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Welcome to the November 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

Innovate and think about your Job, Products and Company Direction - Difficult Times are ideal for taking stock of just where one is at.

Here in Australia we have been most fortunate in that the "recession" did not impact us as seriously as our readers in other parts of the world. Difficult times however do actually give an opportunity to reflect just where you are going personally, in your job, reviewing your products and the directions that you are taking. How long is it since you have "brainstormed" with your staff putting innovation on the table. Your product may be stale and a simple idea may be just the impetus that is required to be ready for the upturn that will undoubtedly come. 

One area of instrumentation "innovation" that I personally am disappointed in is the slow development of multivariable instruments, especially with the opportunities and promise that "fieldbus" offers. Going back over ten years I was wishing for an instrument that would give me for example level, pressure, temperature, SG all in the one package, reducing the number of process connections dramatically and thus ensuring a much safer workplace. Where also are the self validating transmitters which utililise dual sensors (of different types as otherwise they would perhaps decay in the same way over a time frame), dual software etc? Whilst there have been some developments in these areas the innovation has not achieved the pace perhaps it could have. 

Sitting around the table and discussing all ideas , no matter how "stupid" they may initially look may just give you that critical idea that will move you or your company to the top of the pile. On a personal front you may actually be so busy because of the "doing more with less" mentality that you have not seen ways of achieving your goals without the stress of being overstretched. For instance are you doing low level tasks that could be done by others or a contractor, releasing you to concentrate on real issues that may just need that "innovation". 

Food for thought, what do you think?

Out of interest have a look at the article from Circor Instrumentation Technologies,  The Power of Speed - One Company’s Journey towards Operational Excellence , which whilst being about manufacturing rather than instrumentation just shows what can be achieved with innovation and embracing new ideas.

Jim Russell

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

Industrial Automation Networks Inc., an independent industrial network consulting firm announced that it commenced operations on November 1, 2009. The company has been formed to provide consulting services for all forms of field level industrial networks with the intent of “Making Industrial Networks Easy™ ". The core competencies of the company include assistance with Field level industrial networks – connecting you and your process (field devices to control system I/O) , Training , Design – mentor role to full responsibility as contract or subcontractor , Impartial third party verification of installations (did you get what you thought you did) , Audits for optimization of system , Troubleshooting your network to determine why it is not working as it should and Advocate services– representing  you with other parties such as Main Automation Contractors, Engineering Procurement Construction companies, etc. Director and Principle Consultant Ian Verhappen, P. Eng, CAP, ISA Fellow has the unique perspective of having worked as both an End User and a product supplier and can bring these unique skills to your project. Verhappen has over 15 years experience with Foundation Fieldbus technology and is the author of ISA’s popular “Foundation Fieldbus” book now in its third edition.

AAI have released an industry-proven and cost-effective solution for oxygen monitoring needs. Using surface-emitting laser technology, this system is built to produce accurate, fast, and stable oxygen measurements in even the most volatile process streams.

McCrometer have released a Wafer-Cone flowmeter designed to provide accuracy, versatility and low maintenance in the smaller line sizes utilized for natural gas wells.

Emerson Process Management have announced expansion of its Smart Wireless solutions family with the release of the Fisher® 4320 wireless position monitor. Beyond its wireless advantages, the 4320 monitor is the first and only linkage-less device to provide accurate position feedback.  The 4320 monitor uses industry standard WirelessHART™ communications.

Yokogawa supports the next generation - Yokogawa Australia has donated more than $45,000 worth of process control instrumentation to universities and TAFE colleges in Australia and New Zealand to assist in the training of the next generation of instrumentation technicians and engineers. The educational institutions that have received the Yokogawa instruments are RMIT in Victoria , Wagga Wagga TAFE in NSW, Challenger TAFE in Western Australia and Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology in New Zealand .

Emerson Process Management have announced the following;
 - Their new S-series platform featuring "I/O on demand" and "Electronic Marshalling" that eliminates work, reduces project cost, and increases operational flexibility .
- A unique approach to redundancy for Smart Wireless Monitoring and Control solutions. Available with the DeltaV™ S-series digital automation system, full redundancy protects the wireless network from any single point of failure by allowing primary failover to ensure that data is always delivered even if there is a malfunction.
- Machinery protection and prediction of critical mechanical equipment has been integrated with their DeltaV™ digital automation system. This new capability directly supports users' goals for improved availability and performance. As turbomachinery and mechanical equipment condition deteriorates, performance and throughput decrease and unplanned shutdowns become more probable. When plant operators have visibility to the performance of their high stakes assets, they can make process adjustments and reduce process disruptions.

The International Society of Automation recently unveiled plans for its new event, ISA Automation Week: Technology and Solutions, to be held 4-7 October 2010 at the Westin Galleria Complex in Houston, Texas, USA. ISA Automation Week will feature intensive educational and applications-based technical conference sessions delivered by subject matter experts. 

Getting Ready for Microsoft Windows 7 - National Instruments has put together an interesting webpage to explain how Windows 7 impacts engineers and scientists, to help determine whether you should adopt the new technology, and to understand best practices for developing engineering and scientific applications based on Windows 7.

JAZD and Grand View Media, publisher of Processing Magazine and Flow Control, have announced their new online processing and fluid handling industry marketplace – ProcessFlowDirect, is now live and open to buyers at http://www.jazdprocessing.com/processflowdirect. ProcessFlowDirect delivers complete listings of companies and products, deep industry content, user ratings & reviews, geographical search, side-by-side product comparisons, videos, webinars, downloadable product specifications, pricing and marketing literature, along with an array of social tools for users to share information and network with peers. 

KROHNE has added a new sensor variant to its product range of clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters for measuring liquids: the new OPTISONIC 6300 XT for high temperature applications. It allows for a non-intrusive measurement of fluids with temperatures up to 200 °C or 392 °F.

In the face of 30% declining revenues The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced several major cutbacks during the recent Houston Expo in the first week of October, Jim Pinto gives his views.

The International Society of Automation have announced a new editorial strategy for the print, digital, and online content of its technical publication, InTech magazine. In addition to daily and weekly digital and online content, ISA will publish 6 print issues of InTech magazine in 2010. The first issue of the bimonthly print publication will be published in February.

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.

 The following free E-Books are compliments of IDC Technologies.

Greatest Engineering Disasters - Disasters can strike at any time. From the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius to Hurricane Katrina, disasters have caused a tremendous loss of life and environmental catastrophes. Some disasters are natural; some are man-made, while some are due to failures in engineering. This chronologically arranged e-book covers the greatest engineering disasters of history to date.
Crazy Inventors - This book explores some of the craziest inventors of our time.
Crazy Inventions - Some "wacky inventions" can be found here!
Impossible Engineering Jobs - Some engineering projects seem to be utterly impractical because of the various factors influencing them. But these impossible engineering jobs after their successful completion open a surprising window into the world revealing avenues of hope. It is the human brain that overcomes hurdles and completes the impossible job. This E-Book explores some of such seemingly impossible but successfully completed engineering jobs.

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! 

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 .

PROFIBUS and PROFINET Books - These books are available for those who want a deep understanding of PROFIBUS or PROFINET.

Catching the Process Fieldbus, An Introduction to PROFIBUS for Process Automation - James Powell and Henry Vandelinde - The book is designed to speak to the beginner, to take that interested newbie by the hand and guide him/her through the bus route to communication success. However, this is not a how-to manual. Rather, think of it as a primer laying the groundwork for communication design, providing information for the curious to explore and motivation for the dedicated to go further. Jörg Freitag, Chairman of PROFIBUS International enthuses, "the book is an excellent appetizer - a great introduction to the world of PROFIBUS."  Available at http://measuremax.ca/.  

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

Achieving Redundant Intrinsically-Safe Fieldbus Segments for Fisco & Entity Devices - Mike O’Neill - During the last year or so, a variety of approaches have been released offering users new fieldbus segments with redundancy and FISCO device connectivity. This paper describes and compares those new designs with regard to segment capacity, MTBF, overall availability, installation areas and implementation cost. 

Fieldbus Installation -  Short-Circuiting Fieldbus Installation Problems - Tim Wilson and Jeff Marsh - Like other process industry operations, bio-fuel production plants seek state-of-the-art automation technology in order to reduce raw material costs, increase yields, comply with regulatory standards and maximize revenues. However, plant managers must ensure control systems provide reliable operation and a low cost of ownership over the life of installed assets. Although modern, fieldbus-based process control systems offer many operational benefits, ethanol producers need effective measures to protect the fieldbus physical layer against short circuits, improper termination and other problems that can adversely affect system performance and reliability. They also need solutions enabling a quick ramp-up from installation to operation of the control system in order to improve their time to market - from Moore Industries-Pacific, Inc.  and Control Global.

Ethernet Based Instrumentation - While extending Ethernet to a PLC or DCS I/O block is very common, the idea of using it to connect to individual process or discrete sensing devices is relatively rare. But is that assessment changing? In this article, Control Engineering magazine's Peter Welander discusses the role of Ethernet based instrumentation in device-level networks.- from Control Engineering and Moore Industries-Pacific, Inc.

Using FDT Technology to Expedite Fieldbus Commissioning - Users Embrace Advancements to Installation and Commissioning Practices with FDT Technology 

WIB Evaluates Smart Device Integration Technologies for Asset Management Using Foundation Fieldbus Technology = FDT and EDDL, Have Been Standardized to Manage Data Flow from the Device to the Hosting Application 

FDT Technology Achieves IEC Global Standard Approval - FDT Technology Gains International Standard Approval 

Fieldbus Foundation Releases Updated H1 & HSE Test Kits - The Fieldbus Foundation have announced the release of its latest Foundation fieldbus conformance and interoperability test kits for use by plant automation equipment suppliers.  The updated test kits include the H1 Interoperability Test Kit (H1-ITK) 5.2.0 and High Speed Ethernet Conformance Test Kit (HSE-CTK) 2.0.1.

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced that its Device Interoperability Test Kit (ITK) Profile Final Specification (FS 1.0) is now available. The purpose of the new specification is to offer an easy way of mapping field device requirements to the foundation’s ITK versions, including unique Foundation technology features such as advanced field diagnostics.

Fieldbus Diagnostics latest Advancements Optimise Plant Asset Management - Stephen Mitschke - Since May 2006, the Fieldbus Foundation has been collaborating with NAMUR an international process industry end-user association based in Germany, on fieldbus performance enhancements such as device diagnostics, which both parties identified as requiring further clarification and guidance for the user community. A key objective of this collaborative effort is to unify the integration of fieldbus self-monitoring data to ensure the availability of valuable device diagnostic information to process plant personnel. Advancements in field diagnostics support a structured approach to asset management, which simplifies operators’ tasks and increases their confidence in utilizing equipment diagnostics and asset software.

Economic Case for Using FOUNDATION Technology - Modern DCS systems are major distributed networks with multiple data paths, which, in the interests of security and the highest plant availability, are almost always duplicated and made redundant. This article describes how FOUNDATION fieldbus systems can now incorporate redundancy and fault-tolerance right down to the H1 field layer. The major impact is on project ROI and plant revenues, and only FOUNDATION technology can offer this level of security and benefit to the plant operator - From  the Fieldbus Report.

HARTING Publishes Industrial Ethernet Handbook for Engineers - Engineers working to understand the nuances of Ethernet topologies, interconnection schemes, and application guidelines will find HARTING’s Industrial Ethernet Handbook a valuable engineering reference source. The detailed, 168-page handbook covers the technical details of Ethernet, comparing it to other fieldbus systems, and explaining its Open System Interconnection (ISO/OSI) Reference Model. Its Annex details pertinent standards and application guidelines, such as EN, IEEE, IEC, UL, and HD/VDE. This Annex also contains an extensive bibliography on fieldbus and Ethernet technology, along with Internet links to other resources.
The HARTING Handbook explains:
• Open System Interconnection (ISO/OSI) Reference Model
• Comparison of Ethernet to other fieldbus systems
• Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity
• 26-page glossary of terms/acronyms

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

Call for Papers - If you have an upcoming conference and are calling for papers please contact us.

Safety Control Systems Conference Calgary, Canada - 11th & 13th May 2010 -Are you a Professional in the Safety Industry? Presenters are required to submit an abstract and present their papers for the upcoming Safety Control Systems Conference 2010. Presenters are also required for Johannesburg South Africa - – 6th, 7th & 8th July 2010 and Electrical Arc Flash Technical Forum, Melbourne, Australia – 14th & 15th April 2010

E-Learning 

IDC have a range of E-Learning courses Covering  Data Communications,   Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering,  Instrumentation, Mechanical Engineering and Project Management . 

Advanced Diploma of Industrrial Automation - Commences 8th March 2010. View the detailed course brochure.

Training and Workshop Schedules

IDC have a huge range of workshops and training courses worldwide. 

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. 

PROFItech PROFIBUS Certified Network Engineer Class - November 9-13 PROFI Interface Center, Johnson City, TN, USA and November 16-20 ROFI Interface Center, Johnson City, TN, USA. This hands-on training covers the installation, operation and maintenance of PROFIBUS products and networks. This course is an intensive, four-day training program. Attendees passing the test receive an official PROFIBUS Certified Network Engineer Certificate.

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.

ICEJobs – Vacancies and Wanted  

Engineering Careers for 2009 -  Growing technology in the world means that careers in engineering have a bright future. Some ups and downs can slow down the growth but the trend of development will continue and engineers will have new career opportunities every day.

Job Interviews Made Easy - Great tips for job interviews, just take the time to read this and it might make the "difference". 

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.

• Fieldbus Facts Newsletter
• Fieldbus Reports
• Information Control Monthly Newsletter
• Machine & Motion Control Monthly Newsletter
• Process and Advanced Control Monthly Newsletter
• Process Instrumentation and Sensors Monthly Newsletter
• Product Review Monthly Newsletter
• PROFInews North American Edition Newsletter
• Sustainable Engineering Monthly Newsletter
• System Integration Monthly Newsletter
• Weekly News Newsletter
• Automation And Controls
• Sign Up

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

Automation World offers some electronic newsletters of interest including;

• Automation Skills - Tips and tricks to improve your business, IT and control system skills.
• Industrial Ethernet - How to apply Ethernet networking in manufacturing.
• OPConnect - The Newsletter of the OPC Foundation.
• Packaging Automation Review
• Process Automation - Getting Value from Process Automation
• PROFINET News - The Ethernet Source for Industrial Automation and Integration.
• Motion Control - The Latest in Motion Technologies and Applications.
• Safety Automation Review - Solutions for the Safety Professional.
• Totally Integrated Automation - Your Source for Automation News.
• Wireless World Review - The present and future of wireless innovation.

The Flow Control Network has a excellent newsletter for flow "buffs".

Jim Pinto's Website has lots of great content pertaining to Automation..

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

Fluke Networks has announced that it has completed the acquisition of AirMagnet, a leader in performance, security and compliance solutions for wireless LANs.

Sixnet, a market-leading supplier of innovative machine-to machine (M2M) data communications products have announced that they have reached an agreement to acquire JBM Electronics Co. a leading provider of reliable networking connectivity solutions.

RuggedCom has announced that it has purchased WiNetworks Ltd., a leader in the development of systems based on WiMAX 802.16e mobile broadband wireless technology. WiNetworks’ technology is used by large private networks and service providers to extend mobile broadband connectivity over metropolitan areas. The WiNetworks WiMAX products will form the new RuggedMAX™ product line and augment Ruggedcom’s growing RuggedWIRELESS™ portfolio.

Sira Certification, the principal UK ATEX Notified Body and sole provider of MCERTS certification services for the Environment Agency has been acquired by CSA International, the testing and certification division of the CSA Group.

GE and FANUC have announced that the two companies have agreed to dissolve the GE Fanuc Automation Corporation joint venture. This agreement would allow each company to refocus its investments to grow its existing businesses and pursue its respective core industry expertise. GE and FANUC expect the transaction to be completed by the end of this year, subject to satisfactory customary closing conditions.

Emerson Process Management has announced that it has acquired Missouri City, Texas, USA, based EIM Controls Inc., a manufacturer of high-quality valve actuators. EIM Controls will join the company’s Valve Automation division, expanding Emerson’s electric actuator portfolio, while strengthening the company’s applications for FOUNDATION™ fieldbus and other major bus protocols.

FMC Technologies, Inc has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Multi Phase Meters AS (MPM). MPM, based in Stavanger, Norway, is a global leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance multiphase flow meters for the oil and gas industry.

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.

NeSSI™ Generation II Specification - A Conceptual and Functional Specification Describing the Use of Miniature, Modular Electrical Components for adaptation to the ANSI/ISA SP76 Substrate in Electrically Hazardous Environments -  This functional and conceptual specification is based on the use of the miniaturized, modular analytical systems designed to the ANSI/ISA SP76.00.02-2002 standard substrate. This 2nd generation specification deals chiefly with integrating electrical components such as sensors and actuators (collectively referred to as transducers) onto the substrate in a manner suitable for use in electrically hazardous areas commonly found in petrochemical, refining and chemical facilities - Thanks to CPAC

CT76 Modular Substrate and Component  System - This bulletin from ICEweb sponsor Circor describes why this is "State of the Art" for modular systems. 

Rethink Sample System Automation - NeSSI provides new tools to tackle the challenges and improve performance - By Robert N. Dubois, consulting analytical specialist - Thanks to chemicalprocessing.com

Streamline Your Sampling System - Selecting the right stream selection assembly can improve performance - John Wawrowski, Doug Nordstrom and Joel Feldman - Thanks to chemicalprocessing.com

50 years: Online Gas Chromatograph - Stephen M Bostic & Dr Jerry M Clemons - The most prolific and flexible online analytical measurement device for analysing discrete hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) is the process gas chromatograph (GC). It is estimated that there are more than 30,000 process gas chromatographs installed worldwide- This article takes a look at the past, present and a glimpse of the future of the online process gas chromatograph. Thanks to ABB and PACE.

Breathe Easy - Darrell Leetham -For many organisations today, one aspect of the manufacturing process that needs to be monitored and controlled, for both efficiency and environmental benefit, is gaseous emissions - Plants are constantly looking for means to increase production and decrease costs. Increases in production are generally associated with an increase in fuel consumed and, in turn, a subsequent increase in emissions generated. In addition, regulatory entities are increasingly implementing standards and setting requirements for monitoring and reporting data on plant emissions. In order to improve efficiency throughout a manufacturing process and at the same time meet the needs of sustainable development goals, industry is finding an increased need for robust, reliable and accurate gas analysis methods. To meet the needs of this demand, different technologies for gaseous emissions sampling and analysis have been developed over the years. One particular technique is to extract a gas sample and dilute that sample prior to analysis. This article explains some advantages of the dilution extractive method. From Thermo Fisher Scientific and processonline.com.au. 

Center for Process Analytical Chemistry - CPAC, established at the University of Washington in 1984, is a consortium of Industrial, National Laboratory and Government Agency Sponsors addressing multidisciplinary challenges in Process Analytical Technology (PAT) and Process Control through fundamental and directed academic research. The present CPAC program can be summarized by two main components;
(1) new measurement approaches including the miniaturization of traditional instrumentation and the development of new sensors and non-traditional instruments.
(2) mechanisms for interaction, collaboration, and communication of Center activities, research programs, and information related to process analytical technology (PAT) among sponsors, other universities and academic departments, government agencies, and the general measurement and control community.  CPAC has an established track record in fostering academic/industrial/national laboratory interactions, which aim at bridging the gap between basic research and full-scale process/product development.

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

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

Q&A: Trends in Valve Actuation & Control - B. P. (Bob) Urbanowicz the president of Samson Controls fields questions from Flow Control on trends in valve actuation and control. From Flow Control Network. 

Emerson Process Management has integrated machinery protection and prediction of critical mechanical equipment with its DeltaV™ digital automation system. This new capability directly supports users’ goals for improved availability and performance. As turbomachinery and mechanical equipment condition deteriorates, performance and throughput decrease and unplanned shutdowns become more probable. When plant operators have visibility to the performance of their high stakes assets, they can make process adjustments and reduce process disruptions.

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 

Back to Basics: SCADA - What's a SCADA? -  controlglobal.com Editor Walt Boyes takes you Back to Basics with Supervisory Control and Data Aquisition systems with this really interesting video.

Greg Shinskey's Advice Now Available in Real-Time - World-renowned process control expert F. Greg Shinskey will soon be providing advice to hundreds of plants, in real time.  ExperTune's PlantTriage software has captured much of Mr. Shinskey's process control knowledge in an on-line expert system.  The software takes real-time data from any control system, then applies Mr. Shinskey's rules, giving an instant analysis of process, control, instrument, and control valve issues. 

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Controls Engineers - George Buckbee - Highly successful control engineers didn’t become that way by accident. The most successful engineers develop habits that improve results and recognition of those results. This paper addresses specific habits that you can develop or enhance to be more successful. From ExperTune, Inc.

Expertune has a fantastic Library of Articles and White papers covering:

• Control Loop Monitoring
• Basic PID Tutorials
• Recorded Webinars
• PID Loop Optimization
• Video Presentations

Exceptional Process Control Opportunities - This slide presentation with voice over by Greg McMillan covers Wireless Measurement and Control, Sample Time, Integrated Process Controller Tuning, Precision Control Valves for pH Control and lots more!

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

Forms of Corrosion - This article from cheresources covers Uniform Attack, Galvanic, Crevice, Pitting, Intergranular, Selective Leaching, Erosion, and Stress Corrosion.

Condition Monitoring - This is a new page on ICEweb, hence we are looking for more technical papers. 

Data Loggers

DataTaker have a range of online training options  including; 
- DataTaker Online Training Workshop - The complete set of presentation slides developed for the 3 day dataTaker Training Workshop. Designed to be used on your own, at your own pace. The presentation focuses on understanding the fundamentals of data acquisition and data logging. Including detailed programming examples, covering basic to advanced users of data loggers. Used in conjunction with the self paced worked example exercises within a hands on environment.
- Online Video Tutorials 
- Online Workshop Exercises 
- Need to program a DataTaker? - The datataker WIKI is a really great site specific to datataker programming

Dynamic Process Simulators and Training Systems - Plenty of information on this subject.

3 new papers have been added to ICEweb's Dynamic Process Simulators and Training Systems page.

Electrical - Many pages on the various Electrical subjects

Considering Pumping Efficiency & Reliability -  Matt Migliore editor of Flow Control magazine.- The key advance in pumping technology over the last decade has been the emergence of “smart” pumping systems. Using variable-frequency drive (VFD) technology in conjunction with system performance and feedback controls to monitor the process, the latest generation of smart pumping technologies offers the promise of improved efficiency, de-materialization of the process loop, and protection from process upsets. Yet, by some accounts, the end-user community has been slow to employ such technologies.

Baldor has released a software estimating tool that enables users to evaluate the energy efficiency of electric motors and variable speed drives. Known as BE$T, the Baldor Energy Savings Tool can be downloaded free of charge from the company’s website. The software analyses the efficiency and annual electricity usage of users’ existing motors, and calculates the cost savings that can be achieved by replacing them with equivalent higher efficiency models. Built-in motor performance and pricing information enables the software to suggest optimum replacements and to estimate the investment payback period.

Relays Show Staying Power: As Their Control Capabilities Increase, Relays Encroach on PLCs - Jim McConahay contributes to this article outlining advantages of relays and programmable relays over PLCs. Relays have many electrical and safety advantages over PLCs, and programmable relays can outshine PLCs in real-time control and monitoring. From and Control Design.

SAFETY NOTICE - Fluke is voluntarily recalling certain 333, 334, 335, 336 and 337 Digital Clamp Meters that were manufactured between January 29, 2008 and February 27, 2009. They have discovered a potential short circuit connection on the circuit board. This may lead to inaccurate voltage readings including a low or no voltage reading on a circuit energized with a hazardous voltage. This finding could create a hazardous situation if the user were to contact live voltage based on an erroneous instrument reading.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published VE 1-2009 Metal Cable Tray Systems. The standard is also published by the Canadian Standards Association as CSA C22.2 No. 126.1-09.NEMA VE 1-2009/CSA C22.2 No. 126.1-09 is the third edition of the common NEMA and CSA specification for metal cable tray systems for use in North America, providing technical requirements concerning the construction, testing, and performance of metal cable tray systems. It supersedes the second edition, published in 2002. Revisions include changes to the fill depth section and requirements for load testing for wire mesh. The load class designation table was also split into separate tables for the U.S. and Canada.

AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules - The first amendment to AS/NZS 3000:2007 is a newly released 43 page document which sets out changes to over 120 pages of the mandatory requirements for the design, construction and verification of electrical installations. It includes significant new information regarding additional protection by residual current devices and Earthing system parts.

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

Engineering Tools for Control, Fire and Gas, Instrumentation and Electrical Engineers - Watch Out - a new ICEweb page coming soon!

ESD Valves - Shutdown and Blowdown

Gas to flare system ESV & ESD valves - This application note from Metso Automation describes the requirements.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation have released PST Scheduler, an optional feature of the Plant Resource Manager (PRM®) device management package. PST Scheduler was developed through the Vigilant Integration Partners (VIP) Initiative by Yokogawa and four world-leading valve suppliers: Dresser-Masoneilan, Flowserve, Metso, and Samson AG. Interoperability with the emergency shutdown (ESD) valves manufactured by these companies is assured, making this the world's first multi-vendor valve partial stroke test solution.

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

The following additional technical information on the V-Cone flowmeter can be found on ICEweb's new look V-Cone page - thanks to our sponsor McCrometer 
Wet Gas Metering with V-Cone - Dr. Richard Steven and  Dr. RJW Peters - With the industrial requirement to meter wet gas flows increasing worldwide McCrometer has tested the performance of the single phase V-Cone meter (a Differential Pressure (DP) type meter) in wet gas flows in both the NEL and CEESI wet gas loops. These tests have shown how the V-Cone meter responds to different amounts of liquid entrained in a gas flow and have enabled correction factors to be developed.
API 22.2 Revised from API 5.7 -A Summary by Dr R.J.W. (Bob) Peters - McCrometer V-Cone Meters Tested in Accordance with API 5.7 "Testing Protocol for Differential Pressure Flow Measurement Devices" and Subsequently Further Tested to meet the Additional Requirements of API 22 "Testing Protocol" Section 2 – "Differential Pressure Flow Measurement Devices" (a Revision of API 5.7 ).
Custody Transfer Measurement with the V-Cone Flowmeter - Stephen A. Ifft - This paper discusses the approval of the McCrometer V-Cone flowmeter for custody transfer measurement in Canada.
V-Cone®, An Alternative to Orifice Meter in Wet Gas Applications - Stephen A. Ifft - This paper will discuss the use of the V-Cone differential pressure flowmeter to measure the flow of wet gas. Wet gas flow measurement is gaining considerable attention due to its importance in the oil and gas industry. Separator and well-head flow lines are two examples where wet gas can occur in a production system. Orifice plates have long been used for these applications. While orifice plates offer good measurement in clean gas applications, an alternative is needed that will provide better performance in the harsh environment of wet gas flow.
Partially Closed Valve Effects on the V-Cone Flowmeter - Stephen A. Ifft - Research conducted indicates that the V-Cone flowmeter is less susceptible to upstream flow disturbances than traditional flowmeters. This  testing has placed various flow disturbances upstream of the V-Cone including single elbows, double elbows out-of-plane, valves, and swirl generators. In an effort to further quantify the effects of partially closed valves on the V-Cone, McCrometer has completed the first in a series of valve installation effects tests.
Permanent Pressure Loss Comparison Among Various Flowmeter Technologies - Stephen A. Ifft - This paper explores the issue of permanent pressure loss through various types of flow metering technologies. Of particular interest is the V-Cone. The V-Cone flowmeter is a differential pressure device produced by McCrometer, Hemet, California, USA. By design, the V-Cone measures differential pressure created by a cone positioned in the centre of the pipe. The open area through which the fluid passes is stretched over the edge of the cone. This annular space appears to constrict flow dramatically compared to other metering technologies. This paper compares the permanent pressure loss among meters in a typical application.
Don’t Let Valves Come Between You and Accurate Flow Measurement - Jim Panek -  Getting valves and flow meters to work together is sometimes a challenging task within industrial water and wastewater applications. Valves tend to create the kind of irregular media flow patterns in pipelines that make it a real challenge to achieve accurate flow measurement of liquids, gas or steam. That’s why many types of popular liquid flow meters require straight pipe runs. Unfortunately, the nature of the process or the kind of space required for long straight runs of pipe is often an impossible luxury in many of today’s plants.
Flow Meter Research for APS Beam-Lines - Jeff T. Collins & Brian Batzka - Many critical APS beam-line components, such as the photon shutters and fixed masks, utilise porous media for heat transfer enhancement and consequently rely on steady operation at design flow rates to ensure that the proper levels of heat transfer enhancement are maintained. it is therefore necessary to ensure that the flow metering system, which the component is interlocked on, has a high degree of reliability.
Flowmeter Smoothes City's Troubled Waters - An application note for the water industry.
V-Cone Coke Oven Gas Case Study - Flow monitoring of coke-oven gas is difficult due to solids build up on interior surfaces. Heavy accumulation often renders venturis, orifice and segmental orifice plates incapable of accurate flow measurement. In addition, the pressure-sensing ports of venturi or orifice plate flowmeters become plugged, making the readings of these primary differential pressure devices difficult, if not impossible.
Wellhead Metering Using V-Cone® Technology - This paper describes the McCrometer V-cone D.P. meter as currently used by the Oil and Gas industry in the role of wellhead injection and allocation metering in on-shore, topside and sub-sea production applications.
The Economic and Technical Justification for changing from a Nozzle Flow Meter to a V-Cone Flow Meter on the outlet of a Steam Recovery Boiler in a Paper Plant - A very large integrated Paper Plant desired to improve productivity of paper production utilizing the existing equipment. The technical paper describes the reasons why the Paper Plant considered the replacement of a flow meter on the steam outlet of a Recovery Boiler.
Use of V-Cone Fuel Flow Meter to Measure Coke Oven Gas & Natural Gas Flow in a Combined Heat and Power Plant - Ann McIver and Dr. R.J.W. Peters - This paper describes key aspects of the Citizens Thermal Energy district energy system in Indianapolis. It will present the requirements imposed, through the continuous emissions monitoring rules established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as delineated in 40 CFR 75. The reason for the choice of the V-Cone, which is not a fuel flow metering technology specifically addressed in the regulations, will be presented and the tests required by the EPA to enable the V-Cone to be accepted. The results of the flow tests in an independent laboratory before and after a period in service will be given.
Signal Noise Ratio Comparison for V-Cone and Orifice Plate Flowmeters - Stephen A. Ifft - This paper discusses and compares the relative signal noise between the V-Cone differential pressure flowmeter and a typical orifice plate differential pressure flowmeter.
Space/Weight Saving V-Cone Flow Meter Is Ideal for Multiple Module Applications in Oil/Gas Production and Refining - Designers of mounted module systems for a wide variety of oil/gas applications will find that the rugged McCrometer V-Cone Flow Meter from McCrometer fits into tight places, saving space and reducing weight while providing the highest levels of performance and accuracy.

Diaphragm Seal Installation Considerations - David W. Spitzer - Level measurement using a transmitter with diaphragm seals and capillary tubing can exhibit different problems.  Thanks to Flow control Network.

Emerson Process Management have introduced the Rosemount 3051S MultiVariable transmitter which measures three variables and provides mass and energy flow output, reducing the number of devices traditionally required to make DP flow measurement from ten to one.  This multivariable transmitter improves productivity and makes energy management and environmental compliance easier. They have also introduced a new version of their Daniel® ultrasonic meter diagnostic firmware and software with advanced real-time monitoring and alarming capabilities that reduce measurement uncertainty and improve uptime. The new software detects  oil and gas flow disturbances that may affect measurement, delivers maintenance alarms prompting action to avoid failure, and provides an intuitive view of the meter health.

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