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Field Instrumentation Resource Center

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Measurement of those key elements of process control—temperature, pressure, flow and level—are essential. Getting that information smoothly, quickly, accurately and securely from field instruments is an essential part of any process operation. The Field Instrumentation Resource Center provides you with the information you need—articles, white papers, news reports and product announcements—to keep you up to date on calibration, measurement, testing, fieldbus standards, wired and wireless instrumentation, and all the other information you need.

Tools to Keep Your Plant Competitive
This resource is loaded with useful tips on how to identify projects that provide a high ROI and significant value to your operation.

Drowning in Data, Starving for Information-2
McMillan and Weiner Tacked a Big Question, What Is Data Analytics?

Breakthrough Oxygen Analyzer Technology
Yokogawa Corp. of America Introduces the TDLS220 Percent Oxygen Analyzer

ControlGlobal.com puts Product Roundups at your fingertips
ControlGlobal.com
CONTROL editors have done the research for you. We've boiled down all the marketing hoopla from product information descriptions and turned them into something useful. Check out our collection of Product Roundups compiled here at ControlGlobal.com and find the software, hardware, machine components and devices you need quickly and easily.

Look to Valves for More Uptime
Thirty to Fifty Percent of Downtime Is Attributable to Equipment Problems

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White Papers: In Depth Research

Predicting Control Valve Noise in Gas and Steam Applications: Valve Trim Exit Velocity Head vs. Valve Outlet Mach Number
Author: Joseph Shahda, Dresser Masoneilan
Posted: 03/18/2010
Predicting and managing control valve noise has long been an important consideration in gas and steam applications, with the dual goals of protecting workers from potential auditory damage and preventing excessive vibration that could destroy equipment and piping, possibly leading to a catastrophic failure.

At first glance, it may seem that a logical way to achieve these goals would be to limit valve trim exit velocity head to a maximum of 480 kilopascals (kPa), and this indeed is how some have addressed the issue. In practical application, however, it is an oversimplified approach that, in many cases, will not produce the desired results. First, it typically requires the use of expensive multi-stage or multi-turn trim designs, which can cost up to 30 percent more than a simpler solution. More importantly, it also can create a false sense of safety.

This article will explain why the focus should instead be on keeping the valve outlet Mach number low. Practical examples will be used to illustrate that:
- Even if the trim exit velocity head is kept below 480 kPa, valve noise can be unacceptably high if the valve outlet Mach number is high.
- Even if the trim exit velocity number is above 480 kPa, valve noise can be kept to acceptable levels - without using costly trim designs - if the valve outlet Mach number is kept low.

Making Permanent Savings Through Active Energy Efficiency
Author: Schneider Electric
Posted: 03/18/2010
This white paper argues strongly that meeting greenhouse gas emissions targets set within the Kyoto Protocol will fail unless Active Energy Efficiency becomes compulsory.

Active Energy Efficiency is defined as effecting permanent change through measurement, monitoring and control of energy usage. Passive energy efficiency is regarded as the installation of countermeasures against thermal losses, the use of low consumption equipment and so forth.

It is vital, but insufficient, to make use of energy saving equipment and devices such as low energy lighting. Without proper control, these measures often merely militate against energy losses rather than make a real reduction in energy consumed and in the way it is used.

Everything that consumes power - from direct electricity consumption through lighting, heating and most significantly electric motors, but also in HVAC control, boiler control and so forth - must be addressed actively if sustained gains are to be made. This includes changing the culture and mindsets of groups of individuals, resulting in behavioral shifts at work and at home, but clearly, this need is reduced by greater use of technical controls.

Personnel Functional Safety Certification: Not All Programs Are Created Equal
Author: Exida
Posted: 03/05/2010
As production runs ever closer to equipment and facility operating limits and new plants come on line in expanding and developing economies, the pressure to design and operate systems more safely and economically is increasing. A key to meeting this goal is having competent people who are knowledgeable and experienced in applying the IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 / ISA 84 functional safety standards. To develop and measure an individual's safety engineering competence, several personnel functional safety certification programs have been created. This paper will discuss why these programs are needed and the benefits they deliver to individuals and companies alike. It will also review the characteristics and differences of the various certification programs on the market today, things to watch out for, and some important questions to ask when selecting a certification program.

Compliance Testing and Certification
Author: Moore Industries
Posted: 03/03/2010
Moore Industries believes it is of vital importance to have third-party SIS evaluation for plant safety provided by a company with global coverage and reputation. Earlier designs for process control and safety systems typically used "good engineering practices and experience" as their guidelines. As safety awareness evolved new standards started to evolve. International standards such as IEC 61508/61511 and U.S. born standards like ANSI/ISA84 require the use of more sophisticated guidelines for implementing safety. Unfortunately for manufacturers, compliance with IEC 61508 standards requires enormous documentation. In addition, more complex products require a greater depth of analysis. Software-based products such as those from Moore Industries are complex with their inherent programmable and flexible features unlike previous generation single function analog circuits.

Some companies are actively attempting to bypass the vital third party certification by proclaiming self certification to IEC 61508. This is not in the best interest of end users or the safety industry in general. Self certification is analogous as someone proclaiming compliance without third party testing on a hazardous area approval (such as Intrinsically-Safe).

Moore Industries has been working for many years with customers who require products for safety systems, including those compliant with worldwide safety standards such as ANSI/ISA 84 and IEC 61508/61511. To assist customers in determining if their instruments are appropriate for specific safety systems, Moore Industries has been providing Failure Modes, Effects and Diagnostic Analysis (FMEDA) reports for key products, and has been involved in the evolution of the IEC 61508 standard. As this standard has become more widely recognized and adopted by worldwide customers it was clear that end users were looking for products which had been designed to IEC 61508 from their initial concept. Customers are demanding not only compliance to the standards but verification from an independent third party agency such as TUVRheinland.

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Timeless Resources

Field Instrumentation Technical Handbook Field Instrumentation Technical Handbook is a useful compendium of physical constants, tables and information no engineer responsible for field instrumentation should be without. It has been required reading in many companies for many years. Download your free copy now. Making a HART connection This "special to the web" aricle is designed to increase your knowledge about the HART Field Communications Protocol. Fnd out its benefits and dispel the myths surrounding this powerful technology.