Communications/Telemetry
The Approach Several hundred PLCs are located at more than 25 remote locations throughout the company’s pipeline system. Each station controls various valves, pumps, and remote booster sites. KEPServerEX’s built-in Suite Link client interface provides communications between the various PLCs in the field to multiple Wonderware HMIs. Redundant historians are also used for collecting and archiving regulatory data. “We simply outgrew the drivers we had
before. Kepware has enabled us to make bet ter connections,” said the Systems Manager. “Since we’ve migrated to Kepware, we’ve also started using trending functions because Kepware also supports OPC. I built some automation applications that pull real-time data from the system that can be used for reporting to business applications by using Kepware’s OPC server interface. Te Kepware solution allows us to take advantage of existing equipment and has saved us a lot of time.” Te company is revamping its entire communication structure to take advantage of additional Kepware tools for improved performance. When the project is com plete, the company will both roll out the newest version of KEPServerEX and upgrade existing software in the field. “Tis upgrade will give us more reliability, stability and reduce maintenance costs,” the company stated. Te Kepware solution also helps the company
improve efficiencies in control ling and monitoring the pipelines, which are currently controlled locally and monitored centrally. Redundant Wonderware HMIs are located at each of the 25 remote facilities where the pipelines are currently controlled. Approximately 50 HMIs run on 50 different servers. Each control centre has a consistent system that includes the same HMI and application software. Te systems are configured to meet the specific stations needs while creating interoperability between the control center and station. Te data from these applications enables central personnel
to forecast and schedule the times that various processes should start and finish. Field personnel then carry out these instructions using the local HMI. Te Control Centre has the capability to control one pipeline and a couple remote stations: all other pipelines and remote stations are controlled locally. Te information is communicated back to Control Central. Although KEPServerEX is currently installed at the local site, the company is in the process of migrating their design. After restructuring, KEPServerEX will be located in the Control Centre and will communicate with remote servers in the field (which will communicate with the device). Using the Kepware master/slave relationship to bring data from the field to the server in the Control Center streamlines communications. Kepware is the only system that manages communications across the wide area network (WAN). Te HMI, Historian, and other software that require data will communicate with a local KEPServerEX. Tis solution reduces the number of connections to the PLC because only the master Kepware server will communicate with the devices at that site.
Benefits Today, KEPServerEX is the company’s primary communication server. Te Kepware solution enables the company to do the following:
● Stabilise and increase the reliability of communications across protocols.
● Gain more visibility into pipeline monitoring and control data.
● Streamline the delivery of pipeline data to save time and gain operational efficiencies. ●
Enter 42 or ✔ at
www.engineerlive.com/iog
Erik Dellinger is Product Marketing Manager with Kepware, Portland, ME, USA.
www.kepware.com
Circle 42A or ✔ at
www.engineerlive.com/iog
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