CONTROLS
ComAp has introduced a
new control targeted primarily toward generator
sets and other single-engine drive applications.
The new InteliLite NT controller is an integrated
control system that the
company said is ideal for
gen-sets with Tier 3 electronic engines.
MORE SMARTS IN A
SMALLER PACKAGE
ComAp’s new InteliLite NT control designed for
flexibility in CAN-controlled engine applicatons
BY MIKE BREZONICK
Continuing the development of
its family of intelligent engine
and machine control and
monitoring systems, ComAp has introduced a new control targeted primarily toward single-engine drive applications, such as generator sets,
natural gas booster compressors and
irrigation sets. The new InteliLite NT
controller is an integrated control system that the company said is ideal for
gen-sets with Tier 3 electronic engines operating in manual or remote
start (MRS) mode or auto-mains failure (AMF) mode.
ComAp is headquartered in Prague
in the Czech Republic, with distributors and subsidiaries operating around
the world. Activities in the U.S. and
Canada are covered by ComAp LLC,
Roscoe, Ill.
“The NT is for new technology,” said
Ray Lecuyer, president of ComAp
LLC. “It’s primarily designed to provide easier interface with electronic
engines and make it easier to adapt to
changes in the electronic engine
J1939 protocol.
“Everyone talks about J1939, but
the reality is that every manufacturer
uses some derivative of it. So the idea
behind the NT product was to create
an engine-specific file (ESF) for each
version of J1939 being used that can
then be customer selected.
“In our earlier products, you would
have to get a special software branch
for each engine model. Now, it’s just a
selectable function.”
The unit is designed to communicate via standard and proprietary CAN
J1939 communication protocols with a
wide range of electronically controlled
engines from a broad list of suppliers
including Caterpillar, Cummins, Deutz,
MTU Detroit Diesel, GM, Iveco, John
Deere, Perkins, Scania, Sisu, Volvo
Penta and others. “No matter what
engine the gen-set packager is using,”
Lecuyer noted, “we can spec that engine model and it’s already set up to
interpret the CANbus protocol.”
The InteliLite NT is designed to provide three-phase generator protection
for over/under frequency, over/under
voltage, current/voltage asymmetry
and overcurrent/overload. It also provides true RMS voltage and current
monitoring, as well as complete power measurement.
Information carried through the
CANbus communications link are displayed on a 128 x 64 pixel LCD display on the front of the control. The
system also includes a driver output
module that can be used to run as
many as eight analog gauge displays.
“With the eight driver outputs and the
elimination of having to run separate
sensor devices to drive your protective
gauges, the hours needed to wire the
engine and skid are gone,” said
Lecuyer. “It’s a plug-in module that will
interpret CANbus information from the
engine ECU, so you can have all of
your engine functions as well as gen-
