their effects on the impedance profile of a filter. The maximum range of variation of resonance and antiresonance frequencies is calculated and their loci are sketched. The sensitivity of the filter characteristic to each parameter is calculated and discussed.
Conference Record - IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference
The paper describes the preliminary results obtained in the HotSMESProject sponsored by the EU. T... more The paper describes the preliminary results obtained in the HotSMESProject sponsored by the EU. The project has the goal to investigate the performances of the so-called High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) when used in Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage systems (SMES) used to improve the Power Quality (PQ).
Conference Record - IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference
In this paper the application of Rough Set Theory (RST) to predictive maintenance problems is con... more In this paper the application of Rough Set Theory (RST) to predictive maintenance problems is considered. Here, RST is used in Knowledge Discovery in Database (KDD) process applied data stored by Intelligent Field Devices (IFD). The main RST features are outlined and analyzed with the help of a working example.
Currently Predictive Maintenance (PM) represents one of the most interesting topics in automation... more Currently Predictive Maintenance (PM) represents one of the most interesting topics in automation industry. The research of advanced predictive techniques is strictly connected with the availability of data provided by field devices inside a plant. The framework Field Data Catcher (FieldDC) presented in this paper proposes a solution to the problem of transporting information from field devices to a central database, where advanced diagnostic algorithms can be performed. A key feature of the framework is its possibility of operating regardless the type of field devices and communication protocols. To achieve this goal, the framework uses the functionality provided by FDT/DTM (Field Device Tool/Device Type Manager), an open technology that standardizes the communication and configuration interface between all field devices and host systems.
Electric Power Systems Research, 2015
ABSTRACT The paper describes the control functions that a power management system (PMS) needs for... more ABSTRACT The paper describes the control functions that a power management system (PMS) needs for controlling a microgrid, with both conventional and renewable sources. According to the IEEE 1547.4, distributed resources island systems - or in brief “microgrids” - are active networks containing both loads and distributed generators, and may require a modification of their control logic if they are connected to a grid or not. A fast load or generator shedding actions may also be required to preserve system stability in case the microgrid switches from connected to islanded. Today, most industrial networks are designed to run also in islanded mode, while in public networks transmission system operators (TSO) generally do not allow islands. The presence of renewable sources that are partially not controllable requires the re-definition of the control logic compared with microgrids where only fully controllable generators are present. PMS of a microgrid has a double function:
International Journal of Power and Energy Systems, 2011
Rapid response time and four-quadrant control make static compensators (StatComs) one of the most... more Rapid response time and four-quadrant control make static compensators (StatComs) one of the most promising technology to improve control bus voltage; performances are improved when they are coupled to an energy storage system, such as a superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES). This paper presents a new application for StatCom+SMES systems to support fast bus transfer (FBT) for loads requiring a high reliability power source. FBT supported by StatCom and SMES can be performed with standard electromechanical circuit breakers rather than more expensive static switches, even with passive loads, that cannot support bus voltage when the main source is going out of service.
2013 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Technology (ICIT), 2013
ABSTRACT The effects of grid faults on large generators in a power system have been widely invest... more ABSTRACT The effects of grid faults on large generators in a power system have been widely investigated starting from the '70s, and proper remedial actions are today known. The diffusion of distributed generation with the deployment of small and medium-size generators connected to the MV distribution network opens new problems not yet investigated into details. Typically, distribution networks experience a high number of faults, mostly involving the ground circuit, and these faults affect the operation of generators and may, in the worst cases, jeopardize their own integrity. The paper analyzes the typical faults on a MV distribution system and their effects on distributed generators. A real and unfortunately rather typical case of repeated generator break-downs due to high torque stress is presented and discussed. In the last part of the paper a possible innovative solution to mitigate this problem is proposed.
2012 9th International Conference on Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation (REV), 2012
This paper presents a novel approach for monitoring the current produced by arrays (strings) of p... more This paper presents a novel approach for monitoring the current produced by arrays (strings) of photovoltaic modules. The approach is based on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) devices for data transmission. The solution lets the creation of a self-configuring wireless network of low-power and low-cost devices, in order to dramatically reduce the installation cost and time. No wires are required for data transmission, as well for supplying power to the devices. The wireless acquisition device is the foundation of a complete architectural solution for monitoring photovoltaic power plants, and has been the business idea for the creation of a start-up company.
Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics ISIE-02, 2002
ABSTRACT The paper describes the fully digital control system of the new facility for rotor testi... more ABSTRACT The paper describes the fully digital control system of the new facility for rotor testing of Ansaldo Energia at Genova. This laboratory is used to drive at over-speed the turbine and generator rotors produced by the Ansaldo Factory. This operation is necessary to balance the rotors before their installation and commissioning. The control system of the installation was designed to exploit at the higher degree the possibilities offered by the modern digital technologies, i.e. intelligent field devices and fieldbus based networks. The system has not a single conventional input/output card. Three specialised fieldbuses are used: Profibus DP for controlling the electrical system and the main drive, Proribus PA for all the transmitters and actuators, and AS-i for all the on/off signals in the field. A higher level network for supervision, report generation, and connection with the factory IT system is based on Ethernet. After a brief description of the system, the paper focuses on two main topics: the time/cost analysis of the engineering and the commissioning stages compared with a conventional solution, the operational performances of the system and the support for maintenance. A specific section discusses the system safety and describes the solutions adopted to guarantee personnel safety and machinery integrity.
Proceedings. Joint International Power Conference Athens Power Tech,
ABSTRACT First Page of the Article
Proceedings of the 21st IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37510)
ABSTRACT Data available at intelligent measurement transmitters are considered and exploited in o... more ABSTRACT Data available at intelligent measurement transmitters are considered and exploited in order to implement predictive maintenance algorithms. The procedure is worked out with the help of some examples concerning differential pressure transmitters and echo level transmitters. Expert knowledge about possible misoperations and failure conditions of each transmitter is needed to develop algorithm rules.
2007 IEEE Conference on Emerging Technologies & Factory Automation (EFTA 2007), 2007
Control systems for industrial processes are more and more using PC-based platforms instead of de... more Control systems for industrial processes are more and more using PC-based platforms instead of dedicated devices such as controllers or PLCs. Software packages allow running a "soft PLC" on a normal PC with a general purpose operating system. These solutions present several advantages in terms of flexibility, communications, multi-vendor interfacing, and costs. On the other hand the use of multi-tasking
2006 IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference Proceedings, 2006
ABSTRACT The problem of definition of power quality assessment for low voltage dc distribution ne... more ABSTRACT The problem of definition of power quality assessment for low voltage dc distribution networks is addressed, with focus on: definition of meaningful electromagnetic phenomena; power quality indices and measurement methods; simulation and experimental results
Durante una ricerca sui sistemi di High Voltage Direct Current, i moderni sistemi che consentono ... more Durante una ricerca sui sistemi di High Voltage Direct Current, i moderni sistemi che consentono di controllare enormi flussi di energia elettrica su grandi distanze, ci siamo imbattuti nella pagina di Wikipedia (edizione in inglese) che elenca questo tipo di impianti suddivisi per continente ed ordinati cronologicamente. I pi\uf9 antichi sistemi di trasmissione di energia elettrica sono ovviamente in Europa, ed il pi\uf9 vecchio \ue8 un impianto sperimentale tra Monaco e Miesbach in Germania, del 1882, oggi non pi\uf9 operante. Il secondo pi\uf9 antico, del 1889, collegava il \u201cGorzente River\u201d con \u201cGenoa\u201d. Incuriositi, e anche un po\u2019 infastiditi per aver dovuto scoprire la faccenda su un sito americano senza che noi, genovesi, ne sapessimo nulla, abbiamo approfondito la storia di questo collegamento. Abbiamo cos\uec avuto modo di riscoprire la storia di un primato genovese ormai dimenticato che merita di essere conosciuto e ricordato
2019 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2019 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe (EEEIC / I&CPS Europe), 2019
The profitability of a PV plant is strictly related to its maintenance. Failures can occur during... more The profitability of a PV plant is strictly related to its maintenance. Failures can occur during the lifetime of the modules, the strings and all the other devices that operate in a PV plant. For this reason, it is extremely important to carry out a policy of maintenance that optimizes the operational costs and maximizes the energy production of the plant.One of the most promising maintenance policies is based on imaging techniques like visual inspections, thermography and electro-luminescence performed using unmanned aerial vehicles (especially for large PV plants).These techniques produce a large amount of raw data that are to be analyzed to calculate the return of maintenance interventions or substitutions. These decisions can be taken only comparing the economic losses due to a failure with the repairing cost.This paper, starting from well-known mathematical models of PV modules, proposes an innovative approach to correlate the results of a thermographic inspection with the power losses and the consequent income reduction. This approach is a valid tool for supporting decisions about the maintenance actions on PV plants.
International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 2019
The international standard IEC 61508 introduces the concept of "safety related function" to achie... more The international standard IEC 61508 introduces the concept of "safety related function" to achieve a satisfactory level of safety in processes that show unacceptable risks. A safety function is actuated by a safety system made up of one or more "sensors" that detect the abnormal condition, a "logic solver" that acquires the data from the sensor(s) and commands one or more "actuators" to drive the plant in safe condition. In many applications, the actuator is an electrical device, i.e. a circuit breaker that may be controlled through an IEC 61850 network. A typical architecture for industrial applications sees a PLC/DCS for controlling the process and an IEC 61850 network for controlling the electrical system. Safety related systems (SIS) are to be certified, and the availability of the system must be calculated using the procedure described in IEC 61508. Today, electrical devices with IEC 61850 are not yet certified for safety applications, so a formal issue arises. In this paper we compare the technical specifications of IEC 61850 with the requirements for safety fieldbus specified by IEC 61784-3. A complete series of tests was carried out to verify the robustness of IEC 61850 to the communication errors that may affect a network, and results are reported.
Transactions on Environment and Electrical Engineering, 2016
Safety is an essential issue for processes that present high risk for human beings and environmen... more Safety is an essential issue for processes that present high risk for human beings and environment. An acceptable level of risk is obtained both with actions on the process itself (risk reduction) and with the use of special safety systems that switch the process into safe mode when a fault or an abnormal operation mode happens. These safety systems are today based on digital devices that communicate through digital networks. The IEC 61508 series specifies the safety requirements of all the devices that are involved in a safety function, including the communication network. Also electrical generation and distribution systems are processes that may have a significant level of risk, so the criteria stated by the IEC 61508 applies. Starting from this consideration, the paper analyzes the safety requirement for the communication network and compare them with the services of the communication protocol IEC 61850 that represents the most used protocol for automation of electrical plants. The goal of this job is to demonstrate that, from the technical point of view, IEC 61850 can be used for implementing safety-related functions, even if a formal safety certification is still missing.
The growing size and complexity of industrial power systems, plus the requirements of more and mo... more The growing size and complexity of industrial power systems, plus the requirements of more and more reliable operation, particularly in continuous process plants, call for the utilization of structured approaches which make use of off-line computer programs both at design and control stages. As a general rule, the use of such computer programs has been restricted to the analysis of the load-flow and fault conditions without taking into account the dynamic behavior of the system. The aim of the paper is to introduce the dynamic simulation in industrial power system analysis and to point out the fall- out on the design and management of such plants. In particular, reference is made to a large steel plant, supplied from the electrical utility in connection with in-site generation; knowledge of dynamic performance of the system is shown to provide the engineer the essential information to optimize system protection and operating reliability.
International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 2015
Parallel filters for industrial and large commercial plants are often not as effective as expecte... more Parallel filters for industrial and large commercial plants are often not as effective as expected. Several factors contribute in modifying their filtering characteristics, so reducing the filter effectiveness. The paper defines these factors, indicates their expected range of variation, and shows how to calculate their effects on the impedance profile of a filter. The maximum range of variation of resonance and antiresonance frequencies is calculated and their loci are sketched. The sensitivity of the filter characteristic to each parameter is calculated and discussed.
Conference Record - IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference
The paper describes the preliminary results obtained in the HotSMESProject sponsored by the EU. T... more The paper describes the preliminary results obtained in the HotSMESProject sponsored by the EU. The project has the goal to investigate the performances of the so-called High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) when used in Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage systems (SMES) used to improve the Power Quality (PQ).
Conference Record - IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference
In this paper the application of Rough Set Theory (RST) to predictive maintenance problems is con... more In this paper the application of Rough Set Theory (RST) to predictive maintenance problems is considered. Here, RST is used in Knowledge Discovery in Database (KDD) process applied data stored by Intelligent Field Devices (IFD). The main RST features are outlined and analyzed with the help of a working example.
Currently Predictive Maintenance (PM) represents one of the most interesting topics in automation... more Currently Predictive Maintenance (PM) represents one of the most interesting topics in automation industry. The research of advanced predictive techniques is strictly connected with the availability of data provided by field devices inside a plant. The framework Field Data Catcher (FieldDC) presented in this paper proposes a solution to the problem of transporting information from field devices to a central database, where advanced diagnostic algorithms can be performed. A key feature of the framework is its possibility of operating regardless the type of field devices and communication protocols. To achieve this goal, the framework uses the functionality provided by FDT/DTM (Field Device Tool/Device Type Manager), an open technology that standardizes the communication and configuration interface between all field devices and host systems.
Electric Power Systems Research, 2015
ABSTRACT The paper describes the control functions that a power management system (PMS) needs for... more ABSTRACT The paper describes the control functions that a power management system (PMS) needs for controlling a microgrid, with both conventional and renewable sources. According to the IEEE 1547.4, distributed resources island systems - or in brief “microgrids” - are active networks containing both loads and distributed generators, and may require a modification of their control logic if they are connected to a grid or not. A fast load or generator shedding actions may also be required to preserve system stability in case the microgrid switches from connected to islanded. Today, most industrial networks are designed to run also in islanded mode, while in public networks transmission system operators (TSO) generally do not allow islands. The presence of renewable sources that are partially not controllable requires the re-definition of the control logic compared with microgrids where only fully controllable generators are present. PMS of a microgrid has a double function:
International Journal of Power and Energy Systems, 2011
Rapid response time and four-quadrant control make static compensators (StatComs) one of the most... more Rapid response time and four-quadrant control make static compensators (StatComs) one of the most promising technology to improve control bus voltage; performances are improved when they are coupled to an energy storage system, such as a superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES). This paper presents a new application for StatCom+SMES systems to support fast bus transfer (FBT) for loads requiring a high reliability power source. FBT supported by StatCom and SMES can be performed with standard electromechanical circuit breakers rather than more expensive static switches, even with passive loads, that cannot support bus voltage when the main source is going out of service.
2013 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Technology (ICIT), 2013
ABSTRACT The effects of grid faults on large generators in a power system have been widely invest... more ABSTRACT The effects of grid faults on large generators in a power system have been widely investigated starting from the '70s, and proper remedial actions are today known. The diffusion of distributed generation with the deployment of small and medium-size generators connected to the MV distribution network opens new problems not yet investigated into details. Typically, distribution networks experience a high number of faults, mostly involving the ground circuit, and these faults affect the operation of generators and may, in the worst cases, jeopardize their own integrity. The paper analyzes the typical faults on a MV distribution system and their effects on distributed generators. A real and unfortunately rather typical case of repeated generator break-downs due to high torque stress is presented and discussed. In the last part of the paper a possible innovative solution to mitigate this problem is proposed.
2012 9th International Conference on Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation (REV), 2012
This paper presents a novel approach for monitoring the current produced by arrays (strings) of p... more This paper presents a novel approach for monitoring the current produced by arrays (strings) of photovoltaic modules. The approach is based on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) devices for data transmission. The solution lets the creation of a self-configuring wireless network of low-power and low-cost devices, in order to dramatically reduce the installation cost and time. No wires are required for data transmission, as well for supplying power to the devices. The wireless acquisition device is the foundation of a complete architectural solution for monitoring photovoltaic power plants, and has been the business idea for the creation of a start-up company.
Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics ISIE-02, 2002
ABSTRACT The paper describes the fully digital control system of the new facility for rotor testi... more ABSTRACT The paper describes the fully digital control system of the new facility for rotor testing of Ansaldo Energia at Genova. This laboratory is used to drive at over-speed the turbine and generator rotors produced by the Ansaldo Factory. This operation is necessary to balance the rotors before their installation and commissioning. The control system of the installation was designed to exploit at the higher degree the possibilities offered by the modern digital technologies, i.e. intelligent field devices and fieldbus based networks. The system has not a single conventional input/output card. Three specialised fieldbuses are used: Profibus DP for controlling the electrical system and the main drive, Proribus PA for all the transmitters and actuators, and AS-i for all the on/off signals in the field. A higher level network for supervision, report generation, and connection with the factory IT system is based on Ethernet. After a brief description of the system, the paper focuses on two main topics: the time/cost analysis of the engineering and the commissioning stages compared with a conventional solution, the operational performances of the system and the support for maintenance. A specific section discusses the system safety and describes the solutions adopted to guarantee personnel safety and machinery integrity.
Proceedings. Joint International Power Conference Athens Power Tech,
ABSTRACT First Page of the Article
Proceedings of the 21st IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37510)
ABSTRACT Data available at intelligent measurement transmitters are considered and exploited in o... more ABSTRACT Data available at intelligent measurement transmitters are considered and exploited in order to implement predictive maintenance algorithms. The procedure is worked out with the help of some examples concerning differential pressure transmitters and echo level transmitters. Expert knowledge about possible misoperations and failure conditions of each transmitter is needed to develop algorithm rules.
2007 IEEE Conference on Emerging Technologies & Factory Automation (EFTA 2007), 2007
Control systems for industrial processes are more and more using PC-based platforms instead of de... more Control systems for industrial processes are more and more using PC-based platforms instead of dedicated devices such as controllers or PLCs. Software packages allow running a "soft PLC" on a normal PC with a general purpose operating system. These solutions present several advantages in terms of flexibility, communications, multi-vendor interfacing, and costs. On the other hand the use of multi-tasking
2006 IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference Proceedings, 2006
ABSTRACT The problem of definition of power quality assessment for low voltage dc distribution ne... more ABSTRACT The problem of definition of power quality assessment for low voltage dc distribution networks is addressed, with focus on: definition of meaningful electromagnetic phenomena; power quality indices and measurement methods; simulation and experimental results