Back to case studiesBackground: Monitoring Controls at Power Generating Stations
Monitoring controls at an electric power generating station is a full-time job. In order to help ensure customers receive reliable electrical service in their area, control panels provide status indication for motor control, valve position, and other key indicators. Control panel indicators are fundamental to safe and efficient operation.
And when thousands of customers depend on you, equipment downtime is not an option.
What Is an Electric Power Generating Station?
An electric power generating station, often referred to as a power plant or generating plant, is an industrial facility designed specifically for the large-scale generation of electric power from primary energy sources. These facilities are generally connected to an electrical grid to supply power to society.
Our client, a large generation and transmission electric cooperative in Texas, had a huge problem with its status indicators: the bulbs would overheat, become brittle, and break. These little bulbs caused big issues, including loss of productivity, time wasted sourcing hard-to-find replacement parts, and the labor associated with constantly replacing the broken bulbs.
VCC saw this as an opportunity to not only eliminate costly maintenance, but also streamline the design and improve the overall operating life, communication, and aesthetics of the electrical monitoring equipment.
Application Requirements
Because thousands of homes and businesses rely on our client’s electricity, monitoring control and valve stations must take place 24/7/365. Our client needed a reliable indicator panel solution that would:
- Deliver consistent and reliable status indication
- Reduce costly downtime due to maintenance
- Extend the operating life of the monitoring equipment
- Be clearly visible no matter the time of day or night
- Withstand harsh working environments
Solution: PCL 22 Series LED and Bi-Color Panel Mount Indicator
Our team made a few design recommendations that would not only alleviate the client’s costly maintenance issues, but also extend the life and reliability of the utility generators’ monitoring equipment.
PCL 22 Series LED Indicator
First, we replaced the incandescent bulbs, which were constantly breaking, with a long-lasting and durable PCL 22 Series LED. This 24V screw block terminal design with lock washer and hex nut is ideal for industrial applications. The 22mm indicator is dust-tight and protected against water jets to IP65 for enhanced reliability and performance.
The PCL 22 Series LED is a purposefully designed component intended to deliver high-reliability status indication within demanding industrial settings, particularly serving as an immediate replacement for older, high-maintenance incandescent lighting systems.
In power generation, the true economic value of the PCL 22 Series LED system extends beyond simple cost substitution. It’s measured in the guarantee of consistent output and risk mitigation. The reliability of the PCL 22 system mitigates the risk of indicator failure that could lead to system confusion, misinterpretation, or an unnecessary shutdown.
Bi-Color Red and Green Panel Mount Indicator
We also streamlined the control panel by switching out two separate indicators with one bi-color red and green panel mount indicator (PMI) to communicate machine status, substantially improving human-machine interface (HMI) effectiveness. The process of upgrading the industrial control panel was executed in distinct phases, beginning with the direct replacement of the primary point-of-failure component: the light source. VCC retrofitted the design with a high-reliability, high-visibility LED indicator that will outshine its incandescent predecessor for years to come, and do so without any maintenance.
Results & Benefits
VCC’s recommendation and product delivered a wide range of benefits, including:
- Consistent and reliable status indication
- Less costly downtime due to maintenance
- Longer operating life for the monitoring equipment
- Clear visibility at any time of day or night
- Durability in a harsh working environment
The recommendation and subsequent implementation of the high-reliability, high-visibility LED indicator package provided a number of tangible benefits for maximizing performance and minimizing risk in power generation operations.
The changes also improved the aesthetics of the electrical monitoring equipment.
Value-Added Services
Our team quickly solved our client’s design challenge, eliminating costly downtime and maintenance costs while improving the reliability of the utility generating stations.
Whether you’re working on a new product or would like to upgrade and optimize an existing design, VCC has the insight and innovation to help you achieve your design goals. Contact our team to discuss an LED upgrade for your control panels.
Case Study Media
Frequently Asked Questions About LED Indicators for Power Generating Stations
Why Replace Incandescent Bulbs with LED Indicators in Control Panels?
In this case study, the incandescent bulbs overheated, became brittle, and broke, causing lost productivity, time spent sourcing hard-to-find replacement parts, and constant replacement labor. VCC replaced them with long-lasting, durable PCL 22 Series LEDs.
What Is the PCL 22 Series LED?
The PCL 22 Series is a 22mm, 24V LED indicator with a screw block terminal, lock washer, and hex nut. It is rated IP65 for dust and water-jet protection and is designed for high-reliability status indication in industrial settings.
How Does a Bi-Color Indicator Simplify a Control Panel?
One bi-color red and green PMI can replace two separate indicators to communicate machine status. For this client, the switch streamlined the control panel and improved HMI effectiveness.
Why Is Indicator Reliability Critical in Power Generation?
Control panel indicators show status for motor control, valve position, and other key functions. An indicator failure could lead to system confusion, misinterpretation, or an unnecessary shutdown, and thousands of customers depend on continuous service.
