Safety system

While distributed control systems (DCS) suppliers such as Emerson Process Management, Yokogawa and ABB have recently been promoting the perceived benefits of their respective safety instrumented systems (SIS), one of the leading players in the traditional triple-modular redundant (TMR) safety systems market, Triconex, has remained somewhat in the background.

But last month, this division of Invensys Process Systems introduced a new communications module that is said to meet user requirements for integration between SIS and DCS systems, without compromising either safety or security.

‘While increased information integration between plant safety or critical control systems and the process control network helps support today’s plantwide asset performance management strategies, this level of integration must not compromise the ability of the safety system to perform its fault tolerant protection function,’ said Luis Duran, Triconex product marketing manager.

The company’s new Tricon Communications Module (TCM) incorporates an embedded OPC server and Modbus TCP/IP together with safe peer-to-peer and other standard Triconex features. The module acts as a layer that isolates the Tricon TMR safety system from the control network and ‘private LAN nuisances’. And like other Tricon family members, says Triconex, the TCM is TüV approved for use in systems up to SIL 3.

Editor’s note: Tricon TMR controls have been selected by the Lotte Daesan Petrochemical Corporation to replace an existing safety system infrastructure at its 600 000tpa ethylene cracker near Seoul, Korea. The Invensys implementation includes 10 Tricon V9 TMR safety systems and replaces an ABB/August safety system.