Control System World

Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announces that Shell has awarded the company a 5-year enterprise framework agreement for engineering and project management services for Shell’s downstream, and potentially, upstream onshore projects in Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EAME). Under terms of this agreement, Fluor will provide design, project and construction management, home-office and site-based engineering services.

“This new enterprise framework agreement with Shell for the EAME region demonstrates Fluor’s alignment with Shell’s global strategy,” said Peter Oosterveer, president of Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals Group.

The agreement includes an option to be extended for another five years and opportunities to include Shell’s upstream projects and other geographic regions.

Fluor is currently working on Shell projects in Malaysia, the Philippines and Canada. Fluor also provides operations and maintenance services at Shell sites in Australia, Qatar, Russia and the Netherlands.

This Technical Guide provides advice on the safe handling of electrical equipment that has been exposed to water. Outlines items that will require complete replacement or that can be reconditioned by a trained professional. Equipment covered includes electrical distribution equipment, motor circuits, power equipment, transformers, wire, cable and flexible cords, wiring devices, GFCIs and surge protectors, lighting fixtures and ballasts, motors and electronic products.

Download your Free Technical Guide from NEMA

The CPT is one of the versatile products offered by Moore Industries, serving as both a PC-Programmable temperature transmitter and a signal isolator/converter. If you need to monitor temperature using a Type J Thermocouple and provide two temperature-related outputs:

- An isolated 0 to 20mA (or 4-20mA) signal corresponding to the temperature range being measured, so that all 20mA covers the full span of degrees

- A separate isolated voltage output that precisely duplicated the actual thermocouple signal in millivolts

The proposed solution to the customer’s needs involved utilizing both the HLPRG Analog (current/voltage) and TPRG Sensor (RTD/thermocouple) input models of the CPT. The TPRG input model can be programmed for a Type J Thermocouple so that a specified 0 to 20mA output covers the desired temperatures if the entire temperature span of the thermocouple is not used. This provides excellent resolution over the desired temperature range.

The HLPRG input model provides the separate isolated voltage signal. Using the input signal from the CPT TPRG model and a 0 to 10Vdc output, the HLPRG can be programmed using published “Type J to Millivolt” charts and the CPT’s “Custom Curve” feature to convert current input values to volt output values. Since the CPT outputs only 0 to 10Vdc, no minus voltages are directly available. If the desired Type J Thermocouple is measuring temperatures below freezing, the programmer needs to add an offset to bring all the output voltages above zero volts. In addition, thermocouples are always in the microvolt to millivolt range, so adding an external voltage divider can drop the CPT voltage output into millivolt levels.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has announced the release of two new product series, the GX panel-mounted paperless recorders and the GP portable paperless recorders. These are components of SMARTDAC+™, a newly developed next-generation data acquisition and control system with excellent operability and expandability. The GX20 will be released on October 31, and this will be followed by the GX10, GP20, and GP10 in late January.

Development Background:

Recorders are used on production lines and in R&D units in a variety of industries to acquire, display, and record data such as temperature, voltage, current, flow rate, and pressure. Yokogawa has long been one of the world’s leading recorder vendors. Two major trends in the recorder market are a shift from paper to digital recording systems and the proliferation of computer networks, allowing all the data stored in recording devices to be centrally managed and monitored, no matter where they may be located.

With the recent significant improvements in the user interfaces of tablets, smartphones, and other mobile terminals, users have been calling for similar enhancements to be made with recorders and other industrial instruments to improve ease of use. There is also a need for I/O modules that will enable the flexible configuration of recorders for different applications, and a need to improve network connectivity.

The GX series panel-mounted paperless recorders and GP series portable paperless recorders for Yokogawa's SMARTDAC+ data acquisition and control system meet all these needs with features such as an easy to use operator interface like those found in the latest handheld terminals, flexible configuration, and excellent system expandability. The GX and GP series devices are the first products to be released for the SMARTDAC+ system.

Product Features:

• Easy and intuitive navigation
• System configuration with high flexibility and expandability
• Open network

For further details click Yokogawa Recorders

The new Universal IV™ CM Model Water Cut Monitor from AMETEK Drexelbrook has all of the advantages of its predecessor –the Drexelbrook CM-6 Cut Monitor--along with several key performance improvements. These include superior water cut measurement accuracy in the low ranges (0 – 1%, 0-5% and 0-10% water). Accuracy is 0.03 % water and measurement resolution is down to 0.0002 % water.

The sensing element extends a minimum of 15 inches into a main process line, taking an average of the capacitive property of the fluid over its entire length. That ensures a smoother and more accurate response, regardless of the mixture. The monitor’s onboard electronics then computes the relationship between capacitance change and water cut.

The monitor’s electronics are designed to ignore paraffin buildup on the pipe and probe. The probes are designed to handle pressures up to 1500 PSI and temperatures up to 450oF. When maintenance is required, users simply remove the probe, wipe it down and re-insert. There’s no need to take apart spool pieces or tie-off large pipelines.

The Universal IV CM can be configured for NPT or flanged mountings and can be installed in all common pipe diameters. The instrument comes pre-calibrated to one of 11 pre-set ranges, for light oil (API Gravity> 25) and heavy oil (API Gravity< 25).

The Universal IV is more compact with a smaller housing. Its proven Cote-Shield™ technology ignores coating buildup on the probe and puts the sensing area of the instrument directly into the process stream. The Universal IV also has a built-in LCD display and keypad.

The unique Perm-A-Seal sensing element on the Universal IV CM installs directly into a main process line without requiring spool pieces, side-arms or slipstreams. The sensing element utilizes a PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Keytone) material and stainless steel sensing rod that is extremely durable and requires no epoxy coatings that can wear out and require expensive servicing. There are no gaskets that require servicing, and the sensing element will not wear out in well fluids that include large amounts of sand.

All Universal IV Cut Monitors come from the factory pre-calibrated, requiring only one point validation. Field calibration can be done anywhere along the two-wire loop with Drexelbrook’s HRTwin™ PC software or via local display/keypad without a laptop or handheld communicator.

Product Website

/ICONICS, a provider of Web-enabled, industrial visualization software for Microsoft Windows® operating systems, has announced the release of Energy and Facility AnalytiX version 10.71, a complete set of applications that monitor and analyze energy Cost, Consumption and the discharge of Carbon into the environment. Designed to be BACnet, OPC, and Modbus/IP complaint, Energy and Facility AnalytiX includes universal data connectivity and integrates with a wide variety of BMS systems, building equipment and electric meters.

Energy AnalytiX delivers the insight facility managers need to take decisive action, to reduce and manage utility costs and to minimize their carbon footprint. Energy AnalytiX provides an easy-to-deploy calculation, aggregation, analysis and visualization toolset. It is unique in that it not only integrates to all metering data, but can integrate to all building automation systems, lighting systems, security/access control data, and IT Data, and aggregates and correlates to find relationships that effect energy use. Users gain insight into energy consumption patterns as well as the causes of consumption and can access information from the office, home or phone, as visualization is delivered via the latest Windows 8, Web 2.0 and Microsoft Silverlight® technologies.

Energy and Facility AnalytiX are off-the-shelf energy management solutions that focus on energy data analysis to increase efficiency and reduce overall operational costs. Facility AnalytiX, with it’s built in Fault Detection and Diagnostics technology, provides continuous commissioning capabilities for any building or manufacturing automation project.

Flowserve Corporation (NYSE: FLS), a leading provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, recently announced the release of the Flowserve NAF® Duball DL ball valve featuring spring-loaded packing technology.

The DL is the newest addition to the full bore, metal seated NAF Duball valve range. A patented Z-trim™ option improves control behavior, providing high rangeability, and also provides anti-cavitation functionality and noise attenuation. A NAF Turnex pneumatic actuator can be mounted on the ball valve and offers an ideal high-performing, vibration-resistant compact valve package providing economical total cost of ownership.

“The NAF Duball has been a popular choice in some of the most demanding applications worldwide, due to its safe and effective operation and its ability to help minimize plant downtime,” said Keith Barnard, vice president and general manager, Flow Control Division, General Industries Sector. “The introduction of the DL version continues this legacy and extends the range further into the refining, petrochemical and chemical industries.”

The design incorporates new spring-loaded stem packing technology on ANSI class 150 and 300 versions covering applications up to 250 degrees Celsius/482 degrees Fahrenheit. The NAF Duball product family has a split body with floating ball design providing excellent leak tightness. The valve’s ball and seat are designed to be easily serviced without removing the valve stem and actuator.

The NAF Duball DL ball valve can be used in automated on/off applications and is equally suitable for a wide range of control applications. The ball valve’s spring-loaded packing remains tight for a higher number of cycles, virtually eliminating the need for manual retightening of the packing. The mechanical backlash is minimized by the uniquely designed long connection between the ball and stem which is especially important in control applications.

Selecting a VoIP solution for an organization encompasses an array of decision making regarding cost and serviceability.

Cost Considerations

Small businesses often don’t have the same options in adopting new technologies as large businesses do. Funds and resources restrict decision making for small businesses. VoIP can offer significant cost reduction and a number of other features that are otherwise unaffordable. Traditional phone services cost a small business around three times more per employee. VoIP service providers recognize this emerging market in SMB and now offer packages tailored to SMBs. The initial investment in VoIP remains the most important challenge.

• There are four cost sources:
• IP phone terminals
• Core infrastructure for call handling
• Service
• License fees (ongoing)

To read full blog click 'How to select a VoIP solution'