PACE - Process & Control Engineering - June 2011 by Prime Creative Media

www.pacetoday.com.au

PACE PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING

Management 8

CPM to the forefront CPM helps users drive innovation to get products to market quicker. Measurement 22

10 Reasons to Adopt RTS Real-time particle size analysers enable particulate process to be optimised.

AspenTech on energy quest ZZZ QHWELWHU FRP DX JUNE 2011

VOL.64 NO.5

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Fluid Handling 9

Benefit from Biogas Biogas obtained from the treatment of wastewater can reduce fuel bills. Emission Monitoring 16

CEMS: A Definitive Guide To be effective, standards must specify safety lifecycle activities that need to be followed over the entire life of a production system. Special Report 23

Zenith Awards Finalists We reveal the best projects in eight categories as well as our outstanding youngsters and lifetime achievers. IICA News & Views 30

Post Print Approved PP255003/00539

Outstanding contributions The three citations provide an insight into the opportunities that IICA offers.

BY KEVIN GOMEZ ASPEN Technology has appointed Steven Kratsis as their new Director of Area Sales for Australia. Kratsis believes there are great opportunities for growth for the company’s suite of software products that optimises process engineering, manufacturing and supply chain applications. “An emerging area for growth in Australia is Energy Management,” Kratsis told PACE. “Not only can it help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, it also enables organisations to minimise operational expenses and drive improvements to the bottom line, facilitating a quicker ROI for the organisation.” Kratsis says one of the biggest challenges in the process industry, whether it’s a refinery or an engineering procurement and construction company, is to ensure that vendors understand customer needs. He got his first taste of the process industry in the late 1990s while completing his PhD in Chemistry at Monash University with an Australian Post Graduate Award Industry sponsored by Electrolytic Zinc Refinery - Pasminco BHAS (now Nyrstar). Kratsis found his research with

STEVEN KRATSIS: The discovery step sets the stage for successful solutions. Pasminco rewarding as it focused on developing online and offline methods for monitoring harmful trace metals throughout Pasminco’s process plant in Port Pirie. He has spent the last 12 years in sales and marketing with companies such as Linde Materials Handling and Endress+Hauser Australia.

At the last company, Kratsis found his niche in the process automation industry as national sales manager. His mandate there was to help his team focus on customers and strategically lead his team through the next growth phase. www.aspentech.com

IMAGING

Merger creates largest vision services firm THE merger of Adept Electronic Solutions and Total Turnkey Solutions will create the largest machine vision and imaging products and services company in Australia and New Zealand. The merger will create Adept Turnkey Pty Ltd - a machine vision industrial company

with a complementary portfolio of products and advanced technologies. The merger takes effect on 1 July 2011. Adept CEO, Marc Fimeri said, “This merger will create a larger and stronger company and allow us to be better placed to grow expand nationally,

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internationally and adjust to the changing landscape of the automation sector.” Marc Fimeri will be CEO of Adept Turnkey Pty Ltd while Turnkey Solutions sales director Mark Goulding has been appointed sales manager. adept@adept.net.au

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NEWS

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

PACE

Lights out for solar?

PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING

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Next Issue PLCs & Soft Control Energy Management ● Zenith Awards Winners ● ●

MAY is Federal budget month and also a time for many Australians to be driven to despair. It is very seldom that a budget is wholeheartedly welcomed. I have yet to see one. This year’s effort was true to form, but there were a few positives. The Government is at least acknowledging two problem areas – local manufacturing and skills shortage. The solutions are tentative steps in the right direction. But it all comes down to the implementation. The ‘Buy Australian at Home and Abroad’ programme should offer some solace to local suppliers battling the high Australian dollar. The initiative revolves around the Government helping buyers ‘understand’ the strength of the local manufacturing and service sectors. Will this soft support make a difference? Your guess is as good as mine. It is heartening to see more funds for technical training and apprenticeships. The sum of $1.75 billion over five years (from 2012-13) to make the VET system more transparent and productive is no small change. Will the automation industry band together, raise their decibel levels and ensure a respectable share? The disappointment comes in the area of

solar energy with Federal funding for the Solar Flagships program cut by $220 million over the next two years. State governments too are doing their bit. The NSW Government has ended its solar panel installation program and slashed the price it will pay householders to feed power back to the grid. Here’s what a cynical fellow editor had to say, “Why offer expensive financial incentives when the government can simply introduce its carbon tax, watch as the utilities pass that cost on to the consumer and then sit back with a self-satisfied smile as we hit the phones to beg suppliers to quickly fit solar panels to our roofs… no matter what the price.” This month will also see the 8th Annual PACE Zenith Awards function in Sydney. We were fortunate to have received a record number of entries. Many finalist entrants were profiled in the May issue and the remainder feature this month. Good luck to all those who entered and a big thank you. I do hope to meet with many of you in Sydney on June 16 for the process and control industry’s night of nights. Kevin.Gomez@reedbusiness.com.au

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Future Vision 2020: Predictions happen BY JIM PINTO FUTURISTS keep predicting things that mostly never happen; well, lots of predictions fall far short of the mark. By 2010, some predicted “smellyvision” – TV programs with aroma generating attachments, which has not yet appeared. People like Ray Kurzweil, who base their predictions on technology trends, keep making many accurate predictions; some of these predictions became reality ahead of schedule. Let’s see what some of the noted futurists and visionaries are predicting for the years leading up to 2020.

Over the next decades, the world will wean itself from dependence on fossil fuels and slash greenhouse gases. To achieve this, major breakthroughs will be needed. And they’ll arrive, bringing enormous opportunities. The ability to tap power from space, for instance, could jump-start whole new industries. Technology that can trap and store carbon dioxide from coal-fired plants would rejuvenate older ones. These technologies present difficult engineering challenges, and some require big scientific leaps in lab-created materials or genetically modified plants. And innovations have to be delivered at a cost

that doesn’t make energy much more expensive. If all of that can be done, any one of these technologies could change our lives significantly. There’ll be cheap, widespread solar power (as it gets cheaper); smart gadgets won’t just be portable – they’ll become part of your body. These changes will come as they did in the past decade, only faster, because technology growth is exponential. Kurzweil suggests that the next 10 years will bring advances which compare with more than the past century. In my opinion, he won’t be far wrong. Jim@JimPinto.com

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NEWS

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MEASUREMENT

Here’s what you may have missed this May if you weren’t following @pacetoday on Twitter:

Rosemount Raptor is poised to strike

❏ What the budget means for the process control and automation industries. http://dlvr.it/RJT7d

BY KEVIN GOMEZ EMERSON is sticking with the dinosaur theme for its Rosemount Tank Gauging line-up. After Rex, the company now delivers the Raptor. And like its animal namesake, the Raptor boasts sharp specs that, the company hopes, can slay its opponents. “This is a generation change in tank gauging,” Magnus Petersson told PACE at the launch in Sydney recently. Petersson is product manager (tank gauging & process level) at Rosemount and is organising launch events across the country The Raptor was built from the ground up an open architecture and uses a 2-wire high-speed Foundation fieldbus based Tankbus. For demanding sites, the Raptor can be configured with Emerson’s self-organising WirelessHART networks. Accuracies of ±0.5 mm and ±3 mm are available depending on user require-

❏ AMS terminates GE distributorship. http://dlvr.it/PwvhV ❏ Are we over-investing in desalination? http://dlvr.it/P9xR2 ❏ Plants can access high data requirement devices directly in fieldbus. http://dlvr.it/PwvcW Follow @pacetoday on Twitter for the latest news, analysis, new product information and commentary. And never miss out again.

ALL-NEW: Emerson’s Phil Holland (L) and Magnus Petersson with the Raptor during the Sydney launch.

ments. Where high overfill prevention is critical, the Raptor is available with a 2-in-1 feature that has two inde-

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NEWS

ODVA launches Machinery Initiative

COMMON INDUSTRIAL PROTOCOL: ODVA recognises its media independent network protocol CIP as its core technology. (Graphic courtesy ODVA.)

ODVA has launched a Machinery Initiative designed to improve the integration of machinery with the industrial manufacturing ecosystem. Through this initiative, ODVA will develop an open interoperability framework that will help machine builders drive productivity improvements for end users. ODVA’s open approach to its framework includes alliances with vendorneutral standards development organisations (SERCOS International and OPC Foundation) to foster cross-collaboration on topics of mutual interest for machinery applications. Users are increasingly relying on machine builders to provide the functionality needed to integrate machines with overall production processes and the enterprise. Research into the OEM machinery market identified four key areas where focus on an open interoperability framework can provide this functionality. These areas include machine optimisation – which includes key application areas related to safety, energy and motion – as well as connectivity; information exchange; and device definition and configuration. Building on the existing collaboration between ODVA and SERCOS International (SI) in the area of functional safety, SI has agreed to participate with ODVA as an alliance partner in its Machinery Initiative.

As a standard development organisation for SCADA systems, the OPC Foundation is keen to participate as an ODVA alliance partner. Focus on this interoperable framework will provide guidance to machine builders on designing equipment for superior connectivity, helping end user customers access data from their machinery and correlate it with data derived from their control, SCADA and MES systems. As its first action in its Machinery Initiative, ODVA has formed a task force to identify key milestones to ensure the appropriate input is received from machine builders on the process. The initiative will encompass technical work by the organisation, as well as workshops with its alliance partners to identify initial areas of cross collaboration. “End users seek integration and connectivity of their plantwide systems to all their key assets, especially OEM machinery, in order for their production and enterprise applications to measure and better understand what is happening in their manufacturing processes, helping to cut costs and increase productivity,” says Craig Resnick, research director, ARC Advisory Group. “ODVA’s Machinery Initiative will enable end users to access data previously hidden in their machines by eliminating technical barriers.

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USTAINABLE production has never been a more important goal for industry. Companies must comply with increasing regulation and meet end-user demand that goods are manufactured with minimal impact on the natural environment. Sustainable production encompasses energy and environmental concerns, and addresses reduced use of raw materials, workplace safety, product integrity, and minimisation or reuse of waste products. It is not responsible to continually consume resources in order to just make a profit. Many industries are ideally positioned to take the lead in finding solutions to the environmental challenges facing the modern world. One way is through active participation in both local and global initiatives that are designed to ensure we can hand over a healthy environment to future generations. One initiative debated for several years is a ‘price’ on carbon and companies must be prepared for the challenge, and the cost of compliance. As new demands for environmental accountability are made by governments, industry bodies and end-users, today’s manufacturers must monitor raw material usage, power and water consumption, and generation of waste, in order to operate their facilities in the most environmentally sustainable way possible. Integrated control solutions, paired with production intelligence software, are essential to balancing the demands of environmental performance and the economic imperatives of operating a business. Such systems give companies the ability to collect data, process it and distribute it to the appropriate people at the right time. Sustainability metric. The cost of energy is a significant business outgoing and a key environmental and sustainability metric. Knowing

the amount of energy used in the production process is thus an important factor for any manufacturer; the challenge is how to best obtain the required data and act upon it in a meaningful way. Implementing systems to monitor energy usage at all stages of the production process can identify savings. It is important to know not just how much energy is used but also when it is used. Integrated information-enabled control architectures, that monitor all stages of production, can help optimise processes and manage energy usage to take advantage of off-peak supply and deliver cost reductions. Such systems can transform a company from a passive energy consumer to a strategic manager of energy resources.

Sophisticated integrated control solutions are essential to balancing the demands of environmental performance and the economic imperatives of operating a business.

Efficient usage of raw material and ingredients is another aspect of sustainable production. Flexible and scalable plant-wide ‘track and trace’ systems that monitor receipt and usage of all components, through the wide variety of procedures that make up a manufacturing application, can assist companies in optimising their use of natural resources. This kind of automated data collection requires systems that

permit straightforward integration with a variety of plant-floor control, automation and information systems. Many manufacturers have disparate automation controls deployed across their facilities with data residing in a variety of systems. The ability to access and share the information between all these systems is essential to maximise the benefits that can be achieved. Clean fresh water is an essential resource and vital to many manufacturing processes and hygiene procedures. Industrial water usage efficiency will also become an increasingly important issue for the mining and resources sector. There will be a requirement for these industries to account for water usage and how much water is treated and re-used. The ability to monitor and track all aspects of water consumption during operations and provide traceability has become a necessity, particularly in the face of ever-evolving government regulation. Handling waste. A by-product of utilising energy and consuming natural resources is the generation of waste. The amount of waste sent to landfill is another factor driving the adoption of sustainability strategies. Monitoring emissions and waste generated during processing is integral to a company’s ability to comply with reporting requirements of government programmes. It is likely that legislation requiring companies to meet the cost of waste disposal will be introduced. Increasingly, manufacturers will need to develop designs and processes that minimise the amount of packing required for the storage and shipping of their products. There are also processes, both internal and external, that manufacturers can implement to reduce waste. A comprehensive internal waste segregation system, which

OPINION

g the sustainability tripod

rgy usage, resource consumption and workplace safety, writes Michael Loke. encourages re-use and recycling, and training staff to follow it correctly, can minimise the amount of material sent to landfill. Integrated monitoring systems will allow companies to identify where processes can be streamlined to further minimise landfill waste. It is a challenge to produce and deliver goods, from any type of manufacturing process, in a consistently safe and reliable manner. Consumers increasingly are demanding that manufacturers practice social responsibility in supplying goods, running a production plant or operating a mine. Safety solutions. Stopping a processing plant due to an accident, or use of incorrect components, is expensive both in

terms of energy used to re-start equipment and disposal of contaminated or faulty goods. With the implementation of contemporary safety solutions, manufacturers can allow operators to more safely perform operational tasks while a machine is running and possibly in motion. This helps improve productivity and saves excess energy necessary to power up a machine, which in turn reduces overall energy consumption. Companies often see compliance with health and safety legislation as an additional cost burden. However, the cost in terms of lost production can often be greater than the purchase price of the appropriate monitoring and

controlling equipment. Training is integral to any successful strategy. If the skills of staff are continually updated, their job performance will improve and safety breaches will be less likely. Progressive changes. Sustainability needs to be driven from a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest levels. Senior managers who appreciate that there are financial benefits in a sustainability strategy; that companies that do not implement progressive changes are taking bigger economic, brand and regulatory risks, are central to a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued success. Integrated automation control solutions can enable manufacturers to operate cleaner, safer and more efficiently, helping to continuously protect

and fortify their brands, and improve the bottom line. Expansion or remodelling of production facilities should incorporate integrated systems that utilise established, proven, reliable and scalable technologies. Thought of in this way, a sustainability strategy is a tool to position a company for greater success in the future by delivering cost reductions, and operational processes, that are consistent with growing societal demands for environmental accountability. [Michael Loke is Industry Manager, Sustainability, Rockwell Automation.] Rockwell Automation 03 9896 0300 www.rockwellautomation.com.au

JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 7

OPINION

COLLABORATIVE PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

CPM returns to the forefront CPM helps users drive innovation to get products to market quicker, writes Tom Fiske.

OLLABORATIVE Production Management (CPM) is one of the hottest automation investment spaces in today’s process industries. After a couple of tumultuous years, companies once again are ramping up spending in CPM solutions. According to recent ARC research, the CPM for the process industries market is especially hot in Australia. While global revenues for software and services in this category grew by approximately 15 percent worldwide in 2010 compared to the previous year, revenues grew by more than 30 percent in Australia for the same period. And while shipments to the mining industry remained traditionally strong, our research indicated a real upsurge in shipments to both the oil & gas and electric power segments in Australia. There are many reasons for this overall upsurge. Most process manufacturers have already implemented ERP and other business systems and now realise that they can gain additional value through better integration of plant and enterprise systems. Enterprise systems' primary focus is on demand forecasting, production planning, and material sourcing and tracking.

Standalone entity Unfortunately, most plants today still operate as a standalone entity, focused primarily on real-time process control. Business systems have little influence on the plant other than gross target shifts and reporting. The gap between enterprise and plant systems reduces asset effectiveness due to overly conservative planning from uncertainty in process capability and asset availability. This results in wasted resources, surplus inventory, and lost business opportunities. Today, the emphasis of IT investment is shifting from ERP systems to manufacturing systems. Organisations are looking at the enterprise as a whole and making strategic purchasing decisions to roll out 8 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

Unfortunately most plants today still operate as a standalone entity focused primarily on real-time process control and business systems have little influence on the plant.

CPM: Collaborative Production Management categories.

common CPM applications across all facilities. Organisations can achieve significant benefits through economies of scale, utilising IT resources more efficiently, aligning IT with business needs better, reducing implementation costs, lowering support and maintenance costs, and improving integration to create greater information visibility across the enterprise.

What’s the Big Deal? Following the recession-induced cutbacks of recent years, companies are rushing in to purchase CPM solutions at a record pace. Many companies, having invested heavily in ERP and other enterprise applications, now find that they are not achieving the expected ROI. They understand that to extract more value from their investments and to compete more effectively in the global market, they must better integrate their enterprise and plant systems. Companies are standardising on best practices and application across their enterprise and making CPM purchasing decisions, not for just one plant, but for most (if not all) plants globally. CPM offers impressive potential benefits. When organisations begin to align processes and strategies, technology, and people across the enterprise,

CPM becomes indispensable. By using standards, the same strategic focus and best practices can be used in all processes and across manufacturing facilities globally. With integrated systems, employees can make better decisions based on more complete and real-time information. They can analyse data, identify problems, and identify and quantify results rap-idly in terms of the potential business impact. In other words, using CPM, companies can integrate applications, business benefits, and strategies with actions using real-time information. Collaborative production systems can help users achieve significant savings through better collaboration between plants, use of standards and best practices, improved knowledge management, improved workflow and process controls, and faster time to market for new or old products. CPM solutions improve information flow from the raw material to the manufacturer to the business sys-tem and to the supply chain. Best of all, the benefits are sustainable.

Core value proposition CPM has three main functional areas: plan, operate, and inform. The “plan” segment consists of functions such as short-term production planning, plant

simulation and modelling, and scheduling. The plan functions determine what products to make, when to make them, and what equipment to use. The “operate” segment emanates from the need to continuously find new and better ways to control process equipment, execute production, and operate plants more efficiently. This segment includes dispatching, electronic work instructions, resource management, workflow management, etc. The purpose of the “inform” category is to gather, store, organise, and communicate data and information. It includes data collection, performance analysis, reporting, and role-based KPI visibility. At a fundamental level, CPM helps users cut costs, improve quality and efficiency, and drive innovation to get products to market quicker. In addition, CPM helps users to collaborate and improve real-time performance management initiatives, which in turn improves asset effectiveness and profitability. The latest CPM innovations can help manufacturers improve visibility into operations, provides better links to business objectives, and permit increased agility to respond to volatile market conditions. These features help companies optimise production activities and synchronise supply chains based on real customer requirements. [Tom Fiske (tfiske@arcweb.com) is, Senior Analyst Automation & Supply Chain, ARC Advisory Group.] www.arcwweb.com

BEHIND THE SCENES

Biogas can turn costs to profits Biogas produced from the treatment of wastewater can contribute 10 to 15 per cent of a brewery’s steam requirements and reducing the need to buy expensive alternative fuels, writes Frank Urbaniak-Hedley.

B KETTLE: Greater effort has to be applied to maximise the gas output by maintaining a healthy digester.

REWERIES can successfully utilise the biogas from their wastewater treatment plant as an energy source in their operations, saving money as well as minimising waste, according to environmental solutions company Talbot & Talbot. The company says that the biogas

produced from the treatment of wastewater can contribute 10-15 per cent of a brewery’s steam requirements, reducing the need to buy increasingly expensive alternative fuels while substituting it with ‘green’ energy. Using biogas as a fuel for raising steam in a brewery can definitely be viable, resulting in the treatment plant

COMMUNICATION CAN BE THAT SIMPLE We talk Ethernet – even into the Ex Zone. Relying on generally accepted standards throughout the plant is always better than using proprietary solutions. That is why Pepperl+Fuchs insists on TCP/IP communication via Ethernet. One of the latest examples of this philosophy is VisuNet Remote Monitor – the PC control unit that can be located within the Ex Zone. It not only offers a modular design, which allows individual configuration to match any specific needs, it also extends the Ethernet into the category II 2G, II 2D, Class I Division 2 sections on the factory floor. This puts an end to costly proprietary solutions and opens the way to a new age of transparent communication without limits. After all, it has always been the better choice to work with the right type of experts. Pepperl+Fuchs (Aust) Pty Ltd Phone: +61 3 9495 8600 · Fax: +61 3 9484 6366 Email: pa-info@au.pepperl-fuchs.com · www.pepperl-fuchs.com.au

JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 9

BEHIND THE SCENES

Using biogas as a fuel for raising steam in a brewery can result in the treatment plant changing from a cost centre into a profit centre.

changing from a cost centre into a profit centre. The value of this energy depends on the cost of the current fuel it replaces, whether coal, gas or electricity. The author of this article recently presented his experiences and expertise at the IBD Convention (Industrial Brewer and Distilling). The technologies developed by Talbot & Talbot had been successfully applied to breweries over the size of 500,000 hectoliters/annum in Africa and abroad. The technologies are broadly applicable to food and beverage operations as well as various manufacturing and processing plants.

Talbot & Talbot, based in South Africa, provides turnkey wastewater treatment solutions for industries worldwide and has experience in utilising biogas as an energy source. Most breweries with a production capacity greater than 500,000 hectolitres (Hl) per year typically employ wastewater treatment processes prior to the discharge of their effluent, whether to municipal utilities or to the natural environment. This treatment usually involves anaerobic digestion, possibly followed by aerobic treatment, although the specific requirements will vary depending on the final receiving environment.

Anaerobic Treatment Anaerobic biological treatment is generally chosen for the first stage because of the higher Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) loads associated with brewery effluent and the lower sludge production and energy consumption required by the anaerobic process. The volume of gas produced through

CLEANED: Many breweries employ wastewater treatment processes prior to the discharge of their effluent.

anaerobic digestion of the soluble organic matter is directly proportional to the mass of the organic matter. The generally accepted ratio is 0.35 Nm3 of methane per kilogram of COD equivalent treated. Methane makes up about 65 per cent of the biogas by volume, and is generated together with carbon dioxide (35 per cent) and trace amounts of other gases, including hydrogen sulphide and ammonia. The heating value of the biogas is 25.7 MJ/m3 (Mega Joules per cubic metre), compared to methane at 37.7 MJ/m3, natural gas at 35-43 MJ/m3 and LPG at 50-55 MJ/m3. The biogas can be burned in a dualfuel boiler or in a stand-alone dedicated boiler installation. The resulting steam is 10 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

piped directly into the main steam supply header. The boiler is fully automated, starting up and producing steam when gas is available. The combination is optimised to produce the maximum heating value from the gas. The biogas boiler normally works in conjunction with a flare stack that burns off excess gas should the steam boiler not be available for any reason. The gas produced will always be below the breweryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steam demand, so the gas is generally used as it is produced, rather than being stored.

Economic value As a rule of thumb, 100 Nm3 of biogas will discharge one ton of saturated steam

BEHIND THE SCENES

The volume of gas produced through anaerobic digestion of the soluble organic matter is directly proportional to the mass of the organic matter.

into the main steam header. The actual amount will depend on the gas quality, header pressure, boiler efficiency and feed water temperature, among other factors. A typical brewery with production of one million hectolitres per annum might produce waste of up to 4.5 tons of COD equivalent per day, with a potential of 2,000m3 per day of gas or 20 tons of steam. The replacement value of this energy will depend upon the cost and type of the current fuel used at the brewery,

SELECTED: Anaerobic biological treatment is generally chosen for the first stage because of the higher Chemical Oxygen Demand loads associated with brewery effluent.

whether coal, gas or electricity. Due to this, the wastewater treatment plant potentially changes from being a costdriven centre to a profit-driven one.

Areas of concern Possible issues in utilising brewery biogas include: • The health and output of the digester:

Once the focus and purpose of the digester changes from wastewater treatment to energy production, greater effort has to be applied to maximise the gas output by maintaining a healthy digester. • Digester pressure: This has to be carefully controlled by the boiler load valve to maintain a steady gas pressure and water flow within the digester. • Coordinating the operating information: The gas supply system and the boiler have different control mechanisms, which makes information transfer limited. This can make troubleshooting by operators problematic. • Construction materials: These have to be carefully selected since carbon steel; brass; bronze and copper are corroded by the sulphide in the gas. [Frank Urbaniak-Hedley is Director Talbot & Talbot. The company is represented in Australia by CST Wastewater Solutions.] CST Wastewater Solutions 02 9417 3611 www.cstwastewater.com

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IN FOCUS

The process control revolution From cumbersome pressure pipes through to smart instruments and now, human centred design, the automation industry has been through a remarkable journey, writes Kevin Gomez.

TRANGE as it may seem, automation, as a concept, owes its origins to a 10th century Byzantine emperor whose throne was surrounded by artificial chirping birds and growling lions with wagging tails. The throne could even move vertically at the emperorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s command, allowing him to gaze down upon his lowly subjects. Some believe the throne was powered by a primitive pressure control system. Perhaps. From being used as a symbol of power and amusement in a bygone era, automation is today at the very core of modern manufacturing. The evolution of process control has been rapid and it is now the life-blood of any modern

12 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

EVOLUTION: Over the past several decades, process control systems dramatically improved the value the functionality delivered to manufacturers. The next step on this curve is enhancing user experience and reducing complexity, which is one of the things Human Centred Design promises to do. (Graphic courtesy Emerson Process Management.)

production facility. Pneumatic systems developed in the early 1900s drove proportional control valves that allowed operators to modulate process valves remotely. This principle was widely used in automated

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CNC systems enabled highly automated manufacturing and produced parts that closely matched the original CAD design with minimal human intervention. bending, welding and injection welding machines that reduced manual intervention on the shop floor. But quality was still a major problem with wide variances between products in a batch coupled with high defect levels. Many believe modern automated manufacturing really started in the early 1950s when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology produced the first numerical controlled (NC) machine. Punched cards or magnetic tapes controlled the work steps with

CONNECTED: Asset management tools take information from field devices spread across a plant and turns it into useable information. (Graphic courtesy Emerson Process Management.)

shopfloor workers freed from routine measurement and control tasks. In some ways, adding the “C” or computer to NC machines put

the manufacturing process on steroids. CNC systems enabled highly automated manufacturing and produced parts that closely matched the original computer

aided design (CAD) with minimal human intervention. In the early days, all control was done via pressure pipes that delivered a 3-15 psi signal. These pressure pipes were extremely expensive to maintain and operate. They needed compressors and there were always problems with oil clogging up fuel devices and valves. The rise of electronics pushed pressure pipes into oblivion, much to the joy of plant managers. Pipes gave way to 420 mA electrical signals and the industry was then ready to capitalise on the next big thing – the launch of microprocessor in the 1970s. With process control instruments getting more intelligent, the next step was to allow them to communicate with each other. This hope was short-lived – communication is great if language or languages are shared. This wasn’t the case and thus began a dark period in the automation industry’s history. The plant manager in the 1990s was faced with a confusing number of communication network protocols, each one promising >

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JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 13

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to make instruments on the shop floor communicate with others on that proprietary standard but not with others. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the official body that ought to have sorted out this mess was of little help. They imposed IEC 61158, a multiple standard solution for fieldbus networks. Automation engineers of that era referred to this as the eight-

The next big revolution is Human Centred Design where intelligent instruments won’t merely monitor processes and spit out reams of data but deliver information that is quickly useable.

14 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

headed monster. A quick check on Wikipedia throws up 34 competing protocols, although the shakedown over last two decades has left a small handful of systems far ahead of the rest. Once manufacturers settled on one of the fieldbus protocols and got their automation systems talking to each other, productivity, reporting and control rose significantly. Plant managers quickly realised the benefits of instrumentation and automation. This led to an explosion in the number of instruments in manufacturing facilities. And consequently, lots and lots of cabling. The situation was such that it could cost $1,000 to buy a sensor and $35,000 to wire it up. A few years back, several makers banded together and offered a solution – go wireless. For a while, there was even one standard – WirelessHART which was approved in 2007. Manufacturers could pick from wireless versions of many instruments cutting down implementation costs and complexity for selected applications.

But the automation industry seeks devious ways to make the plant manager’s job as challenging as possible. Just when wireless seemed to be the panacea for kilometres of cables running through the plant, a couple of vendors came together to offer ISA100.11a to rival WirelessHART. More choices for the harried plant engineer who now has to work out the odds in picking the eventual winner in this two-horse race while reminiscing over earlier standards wars which have burnt the losing punter. From bobbing an emperor’s throne though to intelligent wireless sensors, the industry has come a long way. What’s on the horizon for the manufacturer who has to unscramble protocols, keep up to date with standards, boost productivity and untangle wires? In a throwback to a song that hit the airwaves in Australia a few years back, the cry is “What about me?” And, manufacturers, the process control industry is listening. The next big revolution is Human Centred Design where intelligent instru-

ments won’t merely monitor processes and spit out reams of data but deliver information that is quickly useable. ABB, Invensys, Rockwell and Emerson are actively pursuing this course with the latter a very vocal proponent of this transformation. Instrument functionality will be developed with the user at its core as equipment vendors increasingly realise they’re serving the person not the machine or the process. For automation, the best is yet to come. So, was it some primitive, partlyautomated pressure mechanism that gave our 10th century emperor his highs? Since the air pump was invented only in the 1600s and the hydraulic pump over a century later, it is likely a bunch of minions, hidden from sight, tugged furiously at a rope each time the emperor snapped his fingers. [This article originally appeared in Manufacturers’ Monthly’s 50th Anniversary Special edition published in May 2011. Manufacturers’ Monthly is a sister publication of PACE.]

NEW PRODUCTS

FLIRViewer App for Apple devices Russell Fraser Sales have launched the FLIRViewer App for Apple devices, including iPhone and iPad. This software transforms the way Infrared inspections are carried out by offering faster and easier reporting and communication. For seamless integration without the need for cables or card readers, the FLIRViewer App works on Wifi to transmit Infrared information to the customer for realtime decisions. The FLIRIviewer App offers image manipulation and detailed descriptions plus GPS capabilities and reporting functionality. Russell Fraser Sales 02 9545 4433 / www.rfsales.com.au

Domeloaded pressure regulators Swagelok RHPS series domeloaded pressure regulators permit high flows and exhibit less droop than spring-loaded designs in controlling the pressure of liquids and gases. The domeloaded design relies on a pressurised chamber above an elastomer diaphragm in place of a spring to operate the regulator. Depending on regulator size and configuration, inlet pressures can range to 400 bar. Regulated pressures span 0.10 to 2.0 bar, 0 to 70 bar, 0 to 200 bar and 0 to 400 bar. These regulators are available for pipe sizes ranging from 1/4 to 4 inch with corresponding Cv values ranging from 0.1 to 73. End connections include NPT female, BSPP female, and ANSI and DIN flanges. Body, dome and trim material for all models is 316L stainless steel. Operating temperatures range from -20 to 80°C. Seal, O-ring, seat, and diaphragm material options include nitrile, EPDM, and fluorocarbon FKM. Seat materials also include PCTFE and PEEK. Larger models, 1-1/2 inch and above, include an integral pilot regulator to keep the dome pressure constant. The dome can be energized by system pressure or an external pressure source. Special external feedback configurations which require no external power are available which permit even finer control of pressures. All models, regardless of size, include connections for installation of pressure gauges or other pressure measurement devices. Swagelok Company 03 9355 3500 / www.swagelok.com

Accelerometer for vibration monitoring Dytran Instruments has introduced the model 3302A, a biaxial IEPE accelerometer designed to provide dynamic vibration monitoring within Active Vibration Control applications typically found on commercial and military aircraft. Utilising a biaxial design, the 3302A incorporates the mounting bracket and sensing elements in a single package. This feature facilitates improved sensor performance while eliminating the costs associated with employing separate accelerometers and mounting brackets. The design also offers reduced mass as compared to conventional sensors and mounting brackets. Metromatics 07 3868 4255 / www.metromatics.com.au

Wire duct system makes use of unutilised panel corners Edge Corner Wire Duct System allows the user to make full use of the corner of a control panel, where cables and wires can be installed, space that’s normally not utilised. This ducting system allows installation flush to the corner. With the corner panel fixed, the installer then can use one of two sections to provide a depth of either 90 mm or 110 mm. These sections allow the user to provide an opening of 40 mm or 60 mm, respectively. The openings allow access to the wires and cables, when required. Using the same “L”

shaped bottom piece and keeping the same side wall, the user also saves on the need for stocking other ducts, should there be a need to increase the wire fill capacity at some future date. Edge slotted duct allows the easy insertion of wires or cables at any point. Extremely strong, easy to transport and assemble, the ducting system comes in cross sections of 9,000 and 11,050 mm2. EC&M Electrical 02 97484577 / www.ecm.net.au

Altivar 32 variable speed drives Schneider Electric’s Altivar series 32 Frequency Inverters have been designed for the speed control of 3phase asynchronous motors operating in high density applications requiring a high level of safety and functionality. Key range characteristics include: power range: 0.18 to 15 kW; power supply: 3-phase 200/240V and 380/480V; degree of protection IP20. Benefits of using the Altivar 32 offer include: energy savings and noise level reduction due to infinite motor speed variation, when compared to more traditional motor control methods; reduction in components due to the built in, user programmable logic controller; simplified approach to safety due to the inclusion of major safety features of safe limit speed, safe stop and safe torque off. The new drive range also features a modular, compact frame reducing installation time and reducing space in the switchboard. Schneider Electric 1300 369 233 www.schneider-electric.com.au JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 15

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Everything you always wanted to know

There is a plethora of technologies for gas analysis and particulate monitoring and there is no solution to suit al

SSUING a specification for Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) requires planning and research. Consultation with environmental process and combustion engineers on-site will provide a list of components required for both environmental reporting and process improvements. Environmental reporting can be a tricky one, as the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EPA licence may specify reporting only NOx. The following year, SO2 may be added to the licence. To incorporate an additional measurement after CEMS installation would be costly. Thus, it is advisable to consult with others in the same industry and the EPA to find out what else may be required currently and in the future. Confirm EPA licence requirements for reporting in ppm or mg/Nm3. Confirm if reporting requires measurement to be normalised for O2 or CO2. This is relevant for components after combustion processes. If normalisation is specified, O2, CO2 will also need to be measured continuously. Industry also must report annual mass emissions for the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) and National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007. These reports require tonnes per year of greenhouse gases, particulate and so on. Additional information is required to calculate reported data, for example stack gas flow and stack area. Other important parameters for CEMS specifications would be stack temperature, required accuracies of analysers, zero and span drift tolerances and very importantly, an operational test period (without maintenance). CEMS equipment needs to have at least 95% availability.

SNAPSHOT

NEED FOR CEMS

MAINTENANCE: A typical cold extractive analyser system.

ature above acid dewpoint to prevent water formation. Water formation at the gas analyser will cause severe cross sensitivity issues with other measured gases, plus expensive analyser maintenance. Analysers for hot extractive systems need to handle typical flue gas temperatures around 150Â°C making them expensive. The main advantage is the analyser zero and span are easily calibrated. The main disadvantage is high temperature extraction and filtering creates increased maintenance costs.

UNMODIFIED: A typical cross stack analyser.

Gas Analyser Technologies Hot Extractive Systems: These require a stack sample probe with heated sample line to the analyser. The sample gas to the analyser needs to maintain a temper16 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

Continuous emission monitoring provides valuable process information as well as environmental reporting data compared to periodic assessment. Periodic assessment by manual sampling provides data for an instant in time, which may not highlight intermittent process conditions. Process variations could result in unknown emission exceedances and wasted fuel or product. If a Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) is installed as a process monitoring and control tool, then with process improvement, environmental issues will tend to look after themselves.

VERIFIED: Typical in-stack open path analyser.

Cold Extractive Systems: These require a stack sample probe with heated sample line to a gas conditioning panel. Part of the sample preparation prior to entering the analyser is to remove the water vapour by rapidly chilling the sample. This sample conditioning system requires a significant amount of maintenance to ensure all sample preparation components are operating correctly. The major drawback with this type of system is that a significant percentage of any soluble gas, such as NO2, SO2

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w about CEMS: A definitive guide

all applications. Several critical factors must be considered, writes Frank Silberberg. and to a lesser extent, NO, is removed along with the water vapour. Dilution Systems: To eliminate the need to remove the water vapour and to ensure condensation does not occur in the sample line or analyser components, a technique of diluting the sample at the stack take-off was developed. Protection against condensation is achieved by diluting the sample to a level at which even the lowest ambient temperature would not cause any condensation to form. Dilution is generally provided with instrument air at typical ratios of 100 or 200 to 1. The diluted sample is transported

from the take-off point to the system housing, where additional sample preparation components and the analysers are mounted. The major drawback of this system is that, in addition to maintaining the dilution system, the analyser has to be significantly more sensitive to monitor the diluted gas. Cross Stack and Reflective Cross Stack Analysers: These were a significant step forward in Continuous Emission Monitoring analysers, negating the need for expensive, bulky and high maintenance sample systems. The disadvantage soon became clear with the inability to directly zero and

calibrate the instrument. There are also restrictions on the size of stacks which could be reliably monitored with this type of system. These systems rely on the stack as the sample cell, sending pulses of infrared or ultraviolet light through the stack to either the receiver or a reflector, which is then returned to the stack mounted transmitter/ receiver unit. A benefit is that the analysed samples are unmodified. In-Situ Open Path Analysers: These have the reflector mounted on the probe, with a slot in the probe to allow the gas to pass between the in-stack window and the reflector.

With the requirement to monitor and report several pollutant gas emissions the modern CEM System is capable of simultaneously monitoring and reporting concentrations of five or six species. To zero and calibrate this analyser, a second reflector is swung in front of the in-situ stack window and the system

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JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 17

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PULSED: Typical enveloped folded beam analyser installation.

zeroed. In addition, test gas can be passed into the enclosed portion of the probe, enabling the instrument to verify calibration. The major issue with this configuration is that the full system is not challenged â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a second reflector is used and effects on the stack measuring reflector are not taken into account. Purge air blowers are required as measuring optics are exposed to the stack environment. Typical In-Stack Open Path Analyser: In-situ Enveloped Folded Beam Analysers have the transmitter and receiver mounted in one enclosure, and pulses of infrared or ultraviolet light pass out through a probe containing two lenses. One lens is on the exit of the optical housing, the second, a process lens, is mounted in the stack end of the in-situ probe. The pulses of IR or UV then pass through a second portion of the probe, which is fitted with sintered panels, allowing the flue gas to freely pass into the measuring cell. The pulses of IR/ UV light strike a retro-reflector and are returned through the same path to the transmitter receiver. 18 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

Automatic zero To comply with Environmental Authorities requirements, analysers must have calibration verified. Extractive analysers can be challenged by diverting zero and test gas into the sample cell, enabling the instrument to be recalibrated. This is also possible with Enveloped Folded Beam technology. Normally, flue gas passes through the sintered panels, filling the in-situ measurement chamber, where the absorption of IR or UV light takes place. Periodically, either automatically or on demand, a solenoid valve can be activated, allowing instrument air to be discharged into the in-situ measuring chamber, forcing out the flue gas. The analyser then checks zero and adjusts if necessary. In the same way, certified test gas, traceable to a National Standard, can be introduced into the measuring chamber, enabling the instrument to check and if necessary, adjust calibration.

Multi component analysis Traditionally analysers were designed to measure a single gas species. If multiple gas analysis was required, then a series of analysers was used.

To eliminate the need to remove the water vapour and to ensure condensation does not occur in the sample line or analyser components a technique of diluting the sample at the stack take-off was developed. With the requirement to monitor and report several pollutant gas emissions, the modern CEM System is capable of simultaneously monitoring, displaying and reporting concentrations of five or six species.

Cross sensitivity For many years the only way of reliably monitoring several flue gas components, such as NO, NO2, SO2 and HCl was to remove the water vapour from the stack gas sample prior to carrying out the analysis. This was due to the cross sensitivity between water vapour and components to be measured.

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Water vapour absorption occurs at the wavelengths pollutant gases are measured. Two techniques have been applied to reduce cross sensitivity. By using gas filter correlation (GFC), the prime sensitivity is improved and cross sensitivity dramatically reduced. In addition, by monitoring water vapour and applying a cross sensitivity correction, the effect of water vapour can be virtually eliminated, ensuring the instrument accuracy is within the 2% requirements. These techniques can be used to remove the cross sensitivity of other species, for example CO2.

Compensation To ensure the analyser is within Âą2% accuracy, it is necessary to carry out automatic correction for changes in sample temperature and pressure. This is achieved by continually monitoring the temperature and pressure within the sample cell and compen-

Particulate Monitoring

CLARITY: Infrared absorption spectra. sating for any changes. The pressure compensation deals with changes in barometric and flue gas pressure. In addition, if the certified test gas applied for calibration causes a pressure increase, pressure compensation would remove the effect.

Summary Selection of the Continous Emission Monitoring system will depend largely on the application.

In-situ analysis cannot claim to be the answer to all stack gas applications, however they can now compete very favourably with extractive systems. The main benefits are maintenance requirements are significantly lower than extractive systems; installation costs can be lower as costly sample lines are eliminated. The need for analyser shelters is removed and because the sample cell is in the gas flow, response time is improved.

Opacity Monitors: These measure obscuration or transmission of light through a medium such as smoke and report data in terms of opacity. The relationship between transmission and opacity is: % Transmission (light through the smoke) + % Opacity (light blocked by the smoke) equals 100%. Optical Density (OD) is calculated as OD = -log10(1/T) where T is transmission. To relate % opacity to particulate, measured as mg/m3, is interesting as there is no direct relationship between the two units of measure. Therefore to relate an opacity monitor to mg/m3 particulate, numerous isokinetic manual samples are required to plot a trend of % opacity to mg/m3 particulate. Even after this tedious, expensive exercise, variations in smoke colour, for example black, grey, white, greatly affect calibration accuracy. Opacity monitoring was about measuring smoke colour when industry

JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 19

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smoke stack emissions were high, before efficient dust collection evolved. For accurate % opacity measurement, double pass opacity monitors are required. All optical surfaces must be kept clean and purge air blowers are usually required. Optical Scintillation: This is a technology to measure light flicker caused by particulate passing through a light beam. The more particles pass through the light beam, the greater the AC variation. This AC variation is proportional to mg/m3 dust concentration. Unlike opacity monitors, zero dust concentration is fixed, therefore no requirement for ongoing zero adjustment, because no dust, no flicker, no flicker equals zero mg/m3. Calibration is by comparison to isokinetic sampling with both results in mg/m3 particulate. Optical Scintillation Particulate Monitors also measure the opacity signal, which is ratioed against the AC variations measurement of particulate.

20 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

The ratiometric measurement provides accurate mg/m3 measurement to 90% soiled optics. This feature and the absence of moving parts greatly reduces maintenance and downtime, which helps satisfy EPA requirements of >95% availability of emission monitoring equipment. Triboelectric Probe: This technology relies on particulate in the air stream colliding with the sensor rod to create an electrostatic charge transfer from the particulate to the sensor rod. Particulate electrostatic charge is proportional to dust concentration. This technology works well with dry, non conductive dust, typically in baghouses, to monitor bag rupture. If particulate is moist, sticky or conductive, two issues occur, causing measurement error or failure. Dust builds up on the sensor rod which insulates it from further charge transfer, and if the sensor insulator is coated with moist or conductive dust, electrostatic charge tracks to the duct

wall to ground. Both of these circumstances cause system failure and the monitor reads low emissions with no indication of filter condition. Electrodynamic Probe: This technology is a later innovation of the Triboelectric principle and measures the electrostatic charge induced to the sensor probe from particulate passing the probe. Charge transferred by collision is filtered out, as only the specific frequency of induced charge is measured. This subtle innovation allows accurate measurement of dust concentration with the sensor probe coated with particulate and allows the manufacturer to provide fully PTFE insulated sensor rods for moist and conductive applications. Maintenance is minimal as dirty sensor probes do not affect measurement accuracy. Light Scatter Systems: This technology is based on ambient dust monitors, allowing very accurate measurement of low dust concentrations.

Air purge blowers are always required to keep in-stack optics clean and cool. Wet air applications, for example dryers and wet scrubbers, should be avoided, same as for all optical based systems.

Summary There isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a single particulate monitoring technology to suit every application, so be sure you select the right technology for your specific application. Be aware of your current and future requirements plant wide, including legislative requirements. Make sure your supplier is able to support you before and after purchase. Choosing the right technology for your application also depends on type of process, emission limits, arrestment type, air flow, duct or stack diameter, moisture content, flue gas temperature and as always, available budget. [Frank Silberberg is Managing Director, Group Instrumentation.] Group Instrumentation 07 3255 5158 www.groupinstrumentation.com.au

Accelerate your business with Eurotherm the leader in industrial automation products Eurotherm specialises in improving the performance and efficiency of your plant operations both in regulated and nonregulated industries. Whatever your needs we can meet your requirements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from a flexible, world class product to integrate into your system or a fully engineered system.

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10 Reasons to Adopt RT Analysers Real-time particle size analysers enable particulate process to be optimised, writes Bryn McDonagh.

EAL-time particle size analysers enable particulate process to be optimised. Applications include sticky wet concentrated slurries, liquid emulsions and dry particulate streams. By dramatically increasing the frequency of measurement, automated on-line analysis delivers a reliable data stream for efficient process control. The benefits are: 1. High return on investment. Rugged and robust, these on-line instruments provide reliable 24/7 operation with minimal maintenance. Automatic realtime measurement improves plant capacity and product quality with payback on investment typically in 6 to 12 months. 2. Reduced energy. Milling operations

are highly energy intensive. Energy consumption rises exponentially as particle size decreases. Under-milling often results in QC failure, while overgrinding consumes excessive energy. Real-time particle size analysis brings tighter mill control to achieve in-spec product with minimal energy use. 3. Real time control. Particle size is a performance defining parameter for many particulate products, from pharmaceuticals to metal powders. Real-time particle size measurement is a logical step as on-line systems can measure up to four particle size distributions per second for tracking fast processes. 4. Troubleshooting. Comparing realtime measurement with periodic off-line analysis is like comparing video with RELIABLE: Real-time data is very sensitive to changes in product particle size enabling tight process control and consistent quality.

snapshots. With continuous measurement it is possible to observe the result of every process variable which is highly valuable when troubleshooting. 5. Process optimisation. Understanding which process parameters affect particle size using off-line analysis takes time. However with real-time measurement the affect of changing operating scenarios can be evaluated in minutes rather than hours. Correlations between cause and effect quickly become both clear and quantifiable greatly accelerating the optimisation procedure. 6. Smarter process development. Knowledge gathering is a primary function of process development. Real-time measurement accelerates the knowledge acquisition process by detecting and solving problems at an early stage. 7. Faster product changeover. During start up or product changeover the aim is to get to the new set point as rapidly as the dynamics of the plant will allow. Progression towards the set point can be monitored with real-time analysis so that immediate action can be taken to prevent overshoot. There is no need to wait for a lab result to see whether it is safe to switch to the in-specification collection silo. 22 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

8. Instant upset detection. Off-line analysis generally occurs every hour and it takes 30 minutes for the results to be available. An upset can therefore go undetected for 90 mins which is long enough to ruin a batch and spoil a silo of in-specification product. With realtime particle size measurement upsets are detected instantaneously. 9. Greater sensitivity to product quality Off line particle size analyses are often an averaged result from composite samples. This approach can lack the sensitivity required to detect out of spec samples until they are significantly out of spec. Real-time data is very sensitive to changes in product particle size enabling tight process control and consistent quality. 10. Reducing operator risk. Sample extraction can present a health and safety risk, especially where process materials are highly volatile and/or toxic. On-line systems avoid the risks to operators and vastly improve representative sampling by measuring a very high proportion of the process stream. [Bryn McDonagh is Technical Support Manager with ATA Scientific.] ATA Scientific 02 9541 3500 / www.atascientific.com.au

PACE ZENITH AWARDS 1011 FINALSISTS

Zenith Awards Additional Entries FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Zenith Awards: Lifetime Achievement category sponsored by

ABB is a truly global company operating in more than 100 countries, with over 124,000 people worldwide. ABB are well known to be committed to attracting and retaining dedicated and skilled people, offering employees an attractive working environment and excellent development opportunities. ABB’s team of multitalented people are encouraged to show leadership in engineering, along with technological excellence and innovation. “ABB are very pleased to inspire and applaud engineering excellence,” said Keith Leung the Head of ABB Australia’s Low Voltage Products and Systems Division. He added, “The 2011 Zenith Awards are an ideal platform to demonstrate ABB’s ongoing appreciation and support for Australian engineers, suppliers, integrators and industrial business owners”. ABB commends all nominees of the Lifetime Achievement award 2011. With energy, drive and a spirit of collaboration, there are no limits to what any individual can achieve. ABB is committed to helping advance the future of engineering and providing aspiration to the best and brightest talent in the field of engineering. ABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. ABB Australia 1800 222 435 www.abbaustralia.com.au

Industrial Conveying ICA SKU Industrial Conveying’s Project Design department has devised a flexible automated stock keeping unit (SKU) order collating and palletising system, which can be directly linked to production or utilised in distribution warehouses for order assembly and dispatch of packaged food products. The system is tailored for any company with limited, or hundred of SKUs and is applicable for any packaged goods requiring distribution. The project involves integrating any combination of Industrial Conveying’s technologies including robots, gantries, layer picking, layer transfer and disassembly, cassette loading, sorting and palletising.

Mining Families Foundation of Australia MiningFamilies.Com for a Better Growing Garden Pot, Western Australia The project involves Mining Families Foundation of Australia manufacturing improved food growing garden pot plant from recycled materials in mine sites. Mine sites can generate lots of waste from aluminium beverage cans to a range of plastics, in particular polypropylene used for catering food and process chemical delivery. The pot plant works by expanding and contracting matt black aluminium flat band with the heat of the day and the cool of the night ratchets the plant pot at the approximate rate of one revolution per two weeks.

SAGE Automation National Manufacturing Information System Five cities in Australia SAGE Automation worked with the largest bottler of ready-to-drink beverages in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the word’s top five bottlers within their global organisation. The organisation needed a manufacturing information system that would provide visibility into the performance of all machines on all lines in the country. SAGE was involved with a customer called Activplant, which measures the performance of a production process against targets and identifies areas for improvement to alleviate. The outcome was a process improvement solution resulting in more products for less effort and cost. The system in installed in 5 cities, 7 sites, 38 production lines in Australia.

Zi-Argus Boags Brewery Modernisation and Expansion, Tasmania James Boag was purchased by Lion Nathan, which quickly noted the need for a Standard Automation Philosophy to underpin ongoing capital investments, to re-develop and improve production facilities at its major sites. While much of the focus of the brewing process has been on standardising batch process control, alignment to the S88 standard & robust engineering practices has provided vehicle for uniformly implementing similar solutions to different processes within the sites. Zi-Argus implemented these concepts at the Boags site for Brewhouse, Filtration and Bright Beer production areas.

MINING, MINERALS AND EXPLORATION

Apex Optimisation Dynamic Real-Time Optimiser for Precipitation Solid Controls, Western Australia The project objective was to find a solution to closed loop control, where optimisation of processes caused significant lags and dead times. A large Australian Alumina refinery approached Apex Optimisation (Apex) in mid 2009, to propose and implement control and optimisation. The issue was around the control of the solids content in a precipitation circuit. Maintaining the correct amount of solids in the precipitation circuit is paramount to optimal yield, and is effectively controlled by removing the product and recycling the rest.

Coal Services Virtual Reality Training, New South Wales Virtual Reality Training (VRT) is a business unit of Coal Services Pty Ltd (CSPL). VRT works in conjunction with Mines Rescue providing virtual learning environments for trainers to use as part of their mining training course. It is an advanced training for mine workers and operators who are required to perform potentially dangerous tasks often in hazardous environments, without the risks of injuries. Through the use of virtual reality in industry training, Mines Rescue together with VRT have been able to make a positive contribution to the NSW mining industry’s emergency preparedness and emergency response training.

Optalert Optalert Fatigue Management BHP Billiton’s Mt Whaleback Mine, JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 23

PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2011 FINALSISTS

BINTECH SYSTEMS Flow Instruments

• Ultrasonic Strap on Flow Meters • Ultrasonic Battery Powered Flow Meters

Comprehensive Electromagnetic Flow Meter Range • Various Material and Liner Optionss • 0.2% accuracy • Flange or Wafer Designs

• Doppler Flow Switches • Doppler Flow Meters

Level Systems

Western Australia Optalert’s fatigue monitoring technology allows drivers in mines to take safety into their own hands. It is the only fatigue monitoring system in the world that empowers drivers with real-time information about their level of alertness and its risk of a drowsy incident. The Optalert Driver Glasses use patent technology to measure the driver’s physiological state of alertness 500 times per second.

Automation IT and Queensland Mines Rescue Service

• Level Transmitters- Magnetostrictive • Flexible level sensors • Field Displays • IECEx ia approved Transmitter

TOLL FREE 1300 363 163 sales@bintech.com.au

24 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

I-Eco Mobile LED Light Towers with use of Solar Energy Bundaberg, Queensland

When a fire starts in the mine, it is crucial for workers to know there is safety equipment that can eliminate the fire. The project involves the Queensland Mines Rescue Service using Automation IT’s GAG Inertisation Unit, which is designed to generate inert gases and transfer them to a section of a mine that is on fire with the use of a jet engine in order to extinguish the flames. The system works by sucking air through a cloth filter, where it is injected with kerosene fuel and this fuel and air mixture is ignited by spark plugs reducing the oxygen content to approximately 17%.

EdanSafe

Lunagas

SmartCap Operator Fatigue Management System Pinjarra Hills, Queensland

www.bintech.com.au

POWER AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT

I-Eco designed a light to take on the most arduous conditions in the mining industry. I-Light is designed to gather energy from the sun via solar panels, this energy is then stored in battery packs, as the daylight diminishes the lights are activated automatically and will run on stored energy from the battery pack. At a designated state of charge a signal is sent to start a single cylinder diesel engine coupled to a 24V alternator, the engine will start and bring battery charge up to a designated point then turn off, with good sunlight this operation will normally only occur once per night, in adverse conditions twice per night, as the sun comes up the lights will turn off automatically and start the process again. The lights reduce the need for heavy and light vehicle interaction in mining pits.

Queensland Mines Rescue – GAG Inertisation Unit Automation Dysart, Queensland • Magnetic Level Gauges • Level Transmitters • Level Switches • IECEx d & IECEx ia approved Transmitters • AUSEx d approved Switch for Level Gauge

ical component of the project. Partnering with Schneider Electric to implement new Modicon Quantum PLCs meant that migrating the automation systems on-site was straightforward and Nyrstar was able to choose between a complete, phased or partial migration on a case by case basis.

Predictor of Coal mine gas quantity emission from abandoned coal mines Merewether, New South Wales

EdanSafe has developed a product SmartCap, to alert driver/operator fatigue in the mining industry, in a bid to reduce injuries and accidents. The SmartCap System consists of three parts; the main component is the SmartCap, a lightweight, non restrictive, non-intrusive EEG recording system that resembles a typical baseball cap. The cap contains a number of sensors which measures high-fidelity brain wave activity and determines the level of drowsiness of the wearer.

Lunagas developed a PC based computer software Coal Mine Goaf Gas Predictor (CMGGP), which can be used to predict the initial gas quantity and the decline trend from abandoned and/or closed coal mines. Energy companies and/or city councils find the program useful for determining methods to better utilise the majority of coal mine gases in order to protect the environment from harmful gasses discharged from abandoned/closed mines.

Nyrstar

AZZO Automation

Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Port Pirie, South Australia Schneider Electric proposed an upgrade to the process control system that would enable Nyrstar to progressively modernise its PLCs with minimum disruption and downtime. Nyrstar required the migration to proceed in the shortest possible timeframe, making the availability of spare parts a crit-

Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre and Associated Projects Alice Springs, Northern Territory The project the Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre (DKASC) is a demonstration facility for commercialised solar technologies. The DKASC was developed by CAT Projects and Desert Knowledge Australia, as a resource for the rapidly expanding

PACE ZENITH AWARDS 1011 FINALSISTS

Zenith Awards Additional Entries solar industry globally, and in Australia in particular. The Solar Centre promotes understanding and confidence in the complete range of current solar technologies, and provides the industry with long term system level data proving the reliability and performance of solar power generation in various conditions.

Horiso Dynamic Façade Controller Horiso is a solar blind-manufacturer which developed the first Climate Ready Dynamic Façade. The Horiso Dynamic Façade Controller uses BACnet* protocols which ensure easy integration with all other building management system. Such systems can be combined and remotely controlled and monitored from any location with a unique Graphic User Interface (GUI). Tracking and calculating the Sun’s Angle of Incidence (SAI)* in combination with new shading-device technologies has significantly reduced the energy footprint of buildings.

Success Hill Energy Solar Light that Walks Smart with you Success Hill, Western Australia

LogiCamms Groundwater Replenishment Trial Perth, Western Australia A key objective of Western Australia’s Water Corporation is to increase wastewater recycling in the Perth metropolitan area from 6% currently to 30% by 2030. With Perth’s groundwater being well suited to replenishment, the Water Corporation commenced a three-year Groundwater Replenishment Trial at the Advanced Water Recycling Plant (AWRP) located at their Beenyup facility in Craigie. LogiCamms was selected by the W2W Alliance (Thiess, Black and Veatch joint venture) to design, supply and commission the Process Control System for the AWRP.

CST Wastewater Solutions and Frucor Vertical Screw Screen for Frucor Beverages Plant at Manukau City Manukau, New Zealand The project involves Frucor choosing a vertical screen from CST Wastewater Solutions as an ideal solution to remove solid debris from factory wastewater before it is discharged into the sewer. The company catered to Frucor where the

The ‘solar light that walks smart with you’ was engineered to demonstrate the need for reliable lighting for community safety in parks, and linking paths for pedestrians and bike riders. The solar lights run at 25%, until wanted to deliver the full 200 lumen lights levels focus on where it is needed such as pathways, signs or seats. The ‘walks smart with you’ aspect is automatically managed from software analysis of the built-in board camera video sources.

IS 8 PRO SERIES

K.E Brown Electrical Switchboards

Portable digital pyrometers for rough industrial applications between 250-2500 Deg. C.

Darling Walk Redevelopment Darling Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales K.E Brown (KEB) Electrical Switchboards was involved in a $560 million Darling Walk regeneration project in Sydney’s Darling Harbour. The project compromises two commercial buildings, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia taking all office space of levels 1 to 8 in both buildings. It will lead the rejuvenation of Darling Harbour’s southern precinct and further activate and improve Sydney’s CBD. KEB supplied all the switchboards on the project, including leading communications, electrical Data and HVAC services supplier Fredon. This was responsible for the complete electrical installation for the project, from the base fit-out to the subsequent integration and fit-out of all 16 floors.

Aurecon Turbine and Boiler Safety Integrity Levels Study AGL Torrens Island Power Station, Torrens Island, South Australia The project involved Aurecon providing risk analysis services to AGL Torrens Island Power Station to assess the required Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) per AS 61508 for the required protective shutdown functions on their boiler and turbine plant. Previous SIL assessments had been carried out for the plant under review. AGL identified that the associated documentation did not fully meet the Safety Lifecycle requirements of AS 61508. Aurecon’s solution and service methodology was based on a comprehensive build up of the required documentation framework from first principles. The outcomes of the project provided the first step in reducing AGL’s risk of a significant safety incident.

Infrared thermometry

• Focusable precision optics with small measurement spots for operation at a safe working distance. • View ﬁnder and 2x external temp displays. • Multifunctional numeric or graphical display. • Integral data logger with variable storage interval, date stamping of readings with USB interface. • Robust die-cast aluminium housing. Carry case, Software, USB cable, Traceable Calibration Certiﬁcate included, together with 2 year warranty, surprisingly affordable pricing and quick delivery.

Call us now for a copy of our catalogue

W&B Instruments Pty Ltd

A.C.N. 005 982 856

Factory 4, Enterprise Way, (PO Box 208) Bayswater VIC 3153 Tel: (03) 9729 2112 Fax: (03) 9720 0617 Website: www.wandbinstruments.com.au Email: wandbinstruments@bigpond.com.au

WATER AND WASTEWATER JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 25

PACE ZENITH AWARDS 2011 FINALSISTS

Zenith Awards Additional Entries factory space was confined and there isn’t room for bulkier equipment. The vertical screen provides the company with an automated process that requires far less labour than the previous ‘flat’ screen method, which necessitated regular removal of the screens by forklift, followed by hand cleaning.

Mallee Pipeline sites, 265 urban sites and approximately 50 WMP sites.

Schneider Electric Australia

Wide Bay Water Corporation assisted in creating a $33.5 million wastewater treatment plant in Nikenbah. The company set out to build a facility with capacity equivalent to the water use of 10,000 homes, or 4.8 million litres per day. The facility situated beside an 800ML effluent lagoon at Nikenbah, also needed to be able to expand its capacity nearly three-fold in line with population growth to 14.4 ML/d. Using filtration technology, the wastewater would be treated to a standard above EPA levels with the aim of recycling 90% of the treated wastewater from the plant.

Sydney Desalination Plant’s Integrated Electrical Automation & Energy System Sydney, New South Wales Sydney’s $1.8 billion desalination project includes a 250 million litre per day capacity plant at Kurnell and an 18-km pipeline, the project was built in 29 months and around $90 million under budget. Schneider Electric was approached to provide the transformers and power and expertise across the entire electrical, automation and energy management sector for the project. This included the provision of medium and low voltage switchgear components, as well as the design, implementation and commissioning of the PlantWide process control system.

Wide Bay Water Corporation Nikenbah Wastewater Treatment Plant Hervey Bay, Queensland

YOUNG ACHIEVER

Adrian Hayes Focus Design and Engineering Solutions

Serck Controls GWMWater SCADA Alliance North West Victoria, Victoria The scope of this project was to install SCADA facilities at a number of existing Urban Water and Waste Water assets, the new Wimmera Mallee Pipeline (WMP) assets and Headwork assets. Serck Controls assisted with the implementation; previously GWMWater had a combination of independent systems resulting from the merger of previous Wimmera Mallee Water and Grampians Water Authorities in 2004. As such the unified SCADA system now consists of more than 400 sites comprising of 60 Headworks sites, 25 Northern

Adrian Hayes works at various companies which include a quality engineer in Toyota Motor Corporation, a mechanical engineer at Focus Design & Engineering Solutions and a business administration assistant at Movers & Shakers International. As a quality engineer Hayes was responsible within the conversions and accessories department, ensured automotive components met Australian and company standards of design, quality and reliability. In 2009, Hayes established his own business Focus Design and Engineering Solutions, providing 3D visualisation and animation of construction methods for large engineering companies. He has added value to the business by developing strong relation-

ships with key contacts within the industry.

Kym Bennie SAGE Automation Kym Bennie is an electrical/electronic engineer at SAGE’s Whyalla office; his role entails engineering (design, construction and commissioning) of industrial automation projects state-wide. Bennie is responsible for all aspects of project delivery including quoting, design in addition to reviewing construction, and commissioning and project management. Bennie has played a pivotal role in improving the efficiency of South Australia’s (SA) water projects, through designing and implementing key assistive tools. These tools are used in both the proposal and executive phase of projects, and allow for other engineers to quickly deigns and construct SA water projects.

Jeffrey Layanto UGL Infrastructure Jeffrey Layanto is a Senior Control and Instrumentation Engineer at UGL Infrastructure. After starting in 2007, he has made an outstanding contribution to UGL Infrastructure, the Australian Water Industry and to the Automation and Control System Engineering community. Layanto has commissioned major infrastructure upgrades in the water and mining industries. As an integral member of UGL Infrastructure’s Water business, he has been instrumental in successful project delivery, tender bid management, and project design management. In 2003, he graduated with first class honours in Mechatronics Engineering. He worked as a Control System Engineer responsible for the Software System Integration (SSI) for two major Sydney Water Projects.

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Industrial Software & Electronics Tel: (07) 3856 2232 Fax: (07) 3355 1012 Email: info@industrialsoftware.com.au 26 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

Parasyn Controls Flooded but still Operational! Brisbane, Queensland The Brisbane 2011 devastating floods affected not only families but businesses as well. An Origin Energy’s DDPL and SSGL pipeline control system was threatened with rising waters as its head office power system went under water, which is located in the building basement. The system was designed to cater for total loss of communications, computer server failure and master controller failure. Parasyn was called in to start the disaster recovery approach, the control systems that manage major infrastructure assets are complex therefore a backup or failover systems need to be seamless and

PACE ZENITH AWARDS 1011 FINALSISTS

Zenith Awards Additional Entries provide no-nonsense performance.

METAL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING

Maxitec Turning 9 hours of Fabrication into 20 minutes, Western Australia Maxitec assisted a metal punch/press company which has been servicing metal fabrication and short run metal stamping needs of WA and other states for over 20 years. The company stamps parts from various metals including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass and copper. Maxitec evaluated the company and determined that all these processes could be performed by the one machine, saving money and time. Since implementing the machine the company has changed nine hours operation time down to 20 minutes.

The Profibus International Competence Centre Wang Components Wangaratta, Victoria The project involves Wang Components developing and implementing a plasma fusion process to weld thick materials. Over the past few years, the company was able to use the features and flexibility of Profibus to implement an automation plan. With the assistance of Profibus International Competence Centre (PICC) the company cut down its production line with little to no downtime. PICC did an audit of

the Profibus installation at Wang Components. The audit used ProfiTrace 2 analyser, which combines all primary tools in one: Analsyer, Oscilloscope, Bar graph, Topology Scan and DP-V0/V1 Master.

TRANSPORT, POWER AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Nautilus Marine and General Systems SURF SOV - Improves the Tourist Swimming Experience, Success Hill, Western Australia Nautilus Marine and General Systems designed a SURF SOV which is an application of the military based SSOV, to create a safer environment for the swimming beaches with an automated interactive vision and audio response platform. The system is a transport, power & infrastructure application that floats, it is ideal to assist the tourism industry to provide 24/7 support in the water. The catching net lifts the swimmer or other objects out of the water when hulls move outwards to normal position. Momentum uses four redundant hydro drives, with no exposed rudders or propellers and positioned away from the rescue area.

Parasyn Controls On Track with Better SCADA, Queensland The project involves Parasyn assisting Queensland Rail in upgrading the SCADA system used as it

wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reliable to according to system users. Recommendations by Parasyn included least risk rollout strategies to ensure system improvement costs were minimised, in addition that the next rollout of software updates meant the system would restore operator confidence. Results show failure rates changed from a measured 40% to a minuscule 0.1% data failure rate during the stress testing. It took two and a half years to complete and as a result the rail company is now implementing the software and configuration changes throughout 2011.

Hero Engineering DiCOM Project Development Perth, Western Australia AnaeCo designs and operates Alternative Waste Technology (AWT) plant to process Municipal waste to produce saleable compost, recyclables and energy. Redirection of waste from landfill is processed using the DiCOM bioconversion process developed and patented by AnaeCo. The company had to demonstrate the DiCOM process as a viable AWT, requiring from the outset electrical and control systems for the Demonstration facility and later the commercial scale plant. Hero Engineering worked with AnaeCo to develop the Demonstration plant (stage 1) electrical, control and functional safety design. Following a successful demonstration, DiCOM, developed by AnaeCo, has been accepted as a solution to process municipal waste. [Reprinted from PACE May 2011 issue to correct an error.]

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JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 27

SPOTLIGHT

7best of the

PACE showcase of the best engineering technology releases of the month.

Fluid service unit for short-term measurements The FluidControl Unit FCU 1000 Series is a portable fluid service unit for short-term measurement of solid particle contamination in hydraulic systems. The integral AS 1000 also measures humidity and temperature. The measured data can be transmitted wirelessly to a PC via Bluetooth interface or stored via the USB port on the USB stick provided. Due to the integral pump and the hoses supplied with the FCU 1000 Series, possible uses are: control circuits, pressure circuits and unpressurised tanks. Applications include: hydraulic systems; service for mobile hydraulics; and maintenance. It is suitable for hydraulic fluids up to 350mm2/s (hydraulic fluids up to ISO VG 68) and for cleanliness classes to ISO, SAE and NAS. The integral AquaSensor AS 1000 is used for measuring humidity and temperature. HYDAC 1300 449 322 www.hydac.com.au

CO2 and temperature transmitter The Vaisala CARBOCAP Carbon Dioxide and Temperature Transmitter GMW116 is a compact wall-mounted transmitter that helps save energy by providing accurate carbon dioxide measurement in demand-controlled ventilation. The transmitter incorporates Vaisala’s silicon-based CARBOCAP technology for long-term measurement stability. The GMW116 enables efficient ventilation control by using actual CO2 measurements – rather than assumed fresh air requirement based on the

number of people in a space – to determine ventilation demand. This improves the accuracy of ventilation control, resulting in improved air quality and lower energy consumption. CARBOCAP enables long-term accuracy and eliminates the need for self-calibration by using alternating dual wavelengths – one to measure CO2 and a second reference wavelength. Vaisala 03 9815 6700 www.vaisala.com/GMW116

Level switch for critical applications By adopting a unique modular concept, TriMod Besta level switches have deviated from older conventional designs and are able to deliver unparalleled reliability even in extreme process applications. TriMod Besta level switches now have IEC Ex Certification in addition to ATEX certificates, thereby enabling them to be used in Ex ed and Ex ia applications in Australia. TriMod Besta adopts a three- odule design comprising the switch module, the flange module and the float module. This enables unlimited level switch combinations that will reliably manage applications requiring high pressure components, self checking switch elements, or corrosion resistant wetside parts. Switch modules are available with electric, electronic or pneumatic output signals. Besta switches are shock and vibration resistant. High and low temperature and explosion proof versions are available. Standard housings offer IP65 ingress protection but IP67 and IP68 options are available for use in extreme environmental conditions. The switches are especially designed for easy installation with a hinged cover, captive screws and the self-lifting terminal clamps. Control Components 02 9542 8977 / ww.controlcomponents.com.au 28 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

Email your product news to editor@pacetoday.com.au

Rugged entry-level thermal imager The Fluke Ti9 is a rugged entry-level thermal imager with a widescreen format colour LCD. Users point the instrument and pull the trigger to capture the full image which is useful in inspecting, repairing and verifying electrical and electromechanical equipment. The Ti9 has a 19,200 pixel detector and incorporates a thermal imager lens with adjustable focus. It detects a wide -20°C to +250°C temperature range. The viewing angle is 23° x 17° and minimum focus distance is 15 cm. The IP54-rated device resists dust and water, and withstands a drop test of two meters. Fluke SmartView software is included with the product as well as a 2GB SD memory card, a rugged hard carry case, a soft transport bag, an adjustable hand strap, rechargeable internal battery, AC power supply/battery charger (including mains adapters) and training DVD. The Ti9 can be upgraded with Fluke’s IR-Fusion to convert it to a fullfeatured Fluke Ti10 thermal imager. IR-Fusion shows a full thermal image, or one combined with a visual image to pinpoint potential faults. Fluke Australia 02 8850-3333 www.fluke.com.au

NI extends platform National Instruments has released the NI cRIO-9075 and cRIO-9076 integrated chassis and controllers, which lower the cost of the NI CompactRIO platform for embedded control and monitoring applications. CompactRIO is powered by RIO and LabView FPGA technologies and combines an open embedded architecture with a small footprint, extreme ruggedness and a wide breadth of analogue, digital, motion and communication I/O modules. The new integrated systems combine an industrial 400 MHz Freescale real-time processor and four-slot chassis with an embedded, reconfigurable Xilinx Spartan-6 field FPGA for custom timing, control and signal processing capabilities. These systems are programmable with LabVIEW system design tools and combine the ease of use of commercial off-the-shelf systems with the performance of custom hardware. National Instruments 1800 300 800 www.ni.com/compactrio

IP66 MoviTrac LTE version B inverter SEW-Eurodrive’s IP66 MoviTrac LTE version B frequency inverter range is suited to low-power variablespeed drive applications, such as small fans and pumps, machine tools and conveyors. Previously available in both IP20 and IP55 housings, the new IP66 model provides added dust and water protection for harsh environments. The MoviTrac LTE version B is available in single phase (up to 2.2 kW) and three phase (up to 7.5 kW)--and comes in three compact frame sizes. It also boasts an innovative integrated DIN-rail snap-in mounting capability, which simplifies installation. Fast and easy to set up, the MoviTrac LTE version B features 14 standard and 26 extended configuration parameters. This, coupled with the drive’s easy mechanical and electrical installation, ensures that basic drive applications can be ‘up and running’ in minutes. The MoviTrac LTE version B is equipped with an energy optimiser function which enables the drive to automatically match the applied motor voltage (hence torque) with the load

conditions – the drive uses only what it needs. This provides an advantage over conventional ‘variable torque’ control strategies, in that higher starting torques can be achieved. SEW-Eurodrive 03 9933 1000 www.sew-eurodrive.com.au

Flue gas analyser thinks ahead Testo AG has developed a portable flue gas analyser which guides the user safely through professional flue gas analysis, due to instrument pre-settings. The testo 350 may be used in commissioning, maintenance and operative measurements on industrial burners, industrial engines, gas turbines or flue gas scrubber systems, as well as in the measurement of the gas atmosphere in a furnace room or in kilns. In addition, the testo 350 supports in the control and monitoring of officially prescribed emission limit values in flue gas, and in function tests on stationary emission measuring instruments. Users can configure various measurement objects such as burners, gas turbines or industrial engines. In the display, typical fuels as well as an expedient order of the flue gas parameters are presented for each of these measurement objects. In addition to this, calculations and instrument pre-settings are stored. Information in the display guides the user safely through the measurement. This allows the flue gas analyser to be operated without previous knowledge of the instrument. The work steps leading up to the start of the measurement are thus reduced. testo 03 8761 6108 www.testo.com.au JUNE 2011 www.pacetoday.com.au 29

EVENTS & EDUCATION

WHAT’S ON

REVIEW

Process Analyser Sampling System Training 6 & 13 June 2011, Melbourne & Perth www.swagelok.com / 08 8369 0899 SENSORTEST 2011 7-9 June 2011, Nürnberg (Germany) www.sensor-test.de Manufacturing Skills Conference 9 June 2011, Brisbane www.msq.org.au/skillsconference/2011/ PACE Zenith Awards 2011 16 June 2011, Sydney www.pacetoday.com.au/awards 7th Australian Workshop on Acid and Metalliferous Drainage 20-24 June 2011, Darwin www.jktech.com.au Troubleshoot AC Variable Speed Drives 2-3 August 2011, Brisbane trainingaus@ra.rockwell.com

For daily updates visit www.pacetoday.com.au

Petroleum Engineer’s Guide to Oil Field Chemicals ‘Petroleum Engineer's Guide to Oil Field Chemicals and Fluids’ By Johannes Fink Elsevier $165.95 Condensed for readability this manual provides users with information on oil field chemicals such as drilling muds, Corrosion Inhibitors Gelling Agents, Scale Inhibitors and Bacteria Control. Each chapter follows the same template. In the introductory comments of each chapter a brief introduction to the chemical or polymer type is given and earlier mono-

GIVE

AWAY

graphs and reviews dealing with the topic are listed for quick reference. The text continues with monomers, polymerization and fabrication techniques and discusses aspects of application. Two index registers are available.

‘Energy, Sustainability and the Environment: Technology, Incentives, Behaviour’ Edited by Fereidoon P. Sioshansi Elsevier $124.95 The author, along with an international group of contributors, moves through the maze of carbon reduction methods and technologies, providing steps and insights to meet carbon reduction requirements. Part 1 of the book, Challenge of Sustainability, examines the fundamental drivers of energy demand. Part 2 of the book,

Technological Solutions, examines how energy can be used to support basic energy service needs of homes, commercial and industrial facilities. Part 3 deals with case studies.

You could win one of these books by answering the following question: On which page of this magazine will you find “Triboelectric” mentioned? Email your answer to kevin.gomez@reedbusiness.com.au

Both books are available direct from Elsevier Australia Customer Service, 1800 263 951 or www.elsevierdirect.com.au

IICA NEWS & VIEWS

Members recognised for outstanding contributions Citations provide an insight into the opportunities IICA offers, writes Dirk Kuiper. EACH year the Institute of Instrumentation, Control and Automation (IICA) holds a prestigious dinner at which a small number of Members are singled out and celebrated for their outstanding contributions to the Institute or industry in general over a number of years. Each winner of the Testimonial Dinner Awards was nominated and recognised by their peers. This year there were three winners. Each person’s citation provides an insight into the range of activities and the breadth of opportunities that a notfor-profit professional organisation such as the IICA has on offer-not just to its Members but to the industry overall. Mario Dona was Chairman of South Australia before becoming Federal President of the Institute. During his term of Presidency, he initiated and led 30 www.pacetoday.com.au JUNE 2011

the team that successfully completed the task of revising and updating the Institute’s considerably antiquated Rules and Bylaws. This work, although very time consuming and demanding, was very necessary to ensure that the Institute’s governing Rules and Bylaws were ‘fit for purpose’ thereby allowing it to move forward into the 21st Century. Mario’s ongoing participation and work over many years in developing and improving Australian Standards via numerous Standards Committees in support of the instrumentation, control and automation (IC&A) industry in general were also factors in his nomination for the Award. Mark Brereton was recognised for his long-standing contribution to NSW in various committees including Chairman of NSW. Over many years he demon-

strated active commitment in promoting the IICA to educational facilities, increasing awareness of not only the IICA but also of this industry. Mark was also a prime mover and contributor to overseeing the implementation of the new IICA website. Last, but by no means least, Allen Tighe’s award recognised his undisputed work in Western Australia. This ranged from involvement in that Branch’s committee meetings, including the Chairmanship of the Branch, organising IICA’s events and local activities in the West as well as marketing them. Allen worked tirelessly in recruiting new Members to the Institute and was jointly responsible for creating an Education subcommittee to promote new and innovative ideas for high school students. The aim was to bring aware-

ness and interest to guide students into the broad IC&A industries. Following the cementing of the Institute’s formal relationship with its American counterpart the Instrumentation Society of America (ISA), Allen was instrumental in getting the IICA/ISA Professional Development training courses up and running, including sourcing and recruiting appropriately qualified instructors s well as choosing which training courses to offerto Members as well as to industry. Outlining the achievements of the Award recipients has served to provide a glimpse to the outside community of the range and diversity of opportunities and activities in which the IICA is engaged. [Dirk Kuiper is IICA Federal President.] www.iica.org.au

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