[FUN] Fieldbus applications - multivendor installations

[Stephen Mitschke]

Reference a document compiled by Jim Russell "Fieldbus - The route to thefuture, going where no instrument engineer has gone before" the basic choicean instrument engineer does have to make seems pretty simple: Either theselection will be Analogue control (to "stay in the comfort zone withminimal risk") or Digital control (a "decision that certainly will mean some"heartache" for those implementing this brave new world"). Before steppinginto this brave new world with all the advantages, referred to in thereferenced document, I would like to know if somebody has any experiencewith regard to the installation, commissioning and start-up of amulti-vendor fieldbus installations (preferably projects of medium size) andif possible, can this experience be shared? As far as I know there are manyfieldbus installations, however these installations are primarily equippedwith both the host and the field equipment from the same Supplier.NB: Quotations between brackets are from the article by Jim Russell.Mart LouisseBluewater Energy Services

[Stephen Mitschke]

Dear All:We at Yokogawa have participated in many fieldbus projects with DeltaV asthe host, Yokogawa supplying field instruments and analytical. IDEC, aCalifornia grass roots pharmaceutical project in just starting, Caltex/CalEnergy has been installed and working for about 3 years, City of SarasotaReverse Osmosis has a Yokogawa DCS and field instruments with other vendorsvalves and valve positioners, Vulcan has Yokogawa pressure, temperature andflow but a DeltaV system. I could go on and on. Even Syncrude has a hybridinstallation for fieldbus and your neighbor Shell also has a "mixed bag."RegardsSue LynchGeneral Manager,Field Instruments Business UnitYokogawa Corporation of America

[Stephen Mitschke]

We have been combining and testing a variety of multi-vendor set ups. Thequestion of interoperability vs. interchangeability has reared its headoften enough to clearly point out the need to functionally test any proposedsegment/system before making a final decision. Note that this need maydecrease in time as vendor information matures (especially in the area oftransducer block specs and the impact a device may have on a macrocycle).But for now, the operational differences between devices can be formidable.Because many of the interaction questions reside around the operation of asingle segment, or perhaps a couple of segments and a bridge, I am not surethe size of the installation is as critical as the organization of deviceson each segment. I am not saying size doesn't matter, just that I wouldfocus on segment viability first and the operational links between segmentssecond. The exception to this is the host. The host can play such animportant part, that any look at Fieldbus must include a detailed look athow well the host will work for the given installation. Of note, we recently had a case where a valve (for example LV-102, serial#0010, address 0x1B) operated via a configuration station that thought itwas looking at LV-303, serial # 0022, address 0x20. This would be akin tothinking you are operating a reboiler steam valve, when in fact yourcommands were being sent to a gas feed valve in another section of theplant. Probably not a good situation. Of course, the host and all thedevice manufacturers are working on a resolution, but I am not sure whatwould have brought this potentially serious situation to light if we had notuncovered it in the controlled conditions of our lab. I only bring this upbecause it clearly demonstrates the need to function test both the plannedsegments and their possible interaction. The fortunate part is that we havefound it relatively simple to install a planned segment on a rack and "flexthe system". In short, staging is much simpler and takes much less spacethen one might think. The problem we face is, obtaining devices from the various vendors so we canflex them in a variety of configurations and so we can inform themanufacturer if situations such as the one mentioned above occur. This isalso the type of operation that few plants would want to engage in becauseof the drain on manpower and because most plants have a prescribed set ofmanufacturers they use and do not see the reason to test device A on asegment with device X. This means they may never discover the value of aparticular device and miss a major advantage of Fieldbus, power of choice.Chuck Carter Lee College

[Stephen Mitschke]

Mart LouisseThe Merisol installation has been written up in trade publications and awhite paper presented.This first mulltivendor HSE installations included:=> Smar DFI 302 linking devices=> Rosemount pressure and differential pressure, vortex transmitters=> MicroMotion flow transmitters=> Yamatake Magmegers=> Smar, Yamatake, Masoneilan smart valve positioner/controllers=> Smar temperature transmittersIn all some 150 field devices.High Speed Ethernet is used as control system network .Wonderware is used for HMI and there is an IndSQL communication to theLinking devices is by OPC.There is co-existence on the control system network and displayed on the HMIof a number of PLCsThe system has been in use for more than a year.If more information is required please contact meBest regardsHenry Marks

[Stephen Mitschke]

If you go to the FF web site and page down the home page you will see apress release regarding both interoperability and interchangeability. Thisrelease discussed a certified independent 3rd party test conducted inGermany to prove these very topics. Rich Timoney-----Original Message-----There is a major article about a true multi vendor project that waspublished in the Fieldbus Report, a supplement issued with IAN andControl Engineering's August issue.The project was for a small to mid size chemical plant at MerisolChemical in Green Bayou, Texas.Go to www.ianmag.com click on Fieldbus Newsroom then click to AugustFieldbus report.The project utilized field devices from 4 or 5 vendors, H1 segments,HSE, and Plcs.Best RegardsRich Timoney

[Stephen Mitschke]

Hello Ian,Can you post my response to Mart on the FUNthanks,Flavio--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hello Mart Louisse,ABB has much experience with FF based multivendor installations. By this Imean projects where we supply the control system the overall systemintegration and some of the field devices, but, the end user specifies somedevices from different vendors. This is the case for specialisedapplications or field devices that are company standards or on the companyrestricted vendors list. This multivendor environment is the situation formany of our FF projects.Some typical examples? The PEMEX refinery in Minatitlan, Veracruz, Mexico(at the time, the largest FF system); the CVRD mineral ore treatment plantin Sao Luis do Maranhao, Brasil; the Oman Gas Company gas pressurereduction stations in Salalah and Barka, Oman,... and several more in theengineering phase.Another situation is where we supply the FF field instruments in thecontrol system from another vendor,such as the Melamine 4 at DSM, Geleen,Netherlands. I could go on.Sure, every project has its difficulties, but, at the end of the day theyall work at the customer's satisfaction.However, in my view, the most significant example of interoperability andinterchangeability is the test of FF technology performed by the Infraservtest lab (ex Hoechst) in Frankfurt, Germany. The test bed included 3different hosts, 41 field devices from 11 vendors and 6 suppliers ofphysical layer components. ABB paticipated to the test with host anddevices. At the conclusion of the test, FF technology was declaredsuitable for use in the Chemical and pharmaceutical industry in Germany andthe results were presented at the general assembly of NAMUR (association ofgerman chemical manufacturers) this November. The details are available onthe Fieldbus Foundation web site.So, if you are concerned about interoperability with multivendor systems inreal plant applications, this should give you reassurance.Flavio Tolfomarketing directorfieldbus technologiesABB