POWER May 2016 - 19

3. What's not to like? The new batterymonitoring
system allows staff to check individual
cell voltages, temperatures, and other
metrics at a glance, as well as collect and report
data with ease-all with less risk of short
circuits or exposure to chemical hazards. Courtesy:
NAES Corp.
Weighing the Choices
Once all of the benefits were considered,
Dogwood's owners decided that installing
a battery-monitoring system was the right
choice. Management selected monitoring
systems manufactured by Eagle Eye, Alber,
and Cellwatch for comparison. The price
and technical capabilities of each system
were very similar, and all three were fairly
easy to install and integrate into the plant.
The group felt that the Eagle Eye system's
operator interface had a slight edge over
the others and because it received glowing
reviews from references that were contacted,
Eagle Eye was chosen.
The Eagle Eye iPQMS battery-monitoring
The monitoring system would also allow
operators to download data for regular
trending and reporting over longer periods
of time. Parameters could be established
so that once a given setpoint was reached,
an alarm would activate, indicating an
immediate problem. Depending on the
frequency at which plants monitor their
batteries manually, an abnormal condition
could go undetected for weeks or months
without a monitoring system.
system was installed on the plant's vented
lead-acid batteries for the steam turbine
system. Dogwood also installed Eagle Eye
BQMS monitoring systems-which are very
similar to the iPQMS system but without
the local display interface-on both of its
combustion turbine battery systems. Since
the system went online, it has proven to
be very effective.
The group elected to extend the monitoring
capabilities to the control room
as well. Although a few communications
problems have arisen in the process, the
team is confident that they will be satisfactorily
resolved very soon.
Even though the readings will be
made at some distance from the actual
batteries, it is Dogwood management's
philosophy that battery monitoring is
not a replacement for regular local visual
inspections, but rather an enhancement
of those activities. Plant staff is still required
to perform regular visual checks,
although the system has eliminated or
minimized the hazards that accompany
plant battery testing. If and when the
plant needs to rely on its battery system,
management feels assured that it will be
in a reliable condition to meet the demands
of the moment.
-Glenn Brons is maintenance coordinator
for NAES Corp. at Dogwood Energy in
Pleasant Hill, Mo.
Core Shroud Head Bolt
Retainer Tool Saves BWRs
Time and Money
A new tool that can be used to help ensure
the proper positioning of core shroud head
bolt assemblies in boiling water reactors
(BWRs) was recently invented by Jason
Cocke, engineering, tooling, and logistics
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POWER May 2016

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