Fisher-Rosemount Picks MDC to Add Process Optimization to DeltaV Automation and Control System

Source: Fisher Rosemount Systems, Inc.

Contents
Fieldbus
DeltaV
Optimization

Fisher Rosemount Systems, Inc. (Austin, TX) is moving from control systems to advanced process optimization. The company signed a formal partnership agreement with MDC Technology Ltd. (Teesside, UK) that will allow it to embed MDC's process optimization software in it own DeltaV process control and automation software.

The move is a significant change for Fisher-Rosemount, one of the world's largest suppliers of valves, measurement devices, and other control hardware. It also makes software, notably DeltaV, which controls and automates its process hardware.

Until now, that's as high up the value chain as the company went. "What we didn't have," says company advanced control marketing director David H. Ochoa, "was advanced control and optimization software to sit above or work in conjunction with our automation system.

"We had a lot of customers telling us they wanted to buy the complete solution from us," Ochoa continues. "If they get a product today from an independent optimization supplier, they have to go through the trouble of integrating it into their plant and making it work. They wanted one company to take responsibility."

The partnership now positions Fisher-Rosemount to compete against such major providers of optimization technology as Honeywell, Aspen Technology, ABB, Hyprotech, Simsci (Foxboro).

The addition of MDC's proven process and business optimization tools adds both scope and value of Fisher-Rosemount's product suite. The companies say the are making "significant investments in technology integration, world-wide project implementation, and comprehensive support services to ensure the success of the partnership as measured by customer satisfaction." MDC further agrees that it will allow Fisher-Rosemount exclusive rights to embed its optimization tools in the latter's process control software.

Fieldbus (back to top)
DeltaV grew out of Fisher-Rosemount's embrace of Foundation Fieldbus standards. Fieldbus architecture provides standards that allow companies to distribute intelligence to transmitters, valves, and other field devices.

Fieldbus devices then report back detailed status reports, diagnostic information, maintenance information, specifications, work order history, and other types of information. Because they adhere to unified standards, Fieldbus devices promise "plug-and-play" performance: simply plug them into the network and they're up and running.

They provide a very rich data stream. "In past, a device might report flow or temperature," says Ochoa. "Now, you can find out how long it's been on line and the temperature of casing as well as the pressure. It opens a new world of possibilities from maintenance through diagnostics by providing more information about plant health.

"It allows operators to do preventive rather than reactive maintenance," Ochoa continues. "In large plants, there are thousands of maintenance calls per year. Many of those transactions come back 'no fault found.' Engineers are not sure what the problem is, so they have to check all the possible suspects. With Fieldbus, they have a much better idea of what's really going on. This can improve their efficiency and up time, and save lots of money."


Fisher-Rosemount's DeltaV attempts to tie together all aspects of process hardware control under the data-rich Foundation Fieldbus standard.

DeltaV (back to top)
DeltaV ties Fisher-Rosemount's Fieldbus-compliant hardware together. Ochoa says the process control software is "the only system designed from the ground up to implement Fieldbus architecture." According to Ochoa, it is the first truly new, built-from-scratch controller in many years. "They've made additions, they'll tell you they're new systems, but at their core, they're using a 1980s architecture."

Older systems, he explains, are designed to deal with one value per device. "We need a whole different software architecture to accommodate 50 or 100 values per device," he says. While other control system developers have modified their programs to handle additional, Ochoa says the implementation is kludgy and does not take advantage of all Fieldbus features.

He also says DeltaV supports "plug-and-play" Fieldbus connectivity. "Fieldbus devices autoregister to Delta V when they're connected to the network," Ochoa notes. "Before Fieldbus, this was all done on paper. Now, DeltaV interrogates the new device. Older systems cannot deal with that much data, so they put the data on the side and that makes it harder to access and control."

Fisher-Rosemount also uses DeltaV to implement its PlantWeb systems architecture. "PlantWeb is a little like the Worldwide Web, a distributed architecture of little processors all over the place. Its overall impact is to provide vastly improved information about plant health that results in improved uptime, better process control, and reduced maintenance costs."

DeltaV also features an open architecture that works with existing controllers. "We can connect to any control device out there," says Ochoa, allowing companies to use legacy hardware while adding new smart hardware over time.

Optimization (back to top)
MDC Technology products optimize business and process results at more than 500 petrochemical and chemical process facilities and refineries around the world. Fisher-Rosemount has integrated several MDC modules into DeltaV using the industry-standard OPC (OLE for Process Control) technology built into the DeltaV system. These systems include:

  • SMOC (Multivariable Optimizing Control). SMOC is a dynamic multivariable process model-based predictive optimizing controller in use at more than 400 refining, petrochemical, chemical, and gas processing plants. SMOC evaluates process inputs and outputs. It then calculates the best set of control variable to minimize error from setpoint, remain within process constraints, and optimize process economics.
    MDC says SMOC reduces operating costs by 2-6%, improves process stability, reduces standard deviation, allows quick mode and grade changes, and improves quality, yield, and costs. Ochoa says MDC's approach to developing process models is more efficient and easier to use than competitive techniques.
  • RTO+ (Real-Time Optimization). RTO+ allows operators to optimize the economic performance of a particular process or an entire plant. An integrated suite of tools, it enables engineers to configure applications for plant modeling, data reconciliation, performance monitoring, real-time optimization (open and closed loop), what-if studies, multiple time period coordinated optimization, and mixed integer equipment selection optimization. MDC says RTO+ typically increases profits by 3-5%.
  • MSPC+ (Multivariable Statistical Process Control). MSPC+ is an online performance monitoring and fault detection system that delivers true multivariate statistical process control for the process industry. Compared to conventional statistical process control (SPC), MSPC+ statistically analyzes interactions among a large number of process variables. By extracting and condensing key process information, it focuses attention on the source of potential process upsets.
  • IPM+ (Intelligent Performance Monitoring). IPM+ allows engineers to model a piece of processing equipment or process unit, then compare it to actual operations. Unexpected deviations alert operators to potential problems.

The combination of Fieldbus-compliant hardware, DeltaV control software, and MDC optimization software positions Fisher- Rosemount to mount a serious challenge to other producers that offer complete plant process systems.

Ochoa says Fisher-Rosemount has been very successful since introducing DeltaV. "We had double-digit growth in the control systems market," he says. "We're the only major supplier to have anywhere close to double-digit growth. Honeywell and Foxboro had very low growth during the past year. We had double-digit because customers are attracted to our implementation of Fieldbus architecture."

Arrayed against it are a number of very competent competitors. Honeywell has the largest control automation market share and has invested heavily in optimization software. "They're good at selling high-level, high-value technology on top of any control system," says Ochoa. "We need MDC products to keep Honeywell at bay."

ABB bought Bailey and several other control system developers over the past year. The company is still looking for ways to integrate and consolidate its assets. Foxboro, a part of UK's Invensys, draws on technology from Simsci. Yokogowa has a strong position in Asia.

For more information: David H. Ochoa, Marketing Director, Advanced Control, Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc., 8301 Cameron Rd., Austin, TX 78754. Tel: 512-834-7659. Fax: 512-832-3220.

Or: MDC Technology Ltd., Startforth Rd., Riverside Park, Teesside TS2 1PT, UK. Tel: +44-1642-773000. Fax: +44-1642-773077.

By Alan S. Brown