Take 10: Technologies to Watch
29 Jan 2013
Expanding its integrated compressor line (ICL), GE Oil & Gas has launched its first single-shaft ICL, designed for applications such as pipelines, where gas must maintain pressure over long distances. Combining GE Oil & Gas compressor technology and GE Power Conversion motors and drive systems, the new ICL is said to provide up to 20% more operating range flexibility and higher efficiency.
Honeywell has released a new generation of its ‘high-performance process manager’ (HPM) industrial process controller. The new ‘enhanced eigh-performance process manager’ (EHPM) controller allows 25 years of DCS installed base to “seamlessly” migrate to the company’s Experion PKS control system: “significantly reducing” the cost of migration by preserving control strategies and wiring. EHPM streamlines plant modernisation by significantly reducing risks associated with a legacy system upgrade and reducing plant downtime, adds Honeywell.
It is often considered good practice to include manual operators on solenoid valves to enable functional checking during start-up and commissioning. These operators are then removed prior to the plant being handed over to operations. This prevents potential plant trips or unplanned shutdown, but requires depressurising the instrument air systems – a time consuming process. ASCO Numatics has, therefore, introduced a solenoid valve manual operator that is removable under pressure, enabling faster, easier commissioning and start-up while preventing inadvertent valve movement during plant operation.
French biotech company DEINOVE has isolated and optimised a strain of Deinococcus bacteria, which it claims can efficiently generate ethanol from wheat-based biomass. DEINOVE is leading the project, along with involving sugar group TEREOS and its subsidiary BENP Lillebonne - Europe’s second largest bioethanol producer - together with two academic laboratories CNRS-Université Montpellier and INSA Toulouse/CNRS/INRA. (Read more)
Invensys Operations Management has unveiled a programme to help clients modernise and improve the performance of their aging control systems and other plant assets. The programme guides clients in justifying modernisation costs, reducing risk, deploying advanced technology and approaching plant upgrades strategically and systematically. (Read more)
Endress+Hauser’s new Deltabar FMD72 electronic differential pressure measurement system uses two pressure sensor modules connected electronically to a single transmitter — thus eliminating the need for impulse lines or capillaries and their related issues of icing up, clogging, leaky taps, dry/wet leg inconsistencies, and problems with temperature changes. Ambient temperature changes cause measurement drift in traditional capillary systems, but up to 95% of this drift can be eliminated with the FMD72. In addition to eliminating operational and maintenance problems, the FMD72 is said to respond up to ten times faster than traditional impulse and capillary systems, is easier and less expensive to install, and does not require heat tracing.
Xylem Water Solutions has launched a range of intelligent alarm telemetry units for use within utility, environmental and industrial markets. The Flygt ATU 800 and 900 series offer a robust telemetry device which can monitor, control and relay site asset data from a wide range of conditions. Xylem Water Solutions was one of the founding companies to help form the WITS standards association, ensuring that all telemetry products within the water industry meet a standard level of protocol.
UK Power Networks, the UK’s largest public utility, is to trial a pollution prevention system based on a polymer that is said to quickly turn oil, diesel and other hydrocarbon waste into a non-leaching solid. The waste can then be readily collected and re-used in tarmac and other road building or burned for energy. Developer CI Agent Solutions believes the system can eliminiate the need for the massive and costly concrete bunds that are used by utilities, oil companies, port authorities, highway authorities and others to prevent pollution from sites.
Honeywell has launched a mobility application that provides secure remote access to it’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) through mobile computing devices. Experion Mobile Access enables field operators to view and respond to live information from Experion PKS while they are on rounds or inspecting the plant. (Read more)
The HART Communication Foundation has announced that two WirelessHART products have been named by industry users as the best among automation, control and instrumentation products introduced during 2011. The products, recognised for technological advancement, service to the industry and market impact, are the Rosemount 708 wireless acoustic transmitter from Emerson and the RAD-WHA-1/2NPT WirelessHART adapter from Phoenix Contact.
