What is setpoint drift monitoring and how is it implemented in NANTeL?

• A. Tracking actual sensor outputs against expected values over time to detect drift; implemented via trend analysis, routine calibration, and alarms.
• B. Replacing sensors when any drift is noticed.
• C. Ignoring drift and continuing operations.
• D. Increasing sampling rate to eliminate drift.

Answer: (A)

Setpoint drift monitoring is about catching gradual changes in sensor behavior by watching how actual readings diverge from what they should be over time. In NANTeL, this is done by continuously comparing the sensor outputs to their expected setpoints, using trend analysis to reveal slow or creeping shifts, performing routine calibrations to realign measurements with true values, and triggering alarms when drift exceeds predefined limits. This approach gives a clear view of both current deviation and its direction, so drift can be corrected before it undermines protection performance. Replacing sensors whenever drift is noticed isn’t always needed, ignoring drift is unsafe, and simply increasing sampling rate doesn’t fix the drift itself; it just collects more data without addressing the underlying change.