Altus Engineering Team modernizes two important HPPs

Despite the constant arrival of different alternative power sources, hydroelectric plants with reservoirs are still part of the main power generation projects in Brazil. Today, HPPs represent around 60% of all the power generated in the country, and Altus technology is responsible for an important percentage of this production. For more than 30 years in the domestic power market, our products are used by the main players in the sector as a solution to control data acquisition in the processes of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of power.

One of the most recent projects led by our Engineering team is the modernization of the UACs (Control and Acquisition Units) of the Substation and of the Auxiliary Services of an HPP located in the southeastern region of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The plant has three generating units that, together, deliver an installed capacity of 132 MW. The application upgrade done by our team of specialists aims to increase the integrity and operational reliability, while promoting the standardization of the HPP systems, enabling better conditions for preventive and corrective maintenance.

Register of the UHE Santa Branca`s TAF, held in October 2020

The projected modernization will replace the AL-2000 PLCs, which currently control the UACs Substation and Auxiliary Services, with the Hadron Xtorm Series RTUs. This same replacement process was carried out at the plant`s A, B and C Generating Units, between 2018 and the beginning of 2020. Since then, the units have been operating based on Hadron Xtorm technology and in complete integration with the CAO (Operation Service Center) and the COG (Generation Operation Center).

Another project that also had its technological base updated with Hadron Xtorm products was the Santa Branca HPP. The plant`s project includes the complete modernization of the DSCS (Digital Supervision and Control System), covering everything from the supply of the UACs of Generating Units 1 and 2, the Substation and the Auxiliary Services, to the development of the PLC application PLC and the supervision system. The project`s FAT, performed by Altus team and attended by the client`s engineers and technicians, was carried out in October last year at Altus Panel Factory.

Hadron Xtorm Module

Hadron Xtorm: ruggedness and performance for GTD processes

Developed based on international standards IEC 61850 and IEC 61131-3, Hadron Xtorm products have outstanding features, such as power supply and CPU redundancy in the same rack, as well as DNP3 and IEC 61850 protocols (MMS and GOOSE) and compliance to sub-modules. Recently, the consolidated family of Altus Remote Terminal Units has gained a new member: meet the HX6065, mixed module for AC measurement and 4 analog voltage and current outputs. Developed by our R&D team, the equipment comes to give even more flexibility to the Series regarding the measurement and regulation of quantities.

Click here to download the official family catalog and find out about the Hadron Xtorm Series products in detail.

If you have any questions or would like more information about Altus products, please contact our sales team by e-mail on sales@altus.com.br or by calling +55 51 3589-9528.