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1 Customer magazine of Bachmann electronic gmbh bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 news applications product and technology market dialog wind power is booming Sinovel is the leading supplier in china of wind energy plants functionality for the Smart Grid integration of monitoring and protection functions in the operational control of small power stations

2 » we are expanding our expertise«editorial Dear readers of Bachmann.realtimes! Bachmann electronic was able to increase its sales by 34.4 percent for the financial year The "wind power" sector was the clear front runner, particularly in the booming Asian market. The "renewable energy" sector for areas such as biomass, biogas and hydro power is the fastest growing segment of our company in no small part due to the positive political developments worldwide supporting renewable energy. The indications for the technological developments of the future are already tangible: The growing number of wind energy parks will bring in its trail the expansion of networks, i.e. the development of energy park networking. intelligent, innovative grid communication using grid codes will be part of the solution. Bachmann electronic launched an innovation for this sector already in 2010 with "grid Measurement". Decentralized energy supply and energy park networking are areas that Bachmann electronic has been involved in for several years. in 2011 we will be consistently expanding our portfolio for our customers. our vision: Bachmann electronic as a competent partner for total solutions. We aim to grow further and expand our expertise both organically and also through acquisitions. With the takeover of the shares of µ-sen gmbh in rudolstadt, germany, at the beginning of the year, we integrated a specialist for Condition Monitoring Systems in the Bachmann group. We see automation, linked with monitoring and early fault detection using CMS as a specific cost optimization measure for our customers to make them even more successful. Yours faithfully, imprint publisher Bachmann electronic gmbh, Kreuzäckerweg 33, 6800 Feldkirch, Austria bernhard Zangerl ceo of bachmann electronic responsible for the content Frank Spelter picture credits Bachmann electronic gmbh, SinoVEL (p. 15), SoLon SE (p. 18, 20, 21), royal Boskalis Westminster n.v. (p. 3, 22), oskar Frech gmbh (p. 29, 30), istockphoto (p. 3, 10, 26, 33, 35), Photocase (p. 16, 24), Wikimedia Commons / Zhang (p. 14) 2

3 ToPiC PRODUCTIVITY IN THE POWER GRID APPLiCATion news 6 condition monitoring Condition monitoring systems (CMS) enable the safety and productivity of wind energy plants to be increased. Bachmann electronic is implementing CMS in the controller. 10 functionality for the Smart Grid Bachmann integrates monitoring and protection functions in the operational control of small power stations. 12 communication for Smart GridS The bluecom protocol is an affordable and easy to implement technology for fast and reliable information exchange in real time. 14 wind power is booming Sinovel is the leading supplier in China of wind energy plants. 18 the YieldS in view The Bachmann M1 automation system ensures the reliable control of the solar parks built by SoLon SE. 22 StraiGht to the target With the M1 as the target for Controllab's 20-sim tool, development times for the automation on special ships is reduced. 28 Shot for Shot perfect Frech die-casting machines are automated with the Bachmann M1. 4 StrenGthened for a SucceSSful future in 2010 Bachmann electronic increased its sales by 34 percent. 16 tailwind for developers in collaboration with The MathWorks, Bachmann shows the connection of simulation and hardware implementation. 24 high availability SolutionS The coldclimate product portfolio has been expanded. 25 tux in the bachmann operating device Powerful operating devices running on Linux. 26 defying all odds High availability measuring technology implemented with the Ai208/Si. 31 convenient design new 3D modeling for switch cabinet construction. 32 engineering in focus The SolutionCenter now comes with new functions. 34 well-grounded Know-how Bachmann is offering an extensive training programme. 34 m1com new communication library 3

4 news STrEngTHEnED For A SUCCESSFUL FUTUrE record sales at Bachmann electronic and further growth forecast 2010 gave bachmann electronic good reason to celebrate in several respects. record sales, the opening of the "creativetop", a new creativity and communication center at the feldkirch headquarters, as well as the company's 40th anniversary were all occasions for celebration. the signs are also pointing to further growth in 2011: the company is planning to expand its workforce worldwide by around 160 employees. 4

5 bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 The sales record of 70.4 million euros, corresponding to an increase of 34.3 percent, is seen by Bachmann electronic as the fruits of the previous years. "in the last few years we have focused specifically on the individual corporate areas," Bernhard Zangerl, CEo of Bachmann electronic gmbh explained. The company was able to strengthen its position particularly in the field of wind power and renewable energy. wind power booming in asia, offshore energy increasing in europe The ongoing boom in the construction of wind energy plants in Asia brought Bachmann 14 new customers in this market last year. This growth rate is considerably above the growth rate of the market. "The sales with existing customers in the Asian market could also be significantly increased," Bernhard Zangerl described the pleasing development. The order situation in the wind power sector in Europe remained stable in Particularly in offshore projects, Bachmann could demonstrate its leading technological role as a solution provider for special requirements with regard to robustness, durability, performance and severe environmental conditions. The fastest growing sector for Bachmann electronic is the renewable energy sector. The company has placed its main strategic focus in the European market on biomass, biogas and hydro power, and could post a sales increase of 67 percent in extended product range and expertise Last year's product innovations and marketing offensives covered energy park networking, "grid measurement", smart grid communication, as well as the integration of condition monitoring. With the takeover of the shares of µ-sen gmbh in rudolstadt, germany, Bachmann electronic further expanded its expertise. The integration of these specialists in the monitoring and early detection of possible damage to wind energy plants using condition monitoring systems (CMS) strengthens Bachmann's future market position in the wind energy plant sector. "Early fault detection, particularly on offshore wind energy plants is an effective cost optimization measure. The linking of CMS with the controller brings our customers a clear added value," CEo Bernhard Zangerl states with conviction. Founded in 2001, µ-sen is a company with 38 employees and is now trading under the name "Bachmann Monitoring gmbh". creativetop for creativity and dialog Another milestone in the company's history was set in the autumn of 2010 with the building and the opening of the CreativeTop. "no limits to new ideas and knowledge for 40 years, this is what Bachmann has stood for. in order to match this claim in the future, a space for creativity and communication was created at our headquarters in Feldkirch. "This free atmosphere offers space for innovative solutions as well as current and future tasks to become visible," Bernhard Zangerl describes the idea of this annex. The Bachmann management were able to welcome the participants of the standards conference of the international Electrical Commission (iec) as the first guests to the new facility. internationally active companies such as general Electric, repower, VESTAS, Enercon, rwe, EnBW, Vattenfall, gamesa, garrad Hassan, Dong Energy, Vermont Windpower and the illwerkevkw group, with Bachmann as the hosts, discussed and worked on the relevant directives and standards in the strongly growing wind power sector. Strengthened into the future: Bernhard Zangerl (left), CEo of Bachmann electronic and Dr. Steffen Biehl, CEo of Bachmann Monitoring gmbh further Growth in 2011 through portfolio expansion and employee development in 2011 the company will further advance its position in Asia and also in the slower growing US market. The high reliability of Bachmann solutions will further strengthen the company's market position in offshore projects in Europe. in the maritime/offshore sector, Bachmann will continue the building work of the last two years; the company is expecting stabilized growth in the industrial sector. The management is forecasting profitable overall growth of 20 percent. The forecast is supported by the positive political developments worldwide in favor of renewable energy.»we are growing considerably faster than the market.«the objective for 2011 is: to extend our position as a competent partner for total solutions by expanding our portfolio. growth should be furthered by expanding our expertise organically but also through acquisitions. Another focus of the company is in employee development. "We are growing rapidly and so we are constantly looking for qualified employees. We intend to create 160 new posts in the current year," CEo Bernhard Zangerl affirmed. 5

6 The condition-based maintenance provided by condition monitoring systems is now frequently used in offshore wind parks. The availability of wind energy plants has an immediate effect on their productivity and the reliable and plannable supply of energy to the grid. Any downtime has serious financial consequences: The downtime costs for power generation alone can amount to around 4,000 euros a day for a wind energy plant with an average output. Damage to plants should therefore be detected as early as possible so that any subsequent damage or unscheduled downtimes can be prevented. Particularly with offshore plants, for which access is limited and only possible with a considerable amount of time and financial investment, the effective planning of maintenance is vital. 6

7 Topic Productivity in the power grid bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 Condition monitoring More safety and productivity for wind energy plants through integrated condition monitoring State-of-the-art Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS) reduce malfunctions and downtimes in wind energy plants and increase their life cycle and productivity. Bachmann electronic is now creating additional synergy through the possibility to link condition monitoring systems with the control system of the wind energy plant. Service costs and downtimes under control A growing number of wind energy plants are therefore being equipped with Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS) that provide the operator with continuous information about the operating state of the turbine. These systems monitor the body sound of the main components of the drive train, as well as other measured values such as ice detection, rotor blade and gear oil monitoring. Condition monitoring enables any malfunctions or incipient wear to be detected and rectified early on before major damage occurs and longer downtimes are necessary. Preventative maintenance involving the exchange of components within fixed time intervals is unnecessary; the maintenance intervals can alternatively be adapted as required to the actual state of wear. The payback time for the installation of a condition monitoring system has been shown statistically to be around two to four years, depending on the type of system. Maintenance can be scheduled in periods of low wind Accurate information about the state of components also enables planned repairs to be carried out in periods of low wind such as in the summer. From a financial perspective it may be advisable to replace partly damaged gears as a preventative measure in order to avoid the risk of downtimes during periods of high wind in springtime and autumn, and to thus retain the residual value of the gears at the same time. Spare parts can also be procured in time and more cheaply than in the event of an emergency due to damage. 7

8 Bachmann electronic integrates the monitoring and early detection of possible damage to wind energy plants in its product and service portfolio. additional SavinGS potential through attractive insurance conditions The insurance conditions for depreciation, deductible and premiums for wind energy plants depend considerably on the manufacturer and the type of system concerned. However, insurance companies usually reward the installation of a condition monitoring system by frequently offering premium reductions of up to ten percent, particularly when certification from Germanischer Lloyd has been obtained. The requirements for condition-based maintenance are also more generous and the depreciation of systems with a condition monitoring system is less.» The increasing output and complexity of wind energy plants calls for holistic solutions that sustainably increase plant availability and efficiency. Bernhard Zangerl, CEo of Bachmann electronic (right) and Dr. Steffen Biehl, CEo of Bachmann Monitoring gmbh 8

9 Topic Productivity in the Power grid bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 Ω-guard Commissioning and Configuration Condition Monitoring System WebLog Server Sensor WebLog Workstation internet WebLog Workstation condition monitoring as a total concept: Bachmann's Online CMS Ω-Guard provides worldwide access to the status data of the monitored installation from any online workstation. WebLog Workstation Plant Management additional diagnostics reliability through online remote monitoring Bachmann electronic offers a condition monitoring system fully certified to the requirements of Germanischer Lloyd, including an online remote monitoring station that is also certified, as well as powerful hardware and software components. The "WebLog" Portal specially developed for this provides an interface to the Ω-Guard diagnostics system and enables worldwide access to the status data of the installation being monitored. Alarm message are presented to the user via a status window. The integrated database also allows a trend analysis of the machine state to be carried out at the same time. integration in the plant control provides more SYnerGY In order to concentrate its expertise in the field of condition monitoring, Bachmann electronic (Feldkirch, Austria) took over the shares of µ-sen gmbh (rudolstadt, germany) to form the new company Bachmann Monitoring gmbh. Bachmann, as a global technology leader in the field of wind power automation, has thus integrated the monitoring and early detection of possible damage to wind energy plants in its product and service portfolio. The life cycle costs of a wind energy plant can be reduced even further by linking condition monitoring systems with the controller. Unfavorable operating states that increase the wear on system components can be reliably detected by the condition monitoring system and prevented by the planned intervention of the system controls. Project engineering is also simplified since one central partner is responsible for both the control and the monitoring system. Modern teleservice functions for remote applications include online monitoring via a secure internet connection, thus allowing access worldwide. Several hundred condition monitoring systems are currently monitored via the internet. 9

10 Topic Productivity in the Power grid DECEnTrALiZED PoWEr generation in THE AgE of THE SMArT grid integration of monitoring tasks in operational control renewable energy such as wind, sun or biogas is becoming an increasingly more important factor worldwide in the energy mix. However, the difficulty in forecasting feed-in volumes as well as the specific operating behavior of these "small power stations" considerably effect the operation of the transmission grids. the greater the share of renewable energy in the grid compared to the energy from conventional power stations, the greater the importance will be of matching these small power stations to the grid behavior of other large power stations. with the addition of the new Gmp232 "Grid measurement and protection" module to the bachmann m1 automation system, some vital monitoring and protection functions have been integrated into the "conventional" control tasks of the power station. in this way, future requirements resulting from the "smart grid" can also be met. the future of the Grid Smart Grid The term "smart grid" is often reduced down to mean intelligent electricity meters. However, smart grid means much more than this: not only the electricity meters on the consumer side are becoming more intelligent but also the entire power grid from the supplier to the consumer. in this context "intelligent" means that the individual components of a power grid, such as the switching devices, transformers, decentralized power generation plants etc. will take on local control tasks in future and pass on pre-compressed data to a higher-level control station or receive data from there. This has clear benefits: The individual components reduce the complexity of the grid management and reduce the load on the central grid control. The grid control station itself can concentrate on the control of grid stability, i.e. the control of the voltage, frequency and power factor. operational reliability in the Smart Grid Protective devices ensure that systems are disconnected from the grid in the event of faults (e.g. overvoltage, overfrequency and underfrequency). However, these disconnections must be performed selectively and very quickly, depending for example on whether the power station concerned is contributing to the stabilization of the grid or is itself possibly the cause of the fault.»monitoring and protection functions will be integrated in the future into the conventional control tasks of a power station.«with Bachmann electronic's new gmp232 grid measurement and monitoring module, the voltage, current, frequency, power and harmonics ("power quality") are measured and analyzed directly on the busbar of the small power station. The data of the gmp module can thus be processed directly and efficiently. A powerful digital signal processor (DSP) directly on the module evaluates the input signals measured via current and voltage inputs, and provides them to the system pre-processed. extensive monitoring and analysis functions The gmp module links the value measuring with the grid monitoring and the grid management tasks. Two relays with a 2 A switching capacity are also integrated on the module. These can be linked with monitoring functions in an or operation. The module works here completely autonomously. The monitoring of grid parameters and functions such as fault ride-through are even active when the CPU is not in run mode. The software oscilloscope in the Device Manager of the Bachmann SolutionCenter 10

11 bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 DECENTRAL POWER GRID MANAGEMENT Main Switch Circuit Breaker SMART GRID WIND POWER PLANT SOLAR POWER SYSTEM BIOGAS PLANT LOAD decentralized grid management functions: intelligent power generation plants with integrated monitoring and protection functions makes the time trace of the processes visible. The synchronization of the real-time clock on the main CPU with a time server via the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) guarantees a gap-free assignment of monitored events with microsecond accuracy. increased efficiency, reduced costs The performance of the M1 automation system allows the cost and process optimized implementation of measuring, closed-loop and open-loop control sequences and evaluations right through to grid monitoring. The new gmp232 grid measurement and protection module is fully integrated in the system for this purpose. Together with other plant parameters, it provides differentiated decision criteria in order to also manage the increased requirements placed on the individual plant during a grid fault and allow the stable operation of the distribution grid. factbox Efficient and cost saving: The gmp232 integrates monitoring and protection functions in the controller. Gmp232 grid measurement and monitoring module Rack with M1 Automation System Rack with Main Switch and GMP Module Measurement of current, voltage, frequency, power and power quality input voltages up to 690 V L-L Current transformer input 1 or 5 A Current or voltage measuring accuracy: ±0.1% full scale rated frequency 50 Hz / 60 Hz Frequency measuring accuracy: ±0.01 Hz (50 / 60 Hz) Power factor measuring in the range to +1000, accuracy ±1 degree Power measurement to Din , Accuracy ±0.2% full scale Power quality: THD / TDD, up to 50th harmonic to En Two relays directly integrated (2 A switching capacity) PTP-enabled time synchronization GMP232 FASTBUS 5 AAC 690 VAC L 1 L 2 L 3 N 11

12 Topic Productivity in the Power grid CoMMUniCATion For SMArT grids Bachmann presents the bluecom real-time protocol regenerative energies such as wind or solar power are difficult to plan due the environmental factors involved. unlike the power generation in large power stations, several independent, decentralized power generation plants feed the power into the grid. Despite all the difficulties, a high level of power quality and the balance of generation and consumption must be ensured, which requires new functions for grid control. with bluecom, bachmann electronic is presenting a communication solution that is specially developed for smart grids. it is based on conventional ethernet communication and provides an affordable and easy to implement technology for fast and reliable information exchange in real time. optimum band width utilization by segmenting M1 Controller Structure of the bluecom Telegram Ethernet Header Program Header bluecom Telegram Eth 12

13 bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 The basis for the bluecom system specification consists of the relevant processes of a communication network for the safe and efficient creation, dynamic expansion and operation of renewable and decentralized power systems. The transmission protocol was therefore optimized with regard to the specific requirements of future-proof energy systems. The prime objective of these considerations is to maintain the stability of the grid by enabling energy parks and virtual power stations consisting of a large number of decentralized power generation plants to respond quickly. At the same time it allows for the constraints imposed by existing structures and the principle of system openness. information in real time The possibility to access status information and actual values from the individual power plants in real time and to make the necessary openloop and closed-loop control interventions is an important feature of virtual power stations. in future up to 500 wind energy plants in wind parks will be networked to form a virtual power station. Exact compliance with the grid codes at the point of common coupling (PCC) requires high-speed park communication. "it has been shown that bluecom goes far beyond these requirements," explains Dr. Vaheh Khachatouri, sector manager for wind at Bachmann. topology changes without interrupting operation The key requirement during the maintenance, repair and expansion of energy parks is to keep breaks in operation as short as possible. "bluecom enables stations and entire network segments to be added during realtime operation without any interruptions," Dr. Khachatouri describes an important function in the network operation of wind or solar power generation plants. integrated control mechanisms detect any possible risk of the communication network being overloaded and ensure the fault-free operation of the energy park. full ethernet conformity The demand for the seamless coexistence of real-time communication in the energy park with Ethernet-based protocols and additional services and applications is fully met by» Energy parks benefit from the functions integrated in bluecom to increase availability. Dr. Vaheh Khachatouri, Sector Manager for Wind at Bachmann bluecom. Some examples of this are FTP, HTTP, MMS, opc and prioritized transfers such as HD video streams and even fieldbus communication. Conformity with Ethernet comes hand in hand with the use of network switches that enable networks to be divided up into subnetworks. This is used by bluecom to optimize the data transmission by the automatic aggregation of the data packets. maximum availability "Energy parks benefit from the functions integrated in bluecom to increase availability," Vaheh Khachatouri underlines. The voting required for the redundant reading of input channels is integrated in the bluecom protocol with the efficient use of resources. This relieves the load on the CPU in the master. The bluecom handler (BCH) enables the input values of two stations to be read in parallel with the subsequent consolidation into one value. This voting can be programmed as required. Additional standard voters can also be selected for the configuration. Interruption-free operation is also possible thanks to the configurable multi-master operation. contributing to the future in the energy sector, the r&d activities of Bachmann electronic are focused on automation solutions that enable the efficient use of regenerative and decentralized power systems. The bluecom protocol is therefore another contribution by Bachmann electronic to the active design of the power grid of the future. 13

14 WinD PoWEr is BooMing Sinovel is the leading supplier in China Sinovel wind co. ltd. is the leading manufacturer in china of wind energy plants for onshore and offshore installations. in 2009 the largest chinese supplier worldwide erected wind turbines with an output of more than 3,500 mw. the wind energy plants are controlled with bachmann's m1 automation system. we spoke to Yan ling, technical director at Sinovel, about the future of wind power in china. fourth longest bridge in the world: Donghai bridge near Shanghai. realtimes: Mr. Ling, how do you see the general development of wind power in china? Yan ling: Wind power plays a key role in climate protection and renewable energy, both in China and of course worldwide. As the latest Ernst&Young report on the development of renewable energy shows, China is leading the way: More electricity is produced here from renewable energy than anywhere else in the world. Almost every second wind turbine erected worldwide in 2010 is located in China. The promotion of renewable energy is also part of the national energy strategy: Around 12 percent of our electricity demand is required to be provided by renewable energy sources by realtimes: what are the developments taking place in the offshore sector? Yan ling: China's largest offshore wind farm with a total output of 100 MW was put into operation over a year ago: Sinovel erected 34 wind turbines in the 3 MW class very close to the world's fourth longest bridge, the Donghai bridge near Shanghai, with a length of over 32 kilometers. Last year, the farm supplied clean energy to the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai and now supplies power to around 50,000 homes. The experiences in Europe show that offshore installations belong to the future. i also see this trend taking place in China, particularly on our country's east coast: There is a huge energy requirement in the rapidly growing industrial cities. The province of Jiangsu and Shanghai have a long coastline with shallow water that is ideally suited for the extensive development of offshore energy. Wind conditions are more stable than onshore, there is no need to build on expensive land, and the distances to the loads are shorter and less expensive to cover. realtimes: the total potential for energy from offshore turbines in china is estimated at around 750 gigawatts and around 30 gw of this is expected to be installed by what projects do you have in the pipeline? Yan ling: Last october we won the tender for the installation of 600 MW of turbines for the offshore farms near Binghay and Sheyang in Jiangsu province, and thus sixty Yan Ling, Technical Director of Sinovel 14

15 Application bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 Sinovel Wind Co., Ltd. is the largest Chinese manufacturer and market leader for wind turbines in China. The first series manufactured MW turbine, the first 5 MW plant developed and manufactured in China, and the equipment for China's first offshore platform demonstrate the technical leadership and innovation power of the company. installation of a 3 MW turbine in shallow water off the coast of Shanghai. percent of the tendered output. in november we received the order for a further 800 MW off the coast of Hami (Xinjiang province) and 550 MW off Zhangjiakou (Heibei province). This is impressive testimony to our robust technology and makes us market leaders for offshore turbines in China. modules and the condition monitoring solutions specifically for offshore applications. The integration of safety modules in the M1 automation system for our wind turbines is another project on which we are working. This kind of solution definitely has an important role in the future. realtimes: Many thanks for this interview. realtimes: you are pioneers in the field of multi-megawatt plants in China, as well as building the first 5 Mw turbine in china and equipping China's first offshore wind farm. Sinovel is a company that is highly driven by innovation. what role does your technology partner Bachmann play now and in the future? Yan ling: Bachmann's know-how and experience enables us jointly to implement advanced and future-proof control solutions. We highly appreciate their application support as well as the training made available for our technical personnel. in future we will be testing the use of the coldclimate 15

16 news TAiLWinD For DEVELoPErS Model-based design for wind energy plants the key objectives of wind energy generation are high system availability and high yields. the development of closed-loop and open-loop control algorithms for wind energy plants is therefore particularly important. the key challenge: estimating the behavior of the overall system in real operating conditions. how this challenge could be mastered was explained to interested participants in a workshop held jointly in hamburg by bachmann electronic and the mathworks inc. "As studies have shown, conventional code-based development is highly prone to errors and is therefore a time-consuming and costly affair," Dipl.-ing. Michael Ebnicher, r&d manager Tools & runtime at Bachmann electronic explained. The design process mostly involves several different specialists firstly concentrating exclusively on their particular area, such as the electronics or the mechanics. it is often the case that the actual effects and influences of the individual development stages on each other cannot be recognized until a very late stage during the implementation of the system design. in order to eliminate faults and also misunderstandings, as well as to optimize the overall system, several iteration loops are required," which make the overall workflow extremely complex and time-consuming," Michael Ebnicher added. modeling instead of coding The fact that there is a real alternative to conventional programming in text languages such as iec ST or C/C++ for developing open-loop and closed-loop control algorithms for wind energy plants was shown to workshop participants by gernot Schraberger, senior application engineer at MathWorks: "With model-based design, the developers operate on a graphical and thus higher abstract level, so that all the developers involved in a project operate on the same platform." This is made possible using the Simulink signal-oriented modeling and simulation tool from MathWorks, which is based on a graphical modeling interface with a wide range of function blocks. in conjunction with additional so-called physical modeling tools, this is used to create the structure of a general system design and to assign parameters in a single first step. This is continuously refined in terms 16

17 bachmann.realtimes 04/2011» Before this event there were some functions of MAtLAB i didn't know existed. i've therefore learned something new. Hauke Langkowski, Helmut-Schmidt University, Hamburg schachspieler/photocase of system behavior (mechanical, electrical and control aspects) and further extended to include environmental conditions such as temperature, wind force etc. "Engineers are provided with valuable information at system level at a very early development stage so that they can carry out any relevant corrections or modifications early on," Gernot Schraberger describes the key benefits. code Generation with the push of a button After modeling and simulation are completed, Bachmann's M-Target for Simulink enables automatic code generation at the click of a mouse so that a ready-to-use application is created for the realtime system: "The C-code generation is completed with Mathworks' real-time Workshop virtually at the push of a button and is then transferred automatically to the M1 controller. An online connection to the PLC is then set up so that technicians and developers can run the generated real-time program on the target system," as Michael Ebnicher explained to the workshop participants. This provides the user with an intelligent tool for creating C-code and ready-touse controller applications automatically that can then be tested interactively on the Bachmann controller without having to master any complicated programming techniques. "Porting errors that occur with the manual implementation in a programming language are avoided and the time required is considerably reduced," Michael Ebnicher adds. hardware-in-the-loop in another section of the workshop, participants learned how an M1 controller can also simulate the hardware of a wind turbine in a closed loop: For this the entire model was divided up in Simulink into an M1 controller (control system) which contains the closed-loop and open-loop control algorithms, and a second controller (process) on which the plant simulation is loaded. "By wiring both controllers, it is possible to implement a so-called hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) simulation in real time," Michael Ebnicher explained. positive conclusion With the development of more powerful wind energy plants, the technology of wind turbines is becoming noticeably more complex. With the potential provided by MATLAB and Simulink, as well as M-Target for Simulink and the M1 automation system, it will be possible in future to model the overall system of a wind turbine very realistically and to make accurate forecasts on system behavior before erecting a prototype. 17

18 Application THE YiELDS in ViEW Seamless real-time communication from the central server to the substation Sa Gruta on majorca (Spain): SoLon power station modules with an installed total output of 2.68 MW 18

19 bachmann.realtimes 04/2011 SoLon SE was founded in 1997 in Berlin, germany. The company has around 800 employees worldwide in branches based in germany, italy, France and the USA. SoLon photovoltaic power stations are installed worldwide with a total output of over 250 MWp. Solon Se, headquartered in berlin (Germany), is one of the leading manufacturers in europe of solar modules and solar system technology, and is a specialist in the construction of turnkey photovoltaic power stations. the plant control implemented with the bachmann m1 automation system enables the operator to control his power station reliably and thus optimize yields for the long term. SoLon designs and constructs large-scale power stations. They have an impressive system: Photovoltaic power stations can be built to any scale using a modular principle based on 1 MWp units in which all power station components such as photovoltaic modules, inverters and electrical layout are perfectly matched up. in this way the effects of scale can even be implemented in the erection of the power station, whilst shortening the time required for planning, construction and commissioning at the same time. Together with well thought out operation and correct plant maintenance, this produces a solar investment with maximum yields. Guaranteed YieldS thanks to extensive monitoring The company monitors the photovoltaic power stations worldwide for its customers. The SoLon Vega remote control and monitoring system also allows extensive diagnostics and remote maintenance of the plant right through to software updates at the lowest control level. The SoLon Vega system supplies important plant data for the operators and investors of photovoltaic power stations. This includes voltage, generated power, yields, wind direction and speed, temperature, air humidity, module temperature and the alignment of the modules in the case of tracked systems. The operating states are diagnosed, reported and stored. This enables interventions to be made at the appropriate speed and also enables 19

20 Application Central Server Via Internet Central Connection Ethernet TCP/IP Decentral Connection 1 Decentral Connection 2 Decentral Connection n Via Internet Fieldbus Direct I/O Serial Via Internet Converters, Tracker Units, Transformers, Weather Stations, etc. Photovoltaic Station 1 Photovoltaic Station 2 Photovoltaic Station m decentralized architecture: SoLon Vega remote control and monitoring system.»bachmann is the ideal partner for us in order to set groundbreaking standards.«20