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New operator interfaces, simulation software and wireless gateway revealed at HUG

06/17/2009

PHOENIX -- Honeywell showcased more new products today at its annual user group meeting in Phoneix. On display are enhancements to its UniSim Design simulation software, a new operator interface for the Honeywell HC900 Control System and the OneWireless R120 mesh network, which the company says features the process industry’s first redundant wireless system gateway (WSG).

Two key enhancements to its UniSim Design simulation software are a flare analyzer that enables process engineers to design, improve and optimize industrial flare systems and support for XML-based case portability to allow users to share process design information with ASPEN HYSYS, HTFS and HTFS+ offered by AspenTech. Both features should be available in early 2010.

UniSim Design’s interactive software allows engineers to create and analyze both steady-state and dynamic models for plant design, performance monitoring, troubleshooting, operational improvement, business planning and asset management. The addition of the flare analyzer will allow users to create more-complete models of their processes and further improve overall plant efficiency. Flare systems are integral parts of many industrial processes where proper design and analysis is required to promote safe and efficient operations.

The new case-portability feature enables Honeywell and AspenTech simulation users to access each other’s process models. This is an especially critical enhancement for manufacturers with multiple divisions that use different simulation tools or that employ third-party design firms. It also is beneficial for companies transitioning from one solution to the other.
 
UniSim Design is a component of the UniSim family of software and engineering services, which offers simulation solutions for design, performance monitoring, optimization, operator training and business planning capabilities for the oil and gas production, gas processing, petroleum, refining, metals and chemical industries.

Honeywell also released a touchscreen operator interface for Honeywell HC900 Control Systems. The Honeywell 900 Control Station is a panel-mounted interface available for all new HC900 installations. It also can be retrofitted for existing, compatible systems.

The interface features a 10.4-inch color display touchscreen and enhanced graphic features designed to reduce set-up time and simplify operation while improving security and versatility in the field. It contains preformatted displays, custom graphic tools, plus more than 4,000 pre-built process graphic objects. The interface also helps simplify process changeovers by allowing operators to select from previously stored recipe variables, set-point programs, setpoint schedules and sequences.

The HC900 Control System includes hybrid control solutions used for stand-alone control and SCADA applications in processes such as thermal control in boilers, furnaces, kilns and dryers. It is also ideal for small-unit processing in pharmaceutical, chemical, bio-fuel and pilot-plant applications.

The third product released is the latest version of Honeywell's OneWireless industrial mesh network solution for manufacturing facilities. OneWireless R120 features what Honeywell says is the process industry’s first redundant wireless system gateway (WSG), a critical prerequisite for wireless process control.

The new WSG manages data between wireless field instrumentation and the plant’s process control network (PCN). It serves as a backup gateway to ensure that data is always delivered even if the main gateway malfunctions or fails. Paired with existing OneWireless redundancy features, this approach creates the first industrial wireless system with complete hardware and radio-frequency redundancy from the field instrument to the PCN connection. Additionally, unique failure recovery features help prevent data loss and the network can recover in less than two seconds from any field hardware failure.

OneWireless can accommodate multiple communication protocols and thousands of field devices on a single network to help improve overall plant safety, reliability and efficiency. Each gateway can support up to 100 transmitters, and a single OneWireless server can support up to 40 gateways. 

New OneWireless products now ship with OneWireless R120 software or firmware. Any existing OneWireless devices installed at user sites can be easily upgraded by an over the air software update to support the new functionality while supporting current investments.