The nuclear power station operator EDF recently invested about £30m on plant at Heysham 2, its station on the Morecambe Bay coast, which has included a phased upgrade of the site’s video surveillance system.
Nigel Buer Telecoms Specialist at EDF Energy said: “Our existing analogue CCTV had limited functionality and was not fit for purpose in respect of our wish to more closely monitor the plant and machinery in operation throughout Heysham 2. We decided to take a close look at what we might be able to achieve by replacing the analogue system with an IP network based video surveillance solution.”
Nigel talked to several manufacturers about which cameras would best help his colleagues to keep an eye on the generator’s instrument panels, and respond to any technical issues. He said: “Heysham 2 covers a very large area and we wanted to avoid the need for colleagues to walk long distances just to verify an instrument reading. Although inefficient use of our colleagues’ time, this had previously been necessary for time critical issues.”
After evaluating various manufacturers’ offerings, Nigel established that the Wisenet range of video surveillance cameras and video management software by Hanwha Techwin included what was needed to meet Heysham 2’s requirements.
Phase one has seen the deployment of 45 cameras; 15 are 2 megapixel Wisenet XNP-6120H 12x PTZ domes. These come with Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) which performs at up to 150dB to produce images in scenes that simultaneously contain very bright and very dark areas. Some 13 Wisenet TNU-6320 network positioning cameras have been deployed. These 2 megapixel cameras can be programmed to endlessly pan 360 degrees, to monitor a wide area and they offer operators the flexibility to select from up to 255 pre-set positions which can be scheduled. Designed to capture high definition images in challenging conditions, the TNU-6320s with a robust aluminium die cast exterior, are able to work even when the ambient temperature is as high as 55 degrees C, or as low as minus 40 degrees C.
EDF Energy’s control room operators can view live and recorded images with Wisenet WAVE Video Management Software (VMS). This features an intuitive ‘drag and drop’ tool which lets operators set up a display of live and recorded images on a single screen or video wall, with customisable layouts and sizes.
The resolution of a recent health and safety issue, where an electrical item failed and sparked close to a technician, has shown the use of video surveillance besides for security. The quality of the images captured by the cameras monitoring the faulty electrical item enabled Nigel and his colleagues to establish, among several possibilities, what had caused the sparking.
Nigel Buer said: “Keeping colleagues safe will always be our top priority, but there is no doubt that the new Wisenet IP network cameras are making a significant contribution by helping us to more efficiently monitor and maintain Heysham 2’s generator and its supporting plant and machinery.”
Nigel Buer is now looking at how more Wisenet cameras might meet other requirements of nuclear power station operations.
