iRAMS controlled generators for offshore turbines

A renewable company operating a large Wind Farm off Germany in the North Sea approached AST Marine Sciences asking for a reliable solution that could monitor and control their generators used for supplying temporary/emergency power.

The wind turbines under construction were outside of the traditional GSM/GPRS coverage area and required satellite connectivity to relay information, making iRAMS for Generators the best solution.

As well as being able to monitor and control the gensets sited anywhere around the world by using satellite, iRAMS for Generators optimises the refuelling logistics, sending alerts when fuel levels drop below a user defined pre-set limit, for example, less than 75%. iRAMS is claimed to significantly lower operational costs with remote diagnostics and increases efficiency by reducing the requirement for physical site visits to locations. With offshore unplanned maintenance, expenses can often reach in excess of £10,000 a day if engineers need to be deployed, iRAMS is an essential addition to reduce these costs.

After the installation of iRAMS unauthorised 3rd party contractors were interfering with the operation by turning the generators off, distorting the gensets’ uptimes and impacting on KPI potentially meaning penalties. iRAMS for Generators was able to report on these instances and send alerts to the company alerting them of any changes in status, even when the generator door had been opened and closed.

Max Challis, Technical Manager for AST Marine Sciences commented: “Satellite telematics complements GSM telecommunications and now offers renewables, oil and gas sectors all the benefits of remote monitoring and control of temporary power anywhere.