Here's a sampling of this year's innovations:
Orion gets touchscreen
The Orion console launched last year is being joined by the newly released Operator Touch Panel (OTP), which is a rugged, desk-mounted screen by Eizo that allows users to click on indicators and displays that are reproduced on Orion's trio of large, flat-screen displays. Orion runs Honeywell Process Solutions' (HPS) Experion PKS software, which can display more than a dozen screens per panel, such as general indicators across the top and more detailed indicators below, including video camera displays. "This allow operators to see their whole refinery," said Andrew Stuart, Experion HMI product manager. "Many users had asked for a touchscreen to go with Orion because they can manipulate a touchscreen quicker than pointing and clicking with a mouse."
Transmitters increase accuracy
Integrated tank, loading data
To bring data integration into the field, Honeywell's Tank Inventory Management System includes its FlexLine smart radar gauge and Advanced Servo tank gauge, which can link up via its Wireless Tank Interface to its Fusion 4 loading and unloading automation solution. These device can then connect to Honeywell's 888 Communication Interface Unit, which takes all their field volume data, and turns it into certified net calculations data to give users a clear view of all their tanks. Previously, users typically had to run separate computers and software for these different data conversion ad calculation tasks, but now Tank Inventory Management System puts them all together.
Software-configurable I/O saves
Universal Process I/O and C Series control and I/O allow wiring and hardware from process applications to be landed and installed, and their specific identities and roles to be assigned later. "This softens the traditional, sequential engineering tasks between the usual field, instrumentation and application disciplines, and enables them to all work in parallel, instead of waiting on each other," says Stu Sanderson, technical solutions consultant for Experion PKS. Universal Process I/O and C Series also enable process control applications to participate in cloud engineering and virtualization of their entire systems. "This means that an end user can run their whole refinery on one blade server," said Brendan Sheehan, senior marketing director and P&AS global leader at HPS.
Smaller, more affordable scanner
RTU covers more, distant wells
Historian optimizes present and future
Cybersecurity risk at a glance
Risk Manager software is a front-end dashboard that help users determine how at risk for cybersecurity issues their facilities are. It was introduced in April as part of HPS' Industrial Cyber Security Solutions portfolio. "Risk Manager continuously monitors all the industrial networks in a facility, and indicates threats and vulnerabilities," said Eric Knapp, director of cyber security solutions and technology at HPS. "It compares what it finds to process control network activities based on established risk methods, and answers the question, 'Where are the risks in my application?' in four main areas, including backup, end-point security, network security and patches, and then it displays risk levels by source and location." Risk Manager can check up to 300 risk items, such as patch updates, password strength, access to controls, network utilization, errors, firewall status and many others. The software also monitors a network's switches and routers, and check for inactive ports and unauthorized devices."