Innovative, robust and secure industrial solutions using microprocessor relays

Abstract

This paper provides real-world examples of the benefits to industrial systems when aging and obsolete electromechanical relays are replaced with modern, microprocessor-based relays. Microprocessor-based relays eliminate failure and degradation of operations due to moving parts. They also reduce or eliminate the time to detect a failure via internal self-test diagnostics and monitoring, information storage, and communications that immediately publish alarms and alerts. Driving the mean time to detect failures to zero with instantaneous alerts of self-test alarms dramatically improves the reliability of systems that formerly relied on periodic manual tests of devices to detect failure. In fact, any failed electromechanical devices in service today will remain undetected until they are tested or until they fail to operate while in service. IEC and IEEE reliability measures based on time to detect failure and repair or replace are both improved with instantaneous detection and notification.