Petrobras has deployed Emerson’s Smart Wireless solution, a component of the PlantWeb digital plant architecture, to automate the collection of pressure, temperature, and vibration data from compressors at its Sao Mateus gas compression facility in southeastern Brazil. Some 56 transmitters feed into a Smart Wireless gateway providing round-the-clock performance information from two of the plant’s seven compressors into the DeltaV digital automation system.
The WirelessHART compliant installation replaces daily clipboard rounds and error-prone manual data entry into Excel.
Weldon Araújo, Petrobras Sao Mateus maintenance operator said, ‘We now have online access to real-time data about the compressors’ operation, and can review historical data and trends. Alarms are generated when problems occur, enabling staff to react to an abnormal situation. Connecting the existing monitors on the compressors to the central control system with cables was not feasible because of installation and maintenance costs. Also, since the plant is prone to flooding, a wired installation would be less reliable.’ The wireless solution took four days to install and saved Petrobras $200,000 over a wired installation.
Another Emerson deployment is reported by Nynas AB at its Nynäshamn, Sweden refinery. Here a ‘self-organizing’ wireless network reduced installation costs and enabled online monitoring of vapor pressure and levels in tanks. The deployment saved €10,000 over a comparable wired alternative. More from emerson.com.
FreeWave Technologies has released a new ‘data radio,’ the FGR2-PE, offering long distance industrial serial and Ethernet wireless connectivity using license-free spread spectrum. The FGR2-PE is said to be well suited for oil and gas SCADA applications.
Product manager Matthias van Doorn said, ‘The FGR2-PE is an ideal platform for the wireless transmission of critical data and offers the same proven reliability and quality that our customers have come to know and expect in our radios. Utility customers appreciate its industry-leading RF performance as well as the versatility and flexibility of the new FGR2-PE to support automation, and many other telemetry and SCADA applications.’ The FGR2-PE provides security options including AES encryption and proprietary spread spectrum technology for secure wireless data communications. More from freewave.com.
© Oil IT Journal - all rights reserved.