PRODUCTS & PROJECTS
FOCUS: TECHNOLOGY AT WORK
WIRELESS CONTROLLER FOR
OUTDOOR USE
G3 Technologies has introduced the RioExpress Specialized
Wireless I/O, the latest addition to G3 Technologies wireless
solutions. The unit is highly integrated and optimized for outdoor, alternative-power-use applications, and has four digital
inputs, four digital outputs, two high-resolution analog inputs
and two high-resolution analog outputs. It is a simple and
robust solution for remote monitor/control of tank levels,
pressures, temperature, flow, valves, pumps, compressors,
security, etc. in a variety of industrial, environmental, agricultural and utility applications. The controller is available in a
NEMA 4X package or a module for integration into a pre-existing system.
The RioExpress module can
be used in pairs to replicate
(mirror) I/O signals for cable
replacement, or individually as
a Slave device using industry-
standard MODBUS protocol. As a Modbus Slave it is compatible with popular Modbus Master devices and SCADA software
packages including G3’s VUE.
FOR MORE INFO: WWW.G3TI.COM
ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SAVES OIL REFINERY $70 MILLION
The HART Communication Foundation presented its prestigious 2008 HART Plant of the Year Award to the
PDVSA Petropiar oil refinery, in Mejorador Jose,
Barcelona, Venezuela. The refinery uses Emerson Process
Management‘s AMS Suite asset management software in
conjunction with HART field instruments, which allowed
for the widespread application of predictive diagnostics in
the Petropiar refinery. Use of these technologies is credited with increasing production and reducing costs while
improving profitability.
The Petropiar facility is a joint venture of Chevron and
Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), Venezuela’s
national oil company. The plant upgrades about 248,000
barrels per day (bpd) of heavy crude from the Orinoco Belt
into 180,000 bpd of a lighter grade prior to further refining in the United States.
The elimination of repetitive problems along with the
ability to predict unexpected instrument failures and
associated downtime resulted in a documented financial
benefit of $70 million over a two-year period.
The main benefits achieved through the use of AMS
Suite software at Petropiar include:
40% reduction in pre-commissioning and commissioning time
60% reduction in lost profit opportunities caused by
instrument faults
Flawless plant startups
Elimination of 95% of problem-causing components
About 5,000 measurement points transmit the HART
Communication Protocol to the plant’s distributed control
system (DCS). Emerson’s AMS Suite asset management
software monitors all of the field instruments on the control
network through HART multiplexers. The software was
used extensively by technicians during instrument commis-
sioning to verify each tag number and to check out the control loops. The technicians documented device integrity and
wiring, and every loop was certified to be performing
according to the process design. As a direct result of the
time saved on commissioning, the process was online much
sooner than expected.
The rich HART diagnostics and the use of AMS Suite
enabled reliability personnel to monitor the field devices
regularly and initiate a predictive maintenance program in
which priority equipment receives immediate attention.
This reduces the total hours spent by maintenance personnel, lowering maintenance costs.
Mariela León, instrumentation leader, reliability team,
at PDVSA Petropiar, said, “The HART technology, along
with AMS Suite, has delivered significant savings, and we
believe there are even more opportunities for increased
reliability and improved performance in our facility.”
In the first four years of operation, Petropiar reduced
commissioning time, improved process and device documentation, and cut loop check time by 60%.
FOR MORE INFO: WWW.EMERSONPROCESS.COM
