NCS Corporation

“Quality DOES Make a Difference”

We all know that the United States Air Force has air superiority over any potential foe on the planet. However, air strikes are just part of the Air Force mission. No military can win a battle without first sending ground forces to occupy the land. Moving troops and equipment around is the job of the Air Mobility Command. When the Air Force needs to move a cargo they turn to the new C-17 Globemaster aircraft.

C-17 Globemaster

McChord Air Force Base, located just outside Tacoma, Washington, is home to the C-17 Globemaster. The close proximity to the Army’s Ft. Lewis means that McChord is called early and often to support a wide range of military, scientific, and humanitarian missions around the world. The C-17 requires a variety of support equipment and facilities to stay ready to deploy at a moments notice. Facilities like hangers, supply warehouses, and offices are needed to support the C-17 and the people who maintain it. Indeed, McChord is a small city with it’s own hospital, Fire Department, Police Department, auto mechanic, and gas station. The Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) team of maintenance workers is employed to keep the facilities fully operational. Recent federal budget cuts and force reductions have required CES to do “more with less”.

The Base Energy Management Computer System (EMCS) was failing nearly every day. The original EMCS, installed in the 1980’s, relied on leased lines strung throughout the base on utility poles. The data transmission lines were frequently hit with lightning and transient voltage. Consequently, the EMCS required daily maintenance and repair efforts from a shrinking force of workers. The transition from the C-141 Starlifter to the C-17 Globemaster in the late 1990’s required a massive investment in the Base Infrastructure. CES decided a distributed Direct Digital Control (DDC) System for the Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) would be more reliable and easy to maintain. The Base released a specification that required integration of the DDC system into a single Human Machine Interface (HMI). The Base did not name a specific brand of HMI or DDC, instead relying on the competitive bid market to provide a functional system. NCS Corporation was founded in 1995 with the goal of providing customized open DDC Systems in small volume with very high quality standards. The Plan and Specification Market is deluged with proprietary HVAC systems. All of these proprietary systems lock the owner into long support contracts with little or no competition. NCS was committed to open DDC systems. NCS turned to ASI Controls in San Ramon, California for a DDC hardware solution. ASI has an open protocol and has leveraged Wonderware as the market leader in HMI. NCS won competitive bids at McChord for over 98% of all contracts over a 9-year period. The power and versatility of Wonderware ArchestrA has enabled NCS to be on time and under budget on nearly every contract at McChord.

Point and Click access is from the Site Map Screen

Point and Click access with Zoom How the NCS System Works NCS installs ASI Controls (ASIC) DDC system in the facility and programs the controllers to monitor and control the facility’s environmental control system. The DDC is connected to the COM port of a Maintenance Computer (Windows XP Pro) located in the facility mechanical room. The Maintenance Computer is a member of the EMCS Ethernet Domain at McChord. The Maintenance Computer provides data to the EMCS Domain with Wonderware’s ArchestrA Framework. ArchestrA is connected on the local computer to the ASI Controls OPC Server (also installed on the Maintenance Computer).

Network Configuration

ASI Controls Visual Expert is installed on Maintenance Shop Laptop Computers and the Maintenance Shop Workstation. Visual Expert makes a network connection to the building’s OPC Server. Visual Expert allows full configuration over the network from anyplace on the base.

ASI Controls Visual Expert Configuration Screen Users have a range of options. Wonderware InTouch is the primary interface to the DDC System. NCS developed a large InTouch application to incorporate “point and click” access to each facility. Maintenance workers can logon to InTouch at the facility mechanical room to view system status, and make set point adjustments. There is also an InTouch node in the maintenance shop. EMCS engineers have InTouch loaded on their office computer. Other base personnel can logon to Wonderware’s Terminal Server Thin Client from their office computer using only Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Typical Air Handler Unit

Typical Boiler

Typical Boiler with Runtimes

Typical Chiller with Runtimes

Typical Variable Air Volume Terminal Unit Wonderware InTouch is loaded on an EMCS Terminal Server. The Terminal Server application is a clone of the InTouch HMI. Based on logon permissions Terminal Server clients can view energy data, space temperatures, set points and schedules. Selected users have the ability to modify set points and schedules using Terminal Server.

Terminal Server requires only Internet Explorer The DDC is also connected to the facilities with a TCP/IP connection to the Electric Meters for real time graphical display of actual energy consumption rates. The building’s energy monitoring system is displayed in real time with Wonderware Graphical Screens.

Building Power Metering Screen

Selection of a meter in the power metering screen will display the real time energy values for each meter. Power Metering is done at the Main Building Level as well as extensive sub metering for individual sub loads. Some Electric Meters are provided with only a KW Pulse Output. The Pulse Output is connected to the DDC Controller, which is configured to count pulses and calculate KW and KWH readings.

Electric Main Meter Screen

Electric Sub Meter Screen

Pulse Electric Meter Screen Natural Gas and Water meters are also provided with a Pulse Output. The Pulse Output is connected to the DDC Controller, which is configured to count pulses and calculate Cubic Feet or Gallons for display on InTouch and storage to InSQL.

Natural Gas Meter Screen

NCS wrote a Custom I/O Server to integrate into a wireless Armstrong SteamEye Steam Trap monitoring system. Steam Traps located around the Base (about 500 traps) transmit to one EMCS Workstation running the NCS I/O Server and Wonderware IAS. The data collected from the traps is processed to Alarms and InSQL Logging. Data collected is displayed to InTouch with a separate alarm screen as well as a series of tables to allow workers to view the status of each trap on the system.

Main SteamEye Screen

SteamEye Table with Details Screen

Wonderware Industrial SQL Server (InSQL) is loaded on an EMCS Server. InSQL is used to gather and store over 40,000 individual temperatures, pressures, commands and energy totals. The InSQL server data is displayed to both InTouch and Terminal Server InTouch with Active Factory Trend client tool. EMCS engineers have Active Factory loaded directly on their office computer for instant access to InSQL data. An EMCS Server is also designated to store Alarm data provided by each IAS Platform into the WWALMDatabase. Any computer with access to InTouch has the ability to display current alarms, or to connect to the Alarm SQL Database to display Alarm and Event History.

Distributed Alarms are available to Users

Alarm History

Historical Trend Tool

InSQL energy data is logged automatically by IAS and processed for storage into InSQL using Store and Forward assignment in the IAS Engine. In the event of Ethernet connection failure data is stored to the local hard disk of the IAS Platform. Once the connection to InSQL is restored the data is pushed out to InSQL without human intervention. The web pages total energy usage for the entire base and report which facilities had the highest and lowest energy usage per square foot. Meter values stored automatically are combined with meters read manually into one comprehensive SQL Database. Energy Reports can be run from the entire base level down to the Building Sub Meter Level.

Crystal Reports Utility Report

All Analog Values Report NCS developed a Web version of the Operation and Maintenance Manuals. Data cut sheets and individual user manuals are stored in PDF format. Software flowcharts and As-Built drawings are stored in digital format. Autocadd Voloview is used to view the cadd files. This single point of contact provides several hundred thousand pages of documentation, drawings and pictures. The O&M website also includes a training video section that provides detailed instructions for commonly used features.

O&M Manual’s

Results of the Wonderware Installation In the 1990’s the base employed over 80 maintenance workers to provide service to the base facilities. Today the base uses less than 20 people to maintain even more facilities. The combination of reliable DDC hardware and easy HMI interface has cut maintenance hours dramatically. The ability to “see” the entire system process from anywhere on base has allowed CES to quickly troubleshoot problems. Set points and time schedules can now be changed without leaving the maintenance shop. Facility occupants can even be empowered to make set point changes to optimize energy conservation. Energy usage and conservation is available to every worker on the base. Commanders and Process Owners can establish energy conservation goals and award programs.

The Bottom Line NCS Corporation has created an Open Distributed Direct Digital Control System at McChord AFB. Wonderware ArchestrA products allow Base personnel to visualize the entire HVAC process at a glance. Engineers, mechanics, supervisors, and office workers have instant access to real time and historical data about any building on the system. For the first time in the history of McChord AFB all Base personnel have the ability to see the effect of their energy usage habits. A centralized SQL storage for all metering data has been established. Real progress can be made in cutting energy usage at McChord with progress shown in monthly reports. The NCS Corporation integration of Wonderware ArchestrA and ASI Controls DDC Hardware allows McChord AFB to AIM HIGH !

McChord AFB. DDC Objectives Reliable HVAC Control. Provide easy to use HMI for entire base. Provide access to stored energy data. Ensure scalability of entire system.

NCS Corporation P.O. Box 4475 McChord AFB, WA. 98438 1-800-993-9905 http://www.ncs-corp.com

McChord AFB Project List 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34.

Building 1- Hanger Building 2- Hanger Building 3- Hanger Building 4- Hanger Building 16- Airfield Lighting Vault Building 100- 62 AW Headquarters Building 504- Shopping Center Building 510- Burger King Building 511- Commercial Gate Building 518- Bio-Environmental Building 527- Dental Clinic Building 530- Harborstone Credit Union Building 552- Housing Office Building 555- Civil Engineering Building 690- Clinic Replacement Building 691- Consolidated Medical Training Facility Building 709- Life Support Facility Building 726- Health and Wellness Facility Building 737- Bowling Center Building 738- Mobile Communication Squadron Building 743- C-17 Module Replacement Center Building 745- Composite and Repair Shop Building 758- Survival Repair Shop Building 773- Washrack Building 774- Vehicle Maintenance Building 779- Vehicle Maintenance Building 835- Golf Maintenance Facility Building 849- Main Gate Building 895- Golf Clubhouse Building 1119- C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Building 1141- C-17 Squadron Operations I Building 1142- C-17 Squadron Operations II Building 1145- C-17 Squadron Operations III Building 1159- C-17 Life Support

35. Building 1160- C-17 Corrosion Control Facility 36. Building 1164- Nose Dock 37. Building 1165- Nose Dock 38. Building 1166- Nose Dock 39. Building 1167- Nose Dock 40. Building 1169- Tire Shop 41. Building 1170- Vehicle Maintenance Shop 42. Building 1172- Command Post 43. Building 1174- C-17 Fuel System Maintenance Dock 44. Building 1177- AMOS Facility 45. Building 1178- Corrosion Control Facility 46. Building 1179- Passenger Terminal 47. Building 1180- C-17 Flightline Support 48. Building 1182- C-17 Squadron Operations IV 49. Building 1183- USO 50. Building 1197- Supply Squadron 51. Building 1200- C-17 AGE Maintenance th 52. Building 1202- 446 Security Forces Squadron th 53. Building 1205- 446 Reserve Squadron th 54. Building 1207- 446 Squadron Operations th 55. Building 1210- 446 Aeromed Training Facility th 56. Building 1211- 446 Civil Engineers. th 57. Building 1212- 446 Civil Engineers th 58. Building 1214- 446 Air Wing th 59. Building 1216- 446 Air Wing 60. Building 1302- Parachute Shop 61. Building 1305- Combat Arms Training 62. Building 1307- C-17 Flight Simulator 63. Building 1307(2)- C-17 Flight Simulator II 64. Building 1330- Army Deployment Center 65. Building 1312- DACG Facility 66. Building 1315- Maintenance Training Facility 67. Building 1419- In Flight kitchen 68. Building 1422- Freight Terminal