Products Editor’s choice SCADA system monitors wind farms
PcVue SCADA from ARC Informatique is being used by Iberdrola Renewables to monitor its US wind farms. The latest operation is its National Control Centre, where systems monitor turbine performance and efficiency and keep an eye on approaching storms to warn technicians of danger in the field. Each wind turbine has a control box containing a PLC, power converter, control boards and an I/O device. Sensors for wind speed, wind direction, shaft rotation speed and other factors collect and transfer data to the PLC. By detecting the wind’s direction, the control system can use a motorised yaw gear to turn the entire turbine in the proper direction for maximum power generation. All wind turbines are connected to a LAN, with each wind tower’s control box using Ethernet to link to the base of the tower where there is a fibre-based redundant ring LAN connection. The LAN is connected to a remote control station running a system that manages and collects data, adjusts turbine settings and provides intelligent alarm, troubleshooting and reporting capabilities via a central data centre and control facility equipped with the PcVue SCADA system. By recording the activ- ity on a time interval basis, it allows the operator to determine what adjustments and corrective action is required. According to the company, PcVue is not tied to any one PLC vendor so it operates irrespectively of turbine type – particularly important to Iberdrola which has wind farm operators using multiple turbines and various PLCs. ARC Informatique
www.arcinfo.com
Enter 655
High temperature inspection
Fault analysis
High temperature inspection of industrial furnaces, heaters and boilers can be carried out with the GF309 infrared camera from FLIR Advanced Thermal Solutions (ATS).
Custom-built to see through flames, this has a detachable heat shield designed to reflect heat away from both camera and opera- tor, and a special mid wave ‘flame filter’ engineered for high temper- ature operation (up to 1500˚). The camera provides tempera- ture readings across the entire surface of a heater/boiler/furnace and will help speed up inspection, enhance safety and avert unsched- uled shutdowns.
FLIR Advanced Thermal Solutions
www.flir.com
Enter 656 Compact mass flow meter for the oil and gas industry
Aimed primarily at the oil & gas industry, the compact OPTIMASS 2000 Coriolis mass flowmeter from Krohne is suitable for mea- suring products such as syrup, molasses and raw chemicals. Providing accurate measurement of volume, mass, density and concentration, it can be fitted in tight spaces without compromis- ing accuracy or performance. The flowmeter is available in a version that utilises Super Duplex material for all wetted parts –
flange, splitter and measuring tube – which provides resistance to corrosion and additional strength, making it a suitable product for sour environments that contain hydrogen sulphide. This version also operates at up to 180 bar at 20˚C and 130 bar at 130˚C. Available with a PED approved secondary contain- ment of 150 bar at 20˚C and 100 bar at 130˚C, this will ensure that in the unlikely event of a tube failure, the product will still be
contained within the secondary containment casing. Krohne
www.krohne.com
Enter 658
A high frequency industrial accelerome- ter that operates to 30kHz for gear mesh and bearing fault analysis has been introduced by PCB Piezotronics. Working with online or portable monitoring systems to provide reliable and effective vibration monitoring, the 621B40 operates to 30kHz even with a magnetic mount and captures high frequency gear mesh faults that are often missed during routine measurements. The sensor’s high frequency range makes it ideal for measurements on high-speed compressors, gearboxes and turbo machinery to provide early detection of impending problems. Also available is the 352A60 sensor. This has an upper frequency range of 60KHz at ±3dB and is shock resistant. PCB Piezotronics T: 01462 429710
Enter 657
Instrument enables easy multi channel
measurement Multiple process moisture measurements are said to be easier using Michell’s Promet I.S Multi-Channel Control Unit (MCU). This enables up to four measurement channels within a single 19” sub-rack unit. The Promet I.S channels can be combined with the Liquidew I.S so both gas and liquid sample measurements can be taken with a single analyser system. As each channel of the MCU functions independently of the others, maintenance can be carried out on one channel while the others continue to operate.
Integrated head temperature transmitter developed
Now available from Status Instruments is the HTR integrated head temperature transmitter – said to be the first complete transmitter that fits into the miniature MAA connection head. Due to space constraints, the head is usually only used with a connection block, requiring the transmitter to be mounted some distance away from the sensor. The HTR, which can be used with RTD, slide-wire
and resistance inputs, is expected to find application in energy management, HVAC and machine building. The standard product has over 30 resistance sensors to choose from including Pt100, Pt500, Pt1000, Ni100 and Ni1000. The three-wire voltage output version can be programmed to output any value between 0 and 10 VDC. For example, the product can be configured to accept Pt1000 sensors and
Instrumentation FEBRUARY 2011
provide a 0 to 10 VDC output direct from the head – ideal for HVAC applications. To optimise the use of the built-in mem-
ory, application specific sensor linearisation correction data is loaded into the transmitter during user configuration, rather than being
permanently stored in the unit. This means the design uses a microprocessor with a smaller memory and
therefore contributes to a lower cost product. Configuration is carried out quickly and easily via PC or laptop, using Status’ USB configurator, and can be saved as a file for future use. The user can also read live process data when connected to a PC. Status Instruments
www.status.co.uk
Enter 659 7
Features include simple opera- tion and a bright alphanumeric LED display, with optional live pressure compensation that provides unit conversions from dew point to a wide range of alter- native moisture content units. With the front panel interface, the user can scroll through menus to easily configure the analyser; and there are four user-adjustable alarm points and two analogue 4-20mA outputs, plus a digital RS485 RTU for connection to external devices. It can measure dew point down to -100˚C. Michell Instruments T: 01353 658000
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