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West Burton powers up CCTV coverage

West Burton Power Station has invested in a new CCTV system to improve process control at the 2000 Megawatt output coal plant in Nottinghamshire, UK.

One of the UK's largest power stations, West Burton, processes 18 000 tonnes of coal every day with conveyor belts delivering 1500 tonnes of coal an hour. The plant has witnessed significant changes over the past two years, with a more automated control monitoring system.

Three networked analog System Sprite multiplexers from Dedicated Micros are controlled from a BBV Pick-a-Point graphical user interface. The system now allows a small number of staff in the control room to oversee the production process throughout the plant, providing round the clock CCTV coverage of the coal transportation process from start to finish.

A BBV TX1500 telemetry keyboard provides direct control of 27 mono cameras situated over key operational areas, from paddle feeders (where coal is taken from the hoppers at the start of the process) via the trash screens (where over-sized pieces of coal are sieved out), and on to the bunkers, helping the plant to minimise downtime caused by blockages in the system.

The system has been designed to give operators control of three 16-way System Sprites and a matrix from one position via the graphical user interface and a single keyboard. Images are transmitted back to the control room via 2 km of fibre-optic cables.

The graphical user interface allows operators to view up to 10 different configurations of quad camera images, per System Sprite, at any time. When part of the plant is out of service for its 12 week routine maintenance every summer, for example, control room operators can amend the quad configuration easily to take out those images they no longer need to monitor - or to add in particular hot spots.

A 2-dimensional map of the whole site shows individual camera positions, making it much easier for operators to locate cameras.

Eddie Dautry-Turner of manufacturer and system integrators Building Block Video explains: "Normally we would need a multikeyboard solution to control the multiplexers and the matrix. And it would also have been complicated and time-consuming to reconfigure the quad displays. But at West Burton we have managed to integrate it all into the graphical user interface which simplifies the operation of the complete system."

Dean Nixon of security installers NX1 (UK) added: "System Sprite offered the most cost-effective and flexible solution for West Burton because of its network capabilities. We have used the three System Sprite building blocks - keyboard, multiplexer and monitor switcher - to allow two or more individual control points to have shared viewing and control of any number of cameras. This means we can keep on adding to the system, which was a critical system requirement."

The system is currently being evaluated with a view to a possible expansion with the integration of an additional three System Sprites, 20 colour cameras and six 20" monitors to provide coverage for the flue gas desulphurisation plant, due to be commissioned at the end of 2003.

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