Preparing the system for

sudden load change

Using PLC and MinRunPower

Application Sheet

Copyright 2013 ComAp a.s.

Prague, Czech Republic

ComAp a.s.
Kundratka 2359/17
180 00 Prague 8
Czech Republic
E-mail: info@comap.cz, www.comap.cz

1. Abstract
This application illustrates how to prepare the system for big changes of the load demand. These variations
of load demand are typically caused by starting consumption of some appliances (e.g. industrial chillers).
If the appliance start is controlled by an external device it should send a signal to the controller to inform it
about imminent start of the device and give the system some time to react.
If the device start is controlled internally by the controller (e.g. using PLC functions), the function can be
extended by a binary output allowing the start of the chiller. This output becomes active as soon as
additional gen-sets are ready to support its load. This case is described in this document.
Study the example below for the short introduction of the function principle. Green gen-sets are running,
gray gen-sets are off. The non-stop chiller is painted in blue color, the stand-by chiller in red one.
The individual steps are shown below in consecutive order. Each step is described in following paragraphs.
LOAD RESERVE SET 1

LOAD RESERVE SET 2

Consumption = 750 kW
Start/Stop chiller

LOAD RESERVE SET 2

Consumption = 750 kW
Start/Stop chiller

LOAD RESERVE SET 1

Consumption = 2250 kW
Start/Stop chiller

Starting consumption

Consumption = 1250 kW
Start/Stop chiller

Normal consumption

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2. List of controllers
NT

NT

NTC

NT

InteliGen , InteliGen BaseBox, InteliGen

BaseBox, InteliSys , InteliSys
NT
NTC
InteliMains BaseBox, InteliMains
BaseBox

NT

NT

BaseBox, InteliMains ,

3. List of tools
GenConfig

4. System schematic diagram(s)

Sheet 1
1 Ana Value
Temperature
IGS-NT AI 1

[C ]
C omp. Hy st.
Temperature[C ]
TempReqO N [C ]
TempReqO F F [C ]

2 Plc Setpoint
TempReqON
PLC
3 Plc Setpoint
TempReqOFF
PLC
4 Bin
Syst res 2 OK
Log Bout

[C ]

[C ]

I
I-O N
I-O F F
Item 1

XO R / RS
S tart A uth.

C ompar. Temp.

C ompar. Temp.
S y st res 2 O K

C ompar. Temp.

S
R

O R / A ND

1 Start Chiller
O

S tart C hiller

Item 3

I1
I2

AND

RS

S tart A uth.

Item 2

XO R / RS
C ompar. Temp.
P eak Delay

5 Plc Setpoint
ChillNrmPwrDel
PLC

S
R

RS

M inRun A ctiv .

2 MinRun Activ.

S HBO U T (1).BO 1
LBI:M inRun pow er 1

Item 5

[s]
S tart C hiller
C hillN rmP w rDel[s]
0,0 [s]

Delay 'B'
I
Up
O
Dn
Res
Item 4

P eak Delay

5. Detailed description of solution

As stated above, our issue is to keep the storage room temperature below given value. The temperature is
monitored by an analog thermometer. The user selects two setpoints to adjust the temperature limit. Once
over this limit, the stand-by chiller is activated to lower the temperature back to the desired band.
The comparator with hysteresis is used to prevent continuous starts and stops of the chiller. When the
temperature rises above PLC:TempReqON the LBI MinRun power is activated. The selection of the
setpoint Pwr management:#MinRunPower 1 is done in a way to cover the starting peak power until the
consumption goes down to the normal level. LBI MinRun is activated by a flip-flop circuit (Item 5) as it is
shown on schema above. The output of this flip-flop has to be wired to the shared output
e.g. SHBOUT(1).BO1. Other gen-sets in the group receive this signal by SHBIN(1) BI1. This shared binary
input has to be assigned to the LBI MinRun of other gen-sets in the group. It is important to keep in mind
that the LBI MinRun has to be activated for all gen-sets in the group.
The chiller is not started until the confirmation of LBO Syst res 2 OK is received. This confirmation allows
the controller to feed the load that is given by Pwr management:#LoadResStrt 2. In our case, this setpoint
is equal to the initial peak power.
The duration after which the chiller goes to the normal consumption is adjusted by PLC:ChillNrmPwrDel.
After the chiller is started and this duration is elapsed the LBI MinRun Power is deactivated. Therefore,
additional gen-sets covering the peak are disconnected. When the temperature goes back below
PLC:TempReqOFF, the chiller is stopped and Load reserve set 1 remains active.
This application illustrates well the main advantage of using the MinRun Power function instead of the Load
reserve function. If Load reserve was chosen, the start and actual power demand of the chiller would lower
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the actual load reserve. This would cause the start of other gen-sets. Whereas the Min Run power function
is just requesting the nominal power to be running. The load reserve requires the available power.

6. Example
Several gen-sets, all with nominal power of 500 kW each, are employed to cover the load of non-stop
running chiller and the stand-by chiller. The non-stop chillers nominal power consumption is P1 = 750 kW.
It cools the storage area all the time. The stand-by chillers nominal power consumption is P2 = 500 kW.
The stand-by chiller is running just in case the storage room temperature is out of the limit. The stand-by
chiller requires starting consumption of P2peak = 1500 kW.
This is why there are two Load reserve and MinRun power sets used, given by the following setpoints:
Pwr management:#LoadResStrt 1 = 500 kW
Pwr management:#LoadResStop 1 = 600 kW (i.e. next gen-set is stopped when Actual Reserve rises
above 600 + nominal power of gen-set(s) that are about to be stopped)
Pwr management:#MinRunPower 1 = 1 500 kW
Pwr management:#LoadResStrt 2 = 1 500 kW (not active in this case as LBI Load res 2 not activated.
Just used to give feedback by LBO Syst res 2 whether actual reserve is sufficient enough to start stand-by
chiller.)
Pwr management:#LoadResStop 2 = 2 000 kW (i.e. next gen-set is stopped when Actual Reserve rises
above 2000 + nominal power of gen-set(s) that are about to be stopped)
There is non-stop chiller running with consumption of 750 kW at the moment keeping the storage room at
the desired temperature. There are three gen-sets running. They are supporting the load (sum of their
nominal powers is 1500 kW) with sufficient reserve of 750 kW. This situation is shown at the top left
corner of the scheme in the abstract.
Once new goods are delivered, the temperature of the storage room rises above the maximum tolerable
limit. The system is about to activate the stand-by 500 kW chiller to cool down the storage room and new
goods as quickly as possible. Immediately when the temperature rises above PLC:TempReqON, LBI
MinRun Power 1 is activated to provide 2250 kW (P1 + P2peak = 750 kW + 1 500 kW) of running power.
Actual reserve at the moment is only 750 kW and the sum of running gen-sets is 1 500 kW. It is not
sufficient to cover initial peak power P2peak. The power management system automatically starts two
additional gen-sets to fulfill the condition of Min Run Power. As the consequence, the condition of load
reserve 2 requiring 1500 kW of available power is satisfied as well. As soon as the LBO Syst res 2 is
activated, the start of stand by chiller is allowed. This situation is shown at the top right corner of the
scheme in the abstract.
After the chiller is started, it draws P2peak = 1500 kW of its initial peak power from the system. The load
reserve drops to 250 kW and power management system counts down Pwr management:NextStrDel
before next gen-set is started to fulfill Load Reserve 1. This situation is shown at the bottom left corner of
the scheme in the abstract. But before this time elapses, the chillers consumption reverts back to its
nominal consumption of 500 kW and the reserve goes up to 1250 kW. Once PLC:ChillNrmPwrDel is
elapsed, the LBI MinRun Power 1 is deactivated. The Power management function that is actually active is
just the Load reserve set 1. Hence, no additional gen-sets are started and on the contrary one gen-set is
stopped (because the Actual Reserve is 1250 kW and Pwr management:#LoadResStop 1 = 600 kW,
therefore one gen-set can be stopped).
The situation at the end summary:
There are four gen-sets running (sum of nominal power is 2000 kW), supporting load of 1250 kW (P1 + P2 =
750 kW + 500 kW) with a Load reserve of 750 kW. This situation is shown at the bottom right corner of
the scheme in the abstract.
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After the goods are chilled enough and the temperature goes below PLC:TempReqOFF, the auxiliary
stand-by chiller is stopped and the consumption goes to P1 = 750 kW only, with the Actual Reserve rising
to 1250 kW, thus one gen-set is stopped. The system runs in the same configuration as in the beginning
situation .

7. Other comments
The delay for the chiller reverting back to normal consumption is not required. It is sufficient to deactivate
LBI MinRun Power 1 once the chiller is really started and draws the power from the system (provided that
its consumption ramps quite quickly). Binary signal from the chiller may be required for this function
(if the chiller consumption is unstable at the beginning).
HINT
How do reserves and minimal running power work? There is one reserve (Actual Reserve) which is
calculated as sum of nominal power of all gen-sets running in power management minus total actual power
of all those gen-sets in power management. The minimal running power is calculated as a sum of all genset running in power management.
Reserve for start is directly given by the setpoint Pwr management:#LoadResStrt X. If the value of Actual
Reserve goes below the value given by this setpoint, next gen-set is started.
Min Run Power is given by the setpoint Pwr management:#MinRunPower 1. If the sum of all running gensets goes bellow the value given by this setpoint, next gen-set is started.
Reserve for stop is given by the setpoint Pwr management:#LoadResStop X plus the nominal power of the
gen-set which is about to be stopped (i.e. the gen-set or gen-sets running in power management with the
highest value of the setpoint Pwr management:Priority).
For your convenience use the ComAps Starterkit to test the basic principle of this function: InteliGen NT
Colour StarterKit, InteliSys NT StarterKit.
Test this function in the full extent on one of the ComAps MultiKits: InteliGen NT Colour Multikit,
InteliSys NT MultiKit or H-System Multikit.

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