Product Information:

Home

Cascade EWS System Overview:

The main design criteria for the EWS was to provide a comprehensive yet inexpensive monitor system that could warn of a pending problem before more serious damage is caused to equipment, facilities, or product. The system was to be easy and inexpensive to install, would be operator friendly and would be self-calibrating. The system would provide useful information to make the job of a system maintenance technician easier.

Back to Top    Home

Monitor & Accessories: Photos & Technical Information

Typical Applications:

-  retail convenience stores that have refrigerated chests and cabinets,

-  restaurant and food preparation facilities with freezers and refrigerated spaces, exhaust and makeup fans,

-  commercial warehouse and processing facilities with coolers, chillers, and mechanical refrigeration, bulk material handling systems, conveyor systems,

-  recreation facilities including ice rinks, swimming pools, and hot tubs,

-  agricultural production and storage facilities including confined livestock ventilation, heating, and watering, fish farm water circulation and temperature controls, vegetable and fruit storage, grain and material handling conveyors, augers, legs, feed processing, grinding and mixing, grain and forage drying, water heating / cooling systems, potable water systems, and

-  industrial installations including circulation pumps, oil field production pumps, driers and separators, compressor stations, and chemical production and processing facilities.

Back to Top    Home

Detect Maintenance Problems Early:

-  condenser is plugged with tree fluff or leaves, condenser fan fails to come ON or thermostatic two speed fan switch fails may cause excessive head pressure, higher compressor running current and longer run times.

-  compressor seals begin to leak and lubricant is lost causing excessive running current and higher starting currents.

-  slow leak of refrigeration fluid causes excessive ON times and lower operating current than normal.

-  worn compressor may cause abnormal running current, higher starting currents, and longer run times.

-  faulty defrost cycle, faulty evaporator fan(s), or a frozen evaporator can cause lower running current, excessive compressor cycling, or longer run times.

-  plugged air filters can cause abnormal fan motor current.

-  plugged in-line filters can reduce pump efficiency and affect system pressures and flow rates.

-  faulty dampers can cause abnormal fan motor currents and run times.

-  faulty heaters can cause abnormal process temperatures or equipment freeze-up.

-  faulty fans or circulation pumps can cause abnormal process temperatures.

Back to Top    Home

Sensor Inputs: Current, Temperature, Switch contact

1. four channels of 3 phase current monitoring (or up to 12 channels of single phase current monitoring)

The primary function of the EWS is to measure and analyze the operating current of electrical loads like motors, compressors, fans, heaters and lighting circuits. A current sensor (called a Current Transformer) is installed to measure the current used by an electrical load.

The EWS-MP is able to provide a very wide range of current monitoring by using a non-linear burden on the current transformers. The voltage signal produced when the CT is connected to the MP provides sensing of load currents from 0.01 to 100 amps. The resolution of the current measurement is about 20 points per decade of current which is adequate for general purpose load monitoring.

2. four channels of temperature monitoring ( -50C to +80C )

Most mechanical systems in buildings and processes attempt to control or maintain a process temperature. A secondary function of the EWS is to monitor process temperature and provide a warning if the temperature fluctuates more than desired.

3. one channel of general purpose timed switch contact input.

Any number of switch type sensors can be connected in series or parallel to provide a normally closed circuit.

Back to Top    Home

Alarm Outputs: Temperature, Circuit Breaker, Current, and Switch

1. The most serious alarm would occur if the process temperature is out of range because damage to product or the process may be about to happen. The temperature is checked against the value determined during calibration to be "normal" every 10 seconds. If the temperature has drifted beyond the limit selected, then the local audio alarm is sounded and the appropriate channel and alarm indicator comes ON blinking.
2. The second most serious condition might be a circuit breaker trip. This may not immediately be cause for concern but the process will gradually drift out of specification soon after. A circuit breaker trip is detected and an alarm is generated within two minutes.
3. The switch input is expecting an normally closed circuit. If the circuit is open continuously for more than 5 minutes then an alarm is generated. The switch input is typically used to monitor if the doors on freezer cabinets are closed. If the doors are left open too long, then the temperature distribution within the cabinet will be disturbed and damage to product will eventually occur.
4. The average running current, peak starting current, and running duty cycle alarms are combined into a single alarm output. These conditions are averaged over a 24 hour period and if an abnormality is detected at the end of the 24 hour period, an alarm is generated. Changes in these parameters generally occur slowly over a period of days or weeks and when the accumulated change from when the system was calibrated is significant, an alarm is generated.

Back to Top    Home

Limitations to consider:

-  The EWS is not to be used for life-critical or life-support applications.

-  The EWS is not intended to replace or over-ride control systems or limit devices that are required for safety purposes.

-  Cascade does not provide the alarm monitoring system that may have an auto dialer and remote monitoring. Most facilities have a security alarm system that can be connected to the EWS-MP to provide that service.

-  The EWS-CT Current Transformers are for measuring 50 or 60 hz Alternating Current only.

-  If a load is running continuously, then the duty cycle monitoring is meaningless and this feature can be disabled using a programming switch setting.

-  If a load is continuously variable or has stepped or staged loads that change over a wide range, (such as a variable speed motor drive or a two speed fan) then the average running current limits are meaningless and this feature can be disabled using a programming switch setting.

-  If a load changes significantly with seasonal variations, then seasonal re-calibration may be required to minimize false alarms.

-  If the load current is zero when the load is switched OFF, then the breaker trip monitoring is not functional. An optional accessory, the EWS-ML Minimum Load device can be used to provide a minimum pilot current for circuit breaker trip detection.

-  The range of the standard temperature sensor is from -50C to +60C.

Back to Top    Home

Electrical Approvals: CSA / NRTL

The EWS-CT Current Transformers are CSA / NRTL approved as a Class 1 to Class 2 interface device. The CT is mounted in a knockout of a junction box or electrical equipment panel with the Class 1 circuits inside and the Class 2 circuit outside.

Back to Top    Home

Product Availability, Pricing and Technical Support:

The end-user pricing of the EWS components is given below in US$ and CDN$. Quantity discounts are available for distributors and installers. Contact Cascade Systems for information about distributing these products. Shipping costs via UPS ground are included for system purchases. Shipping costs for individual components or for other shipping methods will be to the purchasers account.

Due to our policy of continuous product enhancement and to provide great value to our customers, specifications and prices are subject to change without notice.

Back to Top    Home

Warranty and Satisfaction Guarantee:

If you install a Cascade EWS and, after contacting Cascade Technical Support, the system is found to be not suitable for your application, then Cascade Technical Support will issue a Return Authorization Number and the components can be returned directly to Cascade for a full refund of your purchase price.

There is no warranty as to the fitness or function of the monitor system with respect to any particular application. In no circumstances will Cascade Systems be liable for any subsequent or consequential damages arising from the use or misuse of this product.

Back to Top    Home