November 2006 Archives

You might think because I work for Emerson, that I know all the developments going on. Far from it... I try to create this illusion by subscribing to the personalized RSS search over at MyEmerson News, in addition to my RSS subscriptions to the growing number of bloggers in our world of process automation.

The news blurb said:

Vortex technology has traditionally been preferred for measuring flow in saturated steam applications, but users also want a compensated mass flow output. Emerson's new Rosemount MultiVariable Vortex Flowmeter combines the benefits of proven Rosemount vortex technology with a temperature-compensated mass flow output directly from the meter. Besides reducing process variability, the new flowmeter lowers total installed cost of temperature-compensated measurement points by 25%.

Eric described how a temperature compensated mass flow of a vortex meter for saturated steam typically required external sensors and a flow computer to do the calculations. This new multivariable flowmeter includes everything necessary to do the calculations within the flowmeter and send it back to the automation system via HART digital communications, pulse output, or conventional analog 4-20mA signals.

By eliminating these separate components the cost of installation and ongoing maintenance is reduced. Eric calculates the installation cost savings by what is eliminated from externally compensated saturated steam measurements. These include the thermowell, temperature sensor, temperature transmitter, wiring, commissioning, and either separate flow computer or calculations in the automation system.

On the maintenance front, the technology team did something unique by designing a non-wetted temperature sensor in the flowmeter which can be replaced without shutting the process down--always a good thing for plants seeking maximum manufacturing efficiency.

Recently Control magazine editor-in-chief, Walt Boyes covered a presentation by TÜV-Rhineland's Heinz Gall, in a post entitled, Heinz Gall on Functional Safety--from the department of "no whining". Heinz' key point in this presentation was:

You must have safety management, and qualified personnel are a must!

Len agrees with Heinz' assessment. He believes the problem most engineers have with the new standard such as IEC 61511 is that it is a performance standard. This is great news for the engineering community because they get to do the engineering. However the bad news is they must do the engineering. Len recalled the days when most process manufacturers were putting together their standards on safety instrumented systems, that these standards were very prescriptive.

This made it easier from an engineering point of view but sometimes could not cover all cases. By contrast, IEC 61511 being a performance standard allows you to investigate the alternative solutions for the right safety instrumented function (SIF) for the safety integrity level (SIL).

Len stresses that this can be a very powerful tool if applied properly and there is enough time in the project schedule to do this analysis. What typically happens is that project schedules do not put in enough time or qualified resources dedicated to this activity. As with most project activities, it is much better to do this earlier in the project than later. Len's team has been called into projects towards the end and has uncovered problems on some of the high SIL level SIFs. This has caused a scramble to find the appropriate rated instruments required.

Len advises for your IEC 61511 safety projects to plan for more engineering time in the feasibility and front end engineering design (FEED). The older prescriptive methods allowed this work to be done later in the detailed design phase. As Len puts it:

Recognizing the need for more front end work will go a long way in reducing project frustrations.

Update: I fixed a typo and would like to extend a welcome to the readers of Gary Mintchell's Feed Forward blog (subscribe here).

I recently saw a post from one of the process automation world's newest bloggers, Dave Harrold, on the topic of power and grounding. The post, A Non-sexy Means to More Reliable Operations spoke to the importance of power and grounding. Dave summed it up well:

I've been around this stuff for a very long time and I'm confident that if you spend eight hours per month for the next six months finding and fixing instrumentation and control system power and grounding problems that your instrumentation, control, and safety systems will perform much more reliably and you know what that means - when the boss is happy, everyone is happy.

I caught up with Dave Brown, a Principal Engineer in Emerson's Process Systems and Solutions technology organization for his thoughts on Dave Harrold's post. He gave me a great analogy. It's like building a house. Your power and grounding is like the foundation. The better it is designed and built, the fewer problems you will have with everything else. Automation systems, safety systems and all your instrumentation and plant equipment will perform better.

So what does all this have to do with too much heat? Dave has also just written a whitepaper entitled Effects of Heat and Airflow inside an Enclosure. It discusses how mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) numbers are based on Mil standard specs of 25 degC. For every 10 degC rise above this amount, the MTBF cuts in half. Although equipment can be rated much higher, like 60 degC, its likelihood of failure rate will increase.

Hmmm... this makes me want to check the temperature in my audio/visual cabinet at home.

Equipment with several years of run-time use actual field data for the MTBF calculations. The numbers usually improve given the conservation nature of the Mil standards.

Dave's whitepaper offers some practical solutions for heat dissipation from the placement of the equipment within the cabinet to the auxiliary designs for cooling and air flow.

For those like me who were college educated in the pre-internet, pre-Google days you can really appreciate how access to information required for learning has gotten easier. With a Google search bar and some quiet time, you can become conversational on nearly any topic in a few minutes and on the road to being an expert with some more time. There is no way we could learn this quickly in the days of libraries and books.

I bring this up because Terry Blevins, co-author of the Modeling and Control blog, and Emerson's Marcos Peluso have made their "best of" Foundation Fieldbus tutorial presentations available over on the EasyDeltaV.com website. This tutorial is covered in 12 parts from a very basic Fieldbus Overview to Advanced Functionality. The presentation series includes:

• Fieldbus Overview
• Justifying Fieldbus
• Example Applications
• Installation of Fieldbus
• Devices Available
• Fieldbus Standard
• Fieldbus Communication
• Fieldbus Function Blocks
• Fieldbus Diagnostics
• Fieldbus EDDL
• HSE Fieldbus
• Advanced Fieldbus

As technologists, Terry and Marcos have created a presentation series which more deeply explores the workings of Foundation fieldbus. This series complements the modules in PlantWeb University in the Foundation fieldbus section in the way an advanced class complements the introductory class.

If you happen to be searching around for information on Foundation Fieldbus and happen upon this blog post, enjoy the fact how quickly you can get conversational or become a true expert based on the time you spend following some of the links.

OK, you've done all the engineering, installation and commissioning and have field electrical and electronic equipment that is certified for the hazardous location in which it operates. In North America, this equipment has been tested and approved to appropriate codes and standards by OSHA-accredited NRTLs (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories) like FM Approvals, UL, CSA, and MetLabs to name a few. Other countries may have similar requirements through entities such as PTB of Germany, LCIE of France, KEMA of the Netherlands, and UC (formerly UCIEE) of Brazil.

So what about the certification if the equipment has been salvaged from a plant that has been shut down, and then refurbished, reconditioned, or remanufactured and resold? Or what about equipment that is resold as "new surplus" or after installed equipment has been repaired?

Bob Baker, a Safety Consultant to Emerson Process Management presented with FM Approvals' Cheryl A. Gagliardi at the recent Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center 2006 International Symposium. Their presentation, Maintaining Certification Compliance of Equipment Used in Hazardous (Classified) Locations, discusses what happens (or should happen) should a device be changed in some way, even unknowingly.

When ownership transfer occurs, as in the case of equipment that has been resold as new surplus or after being salvaged, refurbished, remanufactured, or reconditioned, there typically is no historical awareness of whether or not a device has ever been "changed" in any manner by the prior owner, resulting in potential non-compliance. Such a "change" could have been as simple as touching up the threads of an explosion-proof device's galled terminal box housing or cover, or it could be the use of non-OEM parts, the accidental scratching of a flame path surface or damage to a flame arrestor, etc. These same types of issues could also occur during the repair of a device even though it may never leave an original owner's site.

The FM Approval mark is a statement of conformity that a product is in compliance with defined standards at the time the product leaves the manufacturing and/or repair facilities audited and approved by FM Approvals. Once the equipment is placed into use, continued compliance with the applicable codes and standards becomes the responsibility of the process manufacturer, i.e. the end user.

FM Approvals listed its definition of repair as "work performed to the unit that would bring it back to its original condition approved by FM Approvals, with repair including refurbished, remanufactured, reconditioned, salvaged, and new surplus." FM Approvals also presented that process manufacturers have several choices when making repairs on equipment with hazardous area approval certifications including:

• Returning the equipment to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or any of its repair facilities that are approved and audited by FM Approvals. The OEM has the design control and knowledge of the FM Approvals certification requirements to return the equipment to its originally certified condition
• Having the equipment repaired by a third party facility that is approved and audited by FM Approvals in accordance with its repair standard 3606:1998 - Repair Service for Process Control Equipment Used in Hazardous (Classified) Locations
• Performing the repair in-house if the process manufacturer's repair facility is similarly approved and audited by FM Approvals to its repair standard 3606.

FM Approvals recommended that its certification marks be removed from non-compliant equipment resulting when the repair work is done by a facility which is not audited and approved by FM Approvals. Since the burden is on the process manufacturer that the equipment is approved for the hazardous location in which it operates, the process manufacturer should insist that either:

• The repair (all types as noted above) be done by a facility that is audited and approved by FM Approvals to recertify the equipment (and prove it, by submitting FM Approvals documentation to the end user, that is specific to the brand and model)
• Have the FM Approvals certification mark removed if the facility is not an FM Approved repair facility.

Removing the certification mark or the entire nameplate should help eliminate confusion about a device's NRTL approval status, and reduce the chance of inadvertent installation into a hazardous location that requires an NRTL approved device.

Bob recommends that process manufacturers develop corporate policies and guidance directing inspection, engineering, maintenance, and procurement to ensure the installation of compliant devices for their intended hazardous locations. He also recommends that stringent supplier qualifications be established to prevent introduction or re-introduction of non-compliant equipment, and that identification and abatement processes be developed for potentially non-compliant equipment already installed.

In summary, it is important that industry understand whether the purchase of products for use in hazardous locations, as defined by the National Electric Code and OSHA, can give rise to product safety and regulatory compliance issues.

Ms Gagliardi and Mr. Baker will again be presenting this topic on Thursday, January 25, 2007 at the Texas A&M Instrumentation Symposium (Jan 23-25).

In his continuing series of Loop Tips, John Egnew, a training consultant and instructor for Emerson's Educational Services group discusses the impact of final control element deadband on loops.

His Loop Tip #8: A Chance For Stardom, discusses the case when some loops prove to be difficult to tune, no matter what algorithm is used. He recommends you look at the control valve's deadband which is typically caused by friction and lost motion. John states:

This friction from valve packing, seals, or process buildup can cause valve deadband to be at least 5%.

In the Education category of this blog you'll see quite a number of posts recommending the best way to approach this tuning, including some of John's excellent tips.

If you're a process engineer responsible for keeping the process running smoothly, you know how difficult it can be to analyze and optimize the performance of your loops on an ongoing basis.

Over the years, applications were included in Emerson's DeltaV system to inspect loop variability and tune the PID and fuzzy logic loops. The DeltaV technologists have been working on ways to further simplify these applications and have them operate more easily than they do today.

The result is DeltaV InSight, which will be available in the next release of the DeltaV software. The software is currently scheduled for release before the end of this calendar year. Control magazine's Dan Hebert wrote a nice review of DeltaV Insight which was in the October issue, in an article, User-Friendly Advanced Control. Dan spoke with DeltaV advanced control product manager John Caldwell, about what technologies and capabilities come with DeltaV InSight.

John boils down what DeltaV InSight does for process engineers as improving process control by monitoring control performance, identifying and diagnosing problem loops, recommending tuning and maintenance improvements, and continuously adapting to changing process conditions.

The gee-whiz technology part consists of learning algorithms that continuously identify dynamic process models based on normal day-to-day operations. The learning algorithms run down in the controller and update the models each time there is a change to the process. By constantly updating these models to changing process conditions, InSight can provide adaptive tuning to keep your loops running smoothly with minimal tuning effort.

DeltaV InSight also reduces start-up costs and ongoing maintenance by automatically configuring your performance monitoring and tuning applications based on your current DeltaV configuration. Whenever a control loop is added, deleted or changed, InSight will automatically recognize the change and update the InSight configuration. By reducing the on-going maintenance requirement, InSight has overcome a significant barrier that process engineers have had in the past with other layered software applications.

The software identifies abnormal control conditions such as wrong control mode, limited output, and high variability. It also identifies malfunctioning devices that may cause control problems and points to the problem loops that need retuning. Although some applications could do this in the past, the automatic, ongoing learning of the process dynamics really helps the software point the operations and maintenance staff to the areas requiring most attention. It does a lot more but you'll need to keep an eye on or subscribe to the DeltaV News RSS feed and look for the DeltaV InSight product data sheet to be posted in the coming weeks.

Like the recently announced Smart Wireless initiative which went through extensive testing with BP, DeltaV InSight also was put through its paces with lubricant additive maker Lubrizol. A video with their experiences was recently announced on the EasyDeltaV.com website. Check it out.

View the Video: 100K | 300K

The final 2006 fiscal year (Oct '05-Sep '06) numbers were released today by Emerson and they showed record net sales. Overall the company grew to $20.1 billion from $17.3 billion USD in fiscal year 2005. Our Emerson Process Management division led the way. From the release:

Process Management's strong performance continued in 2006 as sales increased 16 percent to $4.9 billion. Underlying sales growth was 13 percent, led by 15 percent growth in the United States and Asia and 20 percent growth in Latin America.

These experts responded to strong global demand for process automation products and services to help process manufacturers become more efficient and competitive. And, they helped to deliver these strong financial results.

Now on to 2007!

It's always a pleasure to highlight the work of our technologists around Emerson Process Management. It's even better when their work is recognized by ISA, a premier organization for automation professionals. Congratulations to Martin Zielinski and Carl R. Jones on their recent awards for outstanding achievement.

Martin, the Director of HART and Fieldbus technology in Emerson's Asset Optimization division, was elected to the distinguished grade of ISA Fellow for his significant contributions in the development, standardization, and deployment of digital communications technology. Through his career he has worked in the forefront of some of the automation world's leading open, interoperable communications standards including the HART Field Communications Protocol, the FOUNDATION fieldbus communications standard, and the Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL). In fact, for two years while the Fieldbus Foundation was getting started, Martin served as its Chief Operating Officer. If your automation system or asset management software is receiving diagnostic information from intelligent field devices, you can bet that Martin's leadership and expertise went into it somewhere along the line from his work on these consortia and standards bodies.

Carl, retired from and now consulting with Emerson's Rosemount Analytical division, received the UOP Technology Award for the development of process analyzer applications, particularly those used in spectrophotometry. This award recognizes an outstanding achievement in the conception, design, or implementation of instrumentation and/or process control in an area of activity covered by the scope of the ISA's Automation & Technology Department. Carl developed numerous process analyzer applications, using a full range of liquid and gas process analyzers and holds a patent for a unique electrochemical oxygen sensor and technology that speeds response time. He has contributed numerous publications and presentations serving to advance process instrumentation technologies.

We're honored to have Martin and Carl recognized for their contributions to the advancement of automation technologies which help make process manufacturers more efficient.

If you've been reading the Emerson Process Experts blog for a while, you know that every once in a while I'll jump on my soapbox to extol the virtues of RSS, RSS searches and blogs. Some examples of my enthusiasm on these topics include:

• Moving to More Efficient, Focused Information
• Greater Efficiency through RSS and Blogs
• Putting Your Expertise Out There
• RSS and Efficient Information Collection Coming Quickly

I keep writing about this because I do believe that you can find out about things more quickly than the "seek and find" world of today's web browsing.

Today is a great example. Even before I opened my email I saw that my RSS searches for "Jim Cahill" and "Emerson Process Experts" had returned numerous results. They were pointing to sections of a Northeastern University and Backbone Media Blogging Success study.

My colleague Deb Franke and I participated by agreeing to be interviewed earlier this year. The researchers did a great job of capturing the essence of our interview.

What I really like about the way they did the study is that each section is done as an individual blog post, so that conversations can continue long after the study is posted. For my fellow automation bloggers, please consider adding your experiences to the conversation.

My point with all this is that you should consider using RSS searches for areas that interest you or advance your knowledge to be more successful. For automation professionals in the process industries these searches could be around emerging standards, government regulations, automation technology advancements, etc.

Now that all the major web browsers support RSS (even Microsoft with its just released Internet Explorer 7), the time is now to use RSS and join the conversation.