-
Human
Factors Engineering (HFE) in Projects - This excellent 84 page
Recommended Practice (RP) is an essential design document for anyone involved
in the design of facilities. Just have a look at the
examples in it! It adopts a practical, cost-effective and
balanced approach to applying HFE on oil & gas projects. It recognises
that many HFE issues can be controlled simply by ensuring compliance with
existing technical standards. However, there are times where there is a gap
between what can be specified in technical standards and the design features
needed to support efficient, reliable and safe human performance. This RP
involves three elements for controlling HFE-related risk: (1) Compliance
with relevant technical specifications (2) HFE specific design analysis and
design validation and (3) Organisation and competence to deliver appropriate
standards of HFE quality control. Compliance with this RP should normally
satisfy requirements from national regulators for evidence that HFE has been
adequately considered in design. The process allows projects to demonstrate
that consideration has been given to reducing the HFE risks and the
potential for human error to a level that can be shown to be As Low As
Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) through engineering and design - from
International Association of Oil & Gas Producers.
-
Making
Safe Waves in Hazardous Areas! - John Hartley - As
wireless devices such as mobile phones and laptop computers become more
reliable and cost effective, there is growing interest amongst the process
industry as to the benefits to be found from enabling such devices to be
used in hazardous areas. However, unlike most industries this is not a
simple task. Installing wireless networks in hazardous areas requires
careful, expert planning and execution. John Hartley, Managing Director of
Extronics, explains the hazards posed by radio frequency sources and the
issues involved when installing wireless networks in hazardous areas, and
how to minimise the potential risk.
-
Choice
of Gas Chromatograph Ovens and Shelters Impacts Cost of Ownership
- Michael Gaura - When industry professionals scope out a new capital
analyzer project, they spend time and effort evaluating the equipment to be
used. In the case of gas chromatographs (GC), key capital expenses – the
oven associated with the GC and the shelter that houses it – may not be
considered in the final decision, often because managers do not realize they
have a choice. In fact, these decisions can have a huge impact on the cost
of ownership of the analysis equipment, with the potential to significantly
reduce costs at initial installation, in operation and maintenance and in
the execution of change orders.
-
The
Fundamentals Of Pipeline Gas Chromatographs - Shane Hale - Gas
chromatographs (GCs) are installed all over natural gas pipeline networks,
providing an analysis of the flowing gas and calculating the physical
properties used for the flow calculations and for custody transfer. However,
a clear understanding of just how the GC works and the considerations that
need to be made for the installation and operation of the GC are often
lacking in the industry. This article discusses the major components of the
GC and provides an understanding of the theory and practice of gas
chromatography in the pipeline industry.
-
Perfecting
Liquefied Natural Gas Analysis Techniques and Methods - S.Hale -
Following these procedures will improve measurement accuracy and
reliability.
-
Analysis
of Pipeline-Quality Gas using a C9: Application (Five-Minute Analysis) -
On-line chromatographs provide custody-transfer measurement of energy
content in natural gas. To determine this heating value component, first we
must determine component concentrations. In a standard C6+ application, this
analysis is performed using two valves in a single oven (12-minute analysis
time) or three valves in a single oven (four-minute analysis time). To
perform this analysis to C9+, five valves are used in two different ovens
(five-minute analysis time). The results from both detectors are combined in
post-analysis calculations and reported together.
-
Analysis
of Pipeline-Quality Gas using a C6+ with Trace H2S Application -Hydrogen
sulfide (H2S) is a component that is often present in natural gas. There are
many reasons for wanting to measure it. One of the most important reasons is
that H2S is a highly toxic gas that can be deadly if breathed into the
lungs. This gas is also corrosive to the pipeline. H2S mixed with H2O forms
hydrosulfuric acid, which can cause pipeline metals to become brittle.
Contractual obligation may require scrubbing or limiting of the H2S in
natural gas before it is sold. Each pipeline company has its own acceptable
limits of how much H2S can be present.
-
New
Tank Over Fill and Spill Protection Standard - As a direct result of the
Buncefield explosion, the American Petroleum Institute's Recommended
Practice 2350 is being revised and updated to help prevent future incidents.
It should be noted that there are similar storage terminals spread across
Canada and the world. Many are currently in the process of updating to these
standards. Of particular interest, are storage facilities fed by a pipeline,
or from a ship, as the potential spill risk is greater than those fed by
truck or rail. The API 2350 4th edition will require most petroleum storage
tanks over 5000 liters to have an independent level alarm for critical high
level. Past practices of taking a high level or overfill alarm off the main
tank level gauge (commonly a radar level device) are no longer allowed. A
back up device is now required that can be a second transmitter (continuous
level indication) or more cost effectively a point level switch. Depending
on the overfill prevention category of the vessel, these switches may be
mechanical or electronic. While there are several potential alarm points,
here we are discussing the independent alarm required for the
"High-High" alert - from Magnetrol
-
The following technical
papers are from oseco
Rupture
Disc Terminology and Concepts - A comprehensive list here.
A
Structured Method for Proper Selection of Rupture Disks for Safety Relief in
Ammonia Plants - Jeff Scoville and Alan Wilson - Proper selection of a
rupture disk is more than performing sizing calculations to make sure it is
adequatelysized for the emergency event. Criteria such as operating pressure
and temperature, material selection, gasor liquid service, etc. must be
evaluated to determine the best disk type for the application. The cost of
notevaluating such criteria can be significant to operations if the ammonia
plant has excessive “nuisance” failures of an improperly specified
rupture disk. This paper will present a structured step-by-step method for
determining the appropriate rupture disk type for an application - from
Oseco Inc.
The
Use of Certified KR for Rupture Disks - Jeff Scoville - The ASME Section
VIII, Division 1, 1998 code established a new code symbol stamp forrupture
disks in 1999 called “UD”. While the Code recognized rupture disks as
acceptable pressure relief devices prior to this revision, there was no
formal process for product certification. Very few manufacturers had
performed flow testing of their products, therefore the methodologies for
sizing relief systems reflected in the ASME Code and API Recommended
Practices (RP) were estimates at best. The new UD stamp now requires any
product carrying the stamp to be flow tested at an ASME PTC-25 accepted flow
laboratory in the presence of a representative from the National Board of
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. Results of the flow testing are
communicated directly to the user via the certified flow resistance factor
(KR) and minimum net flow area (MNFA) stamped on the disk tag. These values
are also published in the National Board Red Book, which also covers relief
valves.
-
Corrosion
Data Tables - This is a good table detailing materials against media,
concentration and temperature - from OSECO
-
Look
for Signs of Failure to Protect Critical Assets - Deane Horn - Complete
online monitoring of the plant’s most critical assets includes shutdown
protection, predictive, and performance monitoring – all integrated with
the process automation system. Rotating equipment seldom fails without
providing hints well in advance. Machinery health warning signs come in the
form of vibration changes, process parameter changes, and performance
changes to name a few. So imagine a form of machinery protection that allows
you to anticipate and recognise these warning signs. A complete protection
strategy can then be formulated based on the use of early information
gathered from a combination of vibration, performance, and process data.
Shutdown protection would be relegated to the last line of defence, and
costly outages could be eliminated. Advanced technologies, including online
and wireless vibration monitoring and ASME calculations based equipment
performance, can all be integrated with the process control system to
nurture the health of machinery that is essential to maintaining
uninterrupted production - from Emerson Process Management.
-
A
Culture of Safety - Industry Moves to Make Sure Accidents DON'T Happen -
Amy W. Richardson - In response to some major disasters in the 1970s and
‘80s, in which control system failures were contributing factors, a new
culture of industrial process automation safety was born. As part of this
movement, end-users, industry associations, and equipment suppliers alike
moved to more closely consider control and safety applications with the aim
of minimizing common modes of failure. For decades, it was common to build
certain protections into the Basic Process Control System (BPCS) to prevent
failures. However, the new approach focused on separation between control
and safety applications to reduce failures. In the ‘90s, the ISA-SP84
Committee settled on the term Safety Instrumented System (SIS) to describe
an independent automated safety system. Today, if the layers of safety
measures built into a modern process control systems were peeled back, one
would likely find the SIS at the outermost level, providing the last
preventive layer of protection against undetected and detected equipment
failures that lead to unsafe process conditions - from www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
-
Remote
Location Power Surge Protection - David Torres - Remote sites include
locations such as telecommunications shelters, cellular towers,
water/wastewater treatment plants, railroad bungalows, and HVAC systems.
These installations can be challenging to protect from lightning, line
surges originating from utility switching, damage to power utility lines,
and power surges originating from area industrial equipment. Devices in
remote locations are typically closer to the service entrance and lack other
power paths for energy to flow. This makes them more susceptible to surge
damage than other applications. When planning a remote installation, the
design engineer or installer must consider proper grounding and bonding, the
correct surge protection device (SPD) for the job, and proper installation.
When installed correctly, it is possible to protect a remote site from
lightning or other surge events - from ISA and InTech.
-
Control
Valve Exit Noise and its use to Determine Minimum Acceptable Valve Size
- Alan H. Glenn - This paper describes general aerodynamic noise generation
and prediction and, in more detail, the IEC 60534-8-3 exit noise prediction.
It will describe noise generation inside the valve and at its exit, its
propagation down the pipeline, and its transmission through the pipe wall
and into the outside environment. Several sample cases are included. A
simple computer program that could be used to facilitate the calculation of
the control valve exit noise for control valves is also briefly explained -
from Flowserve and Valve
World.
-
Control
Valves for Pump Protection (Recirculation) Service
- E.W.Singleton - This
paper discusses the essential procedures involved in the application of
control valves for the protection of pumps operating at low flow conditions.
Automatic Recirculating Valves (ARC Valves), although they do not fall into
the category of control valves, do play an important role in pump
protection, so a reference to these is also included -
from Koso Kent Introl and Valve
World.
-
Cryogenic
Valve Technology - The valve that came out of the cold - Do you get the
shivers everytime you have to select a valve for cold box applications? Cool
down... with SAMSON's Type 3248 Cryogenic Valve, temperatures down to -320
°F (-196 °C) will be covered. With an extended isolating section, the
actuation and accessories are protected from catching a cold.
-
Control
Valves for Critical Applications - Know the Causes of Cavitation and
Flashing and How to Prevent Them - J. Kiesbauer - In refineries, the
process media flowing through valves are primarily liquids. With liquids,
critical operating conditions caused by cavitation or flashing may occur.
Symptoms are, for instance, increased noise emission, valve and pipe
component erosion or low-frequency mechanical vibration in the valve and the
connected pipeline. Under these conditions, in particular, neglecting
details can result in negative influences on plant performance and costs of
ownership. Unfortunately, common practice today is to select control valves
in a “quick and dirty” fashion, because the phases of planning, bidding
and order processing are connected with significant pressures of cost and
time. This article presents the basic principles underlying these problems
and shows how to eliminate them based on practical examples from refineries.
Moreover, a new throttling element is introduced, that is especially suited
to reducing noise emission produced by cavitation. This new throttling
element is being implemented in refineries with increasing success.
-
Fugitive
Emissions and Control Valves - This paper describes the history of the
development of the fugitive emissions requests, the standards committees and
manufactures reactions to them. How do these standards differ? How do they
compare? The paper also describes the approach and issues a control valves
manufacturer has to deal with to meet the various requirements on fugitive
emissions. It is recognised also that control valves by their function of
continuous movement have more tendency to wear out than on/off valves and
are therefore more easily subject to packing leakage - from www.valve-world.net
-
Fugitive
Emissions Philosophies for Control Valves -Holger Siemers - It is
interesting to compare the use of the bellows seal design versus low
emission packing material. The bellows seal design seems to have been
forgotten in international discussions and published papers, but it is still
unbeatable as regards its life cycle and 'quality of tightness'. In the
'world of valves' under the requirements of fugitive emissions approximately
5% are control valves - thanks to SA
Instrumentation and Control
-
Bellows
Sealed Valve Technology - Maintenance-free, hysteresis-free bellows
seals guarantee zero leakage over the entire service life of the control
valve. With Samson's environmentally friendly bellows seals, you are always
on the safe side and plant downtime required to replace the valve packing is
a thing of the past.
-
Control
Valve Design Aspects for Critical Applications in Petrochemical Plants -
Holger Siemers - With three decades of experience in demanding applications,
Mr Siemers has a deep appreciation of developments and trends in sizing
control valves. In this paper, he reviews the past, present and future of
valve design and sizing, taking all-important issues such as increasing cost
pressure and time pressure into account. This paper is presented in two
parts: firstly, how to use manufacturer independent software to analyse
given or calculated plant parameters in more detail from an overall pointof
view with a complete power check and optimizing possibilities. Some case
studies are also discussed. The second section, scheduled for a future
issue, includes information on to design, size and use severe service
control valves with good performance for long maintenance intervals.
Different philosophies of valve design (plug design), pressure balance
systems, stem sealing, actuator sizing, cost philosophies for" high
end" applications are discussed. The paper covers:
Accurate sizing & software tools
Energy saving by plant and valve optimization
Debottlenecking: Can the old valve do the new job ?
Predictable troubles with control valve sizing in case of sub-critical flow
conditions and in case of flashing.
Control valve failures & troubleshooting.
The hidden valve enemy: Critical outlet velocities need to take priority.
Fugitive emissions philosophies for control valves.
Actuator sizing philosophies.
Control valve design and cost philosophies for "high end"
applications.
-
Improve
Material Balance by Using Proper Flowmeter Corrections
- S Peramanu and J. C Wah - Process
plants frequently encounter mass imbalances. These can be attributed to
various factors, but often they lead back to inappropriate measuring
devices, improper calibration, incorrect installation or incorrect
interpretation of the measured flows. There are well-established guidelines
available to ensure appropriate flowmeter selection based on the process
conditions and control requirements - from Hydrocarbon Processing.
-
Intelligent
Control Room Management For Oil And Gas Pipeline Safety
- Paul Thoman - This article discusses how intelligent control room
management, based on a foundation of electronic standard operating
procedures (eSOPs), can address the regulations, document the necessary
actions for compliance validation, and drive operational excellence-from
Automation.com.
-
Why
is Good Control Important? - Dick Caro - It takes a lot of effort to
attain “good control.” Certainly, loop tuning is taught at ISA, but few
control/instrument engineers actually practice loop tuning. Most of the
distributed control systems (DCSs) have some type of automated loop tuning,
and suppliers provide loop tuning software that can be added to any system,
including programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Some processes, however,
make it almost impossible to achieve optimal loop tuning. Understanding ways
to improve control makes engineers more valuable to their company and
improves operations - from the ISA and InTech.
-
NEL
have a Number of Useful papers on Wind Turbines - These include Wind
turbine power performance measurements, Types of small and micro wind
turbines and Conversion of wind energy into electrical energy - you will
need to register to get these.
-
Effects
of Complex Wind Regimes on Turbine Performance - Elisabeth Rareshide,
Andrew Tindal1, Clint Johnson, AnneMarie Graves, Erin Simpson, James Bleeg,
Tracey Harris and Danny Schoborg- Wind turbine power performance for the
annual energy production calculations of wind farms has traditionally been
modeled assuming a set of simple and average input meteorological
conditions. Turbine power curve tests are also performed with this
assumption, based on criteria defined in the IEC 61400-12-1 [1] standard.
While this approach has proven to be adequate for the wind power industry
for several years, the increasing size of wind turbines—coupled with an
improved awareness of the wind flow variation throughout the boundary layer—has
generated concern that the effects of complex meteorological conditions on
turbine power performance are not well understood - from Garrad Hassan.
-
Guidance
Note - Application of Ultrasonic Flow Meter Diagnostics - Improvements
in digital signal processing techniques have enabled large amounts of data
to be processed and stored in real time. Manufacturers of modern flow meter
devices such as ultrasonic meters (USMs) have taken advantage of these
improvements and are now using diagnostic parameters to perform a ‘health-check’
of the meter when in operation. This can help the diagnosis of potential
problems with the measured fluid or the measurement system - from NEL.
-
Pharmaceutical
Applications - There are reportedly over 22,000 pharmaceutical plants in
the World producing a wide range of varied products. Pharmaceutical
production, whether continuous or batch, uses a variety of toxic and
combustible materials. Not all gases or solvents are used in each process,
but the general categories include Amines, Ammonia, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon
Dioxide, various Halogens, Chlorides, Hydrogen Peroxide, Hydrogen Sulphide,
Hydrogen Cyanide, Phosgene and a variety of solvents. Local health and
safety guidelines dictate safe working practices for personnel in connection
with toxic substances. Failure to meet these minimum requirements exposes
the operator to the risk of litigation. Emissions of solvents used within
the production process must be minimised to meet latest international
regulations on emissions. This requires significant investment in solvent
reclamation equipment which must be protected. In addition, the use of
continuous flammable gas monitoring will reduce insurance premiums further
while ensuring safety levels are maintained.
-
The
Danger of Confined Spaces - Areas with a volume of less than
100m³, where there is no natural ventilation or areas that measure less
than 2 metres in diameter, length, width and depth are classed as
confined and enclosed danger zones. Special attention needs to be drawn
to the dangers posed by gases when space is restricted and typical
examples of confined spaces within industry include: shafts, trenches,
pits, boilers, tanks, pipelines and containers, as locations for
emergency response units.
-
There are a swag of technical wireless papers
on the WINA site.
-
Smart
Wireless Network Monitors Eye wash and Safety Shower Stations -Automated
monitoring delivers real-time data to plant operators with 60 percent
installed cost savings compared to wired technology
-
Radio
in Industrial Environments - Part 1 and
Part 2 - Brian Cunningham - With increasing demands placed on plant
managers to reduce operating costs, wireless is presenting attractive
alternatives to buried cable and conduit runs. The issue at stake in
choosing this alternative is reliability. In industry, the requirements for
radio differ from those typically governing commercial or residential
applications. With cellular phones, for instance, the design requirement is
best effort in terms of coverage and reliability. With industrial
applications, the design requirement becomes must work 100%. Typical
industrial applications include extracting tank levels in storage
facilities, controlling pump stations in municipalities, and in general
replacing cable and conduit where the cost of materials and associated
installation exceed the cost of a radio system. However the question remains
when replacing a tried and true cable and conduit system with a new
technology: will it be as reliable?
- from ISA.
-
Frequency
Hopping and Unwanted Intruders - Randy Klassen & Åke Severinson -
All types of data transfer offer the opportunity for both data interception
and injection. In wired systems, it usually takes some direct physical
connection to gain access, with tampering being possible anywhere along the
transmission wires. Radio systems, on the other hand, take the potential for
data interception or injection out of the realm of actual physical contact
and force tampering to occur in the radio frequency (RF) realm. Further to
this, various radio systems and technologies set up different types of
"road blocks" that must be overcome by the wireless intruder -
from OMNEX Control Systems Inc and Cooper Industries
-
Circles
of Success - A Brief Tutorial - Randy Klassen - With spread spectrum
radios moving into the industrial workplace and out among the pipes and
tanks, making the decision to install, specify or manufacture a wireless
product is one that cannot be made lightly. No one likes to be embarrassed
by product that doesn't work, and in the wireless arena where more and more
products are now popping up new rules and guidelines have to be established
to ease the decision-making process. This tutorial will focus on a few of
the rules that will help HopLink distributors and end-users make decisions
about specifying and installing wireless products successfully. It is
designed to give you a simple tool for evaluating a HopLink installation's
probability for success in terms of: a) where the HopLink will operate
reliably, b) how much support you will have to give the product, and c) how
to build trust in the eyes of your customer or manager by not
"overselling" the HopLink's capabilities and achieving a quick and
reliable installation - from OMNEX Control Systems Inc and Cooper Industries
-
Antennas
- A Brief Tutorial - Randy Klassen - Antennas are
simply lengths of conductive metal that radiate radio signals into the air.
Most common antennas are designed to be one-quarter, sometimes one-half, the
wavelength of the radio signal they are to transmit/ receive - from OMNEX
Control Systems Inc and Cooper Industries
-
Is
the (Completely) Wireless Pharmaceutical
Plant
Only 10 Years Away?
- It's possible, says Jane Lansing, VP of Marketing for Emerson Process
Management. Sure, Emerson is heavily invested in enabling wireless in pharma,
but the technology, standards and, yes, FDA support are all there to make
the next decade the golden age in wireless for the pharmaceutical plant,
Lansing says.
-
Extreme
Wireless Applications - If your wireless application isn't clean and
pretty, then check out Emerson's Smart Wireless networks!
-
Leading
the Smart Wireless Transformation - With more than 580 million operating
hours, spanning 6,100 wireless networks around the world, Emerson's Smart
Wireless solutions are a proven way to monitor critical functions. Emerson
experts have developed a range of wireless sensors that work in places where
people can't go and where stringing wires isn't practical.
-
Extended
Range Wireless Antenna - Plant Wireless - Emerson technology demo
introducing an extended range wireless antenna for automation technologies
in remote locations.
-
Wireless
Proves Its Worth - Plants Early Experience Leads to High Value Applications -
Tim Gerami and Jerry Moon
-
Leading
the Smart Wireless Transformation - With more than 580 million operating
hours, spanning 6,100 wireless networks around the world, Emerson's Smart
Wireless solutions are a proven way to monitor critical functions. Emerson
experts have developed a range of wireless sensors that work in places where
people can't go and where stringing wires isn't practical.
-
IEC
62591 WirelessHART® System Engineering Guide - This updated excellent
83 page document has been created to support the developing needs of
WirelessHART end users adopting self-organizing mesh networks within the
process industry. It recognises that WirelessHART products are available
from the HART COMMUNICATIONS FOUNDATION and many of its members, and thus is
written in a ‘generic’ fashion which does not incorporate any ‘value
added’ features available from any specific vendor. It is assumed that the
reader is proficient with HART instrumentation, therefore the focus of this
content will be on the unique aspects of deploying WirelessHart systems.
Unless stated otherwise, the reader should assume the project steps are the
same for HART and WirelessHART instrumentation. The document is intended to
serve as the basis for advanced discussions on the implementation of
WirelessHART systems.
-
Emerson
Wireless Security - WirelessHART and Wi-Fi - This
comprehensive paper demonstrates capabilities to deploy secure,
reliable and robust wireless solutions for both field instruments and
plant-wide applications.
-
Smart
Wireless Field Network - Recommendations for Planning, Installation and
Commissioning - A Smart Wireless Field Network from Emerson Process
Management is easy to plan, install, and commission. Included in this paper
are recommendations for ensuring proper network performance without the need
for site surveys as required for point-to-point wireless technologies.
-
Smart
Wireless Solutions - Intelligent Well Production Starts Here - The
wellheads, flow lines, and separation areas in these fields have typically used
wired approaches which involve significant commissioning time, and lengthy
installation of wiring, trenching, conduit runs, and cable trays; or proprietary
wireless networks which suffer from reliability issues. Emerson’s Smart
Wireless technology overcomes these issues.
-
Improving
Quality with Digital Plant Architecture - The major source of quality
problems in plants, mills, and refineries is process variability. PlantWeb
digital plant architecture’s predictive intelligence helps you detect and
correct potential problems before they can increase variability. As a
result, you can keep instruments and other equipment performing at their
best, improve control, and sustain the resulting gains – so you can reduce
variability and shift setpoints for higher-quality output.
-
The
"Smart Refinery" - “Smart” technologies have been around
the refining industry for a couple of decades. In fact, process automation,
control and monitoring technologies get smarter every year. But are they
actually improving your business? Are they helping you address the impending
workforce crisis we are all facing? Are they helping provide you with the
flexibility to change your production strategies to deal with varying crude
states? Are they giving you the confidence to run your refinery at your
rated capacities while ensuring safe operating conditions, which are
non-negotiable? Emerson Process Management have combined their experience
with leading refiners with the knowledge and perspective of their leading
technology and applications specialists to stimulate insights and ideas for
bringing predictability into your operation. These are not blue-sky ideas.
They are down-to-earth and practical, yet advanced ideas for harnessing the
power of technology to enable your staff to be their most effective and
efficient. We call it the “Smart Refinery.” This brief guide aspires to
provide insight into how you can harness these new technologies to gain
value from improving your plant’s operation.
-
Enhanced
Foundation Fieldbus Physical Layer Diagnostics with the DeltaV System -
Of the issues preventing proper operation of FOUNDATION fieldbus (Ff)
segments, the leading causes have consistently been related to the fieldbus
physical layer. For instance, problems with the segment occur if one of the
terminators is not installed, the voltage level on the segment is not
correct, the cable is improperly wired, noise is introduced on the wires,
and the list goes on. These physical layer problems often can be corrected
with relatively little effort, once the root cause is determined. Without
the availability of good tools for collecting and analyzing the Ff segment’s
physical layer diagnostics, considerable time can be spent chasing the cause
of the problem. However, end-users may perceive these potential network
infrastructure problems and the need for a network diagnostic tool as
complications of using fieldbus versus 4-20 mA signals. Therefore, any
diagnostic tool must be easy to use and have the ability to eliminate the
user’s concerns with physical layer installation and operation. Several
3rd-party manufacturers offer diagnostic tools for identifying problems with
the FOUNDATION fieldbus physical layer. This whitepaper focuses on three
such solutions from Pepperl+Fuchs, an Emerson Process Management Alliance
Program member company.
-
Answers
to your Questions about Implementing Fieldbus in DeltaV Systems -
Questions often arise when implementing Fieldbus in DeltaV systems, such as
“What is the meaning of a particular term”? “How does it apply to
DeltaV systems”? “How do I calculate the Macrocycle”? and many more
questions. This paper provides answers to common questions, using a question
and answer format.
-
Fieldbus
Justification Goes Beyond Total Cost of Ownership - Larry O'Brien
- Fieldbus, as a digital replacement for 4-20 mA
analog communications, is a simple concept, but it is significantly changing
the way that users look at their processes and is providing a flood of
information from the field about both the devices and their associated
processes. Users should approach the process of choosing, implementing and
using fieldbus in a way that will achieve successful and superior
performance, reduced costs and operational excellence in the context of the
enterprise’s business goals.
-
Gas
Detection in Air Intakes - When it comes to
monitoring of ventilation air, at air intakes, in ventilation ducts or at
ventilation outlets, the trend has been towards lower trip levels and/or
faster response times. This product information discusses these issues in
order to help choosing the right detector for the task - from Simrad Optronics and ICEweb
sponsor PROdetec
-
Avoid
Thermal 'short cuts' to Improve Protection Efficiency - Specifying an
enclosure for field-based instrumentation is not a trivial task. If the
enclosure is destined for an extreme environment - such as desert or Arctic
regions - starting such a configuration process with one of the commonplace
styles of metal enclosures used for electrical panel gear is usually not
such a good solution, and can pose problems for the inexperienced - from
Intertec.
-
Cooling
System Options for Electronic Enclosure Cooling: Do Thermoelectric Air
Conditioners Have the Advantage? - This white
paper discusses four popular options for cooling electronic/electrical
equipment housed in enclosures and cabinets. These options include
thermoelectric air conditioners, compressor-based air conditioners, vortex
coolers and air-to-air heat exchangers (heat pipes). Each cooling method is
explained and the advantages of thermoelectric air conditioners are examined
as compared to the other cooling methods - from EIC Solutions Inc.
-
A
Systems Approach to Functional Terminal Block Design - Consider where
signals are processed in measurement, conversion and regulation systems -
Carsten Luckheide - Ideally, functional terminal blocks should be easy to
use, provide secure connections and make it simple to bridge terminals,
whether or not they are adjacent. By taking a systems approach to functional
terminal block design, though, a single block can be adapted to different
connection requirements - from plantservices.com
-
Corrosion
Resistance of Electric Wire Terminals Used in Harsh Industrial Environments
- Industry reports indicate that 50 to 60 percent of electrical downtime has
been traced to open or intermittent connections.1
Harsh industrial environments increase the risk
of corrosion and chemical attack on metals used
in wire terminal connections, potentially affecting electrical reliability.
Engineers designing industrial control products must
apply sound judgment in material selection and
wire clamp design along with rigorous test methods
to ensure reliable long term performance under harsh field conditions.
Accelerated corrosion testing is an important tool for
use in product designs such as wire terminal
systems. Test methods such as salt spray testing have traditionally
been used to evaluate corrosion resistance but can seldom be correlated
to actual field performance. Other methods using corrosive gas mixtures
have been developed to better correlate with field conditions. This
paper studies corrosion resistance of wire terminal connections made from
a variety of materials and protective platings and coatings. Accelerated
test methods using both salt spray and corrosive gas
mixtures were applied. The results show that
each base metal and protective coating has it's strengths
and weaknesses. Steel with zinc-trivalent chromate protective coatings
performed well but vary significantly depending on the thickness of
zinc, type of chromate, and use of sealers. Nickel-plated brass performed
well except in environments with high concentrations
of ammonia. Stainless steel provided the best
and most universal corrosion resistance. The
information presented in this paper can be applied to make more knowledgeable
product selection decisions that will help ensure long term reliability
of electrical connections used in industrial control applications - From
Rockwell.
-
MGD
- The Electronic Nose - The MGD detector is an innovative
technology offering unique solution for early fire detection in extremely
harsh environments as storage silos, turbines, conveying systems and
electrical rooms. The MGD detector contains extremely sensitive sensors that
reacts fast on the gases released in a very early stage of a fire, even
before the precense of visible smoke or flames. The detector is constantly
comparing the actual gas pattern with different classified patterns of gas.
Based on this the detector can differentiate the actual gas from a fire from
other gases in the air coming from other disturbing elements - Thanks to FireFly and ICEweb sponsor PROdetec.
-
Water
Mist for Fire Protection of Heritage - This is an excellent technical
paper which provides a vast amount of information on water mist systems.Water mist application is the most subtle way of water extinguishing. It provides safe and practical environment
for rescue work, it protects visitors and staff, it incur minimal secondary damage in valid or unintentional
activations and substantially remove harmful particles from smoke. Apart from the above and general extinguishing capabilities of water, mist applications add several advantages
over standard sprinkler systems, which often justifies a moderate extra cost. Mist systems discharge less water and
use small-diameter pipes. Water supply may not run empty, as does limited gas supplies or other extinguishing
media. Water mist may be turned off and on again. Water mist can be used where water was not previously
considered practical. Water mist is used in hand held extinguishers, fire hose nozzles, small standalone
units, object protection systems, room filling systems, hand held impact guns and large water mist
impact monitors. Applications include museum vaults, heritage buildings, hotels, churches and art
galleries - from heritagefire.net.
-
Ultrasonic
(Acoustic) Gas Leak Detection Technology - Ultrasonic (acoustic) gas
leak detection technology works by listening for ultrasound emitted from
pressurised gas leaks. Instead of measuring a concentration level
in LEL as traditional gas detectors (point and open path detectors) the
ultrasonic gas leak detectors raise an instant on/off alarm if a leak
is detected. The ultrasonic gas leak detectors do not have to wait
until the gas concentration has accumulated to a potentially dangerous gas
cloud, they react instantaneously. This means that unlike traditional
gas detectors, ultrasonic detectors can detect gas leaks at the speed of
sound without being affected by wind directions or gas dilution.
Instead of measuring a concentration level in LEL, the ultrasonic (acoustic) gas
leak detection method is based on the so-called leak rate. This makes
detection more reliable and efficient as it is possible to verify the performance
of the detection system - This link also includes a case history,
detection coverage, installation practice, background noise, gas leak
definition and frequently asked questions - from Gassonic.
-
Ultrasonic
Leak Detection - The First Stage in Gas Detection - These sensors will
detect gas at‘the speed of sound’ and do not need to be in the gas cloud
to operate successfully. Ultrasonic gas detectors have been designed to
detect pressure gas leaks from all gases, this includes the 35% of
Hydrocarbon Leaks which go undetected in the North Sea (Source UK HSE)
- thanks to Groveley Detection and ICEweb
sponsor PROdetec
-
Valves/Actuator Combinations - Rens Wolters -
In 2010 a new revision of the IEC 61508 was formally published. The previous
version dated back to 1998 and since then it is used in the Oil and Gas
industry for over-pressure protection systems. This paper focuses on the
modifications in the IEC 61508 related to the final elements and as example
an application in the Oil and Gas industry is used - from Mokveld.
-
Fire
and Explosion Guidance - The primary objective of this document is to
offer guidance on practices and methodologies which can lead to a reduction
in risk to life, the environment and the integrity of offshore facilities
exposed to fire and explosion hazards - from fabig and UKOOA.
-
Electrical,
Instrumentation and Telecommunication Installation
- This Offshore Petroleum NORSOK standard covers functional and technical requirement related to installation of
electrical, instrumentation and telecommunication equipment. In addition the standard establish basis for engineering of typical areas like cable segregation, cable
requirements, Ex-philosophies, equipment enclosures etc.
-
Technical
safety - This NORSOK standard describes the principles and requirements for the development of the safety design
of offshore installations for production of oil and gas. Where applicable, this NORSOK standard may also be
used for mobile offshore drilling units. This NORSOK standard, together with ISO 13702, defines the required standard for implementation of
technologies and emergency preparedness to establish and maintain an adequate level of safety for
personnel, environment and material assets.
-
NFPA
329: Recommended Practice for Handling Releases of Flammable and Combustible
Liquids and Gases, 2010 Edition - This recommended practice provides
appropriate methods for responding to fire and explosion hazards resulting
from the release of a flammable or combustible liquid, gas, or vapor that
could migrate to a subsurface structure. This document is available free in
a read only format after you register with the NFPA.
-
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) is a
not-for-profit trade association with the aim of promoting the professional
status of the UK fire safety industry. The FIA's main objective is to
promote the professional standards of the fire industry. They provide
technical knowledge and advice to anyone who needs it regarding fire safety
in the UK. This site is an excellent Fire Detection and Protection resource.
It provides;
- Technical
Updates - General technical information of interest. This includes
consultation requests from UK Government on new or proposed legislation,
public comment drafts of Standards, and comment drafts of FIA technical
documents as well as the notification of publication of new standards and
legislation.
- Fact
Files - Fact Files are a collation of technical, legislative or
procedural facts on a single subject or closely associated group.
- Guidance
Notes - These are recommendations and interpretations by the FIA
(written by Council, Committee, and Secretariat etc) to give help and
guidance to members and non-members on technical subjects, legislative
matters, FIA processes/procedures etc.
- Codes
of Practice - These are ‘how to’ documents that are drafted and
formatted in a similar fashion to a national standard by the FIA (written by
Council, Committee, and Secretariat etc) to give help and guidance to
members and non-members, primarily on technical subjects.
-
Using
High Pressure Water Mist Fire Protection Systems for Offshore Oil Drilling
and Producing Facilities - Larry W Owen - Almost every portion of the platform requires some
form of fire protection. Many of the spaces found on offshore oil drilling and production facilities can be
protected with water mist systems. Water mist systems have tremendous fire suppression and extinguishing
capabilities whether the area protected contains flammable liquids or ordinary combustibles. System
testing protocols developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have set the standard for
water mist design requirements. Coupled with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 750
Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection, these global guidelines set the benchmark for fire protection
engineering companies to use when designing water mist systems. Water mist systems provide suppression and
extinguishment of fires through the use of three primary mechanisms,
cooling, oxygen depletion (inerting) and radiant heat blocking - from touch
briefings
-
Code
of Practice for the Design and Installation of Commercial and Industrial
Watermist Systems - This Code of Practice gives recommendations for the design, installation, commissioning and
maintenance of watermist systems, and gives performance criteria for fixed watermist systems
for specific commercial and industrial hazards. Annex A of this Code provides a template for the
testing and validation of watermist system applications by qualified fire testing laboratories.
The Code of Practice does not cover watermist systems on ships, in aircraft, on vehicles and
mobile fire appliances or for below ground systems in the mining industry. It does not cover the
use of watermist for explosion protection.
-
Guidance
for Responsible Persons on False Alarm Management
of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
- This is a generic guideline, for the end user or ‘Responsible
Person’, to manage and ultimately reduce false alarms from a building’s
fire detection and alarm system - from the FIA.
-
Chief
Fire Officers Association Protocol for the
Reduction of False Alarms &
Unwanted Fire Signals - The
Aims Of This Protocol are to; Provide a uniform process for those parties
involved in managing the reduction of false alarms and UwFS, reduce the
number of false alarms generated by fire detection and AFAS, reduce the
numbers of UwFS sent to FRSs and provide the most appropriate response. -
from the FIA
-
Code
of Practice for Design, Installation, Commissioning & Maintenance of
Aspirating Smoke Detector (ASD) Systems - The Code of practice provides
recommendations for the planning, design, installation, commission and
maintenance of aspirating smoke detection systems. It identifies categories
of ASD systems and typical applications where such systems can be used. It
also provides specific design rules on common applications and guidance on
good practice.
-
Guidance
on Video Smoke Detection Technology (VSD) - This FIA Guidance Document
provides an overview of video smoke detection technology (VSD) based on the
analysis of video signals from CCTV cameras and gives some basic guidelines
as to its application in fire detection and alarm systems - from the FIA
-
Guidance
on the Pressure Relief and Post Discharge Venting of Enclosures Protected by
Gaseous Fire Fighting Systems - This document provides guidance on
fulfilling the requirements contained in BS EN15004-1 and BS 5306-4, in
respect to over and under pressurisation venting - clauses 7.4.1 and 10.3.3.
respectively and post discharge extract - clauses 5.3 h) and 15.9
respectively. It considers the design, selection and installation of vents
to safeguard the structural integrity of enclosures protected by fixed
gaseous fire fighting systems and the post discharge venting provisions
where used - from the FIA.
-
Application
Guidelines for Carbon Monoxide (CO) Fire Detectors - This FIA
Fact File provides guidelines for the use of fire detectors utilizing carbon
monoxide (CO) sensors based on electrochemical cell technology.
-
Application
Guidelines for Thermally Enhanced Carbon Monoxide (CO) Fire Detectors -
This FIA Fact File provides guidelines for the use of fire detectors
utilizing carbon monoxide (CO) sensors based on
electrochemical cell technology enhanced by one or more
thermal sensors. It covers detectors where the thermal sensor(s) may also
provide a response to fire independently. This Fact File does
not give guidelines for detectors which incorporate
additional or other sensing technologies. This Fact File does
not give guidelines for CO gas detectors for environmental monitoring or
toxic gas detection.
-
Guide
to (Point) Detector Cleanliness - Some excellent tips of how to clean
Fire Detectors - from the FIA
-
Smoke
Detection in High Spaces using Aspirating Smoke Detectors - Reliable
detection of smoke in high ceiling spaces has been considered a challenge
for many years and most Design and Installation Codes (including BS5839-1)
define limits on the ceiling height that may be protected by a particular
technology. Most practitioners default to using detection technologies –
such as Optical Beam Smoke Detectors (OBSD) or Aspirating Smoke Detectors (ASD)
– which derive their smoke measurement over an area – not at a single
location. Such "integrating" technologies are inherently more
sensitive to smoke that is diluted or distributed as it rises to higher
levels than point type detectors. BRE Global has recently completed a
research project jointly funded by the BRE Trust and the FIA to review the
recommendations provided for using OBSD and ASD in high ceiling spaces. The
results of this research are published in a BRE Information Paper but are
summarized in this Fact File along with news of how the results have
influenced changes to the FIA Code of Practice for ASD Systems - From the
Fire Industry Council.
-
Managing False
Alarms - For users of Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm Systems - This guide has been produced to advise and
give recommendations for all users of automatic fire detection and alarm systems ways in which
to avoid unwanted alarms, be they malicious, accidental or arising from neglect of a
system - From Chubb UK
-
Guide
to Reducing False
Alarms from Automatic Fire Detection
Systems - About 90% of automatic fire-detection
and fire-alarm systems do not cause regular false
alarms. However, the remaining 10% are involved in
most false alarms. Every false alarm
causes disruption. This may affect your customer
service, your productivity or the general routine of
your organisation The cost of false alarms in the UK
is estimated to be about £1 billion a year. If you
assessed the cost to your company, you would probably
be surprised. One medium-sized company found that the
average false alarm at one of their sites cost them
£1,200, and at another site costs amounted to around
£126,000 in one year alone. However false alarms
affect you, they could also be a risk to the lives of
others - From Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.
-
Visual
Alarm Devices - Visual alarm
devices are the strobes and beacons used as part of a fire detection and
fire alarm system that warns the deaf, hard-of-hearing and people working in
noisy conditions of a fire. EN 54-23:2010 is the standard to which all
visual alarm devices must be approved by March 2013, and the LPCB Code of
Practice (CoP 4001) provides recommendations on their effective use. Fire
alarm systems often include some form of visual element, such as a flashing
light, to reinforce the audible warning from a bell, siren or voice alarm.
But where building occupants include deaf or hard-of-hearing people or where
there are high levels of ambient noise, the visual element must be just as
effective as the audio warning in alerting people to danger. The
need for visual alarm devices (VADs) will be identified as part of a
business and building’s fire risk assessment and VADs that produce
sufficiently intense light to give an effective warning must be fitted. The
question is, what level of performance is required to ensure that a VAD
provides suitable warning? - from BRE and www.means-of-escape.com
-
About
Oil Mist Detection - How to overcome the problems associated with oil
mist measurement - - from Micropack.
-
Flare
Radiation -Not So Friendly Fire - Ian Davidson - Most hydrocarbon and
chemical process plants provide a relief flare or vent to assist in handling
process upsets. A typical relief flare operating at, say 0.1kg/sec under
normal conditions and 10kg/sec under relief conditions will provide flame
energies in the order of 2 MW and 100MW respectively. Where a cold vent
(rather than a flare) is provided, lightening strikes are surprisingly
common and there are many reported instances of an unintentional ’hot’
vent. In addition to the local relief flare, the
possibility of a system being activated by an adjacent unit’s or site’s
flare cannot be ignored. This latter case can result in a ‘domino’
effect that has provoked a number of unscheduled relief (and vent-snuffing!)
system tests over the years. Clearly the fires
associated with a flare are several orders of magnitude greater than the
target fire size and exhibit precisely the infrared radiation signature
required by an IR3 detector - from Micropack.
-
Laser Level Measurement - David W. Spitzer -
The basics, a short description - Part
1 and Part
2 - from appliedmc.com.
-
Demystifying
Non-contact Gauge Performance Statements
-David W. Spitzer - Currently,
there are at least 30 different methods for stating the performance of
noncontact gauges, making it nearly impossible for users to compare and
contrast level measurement devices against each other. Level
measurement systems perform a relatively basic function — they determine
the inventory of a contained material. But selecting a level measurement
instrument is far from simple, especially when one considers the wide
variety of performance statement methodologies users must decipher when
evaluating noncontact level gauges. While there are many level measurement
systems that can gauge the inventory of liquid in a vessel, the number of
viable solutions decreases significantly when the vessel is agitated and/or
operates at high temperatures. Further, foaming and the effects of filling
and emptying the vessel can result in added complication. Therefore, level
measurement applications require careful engineering, which demands that
users have a clear understanding of the actual meaning of different supplier
performance specifications - from Flow Control.
-
Non-Contact
Radar Level Measurement - David W. Spitzer - Some basic technical
information.
-
Enhanced
Performance of an Integrated Gas Chromatograph for Online Gas Analysis -
The physical properties of the gas, the composition of the gas during upset,
and the operation of the gas in hazardous locations can affect the
analytical method development and the hardware design. The gas chromatograph
must be compatible with the physical properties (e.g., the physical state)
of the sample. The sample must be introduced to the gas chromatograph as a
single phase. Since on-line gas chromatographs are installed at the pipeline
to analyse sample continuously, the system must be designed for fast
analyses and low maintenance - from Emerson
Process Management.
-
BTU
Analysis Using a Gas Chromatograph - This paper describes the basics of
how a BTU analyzer works. In a typical natural gas application the gas is
separated into eleven different components. Hexanes and heavier components
such as heptane, octane, and nonane are combined together to form a single
peak known as C6+. Because we separate up to these components, we call this
a C6+ application - from Emerson
Process Management.
-
Energy
Measurement using Ultrasonic Flow Measurement and Chromatography - Gas
volume and energy metering stations using gas chromatography and ultrasonic
metering are becoming a mainstream field operation and a new challenge to
metering personnel. They are easy to adapt to while adding a new dimension
of value to the field professional. Technicians will invariably be the link
to the success of any changing technology that would survive and thrive in
the real pipeline environment. Meter stations must be maintainable and
provable. The system and requirements will be examined from that perspective
- from Emerson
Process Management.
-
Optimizing
the Operation of Legacy Online Gas Chromatographs by Retrofitting
Controllers - Gas chromatographs (GCs) are frequently used in pipelines
for custody transfer measurement of the energy content in natural gas.
Accuracy is determined by calibration-gas quality and how well the
technician is able to diagnose and troubleshoot the operation of the GC over
long periods of time. A general trend in industry away from specialization
has made it difficult for technicians to reach a high competency level in
any one area. Chromatography is a difficult field to master on a part-time
basis. Advanced software tools are available to assist and train the
technician in how to look beyond the basic functions and fully optimize GC
operations. Training is enhanced and accuracy can be improved substantially
on legacy-model gas chromatographs. Properly utilized, the potential exists
to improve accuracy and extend equipment life - from Emerson
Process Management.
-
The
Integrity And Reliability Of On Line Process Analyzers is Crucially Related
To The Design Of The Supporting Sample Handling System - Ronald A.
Downie - Although a considerable amount of attention is normally given to
the selection of the most suitable type of analyzer to perform the desired
analytical task, a similar amount of attention is all too often not extended
to the sample conditioning system. This may be due to a lack of
understanding of the importance of this part of the complete system. A
well-designed, properly applied measuring system can do no better than give
a correct analysis of the sample being supplied to it. If the sample is not
representative of the process, there is nothing an analyzer can do to
correct the situation, and the analytical data can not be used for control
purposes. The results of poorly designed sample conditioning vary from the
analyzer not operating at all to an analyzer operating only with extremely
high maintenance requirements and/or giving erroneous or poor data - from
Teledyne Analytical Instruments.
-
Replacing
Aging Process Automation Systems - Finding the best option - Today, for
a variety of reasons, tremendous pressures are building that will require
plant managers to update their aging automation systems during the next
decade. Defining the need for and exploring alternative approaches to this
modernization of manufacturing systems is the subject of this report - from
Invensys
-
Redundancy
in EtherNet/IP systems - Alain Grenier - As with any Ethernet-based
industrial protocol, in EtherNet/IP, redundancy—the repetition or
duplication of messages to circumvent transmission errors—is required to
maintain maximum uptime while still enabling the system to deal with minor
outages and potential failures to the environment. Redundancy plays a
critical role in determining the reliability of the entire system, from the
very edge devices, through the network core, to the plant backbone - from
ISA.
-
Control
Loop Optimisation: Theory Versus Practice - Michael Brown - Virtually
all feedback control courses worldwide are presented theoretically. This is
understandable, feedback control theory was largely developed back in the
early 1900s by some of the world’s leading mathematicians, including Bode,
Nyquist and the father of PID, Nichols. However, mostly mathematicians do
not come from planet Earth but from the extraordinary planet Mathematica
where the denizens speak the strange language of Mathematics, extremely
difficult for ordinary mortals to understand. The result is that the vast
majority of control people arrive in a plant after graduating to find that
apart from a few very individuals, no one involved in practical control uses
any mathematics. This is because there are no practical mathematical models
of the process transfer functions that take real-world imperfections into
account. So, people cannot use the things they have learnt at school and
they resort to learning to ‘fly by the seat of their pants’ and follow
the path of PID ‘knob twiddling’ in the hope that this will solve the
control problems - from SA Instrumentation & Control.
-
Automatic
Shutdown Industry Example Systems & Methodology - David Ransome -
Covers the Safety Lifecycle, Hazard and Risk assessment, Safety Instrumented
Functions & Safety Requirements Specifications, Safety Integrity Levels,
Safety Instrumented Function, Design of Safety Instrumented System, Sensors,
Logic Solvers, Final Elements along with applications for Rail Tanker, Ship
Offloading, Pipeline Transfer and Jetty Transfer Systems, This presentation
is reasonably useful, it is a shame that it does not come with the audio as
well though - from eemua
-
HART
— the Premier Tool for Asset Management - Cut
downtime and improve profits with the tools you already have - Do more with
less. That’s the mantra of many industries today in North America or
anywhere else around the globe. Companies no longer have employees that
aren’t fully utilized—nobody has a couple of hours to grab a clipboard
and some test equipment and go out in the plant to check the condition of
field devices and final control elements. Besides, plants require hot work
permits, safety information, workarounds and other time-consumers, making it
highly unproductive to grab that clipboard and go. Companies around the
world have begun formal programs to use the diagnostic data in their
HART-smart instruments and control valve actuators and positioners by
directly connecting them to the asset management systems in the maintenance
department.
-
Bursting
Disc Technology - Some useful information from
Marston Technologies.
-
Getting
the Most Out of Your Rupture Disc - For Optimum
Rupture Disc Performance, Pay Attention to Installation, Operation and
Maintenance - Dean Miller - Rupture disc devices provide overpressure
protection for a variety of storage and process vessels and equipment. The
objective of the rupture disc is to maintain a leak tight seal and be a
passive bystander until called upon to relieve excess pressure. While this
is generally the case, there are times when rupture disc performance can be
adversely affected through various installation, operation and maintenance
practices. This article reviews some of these practices, real-life observed
consequences, and corrective or preventative measures that can improve
rupture disc performance - from Fike Corporation.
-
Remote
Emergency Shutdown Device Improves Safety and Performance at Oil Production
Platform
- Jim McConahay and Richard Conway -When Italian multinational oil and
gas company ENI Petroleum needed help designing a real-time communications
link to its Devil’s Tower oil well platform off the coast of Louisiana,
they turned to Moore Industries for help. By integrating our NCS NET
Concentrator System® into their communications system, ENI Petroleum has
developed a reliable method for dealing with potential emergency situations
that meets new federal regulations and reduces the possibility of false
shutdowns - from Moore Industries.
-
An
Introduction to Rupture Disc Technology - from BS&B
-
ASCO
Introduces Stainless Steel Pilot Valves for Offshore Applications
- The series’ unique design eliminates the dormancy or “sticking”
problems that can occur in control valves installed in the pneumatic logic
panels that control monitoring safety systems in offshore oil and gas
production facilities.
-
Fluid
Automation:The Unsung Contributor to Plant Economic Performance - A
Management Brief From ASCO Numatics - Wherever goods and materials are
manufactured, processed, or packaged, the process often depends on fluid
automation components. These include fluid control products such as solenoid
pilot valves, angle body piston valves, linear valve position indicators,
redundant control systems, and pressure sensors. They also comprise fluid power
products, which provide pneumatic and motion control. Examples: valve manifolds;
filters, regulators, lubricators (FRLs); actuators or cylinders; grippers;
slides; and gantries. New technologies and forward-thinking business
developments have made these offerings faster and more reliable than ever
before. Managers across the spectrum, from OEMs to end users, have begun to
appreciate how often these fluid automation components play quiet but critical
roles in total plant economic performance. Making even small changes in their
performance can change the whole rhythm of the operation. So you prevent losses
and drive gains throughout the business.
-
Current
Concerns How Some Supervisory and Leakage Currents Can Affect Today’s
Low-Power Solenoid Valves - Manny Arceo and Jack Haller -
As fluid automation users embrace the advantages of new devices that draw
unprecedentedly low levels of power, a few users are experiencing application
issues that don’t occur with older, higher-power-consumption equipment. These
issues center around supervisory and leakage currents generated by input/output
(I/O) control systems. Such currents can cause problems when interacting with
new low-power components such as solenoid valves and sensors. This paper will
review concerns that can arise when applying low-power and electronically
enhanced solenoid valves within certain control systems. It will outline the
limited set of cases where problems can exist, and explain how to identify such
cases. Finally, it will provide tips and suggestions for possible workarounds or
solutions that users might consider after consulting I/O system manufacturers or
their manuals.
-
The
Insider’s Guide To Applying Miniature Solenoid Valves -
Equipment designers frequently must incorporate miniature solenoid valves into
their pneumatic designs. These valves are important components of medical
devices and instrumentation as well as environmental, analytical, and similar
product applications. However, all too often, designers find themselves
frustrated. They face compromise after compromise. Pressure for increasingly
miniaturized devices complicates every step of the design and valve selection
process. And missteps can wreak havoc. How do designers balance the needs for
reliability, extended service life, and standards compliance against
often-contradictory performance requirements such as light weight, high flow,
and optimum power use? This report consolidates the expert views of designers
and manufacturers with wide experience applying miniature solenoid valves for
myriad uses across multiple industries. It presents a true insider’s guide to
which requirements are critical for common applications. It also highlights new
valve technologies that may lessen or eliminate those troubling compromises.
-
Taking
Safety Valve Testing to the Next Level - Juha Kivelä -
Today’s safety engineers face increasing challenges every day. Safety
requirements are becoming more and more demanding, while the global market
situation is simultaneously creating constant pressure to reduce costs. The
IEC61511 safety standard requirements state that industrial processing plants
must determine the Safety Integrity Level (SIL) for all the different areas of
the plant. Based on the area SIL classifications, the plants must then be able
to dispatch quantifiable proof of compliance with the requirements.
-
Bringing
Intelligence to On-Off valves and Simplifying On-Off Valve Instrumentation
- Juha Kivelä - Traditionally, on-off valves have been instrumented by at
least a separate solenoid valve and limit switches. Quite often the desired
functionality cannot be achieved by using only a solenoid valve and limit
switches, which means that additional pneumatic accessories are needed. For
example, if the process requires precise valve opening or closing stroke
times, these cannot be guaranteed by using only a solenoid valve; but there
is also a need for some extra accessories such as throttle valves.
-
Onshore
Condition Monitoring of Offshore Valve Assemblies - Niklas Lindfors and
Jarkko Räty - Especially in the offshore sector, there is strong emphasis
on minimizing the number of staff working in hazardous offshore
environments, without impacting on reliability. At the same time, it is
expected that the availability of production and the life cycle costs of
process equipment should be optimised. These requirements create the need to
improve the capability to analyse control-valve data from offshore
applications - to focus and plan service actions well in advance. In other
words, to enhance the utilization of existing technologies and increase the
use of specialist know-how in order to enable offshore personnel to carry
out the required tasks effectively, safely and with minimal labour and
disturbance to the process itself. (Go to page 4 to access this
information)
-
The
True Cost of UPS and Batteries - A Tutorial - This is a brief discussion
of the present day state of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) under
10kVA, the largest UPS market segment, and their battery technology. They
make up the bulk of the UPS units installed worldwide for business,
industrial, scientific, IT and home applications. Since the UPS market is
very large the UPS business has become very competitive, with a large number
of domestic and international UPS manufacturers to choose from.
Unfortunately, the selection is so large that consumers off all types, from
a scientific laboratory to automated production, are often mislead into
buying a UPS on price alone, without fully understanding what they are
buying or available options. For home users this is typically not a problem,
as they simply want to backup their home computer long enough to allow the
operating system to perform an orderly shutdown. For the other applications
referenced, users face a costly learning experience if they buy a UPS on
cost alone.
-
Mission
Possible - Analog-to-Digital Valve Upgrades - Sandro Esposito - A
transformation is underway in process control, as a wide variety of new
digital devices have been introduced in recent years, and a growing number
of facilities have installed them. The transition is still a work in
progress, however. Some process control facilities have simply been a bit
slower to adopt digital valve positioners, for example, as they seek to
become more comfortable with this unfamiliar technology. Others have made
the switch to digital devices, but have maintained an “analog mindset”
and use the digital positioners as they did their analog predecessors.
The status quo is maintained and technologies that could help plant
operators save time, money and frustration while potentially improving
product quality and enhancing safety, are either not adopted or are
underutilized. The first step in making the transition to digital valve
positioners is understanding how they can be easily and cost-effectively
implemented in a facility. This article will begin to bridge that gap by
reviewing the various technologies available and highlighting the steps that
should be taken to help ensure a successful transition. In addition, it will
explain how plant operators can achieve what many consider to be a “mission
impossible” – i.e., “hot cutover,” or switching to a digital valve
positioner while the process workflow continues uninterrupted - from Kentrol
and Flow Control.
-
Pilot
Operated Relief Valves - It is a common question asked amongst
process engineers on why use a pilot valve for a particular application ?
The following article answers this question and provide some insights into
the different types of pilot valves available on the market today and their
many features and benefits - thanks to ICEweb Sponsor Austral-Powerflo
Solutions.
-
Overcoming
Barriers to Wireless Adoption - Is wireless better or worse than a wired
network? The answer is no; it’s different. A plethora of wireless
technologies exist to suit a variety of users. Is it for every application?
No. But for many, wireless can be more flexible, versatile and cost
effective than wired networks. Yet, questions regarding security,
reliability and capacity of wireless continue to prevent conservative end
users from reaping its benefits. Can these be overcome? - from ProSoft.
-
Pump
Health Monitoring - Protecting Your Pumps, Production, and People - With
More Than 2⁄3 of Your Pumps Unmonitored, Which One Might Threaten
Production Today? - What if you had a cost effective, easy to apply
solution for monitoring these pumps 24/7? Being able to detect changes in
process variables and equipment condition are the keys to avoiding pump
damage, environmental incidents and negative business impact. But not all
pumps traditionally met the cost threshold for investing in these kinds of
monitoring systems. Now, thanks to Emerson’s Smart Wireless technologies
and integrated approach to equipment protection, the engineering requirement
and cost of applying predictive technologies is no longer an obstacle.
Without wires, trenching or complex engineering diagrams, having the
protection you need is now affordable for nearly all of your pumps.
-
Antenna
& Feedline Selection - This white paper gives the reader an
understanding of issues affecting the selection of antennas and feedline. It
describes the complete signal path from transmitter to receiver and includes
hardware specifications, required calculations and path-loss issues. Through
an improved understanding of the subject, the reader will more effectively
and confidently be able to design, install and maintain a reliable wireless
communication system - frpm Control Microsystems.
-
Optimizing
a Wireless Ethernet Radio Network - When deciding which wireless
Ethernet radios to buy, it’s tempting to focus on a few key specifications
– such as operating distance or data-throughput rate – provided on the
product datasheets. However, several factors contribute to overall network
performance for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) – and
some of those factors work against one another. The following discussion
helps separate perception from reality, detailing the difference between
specified over-the-air speeds and actual data throughput in a SCADA
application. Suggested steps for optimizing wireless Ethernet radio networks
are also presented, along with several real-world examples. Note: This paper
assumes the reader has basic knowledge of radio networks - from Schneider
Electric
-
Integrating
a Network of Wireless Sensors with Standard Control Systems - Nowadays,
wireless sensors are a viable solution for a broad spectrum of projects. The
first and main advantage of using wireless sensors is substantial savings in
installation costs of cables. Consider a simple warehouse environmental
monitoring system where multiple temperature and relative humidity points
are monitored. Using wireless nodes that include both types of sensors there
is no need to install cables in roofs, ducts or ceilings - from Process
Online.
-
Changing
Role of Wireless
- Ray Rogowski - When industrial wireless
technology emerged on the scene a few years ago, manufacturers typically
fell into one of three camps: early adopters who wasted no time immersing
themselves in the new networks, users who wanted to wait until the
technologies matured, and others who wanted nothing to do with the
advancements. Fast forward to today, and both the role of wireless within
plants, and the alignment of those respective camps have shifted
dramatically. For starters, wireless is no longer “new.” It’s here,
and it’s established – and the question isn’t “if” but, rather,
“how” day-to-day operations will be impacted - from Honeywell and
Automation.com.
- PFEER
regulations (1995) – for offshore installations for the Prevention of Fire
and Explosion and Emergency Response. They came into force 20th June
1995. They are law in the UK. In summary these regulations state the person
or company responsible for an installation is also responsible for
protecting persons on the installation from fire and explosion and securing
effective emergency response. This implies many requirements, one of them
being that a suitable means of informing people on the installation of
certain alarm states (with sounders and or speech / PA systems, beacons may
also be required to supplement the audible signals). There must be provision
for three types of alarm on the installation / platform,
- Prepare for evacuation of installation / platform
- Toxic gas - (also where necessary red beacon / strobe)
- Other cases for alarm (Fire) (also where necessary
yellow beacon / strobe)
From e2S
-
Sound
Pressure Level - Sound is defined as any pressure variation that can be
heard by the human ear. This means an average range of frequencies from 20Hz
to 20kHz.In terms of sound pressure level, audible sounds range from the
threshold of hearing at 0 dB to the threshold of pain which can be over 130
dB - from e2S.
-
Beacons
as used in Fire, Gas and Evacuation Alarm Systems - Covers Luminous
sources, Effectiveness & range, Siting of a beacon and IEC 73 - A visual
signal (also known as beacon, flash-alarm or strobe) is a luminous source
within a coloured transparent enclosure and is used in many applications not
least as a reinforcement to an audible signal in the event of danger,
warning or machine / system process - from e2S.
-
Audible
warning devices and Designing them Effectively in to Fire and Evacuation
Alarm Systems - All emergency systems contain audible and visual signals
to alert people of danger once a hazard has been detected.It is now accepted
that in most systems a form of electronic sounder is initiated via a control
panel in order to evacuate or alert people. Many countries have a national
‘evacuate tone’, i.e. Germany, France, Holland, Australia etc. The UK
does not. BS5839 Part 1 merely states that the evacuate tone should contain
frequencies within the range of 500Hz to 1000Hz. Fire alarm system designers
are in the main very comfortable with designing sounders into normal
environments such as offices, hotels etc. as they have a relatively low
ambient background noise, most areas are fairly small and may be covered
with a sounder(s) of approx. 100dB(A) at 1 metre or a 6” bell. The
locations of these sounders are usually based on experience of previous
systems or applications and common sense - from e2S.
-
Redundant
OPC Connections to your Triconex System - Triconex
Safety PLCs are known for their redundancy. Maintaining that level of
redundancy when connecting to the process control layer can be a challenge.
MatrikonOPC’s Server for Triconex enables you to maintain redundancy even
at the OPC level. Not only can the OPC Server for Triconex handle redundant
NCM connections, it is also the world’s only Achilles Certified OPC Server
(cyber-security tested by Wurldtech). The MatrikonOPC Server for
Triconex provides high-speed read and write access to the Triconex Tricon
and Trident. The server supports all available point types, full
communication redundancy and fail-over when a connection goes down. The
server can communicate via the new TCM (Triconex Communications Module), and
the NCM (Network Communications Module), with no DCOM issues.
-
Get
Connected to the Benefits of HART 7 - Suzanne Gill - Charles Larson was
quoted in the HARTline Newsletter in In this story discussing the benefits
of HART 7 it is highlighted that the introduction of HART 7 has “improved
the ability of additional data and diagnostic information from devices”
along with increasing “the awareness of users to the wealth of information
in HART devices that can be used in plant efficiency.” From our
valued sponsor Moore
Industries-Pacific, Inc.
-
When
SIL Suitability is Required for Final Control Elements- Riyaz Ali -
Final control elements (control valves or safety shut down valves) are the
key components of any closed loop control system, whether used for a basic
process control system (BPCS) or for a safety instrumented system (SIS).
Financial constraints derive different constructions of valves suitable for
throttling vs. on-off applications. However, due to past accidents,
reliability has become a key criterion for valve selection process. Many of
process industries based on their plant specific experience are tempted to
use control valves for safety shut down applications, specifically smaller
size valves, which may not be cost-prohibitive. This article provides
clarity on when to assign the SIL suitability for valves used in different
scenarios (process control vs. safety shut down) and establish criterion to
assign safety integrity level (SIL) applicability for “final element”.
******
-
Switching
to Wireless - Now you can detect level without incurring the cost and
complexity of laying cables, says Jonas Berge - A level switch can be used
in applications with liquids and slurries, including coating and aerated
liquids. Sensing is virtually unaffected by flow, turbulence, bubbles, foam,
vibration, solid particles, build-up, or fluid properties. Applications
include high and low level detection in liquid tanks as a backup to a
continuous level transmitter, activating a pump based on level, and starting
or stopping a mixer based on level around the blades. Now, new developments
in wireless communications are enabling an easy and cost-effective solution
for level monitoring without laying cable or associated risk of damaging the
existing installation, and enable configuration and troubleshooting from a
central location.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Invensys
Triconex ICEweb's Burner
Management page has been extensively upgraded with the addition of many
new technical papers - so if you need more information on SIS just go to
this page as a first "port of call"! Papers include:
- A new section on Burner Management System Standards.
- A new section on Burner Management Systems Definitions, Abbreviations and
Acronyms.
- SIL
Application in Burner Management Systems - A Case Study -Thermal Burner-
Jorge Sanchez - Boiler, furnaces and other burning equipments are considered
as high-risk areas within the Process Industry. This is due to extreme
operating conditions and processing of hazardous materials resulting in wide
safeguarding measures being applied to prevent accidents. One of the best
known and widely accepted technical solutions concerns the use of
safety-related systems implemented through PES technology. New risk-based
standards published in recent years control the design of these technical
solutions. They include technology-oriented requirements with their
‘adequate’ implementation and the ‘fit-to-purpose’ tailoring of the
equipment. However, to obtain functional safety this approach demands more
management, competency and planning than the prescriptive requirements of
original codes. This paper presents a case study about the identification of
safety functions. It includes lifecycle activities carried out to achieve
functional safety requirements and comply with the original approach for
Burner Management Systems - thanks to IDC
- Burner
Management – A Straightforward Approach for Typical Systems - David
Sheppard - This powerpoint presentation covers the Purpose of a BMS,
Why one should implement BMS in a SIS, State Transition Approach to BMS
Design and reviews an example Design of a typical BMS System - From Emerson
Process Management
- Selecting
Safety System Designs - Charles M. Fialkowski - It would be pretty easy
to understand how process facilities operate at many different levels of
risk depending on how and what they’re processing. In addition, there are
also many different methods for designing safety instrumented systems to
address this risk. Questions regarding which technology should be used –
hard-wired relay, pneumatic or programmable; what level of redundancy is
appropriate – single, dual or triple; and how often should the system be
tested – monthly, quarterly, yearly or once per shutdown – are being
asked by users and engineering firms alike. Debate continues as to how one
even makes these choices (past experience, qualitative judgment,
quantitative analysis, etc.) - from Seimens
- Flame
Safety - Christopher Filoon - Whether your plant has a heater, thermal
oxidiser, sulphur recovery unit, incinerator, cracking furnace, waste gas
boiler or any other type of combustor, one question remains: how well are
your investments protected? The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Standard 86 and similar international standards partially address this
concern by requiring flame scanning on burners and start-up burners for
combustors firing up to 1,400°F (760°C)1 to help protect plant equipment
and personnel. Flame scanners detect the presence or absence of a burner’s
flame in order to provide an input for a burner management system to
determine the state of the burner’s fuel valve – but how safe are the
flame scanners supervising the burner’s combustion? - from Coen Company,
Inc.
- Flame
Safety - Many Industries burn large qualtities of hydrocarbon fuels to
heat a wide range of materials. the most important consideration in the
operation of combustors is safety - from Coen Company, Inc.
- Safety
Controls and Burner Management Systems (BMS) on Direct-Fired Multiple Burner
Heaters - Safety controls on direct-fired heaters have continuously
evolved over the recent past, and the evolution has accelerated over the
last five years. This has been due to the introduction of government
legislation which actively enforces the application of existing codes.
Although some detailed and prescriptive guidelines have been around for many
years, the rate and degree of adoption varies significantly within the
industry. Most operating companies have their own “standard”, which may
still vary from facility to facility. In addition to this, for each
installation, it is not unusual for adjacent heaters built two years apart
to have a different BMS design, simply because different engineering
contractors built them. With increasing government legislation and
regulations as well as mounting lawsuits for accidents in which applicable
codes and guidelines have not been adhered to, it is important to review the
BMS requirements for both existing and new heater installations - from Born
Heaters Canada Ltd.
- Microprocessor
Based Burner Management Systems (BMS) - The National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) publishes national standards for safety systems. For
boiler burner management systems, the applicable standard is NFPA 85:
"Boiler and Combustion System Hazards Code". This document details
specific requirements for devices used in burner management system logic.
These requirements are addressed in this data sheet - from Micromod.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Invensys
Triconex ICEweb's Safety
Instrumented Systems page has been extensively upgraded with the
addition of many new technical papers - so if you need more information on
SIS just go to this page as a first "port of call"! Papers
include:
- A
Field-Proven Triple Modular Redundant (TMR) Digital System for Turbine
Control and Safety Application in Nuclear Power Plants - Naresh Desai -
The Triconex® Tricon™ is a Triple Modular Redundant (TMR) digital system
for turbine control and safety application in nuclear power plants (NPPs).
The steam turbine is a critical element in the continuous operation of NPPs.
When a turbine goes offline, the entire plant goes down. Poor reliability of
the existing obsolete control system is one of the major causes of turbine
trips. A single component failure can result in a turbine shutdown, causing
unscheduled plant outages that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per day
in maintenance costs and lost revenue. The Tricon is a high reliability and
high availability (99.99%) turbine control system with no single point of
failure. It provides an economical solution to the obsolescence, reliability
and availability problems, while improving the operational efficiency of
NPPs.
- Qualified
Safety Parameter Display System (QSPDS) in Nuclear Power Plants - Naresh
Desai - The Triconex® Tricon™ is a Triple Modular Redundant (TMR) digital
system for Qualified Safety Parameter Display System (QSPDS) applications in
nuclear power plants (NPPs). QSPDS is a safety related class 1E system that
must have high reliability and availability (99.99%). The system must
operate before, during and after a plant event (such as a loss of coolant
accident or a plant station blackout event). Poor reliability of an existing
QSPDS is one of the major maintenance issues of NPPs. The Tricon is a high
reliability and high availability (99.99%) digital system with no single
point of failure. It provides an economical solution to the obsolescence,
reliability and availability problems of NPPs, and improves the operational
efficiency of the NPP. The Tricon is certified by TÜV (a world recognized,
independent safety agency) at International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL) to be used for safety and critical control
applications in process control and other industries. The Tricon is also
certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to be used for safety
(1E) and critical control applications in NPPs.
- Safety
Considerations Guide - This guide provides information about
safety concepts and standards that apply to the version 2.x Triconex®
General Purpose System however there is some really useful information
contained in Chapters 1 and 2.
- Basic
Fundamentals Of Safety Instrumented Systems - This section
of a training course explains the basic concepts, definitions and commonly
used terms in Safety Instrumented Systems and provide a basic understanding
of SIS related concepts.
- Consistent
Consequence Severity Estimation - Angela Summers, PhD, PE William
Vogtmann and Steven Smolen - Most risk analysis methods rely on a
qualitative judgment of consequence severity, regardless of the analysis
rigor applied to the estimation of hazardous event frequency. Since the risk
analysis is dependent on the estimated frequency and consequence severity of
the hazardous event, the error associated with the consequence severity
estimate directly impacts the estimated risk and ultimately the risk
reduction requirements. Overstatement of the consequence severity creates
excessive risk reduction requirements. Understatement results in inadequate
risk reduction. Consistency in the Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) can
be substantially improved by implementing consequence estimation tools that
assist team members in understanding theflammability, explosivity, or
toxicity of process chemical releases. This paper provides justification for
developing semi-quantitative look-up tables to support the team assessment
of consequence severity. Just as the frequency and risk reduction tables
have greatly improved consistency in the estimate of the hazardous event
frequency, consequence severity tables can significantly increase confidence
in the severity estimate.
- The
Interrelationship of Risk Criteria and Conditional Modifiers - Angela E.
Summers, Ph.D. PE and William H. Hearn, PE - This paper begins with a brief
introduction to risk analysis concepts to provide a foundation for a
discussion of the typical analysis boundaries and associated risk criteria.
Then, it discusses how the analysis boundary and risk criteria affect the
consideration of protection layers, enabling conditions, and conditional
modifiers.
- Three
Important Factors in Evaluating your SIL Certified Device - William A.
Schwartz and Monica L. Hochleitner - A device’s Architectural Constraints
determine immediately which level of Redundancy (HFT) is appropriate for use
in a Safety Function with a given SIL requirement. The interpretation of a
device’s PFDavg is more complex. It does not determine the product’s
Safety Integrity Level (SIL). It determines the device’s contribution to
the PFDavg of the Safety Function. As such, the device’s PFDavg must be
considered together with the PFDavg’s of other devices with which it will
be used, to determine the SIL of the Safety Function. This article addresses
these two characteristics separately.
- A
Brief Discussion over Safety Costs in New Enterprises - Alejandro
Esparza and Monica Levy Hochleitner - The starting point of a new industrial
plant concerning the levels of reliability required to keep the process
under a defined tolerable risk is a challenge most contractors company face.
During the embryonic phases, in the bidding process and for budget purposes,
a pre-defined Safety Instrumented System (SIS) design must be provided to
the contractor, sometimes even before the process conceptual design is well
defined. The consequences of such situation, in which no risk analysis have
been considered, not only disregards the Safety Lifecycle template suggested
by the recent versions of the functional safety standards applied to the
process industry, IEC 61511 [1] and ANSI/ISA 84.01 [2] but also implies in
unpredictable outcomes. By means of actual examples, where the customers
names will be suppressed for confidentiality matters, this paper will
present and briefly discuss the pros and cons of some actual applications,
the achieved safety of the resulting design and the impact of investments
during implementation and operation phases of the enterprise.
- Accurate
Modeling of Shared Components in High Reliability Applications - This
paper addresses how to model and evaluate the Risk Reduction Factor (RRF) of
Safety Instrumented Systems when one or more of the components in the SIS
can cause the dangerous condition or hazard that the SIS is designed to
protect against
- Field
Failure Data – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly - This paper presents
some common field failure analysis techniques, shows some of the limitations
of the methods and describes important attributes of a good field failure
data collection system
- Functional
Safety in the Life Science Industries - David Hatch, Iwan van Beurden
and Eric W Scharpf - This article presents an overview of functional safety
within the life science industry based on international standards.
- Position
Paper on IEC61508 2010 - Definitions regarding minimum hardware fault
tolerance / Architectural Constraints.
- Setting
the Standard - How Process Plants can benefit through Proper and Careful
Adoption of the IEC 61511 Safety Standard - Dr Peter Clarke -
Process industry safety standard IEC 61511 and its parent, functional safety
standard IEC 61508, have been in existence for several years now, and have
enjoyed widespread acceptance as an effective method for managing high
levels of industrial risk. Despite this success, some may view these
standards as another complex, onerous burden imposed by regulators, with
little tangible benefit to the end user. However, as we will explore in this
article, the reality is far different.
- You
Asked: Alarm Management - Setting a new Standard for Performance,
Safety, and Reliability with ISA-18.2 - Alarm Management affects both the
bottom line and plant safety. A well functioning alarm system can help a
process run closer to its ideal operating point – leading to higher
yields, reduced production costs, increased throughput, and higher quality,
all of which add up to higher profi ts. Poor alarm management, on the other
hand, is one of the leading causes of unplanned downtime and has been a
major contributor to some of the worst industrial safety accidents on
record.
- Saved
by the Bell: Using Alarm Management to make Your Plant Safer - Recent
industrial accidents at Texas City, Buncefield (UK) and Institute, WV have
highlighted the connection between poor alarm management and process safety
incidents. At Texas City key level alarms failed to notify the operator of
the unsafe and abnormal conditions that existed within the tower and
blowdown drum. The resulting explosion and fire killed 15 people and injured
180 more. The tank overflow and resultant fire at the Buncefield Oil Depot
resulted in a £1 billion (1.6 billion USD) loss. It could have been
prevented if the tank’s high level safety switch, per design, had notified
the operator of the high level condition or had automatically shut off the
incoming flow. At the Bayer facility (Institute, WV) improper procedures,
worker fatigue, and lack of operator training on a new control system caused
the residue treater to be overcharged with Methomyl - leading to an
explosion and chemical release. Accidents like these demonstrate what can
happen when an alarm system and operator response fail as a layer of
protection in a hazardous process. They also provided the motivation for the
new ISA-18.2 standard "Management of Alarm Systems for the Process
Industries", which provides a framework for the successful design,
implementation, operation and management of alarm systems in a process
plant. It offers guidance on how alarm management can be used to help a
plant operate more safely. ISA-18.2 can also be used to bring together the
disciplines of alarm management and safety system design, which must work
more closely to prevent future accidents.
- Alarm
Management and ISA 18 - A Journey, not a Destination - Todd
Stauffer,Nicholas P. Sands and Donald G. Dunn - Poor alarm management is one
of the leading causes of unplanned downtime, contributing to over $20B in
lost production every year, and of major industrial incidents such as the
one in Texas City. Developing good alarm management practices is not a
discrete activity, but more of a continuous process (i.e., it is more of a
journey than a destination). This paper will describe the new ISA-18.2
standard -"Management of Alarm Systems for the Process
Industries"[1]. This standard provides a framework and methodology for
the successful design, implementation, operation and management of alarm
systems and will allow end-users to address one of the fundamental
conclusions of Bransby and Jenkinson that "Poor performance costs money
in lost production and plant damage and weakens a very important line of
defense against hazards to people." [3] Following a lifecycle model
will help users systematically address all phases of the journey to good
alarm management. This paper will provide an overview of the new standard
and the key activities that are contained in each step of the lifecycle.
- Get
a life(cycle)! Connecting Alarm Management and Safety Instrumented Systems -
Todd Stauffer, Nicholas P. Sands and Donald G. Dunn - Alarms and operator
response are one of the first layers of defense in preventing a plant upset
from escalating into an abnormal situation. The new ISA 18.2 standard [1] on
alarm management recommends following a lifecycle approach similar to the
existing ISA84/IEC 61511 standard on functional safety. This paper will
highlight where these lifecycles interact and overlap, as well as how to
address them holistically. Specific examples within ISA 18 will illustrate
where the output of one lifecycle is used as input to the other, such as
when alarms identified as a safeguards during a process hazards analysis (PHA)
are used as an input to alarm identification and rationalization. The paper
will also provide recommendations on how to integrate the safety and alarm
management lifecycles.
- The following links are from www.silsupport.com
(some excellent papers here!)
- Achieving
ALARP with Safety Instrumented Systems - C.R. Timms - This paper sets
out a methodology for setting tolerable risk levels, for various methods of
Safety Integrity Level (SIL) determination, to meet the principles as low as
reasonably practicable (ALARP). It makes proposals on how to deal with the
tolerable risk concept for safety instrumented systems (SIS) protecting
against single hazards.
- Alarm
Rationalisation - C.R. Timms - Anyone who has been involved in the
application of IEC 61508 (1) and the Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
determination for Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF) will appreciate the
amount of effort and tenacity that is required to undertake the task.
However, the SIL determination of Safety Instrumented Functions, or trip
functions as they are often called, is only the tip of an iceberg when we
come to consider what is involved in reviewing or configuring a typical
alarm system.
- Hazards
Equal Trips or Alarms or Both - C.R. Timms - This paper details
various methods of criticality assessment which have been successfully
applied to set the appropriate priority, identify the critical alarms that
need to be upgraded to trips and to rationalise those of no value. It will
also cover the use of software tools which can significantly reduce the
effort involved in this process.
- EC
61508 - Is it Pain or Gain? - C.R. Timms - IEC 61508 provides
designers and operators with the first generic internationally accepted
benchmark standard for determining the Safety Integrity Level (SIL), the
design requirements and test intervals for Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF).
It covers every aspect of the full lifecycle management requirements for
Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). Before the introduction of IEC 61508, the
most widely accepted standard was ANSI/ISA SP84.01, but it is most likely
that ISA SP84-01 will be superseded in 2003 by the publication of IEC 61511
which is the process sector specific version of IEC 61508. The IEC 61508
standard provides a lifecycle road map for any SIS, yet is widely regarded
as difficult to use and costly to implement. Numerous articles,
presentations and training courses have addressed details of the standard
but to date there has been little practical application advice available.
This situation is now changing; by utilising experienced practitioners and
appropriate software tools users of the standard can assure asset integrity
whilst reducing the capital costof new projects and the maintenance costs
for existing facilities.
- IEC
61511 - An aid to Control of Major Hazards Regulations (COMAH) and Safety
Case Regulations - C.R. Timms - It is accepted that the management of
safety, like most other business management, is now a risk based approach
and that is the basis of the SMS within COMAH and SCR. This is also the
approach of the IEC 61511 (Functional Safety: Safety Instrumented Systems
for the Process Industry Sector) standard and this paper will outline the
synergy between the two Regulations and IEC 61511.
- Live
Changeout of SIS - C.R. Timms - Replacement of SIS Logic Solvers Whilst
the Process Remains Operational - Clive Timms - With increasing global
demand for oil and gas driving prices higher and higher, the focus of oil
and gas producers is to maintain and maximise production from every
available facility. Older unreliable facilities are being upgraded and this
often includes the replacement of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) such as
emergency shutdown (ESD) systems, process shutdown (PSD) systems, Emergency
Depressurisation (EDP) systems and fire and gas (F&G) systems due to
obsolescence or reliability issues. Traditionally, the replacement of such
safety critical systems is undertaken during a plant shutdown opportunity to
ensure that process integrity was maintained and the replacement systems
could be fully commissioned and validated without the presence of the
process hazards. However, in this era of high oil and gas demand we are now
seeing more and more SIS replacement projects being undertaken whilst the
process is still fully operational, and this can lead to potential
compromises during commissioning and validation of functionality.
- Software
tools for SIS Lifecycle support - C.R. Timms - Since the publication of
IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 there has been a steady increase in the number of PC
based software tools developed to aid compliance. These come with a wide
range of both capability and price, but carefully selected tools are
considered the most appropriate way forward for ensuring lifecycle support
of safety instrumented systems (SIS). Software tools are not just the realm
of the design engineer, and this paper draws on experiences to demonstrate
the benefits that can be realised by SIS engineering practitioners and end
users. This paper also discusses configuration aids for programmable logic
controllers (PLC) but it does not cover PLC software or computer aided
design (CAD) software.
- More Links
- An
introduction to Functional Safety and IEC 61508 - This application note
is intended to provide a brief introduction to the IEC 61508 standard, and
to illustrate how it is applied - from MTL.
- Reliability
with Respect to Safety Instrumented Systems - Bonne Hoekstra - The term
Safety Instrumented System (SIS) has been introduced in the international
standard IEC 61511 and covers the equipment from sensors, logic solver and
final elements that is needed to realise the Safety Integrity Functions (SIF),
another IEC term. Reliability with respect to these systems is defined by
its ability to command an output to a safe state on a process demand and to
function within a required time span without causing a spurious action (e.g.
nuisance process trip). The first term has to do with safety integrity as
meant by IEC 61508; the second is often presented as process availability,
in short availability. The latter is not formally defined in international
standards. Systematic failures as well as the human factor are also
mentioned in this standard, however they will not be considered in this
context for the sake of clearness - from Yokogawa
- A
Map to the Latest Safety Standards - James R. Koelsch - Safety standards
and their terminology continue to multiply and evolve, generating a
confusing sea of letters and numerals that few can navigate. This guide
should help novices to chart a course - from Automation
World.
- Webcast:
Functional Safety - What It Is, Why It's Important, and How to Comply -
In this 1 hour presentation industry experts Kevin Connelly and Thomas Maier
from Underwriters Laboratories define functional safety, why it is
important, and the common functional safety standards you need to know. For
functional safety compliance, manufacturers must consider their systems as a
whole, and the environment with which they interact. A functional safety
assessment determines whether your systems meet the standards and
requirements created to protect against potential risks. You will have to
register to view this webcast.
- Note New Edition- PDS
Method Handbook 2010 Edition - Reliability
Prediction Method for Safety Instrumented Systems - The
“PDS Method Handbook” gives a description of the PDS method, including
the mathematical details. It has also been the objective to make it
comprehensible to the non-expert. The IEC-standards 61508
(”Functional safety of safety-related systems”) and IEC 61511
(Functional safety — Safety instrumented systems for the process industry
sector) provide useful information and guidance on safety requirements
regarding the use of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). In the latest "PDS
Method Handbook" the notation has been further updated in order to be
in line with the IEC standard. The objective has been to “keep the best of
the PDS method and at the same time to adapt the method to terms and
requirements in IEC”. New features of this 2010
Edition of the PDS Method Handbook include: A general review and up, Date of
the methodology and the formulas, including a more in depth discussion of
the assumptions underlying the formulas, An update of
the model for common cause failures (CCF) in multiple redundant systems,
A discussion on the use of the method for continuously (high
demand mode) operating systems, Some new and revised
terminology. An electronic version (in PDF-format) of
the first three chapters of the PDS Method Handbook can be viewed here.
- Personnel
Functional Safety Certification - Not All Programs Are Created Equal -
As production runs ever closer to equipment and facility operating limits
and new plants come on line in expanding and developing economies, the
pressure to design and operate systems more safely and economically is
increasing. A key to meeting this goal is having competent people who are
knowledgeable and experienced in applying the IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 / ISA
84 functional safety standards. To develop and measure an individual’s
safety engineering competence, several personnel functional safety
certification programs have been created. This paper
discusses why these programs are needed and the benefits they deliver to
individuals and companies alike. It will also review the characteristics and
differences of the various certification programs on the market today,
things to watch out for, and some important questions to ask when selecting
a certification program- from CFSE.
- ANSI/ISA-TR96.05.01,
Partial Stroke Testing of Automated Block Valves - 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.Use of this technical report involves familiarity with the operation of
automated block valves and with the quantitative analysis of its average
probability of failure on demand (PFDAVG).
Users of ANSI/ISA-TR96.05.01 will include:
- owner/operators who use automated block valves in
operating environments requiring partial stroke testing;
- designers who identify automated block valve
applications where it is apparent more frequent and stringent proof testing
is required;
- operations and maintenance personnel who need to understand the process
and results of partial stroke testing.
- Saved
by the Bell: Using Alarm Management to make Your Plant Safer - Recent
industrial accidents at Texas City, Buncefield (UK) and Institute, WV have
highlighted the connection between poor alarm management and process safety
incidents. At Texas City key level alarms failed to notify the operator of
the unsafe and abnormal conditions that existed within the tower and
blowdown drum. The resulting explosion and fire killed 15 people and injured
180 more. The tank overflow and resultant fire at the Buncefield Oil Depot
resulted in a £1 billion (1.6 billion USD) loss. It could have been
prevented if the tank’s high level safety switch, per design, had notified
the operator of the high level condition or had automatically shut off the
incoming flow. At the Bayer facility (Institute, WV) improper procedures,
worker fatigue, and lack of operator training on a new control system caused
the residue treater to be overcharged with Methomyl - leading to an
explosion and chemical release. Accidents like these demonstrate what can
happen when an alarm system and operator response fail as a layer of
protection in a hazardous process. They also provided the motivation for the
new ISA-18.2 standard "Management of Alarm Systems for the Process
Industries", which provides a framework for the successful design,
implementation, operation and management of alarm systems in a process
plant. It offers guidance on how alarm management can be used to help a
plant operate more safely. ISA-18.2 can also be used to bring together the
disciplines of alarm management and safety system design, which must work
more closely to prevent future accidents.
- Alarm
Management and ISA 18 - A Journey, not a Destination - Todd
Stauffer,Nicholas P. Sands and Donald G. Dunn - Poor alarm management is one
of the leading causes of unplanned downtime, contributing to over $20B in
lost production every year, and of major industrial incidents such as the
one in Texas City. Developing good alarm management practices is not a
discrete activity, but more of a continuous process (i.e., it is more of a
journey than a destination). This paper will describe the new ISA-18.2
standard -"Management of Alarm Systems for the Process
Industries"[1]. This standard provides a framework and methodology for
the successful design, implementation, operation and management of alarm
systems and will allow end-users to address one of the fundamental
conclusions of Bransby and Jenkinson that "Poor performance costs money
in lost production and plant damage and weakens a very important line of
defense against hazards to people." [3] Following a lifecycle model
will help users systematically address all phases of the journey to good
alarm management. This paper will provide an overview of the new standard
and the key activities that are contained in each step of the lifecycle.
- Get
a life(cycle)! Connecting Alarm Management and Safety Instrumented Systems -
Todd Stauffer, Nicholas P. Sands and Donald G. Dunn - Alarms and operator
response are one of the first layers of defense in preventing a plant upset
from escalating into an abnormal situation. The new ISA 18.2 standard [1] on
alarm management recommends following a lifecycle approach similar to the
existing ISA84/IEC 61511 standard on functional safety. This paper will
highlight where these lifecycles interact and overlap, as well as how to
address them holistically. Specific examples within ISA 18 will illustrate
where the output of one lifecycle is used as input to the other, such as
when alarms identified as a safeguards during a process hazards analysis (PHA)
are used as an input to alarm identification and rationalization. The paper
will also provide recommendations on how to integrate the safety and alarm
management lifecycles.
- Alarm
Rationalisation - C.R. Timms - Anyone who has been involved in the
application of IEC 61508 (1) and the Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
determination for Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF) will appreciate the
amount of effort and tenacity that is required to undertake the task.
However, the SIL determination of Safety Instrumented Functions, or trip
functions as they are often called, is only the tip of an iceberg when we
come to consider what is involved in reviewing or configuring a typical
alarm system.
-
Hazards
Equal Trips or Alarms or Both - C.R. Timms - This paper details
various methods of criticality assessment which have been successfully
applied to set the appropriate priority, identify the critical alarms that
need to be upgraded to trips and to rationalise those of no value. It will
also cover the use of software tools which can significantly reduce the
effort involved in this process.
-
Find
out what any Acronym, Abbreviation, or Initialism stands for. With more
than 1,000,000 human-edited definitions, Acronym Finder is the world's
largest and most comprehensive dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and
initialisms. Combined with the Acronym
Attic, Acronym Finder contains more than 5 million acronyms and
abbreviations.
-
Pipe
Flow Rate Calculation Calculate Pipe Pressure Drop - This excellent Pipe
flow calculation web site offers fluid flow calculators for pressure drop
calculation, pipe diameter calculation, control valves sizing, air flow
calculation, Venturi tube and orifice flow, Reynolds number calculation,
pressure drop in natural gas line, lpg pipe sizing calculator, Prandtl
probe, thermal energy calculator and more... - from Pipeflow Calculations.
-
E-learning
Course on HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study)
-A HAZOP study is a well known hazard analysis tool used for process
safety management and HSE risk assessment of plants and facilities.
However, there are very few training courses out there that teach the
HAZOP study technique thoroughly well, in a structured manner. Ditto for
books-many of them are outdated and not as relevant as they once were.
Hence Abhisam Software created this e-learning course, so that you need
not refer to boring, outdated and irrelevant books to learn HAZOP. What
you need is a practical, "why-we-do-it and how-to-do-it"
training course and this is it! This e-learning course covers HAZOP in
detail, that will make you a pro in hazard and risk analysis, HSE risk
assessment and related areas of process safety management. It has plenty
of graphics and interactive animations that make learning so much more
easier and fun! You can even download a free trial here!
- Thanks to our sponsor Abhisam
Software
-
Principles
of Odorization - Paul Minier - A discussion of odorant, odorizers, and
odorization - Monitoring is accomplished with on line analyzers, such
as, titrators, analyzers, and chromatographs. Each type of instrument gives
real-time information of total sulphur, or in some cases, individual
mercaptan component levels. Several manufacturers use electrochemical
sensors or cells while others use GC columns for detection or lead acetate
tape technology. Regardless of the manufacturer, your technician must be
trained on its calibration and operation. Although these instruments do not
meet the Title 49 192.625 for reporting, they can play an important part of
your total Odorization program. These instruments can give you real time
information at the central office and in some cases, correct the odorizer
levels before an incident occurs.
-
Diesel
Fuel Flow Measurement – Avoiding Common Pitfalls
- As the price of fuel increases and environmental regulations tighten, it
is more important than ever to measure the amount of fuel used by diesel
engines and standby power generation systems. However, accurate monitoring
of diesel fuel consumption presents a significant challenge for end users in
various industries. The following white paper addresses a number of common
pitfalls to help ensure the best flow measurement solution for diesel fuel
applications - from Flow Technology.
- Following are a number of technical articles on the new
Thermowell Design Standard ASME PTC 19.3 TW-2010, the correct design of
thermowells is very important especially in respect of stress failures -
this standard addresses this.
- New
Standard for Thermowell Design - ASME PTC 19.3 TW - 2010 - The long
awaited PTC 19.3 TW-2010 is a completely new standard that establishes the
practical design considerations for thermowell installations in power and
process piping. This code is an expanded version of the thermowell section
contained in the PTC 19.3-1974, and incorporates the latest theory in the
areas of natural frequency, Strouhal frequency, in-line resonance and stress
evaluation. ASME responded to changing industry demands for a more
comprehensive set of thermowell evaluations. Key enhancements over the 1974
edition include:
-
Expanded coverage for thermowell
geometry;
-
Natural frequency correction factors for
mounting compliance, added fluid mass, and sensor mass;
-
Consideration for partial shielding from
flow;
-
Intrinsic thermowell damping;
-
Steady state and dynamic stress
evaluations;
-
Improved allowable fatigue limit
definition
PTC 19.3 has been the standard used by piping
designers since it’s release and has been highly successful in the
industry. The new, expanded PTC 19.3 TW edition—developed by end
users and manufacturers—builds on decades of industry and research
data to make it the new worldwide authority for thermowell design
safety. Intended for piping designers, instrument engineers,
instrument designers and plant I/C engineers/designers, plant engineers,
plant safety engineers, process engineers, thermowell manufacturers,
instrument manufacturers, anyone who assembles thermowell bids or design
specifications, and regulatory agencies.
- Thermowell
Calculations - A white paper from Emerson Process Management - Dirk
Bauschke, David Wiklund. Andrew Dierker and Alex Cecchini -
Thermowells are essentially a circular cylinder installed like a cantilever
into the process piping. They allow a temperature sensor to be located
within a process flow while providing a process seal and protecting the
sensor from the process fluid. As a process fluid passes around the
thermowell, low pressure vortices are created on the downstream side in both
laminar and turbulent flow. The combination of stresses, generated by the
static in-line drag forces from fluid flow and the dynamic transverse lift
forces caused by the alternating vortex shedding, create the potential for
fatigue-induced mechanical failures of the thermowell. Until recently ASME
PTC 19.3-1974 has been the standard by which most thermowells are designed.
For the most part, though, ASME PTC 19.3-1974 was used successfully in both
steam and non-steam applications. Several key factors caused ASME to re-form
the committee in 1999 to completely rewrite the standard; advances in the
knowledge of thermowell behavior, a number of catastrophic failures (Monju
among them) and the increased use of Finite Element Analysis for stress modelling.
When combined, these factors caused many in the industry to move away from
the rudimentary methods and simplified tables laid out in ASME PTC 19.3-1974
in favor of more advanced methods for predicting the thermowell natural
frequency and calculating the forced frequency. Rather than simply update
the existing version of ASME PTC 19.3-1974, the committee decided to release
a new standard due to the significant changes associated with the effort.
The thermowell calculation portion of ASME PTC 19.3-1974 was 4 pages. By
comparison, the new standard, known as ASME PTC 19.3TW-2010 (“TW” for
thermowell), is over 40 pages due to the explanations of theory and the
sheer complexity of the process. By February 2010, ASME PTC 19.3TW-2010 was
approved through all applicable committees and it was finally released in
July 2010.
- Thermowell
Design Standard ASME PTC 19.3 TW-2010 - An explanatory video - from
Emerson Process Management
- Typical
Thermowell Calculations Report per ASME PTC 19.3TW-2010 - From
Emerson Process Management
- Velocity
Collars: No Longer Best Engineering Practice - A velocity collar is
a metal ring machined into the shank of a thermowell and installed tightly
in to the standoff of a pipe. Due to the nature of thermowell
vibration behavior, installation practices, and ASME’s position, Emerson
does not recommend velocity collars as a best practice for means of reducing
vibration-related failure. Emerson also feels that other installation
methods that attempt to reduce unsupported length in a similar fashion to
velocity collars, such as DIN Weld-in style thermowells, are not a best
practice.
-
There are some great engineering articles
contained in IDCs Steve Mackays "Little Red" book which is not so
little at 160 pages! There are some really useful tips to be found here.
This pdf is worth putting on your computer for reading on those long trips. You
can get it for free here.
-
A
Technical article on General Humidity - Humidity Definitions, Details on
Relative or Absolute Humidity, Practical Requirements of Humidy Measurement,
State of the Technology and functional principles - from Vereta
-
Travel Tools - The following travel tools are
from timeanddate.com
International
Dialing Codes - If you need to make a phone call to someone in another
country and you are not quite sure how to dial the number, then this service
should hopefully help you.
Distance
Calculator - This distance calculator can find distance between any two
cities or locations available in The World Clock.
The distance is calculated in kilometers, miles and nautical miles, and the
initial compass bearing/heading from the origin to the destination. It will
also display local time in each of the locations.
Travel Time
Calculator - Ever wonder what time it will be in New York when you
arrive in Hong Kong? Or how much longer your trip will be with a stop-over
in London? This service calculates the total traveling time for a round trip
or a multi-city trip (up to 8 cities) between cities or locations available
in our World Clock, as well as display the local
time for the selected cities, time zone information, and a map showing the
path of the journey.
-
Human
Factors - Planning and Designing a Control Room -
The emergence of new technologies, new ergonomic standards, and increased
public awareness of workplace health issues have combined to inspire a
dramatic shift in console design. Today’s control workstations are
smaller, more functional, and more aesthetically appealing than earlier
generations. The ergonomic approach to designing consoles into the layout of
a control room should contribute to achieving the performance objectives
established for the space in question, while ensuring that every aspect of
interaction between human, machine, and the environment - from raised
flooring to acoustical concerns, from indirect lighting to the overall
well-being, health, and safety of each operator - is taken into account -
from Winstead.
-
Power
Factor Correction & Energy Savings - Harmonics - a misunderstood
phenomenon - Jean-Guy Boudrias & Jeff Barnnard - Harmonics in electrical
distribution systems are created from a number of sources and produce
a variety of undesirable side effects, therefore it is important to
understand all solutions that are available. Phase shifting will be
reviewed as one concept for solving certain types of problems related to
power quality . Both theoretical concepts and a case study are presented -
from United Wire & Cables.
-
Decommissioning
Chemical Plants- A Proven Roadmap - The current economic and
socio-political environment has made product lifecycles of chemicals much
shorter. Also cost pressures, regulatory pressures, influence of non-state
actors and changing market geographies, mean that manufacturing plants
(examples are chemical process plants, Oil & Gas facilities, hydrocarbon
processing plants and similar) need to be shuffled around, shut down or
shifted at a much higher frequency than in earlier years. This article is a
primer on how company managements can handle this without getting
overwhelmed by the complexities of these projects. This can happen because
quite a few company managements may be very skilled and versatile when
setting up new plants, but may be inexperienced while doing the reverse - from
ICEweb sponsor Abhisam
Software.
-
Process
ESD Systems - This power point presentation is a
large 9.48 Mb download but contains some really useful information on ESD
systems and ESD Valves - from ICEweb sponsor Emerson
Process Management and Centralian Controls.
-
Embedded
Motor Condition Monitoring, Diagnostics - Embedded condition monitoring
and remote diagnostics prevent equipment failure, reduce energy consumption,
improve reliability - Only a very small percentage of critical motors and
motor loads in the U.S. actually are equipped with any sort of condition
monitoring. This lack of adoption largely stems from the costs and
complexity of conventional condition monitoring equipment. Industry-leading
solid-state, motor control technology provides customers with the ability to
monitor parameters, albeit not the exact same parameters, to gain a more
precise and real-time perspective on performance, far more simply
than traditional condition monitoring methods - from ISA and InTech.
-
ICEweb has added numerous papers and articles
to our Comprehensive
Data Logger page thanks to our valued sponsor HINCO.
Because the number of new links are too numerous to detail
here, you will need to go to the ICEweb
Data Logger page to access them.
-
Real-Time
Corrosion Monitoring - Integrating Corrosion Data with other Process
Variables - Russell Kane and Keith Briegel - Existing programs on the
control system can assess, identify key plant relationships - The
petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors spend $2.5 billion annually to
combat corrosion. Worldwide, the cost of corrosion in the process industries
appears to be about $50 billion per year and will probably climb higher over
the next five years. Many operators currently see corrosion on a
“straight-line basis” in terms of repair, maintenance, and replacement
during fixed interval turnaround inspections. New technology, however,
is available that assesses corrosion deterioration in real time using the
plant control and automation system. This makes linking corrosion to process
conditions more direct and immediate. It also allows the assessment of
corrosion in much shorter time intervals with the ability to control and
mitigate the rate of damage and more accurately factor in its true economic
impact on plant operations - from ISA and InTech.
-
Reducing
Ex Risk in Hospitals- When asked to name hazardous
or explosive areas, most people will mention the oil
and gas industry, mining and fuelling stations as obvious cases of high
explosion risks. There are many more. Sugar refineries, flour mills, grain
silos and the paper and textile sectors also belong in this category…as do
hospitals. IECEx complements
health-care certification programmes When asked to name hazardous or
explosive areas, most people will mention the oil and gas industry,
mining and fuelling stations as obvious cases of high explosion risks. There
are many more. Sugar refineries, flour mills, grain silos and the paper and
textile sectors also belong in this category…as do hospitals. High-risk
areas in hospitals include storage rooms that contain flammable gas tanks
and operating rooms and anterooms. Risks of fire and explosion are high in
these areas because flammable gases are in abundant supply due to
anaesthesia requirements. Operating rooms also have flammable materials that
can fuel a fire, such as drapes, sponges and packaging. The main ignition
sources are electrosurgical or laser equipment. Ignition of anaesthetic
vapours can occur as a result of a spark due to unsuspected static
electrification of the equipment. The use of oxygen, while a non-flammable
gas, is an accelerant in fires and at high pressure poses similar risks.
-
A
Beginner’s Guide to Measurement - This 30 page Beginner’s Guide from
the National Physical Laboratory explains the fundamental concepts and basic
facts about measurement, and in particular accurate measurement. It includes
brief accounts of the role of measurement in modern and historical societies
and explains the SI system, its base units and their relation to other
units. The various organisations involved in measurement are introduced and
their roles in linking all measurements to the SI base units through
traceability chains explained. It includes general guidance about practical
issues that affect the making of measurements, gives the meanings of key
measurement terms, and explains the significance of such fundamental
concepts as measurement traceability and calibration.
-
Webcast:
Functional Safety - What It Is, Why It's Important, and How to Comply -
In this 1 hour presentation industry experts Kevin Connelly and Thomas Maier
from Underwriters Laboratories define functional safety, why it is
important, and the common functional safety standards you need to know. For
functional safety compliance, manufacturers must consider their systems as a
whole, and the environment with which they interact. A functional safety
assessment determines whether your systems meet the standards and
requirements created to protect against potential risks. You will have to
register to view this webcast.
-
A
Map to the Latest Safety Standards - James R. Koelsch - Safety standards
and their terminology continue to multiply and evolve, generating a
confusing sea of letters and numerals that few can navigate. This guide
should help novices to chart a course - from Automation
World.
-
Troubleshooting
the Workhorse of Engineering Industry – the PLC - Steve Mackay -One of
the workhorses in industry – no matter whether you are in industrial
automation, electrical or mechanical engineering, you are likely to be
confronted with one of these little fellahs - a Programmable Logic
Controller or PLC (or indeed, Programmable Automation Controller – PAC).
A critical cheap building block for all automated systems. Effectively, an
industrially hardened digital electronic device in which a sequence of
instructions are stored, which enable the PLC to replace hard wired relay
logic and perform counting, sequencing and timing. As well, as reading
analog inputs (e.g. from a flow meter) and outputting analog output control
signals to valves and other control devices. A few tips on troubleshooting
these devices are detailed in this blog (yes – the veterans amongst you
will sigh, when you know your enormous depth of experience built up to do
this – as against my short note below). I have presumed in the suggestions
on troubleshooting, that your PLC has been operating correctly and there are
no recent program changes.
-
DART
Fieldbus: Intrinsic Safety Now Available without Power Limits - The New
DART System from Pepperl+Fuchs enables process users to take full advantage
of the benefits of fieldbus technology in intrinsic safety environments
. Pepperl+Fuchs have introduced the Dynamic Arc Recognition and
Termination (DART) technology for use in the popular FieldConnex Fieldbus
Infrastructure. DART Technology is a dynamic system that provides
dramatically higher power levels while maintaining intrinsically safe energy
levels.
-
Working
with Legacy Hardware: Tips and Tricks - Danny Budzinski - For a
DMC engineer it is not atypical to be faced with outdated, legacy
technology. Maybe a customer has come to us to upgrade a system that
an intern did in the 90's; maybe a company's engineers have built up a
system over the past decade and need help configuring or adding more pieces
to it; or maybe a factory has used a controller that was made when you were
in middle school and all of a sudden that controller breaks down and needs
to be replicated and replaced. Regardless of the situation, DMC engineers
need to be able to find the tools to connect to, read from, write to,
and add on to whatever equipment someone may have. Finding information on
old industrial hardware, unfortunately, isn't as easy as looking up
technical support on your new Dell computer. Chances are that if you
are looking at something really old, it will fall into 1 of the 4 oldest
manufacturers (in order with oldest first): Modicon, Allen Bradley,
General Electric, and Omron. All of these manufacturers are still
around today, in addition to many others, and make a wide array of products
from basic relays to PLC's and HMI's to other various controllers. It
is important to remember though that product lines can and have shifted
owners many times through acquisitions and takeovers. This means even
if something is labeled as a "Modicon" you might actually have
to go somewhere completely different to find the support you need.
-
A
Common Regulatory Framework for Equipment Used in Environments with an
Explosive Atmosphere - This is a publication that
helps address the hazards in environments with a high risk of explosion such
as mines, refineries, chemical plants and mills. The booklet can be used by
countries that lack regulation in this sector as a blueprint for their
legislation, and also for aligning existing national regulations with
internationally harmonized best practice.
-
Developing
Functional Safety Systems with TÜV-Qualified FPGAs - This white paper
discusses how market trends, the need for increased productivity, and new
legislation have accelerated the use of safety systems in industrial
machinery. This TÜV-qualified FPGA design methodology is changing the
paradigms of safety designs and will greatly reduce development effort,
system complexity, and time to market. This allows FPGA users to design
their own customized safety controllers and provides a significant
competitive advantage over traditional microcontroller or ASIC-based designs
- from Altera
-
pH
Measurement - A sample chapter from the title
Practical Analytical Instrumentation in On-Line Applications - This chapter
shows the need for pH measurement, Describes the properties of water,
Defines pH, Demonstrates the principle of both the measuring and reference
electrodes and their relationship to each other, Explains the Nernst
equation and its dependence on temperature, Lists the various sources of
error in the measurement of pH and shows how calibration is carried out -
Thanks to IDC
-
Thanks to our sponsor Zedflo
Australia ICEweb's Laser
Instrumentation page has been extensively upgraded. New links include;
- Space-Qualified
Lidar Systems for Robotic and Human Space Exploration
- Space
Laser Applications - Rendezvous and docking, Hazard avoidance and
precision landing, Planetary and small body mapping, Surface operations and
science
- Space
Laser Features - Autonomously dock a spacecraft with the International
Space Station, Measure the chemical composition and concentration of a
planetary atmosphere, Create 3D maps of asteroids and small moons, Safely
land on the Moon by avoiding unknown hazards such as rocks and slopes,
Measure the speed and rotation of other satellites and small bodies.
- Airborne Lasers
- ALTM
Technical Overview - Multipulse is a revolutionary approach to
overcoming altitude constraints as a function of the timing limit associated
with time-of-flight laser measurements. The timing limit refers to the time
it takes for a pulse of light to travel from the laser transmitter, to the
target, and back to the receiver. Traditionally, lidar sensors wait for the
transmitted pulse to return to the receiver before emitting the next pulse.
Consequently, the laser pulse rate directly limits the system operating
altitude. CMP™ technology enables two or more pulses to be emitted and
tracked, significantly increasing survey coverage rates, without the hassle
of planning around the data “blind zones” common to other multipulse
technologies.
- Airborne
Laser Applications - Includes Wide Area Mapping, Corridor Mapping, Urban
Mapping and Vegetative Mapping
- Corridor
Mapping and Power Line Asset Management - Electric utility companies
continually face the challenge of providing an adequate energy supply to
markets with ever-growing demands. To keep up with these demands, utility
companies have to plan new power lines (transmission and distribution) and
maintain existing power line corridors. Both efforts require comprehensive
surveying based on accurate georeferenced measurements.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Zedflo
Australia ICEweb's Ultrasonic
Flowmetering page has been extensively upgraded. New links include;
- Controlotron
Non-Intrusive Ultrasonic Flowmeters - Controlotron products share many
common technological advances. They use Controlotron’s exclusive WideBeam®
Transducers, which……
(a) Ensure accurate flow measurement regardless of the liquid type or
temperature.
(b) Enable operation with up to 50% aeration, and indicate its presence.Are
resistant to Aberrated Flow Profile and Crossflow errors.
(c)Provide continuous Automatic Zero Adjustment to prevent Zero Drift.
(d) Are fully maintainable without need to open pipeline or stop flow.
(e) Provide sonic identification of product type and quality.
(f) Provide all conventional digital and analog data outputs.
- Leak
Detection & Pipeline Management Solutions - SCADA based leak
detection systems depend on data from existing Turbine or PD Flowmeters, and
pressure and temperature instruments originally installed by others. These
instruments were not originally specified to provide the extraordinarily
high accuracy and calibration stability needed for leak detection.
Therefore, system performance cannot be assured by the SCADA system
supplier. No single party can be held responsible for SCADA based leak
detection system performance. All elements of the LD system are provided by
Controlotron to assure the specified leak detection accuracy. Controlotron
takes responsibility for system installation, start-up, optimization and
maintenance. In addition, the LD system’s compensated volume balance
principle provides continuous leak detection, not the “one shot” leak
detection provided by pressure based SCADA systems.
- Clamp-On
Ultrasonic Meter Applications - William E. Frasier -
I have applied the Siemens clamp-on meter in many configurations in the
field and will describe purposes and findings on the way to precise meter
certainty. The clamp-on system provides an effective new tool for insight
into the flowing regime within a pipe - from the American School of Gas
Measurement Technology.
- Fundamental
Principles of Clamp-on Ultrasonic Flow Meters - Overview of selection,
Installation, Operation and maintenance of clamp-on meters - William E.
Frasier Jr - This paper is aimed at ultrasonic natural gas meters that
use transit time across the gas pipe as the measurement variable. Custody
transfer meters using sensors wetted with gas are the more familiar meter
format. Clamp-on meters are quite similar - from the American School of Gas
Measurement Technology
- Clamp-on
Ultrasonic Flowmeter Improvements - Ultrasonic flow measurement
technology offers a low-cost method to measure flow. The advantage of
clamp-on ultrasonic flow sensors is installation without stopping a process
to put a hole in a pipe to insert a conventional sensor. From InTech and the
ISA.
- A
Clamp-On Ultrasonic Flowmeter for Gases - Michael J. Scelzo - Despite
the industrial success of clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters for liquid
measurement, it has long been accepted as if it were a fundamental limit
imposed by nature, that this technology could not be used to measure the
flow of gases in metal pipes. The incorrect conclusion, that clamp-on gas
flow metering is impossible, developed because the acoustic impedance of
gases, even at pressure, is much less than the acoustic impedance of metals
- from GE Measurement & Control Systems.
- Full
Steam Ahead - Clamp-on Flow Measurement no Longer just for Liquids -
Daryl Belock - When plant engineers look for a non-intrusive flow
measurement solution, clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters are typically the first
technology considered. Users traditionally have considered clamp-on
technology only for liquid applications. For years flowmeter manufacturers
have been asked,“Do you have a clamp-on solution for steam?” Until
recently the answer has been no, but new technology now makes clamp-on steam
flow measurement a reality for many common types of steam flows - from GE
Measurement & Control Systems.
- Water
System Standardises on Clamp-On Ultrasonic Flowmeters - Daryl Belock
& Phil McDonald - from GE Measurement & Control Systems.
- The following papers are from the American School of Gas Measurement
Technology
Fundamentals
of Multipath Ultrasonic Flow Meters for Gas Measurement - Eric
Thompson - This paper outlines the operating principles and application of
ultrasonic gas flow metering for custody transfer. Basic principles and
underlying equations are discussed, as are considerations for applying
ultrasonic flow meter technology to station design, installation, and
operation - from the American School of Gas Measurement Technology.
Ultrasonic
Meter Flow Calibrations - Considerations and Benefits - Joel Clancy -
The primary method for custody transfer measurement has traditionally been
orifice metering. While this method has been a good form of measurement,
technology has driven the demand for a new, more effective form of fiscal
measurement. Ultrasonic flowmeters have gained popularity in recent years
and have become the standard for large volume custody transfer applications
for a variety of reasons - - from the American School of Gas Measurement
Technology.
Ultrasonic
Gas Flow Meters For Custody Transfer Measurement - Jim Micklos - This
paper outlines the operating principals and application of ultrasonic gas
flow metering for custody transfer. Basic principles and underlying
equations are discussed, as are considerations for applying ultrasonic flow
meter technology to station design, installation, and operation.
Ultrasonic
Flow Meter Calibration Considerations And Benefits
- Wayne Haner - The increased use of natural gas as the primary source of
energy internationally, combined with the increased market price is driving
the expansion and modernization of gas transportation infrastructure and is
encouraging more accurate measurements of gas flows. To ensure the fair
transaction at custody transfer locations, gas pipeline companies are
demanding credibility and excellence of meter calibration as a main
parameter in ensuring accountability for the gas invoiced.
- How
much Do You Flare? - How to Measure Flare Flow Rates Reliably and Accurately
- Ultrasonic Flowmeters help compliance with Environmental Emission
Requirements, reduce Leaks and Understand their Process Losses - from
GE Measurement & Control Systems.
- The following papers are from the American School of Gas Measurement
Technology;
Principles
Of Operation For Ultrasonic Gas Flow Meters - John Lansing - This paper
discusses fundamental issues relative to ultrasonic gas flow meters used for
measurement of natural gas. A basic review of an ultrasonic meter’s
operation is presented to understand the typical operation of today’s
Ultrasonic Gas Flow Meter (USM). The USM’s diagnostic data, in conjunction
with gas composition, pressure and temperature, will be reviewed to show how
this technology provides diagnostic benefits beyond that of other primary
measurement devices. The basic requirements for obtaining good meter
performance, when installed in the field, will be discussed with test
results. Finally, recommendations for installation will be provided,
including an example of a good piping design.
Ultrasonic
Meters for Residential and Commercial Applications - Paul Honchar - An
ultrasonic meter falls into the classification of inferential meters. Unlike
positive displacement meters that capture volume to totalize volume,
inferential meters measure flowing gas velocity to totalize volume. Orifice
meters use pressure drop to measure velocity to infer volume and turbine
meters use the speed of the rotor to measure velocity to infer volume, while
ultrasonic meters use sound waves to measure flowing gas velocity to infer
volume. Ultrasonic meters have been around for many years in primarily
liquid measurement. However, their application in the measurement of natural
gas is relatively new, and has become more commercialized over the last
decade - from the American School of Gas Measurement Technology.
Continuous
Monitoring of Ultrasonic Meters - Randy Miller - Utilizing electronic
flow computers and SCADA systems to collect and analyze ultrasonic meter
data can provide many benefits for a Natural Gas Pipeline Company. The
Natural Gas Pipeline industry has seen tremendous changes in the past 20
years including a smaller multi skilled workforce. In fact, a Measurement
Technician on a facility may be responsible for a wide range of tasks and
skills necessary for operating and maintaining a pipeline. Much of their
measurement work is performed with less frequency, and on more complex
equipment than ever before. Gaining the proficiency needed to recognise and
troubleshoot ultrasonic meter problems, let alone subtle changes that can
provide an eye into potential measurement inaccuracies, requires time and
experience to learn. By bringing the meters diagnostic data in via SCADA, we
can provide alarms and trending capabilities that are not dependent on the
frequency at which a Technician can visit a measurement facility. It is also
not dependent on whether a Technician has necessary expertise to recognise
potential meter problems - from the American School of Gas Measurement
Technology.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Zedflo
Australia ICEweb's Test
and Calibration Instruments page has been extensively upgraded. New
links include;
- “How
to” Choose the Right batteries for your Calibrator - Most of our
calibrators are designed to use standard replaceable Alkaline batteries. You
know, the ones you can buy at the corner store. That’s a good choice
because of the relatively high power density and mostly flat discharge curve
of these cells. They start out with a high terminal voltage (1.5 V or
more). A really strong point for these batteries is the long shelf life. If
you don’t use your calibrator much, that would be a good reason to use
Alkalines. New ones typically have a shelf life of 3 years or more.
- Is
It a Calibrator? - People actually in the calibration industry often
hear things being called calibrators that obviously aren’t. The defining
points for a calibrator are detailed here.
- Guide To Low Resistance Testing
- Understanding and Measuring Low Resistance to Ensure Electrical System
Performance - The purpose of this booklet is to help the engineer,
technician or operator to understand the rationale behind low resistance,
how to make a low resistance, how to select the proper instrument for the
testing application and how to interpret and use the results - from Megger
and Tech Rentals
- Getting
Down to Earth - A Practical Guide to Earth Resistance Testing - Earth
resistance is measured in two ways for two important fields of use:
- Determining effectiveness of “ground” grids and connections that are
used with electrical systems to protect personnel and equipment.
- Prospecting for good (low resistance) “ground” locations, or obtaining
measured resistance values that can give specific information about what
lies some distance below the earth’s surface (such as depth to bed rock).
It is not the intent of this manual to go too deeply into the theory and
mathematics of the subject. As noted in the references at the end, there are
many excellent books and papers that cover these. Rather, the information
herein is in simple language for easy understanding by the user in industry
- from Megger and Weschler Instruments
-
The
Isotech Journal of Thermometry - This brilliant five part journal is an
excellent collection of technical articles dedicated specifically to thermometry.
It includes articles related to temperature scales, different methods to
realize them and practicle techniques used to calibrate interpolation
devices such as SPRTs, IPRTs, Thermocouples, Thermistors and Pyrometers. It
includes;.
Welcome
to the Isotech Journal Of thermometry - Fundamentals of Thermometry, Part 1:
Temperature Scales - Practical Calibration of Thermometers on the ITS-90 -
Platinum Resistance Thermometers as Interpolation Standards for the ITS-90
Fundamentals
of Thermometry, Part 2: Fixed Points - Standard Platinum Resistance
Thermometer calibrations on the ITS-90, How to specify & order -
International Equivalence of thermometer calibration, testing &
certification - Improvements in Metrological Apparatus - Evaluation of the
Gallium melting Point by a two cell comparison - An MS-DOS computer program
for the interpolation of ITS-90
Fundamentals
of Thermometry, Part 3: Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers - The
Platinum Resistance Thermometers of C.H. Meyers (Historic
Reprint) - Coiled Filament Platinum Resistance Thermometers - Open
Cell, Sealed Cells, & Slim Cells - The Heat Pipe and its use in
Thermometer Calibration - Isothermal Heat Pipes and Press Controlled
Furnaces
Fundamentals
of Thermometry, Part 4: Standard Thermometers, Bridges &
Measurements - Cost of Calibration to ITS-90 at various institutions -
Uncertainties in Temperature Measurement - The Gallium Watchdog (in quality
assurance of measurement) - New Developments & Discoveries - High
Temperature Platinum Resistance Thermometers - Review: About Words -
available metrology vocabularies
Fundamentals
of Thermometry, Part 5: Industrial Platinum Resistance Thermometers -
Common Errors in Industrial Temperature Measurement - I Blame the
Mother-in-law (Evolution of a Fluid Bed Calibration Bath) - The Water Triple
Point and Gallium Point in Secondary Laboratories in Germany - Comparison
Calibration at the Boiling Point of Nitrogen or Argon - A Caution from Phil
Metz - News of a new Metrology Society (Slovak Metrological Society) -
Melting Point and Triple Point Measurements of Gallium on the IPTS-68 (Historic
Reprint)
-
Five
Critical Factors for Selecting Fieldbus Valve Manifolds - Enrico De
Carolis - In today’s highly automated machines, fieldbus valve
manifolds are replacing conventional hardwired solutions. They more easily
perform vital functions by integrating communication interfaces to pneumatic
valve manifolds with input/output (I/O) capabilities. This allows
programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to more efficiently turn valves on and
off and to channel I/O data from sensors, lights, relays, individual valves,
or other I/O devices via various industrial networks. The resulting
integrated control packages can also be optimized to allow diagnostic
benefits not previously available. This paper presents controls
engineers, specifiers, and buyers with new insights into five crucial
factors they must consider before selecting pneumatic fieldbus valve
manifolds — commissioning, distribution, modularity, diagnostics, and
recovery — while also outlining some shortcomings of conventional
approaches. Finally, it highlights new designs that offer substantial
improvements in the application, performance, and maintenance of these valve
manifolds from the end users’ and OEMs’ points of view - from Numatics,
Inc.
-
Copper
Tube Bending - A video of how to bend copper tube.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Prochem
Pipeline Products and Circor
Instrumentation Technologies our Instrument
Fittings page has been extensively updated with new links, these
include;
- Video
1 of Assembly and Verification Process of PYPLOK fittings
- Video
2 of Assembly and Verification Process of PYPLOK fittings
- Video
- PYPLOK fittings installed in a BOP (Blowout preventer) installed in the
Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 2.400 m
- Video
- PYPLOK fittings - Assembly Using a Hose Crimper - Pyplok
fittings can be also crimped with a hose crimper, allowing companies the use
of the fittings without having to buy a portable unit. The time and cost
savings compared to welding, cutting ring or flaring are huge.
- Video
- PYPLOK fittings for Water Mist Piping - PYPLOK fittings are the
perfect choice for high pressure water mist piping systems. They are very
fast to install, more economical than classical systems and totally
reliable.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Austral-Powerflo
Solutions ICEweb's Specialist
Power Plant Valve page has been completely reworked and the following
links have been added;
- Forget
Your Problems - This Power Technology Bulletin describes the advantages
of the Hora Solution and how problems can be solved by these specialist
Power Plant Valves.
- Power
Plant Valve Applications.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Austral-Powerflo
Solutions ICEweb's Composite
Valve page has been completely reworked and the following links have
been added;
- Composite
Valves can Solve your Internal and External Corrosion Problems - Valves
are exposed to corrosive environments both internally (media) and externally
(ambient conditions). Since either source of attack can ruin a metal valve
or a plastic valve, such as PVC,
each deserves serious attention.
- Nil-Cor®
Valve Seminar - Wiliam Simendinger - This comprehensive composite valve
seminar whilst being a huge download at over 20 Megs is well worth taking a
look at, it covers the Basics about Composites, Composite Processing
Methods, Composite Valve Design and Advantages, Composite Valve Applications
and More.
- Typical
Composite Control Ball Valve Specification
- Typical
Composite Ceramic - Lined Ball Valve Specification
- Typical
Composite Butterfly Control Valve Specification
- Fiberglass
Ideal For Dry Deluge System Applications - Around 1982, offshore
platforms began using dry deluge systems, where the ring main is kept full
of seawater but the downstream piping is dry. The dry piping is separated
from the ring main by deluge valves, which automatically open and distribute
water through the dry pipe to spray nozzles during a fire. This practice
saves weight and minimizes corrosion-induced that the deluge piping is
typically routed to avoid hazardous areas on the platform means that
conductivity is not a requirement, but fire resistance is essential.
- Composites
World - Composites World is a useful website which is focused on
composites.
-
Thanks to our sponsor Austral-Powerflo
Solutions ICEweb's Level
page has been completely reworked and the following links have been
added
- Comprehensive Interactive
List of Level Solutions by Industry.
- Selecting
the Right Magnetic Level Indicator - Companies in the process
industry need the ability to visually monitor liquid levels in vessels
(boilers, storage tanks, processing units, etc.). Traditionally, armored
glass sight gauges have been used. However, many companies want an
alternative to sight gauges to avoid problems such as breakage, leaks, or
bursting at high pressures and extreme temperatures. In addition, the
visibility of the sight glass can be poor and often affected by moisture,
corrosion, or oxidation.Magnetic level indicators (MLIs) do not have the
shortcomings of glass sight gauges and are suitable for a wide variety of
installations.
- Guided
Wave Radar vs. Differential Pressure Transmitters for Liquid Level
Measurement - Over the years, however, newer level measurement devices
have emerged and are consistently capturing market share from older
technologies which utilize mechanical and pressure-based
measurement-including DP transmitters. Technologies such as Non-Contact
Radar, RF Capacitance, Ultrasonic, Magnetostrictive, and GuidedWave Radar
employ the latest microprocessor-based digital electronics. By incorporating
internal diagnostics, these devices have improved the control, analysis,
communication, and overall reliability of fluid level management systems -
from www.controlglobal.com
- Technical
Handbook from Magnetrol - This comprehensive publication provides
important conversions, chemical properties, equivalents and pipe data -
thanks to ISA.
- The
Boiler Drum Level Measurement Guide - Engineers must be ever vigilant to
insure the integrity of the equipment and designs they employ when dealing
with critical process applications. Some processes have been studied
quite thoroughly and necessary control requirements are already well
defined. Hundreds of thousands of boilers have been placed in service and
the elements needed for proper drum level measurement are well understood.
Years of experience have gone into determining satisfactory designs.
Unfortunately, a failure to compile and distribute this information has
resulted in many engineers going “back to the drawing board” for every
new project. Isn’t this wealth of experience available somewhere. New
products and methods are being constantly introduced. But how do these new
products combine with existing equipment? Are there regulations which these
new methods must meet? Is this really a new product, or a research
experiment? This excellent 28 page guide is intended to help in the
engineering effort. A sampling of “Tried and True” designs enhanced with
the latest developments in equipment and methodology are presented.
Hopefully it will provide safer operation of the boiler, save time for the
design engineer, and simplify the selection of components that are required
to efficiently and safely monitor and control the boiler drum level -
Thanks to The Clark-Reliance Corporation.
- Boiler
Drum Level Measurement - The primary function of a utility boiler is to
convert water into steam which is used to turn a steam turbine thus,
generating electricity. A steam/water interface exists within the boiler
drum. An objective for safe and efficient boiler operation is to maintain a
constant level in the boiler drum. This can be accomplished by maintaining a
balance between the amounts of steam leaving and water entering the boiler
drum. Unfortunately, boiler drum level control is complicated by changes in
electrical load requirements or variations in the fuel and air supply - from
Yokogawa.
- Boiler
Drum Level Control - Drum level control is critical to good boiler
operation, as well as safe boiler operation - Jerry Gilman -The drum level
must be controlled to the limits specified by the boiler manufacturer. If
the drum level does not stay within these limits, there may be water
carryover. If the level exceeds the limits, boiler water carryover into the
superheater or the turbine may cause damage resulting in extensive
maintenance costs or outages of either the turbine or the boiler. If the
level is low, overheating of the water wall tubes may cause tube ruptures
and serious accidents, resulting in expensive repairs, downtime, and injury
or death to personnel. A rupture or crack most commonly occurs where the
tubes connect to the drum. Damage may be a result of numerous or repeated
low drum level conditions where the water level is below the tube entry into
the drum - from ISA and InTech.
- Boiler
Drum Level Measurement and Control - David C. Farthing - Improved
efficiency can have many connotations everything from fuel savings, improved
equipment operation and useful life span, to labour and manpower savings.
This paper will focus on the effects of boiler drum level and feedwater
control as a means of energy savings by thermal/mass balancing the boiler.
This paper will also discuss the effects of steam drum pressure and
feedwater temperature on the overall efficiency of the boiler - from Federal
Corporation.
- Cascade,
Feed Forward and Boiler Level Control - Allen D. Houtz - One
common application of cascade control combined with feed forward control is
in level control systems for boiler steam drums. The control strategies now
used in modern industrial boiler systems had their beginnings on shipboard
steam propulsion boilers. When boilers operated at low pressure, it was
reasonably inexpensive to make the steam drum large. In a large drum, liquid
level moves relatively slowly in response to disturbances (it has a long
time constant). Therefore, manual or automatic adjustment of the feedwater
valve in response to liquid level variations was an effective control
strategy. However as boiler operating pressures have increased over the
years, the cost of building and installing large steam drums forced the
reduction of the drum size for a given steam production capacity. The
consequence of smaller drum size is an attendant reduction in process time
constants, or the speed with which important process variables can change.
Smaller time constants mean upsets must be addressed more quickly, and this
has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated control strategies
- from the controlguru
- Bubble-Tube
Level System - In a Bubble-Tube Liquid Level System, the level is
measured in a vented vessel by measuring the pressure required to force a
gas into the liquid at a point beneath the surface. This method allows for
level measurement without liquid entering the piping or the instrument. A
pressure regulator and constant-flow regulator combine to establish a
consistent flow of clean air or gas to a bubble pipe immersed a fixed
distance in the tank. The flow is regulated to a very low level, building up
pressure in the end of the bubble pipe. Thereafter, pressure is kept at this
value by the escape of air bubbles through the liquid. Changes in the
measured level cause the gas pressure to build or drop - from ControlAir Inc
-
V-Cone
Installation Guide #1 - Upstream and Downstream
Minimum Straight Pipe Run Requirements for Liquid Metering and Gases at a
Reynolds Number (Re) Value Less Than or Equal To 200,000
-
Proven
Flow Measurement Solutions for the Oil and Gas Industry - The V-Cone®
flow meter is an advanced technology that takes differential pressure flow
measurement to a new level. The V-Cone flow meter has proven its performance
in the oil and gas industry in some of the harshest operating conditions and
for the widest variety of fluid types. In these applications, the V-Cone
flow meter consistently outperforms traditional dP devices and other major
flow technologies.
-
V-Cone
Installation Guide #2 - Upstream and Downstream Minimum Straight Pipe
Run Requirements for Gas Metering at a Reynolds Number (Re) Value >
200,000
-
Subsea
Flow Measurement - Flow measurement in subsea
production systems, modules and templates is a challenge for flow meters.
The complexity of subsea production systems ranges from simple satellite
wells with one line to complex multiple well sites with a network of lines.
Several pipe lines join together below the surface and will eventually
extend to a fixed platform, Floating Production Storage and Offloading
Vessel (FPSO), or perhaps a pipeline running to a land-based operation. Flow
measurement is required in all phases of these operations, especially at
well heads and where lines merge. Flow meters monitor critical processes and
directly measure gases and liquids including crude, gas condensate, water,
chemicals such as MEG (methyl ethyl glycol), gas for gas injection and gas
lift, and many others. Subsea oil and gas production requires highly
specialized and reliable precision equipment and instrumentation.
-
V-Cone
Flow Meters Solves Nuclear Lab Underwater Measurement Problem - Willem
Smith - NRG Lab faced a problem when the old vortex flow meter was
wearing out and they found that model was no longer in production. The Lab
plant managers needed a new flow metering solution with specific
capabilities, including, electronics with a long life, low maintenance costs
and a technology that performs well underwater and can withstand the effects
of nuclear radiation
-
The
September 2010 and October
2010 CAS newsletters have some Excellent Modbus Information
- Included in these two parts is;
MODBUS
- Introduction, 4
types of data, There
are (were) a Max of
9999 points of each data type, 5
Digit vs 6 Digit Addressing, What
about Scaling In Modbus, Floating
Point Numbers In Modbus, Byte/Word
Order – An ambiguous
nightmare, Bit
Order - Sometimes it’s a problem too, Modbus
and Gateways, What
about errors / exceptions, There
can only be one master on a
Modbus
Serial Trunk, Multiple
Clients of a Modbus slave, Old
device – slow processors – limited capability, Modbus
Ascii, JBUS, Enron and other Variants, Modbus
RS232, RS485 and TCP/IP, Modbus
on RS232, Modbus
on RS485, Modbus
Resources, Testing and Trouble Shooting, What
to take to site with you,
Trouble
Shooting Modbus TCP/IP, Using
the CAS Modbus Scanner, Converting
Modbus 16 bit numbers to 32 bit numbers, How
Real (Floating Point) and
32-bit Data is Encoded in Modbus RTU Messages, The
Importance of byte order, Determining
byte order, Practical
Help and Hubs
vs Switches – Using Wireshark
to sniff network packets
-
How
Real and 32-bit Data is Encoded in Modbus RTU - This article discusses
some of the typical difficulties encountered when handling 32-bit data types
via Modbus RTU and offers practical help for solving these problems - from
chipkin.com.
-
Power
Over Ethernet - POE is a technology that provides electrical power to a
Powered Device using conductors in a CAT5 cable. Power is delivered by means
of a DC voltage and maximum current rating. Typical Power Sourcing Equipment
devices are network switches. Even though there is a standard (IEEE 802.3af)
there are a number of factors you should watch for as this technology
emerges and evolves because as usual the devil is in the detail - from
chipkin.com
-
Ethernet
Cables - This article from chipkin.com covers; Cat5 and Cat5e - Where do
the terms Cat5 and Cat5e come from and what is the difference and Ethernet
Colour Coding.
-
Power
Meter- Get to know your Power Meter - What is Real, Apparent and Reactive
Power - This useful article from chipkin.com discusses some of the traps
to avoid.
-
RS485
on a Scope Using an Oscilloscope on a RS485 Network - For reference
purposes here are some scope captures of a typical RS485 line - from
chipkin.com
-
Resistors
- Beer and Vodka can help you Select a Terminating Resistor - Covers
Resistor Colour Codes, How to buy resistors, How to make a resistance value
even if you don't have the correct resistor in your toolbox and Resistor
colour codes for 4 and 5 band resistors - from chipkin.com
-
SI
Unit Converter - Have you ever need to convert millimeters in to inches,
or Miles in to Kilometers then this utility is for you. It can convert just
about anything to anything else. More then 50 different units in 20
categories - this useful utility resides on your computer - from chipkin.com
The Following have been added to ICEweb's Fire and Gas
page
Safety
for your Production - Bob Barnum - Spark Detection and Extinguishment
systems eliminate personnel injuries, equipment damage and loss of
production from fires and explosions. In any type of production facility,
fire control encompasses a wide range of equipment or systems from building
sprinklers to plant site fire departments. A spark detection and
extinguishing system must be thought of as part of a plant’s overall
security and safety network. Just as a residential alarm system provides
protection to a homeowner, a spark detection system provides preventive
protection against potential loss of human life, production facilities,
equipment and costly downtime - from GreCon
Spark
Detection Systems-Podcast - John
Astad - Spark detection system manufacturers discuss important
aspects of spark detection engineering controls in lessening the probability
and reducing the severity of combustible dust related fires and explosions
at facilities - Combustible Dust Policy Institute
Ask
Joe! Spark Detection & Extinguishment Systems - Sparks
are a very common danger. Although they may not be readily apparent, this
does not mean that they do not exist. In most cases, close attention is
focused on this problem only after it is too late, namely when there has
been an explosion or fire - from www.powderandbulk.com
The following technical articles are from the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Hazard
Communication Guidance for Combustible Dusts-
Hazard Communication Guidance for Combustible Dusts is a new guidance
document recently published by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) that assists chemical manufacturers and importers in
recognizing the potential for dust explosions, identifying appropriate
protective measures and the requirements for disseminating this information
on material safety data sheets and labels. The document addresses the
combustible dust hazards in relation to the Hazard Communication Standard,
which is designed to ensure that chemical hazards are evaluated and the
information concerning them is transmitted to employers and workers - from
OSHA
Combustable
Dust Materials List - Does your company or
firm process any of these products or materials in powdered form? If your
company or firm processes any of these products or materials, there is
potential for a “Combustible Dust” explosion - from OSHA.
OSHA
- Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program - This
instruction contains policies and procedures for inspecting workplaces that
create or handle combustible dusts. In some circumstances these dusts may
cause a deflagration, other fires, or an explosion. These dusts include, but
are not limited to: • Metal dust such as aluminum and magnesium. • Wood
dust • Coal and other carbon dusts. • Plastic dust and additives •
Biosolids • Other organic dust such as sugar, flour, paper, soap, and
dried blood. • Certain textile materials
Combustible
Dust in Industry: Preventing and Mitigating the Effects of Fire and
Explosions - This Safety and Health Information
Bulletin (SHIB) highlights: Hazards associated with
combustible dusts; • Work practices and guidelines that reduce the
potential for a combustible dust explosion, • or that reduce the danger to
employees if such an explosion occurs; and, • Training to protect
employees from these hazards.
NFPA
654: Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the
Manufacturing, Processing, and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids,
2006 Edition - This standard applies to all phases of the manufacture,
processing, blending, pneumatic conveying, repackaging, and handling of
combustible particulate solids or hybrid mixtures, regardless of
concentration or particle size, where the materials present a fire or
explosion hazard. It also applies to systems that convey combustible
particulate solids that are produced as a result of a principal or
incidental activity, regardless of concentration or particle size, where the
materials present a fire or explosion hazard.
Combustible
Dust Policy Institute Blog - The goal of Combustible Dust Policy
Institute Group is to minimize the severity and reduce the occurrence of
combustible dust related fires and explosions in the global
workplace.Through ongoing exchange of best practices and lessons learned of
combustible dust related incidents, which identifies and evaluates risk, the
group shares risk assessment information that a diverse spectrum of members
utilize in effectively controlling combustible dust hazards. There are many
useful links here.
Excuse
the Dust - "When shredding electronics, hard
drives and some products sparks can be created. If the spark reaches the
dust collector, it could ignite a fire or cause an explosion,"
Dietterich says. "The dust generated from shredding these items has
different explosive characteristics than paper dust as measured by the Kst
factor of the dust." He adds, "... The conveyance ducting should
be equipped with a flame and spark detection and extinguishing system that
will detect and extinguish the flame or spark while moving through the
ductwork prior to entering the dust collector". - from Recycling
Today
Combustible
Dust: An Insidious Hazard - Dust from industrial
processes can become the fuel for devastating explosions. Investigation
Details: Imperial Sugar Company Dust Explosion and Fire Hayes Lemmerz Dust
Explosions and Fire CTA Acoustics Dust Explosion and Fire West
Pharmaceutical Services Dust Explosion and Fire - from U.S. Chemical Safety
Board
The
Danger of Combustible Dust - Scott Pelley reports
on the deaths and property damage caused by dust explosions at American
factories, a problem critics say the government needs to do more to prevent
- from CBS news
Combustible
Dust Dangers: Too Dangerous for a 'Wait and See' Approach -
The list goes on, involving a wide range of industries and
types of combustible dust. This is a list your organization never wants to
be on, yet OSHA estimates 30,000 U.S. facilities may be at risk for
combustible dust incidents. This article provides background on combustible
dust issues to help you evaluate whether your organization is doing
everything it can to minimize that risk - from ohsonline.com
Dust
-When a Nuisance Becomes Deadly -
Many people never knew sugar could explode until February 7, 2008,
when an explosion rocked the Imperial Sugar Company in Port Wentworth,
Georgia, killing 13 people and injuring 40. Located just outside Savannah,
this 91-year-old facility processed granulated and powdered sugar - from
NFPA Journal
Combustible
Dust Becomes National Target - Combustible dust, a
hazard that has historically received little attention from employers and
government agencies alike, is a hidden danger that every company operating a
saw should address. Sawdust often goes unnoticed in all manners of nooks and
crannies although it poses a major hazard if a secondary explosion occurs -
from palletenterprise.com
Reduce
Your Risk of Dust Fires and Explosions -
Spark and ember generation is a constant danger in production
facilities where combustible materials are being worked, processed,
transported, dried, filtered or exhausted. Insurance companies’ statistics
point out that silos, dust filters, bins, and even complete production lines
are the areas of greatest risk - from bulk-online.com
Ask
Dr. Knowledge - What Exactly is a Dust Explosion, and Should I Worry about
House Dust? - An explosion is really a kind of
build-up of pressure (that's the "bang") and to get that, you
usually need a combination of quick burning and something to contain the hot
gases released to build up pressure. You might do without the container if
the burning is fast enough, but we needn't worry about that for the question
you're asking - from www.boston.com
This
demonstration illustrates the principle behind a grain elevator explosion.
- Grain dust, like lycopodium powder, is not especially
flammable, but when grain is dumped into a grain silo, some of the finer
dust particles can remain suspended in air surrounded by oxygen. This
mixture can be ignited by a spark, resulting in an explosion - from jchemed.chem.wisc.edu
Reduce
Dust Explosions the Inherently Safer Way - Inherent
safety is a proactive approach for hazard and risk management during process
plant design and operation. Although it offers an attractive and
cost-effective methodology for risk reduction, inherent safety has not been
used as widely as engineered (add-on) and procedural (administrative)
measures. This article is aimed at the development of a framework for dust
explosion prevention and mitigation that explicitly incorporates the
principles of inherent safety - from www.aiche.org
Change
Units - Convert
Units Your Way - Easily convert any units.
The Unit Converter Add-in for Excel® - Download
the Unit Converter Add-in for Excel for free and start using it right
now. Change between thousands of different
units in more than sixty different
physical properties. The add-in's functions are intuitive to use
and dimensionally aware. Common abbreviations and conventions are
followed throughout, and the functions will check that the units are
compatible before converting. Engineers, contractors, and chemists will
find the number of dimensions and units available invaluable. From the
very smallest units to the largest, this converter can handle them
all. Compound dimensions without common standard units are not a
problem. The add-in comes with complete documentation,
examples, a quick
start, and installation help. The Unit Converter Add-in for Excel
requires you to have Excel, the Microsoft® spreadsheet application which is
more than likely already installed on your computer. For more help and
examples, please see the Documentation section - from tenderwire.
-
ANSI/ISA-TR96.05.01,
Partial Stroke Testing of Automated Block Valves - 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. Use of this technical report involves familiarity with the operation
of automated block valves and with the quantitative analysis of its average
probability of failure on demand (PFDAVG).
Users of ANSI/ISA-TR96.05.01 will include:
- owner/operators who use automated block valves in operating environments
requiring partial stroke testing;
- designers who identify automated block valve applications where it is
apparent more frequent and stringent proof testing is required;
- operations and maintenance personnel who need to understand the process
and results of partial stroke testing.
-
Specifying
High-Performance Cables - The Devil Is In The Detail - Still,
cables fail and systems go down. Why? Many of the problems that surround
cable failure, especially in extreme and harsh operating environments could
have been avoided by selecting the correct cable from the outset. "But
specifying cable is easy," you say. Well, yes and no. Sure, it's easy
to match temperature ranges and then count on a PVC jacket for protection.
But there's a lot more to it than that. Understanding how the cable will
work when exposed to extreme temperatures; quantifying the type of chemical,
oil, fuel or solvent the cable will be exposed to; understanding the
difference between flexible and flexing, considering the level of mechanical
abuse, UV exposure and EMI/RFI interference concerns are just a few of the
details that engineers need to consider before "fully" specifying
an appropriate "hazard-matched" cable - from Alpha Wire.
-
Heat-Shrink
Tubing: The Versatile Tools for Maintenance and Repair - Think of
heat-shrink tubing as the duct tape for electrical wiring on the factory
floor. Heat-shrink tubing is versatile, easy to use, and finds wide
applicability in maintenance and repair. Heat-shrink tubing can be used for
preventive maintenance to avoid problems, and it is a wonderful tool for
making minor repairs to cables and connectors - from Alpha Wire.
-
How
to Stop the Noise with Shielded Cable - The Importance of Being Properly
Shielded - Electrical Interference or noise is the bane of all complex
(and high speed) industrial electronics system and product designers. And
why not? In Industrial controls systems, for example, it's estimated that
well over 50 percent of all system hardware failures are caused in part by
electrical noise. This is not just an issue for microprocessor based
systems. With today's infinitely more complex communications and control
systems that incorporate higher transmission and switching speeds, the
implications of noise related failures are increasing exponentially. There
is growing industry concern as well as increasingly more rigid regulations
related to electrically radiated emissions, and EMC (electromagnetic
compatibility). How to shield power and signal cables has never been a
bigger issue. Based on the ever increasing distances that signal and control
communications are required to travel, cables are the system components most
highly exposed to interference. In fact, EMC and effective shielding have
become just as critical as any other design concern, particularly in mission
critical applications such as: medical, defense, industrial machinery,
sensing and control, and communication - from Alpha Wire.
-
Picking
the Right VFD Cable - Reduce Problems and Increase Reliability
-Variable-frequency drives (VFD) allow sophisticated control by AC motors by
allowing their speed and torque to be precisely adjusted. Control is
achieved by varying the frequency to the motor. It does not, however, send a
pure sine-wave frequency to the motor. Rather it sends a series of pulses,
whose width varies, to the motor. This technique—pulse-width modulation—
supplies the drive with the same power profile as a sine-wave frequency. PWM
also allows the effective voltage to the motor to be varied. While PWM
provides an excellent way to control a motor’s speed and torque, it
creates several phenomena that can affect the power, create noise, reduce
the life of the cable, and disrupt operation of the drive system.
Understanding these phenomena explains why selecting the proper VFD cable is
important to maintaining reliable, long-term operation - from Alpha Wire.
-
Embedded
Motor Condition Monitoring, Diagnostics - Adam Krug - Embedded
condition monitoring and remote diagnostics prevent equipment failure,
reduce energy consumption, improve reliability. Only a very small percentage
of critical motors and motor loads in the U.S. actually are equipped with
any sort of condition monitoring. This lack of adoption largely stems from
the costs and complexity of conventional condition monitoring equipment.
Industry-leading solid-state, motor control technology provides customers
with the ability to monitor parameters, albeit not the exact same
parameters, to gain a more precise and real-time perspective on performance,
far more simply than traditional condition monitoring methods - from ISA
-
Combustible
Gas Detector Sensor Drift: Catalytic vs Infrared - Kelly Rollick, Allan
Roczko, and Leslie Mitchell - Catalytic bead combustible sensor technology,
used for decades to measure combustible gas concentrations, dates back to
the 1830s. The infrared spectrum was discovered in 1800. The 1950s saw a
surge in infrared spectrum use for many technological applications,
including gas detection. These distinct gas detection technologies offer
advantages and disadvantages, with conditions determining the better choice
for specific applications - from ISA.
-
ICEweb's
Manufacturing and Automation Safety Page has been extensively reworked
thanks to our sponsor Pilz. The Following links have been added.
Playing
it Safe - Comply with all the Standards when Interlinking Machinery - Many
budgets do not provide for the purchase of new
machinery in difficult economic times.
That’s why the option to upgrade existing plant
and machinery is a practicable and significant
alternative to buying new. However, in the process,
operators often overlook the
fact that a machine’s existing declaration of
conformity is rendered invalid if it undergoes
a significant change.
All
in Line - Connecting Safety Gates Safely in Series - A typical task in the
machinery safety sector is safety gate monitoring. If a safety gate is opened
during operation, the machine must stop immediately; while the safety gate is
open, it must not be possible for the machine to start up. A safety switch
monitors the position of the safety gate. As machines are often fitted with
several safety gates, it seems obvious to switch or wire these in series. See
Page 5.
Secure
Pillar for Manufacturing
- Safe
Camera System Improves the Ergonomics of a Robot Welding Station - Wherever
robots perform manufacturing tasks, human operators
are usually not too far away. To ensure that both
can work safely “hand in hand”, danger
zones must be monitored reliably, without causing
an unnecessary obstruction to the
production process. High quality standards in the
automotive industry mean that
precision robot welding is often required. At the
same time, the operator must be
able to access the manufacturing cell quickly at
any time, without putting himself
at risk. That’s a job in which the safe camera
system SafetyEYE can really show its strengths.
Don’t
Open the Door to Risk
- Clever Gate Management offers Safety and Productivity - Provided
an operator does not have to set foot in an
installation, his safety can be easily guaranteed
using simple means. Gates, flaps or covers provide
mechanical protection. However, maintenance,
cleaning or set-up require direct access.
This must be risk-free, as far as possible, and
must not obstruct the production process.
In
Control - Safety relay PNOZsigma can now Monitor Standstill, Speed and Direction
of Rotation - Pilz is expanding its range of PNOZsigma safety relays: the
new PNOZ s30 monitors safe standstill, speed and direction of rotation. Safe
working practices with the safety gate open, reduced setup times and rapid
access to the machine once standstill is initiated - these are the key benefits
for users. Application of the new speed monitor also allows you to meet the
Machinery Directive's requirement for safe speed monitoring.
Flexibility
Counts - Modern Safety Concept for Packaging Machines
- What do chocolates, CDs or books have in common?
Their film packaging. Fully automatic packaging
machines take care of the shrink wrapping. The
aim is the highest possible fl exibility plus a
high output, without cutting back on
the safety of man and machine. A co-ordinated
solution comprising sensor and safety
relay not only meets current requirements for
functional safety but also simplifies engineering
and handling.
Well
Recycled - A Safe Recycling Process with Pilz Control Technology - Jute bag
or plastic? Until recently, you had to decide whether you wanted your packaging
to be environmentally aware or economical. Latest developments will practically
make this decision redundant: now even plastic bags are recyclable. Prior to the
actual recycling process, sorting plants guarantee that the input of material is
as homogeneous as possible, without contaminants. Safe, flexible control
technology ensures that sorting processes run at optimum level.
Efficiency
Classification
- Standards
and Laws for Electric motors are Intended to Increase Energy Efficiency -
The efficiency of motors has recently
been classified with a new
international system, the IE-Code.
This replaces the previous effi
ciency classes. European legislators
are also using the system as the basis
for a new regulation, which describes the statutory
minimum requirements for the
efficiency of motors and the use of electronic
variable speed drives.
There
are Two Sides to Everything - Convert to EN ISO 13849-1 Early and Exploit the
Opportunities - At the end of 2009 the EU Commission applied the brake to
the standards: By extending the transition period for EN 954-1 until 31.12.2011,
it initially halted the sole application of EN ISO 13849-1. Machine
manufacturers and operators now have two more years in which to convert to the
new standard. Only time will tell if they really know how to take advantage of
this deferral. Many are only counting the additional cost. The fact that the new
standard also offers benefits is often overlooked. See Page 4.
New
GL Guideline for the Certification of Wind Turbines - This guideline calls
for measures on wind turbines to reduce risk through
control functions. Their purpose will be to keep
the plant within its design specifi cations under
all expected infl uences and fault conditions. The
design of safety-related control functions in accordance
with EN ISO 13849-1 is named as an appropriate
measure. This applies not only when the wind
turbine is in automatic mode but also for the
period in which service personnel are working on
the turbine during regular maintenance, for example
(DIN EN 50308).
Safe
Designs for Safe Workplaces - New Guide to Applying ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061
- One of the big challenges facing machine builders has been choosing between
ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061. The IEC published a new guide at the end of July,
2010 called Technical Report IEC/TR 62061-1 ed1.0 Guidance on the application of
ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061 in the design of safety-related control systems for
machinery. The new 38-page guide is available as a hard copy or a PDF file.
Written jointly by Technical Committee IEC/TC 44, Safety of machinery –
Electrotechnical aspects and Technical Committee ISO/TC 199, Safety of
machinery. The Technical Report was published in parallel by ISO as ISO/TR
23849.Technical Reports don’t have the same status as International Standards,
but provide the TC’s with a means to provide guidance and explanation to
help users implement the standard.
Guide:
Common Machine Safety Standards, Terms, Violations: Terms you need to know -
Understanding machine safety standards and terms remains a challenging first
step to spotting and reducing risks and increasing profitability. Sources for
help are many. Standards organizations covering machine safety include American
National Standards Institute (ANSI), National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA), Robotics Industries Association (RIA), and U.S. Occupational Safety
& Health Administration (OSHA), among others. Requirements are numerous;
some are more obvious than others. From automationworld.com and Siemens.
Impact
of the New International Safety Standards - A presentation full of
Information - from NHP
No
more Cable Chaos
- Connect
Decentralised Sensor Technology Quickly and Easily - When you need to
connect field-based sensor technology to
the evaluation device in the control cabinet,
it’s not always necessary to use a fieldbus.
Used in conjunction with an evaluation system,
the new digital IP67 modules provide
the perfect alternative between individual wiring
and a fieldbus system. They make installation
simple, save time and money and at the same time
provide the highest level of safety.
Non-Stop
Safety-
One-Stop
Technology and Expertise - High demands are placed on power
stations these days: not only should they be safe,
they also have to handle the planet’s
resources efficiently. Modern safety technology
contributes greatly in this respect,
enabling all control processes to be designed to be
safer and more efficient.
Cross
Without Danger - Automation Solutions make Level Crossings Safe - Whether
you’re going by road, rail or on foot, unsecured
level crossings present a high risk
to all travellers. Safeguards are an absolute
necessity. Building contractors are
increasingly turning to modern, safe automation
technology. That’s because safety control
systems – like those used for decades in
mechanical engineering – not only increase
safety but also save costs
UK Health
and Safety Law - What You Need to Know - All workers have a right to work in
places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Health
and safety is about stopping you getting hurt at work or ill through work. Your
employer is responsible for health and safety, but you must help - from HSE.
Guidelines
for Safe Machinery – Six Steps to a Safe Machine - This 118
page document contains an extensive set of guidelines about the safety of
machinery and the selection and usage of protective devices. It shows various
ways in which you can protect machinery and people against accidents - from SICK
-
Global
Enclosure Standards within the Electrical Industry - Industry standards
for electrical enclosures exist to promote safety, encourage design
efficiency and define minimum levels of product performance. In the European
and North American electrical industries, several standards are enforced for
these reasons. Across the global marketplace, these or other standards may
be followed or there may be no standards at all, which can lead to wide
variations in product performance and price. In many cases, the end customer
is not aware of the standards or does not clearly understand them and,
therefore, does not insist that suppliers provide products that meet the
standards. Focusing solely on low price without fully understanding or
requiring industry standards can yield a low initial product cost, but could
ultimately lead to high maintenance expenses, component failure and in the
worst case, worker safety issues. The purpose of this paper is to: (a)
Clearly define the industry standards that exist for electrical enclosures
(b) Compare the most commonly used standards so enclosure users can
understand the key differences (c) Equip decision makers with the knowledge
needed to select an electrical enclosure that has the appropriate rating and
price to value relationship for its intended application - from Hoffman
-
The
Can of Worms Is Open-Now What? - John Cusimano and
Eric Byres - The recent Stuxnet worm that targeted Siemens HMI and PLC
systems highlights the fact that designing a good cyber defense for your
SCADA or process control system is no longer an option. While the
motivations of the worm's designers are still not clear, the undisputable
fact is that this worm was designed to let an outsider gain unauthorized
access to control systems using the most widely deployed brand of PLC and
SCADA products in the world. To their credit, Siemens and Microsoft
responded rapidly to the Stuxnet threat, and provided a patch to address the
vulnerability and a utility to detect and remove the virus. But everyone
knows it's always better to prevent a threat than to react to one. So, how
can you protect yourself from the next Stuxnet? From www.controlglobal.com
-
The
Fieldbus Reference List by Rob Hulsebos is an
extensive listing of links to would you believe 362 systems.
-
Industrial
Ethernet - The use of Ethernet as an industrial network is a subject for
which still very little documentation is available. This publication focuses
entirely on this type of usage of Ethernet, and how this relates to the
operation of Ethernet. A difference between an office-user of Ethernet and
an industrial user of Ethernet is that the former is not interested in
(seemingly trivial) details of internal Ethernet operation, while the latter
must sometimes know all the details in order to assure that the network
operates correctly under all circumstances. Despite many publications in the
trade press about industrial Ethernet, it is difficult to find relevant
technical information void of marketing hype and commercial interests. This
excellent 100 page publication addresses this - thanks to Rob Hulsebos
-
Selecting
Fluid System Components for use in Sour Oilfields
- The conditions under which oil and gas are brought from their reservoirs
to the surface can be outright hostile to many common materials used in
fluid system components employed in industry. Potentially dangerous
mechanisms include localised corrosion, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and
sulphide stress cracking (SSC). SSC has become increasingly common as more
sour reservoirs are being developed - for example, those in the northern
part of the Caspian Sea that contain up to 20% hydrogen sulphide (H2S).
Ageing reservoirs can also turn sour as abiotic and biotic reactions take
place. This article describes how to select the optimal materials of
construction for components that need to perform reliably for many years in
the demanding sour environments of oil and gas exploration and production -
from Process Online and Swagelok.
- Static Electricity Ignition Hazards -The
Following are from Newson Gale
Achieving
Safe Tanker Truck Loading / Unloading - The loading and unloading of
tank trucks containing flammable or combustible products, has long been
recognized as one of the most serious fire and explosion risks for hazardous
industry operations. A study conducted by the American Petroleum Institute
in 1967, for example, identified static discharges as being responsible for
more than 60 incidents in tank truck loading operations. Since then more
stringent preventive standards have been developed and significant
advancements have been made in the technology of static electric discharge
prevention. Yet accidents traced to static electric discharges still occur
with sometimes tragic results.
Static
Grounding Clamps & Cables, Key Factors Too Often Overlooked -Michael
O’Brien - According to reports from NFPA in the Unites States and from HSE
in the UK and continental Europe, reports of static electricity incidents
are much more common that one would expect, given that simple and reliable
means of prevention is readily at hand.
You
Don’t have to be a Rocket Scientist… To Guard against Static Electricity
Hazards - For the person who is responsible for the safety of employees,
colleagues, plant equipment and plant property, one of the most potentially
confusing aspects of providing a safe operating environment is determining
if the manufacturing or handling processes have the potential to discharge
static sparks into flammable or combustible atmospheres.
Controlling
Static Hazards is Key to Preventing Combustible Cloud Explosions -
Michael O’Brien - Recent studies covering plants in the U.S., UK and
Germany show that controlling static electricity build-up is the key to
preventing combustible cloud explosions. In the U.S. alone during the period
1980 to 2005 The Chemical Safety Board reported 281 explosions caused by
ignitable combustible dust atmospheres. They resulted in 199 fatalities and
718 injuries. Similar data was compiled in the UK, where the Health and
Safety Executive reported 303 explosions over a nine year period. And German
records show 426 similar incidents over a 20 year period.
Static
Electricity: The Hidden Danger in Hazardous Area - National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) codes and guidelines highlight safe working
practices in hazardous areas, and specifically how to control static
electricity, which in many cases is capable of providing the ignition source
for a fire or explosion.
Road
Tanker Earthing - The loading and unloading of road tankers
with flammable and combustible products, presents one of the most serious fire
and explosion risks for site operations within the hazardous process industries.
A study conducted by the API in 1967 identified static discharges as being
responsible for over 60 incidents in road tanker loading operations and
demonstrates just how long this potential threat has been acknowledged. The
natural presence of static electricity in product transfer operations, combined
with its associated ignition hazards, ensures that regulators take static
control precautions for road tankers very seriously - from Newson Gale.
Technical
Articles on Static Control - This link from Newson Gale contains
in-depth technical information that enables you to research static
control hazards that may pose an ignition risk for your manufacturing
and distribution processes.
-
ATEX
and Explosive Atmospheres - Explosive atmospheres in the workplace can
be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible dusts.
Explosions can cause loss of life and serious injuries as well as
significant damage. These pages from the UK HSE will tell you more about
explosive atmospheres and ATEX.
-
Thanks
to ICEweb sponsor Honeywell Analytics the following Technical Information
has been added to or Gas Detector Page.
- Plant
Safety Engineers take aim at a Wireless Future - Dr.Patrick Hogan -
Equipping the mobile worker with a personal gas monitor that not only can
monitor a range of hazardous gases, but also report the worker’s exact
location, continuously, in real time—over a wireless communications
grid—represents one small step forward for today’s control room
operator, yet one giant leap forward for plant safety - thanks to Honeywell
Analytics and HazardEx.
- Ask
the Experts - Although certain principles of gas detection require less
maintenance than others, the calibration and servicing frequency of gas
detection equipment is largely dependent on the environment and application
where it is being used. Weather conditions, dust, dirt, water and even the
types of compounds being used nearby can have an effect on the performance
of equipment and influence the frequency of maintenance activities.
- Gas
Leak Detection for Boiler Rooms in Commercial and Industrial Property -
Natural gas is one of the most widely used fuels for heating commercial and
industrial property. In the event of an undetected leak it can present an
explosive risk leading to structural damage, the loss of life or an
expensive waste of fuel. Most boiler plant rooms are visited infrequently
and therefore any leak will go undetected. An automatic gas detection system
will provide early warning of a gas release during unmanned periods.
- The
Danger of Confined Spaces - Areas with a volume of less than 100m³,
where there is no natural ventilation or areas that measure less than 2
metres in diameter, length, width and depth are classed as confined and
enclosed danger zones. Special attention needs to be drawn to the dangers
posed by gases when space is restricted and typical examples of confined
spaces within industry include: shafts, trenches, pits, boilers, tanks,
pipelines and containers, as locations for emergency response units.
- Why
is Hydrogen Leak Detection Important? - Hydrogen is one of the three
most dangerous combustible gases; the other two are Acetylene and Carbon
Disulphide. These gases are particularly dangerous as they need very small
ignition energy to ignite them (the minimum ignition energy of Hydrogen is
just 40uJ) and for this reason have a separate gas group IIC as per the
European standard.
-
Detecting
Hydrogen Fires -Hydrogen fires emit large amounts of UV and IR radiation
and almost no visible light radiation. Detecting a hydrogen fire is
difficult due to mostly an invisible flame. The Kennedy Space Center uses
flame detectors designed to detect hydrogen fires during launch operations.
The flame detectors are used on the cross-country fuel lines, launch pad
service structures, and Mobile Launcher Platforms (MLP) - from General
Monitors.
-
How
to Select a Flame Detector - Process and plant engineers in the
oil and gas industry and a wide range of other hazardous process and
manufacturing industries require continuous flame monitoring equipment to
prevent catastrophic fires. In order to select such detection equipment,
users should understand the principles of flame detection and review the
types of detectors available today. Armed with this knowledge they will be
better able to match the appropriate flame detector to process and site
performance requirements and to the type of hazard whose consequences the
instrument is designed to mitigate - from General Monitors.
-
Detecting
Combustible and Toxic Gases in HVAC Ducts - Air handling systems are
used throughout industry to provide comfort and health in manned areas.
Nevertheless, if unprotected, facility ventilation systems can transport
combustible and toxic gases from a source area to other parts of the
building, bringing the dangerous substances into non-hazardous areas, like
control rooms, living quarters, electrical switch rooms, and equipment
rooms. Because of the potential for the inadvertent transport of dangerous
substances, government agencies, industry groups and many leading companies
have established procedures for exhaust/ventilation system safety. One
important element in the protection of these systems is gas detection.
-
Detecting
Combustible Gas Leaks in Compressor Stations -In gas compressor
stations, there is a high risk of fire and explosion due to a combination of
intense heat, pressure and vibration. Gas detection solutions help to
maintain safety in gas compressor stations. Ultrasonic, Infrared and
Catalytic Bead gas detectors can be used alone or in integrated systems to
help stabilize hazardous environments.
-
How
to Select a Flame Detector - Process
and plant engineers in the oil and gas industry and a wide range of other
hazardous process and manufacturing industries require continuous flame
monitoring equipment to prevent catastrophic fires. In order to select such
detection equipment, users should understand the principles of flame
detection and review the types of detectors available today. Armed with this
knowledge they will be better able to match the appropriate flame detector
to process and site performance requirements and to the type of hazard whose
consequences the instrument is designed to mitigate - from General Monitors.
Detecting
Hydrogen Fires -Hydrogen fires emit large amounts of UV and IR radiation
and almost no visible light radiation. Detecting a hydrogen fire is
difficult due to mostly an invisible flame. The Kennedy Space Center uses
flame detectors designed to detect hydrogen fires during launch operations.
The flame detectors are used on the cross-country fuel lines, launch pad
service structures, and Mobile Launcher Platforms (MLP) - from General
Monitors.
Maintaining
Catalytic Combustible Gas Detectors - Even the best of safety monitoring
equipment requires periodic inspection. There must be a maintenance plan in
place with documented procedures, a regular schedule of inspections, repair
or replacement activity as necessary, problem reporting, etc. It is
important to train employees to know when inspection is necessary and what
type of maintenance procedures must be performed on a specific type or model
of gas detector.
-
ICEweb's Wireless
Instrumentation and Technologies Page has been completely remodelled and
lots of new links included, thanks to our sponsor Emerson
Process Management. Included are the following Super Wireless
Instrumentation Technical links;
The
Virtual Wireless Plant Tour - This
highlights areas of Emerson's Virtual Wireless Plant Tour - a web-based,
interactive tool that shows how wireless technologies can solve
operational challenges today.
Smart
Wireless Solutions for Field Network Applications - This
comprehensive brochure highlights the depth of Emerson's expertise and
breadth of offering for wireless solutions in the field. It's full of use
cases and actual applications where Smart Wireless has delivered customer
value.
Smart
Wireless Solutions for Plant Operations
- This
comprehensive brochure highlights Emerson's Smart Wireless capabilities for
plant-wide applications including Control Network bridging, Field Data
Backhaul, Safety Mustering, Video Monitoring, and more.
Wireless
Now - Think Beyond the Wire' (Issue #1) - A
16-page supplement discusses how to apply wireless - includes customer
applications and easy-to-understand benefits.
Wireless
Now - How Wireless Speeds Innovation at BP' (Issue #2) - This
16-page supplement explains how Emerson Smart Wireless is enabling BP to
speed innovation, as well as practical information on how to get
started.
Wireless
Now - Who Says You Can't Take It With You?' (Issue #3) - This
supplement explains how Emerson Smart Wireless solution for Plant-wide
operations can unleash a new era of worker productivity. It also contains
articles on wireless in capital projects, and proven wireless applications
from multiple industries.
- This
brochure explains how wireless has come of age - taken mainstream and ready
for control applications. Includes articles on the impact of wireless on
work practices and capital projects.
- This brochure explains how
WirelessHART is the first Simple, Reliable and Secure wireless standard for
process monitoring and control.
EC
62591 WirelessHART System Engineering Guide - This
comprehensive 82-page document provides guidelines for implementing
WirelessHART systems in the project process, and helps to address key
project questions.
Putting
Wireless to Work in Process Operations - Wireless technologies
offer process operations new opportunities for improvement. With a wireless
strategy and architecture that align with your business needs, you can begin
gaining the benefits today while facilitating additional applications in the
future.
Can
Multiple Wireless Technologies (like field and plant networks) Co-exist
without Harmful Interferance - Rajiv Singhal and Eric Rotvold -
Some process operations may have been hesitant to adopt in-plant wireless
applications because of concerns that radio frequency interference between
wireless solutions could affect the reliability of essential communications.
An open, standards-based wireless architecture from Emerson Process
Management and Cisco Systems addresses these concerns by using mesh network
technology and other methods to provide high levels of communication
reliability at both the field-network and plant-network levels. Coexistence
tests of real-world applications using this architecture demonstrated no
noticeable impact on network reliability.
BP
Refinery of the Future: Using wireless for business value
Wireless
Case Study on an Offshore Platform
Putting
Wireless to Work at PPG Industries' Chemical Division plant
Putting
Wireless to Work at BP's Cherry Point refinery
Go
to Emerson's Video Central - over 15 Wireless Videos to choose from
Other Links
Remote
Safety Shower Monitoring Using Wireless Transmitters - A chemical
manufacturing and refining plant needed to upgrade remote safety shower
monitoring systems to comply with regulations. Though the existing shower
facilities fall under a grandfather clause and are not subject to more
stringent regulations, the customer wanted to ensure personnel safety while
reducing the potential for issues that could occur with on the- job
accidents - from Honeywell and www.wina.org.
Cost
Effective Leak Detection and Repair Monitoring of Fugitive Emissions - Finding
hazardous leaks and fugitive emissions in a refinery or chemical plant is a
huge but critical job to ensure regulatory
compliance, safety, and to prevent costly fines. Each plant can have over
35,000 valves and as many as 200,000 monitoring
points. Both refineries and chemical plants have seen the cost of their lead
detection and repair (LDAR) programs skyrocket
as the number of monitoring points has increased - from Honeywell and
www.wina.org.
Utilising
Wireless Instrumentation in Well Automation - Denis Rutherford - The use
of wireless instrumentation in well automation and production optimization
has just started gaining momentum in the marketplace. Driven by cost-cutting
measures and the need to gain more operational visibility (to meet
regulatory requirements), wireless instrumentation eliminates expensive
trenching and cabling while providing access to hard-to-reach areas using
self-contained, battery-powered instruments - from Control Microsystems and
the American School of Gas Measurement Technology.
-
ICEweb's Fieldbus
Page has been completely remodelled and lots of new links included,
thanks to our sponsor Emerson
Process Management. Included are the following;
Justifying
Fieldbus - This slideshow covers the benefits of fieldbus including
Fieldbus Savings from Physical Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance.
It also includes Multisensor Transmitters, Reduced CAPEX , Engineering and
Installation costs, Maintenance Benefits, Ease of Troubleshooting, Increased
Plant Availability along with examples. It is a super resource for an
engineer looking to justify a fieldbus project to their Management.
Talk about a "Picture says a Thousand Words" Foundation fieldbus
Videos - These videos are really useful real examples of FF Technology.
Rosemount
3095 multivariable Fieldbus Transmitter - This video shows a
Rosemount model 3095MV ("multivariable") transmitter having the
capability to measure differential pressure, gauge (static) pressure, and
process temperature all in one unit. Furthermore, being a FOUNDATION
Fieldbus device, it can execute function blocks useful in performing control
tasks. This makes the instrument capable of measuring mass flow rate as well
as executing control functions, passing an "output" signal to some
other Fieldbus device such as a valve positioner to control flow without
need of an external control system.
Foundation
Fieldbus Robustness - A DeltaV product demonstration showing how
Foundation fieldbus device-based control loops remain operational even when
redundant control cards are disabled.
I/O
on Demand—Foundation Fieldbus - A demonstration showing how the
DeltaV S-series Foundation fieldbus cards integrate power and diagnostics to
eliminate complexity and reduce engineering work.
I/O
on Demand—Electronic Marshalling - Whilst not Fieldbus related this
demonstration shows how DeltaV S-series electronic marshalling dramatically
reduces installation and maintenance costs while increasing engineering and
start-up flexibility.
Fieldbus
Interoperability - An overview of how DeltaV can talk to other
suppliers' field devices.
Foundation
Fieldbus - DeltaV FOUNDATION fieldbus demonstration
Fieldbus
and DeltaV - Machinery Health - A demonstration showing how the DeltaV
system uses smart field device information to avoid abnormal situations
caused by equipment issues
Fieldbus
and DeltaV: Instrument Air Leak Example - A demonstration showing
how information from smart field devices combined with the DeltaV system's
control strategies helps avoid process upset conditions.
Fieldbus
and DeltaV - Advanced Control Field Device Failure - A demonstration
showing how DeltaV system control strategies can incorporate information
from smart field devices to ensure uninterrupted operations.
Redundant
Fieldbus Interface - A short demonstration of the world's first host
implementation of FOUNDATION fieldbus H1 interface redundancy in the DeltaV
system
Foundation
Fieldbus Function Block Modes - Showing how we may view and change the
operating modes of Fieldbus function blocks on the screen of an Emerson
DeltaV DCS.
Foundation
Fieldbus Function Block Signal Status - Showing how we may view the
status of Fieldbus instrument signals on the screen of an Emerson DeltaV DCS.
Working
with Multiple Fieldbus Networks -Russ Muller and James Powell discuss an
application involving multiple fieldbus protocols.
Fieldbus
Transmitter on DeltaV - This short video shows how a Fieldbus instrument
appears on the display of DeltaV Explorer software. You can see all the
available function blocks within this particular device (a Rosemount 3095 MV
mass flow transmitter).
Fieldbus
Network Voltage Measurements - Showing how to measure DC Volts and a
simple check of Data flow using a multimeter.
Fieldbus
Network
Voltage
Measurements
2
-
More useful simple checks.
Fieldbus
Device Commissioning Label - A excellent video detailing the information
on rosemount fieldbus device commissioning labels.
Fieldbus
Network Voltage Oscilloscope Display - How to use an Oscilloscope in a
fieldbus network.
Fieldbus
pH Transmitter Calibration - Calibrating a Mettler-Toledo pH transmitter
that is FOUNDATION Fieldbus instead of 4-20 mA. First, the calibration
points were set using Emerson AMS software to access the digital parameters
inside the transmitter. Then, the transmitter was standardized using two pH
buffer solutions: 7pH and 4pH.
Back-up
LAS - A DeltaV product demonstration of backup communications in
interoperable fieldbus devices.
Fieldbus
Coupling "brick" with Short-Circuit Protection - A
demonstration of the short circuit protection and detection and how the
segment is protected.
From Relcom
The Testing
Fieldbus Wiring with an FBT-6 and FBT-5 application note provides
information about using these two instruments together to test fieldbus
wiring.
Non-Incendive
Fieldbus for Simplified Maintenance is a paper that discusses the
benefits of High Powered Trunk and Energy Limited Spurs for a Class I
Division 2 or Zone 2 installation of Fieldbus systems.
From the Fieldbus Foundation
Foundation
fieldbus has improved Safety and Availability of Chemical Additives Plant
for over 10 years - This article describes how FOUNDATION fieldbus based
control system was used to automate a chemical additives plant operated by
Wuhan Youji Industries Co., Ltd. in the People's Republic of China. The
process involves the production of sodium benzoate, a food and beverage
preservative, from toluene or methylbenzene. In particular, the article
discusses how a new, FOUNDATION fieldbus-based control system met the need
for improved safety and fault tolerance at the plant, and provided a
solution for increased availability and reduced losses of raw materials and
finished products.
Selecting
the Right Cable for FOUNDATIONTM fieldbus Control Networks – What you need
to Know - Sandy Fulton - FF-844 is the new Fieldbus Foundation cable
compliance specification. FF-844 includes the electrical requirements of ISA
50.02 and IEC 61158, but it also contains some additional requirements which
help you know your cable is the right cable for use in FOUNDATION fieldbus
control networks.
The
World’s Largest Installation of Foundation Fieldbus at China’s Largest
Petrochemical Complex - Mike Spear - Across the 10 plants and utilities
there are over 48 000 control loops, with about 166 000 I/O tags and around
25 000 points hardwired to the automation system. There are 40 000
instruments and some 13 000 intelligent devices networked in the world’s
largest Foundation Fieldbus installation. In total there are 2500 FF
segments. Adrian Howell, SECCO’s process control manager, says that
‘while we knew that a fieldbus approach would save considerable amounts of
cabling, a conservative approach was taken to the number of devices
connected on each segment. Designs were limited to no more than 12 devices,
and the average ended up as five devices per segment, where each segment
varies between two to 11 devices.
From EDDL
The
Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) - Electronic Device
Description Language (EDDL) technology is used by major manufacturers to
describe the information that is accessible in digital devices. Electronic
device descriptions are available for over 15 million devices that are
currently installed in the process industry. The technology is used by the
major process control systems and maintenance tool suppliers to support
device diagnostics and calibration. Just "heaps" of information
here on the EDDL site!
EDDL
Makes Device Setup Easy - Device setup (aka configuration or
parameterization) can be carried out using a handheld communicator in the
field, a laptop in the workshop, or from intelligent device management
software as part of asset management solution. Electronic Device Description
Language (EDDL) is the technology used by device manufacturers to define how
the system shall display the device setup parameters to the technician. EDDL
makes setup of intelligent devices easier thanks to user guidance such as
wizards, illustrative images, and help text, and provides unparalleled
consistency of use.
Device
Revision and Lifecycle Management Guide - How to keep systems up to date
and compatible with new devices using EDDL - DDL (IEC 61804-3) is a device
integration technology created as a solution to the device revision problem.
EDDL makes managing devices of different types and versions easier. EDDL2 is
a file that is loaded onto the computer or handheld field communicator.
There is no EDDL inside the device3 itself. Thus there is no such thing as
an "EDDL device" or a "non-EDDL device". Devices are
HART, FOUNDATION fieldbus, PROFIBUS, and WirelessHART devices, and these
protocols support EDDL.
EDDL
Makes Device Diagnostics Easy - Device diagnostics can be carried out
using a handheld communicator in the field, a laptop in the workshop, or
from intelligent device management software as part of asset management
solution, either from a dedicated maintenance console or integrated in the
operator console (see separate white paper on integrated operation).
Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) is the technology used by
device manufacturers to control how the device diagnostics is displayed to
the technician. EDDL makes diagnostics of smart transmitters and other
intelligent devices easier thanks to user guidance such as wizards and help,
and provides unparalleled consistency of use.
EDDL
Makes Calibration Easy - Calibration can be carried out using a handheld
communicator in the field, a laptop in the workshop, or from intelligent
device management software as part of asset management solution, either in a
dedicated maintenance console or integrated in the operator console (see
separate white paper on integrated operation). Electronic Device Description
Language (EDDL) is the technology used by device manufacturers to control
how the device diagnostics is displayed to the technician. EDDL makes
calibration of intelligent devices easier thanks to user guidance such as
wizards and help, and unparalleled consistency of use.
Commentary
on FDT/DTM vs. EDDL - This commentary is highlighting some observations
in the WIB test report T 2768 X 07 "FDT/DTM or EDDL for asset
management using FF technology" dated November 2007, usually left out
when referenced by the FDT Group. It also explains some misconceptions,
probably due to only one device having been verified.
EDDL
makes Working in the Field Easy - Field communicators have existed for
as long as intelligent devices. The early problem of plants having to
grapple with many different communicators was solved already in the mid
nineties by standard protocols like HART and Foundation fieldbus together
with the Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL, formerly just known
as DDL), an integral part of both technologies. A single universal field
communicator supports all instruments, an arsenal of many communicators is
no longer required.
Consistent
Look & Feel - EDDL makes Intelligent Device Management Software Humane
- When devices from multiple vendors were first integrated using bus
technologies there were difficulties accessing all device features and there
were difficulties to make full use of the features that could be accessed.
Many plants were not able to use the device management software part of
their asset management solutions to its full potential. A new concept was
required to achieve even greater results with digital bus technologies. The
new innovative solution to the problem was enhancements to an old technology
that has been an unnoticed part of leading digital bus technologies for over
fifteen years. This international standard, called EDDL (IEC 61804-3), with
enhancements, makes bus technologies come alive and easy to use in exactly
the same way the World Wide Web made the old Internet come alive and so easy
that anyone could use it. Systems based on EDDL with enhancements now make
maintaining intelligent devices very much easier for technicians and enable
digital bus technologies to be fully utilized to derive greater result for
the plant and there are no other means to achieve the same result. This
article will explain how consistent look & feel is achieved in spite of
each device manufacturer independently deciding display content any way they
like.
EDDL
Questions Answered - 20 FAQ questions about EDDL answered.
Keeping
Systems and Communicators Up-to-date using EDDL - Technical Paper -
Christian Diedrich, Jonas Berge, Ludwig Winkel and Terry Blevins -
Modern control systems as well as Device Management software and field
communicators use electronic device descriptions, EDD, to define the
interface and supported interactions with field devices for configuration,
diagnostics and calibration. Over the long life of plants, new device types
and versions keep getting added as part of replacements and modifications.
Thus, these systems and maintenance tools must accommodate many new types,
each generation also providing new features. For example, more than 1000
EDD’s are currently available from 85 different vendors. Also, many
manufacturers are currently updating their device descriptions to take
advantage of the visual enhancements recently introduced into the IEC61804-3
standard, Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL). Therefore, to
achieve the best results, the latest electronic device descriptions should
be used with your HART devices and Profibus and Foundation fieldbus devices.
From the FDT Group
ISA103
Field Device Tool Interface - The FDT Group is dedicated to providing
Open Access to Device Intelligence for the automation industry. Like other
information technologies, the FDT Group is looking forward to the evolution
of the FDT specification in response to the feedback from end users. The
ISA103 Field Device Tool Interface Committee was formed in 2006 to consider
the adoption of IEC 62453 Standard as an ISA Standard. In May 2009, the FDT
Group achieved a significant milestone when the IEC 62453 Standard was
unanimously accepted by the international standardization community.
Which
is Better? - Currently, two technologies are available for doing so: DD
(Device Descriptions) and its enhanced form eEDDL (enhanced Electronic
Device Description Language), and FDT (Field Device Tool). In order to
assess which approach delivers the best results, it was necessary to test
and compare their performance in practice.
Value
Proposition for FDT Technology Continues to Increase - Wil Chin and Paul
Miller - Even after achieving a significant milestone in 2009, IEC
62453 approval, the FDT Group’s efforts continues. Under its new
leadership, the FDT Group continues to move forward at an increasingly
faster pace as more suppliers and users alike embrace the technology.
FDT
Technology—What Are DTMs? - Annie Sisson - It has been recognized time
again that the ability to have open access to device intelligence is
essential to enhanced reliability and reduced start-up times. In the area of
industrial automation, FDT Technology provides this “open access” with a
device type manager (DTM). With DTMs, users can configure device parameters,
operate devices via a graphical interface and access advanced diagnostic
information from any location - thanks to Control Global
-
Flowmeter
Selection Strategies for Gas Measurement Applications
- In this second
installment of a two-part article, we address the topics typically covered
in a comprehensive gas flow measurement course. The following describes
common types of gas flowmeters and provides guidelines for their selection
and usage. It also discusses the influence of basic gas properties on meter
performance and examines methods and equipment for accurate calibration -
from www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
-
Flowmeter
Selection Strategies for Liquid Measurements - How to Choose the Right
Technology for Liquid Measurements - John Frederick - With so many
different flow measurement technologies available, optimal flowmeter
selection can be difficult and confusing. In an effort to provide some
valuable strategies to simplify the flowmeter selection process, here we
provide the first installment of a two-part article addressing flow
measurement. The article describes common types of liquid flowmeters and
provides guidelines for their selection and usage. It also discusses the
influence of fluid properties and installation effects on meter performance,
and examines methods and equipment for accurate calibration - from www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
-
Justifying
Fieldbus - This slideshow covers the benefits of fieldbus including
Fieldbus Savings from Physical Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance.
It also includes Multisensor Transmitters, Reduced CAPEX , Engineering and
Installation costs, Maintenance Benefits, Ease of Troubleshooting, Increased
Plant Availability along with examples. It is a super resource for an
engineer looking to justify a fieldbus project to their Management.
-
Typical
Instrument and Electrical Enclosure Specification Index - Although you
will need to "fill in" all the technical details, this typical
index does make sure that most requirements are covered.
-
Know
your Instrument and Electrical Enclosure - This
document details some pertinent design requirements for Instrument and
Electrical Enclosures.
-
ICEweb's Electrical and Instrumentation
Terminals pages have been upgraded thanks to our sponsor Weidmüller
and the following links added;
- Certification
of Termination Tools- Regular quality checks of Weidmüller processing
tools and the assemblies made with them guarantee optimum safety. In order
to keep it that way and to prevent possible machine stoppages during
production, regular maintenance and precise tool calibration is simply
indispensable. In order to receive a certified tool, customers have the
option of either returning an existing Weidmüller tool for
re-certification, or of purchasing a certified Weidmüller tool on
submitting a new order.
- Cutting
Tools - A large number of cables and conductors in many different types
and designs are used to connect electrical and electronic components. The
cables and wires must be accurately prepared for the various types of
connection. The quality of the cutting process is therefore of critical
importance. Mechanical efficiency together with the special cutting pattern
reduces the manual force required to a minimum.
- Stripping
Tools - After a conductor has been cut it is then prepared for the next
step or for crimping. For this purpose, a specific length of the conductor
insulation has to be removed, while preventing damage to the conductor. The
length of the conductor insulation to be removed depends on the terminal
clamping point or the crimp to be processed. Professional stripping tools
guarantee perfect results due to precise adjustment of the tool to the
corresponding insulation and the conductor cross-section. Precision tools by
Weidmüller guarantee that the user will always obtain consistent, reliable
stripping results. “Stripping” means the cutting and removal of the
insulation. The methods required to perform this task correctly are detailed
in this download.
- Crimping
Tools - After stripping, appropriate contacts or wire end
ferrules can be crimped to the cable end. Crimping produces a reliable
connection between conductor and contact, and has more or less completely
replaced soldering. Crimping describes the production of a uniform,
nondetachable connection between conductor and connecting element. This
should be achieved exclusively by the use of a high-quality precision tool.
The result is a safe, reliable connection in both electrical and mechanical
terms.
- Technical Appendix - Includes Connection systems, Definitions of the
various types, Materials – Insulating materials, Materials –
Metals, Standards, directives, terminology, General technical
information, Electrical data, Installation instructions, ATEX Modular
terminals for explosive conditions, ATEX directives, codes and
cross-connection instructions.
- Weidmüller FieldPower
Solution - Animation of Weidmüller FieldPower
Solution for Power Distribution along conveyor belts.
- Connection
Technologies for the World of Automation - In
today’s tough markets, cost-cutting has long since ceased to be a sufficient
means of remaining competitive. Developing ever
more compact components has become a crucial factor
for concepts to succeed. Weidmüller can help you to master this tricky task while
developing and producing automation systems by supplying
optimum solutions.
-
Q&A:
Corrosion Monitoring & Control - Michael I. McElroy - This is a
useful question and answer article - From www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
-
Plant
Safety Engineers take aim at a Wireless Future - Dr.Patrick Hogan -
Equipping the mobile worker with a personal gas monitor that not only can
monitor a range of hazardous gases, but also report the worker’s exact
location, continuously, in real time—over a wireless communications
grid—represents one small step forward for today’s control room
operator, yet one giant leap forward for plant safety - thanks to Honeywell
Analytics and HazardEx.
-
Extinguishing
is as Important as Detection - - Thanks to FireFly and ICEweb sponsor PROdetec,
this technical bulletin covers;
- Water Extinguishing - Different applications and problems of fire
require totally different types of water extinguishing methods. Large water
droplets with powerful full cone water spray is needed to penetrate material
flows in chutes or pneumatic conveying systems. For extinguishing of flames
in enclosed volumes or open areas, smaller droplet sizes are an advantage
due to their high evaporation rate, efficient heat absorption and its
ability to displace oxygen. Designing a superior extinguishing system is a
well-defined science.
- Isolation and Inerting - In some processes, gas may be more
suitable as an extinguishing agent. Carbon dioxide and nitrogen are
excellent extinguishing agents provided that the affected section of the
process can be isolated. This requires extremely fast acting valves.
- Diverting - Another extinguishing method used in the Firefly system
is mechanical diverting. When an ignition source has been detected, a divert
valve is opened which redirects the material flow out of the process line.
The process itself need not even be stopped.
- Steam Extinquishing - The choice of extinguishing agent is
generally determined by the products handled in the process. Another factor
is the availability of an extinguishing agent.
-
Detection Down to the Right Temperature - The
detector is of vital importance in a preventative protection system. Firefly has
a unique position in the market for detecting ignition sources in different
applications. The Firefly technology detects dangerous particles, flames and are
designed to minimise the risk of false alarms. All fires and dust explosions
have an ignition sequence. An effective means of protection is to neutralize the
small amounts of energy (ignition sources) before they manage to ignite the fine
particles - Thanks to FireFly and ICEweb sponsor PROdetec.
-
How
to Protect Industrial Processes from Fire and Dust Explosions - Anything
that has been transformed into fine particles can explode. Unfortunately,
all too often it does. - Every year, many serious fires and explosions occur
in industrial plants as a result of dust. Yes, dust. Fine inflammable
material is explosive! The statistics speak for themselves. Dust explosions
lead to considerable material damage and long production shutdowns. Every
year there are also accidents with fatal consequences - Thanks to FireFly
and ICEweb sponsor PROdetec.
-
How
to Ask for a Salary Increase - Steve Mackay - IDC
Technologies -One thing that we as engineering professionals tend to shy
away from, is asking for a raise or an increase in fees for services we
deliver to clients. Engineers and technicians tend to enjoy and focus on the
engineering and technical issues and generally get short changed on their
fees and salaries. We get enormous satisfaction from doing technical things
but contemplating our fee or hourly rate is often considered demeaning and
unprofessional (and indeed for most of us, it can be somewhat boring).
However, there does come a time when you need to consider the fact that you
may be underpaid. Even in tough times, you may be making an incredible
contribution to your company’s success or providing a client with some
incredible value in terms of service.
-
Foundation
Fieldbus Parameter Search (βeta) - "Taking the Frustration out of
Foundation" - As a systems engineer working primarily with
Foundation Fieldbus devices, it was evident that there was a lack of
information available describing the numerous parameters and functionality.
ffsearch.org is a solution to this. Starting out as a repository for all
parameters, ffsearch enables the searching of any parameter displaying
manufacture provided information.
-
Circle
Seal Controls Corrosion Resistance Guide - This is
a very useful tool.
-
Engineering
Data pertinent to Instrument Fittings and Valves - A very useful
document which Includes Definitions, Liquid Flow Cv Equation, Gas Flow Cv
Equation - Subsonic Flow, Chemical Resistance Chart, Industrial - Aerospace
and Military Fluids, Technical and Special Properties of commonly used
'O' Rings, Conversions, Comparison of Leakage Rates in Various Units,
Typical Specific Gravities and Specific Inherent Hazards on Oxygen Service -
from Circle Seal.
-
Video
- Approved Methods for Gyrolok Initial Assembly and Remake - This
excellent Gyrolok Installation Training video is a "must view"
prior to attempting to install or remake Gyrolok Instrument Fittings.
-
Accurate
Liquid Phase Density on Aerated Liquid - Dan
Gysling and Doug Loose - Density is one of the most widely used
composition-based measurements in industrial process control. However, it is
well recognized that the presence of small, but unknown levels of entrained
gases can mask the density of the non-aerated component of a process
mixture, resulting in an inaccurate determination of process fluid density -
from Sonartrac
-
Road
Tanker Earthing - The loading and unloading of road tankers with
flammable and combustible products, presents one of the most serious fire
and explosion risks for site operations within the hazardous process
industries. A study conducted by the API in 1967 identified static
discharges as being responsible for over 60 incidents in road tanker loading
operations and demonstrates just how long this potential threat has been
acknowledged. The natural presence of static electricity in product transfer
operations, combined with its associated ignition hazards, ensures that
regulators take static control precautions for road tankers very seriously -
from Newson Gale.
-
Don't
Gamble with Control Safety and Reliability - Understand the benefits and
limitations of safety instrumented systems - Arthur Zatarain - As a wise
singer once crooned, you have to “know when to hold ’em and know when to
fold ’em.” But Kenny “The Gambler” Rogers merely had to beat
long-shot odds to win at his game. Outside the casino, designers of
industrial control systems don’t have the luxury of being right only 51%
of the time. For many manufacturing and process systems, a control system
failure — even for a second — simply isn’t an option. Hence, it’s
important that control systems deliver safe and reliable performance, even
when things go wrong - from PlantServices.com.
-
ICEweb's HART
page has been reworked to include numerous new technical links.
-
Reading
HART Data into Non-HART Systems - Many HART products are
able to perform more than one measurement or output function (e.g., make
multiple process measurements, calculate process information, and provide
positioner feedback information). All of this information can be easily
accessed digitally. However, existing controllers or interface equipment may
not have the ability to read digital HART data. Products are available that
can read HART digital signals and convert them to analog (4-20mA) and alarm
trip (contact closure) information, which enables any traditional analog
control system to take full advantage of the benefits of HART- communicating
devices. From our
valued sponsor Moore
Industries-Pacific, Inc.
-
OPC
UA Compliance Test Tool (UACTT) - Learn how to
very quickly setup and configure the OPC UACTT to connect to an OPC UA
Server or OPC UA Client for compliance testing.
-
Entrained
Gas Handling in Micro Motion® Coriolis Flowmeters - Tim Patten - This
white paper discusses the measurement problems caused by process fluids that
contain bubbles of air or other gas, and describes how Micro Motion® sensor
and transmitter technology can be used to overcome those problems. It also
presents suggestions for minimising measurement problems by improving
application design - From Emerson Process Management
-
How
New Low-Power Solenoid Valve Technology Changes The Game - Fabio Okada,
Jack Haller, and Manny Arceo - Process plants worldwide often place
considerable reliance on low-power solenoid valves. They are used as pilot
valves to open and close larger ball or butterfly valves, or on control
valves (installed between positioner and actuator) for fail-safe air release
if there’s a loss of power. They work by pressurizing or depressurizing
associated actuators. A new generation of even lower-power valves is now
changing the rules of the power consumption game. These products are of
interest to designers working for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
and valve assemblers, as well as for end-user engineers anyone who specifies
solenoid valves for projects in refining, upstream oil and gas, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals and life sciences, food and beverage, and power. This report
taps the expertise of manufacturers at the forefront of low-power solenoid
valve technology. It shows how innovation is offering new possibilities —
and challenges — via topics such as integrated solutions, clogging and
other reliability issues, usefulness in point to point and bus networks,
other cost savings, remote applications, and relevant industry standards.
Finally, it suggests which characteristics buyers should seek out in
selecting the newest — and most consistently dependable — low-power
valve technologies
-
How
New Lead-Free Regulations Will Impact Your Selection Of Potable Water Valves
- Paola Gutierrez - Recent legislation in several states has tightened
regulation of lead content in the components of potable (drinkable) water
treatment systems. Other states may well be considering similar moves. This
pace of regulation seems unlikely to slacken. The message from regulators is
clear: Get the lead out. However, what options are open to construction end
users and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of these systems?
Construction managers don’t make the equipment they install. And OEMs
often assemble most of their systems from already manufactured components.
Of compliant components they can specify, which currently meet their
requirements for price, reliability, and performance? This report examines
the choices facing specifiers and purchasers of small solenoid valves for
potable water systems. It weighs the advantage and disadvantages of brass,
plastic, and stainless steel designs. Finally, it suggests the solutions
that smart planners should consider for current and future use.
-
Functional
Safety Solutions for the Process Control Industry - ASCO solenoid pilot
valves are an integral part of the final control element for any safety
instrumented system (SIS) or critical application. ASCO offers 3 solenoid
pilot valve solutions that are widely used in the process control industry;
individual 3-way pilot valves, manual reset valves, and redundant pilot
valve systems. Each of these solutions are proven in use as a pilot valve in
critical applications and in safety instrumented systems. Certified pilot
valves per IEC 61508 Parts 1 and 2 are rated SIL3 capable for domestic and
international markets (ATEX). ASCO understands the need to keep your process
running, but also understands that the process must shut down when
commanded.
- Frequently
Asked Questions about Solenoid Valves - Have a question regarding
solenoid valves? This excellent resource may well have the answer.
- Need
Solenoid Valve Information? - This
website a comprehensive source of solenoid valve information Direct-acting,
semi-direct acting, pilot-operated, pinching-type, latching-type, normally
open, and normally closed valves are all different types (or sub-types) of
solenoid valves. Knowing the basics about each type will help you to choose
the correct one for your application.
-
Signal
Isolators, Converters and Interfaces: The “Ins” and “Outs” -
whether you call them signal isolators, signal converters or signal
interfaces, these useful process instruments solve important ground loop and
signal conversion challenges everyday. Just as important, they are called
upon to do a whole lot more. They can be used to share, split, boost,
protect, step down, linearize and even digitize process signals. This guide
will tell you many of the important ways signal isolators, converters and
interfaces can be used, and what to look for when specifying one - from our
sponsor Moore
Industries
-
Immersive
Virtual Reality Plant - A Comprehensive Plant-Crew Training Solution
Improves Process Reliability and Safety - Capital-intensive industries
face the challenge of replacing an aging workforce with a computer-savvy,
gaming generation over the next five years. Industries such as oil and gas,
refining and power companies must institutionalize their workforce knowledge
in efficient and effective ways. Leveraging virtual reality (VR) models to
improve time-to-competency in critical areas such as safety and environment
protection systems, knowledge and performance training, and reliability
provides a vehicle to rapidly train this new workforce in ways that align
with their interests and skills. Today, with continuing advances in hardware
and software techniques, VR is viewed as the best aid to improving
multimedia training, process design, maintenance and safety, which are
currently based around conventional 2-dimensional (2-D) equipment views -
from Invensys.
-
Securing
Your OPC Classic Control System - Thomas Burke and Eric J.
Byres - OPC Classic is a software interface technology used to
facilitate the transfer of data between different industrial control
systems. It is widely used to interconnect Human Machine Interface (HMI)
workstations, data historians and other hosts on the control network with
enterprise databases, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and other
business-oriented software. Unfortunately, securely deploying OPC Classic
has proven to be a challenge. This white paper describes two independent
techniques for ensuring strong security in systems using OPC Classic
technology. This first creates zone-based defenses using OPC-aware
firewalls. The second takes advantages of improvement in the Windows
operating system to managing OPC accounts and permissions. Both security
techniques are available and proven for use in today’s control systems.
-
ICEweb's Emergency
Shutdown and Blowdown ESD Valve page has been extensively upgraded
thanks to our sponsor Metso
Automation. New technical links include;
- Atmospheric
Distillation ESD Valves - Atmospheric distillation is the first major
process in a refinery. All crude oil entering the refinery, after desalting,
passes through the atmospheric distillation column on it’s way to further
processing in down stream process units. If there is a shut down of the
atmospheric distillation column it means that the entire rerfinery is
essentially shut down. The ESD valves are located at the bottom of the
atmospheric distillation column and are typically arranged as two valves in
parallel piping. The fluid passing through the valves is refered to as heavy
bottoms. This fluid is the heaviest cut of a hydrocarbon attainable by
atmospheric distillation. The heavy bottoms pass through the ESD valves on
their way to the vacuum distillation column for further processing. The ESD
valves are used in the normally open condition and are expected to function
reliably throughout long process runs, typically four (4) to five (5) years
between shut downs.
- Oil
Refinery and Other Units Processing Hydrocarbons - ESD valves with High
Integrity Level - There are fire and explosion risks in the units
processing flammable hydrocarbons in case the fluid comes in contact with
the atmosphere. If there are high- and low-pressure sections in the plants
like e.g. in refinery HDS (hydro desulphurisation) units, the low-pressure
side has to be protected against high pressure in case of control failure.
Traditionally the number of emergency shut-off valves (ESD) in the process
lines in a refinery is not very high. With Neles ValvGuard’s partial
stroke testing functionality the ESD valves are automatically diagnosed for
their operability while the plant is in operation. With this technology
general plant safety can be improved in a cost effective way.
- Reliable
ESD Valves in Tower Bottom Lines in Heavy Oil Units - Besides
fired heaters, the distillation tower bottom areas are the most fire-risky
places in a refinery. When the question is of residual oils, high oil
temperature, coke formation, sulphur corrosion and possible particles in the
oil make the conditions even more severe. Neles metal-seated ball valve with
its constructional features and the Neles ValvGuard, partial stroke testing
system, used to keep the valves under continuous watch are helping to
minimize the fire risks in these areas.
- What
You Need To Know About Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and Partial-Stroke
Testing of ESD Valves - A useful document providing an overview of SIS
and Partial stroke testing.
- The
Value of Safety Valves - Juha Yli -Petä ys - Safety valves are the most
important components in the safety loop (sensor, safety logic and final
element), because most of the problems that occur are related to the
functionality of the final element. It is important to remember that these
elements are moving mechanical devices, which operate in very difficult
environmental conditions. This makes the need for regular valve testing and
for testing while the process is running absolutely essential.
- Increased
Reliability and Safety at Czech Refinery through Partnership in Valve
Maintenance - Karel Dvorak and Niko Aunio- In the past, Česká
Rafinérská’s strategy has been to carry out turnarounds every four
years. This was the first time that the interval was extended to 5 years.
After 9 years of operation, some problems were expected, however, on this
occasion Česká Rafinérská’s approach was different from that
adopted for the previous turnaround. The control valve scope was reduced and
the on/off valve scope increased to include overhaul testing based on the
SIL classifications. The Metso field survey and Neles ND9000 diagnostics
formed the basis for the valve turnaround planning.
-
Control
Valve Experience with FF Technology - at major Chinese petrochemical
plant CSPC, a joint venture between the China National Offshore Oil
Corporation (CNOOC) and Shell, is one of the largest petrochemical projects
launched in the world in recent years. When production started in Nanhai
early in 2006, the project was the biggest installation utilizing Foundation
Fieldbus (FF) technology in process control and field instrumentation. The
main reason for FF technology to be selected for the CSPC Nanhai project was
its ability to provide a proactive approach to instrument maintenance. This
is due to the fact that FF allows much more data to be transferred between
field instruments and the host system compared with HART technology, for
example. FF devices transmit information about an instrument’s condition
before it actually needs maintenance or, obviously, when an instrument has
an actual problem, as well as providing detailed diagnostic information
about the nature of the problem. CSPC’s petrochemical plant is an early
and successful example of adaptation to a new technology. CSPC uses
diagnostic information from the intelligent FF valve controllers daily.
-
The controlguru Doug Cooper has created an Excellent
Practical Process Control e-Textbook which covers a swag of control related
subjects including;-
Fundamental Principles of Process Control - Motivation and Terminology of
Automatic Process Control - The components of a Control Loop, Process Data -
Dynamic Modeling and a Recipe for Profitable Control and Sample Time Impacts
Controller Performance.
PID Controller Design and Tuning
- Process
Control Preliminaries - Design and Tuning Recipe Must Consider Nonlinear Process
Behaviour - A Controller’s “Process” Goes From Wire Out to Wire In - The
Normal or Standard PID Algorithm - Proportional Control - The
Simplest PID Controller - Caution: Pay Attention to Units and
Scaling - Controller Gain is Dimensionless in Commercial Systems - Integral
Action and PI Control - The challenge of Interacting Tuning Parameters, Integral
(Reset) Windup, Jacketing Logic and the Velocity PI Form - Derivative Action and
PID Control - PID Control and Derivative on Measurement - The Chaos of
Commercial PID Control - Measurement Noise Degrades Derivative Action
- Signal Filters and the
PID with Controller Output Filter Algorithm - Using Signal Filters In
Our PID Loop -PID with Controller Output
(CO) Filter
Additional PID Design and Tuning Concepts -
Exploring Deeper: Sample Time, Parameter Scheduling, Plant-Wide Control - Sample
Time is a Fundamental Design and Tuning Specification, Parameter Scheduling and
Adaptive Control of Nonlinear Processes and Plant-Wide Control requires a strong
PID Foundation - Controller Tuning Using Closed-Loop (Automatic Mode) Data -
Ziegler-Nichols Closed-Loop Method a Poor Choice for Production Processes,
Controller Tuning Using Set Point Driven Data, and Do Not Use Disturbance
Driven Data for Controller Tuning
- Evaluating Controller Performance - Comparing Controller Performance Using
Response Plot Data
Control of Integrating Processes (by Doug Cooper
& Bob Rice) - Integrating (Non-Self Regulating) Processes -
Recognising Integrating (Non-Self Regulating) Process Behaviour, A Design and
Tuning Recipe for Integrating Processes, Analysing Pumped Tank Dynamics with a
FOPDT Integrating Model and PI Control of the Integrating Pumped Tank Process.
Advanced Classical Control Architectures (by Doug Cooper & Allen
Houtz) - Cascade Control For Improved Disturbance Rejection - The Cascade
Control Architecture, An Implementation Recipe for Cascade Control
- Feed Forward with Feedback Trim For Improved Disturbance Rejection - The
Feed Forward Controller - Feed Forward Uses Models Within the Controller
Architecture,- Static Feed Forward and Disturbance Rejection in the Jacketed
Reactor
- Ratio, Override and Cross-Limiting Control -The Ratio Control
Architecture, Ratio Control and Metered-Air Combustion Processes, Override
(Select) Elements and their use in Ratio Control and Ratio with Cross-Limiting
Override Control of a Combustion Process
- Cascade, Feed Forward and Three-Element Control - Cascade, Feed Forward and
Steam Boiler Level Control, Dynamic Shrink/Swell and Steam Boiler Level Control
Process Applications in Control - Distillation Column Control (by
Jim Riggs) - Introduction to Distillation Column Control, Major
Disturbances & First-Level Distillation Column Control, Inferential
Temperature & Single-Ended Column Control, Dual Composition Control and
Constraint Distillation Column Control
- Discrete Time Modeling of Dynamic Systems (by Peter Nachtwey) -
A Discrete Time Linear Model of the Heat Exchanger
- Fuzzy Logic and Process Control (by Fred Thomassom) - Envelope
Optimization and Control Using Fuzzy Logic
-
Fuzzy
Control System - Fuzzy logic is widely used in machine control. The term
itself inspires a certain skepticism, sounding equivalent to
"half-baked logic" or "bogus logic", but the
"fuzzy" part does not refer to a lack of rigour in the method,
rather to the fact that the logic involved can deal with fuzzy
concepts—concepts that cannot be expressed as "true" or
"false" but rather as "partially true". Although genetic
algorithms and neural networks can perform just as well as fuzzy logic in
many cases , fuzzy logic has the advantage that the solution to the problem
can be cast in terms that human operators can understand, so that their
experience can be used in the design of the controller. This makes it easier
to mechanize tasks that are already successfully performed by humans - from
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
-
Primer
on Programmable Controllers - Thomas A. Hughes - A useful introduction
to PLCs which details basic components, I/O System & Structure along
with Input & Output Types - from ISA and InTech.
-
Communicate:
Avoid Assumptions like the Plague - Michael Whitt - There are certain
design tasks and group interactions key to the development of a computerized
process control system. Systems integration (SI) represents a vast category
in that development, and it includes software development, data
communications, and operability issues - from ISA and InTech.
-
No
Contact Means Ultra Level Measurement
- In level-measuring applications where it’s undesirable to have
contact of the measuring instrument with the liquid in the process, a sonic
or ultrasonic device may be an option. These types of level-measurement
instruments really measure the distance from one point in the vessel
(usually a reference point) to the level interface with another fluid. The
general operating principle of both sonic and ultrasonic devices is similar
- from ISA and InTech
-
Walking
the Fine Line - Scott Sommer and Christopher Russell - Systems
integration is tough work. Often we implement someone else’s design to the
complete satisfaction of the owner. Every project produces a list of
lessons; the challenge after completing the project is to learn from those
lessons and avoid repeating the same mistakes. We have compiled 25 lessons
in hopes that systems integrators, end users, and managers alike will not
only gain respect for the role of systems integration in industrial project
execution, but also avoid pitfalls and errors that keep a good project from
becoming an excellent one - from ISA and InTech
-
The
DCS as Enabling Platform -Andy M Smith and Martin
Davis - Justifying the decision to invest in a new or upgraded control
system is always going to be difficult. This paper explains how a more
compelling business case can be made by regarding the modern Distributed
Control System (DCS) as an enabling platform with a proven ability to reduce
the cost of future projects by orders of magnitude. Also detailed is a
replacement project that used such a benefit case, of the inherent
capability of a modern DCS, to gain a business sanction - From our sponsor Emerson
Process Management
-
Performance
Monitoring of an Offshore Gas Compressor - Lauren Neal - Offshore
equipment is monitored to prevent any unnecessary downtime but unfortunately
for some, such as compressors, there is a lack of effective monitoring. This
is critical because, along with the gas turbine, it is the highest cost
offshore item in terms of capital and operational expenditure but is the
least technically and operationally understood. Monitoring an important item
of equipment such as a compressor is essential as it can be difficult to
obtain replacement parts or units if a failure was to occur. Adopting a
preventative maintenance strategy with regard to compressor monitoring can
prevent downtime costs from arising before failures occur or shutdown is
mandatory. A common cause of compressor downtime is a fault with the
bearings. This initiated an investigation to analyse the bearings of an
offshore gas compressor, using statistical modelling techniques, with the
view of predicting failures and therefore reducing unplanned downtime - from
Matrikon
-
Enhancing
Oilfield Operations through Wireless Technology -Ed Morrison -
Advancement in directional drilling technology has changed the way oil and
gas production companies design and manage well locations and associated
well site automation. Multiple wells require multiple production tanks.
Environmental concerns and increasing regulation over hydrocarbon fluids
stored in remote tanks require production companies to redefine or find new
ways of automating wellhead control to prevent tank spills. The next
generation of wireless monitoring and control products provide sophisticated
monitoring capabilities and fail safe networks to address these needs.
Whether automating field locations with a single well, multiple wells or
remote facilities, wireless monitoring and control systems offer many
advantages over hard wired systems - from O&G and OleumTech Corporation.
-
Replacement
of SIS Logic Solvers Whilst the Process Remains Operational - Clive
Timms - With increasing global demand for oil and gas driving prices higher
and higher, the focus of oil and gas producers is to maintain and maximise
production from every available facility. Older unreliable facilities are
being upgraded and this often includes the replacement of Safety
Instrumented Systems (SIS) such as emergency shutdown (ESD) systems, process
shutdown (PSD) systems, Emergency Depressurisation (EDP) systems and fire
and gas (F&G) systems due to obsolescence or reliability issues.
Traditionally, the replacement of such safety critical systems is undertaken
during a plant shutdown opportunity to ensure that process integrity was
maintained and the replacement systems could be fully commissioned and
validated without the presence of the process hazards. However, in this era
of high oil and gas demand we are now seeing more and more SIS replacement
projects being undertaken whilst the process is still fully operational, and
thiscan lead to potential compromises during commissioning and validation of
functionality - from C&C Technical Support Services and silsupport.com.
-
IEC
61511 – An Aid to COMAH and Safety Case Regulations Compliance -
CliveTimms - The paper focuses on the relationship between hazards and
Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) that automatically shut down processes
operations, when an abnormal situation is encountered, to prevent a
hazardous event or mitigate the consequences of a hazardous event if it
occurs (see section - Safety Instrumented Systems). Thus a SIS will
represent an integral part of an SMS to reduce the risk of major accident
hazards or mitigate the consequences - from Asset
Integrity Management Ltd.
-
The
ABB Guide to Fast pH Measurement - Used for a host of applications
across a variety of industries, getting the best from pH equipment requires
consideration of a range of factors to achieve optimum efficiency and cost
effectiveness.
-
Choosing
the Right Temperature Sensor - Mick Carolan - Temperature sensors are an
effective way to measure temperature, but which should you use, and for
which application? Thanks to www.pacetoday.com.au
-
Warning on Air Receivers - WorkSafe
Victoria has released new guidance focussing on the safety risks associated
with air receivers - a type of pressure vessel used to store compressed
air for large demands greater than a compressor's capacity. WorkSafe
director Ross Pilkington says air receivers have the potential to seriously
hurt people and damage property if they were not properly installed or
maintained. There have been serious incidents involving air receivers
exploding in Victorian workplaces - and it has only been good luck that no
one was working near them at the time. Employers with air receivers
must ensure they are properly maintained to reduce the risk of explosion or
fire. The handbook 'Working safely with air receivers' is aimed at improving
awareness of the risks associated with air receivers, and explaining ways to
eliminate and reduce those risks.
-
Guide
to Low Resistance Measurement - The measurement of very large or very
small quantities is always difficult, and resistance measurement is no
exception. Values above 1GΩ and values below 1Ω both present
measurement problems. Cropico is a world leader in low resistance
measurement; we produce a comprehensive range of low resistance ohmmeters
and accessories which cover most measurement applications. This handbook
gives an overview of low resistance measurement techniques, explains common
causes of errors and how to avoid them. Also included are useful tables of
wire and cable characteristics, temperature coefficients and various
formulas to ensure you make the best possible choice when selecting your
measuring instrument and measurement technique - from Cropico
-
Oxygen
Measurement for Combustion Optimisation -
Combustion optimisation for boilers and other combustion processes has long
been an important issue with increasing fuel prices. There are many end
users in Australia with fuel bills in excess of one million dollars. With
typical costs of combustion optimisation systems, and possible fuel savings
in excess of 5%, pay-back periods can be very short. This economy is based
primarily on the measurement of oxygen in the flue gas - from www.processonline.com.au
-
Where
Did All the People Go? The New Case for Condition Monitoring - Not so
long ago the main reason companies monitored equipment condition was to
reduce direct maintenance expenses. Condition Monitoring (CM) and its
logical extension, Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM), served them well by
identifying impending failures early enough to avoid costly repairs and
reducing downtime by only performing maintenance when required - from www.automation.com
-
Integrating
Control and Safety – Where to Draw the Line? - Robin McCrea-Steele -
New digital technology now makes it feasible to integrate process control
and safety instrumented functions within a common automation infrastructure.
While this can provide productivity and asset management benefits, if not
done correctly, it can also compromise the safety and security of an
industrial operation. Cyber-security and sabotage vulnerability further
accentuate the need for securing the Safety Instrumented System (SIS) - From
the Safety Users Group.
-
Selecting
Transmitters for Safety Instrumented Systems - Stephen R. Brown and Mark
Menezes - Users design safety systems to mitigate the risk of
identified process hazards within tolerable levels, using
application-specific risk models, defined user inspection schedules, and
safety data for the devices under consideration. Some suppliers provide
safety data for their devices. However, supplier data, even when validated
by a third party, reflects laboratory results, and can be an order of
magnitude too aggressive for field devices. “Proven-in-use” data
includes real-world failure causes; however it tends to be conservative,
since it must cover the whole range of the category, from 20-year-old
pneumatics to the latest smart technology. Moreover, proven-in-use data is
often aggregated for a given technology: for example, “pressure
transmitter = dangerous failure rate of once in 50 years”. This aggregate
data often does not isolate failure causes, so it does not allow users to
take credit for improvements in technology or user practices intended to
minimize the impact of specific failures. The net result to the user can be
over design, over-testing, increased spurious trips and needless capital
expenditures - from IDC
-
Mounting
Evidence that Carbon Nanotubes May be the New Asbestos
- Carbon nanotubes – thin, hollow cylinders made of carbon atoms – look
very much like asbestos. In 2004, the United Kingdom’s Royal Society and
risk specialists at the world’s second largest reinsurance agent Swiss Re
warned that once in our lungs, nanotubes may also behave like asbestos.
Since then, a series of experiments have demonstrated that when introduced
into the lungs of rodents, carbon nanotubes cause inflammation, granuloma
development, fibrosis, artery ‘plaque’ responsible for heart attacks and
DNA damage. Two independent studies have shown that carbon nanotubes can
also cause the onset of mesothelioma – cancer previously thought to be
only associated with asbestos exposure. Unfortunately, despite mounting
evidence of the asbestos-like dangers of carbon nanotubes, their commercial
use is also growing rapidly – in sports goods, car and aeroplane parts,
reinforced plastics and electronics- from Friends of the Earth Australia.
-
Understanding
Steam Flow Meters - Steam flow measurement is
important in this context because steam is widely used as a source of power
in the production of electricity. As the costs of energy rise, many
companies are looking to increase efficiencies in their energy and power
generation. As a result, more attention is being paid to steam flow
measurement - Thanks to Chemical Professionals.
-
Using
Meters to Measure Steam Flow - Jesse Yoder - When people hear about
fluid measurement, they usually think of checking either liquid or gas flow.
This belief is natural, since about 90% of fluid measurements are for these
two applications. In a worldwide survey of flowmeter users, 68% measured
liquids, 22% gas, and only 10% steam. While 10% may not seem like a large
percentage, it represents a significant number of measurements. Many
companies measure steam for purposes of internal custody transfer and for
utility applications in power generation and chemical plants - from www.flowresearch.com
and Automation Research Corp
-
Behind
the Scenes of Steam Flow Measurement - Jesse Yoder - Steam, or vaporized
water, is an important part of our daily lives. It is easy enough to
experience steam; simply boiling water will produce it. But steam has
equally important uses as a source of power for ships, in paper production,
and for cooling and heating buildings. Probably the most important use of
steam is as a source of power in electricity production. Steam is difficult
to measure accurately, mainly because of its sensitivity to changes in
temperature and pressure. Steam is often classified into three types, which
reflect the different pressure and temperature conditions that steam is
subject to - from ISA and InTech
-
Equipment,
Don't Fail Me Now - Calculating failure
probabilities works better with systematic approach - Peter Morgan -
Specialists in control and instrumentation were once
confident to rely on their own experience and good design practice to design
protection systems. Now they must adhere to a quantitative approach to
designing systems deemed safety systems. Even the ubiquitous burner
management system (BMS) is by virtue of its function, a safety instrumented
system (SIS), and you should design it according to ISA 84.01 as well as the
applicable National Fire Protection Agency standard. One
step in this approach is calculating the target probability of failure on
demand (PFD) for the system - From ISA and InTech
-
The
Drive for Harmonic Balance - Peter Tomazic - The presence of harmonics
can drastically alter the quality of the power provided to electrical
systems and may affect equipment on that supply. this paper explains how
harmonics are generated, why they are a problem and discusses various
engineered solutions that can mitigate their effects - Thanks also to www.processonline.com.au
-
Ceramic
Sensors Perform well in Tough Applications - John
Van Nostrand and Ravi Jethra - The purpose of this paper is to: facilitate
the advantages of selecting ceramic pressure measuring cells in applications
where plant operations and maintenance personnel may realize optimum process
performance and stability through the use of ceramic pressure sensors.
Identify and demonstrate the inherent problems of using metal diaphragm
pressure cells particularly in vacuum and chemical service. Bring awareness
of enhanced performance and stability in pressure measurement to plant
maintenance, quality assurance and operations personnel in order to improve
their operation and the bottom line - from Endress+Hauser
-
Temperature
Measurement and Calibration: what every Instrument Technician should know
- Temperature may be the most commonly measured physical parameter. Yet
there have never been so many ways to measure it as there are today. With so
many options it’s natural to have a few questions. How do I measure
temperature? How accurate is my measurement? What temperature range is
required? What type of device best measures temperature? These are very
common questions when confronted with the need to measure temperature. A
variety of measurement devices may be used for temperature: liquid in glass
thermometers (LIG), thermocouples (TCs), thermistors, resistance temperature
detectors (RTDs), platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs) and standard
platinum resistance thermometers (SPRTs) - Thanks to Fluke and www.processonline.com.au
-
Continuous
Emission Monitoring - C B Daw - The requirements for continuous emission
monitors has changed significantly over the last ten years. This has been
brought about by the increase in use of flue gas treatment systems, reducing
the levels of pollutant to be monitored, and Environmental Agencies
worldwide requiring smaller processes to be monitored. The Environmental
Agencies have insisted that continuous emission monitors meet more stringent
specifications, including repeatability and the capability to be fully
challenged to demonstrate compliance. In addition, reporting regimes
necessitate maximum availability. Pressure from the market place also
requires the modern CEM system to have a low cost of ownership, which, in
effect, means that high reliability must be a design criteria. There are
many applications for continuous emission monitors, covering a variety of
industries.The specification of the CEM system will depend on, not only the
type of process, but also the pollutant gases that are required to be
measured. The choice of the CEM system will depend on many factors,
including the monitoring and reporting requirements of the local
Environmental Authority - from Group Instrumentation
-
WirelessHart
Signals a Change at Plants - Gareth Johnston and
Alan Munns - Wireless technology is so much a part of our lives that we use
words like "Blue Tooth" and "WiFi" systems with
confidence and familiarity. So why has it taken so long for industry to take
adavantage of the benefits a wireless connection can offer? - from ABB
-
Online
Moisture Analysis in Materials Handling - Graeme McGown - Moisture
analysis during materials handling and processing presents a number of
challenges that can be solved with appropriate use of online techniques -
from Intalysis and www.processonline.com.au
-
Power
over Ethernet Switches for Industrial Networking -
Alvis Chen - This white paper introduces the basics of PoE technology and
the new 802.3at standard, followed by a discussion on the required functions
and benefits of adopting PoE switches for industrial networking - from Moxa
and Leadwise
-
Open
Asset Management with FDT: the Core of a ‘Smart’ Process Plant -
Field Device Type (FDT) technology remains one of the automation
industry’s best-kept secrets. In spite of this, it is rapidly gaining
market acceptance by simplifying the digital communication between a
plant’s field devices and its control environment. It is at the heart of a
‘smart’ plant’s IT infrastructure and can deliver major cost savings
to the plant’s operations - from www.processonline.com.au
