Control System World

Siemens will supply the power island for the UTE Mauá 3 combined-cycle power plant in Manaus, Brazil. The power island equipment includes two heavy-duty gas turbines, one steam turbine, three generators and the instrumentation and control system. The order volume is approximately USD 220 million. The plant will be built for Amazonas Distribuidora de Energia S.A., a subsidiary of Eletrobrás, the National Brazilian Electrical Company. The natural gas-fired power station with an installed capacity of approximately 580 megawatts will support the increased electricity demand in the region. Manaus, the capital of the State of Amazonas, is one of the ten biggest cities in Brazil.

In the first phase, the natural gas-fired plant will be erected. It is scheduled to be online in 2014. In the second phase, the plant will be extended to a combined-cycle power station. “Brazil is a key market for Siemens and we are proud to have been selected as the supplier of choice for this important power plant project which will support the electrification of Manaus. We recognize that the Manaus region needs the UTE Mauá 3 power plant for steady, reliable and environmentally friendly power supply in the very near future. This is all the more important as Manaus will be one of the venues of the 2014 world football championship,” said Michael Suess, member of the Siemens AG Managing Board and CEO of the company’s Energy Sector.

The third edition of the Data Acquisition Handbook from Measurement Computing is available for download and has been enhanced to address more practical applications than theoretical measurement issues. Each chapter covers a major topic with sufficient detail to help readers understand the basic principles of sensor operation and the need for careful system interconnections.

The handbook also discusses key issues concerning the data acquisition system’s multiplexing and signal conditioning circuits, and analog-to-digital converters. This popular handbook has also been used by teaching professionals for the instruction of sensor-based measurement techniques.

Registration is required to download PDF from Measurement Computing.

Register with this website and click here to Download your Free Copy

Application Note by Fluke: Tracking down problems within a process loop can be a difficult challenge in the best of environments. Doing so in an area that has the potential for explosion takes the degree of difficulty to another level – one where the technician needs proper training and equipment. This article will demonstrate the practical application of loop calibrators designed to troubleshoot process loops in intrinsically safe environments.

Click to download the Application Note by Fluke

3rd Annual Safety Control Systems Conference will be held at Edmonton, AB - November 27, 2012, Four Points By Sheraton Edmonton South, 7230 Argyll Road, Edmonton, AB.

This conference will focus on the technology and application of safety-related control and instrumentation systems in the chemicals, energy, mining and manufacturing industries. It will give you the tools to help reduce the risk of cyber security threats on your industrial control systems as well as discuss the latest changes to the IEC 61508 standard and the implications this will have on your industry. It will examine the complex and challenging issues of using control systems technology to maintain and improve the safety of people and the plant while ensuring profitability.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING:

• Familiarize yourself with updates made to the IEC 61508 standard and consider the implications to your industry
• Discover how these IEC functional safety standards are being successfully applied to manage safety projects
• Assess and understand how to protect your industrial control systems from cyber security threats
• Learn about the lifecycle approach to safety-instrumented systems through case studies and critical discussion
• Update your knowledge on the latest trends and new developments in safety systems technology
• Update your knowledge on safety technologies for process and machinery safety
• Find practical solutions to your safety problems
• Discover how optimal safety design can improve production and reduce costs
• Network with experienced safety experts and your peers

To review the Conference brochure click '3rd Annual Safety Control Systems Conference'

Click To Register in the Conference

The swift performance capability of the Rotork Type K vane type damper drive has provided the successful retrofit solution to a critical application involving the safe and efficient operation of balanced-draft power generation boilers.

Inlet draft (ID) fan inlet dampers at power stations regulate the fan-induced pressure and airflow supply to balanced-draft power generation boilers. These boilers require a consistent internal operating pressure for efficient and safe combustion. Boiler pressure fluctuations create combustion problems that can, in extreme conditions, lead to catastrophic failure and structural damage. The maintenance of consistent operating pressure relies entirely on the swift operation of the ID fan inlet dampers.

At the three-unit 2735MW Florida Power & Light Manatee Power Station at Parrish, Florida, the ID fan inlet dampers demand full 90 degree damper movement at full torque load in three seconds or less in order to safeguard the operation of the boilers.

In a recent outage at the station it was necessary to replace the ID fan inlet damper drives on Units 1 and 2, which were over thirty years old and incompatible with the HART protocol of the station’s new Distributed Control System. In addition the manual overrides on the drives had proved to be unreliable.

The equipment selected to replace the obsolete equipment was Type K ‘PM Series’ pedestal mounted TK-6 damper drives, delivering a torque of 5000 lbs-ft at a tested time of less than three seconds for a full 90 degree stroke. Operated by vane-type direct drive pneumatic actuators, these units offer a smoother and faster acting performance than any alternative design.

Type K provided a ‘drop-in-place’ retrofit installation, matching the dimensions of the existing damper drive footprint on all eight of the replacement installations in Units 1 and 2. Integrated air volume boosters were fitted to obtain the required rotation speed and the control interface was provided by smart positioners.

Brooks Instrument continues to innovate instrumentation for the fuel cell industry and will showcase its SLA 5800 and GF 40/80 Series thermal mass flow controllers at the 2012 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition. Brooks will also exhibit its direct liquid injection (DLI) vaporizers from November 5-8, booth 211 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

Brooks SLA5800 Series offers unparalleled flexibility and performance to the fuel cell industry. These mass flow controllers provide super-high flow control accuracy for excellent experiment control, as well as ultra-low drift, which ensures data is accurate and repeatable. Their fast response time permits accurate simulation of rapidly changing process conditions. In addition, their broad turndown reduces the number of MFCs required to cover flow ranges and permits simpler piping for fuel cell test stands. The SLA5800 Series also ensures a stable process even under changing conditions.

Brooks will also feature its DLI vaporizers, which provide unique atomization and heat exchanger technologies for testing fuel cell membranes. The DLI vaporizer can accept multiple inlets and will generate perfectly mixed vapors. Brooks offers several heat exchanger designs to accommodate a wide range of liquid properties: extremely low vapor pressures, very low flow rates and very high flow rates.

University of Miskolc becomes first certified FOUNDATION fieldbus training center in Central & Eastern Europe region

The Fieldbus Foundation, conducting a press conference at the University of Miskolc, Hungary, today announced that the university has been successful in the rigorous certification process required to become a training site that offers fieldbus training courses certified under the FOUNDATION Certified Training Program (FCTP). This program establishes uniform standards for fieldbus educational curriculum around the globe, and defines acceptable levels of learning for students of the technology.

The University of Miskolc is now the preferred site for certified FOUNDATION fieldbus training in the Central & Eastern Europe region.

There are rigorous procedures that educational institutions must follow in order to gain certified training site status, and for certifying course instructors and curriculum. Certified training centers are required to maintain multiple hosts and devices onsite in order to demonstrate competence with fieldbus technology. They are also audited to ensure their course material adheres to set instructional standards covering fieldbus segment limits; device replacements; commands, icons, menus and screen designs of different software packages; and communication, scheduling and function block assignments enabling configuration.

In addition, certified instructors are audited to see if they have achieved specified Fieldbus Foundation training goals. Instructors must demonstrate expertise in areas such as Human-Machine Interface (HMI) tools, fieldbus troubleshooting, simple device configuration, and device deployment and functionality across a fieldbus network.

FCTP is intended to raise the visibility and prestige of institutions offering certified FOUNDATION fieldbus training and ensure that the instructors delivering the courses are skilled, knowledgeable and technically competent. Through certification, the program demonstrates to prospective end user students that fieldbus training centers, and their instructors, have been thoroughly evaluated based on strict criteria, and have the necessary qualifications to provide the very best training available. Only certified institutions are permitted to use the official FCTP logo.

Rockwell Automation has announced that its PlantPAx process automation system is now registered as a FOUNDATION Fieldbus integrated host system. The PlantPAx system with EtherNet/IP and ControlNet network connectivity passed tests for “61b,” the Fieldbus Foundation’s most demanding host profile. Host profile 61b helps ensure interoperability among multivendor environments, making it easier for users to configure and maintain fieldbus devices.

“This distinction further solidifies the status of Rockwell Automation as a leader in FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology,” said Steve Pulsifer, director of Process Market Development, Rockwell Automation. “Meeting the Fieldbus Foundation’s interoperability standards demonstrates the ability of the PlantPAx process automation system to help manufacturers address production issues with real-time, plantwide intelligence.”

The Fieldbus Foundation created its Host Registration Program to benefit both end users and automation suppliers by establishing standards in the multivendor FOUNDATION Fieldbus environment. To register under process 61b, the Fieldbus Foundation requires the following mandatory host features:

• Block installation
• Multiple capability levels
• Enhanced function block
• Profiled custom function blocks
• Configuration of scheduled control function blocks
• DD V5.1 device-level access