Case Studies
Industry Sector: Water & Waste Treatment
| Ultimate Client | Dwr Cymru Welsh Water |
| Project Date | 2004 |
| Contract Value | £1,100,000.00 |
| Contract Duration | 18 Months |
BACKGROUND
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is the regulated company that provides water supply and sewerage services to over three million people living and working in Wales, and some adjoining areas of England. It is the sixth largest of the 23 regulated water companies in England and Wales, operating 81reservoirs and 105 water treatment works, and supplies an average 900 million litres of water every day.Felindre Water Treatment Works is one of the main Water Treatment works that supplies water sourced from local reservoirs and rivers to the Swansea Area. 40 million litres of water are treated each day.
TASK
To comply with the latest DWI regulations, Felindre Water treatment Works had to undergo a series of improvements, the major one being the addition of a DAF plant (Dissolved Air Floatation).CHOOSING GPS
This was an extremely important project for Welsh Water, and in a competitive tender they were looking for a competency to deliver, a cost-effective solution, and an approach that would enable Welsh Water to continue providing clean water throughout the DAF plant installation. GPS was one of three short listed companies to present to the Board, and was chosen because of a solid background experience, and a phased approach which gave Welsh Water complete confidence that their quality service would be uninterrupted.ACTION
The overall scheme was approximately £21million, and GPS were commissioned to provide the MCCs, and the PLC and SCADA system for the works. GPS worked as part of a partnership with The Civil Process Contractors to deliver the total scheme.GPS supplied the main MCC controlling the DAF process, along with 6 ancillary MCCs, control panels and software located on the works.
The main control system was based on a PLC system that was networked via a fibreoptic communication system. All information was then fed back to an Intouch SCADA system that was based in the main control room, and then replicated again in the DAF control room.
RESULT
The project was completed on time, and within the budget Welsh Water had set for the project.Industry Sector: Rail
| Ultimate Client | Network Rail |
| Project Date | Ongoing |
| Contract Value | £ 20k per site. |
| Contract Duration | Ongoing |
BACKGROUND
In October 2002, Network Rail took over the running of Britain's rail infrastructure. The company runs, maintains and develops Britain's tracks, signaling system, rail bridges, tunnels, level crossings, viaducts and 17 key stations.In 2006, UK railways carried over a billion passenger journeys, the largest number since 1959.
NEED
Network Rail needed a system that would raise an alarm within signal boxes when there were maintenance issues on the associated piece of track. Each set of points had mains as well as generator-produced supplies of power; if the electricity failed and the system switched to backup, an alarm was needed so that corrective action could be taken.A system was being developed but it was extremely complex and delivery was uncertain. Network Rail needed a simple system that would monitor the points system and flag the issues.
CHOOSING GPS
GPS' reputation gave Network Rail confidence that a robust system would be developed and installed within the desired timeframe. The GPS approach was to provide a total solution which would be simple to operate, and would alarm a signalman to problems on his patch of track.ACTION
The GPS system enables one signal box to receive communications from many outstations via multiple trackside boxes. GPS developed and installed trackside PLCs and control panels, together with the software that enables the PLCs to communicate with the central control station. Multiple degrees of alarm-handling on the HMI in each signal box allow the operator to monitor all outstations, and to decide on the right course of action.The system is based on a PLC system communicating via modems, displaying the information on a touch screen HMI.
RESULT
If any of the trackside generators fail, a signal is sent to a trackside PLC which first validates the fault, then sends the information to the main PLC in the area signal box. The information is then relayed to a touch screen HMI on the signalman's control desk; this gives a graphic representation of the fault together with an audible alarm, so the signalman can take the appropriate action.Network Rail have a failsafe early warning system which gives early indication of problems on the track. Action to address the problem can thus be taken before the problem becomes critical, resulting in a safer operating environment for Network Rail and their passengers.
GPS have been installing these systems for Network Rail for the past 5 years, and are continuing to supply the system when each area becomes due for an upgrade. The product developed by GPS is now a standard product, readily available for all installations and upgrades as needed.
Industry Sector: Underground Rail
| Ultimate Client | London Underground |
| Project Date | 1995 to present |
| Contract Value | £221,000.00 |
| Contract Duration | Ongoing |
BACKGROUND
London Underground Limited was formed in 1985 but dates back to 1863, when the world's first underground railway opened in London. Today London Underground carries over 3 million passenger journeys a day, with some 500 peak trains, 253 stations owned (275 served), over 12,000 staff and vast engineering assets.The Victoria line was the first deep-level Underground line to be built across central London since the "tube boom" of 1905-1907. It covers 21km (13.25 miles) and serves 16 stations. The line has 43 trains, of which 37 trains are currently needed for service in the peak periods.
Trains run automatically between stations, responding to coded impulses transmitted through the track. The Victoria Line was the first automatic passenger railway in the world.
TASK
An Automatic Changeover System for station signaling supplies was required for the Victoria Line Upgrade.Each station on the Victoria Line has three power supplies, two from different areas of the National Grid, and a UPS. If the primary supply fails, the system must change automatically to the backup supply, so that stations remain lit, and doors and signals remain working.
While the existing conventional contactor system was automated it was not completely reliable, and required a constant energy supply. LU needed a fail-safe system which did not need continuous power to work, to protect the operation of critical elements.
CHOOSING GPS
GPS suggested a revolutionary design that integrated a custom product to solve the problem. No power would be needed to effect the switchover, and the new control panel would be very compact - ideal in the limited space of the London Underground.ACTION
GPS designed and manufactured a revolutionary new programmable motorised changeover switch supplied by Socomec Ltd.A control panel monitors the two National Grid sources as well as the UPS. If the primary supply to the signals fails, the panel automatically changes over to the standby supply. If both supplies fail, the UPS will maintain the critical elements such as signals, so they are never compromised. In addition, the system does not need constant power.
The base component of the GPS changeover switch was supplied by Socomec Ltd. The switch supplies a stack of ABB slimline fuse switches, which feed out to every critical and non-critical element. The switches are withdrawable and can be changed online without having to shut the station down.
RESULT
LU has a fail-safe system which protects critical operational elements from power variations, thus maintaining a safe environment for passengers and staff on the Victoria Line. The system is easy to operate, and its compact size is unobtrusive and space-saving.Each system component has a MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) figure. The LU carries out regular Reliability and Maintenance Analyses which predict MTBF, and have shown that the GPS combined-MTBF was double that of the old system. The GPS system is thus twice as reliable as the conventional system.
The product can be used on any similar application both overground and underground.
Industry Sector: Building Services HVAC
| Ultimate Client | Mace |
| Project Date | 2003 |
| Contract Value | £300,000 |
| Contract Duration | 12 Months |
BACKGROUND
Tower Place development is at the western edge of the Tower of London, next to Tower Bridge on the bank of the River Thames. It consists of two buildings of approximately 200,000 and 150,000 sq.ft, each with a broadly triangular plan. There is a municipal coach park and car park, public welfare facilities, restaurants, retail, and private car parking. The two buildings are linked by a glazed atrium which is one of the largest in Europe, and covers a public plaza with water features and trees.NEED
TAC (Tour Andover Controls) were chosen for the controls systems integration for the BMS (Building Management System). They were to design the HVAC system (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.) for the project, and invited tenders for the subcontracting of the environmental controls.ACTION
GPS were employed by TAC to design and manufacture 26 MCCs for the HVAC system.CHOOSING GPS
Arup were the consulting engineers on this prestigious project, and GPS are on their Approved Supplier list. In a competitive bid against three other suppliers, GPS was chosen by TAC because the bid was the most financially competitive, and because of their 30 years' experience in the building industry. GPS' reputation for always delivering was arguably the deciding factor; TAC needed a company that would be able to meet the commercial drivers of on-time delivery, as well as the technical drivers.RESULT
GPS delivered 26 MCCs to a very tight deadline. There was no contingency on this part of the project, but the MCCs were built and delivered on schedule and TAC avoided the extra cost of penalties or overruns.Industry Sector: Airports
| Ultimate Client | British Airports Authority |
| Project Date | 2005 |
| Contract Value | £150,000.00 |
| Contract Duration | 18 Months |
BACKGROUND
Demand for air travel is set to double over the next 20 years, but without the necessary airport infrastructure this just would not be possible. Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in Europe and the new Terminal Five will boost Heathrow's capacity by 30 million passengers a year. T5 and one of its satellites are both due to be completed in 2008, and the second satellite in 2011, just in time for the Olympic Games in London.Terminal 5 will comprise a main terminal building with two satellite buildings linked by an underground transit train. Built on five levels, it will include separate check-in concourses, a public transport interchange, a lower level arrivals concourse and extensive landside and airside retail malls.
NEED
Terminal 5 will incorporate a Track Transit System (TTS) , an automated transportation system that will transfer passengers between the main terminal and its satellite buildings.An Automated People Mover (APM) will consist of driverless trains running on a dedicated subsurface guideway in dual parallel tunnels, with stations located underground. Because the TTS runs both over- and underground, a pumping drainage system was needed to ensure the tunnels remained dry at all times. Fire shutter doors were also needed.
CHOOSING GPS
GPS has a great deal of experience in building pumping control systems for water companies, where a rugged, reliable, robust product is needed for the strict regulations and quality control. The experience and technology was exactly what was required for the pumping control systems at Terminal 5.ACTION
Balfour Kilpatrick awarded GPS a sub-contract to design, manufacture and commission 3 MCCs, one for each Concourse, for a pumped drainage system for the tunnels within each building; and 4 control panels to control the fire shutter doors.Each MCC is supplied by 2 sets of mains arranged for automatic changeover, so in the event of failure by one set of mains, the other switches in automatically. Each individual MCC controls and monitors up to 22 pumps arranged as 11 pairs in a duty standby configuration.
RESULT
BAA can simply take for granted that the TTS tunnels will remain dry, and that in the event of a fire the fire shutter doors will operate quickly and automatically. While pumping controls and fire shutter doors are but a small cog in the overall Terminal 5 wheel , they are critical in ensuring a safe and comfortable environmentIndustry Sector: Nuclear electricity generation and waste reprocessing
| Ultimate Client | UK AEA |
| Project Date | 2004 to present date |
| Contract Value | Each approx. £150,000 |
| Contract Duration | 3-6 months |
BACKGROUND
Between 1940 and 1960, many nuclear research and electricity generating plants were constructed. These are now at the end of their useful lives and have to be safely decommissioned.NEED
Unlike modern nuclear facilities, early plants were not designed or constructed with eventual decommissioning in mind, so complex procedures and methods had to be developed to shut the plants down and make them safe to ensure no environmental or health hazards exist.CHOOSING GPS
GPS has experience at a number of UK sites of providing very high integrity control systems for the on-site movement, encapsulation and long-term safe storage of spent fuels. GPS' experience gives the sites confidence in our ability to build a safety-critical process.ACTION
It is impossible to be case or site-specific because of the confidentiality reasons, but each system generally consists of MCC, interlocking Control Panels, and Control Desk. The MCC controls the moving crane that picks up the spent fuel rods, as well as the jacks that control the movement of the 16 ton door to the storage area. Through a CCTV on the Control Desk, the operator can watch the process and take manual control if necessary.Because there is no margin for error, all controls are validated, with a back-up to every part of the system. For example, the 'Go Forward' command to the crane also validates the position of the door; if the door isn't open, the crane won't move.
The high security interlocking systems prevent access by unauthorized personnel and exposure to the atmosphere of the contaminated areas.
RESULT
Because of the inaccessibility of the machinery, the systems are designed to provide maximum operational availability and longevity, with some expected to be in service for up to 100 years. Such safety-critical systems reduce the long-term impact of nuclear waste on the environment, enabling the safe decommissioning of the old nuclear plants.Industry Sector: Quarry / Mining
| Ultimate Client | WBB Minerals |
| Project Date | 2004 |
| Contract Value | £65,000.00 |
| Contract Duration | 3 Months |
BACKGROUND
WBB MINERALS UK has quarrying operations nationwide and offers an extensive range of products. Sand quarrying operations are focused on providing high purity silica and cristobalite sands and flours for specialist consuming markets.The process route for providing sand may involve crushing (in the case of sandstone) to reduce material to its natural grain size; washing and screening to reduce oversize particles; and attrition or scrubbing to further cleanse the sand grains prior to more chemical treatment.
A new sand plant was installed in Devon for WBB Minerals. The Plant consisted of two separate buildings approximately one mile apart, and the aim was to enable WBB to make use of the sand which had previously just been a bi-product of the quarrying. The Plan processes the sand removed from the quarry, grading it by washing and filtering.
NEED
The two buildings needed to be able to communicate effectively. The entire process, from quarrying the sandstone to producing clean, graded sand, had to be monitored and controlled.CHOOSING GPS
GPS is a regular supplier for WBB Minerals.ACTION
The distance between the two buildings meant that a radio communications link was the most cost-effective. GPS also installed two MCCs for controlling the plant equipment, including starters for various pumps, filters, screens, and conveyor systems.The intelligent MCCs with HMIs are controlled by a PLC on a Profibus network. The two plants communicate via a radio communications link, with various other field instrumentation, such as level monitoring devices, connected on the network.
