Control System World

Saipem, through its subsidiary ERSAI Caspian Contractor LLC, has been recently awarded a major new Engineering & Construction contract for the Kashagan field project, located in the Kazakh waters of the Caspian Sea, valued at approximately $1.8 billion.

The North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) has awarded Saipem a contract for the construction of two 95 kilometer pipelines, which will connect D island in the Caspian Sea to the Karabatan onshore plant in Kazakhstan. The scope of work includes the engineering, the welding materials, the conversion and the preparation of vessels, the dredging, the installation, the burial and the pre-commissioning of the two pipelines. Some of the scope will be executed with specialized subcontractors.

The two pipelines, with a diameter of 28 inches, are made of carbon steel, internally cladded with a corrosion resistant alloy layer, and will each have an offshore length of about 65 out of the total 95 km.  The construction will be completed by end of 2016.

Umberto Vergine, Saipem CEO, commented: "This is a very important contract working for some of the most important oil companies in the world in a key region for Saipem. It also represents another relevant contribution to our backlog in this low price market environment".

Kepware® Technologies, a software development company focused on communications for automation, today announced both strategic updates to its Local Historian Plug-In and key technology partnerships that enable on-site data visualization and reporting. Featured in KEPServerEX® version 5.17 (which will release on February 24, 2015), the enhanced Local Historian Plug-In will include support for aggregates.

The Local Historian is a flexible, easy to use, and cost-effective solution designed to solve tactical data historization challenges. With the release of KEPServerEX version 5.17, the plug-in will support OPC Historical Data Access (HDA) processed read requests. The processed read requests shift the heavy data computation load from the client to the historian server, minimizing the network load from each request. The updates support widely used processed read requests, including Interpolative, Time Average, Total, Average, Minimum Actual Time, and Maximum Actual Time.

Kepware announced key partnerships to help customers optimize their data analysis through third-party visualization and reporting solutions. The Local Historian's design decouples data storage from analytics, reporting, and trending tools so users can choose the solution that best meets their unique needs.

"Since the October 2014 launch of our Local Historian Plug-In, the response from the industry and our customers has been overwhelmingly positive," said John Harrington, Director of Product Management, Kepware. "Largely influenced by customer feedback and requests, Kepware worked quickly to update the plug-in to best address common use cases. We are also pleased to endorse the visualization and reporting solutions with which we have tested the Local Historian, as we feel that they represent many of the industry's most reputable organizations and products."

The Local Historian Plug-In supports high-speed logging to 10 milliseconds and tiered licensing for up to ten thousand tags. Open standards allow locally-stored data to be accessed from multiple clients with no additional cost per client connection.

Rotork has announced an extensive advancement of CMA electric actuation technology for the operation of process control valves, introducing new options to meet evolving customer and market requirements. With the latest developments, the innovative CMA design can now be specified with increased functionality encompassing local controls, LCD positional display and programmable fail-to-position performance.

Designed for quarter-turn, rotary or linear operation, robust Rotork CMA actuators perform numerous process control valve, metering pump and damper applications demanding precise position control and continuous modulation. Single-phase or DC electrical power is all that is required for simplified installation and control valve actuation. Explosionproof certification to international standards is available for hazardous area applications.

Local controls now offer manual operation at the valve, combined with a vivid LCD display of valve position which also incorporates critical and non-critical fault symbols. Control selection knobs enable selection of Local, Stop or Remote operation and Open or Close input commands in the Local control mode. Each mode can be locked in place to prevent unauthorised operation. The LCD display shows the valve position as a precise percentage of total valve travel.

For fail-to-position performance, a reserve power pack provides the actuator with the ability to perform a predetermined action on power failure. The power pack also preserves position indication on the LCD display during power failure. Upon restoration of mains power, the power pack is swiftly recharged to ensure continued fail-to-position functionality. Action on power loss is easily configured with the standard CMA HMI interface as part of the user-friendly actuator set-up menu, utilising a 6-segment LCD display and push button configuration.

The maintenance-free CMA drive train, environmentally protected to IP67 and permanently lubricated for operation in sub-zero temperatures as standard, can be mounted in any orientation. Accepting an industry-standard 4-20mA control signal, the CMA provides accurate, repeatable and backlash-free positional control. Resolution is 0.2% on linear and quarter-turn applications, 2 degrees on the multi-turn models. All CMA actuators have output speeds that are adjustable down to 50% of full speed in 10% increments and manual operation is provided as standard. Network compatibility encompasses Rotork Pakscan, HART®, Profibus®, Modbus®, DeviceNet® and Foundation Fieldbus®.

The latest CMA developments follow other recent refinements including upgraded electronics, HMI enhancements and a user selectable increased seating torque/thrust option, enabling a more tailored and cost-effective sizing regime to be applied to the combination of modulating and tight seating demands often found in control valve applications. A new rotary model size has also been introduced.

The combination of all these improvements represents a comprehensive advancement of CMA actuator technology and functionality, focussed on precise process valve control, system simplification and reduced maintenance. In addition to traditional control valves, successful CMA applications include choke valves on shale gas installations, stroke adjusters on metering pumps, precision metering on chemical dosing and the operation of dampers.

The new High Sensitivity Wahl Heat Spy 150 Series Thermal Imaging Cameras are now available. The 150 Series Heat Spy models have a 160 x 120 detector for 19,200 individually calibrated pixels with a thermal sensitivity of ≤ 0.05°C to highlight even minimal temperature differences. The "z" model features a 60Hz frame rate, while the "a" model is 9Hz for export with no license required.

150 Series Heat Spy Imagers have a 25° x 19° Field of View with a 3.2 Megapixel CMOS image sensor for visible light images. One additional 0.5x wide angle lens and one x2 telephoto lens are available separately to enhance the functionality of your camera for your specific application. The large, 3.6 inch, 640 x 480 LCD Touch Screen display is clear and easy to see, providing comfortable access to menu functions. Housing design is ergonomic and comfortable in your hand.

Dual LED bulbs integrated above the lens act as headlights for clear, crisp visible light images even in low light conditions. Laser aiming allows the user to pinpoint hotspots with precision. Use the New SpyLite™ option to emphasize only the temperatures of interest in the scene. Set your temperature and view only the temperatures above or below that point, thermally over the visible image. Use the Picture-in-Picture setting to show all temperatures in the scene displayed thermally over the visible image. Save images to the included 8GB Micro SD card in any of the four included viewing modes - visible, thermal, Picture-in-Picture, and SpyLite™, or use the included Bluetooth connectivity to transfer files to your PC, or connect a headset for recording and playing back verbal image annotations.

Record your thermal surveys or inspections in any of the four viewing modes using the thermal and visible video recording feature to document your findings. Connect the 150 series imager to your Windows PC to manage settings and files, or view live video output. The 150 Series Thermal Imager is designed to withstand a two meter drop for dependability with daily use in rugged environments. For extra protection, the 150 Series includes Spy-Care, our No-Fault warranty. Wahl will repair or replace your camera for two years for any reason, even if the damage is your fault.

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KBR has announced that it has executed an EPC contract with Yara International and BASF Group’s new joint production company to provide ammonia synthesis licensed technology and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) to build a world-scale ammonia plant at BASF’s site in Freeport, Texas.

Upon completion, the ammonia plant will use KBR’s experienced EPC delivery and technology capabilities, including KBR’s ammonia synthesis process, to produce about 750,000 metric tons per year of ammonia.

“KBR is proud to continue our relationship with Yara and BASF through our performance on this project,” said Stuart Bradie, KBR President and CEO. “This project represents KBR's ability to bring world-class technology together with our engineering, procurement and construction skills to safely deliver complex energy projects in line with our strategy of differentiated EPC. This follows KBR’s successful track record on the U.S. Gulf Coast.”

KBR has been involved in the licensing, design, engineering and/or construction of more than 230 ammonia plants worldwide.

The OnCell G3470A-LTE is Moxa’s LTE/Ethernet IP gateway that provides a higher cellular bandwidth and more reliable connection to your Ethernet network for cellular applications. With the integrated 4-port gigabit Ethernet switch and LTE support, the OnCell G3470A-LTE offers a faster cellular connection with a lower total cost of ownership. To enhance reliability, a key for industrial users, the OnCell G3470A-LTE features isolation design for both power and antenna inputs. Coupled with high-level EMS and wide-temperature support, the OnCell G3470A-LTE provides the highest level of device stability in any rugged environment. In addition, with dual SIM and dual powerinput features, the OnCell G3470A-LTE offers network redundancy to ensure an uninterrupted connectivity in your applications.

Multi-Band Support:

• EU Model: 2100/1800/2600/900/800 MHz (B1/B3/B7/B8/B20)
• US Model: 1900/AWS/850/700/1900 MHz (B2/B4/B5/B13/B17/B25)

Isolation and Redundancy Design provides:

• Dual power input for power redundancy
• Dual SIM support for cellular connection redundancy
• Antenna isolation for protection against radio interference
• Power isolation for power source insulation protection
• GuaranLink for reliable cellular connnectivity

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Kepware Technologies, a software development company focused on communications for automation, today announced the release of KEPServerEX version 5.17. Key enhancements to the flagship communications platform include the new Scheduler Plug-In and updates to the Local Historian Plug-In and EFM Suite. The release strengthens Kepware's product offering for industries requiring remote communications, including Oil & Gas, Water & Wastewater, and Power.

The new Scheduler Plug-In enables users to move the scheduling of data requests from the client to the server to optimize device communications for networks with limited bandwidth. Its centralized scheduling functionality allows users to prioritize schedules and define when and what specific data sets to poll—providing control and monitoring of network utilization. It also adds security to the network by preventing "rogue" clients from hijacking available bandwidth from critical applications.

Kepware's EFM Suite for KEPServerEX is a collection of drivers and Electronic Flow Measurement (EFM) exporters that enable Oil & Gas companies to poll real-time and historical EFM data from pipeline flow computers and RTUs. While the EFM Suite has always supported FLOWCAL CFX files, KEPServerEX version 5.17 allows users to cleanly import gas EFM data into FLOWCAL's Oracle database via the FLOWCAL Transaction Queue. This simplifies training, configuration, support, and maintenance for customers that use FLOWCAL and Kepware's EFM Suite.

To improve operational efficiency and reduce network load, Kepware updated the Local Historian Plug-In to support OPC Historical Data Access (HDA) processed read requests. The processed read requests shift the heavy data computation load from the client to the historian server, minimizing the network load from each request.

"While companies generate massive amounts of data, the insight that this data provides is only valuable if it can be accessed quickly and efficiently," said Tony Paine, CEO, Kepware. "KEPServerEX version 5.17 gives our customers tools to manage data and prioritize bandwidth usage more effectively so they can optimize their communications and ultimately make more informed business decisions."

Reuters: The revenues of global power distribution automation market, which reached $7.32 billion last year, are estimated to hit $10.33 billion in 2018, according to a new Frost & Sullivan analysis. The ‘Analysis of the Global Distribution Automation Market, said that with power interruptions resulting in huge economic losses of up to $150 billion annually, distribution automation presented a viable solution to ensure effective asset management, minimal interruption, and enhanced efficiency in the grid network.

As a result, distribution automation is quickly becoming a requirement for utilities, it said. Power demand and grid complexity will continue growing and utilities across the globe are turning to advanced automated solutions to protect assets, enhance reliability, and minimise operations and maintenance costs.

“Emerging countries hold significant potential for distribution automation vendors,” said Frost & Sullivan energy and environmental industry analyst.  “In India, transmission and distribution loss is estimated at over 20 per cent of produced power, while in Latin America, power distribution loss is estimated at over 16 per cent. Hence, governments are urging utilities to adopt automation solutions and boost grid efficiency.”

Meanwhile, the high initial costs of automation solutions restrain uptake. Integration of different types of vendors, including information technology providers, communication network suppliers and hardware suppliers is also crucial to create products that prepare automation companies to meet future demand.

“Distribution automation is in the early stages of its lifecycle and investments in complementary technologies enabling two-way communication, better asset management, and improved efficiency will help capitalise on the full potential of the technology,” said the analyst.  “The combination of technologies will yield significant benefits for all stakeholders.”

Courtsey: TradeArabia