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Welcome to the May 2009 issue of ICEnews, the Instrumentation, and Control Engineering news source.  ICEnews is a compendium of useful information which we endeavour to issue quarterly.

We want to make this newsletter a source of information that YOU can use in YOUR job, while also keeping you informed on what is happening in our industry both directly and indirectly.  We welcome your Press Releases, information, AND any technical articles you may have that could be appropriate for this newsletter or our web site. If you have something you would like to contribute, please send it to ICEnews.

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Editorial

Take Care of those Automation Graduates and Apprentices

It is a sad reflection on those companies that are not taking care of graduates and apprentices during this time of recession.  They seem to be easy targets with some laying off both or not taking their training obligations seriously. What must not be forgotten is that these talented young people deserve the same treatment that the management making these decisions would expect. However being cynical I think some managers may seem to taking the approach that protects their profit bonuses rather than looking at the long term future of their company and their most important asset, namely those people who are an investment in that future.

So what is being "cut"? Well it is OK to expect graduates to be "trained on the job" but it is not the whole story since a structured graduate/apprenticeship is critical to achieve their full potential.  If the cuts mean that no structured training courses are being funded then the risk is that the individuals become totally disillusioned and hence when it comes to working on the job the results are far from satisfactory. The structured training program should be competency based and include a mix of training courses and job training.  The other thing which affects the whole graduate/apprenticeship schemes is the fact that companies are putting huge pressures on the workforce, having the approach of doing more with less. This means that if there are no hours allocated to young trainees then the potential is that they are sitting twiddling their thumbs and surfing the net. The best approach to achieve graduates who will meet their potential quickly is to focus on formal education training in their first year. This means that they get the basic skills required to become a valuable COMPETENT engineer and also have the necessary HSE knowledge for the industry in which they are working.  For instance how many Graduates/Apprentices are working in the oil and gas industry who have not been on formal competency based training for electrical hazardous areas? In my opinion this would be the first course that I would put my employees on as it is a critical competency.  The fact is that young people coming out of University have some tools but very little knowledge of the real automation world. 

Unfortunately I guess that "People Managers" who control the purse strings are unlikely to read this and so all we can do as technocrats is to put the case to these people, highlighting that the "cut approach" if subjected to a cost benefit analysis would come out as not the best outcome for the company in the 3 year term of the graduate. Of course managers must not forget that the graduates of today may be the future leaders of your company, thus it is essential to continually keep "new talent" in the pipeline.

So what do you think?  Please let me know.

As an aside I have read an excellent article from John Immelman from E&H on the subject of "Why are instrument engineers and technicians so undervalued?", this is well worth a read. 

Jim Russell

ICEart - Technical articles related to instrumentation and control (Just "click" on the Hyperlink for the full article or paper)

Emerson Process Management have introduced a Rosemount^®  thermocouple with a gas-tight sapphire protective tube for use in gasification reactor applications. The new thermocouple has been specially developed to give an extended operating life in difficult process conditions, where temperatures up to 3200°F, pressures up to 110 bar, and attack from aggressive gases lead to the premature failure of standard thermocouples.

Emerson Process Management have announced the expansion of its high flow capacity Micro Motion® ELITE® Coriolis meter offering to cover 6”-8” line sizes, adding to the existing 8”-10” line size capability.  The family of Micro Motion ELITE High Capacity meters is ideal for fiscal custody transfer, in addition to liquid and gas measurement in challenging, high flow applications

Emerson Process Management have announced SMART functionality in its high-performance PERpH-X^® pH sensors, Model 6081 wireless analyzer, Model 1056 dual-input analyzer, and Model 1057 multi-parameter analyzer.  These are the first in a new generation of Rosemount Analytical sensors and analyzers that will be shipped with SMART capability — embedded calibration that is uploaded to the analyzer from the sensor at start-up, eliminating the need for field calibration.

Wonderware have announced the release of Wonderware System Platform 3.1 and InTouch 10.1, featuring distributed SCADA, scalability and user productivity enhancements to the Wonderware core software platform and flagship visualization HMI offerings.

K-TEK has announced the BETA Air Relay, a new, pilot-operated, snap action pneumatic switch from BETA N.V. The switch features a patented, snap-action mechanism that does away with problems associated with throttling bands. Unlike other pilot-operated vent valves, the Air Relay can be fine-tuned for accurate increasing or decreasing action. The switch features a narrow deadband, as low as 10 mbar, and supports pilot supply and signal pressures up to 7.0 bar. Designed for valve control, bleed-off shut-down, or alarm applications - both offshore and onshore - the BETA Air Relay can also be safely used in hazardous areas, including Zone 0 (no spark) applications. 

Intertec have launched a passively cooled enclosure that exploits a novel phase-change material to maintain the temperature of electronics equipment at 10 degrees lower than peak ambient temperatures. Requiring no power supply to operate, Intertec has produced a standard cooling enclosure with enough internal space to meet common application requirements, such as the pressure transmitters and process analyzers used on oil and gas pipelines running through desert environments. The first enclosure produced by Intertec, the PCM Passive Cooling System, provides approximately 25 litres of usable space for mounting electronics equipment, and will dissipate up to 10 W of heat. Moreover, there is no need to add fans or vents, so an enclosure's environmental ingress protection (IP rating) against dust and water remains unchanged.

The OPC Foundation (www.opcfoundation.org), which oversees the OPC open communications standard has announced the release of the draft Analyzer Devices Integration (ADI) specification. This new specification provides the pharmaceutical industry with a common method for data exchange for analyzer data models for process and laboratory analyzers.

Invensys Process Systems says its Immersive Virtual Reality Process technology will revolutionize operator training for the process industries. Virtual reality has long been the stuff of research, and in recent years, has been used in computer gaming, as well as for more serious endeavors such as surgical training in the medical industry. Now, Invensys Process Systems is moving to bring the technology to the world of process operator training systems.

A second standard in the ISA99 series Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems has been approved by the American National Standards Institute and may be obtained at www.isa.org/standards.  The new standard, ANSI/ISA-99.02.01-2009, Establishing an Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security Program, describes elements to set up a cyber security management system and provides guidance on how to meet the requirements for each element. Topics include policies, procedures, practices, and personnel.

ISA InSide Automation Daily discontinued - After only six months ISA has discontinued the publication ISA InSide Automation Daily. It is replaced with InTech emails three times a week. 

Wurldtech™ Security Technologies, a leading provider of industrial cyber security testing and certification solutions and exida, a global supplier of functional safety products, services, and certifications, has announced that the two companies have entered into a strategic partnership. The agreement integrates Wurldtech's Achilles™ cyber security certification program into exida’s safety service portfolio and establishes a foundation for joint development of future cyber security and safety certifications. Launched in 2007, and now widely adopted as the standard for cyber security certification throughout the industrial automation industry, the Achilles Certification program boasts certified control systems from major suppliers such as: Emerson, Invensys, ABB, Yokogawa, HIMA and many others...More.

Moore Industries Releases Economical CPMS Cathodic Protection Monitoring System for Impressed Current Systems - Petrochemical plants, water distribution and municipalities as well as oil and gas exploration and production industries utilise cathodic protection techniques to slow the corrosion of the surfaces of their metal structures. These corrosion protection methods use simple Galvanic and more complex Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Systems to prolong the life of their structures. Moore Industries' new CPMS is specifically designed to monitor the critical current and voltage levels of one or two transformer rectifiers in Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Systems. It provides an engineered, turnkey solution including the monitoring of specific Vdc, mV and mA inputs, and the addition of digital communications protocol-dual MODBUS RTU (master or slave) and Ethernet-required for monitoring Impressed Current systems.

Hologram Discs Boost Storage Capacity - New data-storage technology using holograms could store the content of up to 100 standard DVDs on a single disc. New microholographic material can support 500 gigabytes of data in a standard DVD-sized disc, equivalent to 20 single-layer Blu-ray discs, said researchers at General Electric Co.’s research division. GE plans to license the technology to other companies that would produce the disc and players and expects products based on the technology to be available in 2012.

The National Physics Laboratory  has developed the first Sensor capable of Measuring Localised Ultrasonic Cavitation – the implosion of bubbles in a liquid when a high frequency sound wave is applied. The sensor will help hospitals ensure that their instruments are properly disinfected before they are used on patients. The device recently won the annual Outstanding Ultrasonics Product award from the Ultrasonic Industry Association.

ICEbooks – Useful books, software and new releases related to Instrumentation and Control.

Need some technical “know-how”? ICEweb has a page which details a selection of excellent Instrumentation, Automation, Control, Electrical, Electronic and Information Technology books from IDC Technologies. These can be purchased from ICEweb . Also detailed are other links to more useful references. 

IDC produces five brilliant comprehensive Engineer's pocket guides which are now available for you to download. Subjects include: Instrumentation/ Communications/Electrical/ Electronics/Conversion & Engineering formulas, you have to register but it is worth the effort! 

IDC Technologies have introduced their ebook library.   The ebook is designed to make life easier by providing the comprehensive information found in their manuals in a portable, compact solution. Their manuals can stay on your computer for a lifetime without the coffee stains and pen marks.  Titles include: – Hazardous Waste Management, Best Practice in Sewage, Transportation Planning and Management, Practical Data Communications and Networking, Practical Industrial Networking, Practical Radio Telemetry Systems for Industry, Practical HV Cable Jointing and Terminations, Practical Electrical Substation Safety, Practical Power Distribution, Practical Earthing of Utility and Industrial Distribution Systems, SNMP Network Management, Practical HAZOPs, Practical SCADA and Telemetry Systems for Industry, Practical Boiler Plant Operation and Management, Rigid and Flexible Hose Connections, Leading your Engineering Team to Top Performance & much more….Now you can take the books everywhere with you! All ebooks are available at 75% of the cost of their manuals – at that price what are you waiting for? Try an ebook today! Contact IDC to register your interest.

What’s in your pocket? Why not fill your pocket with an IDC pocket guide. Their six Engineering Pocket Guides are bursting with over 500 pages of valuable information.  The six titles include: Instrumentation, Electrical Engineering, Data Communications, Formulae and Conversions, Electronic Engineering and Industrial Automation. Whether you are interested in just the one title or if you need the whole set send an email to books@idc-online.com .

The latest book “PROFIBUS PA” by Christian Diedrich, Thomas Bangemann and several co-authors is now available. This book is a must read for all who need in-depth information about PROFIBUS in process industries. It is just as useful for developers of process automation devices as for planners, end-users or maintenance staff.

ICEbus - Information on any of the 26 different bus systems in use in the area of Instrumentation and Control.

Advanced Online Physical Layer Diagnostics - Gunther Rogoll  and Ren Kitchener -This paper covers the range of significant benefits, and the increased confidence in new technology, provided by the latest generation of advanced physical layer diagnostic equipment when applied to Foundation Fieldbus™ or Profibus PA™ fieldbus networks, to monitor the communication, cable infrastructure, fieldbus power supplies, terminators, devices and protection electronics, otherwise referred to as the physical layer. It also explains how the integration of physical layer diagnostics to every fieldbus segment can in fact reduce CAPEX & OPEX when used across the project lifecycle. Additionally, failure prevention or proactive maintenance is a key feature of any diagnostic system, also considered are the differences between basic physical layer diagnostics and advanced physical layer diagnostics.

Advanced Diagnostics Self Validates Health of Fieldbus Networks - Wil Chin and Allen Avery - Diagnostic capabilities for Fieldbus networks have evolved significantly over the years. Rudimentary tests such as instrument elevated zero outputs and simple I/O health checks gave way to superior instrument and process diagnostics with the introduction of HART, which had its limitations due to bandwidth restrictions. The advent and acceptance of Fieldbus has in-creased the use of sophisticated sensor technology and process diagnostics. Until recently, it was cost prohibitive to monitor the health of the entire Fieldbus network. However, that has changed with the introduction of more sophisticated Fieldbus hardware and advanced diagnostic systems.

Fieldbus Testing with Online Physical Layer Diagnostics - Gunther Rogoll  and Ren Kitchener -Fieldbus has fully matured following its cautious introduction back in the late 1990s: Many of the major projects are now using digital fieldbus technology as the preferred platform for control and instrumentation. Most of the lessons learned from the early projects have been implemented successfully for the current projects, and there is no doubt that the companies responsible for commissioning are seeing a marked improvement in the commissioning times with a resulting reduction in CAPEX. With the recent introduction of online Advanced Physical Layer Diagnostic equipment, the transition to a fully automated network test and reporting program reduces the time and cost for construction and commissioning even further by optimizing the test process and report generation.

Brooks Instrument has released a  FOUNDATION Fieldbus option on its variable area flow meters, becoming the first variable area supplier in the world to offer this communication option.

Can Topology Reduce Costs? - John Rezabek - It’s a Good Idea to Try New Topologies on a Small Project Before Embarking on a 5,000-Point Job.

The Fieldbus Foundation have announced that two initial FOUNDATION fieldbus host systems have passed its new Host Profile Registration Process. The registered hosts include Yokogawa's STARDOM™ Network-based Control System and CENTUM® VP Integrated Production Control System, and ABB's System 800xA Extended Automation Product.
Also announced is the release of its updated Foundation fieldbus Host Test Kit (HTK) DD Application Module (Version 1.1.0). This powerful test kit, driven by the foundation's End User Advisory Council (EUAC), includes hardware and software for testing the functionality of a fieldbus host and its conformance with the Foundation host profile specifications.The Foundation fieldbus Host Test Kit is designed to validate host applications implementing DD Services, files for persistent storage of functional parameter data, and grids for vector data visualization and manipulation.

Emerson Process Management’s DeltaV™ digital automation system with AMS® Suite: Intelligent Device Manager has passed the Host Profile Registration Process as part of the Fieldbus Foundation’s new Host Registration Program.  This registration process tests to ensure robust interoperability and integration between different manufacturers’ host systems and devices...more.

FDT Technology – Delivers a Hole In One! - FDT Technology is charting the course for automation system owners to realize the benefits of implementing best-in-class devices for control and monitoring applications.   What is FDT Technology?  Using the game of golf, here is an interesting analogy with a golf club representing the control system and a golf ball representing the devices connected to that system.

The Components of FDT Technology: A Basic Introduction to DTMs and the FDT Frame - DTMs and the FDT Frame, How Do They Work? - The advantages of deploying a technology like FDT that supports supplier independence, protocol independence, and host independence to maximize your investments in intelligent field measurement and control devices have been well documented (see earlier article “FDT Technology – Delivers a Hole In One!”).  This makes good sense to most engineers and plant managers, but they naturally gravitate to the next question – how does it work?  For starters, what are the basic components of the FDT technology?

FDT Movie - Are you looking for an easy to understand introduction to FDT and its benefits? Find out more about how FDT can be implemented in any plant; learn about its benefits throughout the whole life cycle as well as communication protocol independence. You will also see an interesting interview with a customer about his experiences with FDT.

The Fieldbus Foundation have announced that STC Brielle and the Fieldbus Center at Lee College are the first educational institutions worldwide to offer fieldbus training courses certified under its Foundation Certified Training Program (FCTP). This program establishes uniform standards for fieldbus educational curriculum around the globe, and defines acceptable levels of learning for students of the technology.

CAN in Automation (CiA) has released the CiA 302 specification series of CANopen additional functions. This set of specifications comprises descriptions of CANopen manager including Flying NMT (network management) master, SDO (service data object) manager, configuration manager, bus-line redundancy, and CANopen-to-CANopen gateways.

ICEed - Educational links associated with Instrumentation, Control and Fire & Gas.

Call for Papers

IDC Technologies are running a Power Industry Conference: Convergence of IT, Automation, Control & Communication Technologies in Melbourne , Australia  from September 2-3 2009 and are currently looking for speakers and/or to share their technical expertise with the engineering community.

E-Learning 

IDC have scheduled the following E-Learning courses;

• Advanced Diploma of Industrial Automation - Commences 6th July 2009

• Certificate in Electrical Power System Protection - Commences 9^th June 2009

• Certificate in Safety Instru mentation Systems for Process Industr ies - Commences 23^rd June 2009

Training and Workshop Schedules

IDC have announced their 2009 schedule of workshops.

Able Instruments and Controls have released their 2009 Instrumentation Training Schedule.

Canadian company ACM have released their 2009 Training Schedule which covers SIS, SIL, HAZOP, P&ID and more.

The Australian PROFIBUS Association has announced their 2009 Training schedule.

PROFIBUS Ireland through its Competency Centre in Limerick offers a number of  Certified and Non-Certified courses. 

CEESI have scheduled a number of Gas and Flow Measurement training courses. 

ICEfolks - News about promotions and changes for people in the Instrumentation and Control Engineering World.

Please let us know of any personnel or other job changes in your organisation.

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the appointment of Marc Van Pelt as its corporate secretary. Van Pelt will add corporate responsibilities to his current positions as the foundation’s Vice-president, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Operations; and Chairman; EMEA Steering Committee. He has also been a member of the Fieldbus Foundation European Marketing Committee (FF-EMC) for more than a decade.

ICEJobs – Vacancies and Wanted

Are YOU looking for good people? With ICEweb’s 140,000 page views a month plus ICEnews getting out to 7500 quality contacts a quarter and very competitive rates we are a very cost effective method of advertising, contact ICEweb for further details.

Looking for a job? As a service to the ICE community ICEweb and ICEnews will post your details for Free !  

Job Hunting in a Tough Economy - This article from Control Global gives some good tips in these tough economic times.

ICElinks - Electronic newsletters and links of potential interest to our readers.

A really great website for the latest news is the Read-Out Instrumentation Signpost.

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Are you into Hydraulics? Brendon Casey's Inside Hydraulics Newsletter contains loads of technical tips and money saving techniques.

Light my Pump is a comprehensive site covering pumps and pump systems. It includes calculations, trouble-shooting, videos of interesting experiments with fluids, tutorials and more!

ICEmerge — Mergers, acquisitions and news from the Instrumentation Control Engineering community.

Rockwell Automation has announced it has agreed to purchase the majority of the assets of Rutter Hinz Inc. , a leading engineering company. Rutter Hinz is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rutter Inc. , a publicly held Canadian company. Headquartered in Saskatoon, Canada , Rutter Hinz’s annual sales are approximately $35 million (U.S.).

Brooks Instrument has announced that it has acquired Key Instruments, Inc. - Key Instruments is a flow meter manufacturer based in Trevose, PA which offers precision machined acrylic flow meters, molded plastic flow meters, glass tube flow meters, electronic flow meters, and flow control valves for medical, industrial, water, chemical, and laboratory applications.

Emerson Process Management has acquired epro GmbH of Gronau, Germany to enhance the expertise and resources of Emerson Process Management, a global automation and asset management leader. The deal expands Emerson’s online machinery monitoring capability with a full API 670-compliant protection offering. It is also expected to speed availability of next generation solutions.

Emerson has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Aegir Norge Holding AS has reached an agreement with Roxar ASA (OSE: ROX) to launch a voluntary offer for 100 percent of Roxar’s shares...more.

ICEnew — Great new Technical Links posted on ICEweb.

Just click on the title header to go to ICEweb's super pages on each of the following subjects.

Analysers - ICEwebs Analyser pages cover many types of analysers plus their associated sample systems.

Cables - Check out ICEwebs new Cable Pages. We are looking for more technical papers on these and other Electrical subjects. 

The following papers have been added to ICEweb's Cables page;
- Best Practices for Process Instrumentation Cabling - Saeed M. AL-Abeediah - This article  looks at the classes of instrumentation circuits and wiring suitable for each class, signal noises, techniques that minimize the impact of noise and interference on instrument signals, and conclude with a proposed process automation grounding scheme that PAS vendors helped develop - from ISA
- Cable Condition Monitoring to Improve Reliability - Hilary Marazzato, Ken Barber, Mark Jansen, and Graeme Barnewall - The electric cable industry is definitely in the mature product stage and while there are many incremental developments and improvements, the history and experience gathered enables us to approach issues of cable failure and cable life maintenance with ever improving tools. This paper discusses currently available technology, the shortcomings, and the trends for future development - from Olex.

Control Valves - A Control Valve Repository which just has heaps of great useful technical information.

Control Systems - Covering vast array of technical subjects on Control Systems such as Advanced Process Control, Alarm Management, Batch Control, Cascade Control, Compressor Surge Control, Control Room Design, Control Forums, Fuzzy Logic, Decentralised Control,  Pneumatic Controllers,  Process Sequence Control Documentation Standards, Programmable Automation Controllers, Loop Tuning and much more.

This GREAT page which gets over 330 page views per month (this is control people actually looking at the content rather than hits) is available for sponsorship, for details please contact ICEnews 

Honeywell has released its Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Quick Start solution for small and medium process manufacturing businesses in Australia and New Zealand. MES Quick Start is an affordable and readily deployable solution that enables plant operators to efficiently manage processes and data across the supply chain in process intensive industries such as mining, minerals and metals, oil and gas, liquefied natural gas and petrochemical refining.

Corrosion - Need to know about a corrosion issue? You are likely to find an answer in these pages.

Data Loggers

Thanks to our sponsor HINCO ICEweb's comprehensive Data Loggers page has been updated with new links as follows;

• Australian Datataker helps save Chinese Rice Crops - In the surrounds of the city of Guangzhou (Canton), a spell of cold weather poetically named the cold winds, threaten to slash the yields from the second rice crop of the season by 50%. These conditions frequently occur within the months of September and October. Rice breeders at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science aim to develop new varieties that can withstand and thrive in the cold dew winds. Apart from records of average daily temperature, they lack precise information on the severity of the adverse conditions that new varieties have to endure to survive. The lack of data severely hampers the development of the new rice varieties.

• The National Gymnasium Building Structure Monitoring System In China - The newly-constructed national gymnasium in Beijing, China played a key role during the Olympic Games in 2008. Its iconic status will remain afterwards in the country’s landscape as a multifunctional gymnasium that is capable of hosting not only sporting events but also other large-scale functions such as commemorations, exhibitions and literary functions. It then has become critical that the building structure is able to maintain its rigidity and integrity during the entire designated life-span of the Gymnasium. Hence a permanent structure-monitoringscheme is  required to be in place.

• Data loggers monitor Capital Airport A380 Hangar - The biggest technical difficulty involves the entire lifting of the three layers of spherical jointing ball steel net frame. The total area of the steel net frame is 41 thousand square meters, or equal to 6 football fields, gross weight is over 10 thousand tons, using an advanced constructing method of ground group engagement the complete lift to reach the designated position – is a world first! Clearly it is necessary to monitor the force during lifting process.

• Data Loggers used in Saving Greenhouse Gases and Turning Waste to Power - This application describes how a data logger monitors the gas collected from aerobic ponds, the amount used to power the generator and the amount burnt by the flare.

• Open Cut Mine Monitors Water Quality - An open cut coal mine having a high salinity of water runoff required monitoring the quality of water in several retaining dams.

• Onset’s free Web Seminars and Videos offer guidance on how to use data logging software, apply data loggers in various applications, and provide field-proven tips and techniques to help make data logger projects successful. You need to register to get these, titles include;
  -  Introduction to Data Logging Software
  - Determining Proper Boiler Sizing with Data Loggers
  - Maximize Air Compressor Efficiency with Data Loggers
  - Reducing Energy Demand Charges: 3 Critical Steps
  - Evaluating hot water heating system efficiency with data loggers
  - Test & Troubleshoot Tankless Hot Water Heating Systems
  - Monitoring Wind Turbine Efficiency
  - Critical Success Factors in Water Level Monitoring

Dynamic Process Simulators and Training Systems

ICEweb's Dynamic Process Simulators and Training Systems page has been updated and the following papers added;
- Enabling True Lifecycle Modelling
- Optimize Plant Performance Using Dynamic Simulation
- ME PETROTECH 2008 Simulator Based Training
- Integration of a Field Surface & Production Network with a Reservoir Simulator Gokhan Hepguler, Santanu Barua, Wade Bard
- Integration of Refinery Reactors into Flowsheet Simulation Dave Bluck, Richard Yu, Lee Turpin, Robert Powell

Electrical - Many pages on the various Electrical subjects

New Mini Light Hatch - In addition to their  standard light hatch our sponsor Zedflo Australia now offer the Mini Light Hatch. At 450mm x 450mm square it is designed to take compact Ex e rated fluorescent light fittings for hazardous locations. Made for installation into grated metal flooring, once installed, there is no risk involved in maintaining lights and changing globes, no ladders, no scaffolding and no cherry pickers.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is helping American building owners and operators begin the process of reducing costs and saving energy with a renovation checklist and guide covering all aspects for renovation and upgrades. The free Opportunities for Federal Building Retrofits lighting checklist is a detailed 18-page guide covering topics from personal light control to occupancy sensing to load shedding.  The checklist gives specific lighting renovation information for virtually every type of structure: office buildings, industrial plants, warehouses, retail, and residential.  Originally designed for the Government Services Administration, it even covers aircraft hangars and housing. Users are directed to the latest information on energy-saving lighting products including lamps, luminaires, ballasts, and controls. The checklist can be downloaded at the enLIGHTen America website www.nemasavesenergy.org.   

Enclosures - We have added additional technical references to our Enclosures page, thanks to our sponsor Weidmuller Australia .

Flow - These pages cover; Coriolis, Metering,  Multiphase, Orifice Plates, Ultrasonic, Thermal, V-Cone, Vortex and more!

ICEweb's comprehensive Ultrasonic Flow Metering page has been upgraded thanks to our sponsor Zedflo Australia.

Cost-Efficient On-Site Check Metering Made Easy - Brian Roughan - When a flowmeter in operation has to be verified, it usually must be uninstalled and transported to a facility for the necessary verification or check-metering. With an on-site verification device, though, this task is made much faster, easier and at a fraction of the cost. When using the right meter, the result can even be as accurate as any off-site verification.

Ultrasonic Flowmeters -By David W. Spitzer -  Parts 1 to 4  - The flowmeters to be discussed use ultrasonic energy or correlation as their primary flow measurement technique. Therefore, a common class of "ultrasonic flowmeters" comprised of an open channel flowmeter (such as a flume or weir) that incorporates an ultrasonic level measurement is specifically excluded from this discussion. Ultrasonic flowmeters use sensors to generate ultrasonic waves and direct them into the flowing stream. Information from the remnants of these sound waves is used to determine the flow of fluid passing through the flowmeter. Ultrasonic flowmeters have no moving parts.

The Effect of Ambient Conditions on Flow Measurement - The entire flow measurement system should be operated within its constraints in order to provide accurate flow measurements. This means that each component of the flow measurement system should be considered to ensure that it is operated properly. From David W Spitzer P.E and Flow Control Network

Pioneers of Flow Measurement -Founding the Technologies of Today - Jesse Yoder, Ph.D - It is easy to forget in today’s fast-paced world the importance of the many thinkers and pioneers who have made modern-day technologies possible. This is as true in the area of flow measurement as it is in other technology segments. The following looks at some of the pioneers of flow measurement, who formulated many of the principles that underlie the sophisticated flow instruments of today - An excellent article from flowresearch.com

Why Your Vortex Meter Shows Zero - Liquid flow of a process fluid into a vessel was visually confirmed. However a vortex-shedding flowmeter in the feed pipe measured zero flow. The flowmeter was removed from service and was found to function properly on the flow bench in the instrument shop. Which of the following problems could cause this issue to occur? From David W Spitzer P.E and Flow Control Network.

Roxar has introduced the Roxar Multiphase Meter 2600, which features 'Zector technology' offering new field electronics, electrode arrangements and voxel-based signal processing. This allows many simultaneous sectors of the flow to be investigated at a rate of 12,000 measurements per second. The technology can also measure flow regimes, mixing effects and velocity profiles and can detect rapid changes in composition.The new technology measures multiple oil and gas-flow velocities as a function of its 4D location, for example near-wall velocity will be different to centre of pipe velocity.Velocities will also vary over time because of composition, turbulence, viscosity and other effects.

Fire and Gas - Technical Papers covering many aspects of fire and gas engineering.

Honeywell have announced launch of the Sensepoint XCD, a 3 wire, 4 to 20mA format designed fixed gas detector for the detection of toxic gases, flammable gases and oxygen. The Sensepoint XCD is designed to help protect people, property and environment from toxic and combustible gas leaks and is ideally suited for a wide range of industrial applications. In addition to the industry standard 4 to 20 mA analogue output signal, 3 configurable relays provide outputs for local or remote actuation of alarm and fault status, while other options include a MODBUS digital signal.

Honeywell  have also announced the introduction of the XNX, a universal gas transmitter using Honeywell Analytics’ full range of toxic and flammable gas sensing technologies—including catalytic bead, electrochemical and infrared. The XNX also works with all major Industrial communication protocols, including HART (standard) and Modbus (optional). The XNX is designed to help protect people, property and environment from toxic and combustible gases in petrochemical and industrial environments, including exploration and drilling platforms, production platforms, onshore oil and gas terminals, refineries and chemical plants, power plants, wastewater facilities and utility plants.Honeywell states that the new transmitter will save customers time and money on installation, maintenance andoperation. The advantage comes from a simple-to-use, low-maintenance universal platform thatworks with other safety equipment on a digital bus system, including our own Searchline Excel, Optima or other gas transmitters.

Hazardous Areas Instrumentation and Electrical Equipment - A huge technical library of Technical Information covering a wide range of Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Areas.

Standards Australia have announced that the following Hazardous Areas Standards have been updated

In a recent incident on an offshore installation, there was an explosion in an open drains tank containing oily water. The tank contained an electric heater which was Ex certified. However, the sheath on the electric heating element had corroded, exposing the conductor. Although the incident is still being investigated, it is thought that this fault led to ignition of flammable material in the tank. Read the report here.

MooreHawke have announced that their ROUTE-MASTER Fieldbus System has a new ATEX approval (FM pending) as a redundant intrinsically-safe fieldbus system permitting the connection of any mix of FISCO and ENTITY devices. This is the world's first fieldbus system approval to offer FISCO compatibility and power redundancy.

Hazardous Area Heating -  Grimwood Heating Pty Ltd is the first company in the world to be certified to manufacture electric heaters for hazardous areas in accordance with the IECEx scheme. Until now there have been difficulties in meeting the requirements of the current Australian and New Zealand Standards for the appropriate level of protection in these areas as there was no one able to provide Hazardous Area Heating product certified to the IECEx Scheme. This paper gives a good overview of heaters for hazardous areas. 

High Integrity Pressure Protection Systems - (HIPPS)

Level - Technical Information covering a wide range of level subjects including General Theory, Capacitance, Displacer, Float/Magnetic, Radar, Ultrasonic, Boiler Level and more!

Emerson Process Management has launched a new extreme temperature version of its Rosemount® 2130 vibrating fork liquid level switch, designed for use in extremes of temperature from -94 to +500°F ( -70 to + 260 °C).  The new version has built-in fault monitoring / self-checking diagnostics, making it an ideal choice for a wide variety of challenging applications in the chemical, power generation and oil & gas industries.

Pressure - Covers General Theory,  Technical Papers,  Transmitters, Regulators, Safety Tips, Blockage Tool and more Pressure Related Technologies.

Pressure Relief Valves - A very comprehensive resource covering Technical Papers, Technical  Manuals, Engineering Handbook, Calculations, Sizing, Selection and Relief Design.

Rupture Discs - Specifications, Standards, Technical Papers and Articles.

Test and Calibration - Technical Papers and Articles on  how to test and calibrate along with typical equipment.

Martel have released their BetaGauge model 330 pressure calibrator. It is the world’s first pressure calibrator to incorporate an inbuilt electric pump into a lightweight (1.2kg) hand held package. The BG330 with electric pump is available in two ranges, vacuum to 200 kPa and vacuum to 1000 kPa, eliminating the need for manual hand pumps. A third range with inbuilt manual pump will cover vacuum to 2000 kPa. The BG330 is also compatible with all of Beta’s 29 external pressure modules. It has many features including source or measure 4-20 ma signals, automatic switch test function, percent error, 5 user defined set ups, back lit display and more.Further details and data sheet available from our sponsor Zedflo Australia .

Martel Electronics Corporation have introduced new pressure ranges with their precision pressure calibrator products. The new pressure ranges are 10" of water column, 1psi, 500psi, and 10,000psi.

Martel have introduced the DMC-1400 documenting multifunction calibrator. Incorporating a feature set unmatched in its price range, the calibrator provides the functions and accuracy associated with fixed installation, laboratory instruments, and has everything needed for virtually any calibration task. The ability to fully document any calibrated measurements easily, with no special software, makes this versatile calibrator the best in its class. No software installation is required. All data gathered can be viewed in any spreadsheet compatible software, already available on your pc-based computer.

Security - We all need to be much more today of security issues and the technology available to overcome them. 

Solenoid Valves   - A comprehensive Technical Reference

To Repair or Replace? - Solenoid Valve Maintenance & Troubleshooting Strategy - Michael D’Amato - The small yet robust solenoid valve is a powerful electromechanical gatekeeper. It has the important task of controlling the flow of liquid, air, gases or particles for a larger system. Yet even the most reliable of valves can fatigue or become inoperable, thus shutting down or affecting a system’s performance. As with any mechanical apparatus, proactive maintenance of a solenoid valve can extend life and ensure consistent operation - from flowcontrolnetwork.com

Surge and Lightning Protection - It will never happen to me? Don't you believe it...Globally, some 2000 on-going thunderstorms cause about 100 lightning strikes to earth each second!! This page provides a comprehensive range of links to help resolve the potential effects.

Test and Calibration - You can find a huge range of Test and Calibration technical papers and articles in ICEweb's comprehensive page, thanks to our sponsor Zedflo Australia. 

Temperature - Covering a whole range of temperature measuring techniques along with General Theory, Conversions, Selection, Application this page must be your first choice when looking for quality technical information.

Emerson Process Management have announced the expansion of its Smart Wireless solutions with the introduction of its Rosemount® 848T wireless temperature transmitter for high density temperature measurement. The 848T’s four-channel efficiency adds to installation cost savings of Smart Wireless technology to dramatically reduce per point costs and thereby deliver more measurement data for use in improving operations and maintenance.

Valves - ICEwebs Valveweb page has been completely reworked to help you get to your required information quickly and efficiently.  Thanks to our sponsors tyco flow control pacific

Variable Speed Drives - Check out ICEwebs new Variable Speed Drives Page. We are looking for more technical papers on these and other Electrical subjects. 

ICEsafety — Information and News on Safety Instrumented Systems , Burner Management Systems, Manufacturing & Safety Automation,  and Health & Safety.

HIMA Australia are running the following training courses; 

Analysis & Design of SIS Training Course - The objective of this course is to provide engineers with the knowledge required to analyse and design safety instrumented systems (SIS) in accordance with the analysis and realisation phases of the AS61511 safety life-cycle.
Perth - Tuesday 2nd June

Operations & Maintenance of SIS Training Course - The objective of this course is to provide operations and maintenance personnel with the knowledge required to operate and maintain safety instrumented systems (SIS) such that the designed functional safety is maintained throughout the operation and maintenance phases of the AS61511 safety life-cycle.
Perth - Wednesday 3rd June

The following papers and articles can be found along with many more Manufacturing and Safety Technical Articles and papers on ICEweb's Manufacturing and Automation Safety page - thanks to our valued sponsor Pilz Australia .
- Doing Safety the “Right Way” Lifts Productivity Too - Are safety and productivity incompatible? If safety is an afterthought, absolutely, but safetymeasures that are worked into the very design of manufacturing plant actually boost productivity, says Pilz managing director Frank Schrever.
- Machinery Safety and the need to Save Money - It can be a false economy - or potentially dangerous - to try saving money on safety systems, yet careful design can reap rewards. Given the state of the economy, it is understandable that everyone has to be more careful with their budgets than ever before. But engineers should beware of trying to save money by buying cheaper safety-related products, as it could cost them dear in the long run.
- Monitored at all times - Drive-integrated safety opens up new horizons - Safe drive functions have made their mark on standards, products and applications and may now be considered as state of the art. They are part of the functional safety plant and machinery and, as measures that boost productivity; they are increasingly gaining ground in the market.
- Safety in each phase of the flight - Pilz ensures flight safety on the Sky Roller - Speed and thrills are what’s required of the attractions on offer at funfairs and amusement parks. On today’s modern fairground attractions, riders are catapulted through extreme radii or carried along in hair-raising positions; these attractions need to perform their service reliably and virtually failure-free. Where the laws of gravity appear to be temporarily suspended, as on the Sky Roller, a Pilz programmable safety system is there in the background, making sure that nothing gets out of hand.
- The True Value of Free Technical Support - Technical support enables design and maintenance engineers to save time and money in both new projects and existing plant.
- As Tough As They Come - Extremely Robust Control System Provides Safety Underground - A control system is normally found inside a control cabinet, where it is well protected from all types of environmental influences. But control systems can also be installed on mobile machinery, where they may be subjected to rigorous shaking. Shock and vibration must not be allowed to compromise the safe function of the control system in any way. Consequently, the Pilz programmable control systems used in mining on roadheaders, to safely monitor the spray function, need to be especially robust.

NOPSA is currently in the process of developing a set of Guidance Notes to aid in the preparation of safety cases. Through consultation with Industry, the project aims to improve the quality of safety case submissions, assist operators to fulfil the requirements of the regulations and minimise safety case rejections.NOPSA.

Hydrocarbon Releases (HCRs) Offshore -Evidence suggests that piping systems, including flanges and valves collectively continue to be a major source of HCRs, with piping being the single largest contributor. Instruments small bore tubing systems contribute the second largest single source of HCRs - from the HSE UK. ICEweb's Compression Fittings and Tubing technical data pages have more really useful information on how to select, install and maintain fittings.

On a similar subject did you know that the HSE also have made available a very useful document called the Loss of Containment Manual? - This document, originally designed to give guidance to inspectors under the Key Programme 1 - ‘Reducing offshore hydrocarbon releases’ initiative, indicates ten important elements relating to the management of the integrity of the process containment envelope and provides advice on topics for inspection within each of the elements. The maintenance of high standards of operation in these areas should help to minimise the frequency of occurrence of offshore hydrocarbon leaks. It covers;

Part 1 - Management of process integrity
Part 2 - small bore tubing and piping systems
Part 3 - information, instructions and training
Part 4 - isolations and permits to work
Part 5 - process plant protection systems
Part 6 - change control
Part 7 - maintenance and verification of process safety-critical elements
Part 8 - control of miscellaneous process hazards
Part 9 - FPSO specific systems
Part 10 - process plant construction & commissioning

Safety Alert - Control Valve Actuators - An interesting alert from OGP - The actuator moved, stopped and then rapidly moved upwards. A loud bang was heard. The top of the bonnet sheared off (43 KG) and fell to the deck (12.5 ft) below.

ICEweb's SIS page has been extensively upgraded and the following new links added thanks to our sponsor HIMA Australia , you can find them and more here!

- NOPSA competence findings in line with AS61511 - The Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority recently recommended that oil and gas facility operators implement formal staff competency management systems to ensure that basic skills requirements for safe plant operation are met.
- IEC 61508 Product Approvals - Veering Off Course - Upon close examination it appears that the product approval process of IEC 61508(1) has veered seriously off course, possibly rendering many safety instrumented system (SIS) applications less reliable than expected or required.
- A Process Engineering View of Safe Automation -This step-by-step procedure applies instrumented safety systems (ISS) to continuously reduce process risk.
- Quality Assurance in Safe Automation - A perfect process would have no hazards, but perfection is impossible in the real world. Nearly all process units have inherent risk associated with their design and operation. Safe operation is maintained with a risk reduction strategy relying on a wide variety of safety systems. This article focuses on the most common safety systems for managing process deviations during planned operating modes – instrumented safety systems (ISSs), such as safety alarms, safety controls, and safety instrumented systems (SIS). Rigorous quality assurance is necessary to achieve real-world risk reduction, so this article follows the Plan, Do, Check, and Act process to discuss quality assurance and its application to ISS.
- Guidelines for Safe and Reliable Instrumented Protective Systems (IPS) - Written with guidance from members of the CCPS’s Guidelines for Safe and Reliable Instrumented Protective Systems subcommittee, author and safety standards expert Dr. Angela Summers explores the decision making processes necessary for the management of the protection systems commonly applied throughout the process industry. Based on the framework defined in the harmonized ANSI/ISA 84.01/IEC 61511 standards, this book provides readers with much-requested guidance in an easy to understand discussion that addresses IPS planning, risk assessment, design, engineering, installation, commissioning, validation, operation, and maintenance activities.
- Statistical Signature Analysis: Modeling Complex λD(t) from Proof Test Data and the Effects on Computing PFDavg - Julia V. Bukowski - To compute PFDavg, we must first have a model for λD(t), the failure rate of the equipment in the dangerous failure mode. A dangerous failure occurs when equipment designed for prevention or mitigation of an unsafe condition cannot properly respond to the unsafe condition, i.e., the equipment fails on demand. For example, consider a PRV, which, in normal operation, is closed. Should it fail in the "stuck-shut" mode, it would be in a state of dangerous failure as it would be unable to respond to an overpressure event if one occurred.
- Final Elements and the IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 Functional Safety Standards Book - This book reviews and explains the application of the IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 functional safety standards as they apply to final control elements. The overall safety lifecycle and reliability requirements are reviewed with special focus on the challenges encountered when dealing with complex electro-mechanical subsystems. Throughout the book requirements for designing and implementing reliable and effective safety instrumented functions are covered in a clear step by step manner.
- Safety Users Group - An independent, professional community dedicated to instrumented safety matters related to the oil, gas, petrochemical and chemical industries. Lots of information here!
- Recommended Guidelines for the application of IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 in the petroleum activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf - This very comprehensive 55 page guideline from the Norwegian Oil Industry association is very useful.

ICEweb's Burner Management page has been extensively upgraded and the following new links added thanks to our sponsor HIMA Australia , you can find them and more here!

- Case Study: Safety Instrumented Burner Management System (Si-Bms) - This case study discusses the application of the Safety Lifecycle as defined by ANSI / ISA 84.00.01-2004 (IEC 61511 mod) to two (2) single burner multiple fuel boilers.
-  Industry Update BMS ISA04-P280 - This paper explores the current trends in the market place and the industrial process control industry in general with respect to Burner Management Systems and their relationship to Safety Instrumented Systems. The concept of a Safety Instrumented Burner Management System is introduced and explained in detail.
- Safety Instrumented Burner Management Systems Ready or Not Here They Come! - Michael D. Scott - The concept of a Safety Instrumented Burner Management System (SI-BMS) is to stay. If you are unsure of this statement one should consider that six (6) different codes / standards currently exist and / or are being revised to invoke the Safety Lifecycle with respect to Burner Management Systems.
- Safety Instrumented Burner Management Systems – Requirements For The Paper Industry - Bud Adler/ Michael D. Scott - What most of the companies do not yet realize is that all safety critical processes must be analysed and their potential risk determined. It has come as a surprise to many that Burner Management Systems (BMS) associated with fired devices in the pulp and paper industry such as, dryers, kilns, thermal oxidizers, power boilers and black liquor recovery boilers are all defined as Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) if they contain sensors, a logic solver and a final control element according to ANSI/ISA 84.01. Additionally, FM Approval Standard 7605 requires that PLC based BMS must comply with IEC 61508. This paper explores the requirements for conformance to ANSI/ISA 84, IEC 61508, IEC 61511, NFPA 85, NFPA 86 and BLRBAC guidelines.

Pilz Australia has announced that it has been decided to discontinue the Classic range of safety relays, replacing them with the new slimline PNOZsigma models. Pilz is publishing an easy-to-use checklist to help companies migrate from PNOZ Classic safety relays to new slimline PNOZsigma models  Pilz PNOZ Classic safety relays were the first such products on the market in 1987 and were quickly adopted by many companies as an inhouse standard. However, Pilz has since developed the PNOZ X range, the PNOZelog range and, most recently, the slimline and multifunctional PNOZsigma range. With the advance in technology and increasing difficulty in sourcing components, Pilz decided to discontinue the Classic range from 1 February 2009.

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions have announced that GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms’ PAC8000 SafetyNet has been approved by TUV for applications requiring the handling of safety and process control data in the same controller...more.

In response to the rapidly growing demand by U.S. and international process engineers for interface instruments for plant-critical IEC: 61508 Functional Process Safety applications, Moore Industries have introduced the STA Safety Trip Alarm. The STA is certified to IEC 61508: Parts 1, 2 and 3 by TÜV Rheinland for single use in Safety Instrumented Systems up to SIL 2 and that the firmware is suitable for a SIL 3 system. This allows the STA to be used in a redundant architecture (1oo2, 2oo3, etc.) up to SIL 3.

The UK High Court has ruled that the oil company Total is liable for the property damage bills of individual and business claimants, caused by the explosion at the Buncefield oil depot in Hertfordshire, at around 6am on Sunday, December 11th 2005, which could be heard from 200km away. The Hemel Hempstead site was the scene of an explosion which injured 40 people and left homes and businesses badly damaged. The blast was the largest in Europe since the end of World War II and was caused by staff on duty failing to notice that a tank gauge had become stuck causing 300 tonnes of petrol to spill over the top of one of the storage tanks. See the report here.

ANSI/ISA-TR96.05.01, Partial Stroke Testing of Automated Block Valves, has been approved by ISA and registered with the American National Standards Institute, and is now available. The technical report provides guidance on various criteria to consider when determining whether partial stroke testing would be beneficial and on the different methods used.

ISA-67.01.01, Transducer and Transmitter Installation for Nuclear Safety Applications, has been approved by ISA, and is now available. The reaffirmed standard covers the installation of transducers for nuclear safety-related applications, and establishes requirements and recommendations for the installation of transducers and auxiliary equipment for nuclear applications outside of the main reactor vessel.

ICEtools— Software and offers that will help with engineering design.

Really excellent free tools to help you in your job and at home can be found on ICEweb’s “Tools” page.

ICEwireless – News and technical links to Industrial Instrumentation Wireless items of interest

The following wireless links are thanks to our sponsor Abhisam Software  http://www.abhisam.com/index.htm

RFID Case Study ebook -This excellent 61 page technical reference has details on 25 different RFID applications from around the world. The password to the document is "abhisam". . http://www.iceweb.com.au/Newtech/RFID/RFIDCaseStudyBook.pdf

Sponsor Abisham Software have provided the world's first FREE RFID e-learning course which is a no obligation , no strings attached, absolutely free RFID course, that can be downloaded to your own PC and you can view it without any restrictions at all! Plus it's a REAL e-learning course, NOT somebody's stale Power-Point presentation! It has plenty of flash based animations, graphics and text, with a self-assessment test. The visuals help you learn key concepts QUICKLY and EASILY.

ICEweb's comprehensive wireless page has many links to a wide range of excellent papers on wireless.

Food and Beverages Industries go Wire Free -Khadambari Shanbagaraman - An increasing population and growing consumer demand for packaged foods has forced food and beverages industry to look at new technologies that provide flexibility, easiness of operation and constant tracking of the production process. Complete transparency is required along the production process for assuring consumers health and hygiene. This demands continuous monitoring and efficient traceability of the entire production process in the food manufacturing plant. Wireless devices provide answers to the aforementioned requirements in the Food and Beverages industry- from Frost & Sullivan.

Wireless Devices in the Factory Automation – An Overview of Adoption Trends - Khadambari Shanbagaraman - Wireless devices are perceived as the next big technological wave in factory automation. However, the current adoption trends are moderate at best despite requirements for real time data, mobile workforce, remote access and flexibility in operation. This is mainly because the wireless devices are not found to be robust enough by end users due to concerns such as reliability, security and interoperability - from Frost & Sullivan.

Wireless communication for tank farm applications - At this refinery, engineers and technicians researched wireless communication possibilities for increased efficiency and timer monitoring. They needed to determine whether reliable data transmission via radio would stand up to an environment with a high level of EMI, and if the cost of cabling a large area with remote storage tanks could be reduced or eliminated - from Phoenix Contact.

Wireless Systems Development for Distributed Machinery - Monitoring and Control - Anthony J Seman III, Michael E. Donnelly, P.E., Stephen Mastro, Ph.D. - This paper highlights the programs demonstrating the use of wireless technology for monitoring and control of shipboard machinery during the past 10 to 15 years at NAVSEA Philadelphia. This work includes the demonstration and testing of wireless systems hardware and software, and also the development of suitable architectures to fold such technologies into an overall ship machinery control and human interface that is highly functional and affordable.

Wireless Sensor Networks: Principles and Applications -Chris Townsend, Steven Arms -  Recent advances have resulted in the ability to integrate sensors, radio communications, and digital electronics into a single integrated circuit (IC) package. This capability is enabling networks of very low cost sensors that are able to communicate with each other using low power wireless data routing protocols. A wireless sensor network (WSN) generally consists of a basestation (or “gateway”) that can communicate with a number of wireless sensors via a radio link. Data is collected at the wireless sensor node, compressed, and transmitted to the gateway directly or, if required, uses other wireless sensor nodes to forward data to the gateway. The transmitted data is then presented to the system by the gateway connection. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief technical introduction to wireless sensor networks and present a few applications in which wireless sensor networks are enabling.

Will Impacts of Recession Hamper Wireless Adoption in Automotive Industry - Khadambari Shangabaraman - Known for being at the forefront of adopting new technologies, the automotive industry has also taken the lead for wireless adoption among the discrete industries. But the impact of global recession on the industry is likely to restrain the extent of wireless investments in the short-term future. Currently, the European automotive industry contributes close to 42 per cent of total wireless market in discrete industries. There are various factors that drive the wireless adoption across the automotive industry such as the need for real time data, work-force mobility, and substantial saving in cabling costs but the industry is in a compelling situation to have a strict control over its budgets. 

Wireless Communication for Sensors and Actuators in Factory Automation - PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) has defined the upcoming work for wireless coupling of sensors and actuators in factory automation. Based on preliminary investigations, PI has decided to use radio technology compliant with IEEE 802.15.1 for manufacturing automation.

Bridges Monitor Themselves -There is now a self-powered monitoring system for bridges that can continuously check their condition using wireless sensors that “harvest” power from structural vibration and wind energy. From ISA.

Large Process Automation Suppliers Committed to ISA100.11a Standard - From Fortune 50 to new start-ups, companies of all sizes are committing to or evaluating ISA100.11a standard-based solutions utilizing Nivis technologies. These companies include Access Wireless Solution, Apprion, Banner Engineering Corporation, Cameron, ConocoPhillips, Dresser Masoneilan, Freescale,Flowserve, Honeywell, Krohne, Machine Talker, Magnetrol, NASA, Nivis, ProSoft,Texas Instruments, Yokogawa, Western Research, Williamson plus others.

The ISA100 standards committee on Wireless Systems for Automation has approved a new industry standard, ISA-100.11a, Wireless Systems for Industrial Automation: Process Control and Related Applications.

The OneWireless^™ Gauge Reader is the newest addition to Honeywell’s family of wireless solutions for industrial manufacturers. The product wirelessly monitors manual gauge readings from existing dial gauges, allowing operators to analyse critical equipment health and process information and make decisions to improve plant operations.

ICEtime¾ Seminars, Tradeshows, Conferences and Events of interest to our readership.

If you would like to have your event listed in ICEtime, please send a note or press release to ICEnews.

Take a look at ISA's comprehensive calendar of Automation events

2009

May 

24            Womens Global Industry Conference in Energy and Technology - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

June

1-5          ISA International Instrumentation Symposium (IIS), recognized as the leading forum for discussion of new and innovative instrumentation techniques and applicationsm - South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center in League City, Texas.

2          Using WirelessHART Technology in Process Industries - Manchester United Stadium - Manchester, UK

4          Using WirelessHART Technology in Process Industries - Antwerp, Belgium - Crown Plaza Hotel

8-10       Sensors Expo & Conference - an opportunity to learn about and experience the latest in sensors and sensing technologies - Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont, IL

9            International Robots, Vision & Motion Control Show - Donald E. Stephens Center - Chicago, IL USA

16        Using WirelessHART Technology in Process Industries - Houston, TX - South Harbor Resort-League City

23 -25  Ultrasonic Meter Seminar - Holiday Inn - Estes Park, Colorado, USA

25        Using WirelessHART Technology in Process Industries - Philadelphia, PA - Hilton Philadelphia Airport

July

1-2        Regional Electrical Engineering Forum - Tasmania, Australia 

10 - 13    Engineering and Technological Innovation: IMETI 2009 – Orlando, Florida, USA

August

4-6       ISA 4th Water & Wastewater and Automatic Controls (WWAC) Symposium - Doubletree Castle Hotel, 8629 International Drive Orlando, FL 38219, United States

11-13     The 5th Conference on Hazardous Areas- Melbourne, Australia

12 - 14    7th International Symposium on Fluid Flow Measurement - Hotel Captain Cook - Anchorage, AK United States

September

1 - 3       IT, Automation, Control & Communication Technologies in the Power Industry Conference - Melbourne , Australia  

6 - 11    IMEKO XIX World Congress - Lisbon, Portugal

29 - 30  Wireless Technologies Conference - Millennium Hotel and Resort - Stuttgart, Germany

October

6     ISA EXPO - Reliant Center Houston, TX United States

26 - FDT Technology - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

27 - FDT Technology - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

27 - 28  ISA Robotics & Expert Systems and Telemetry Communications Symposium - Houston, TX , USA

November

3    Fieldbus Foundation NA End User Seminar - 3000 NASA Road One, Pasadena, TX USA

5    Fieldbus Foundation NA End User Seminar - 3201 Sage Road, Houston, TX United States

ICEsponsor¾ Newsletter Sponsor Recognition

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Whilst every effort is made to ensure technical accuracy of the information supplied by iceweb.com.au, ICEnews, Keyfleet Pty Ltd and its employees accept no liability for any loss or damage caused by error or omission from the data supplied. Users should make and rely on their own independent inquiries. By accessing the site, and reading this newsletter users accept this condition. Should you note any error/omission or an article offends please do not ignore it, contact the editors and we will review, rectify and remove as necessary.  

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