Gulf Construction Online - Voltage regulator for the digital age

Power Generation

The D700 ... comprehensive.

Voltage regulator for the digital age

01 September 2018

Leroy-Somer and Kato Engineering have launched the D700 automatic digital voltage regulator, specially designed to meet the challenges of energy production in the digital age.

The D700 includes all necessary regulator functions, outstanding smart grid capabilities, and numerous additional functions and options that make it one of the most versatile products on the market, according to a company official.

“We are thrilled with the way D700 has been received,” says Jean-Francois Paillou, project manager. “It’s the first time that a regulator as comprehensive as this has been offered on the market. It supports all the regulation functions, even the most advanced ones. And thanks to all these integrated functions, we are in a position to offer a solution for a very wide range of situations. We have received excellent feedback from our customers and partners and every day we find more new cases where the D700 really has a competitive edge.”

Along with network synchronisation management, the D700 features multiple regulation modes, including regulation based on the power factor at the point of delivery or at generator output (especially for networks operating in parallel). Profile monitoring and various grid code regulation specifications can thus potentially be programmed directly into the D700.

Paillou says, for the first time, all excitation types are supported up to 25 A in continuous operation (50 A in the event of short circuit). In addition, the regulator can control an external power module that makes it possible to offer static excitation systems up to 1,500 A. A special double regulation board is also available to ensure total system redundancy.

The D700 also includes multiple patented solutions based on expertise and knowledge drawn from Nidec alternators. These functions, such as redundant power bridge, curve functions, simplified load sharing, and excitation limits can be used to improve global system security.

In addition to outstanding regulation functions, the D700 also includes many components and options that make it very flexible: a data logger, programmable logic, equalisation and synchronisation, remote regulation, communications bus, current compensation, and “black start” capability (without auxiliary power supply).

The D700 is designed to integrate easily into complex systems (including networked systems). In some cases, it can even control certain application processes to avoid the need for an additional system (such as an automaton). The control software supplied with the D700 is intuitive, and easy to configure no matter what the requirements are. It also includes an integrated oscilloscope function.

The new regulator was also designed to be integrated in the GenOSys system, Leroy-Somer and Kato Engineering’s recently launched remote power management system. “When integrated into GenOSys, the D700 is able to carry out remote installation monitoring, including a system of alerts and the use of mathematical models for predictive maintenance,” Paillou says.

To maximise performance, the D700 has been developed based on feedback collected from the field along with the teamwork of various entities in Europe and the US. The requirements specification of the D700 was written based on actual use cases experienced by the Leroy-Somer and Kato Engineering teams. Apart from the internal specifications based on the team’s own regulation expertise, customer requests received in previous years were compiled and analysed, including the most demanding and exacting requests, he says.

“The result is an extremely versatile product that offers outstanding ease-of-use in operations and during installation or troubleshooting,” Paillou concludes.