Foxboro in the Power Industry

An article published in the Attleboro, Mass., Sun-Chronicle Online for 3/18/2009 says: "A reinvigorated nuclear power industry, long stagnant in the United States, is expected to provide a major lift to Texas-based Invensys Process Systems and bring additional jobs to the company's plant in Foxboro, corporate officials say."

Although the article is very careful to say that IPS won't be bringing nuclear materials into Foxboro, it goes on to say, "IPS, which recently won a $250 million contract to supply automation for two Chinese nuclear power plants, will manage the delivery of its technology from its Foxboro manufacturing complex and could hire up to 100 additional engineers and managers to support a new 'center for nuclear excellence.'"

We have heard rumors for years that IPS no longer considers Foxboro a core business, and that was the reason for the corporate move to the Dallas area in the last two years. According to the article, unnamed IPS executives commented on this.

"Some IPS executives, who accompanied reporters on a tour of the Foxboro plant's four buildings last week, said they were aware of rumors that the company might close or downsize its existing operations, and said they hoped the latest news would underline the company's commitment to Foxboro."

Honeywell Experion in Finland

Honeywell to Rebuild Operating System of Fortum-Operated Power Plant

Thursday, March 05, 2009 3:53 AM

(Source: Datamonitor)Honeywell has said that it has been selected to rebuild the operating system of a 1,000MW power plant operated by Finland-based power utility Fortum. The project will reportedly deliver better levels of safety, reliability, efficiency and environmental compliance to the plant.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3091660

Delta V in Alternative Fuels

Emerson Helps Range Fuels Bring First Next-Generation U.S. Biofuels Plant into Commercial Production

Cellulosic biofuels company to safely and efficiently convert wood waste into fuel at Georgia plant

1:39 p.m. EST March 4, 2009

AUSTIN, Texas, Mar 04, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Second-generation biofuels company Range Fuels has formed a strategic relationship with Emerson Process Management, a business of Emerson.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/emerson-helps-range-fuels-bring/story.aspx?guid={43FD1AE4-ADCB-485A-9D6D-5AB533493368}&dist=msr_1

Is this Emerson's version of Advanced Process Control?

3/3/2009

(From the ARC Advisory Website)

Emerson’s Adaptive Capability for DeltaV InSight Extends Predictive Intelligence Of PlantWeb Architecture

Emerson Process Management has unveiled a newly developed adaptive capability for DeltaV InSight which enables the DeltaV control system to automatically learn process dynamics, diagnose control problems, and re-tune control loops for optimal performance.

Further extending the predictive intelligence of PlantWeb architecture, this new capability is embedded in DeltaV’s digital control system with automatic configuration to provide increased performance and availability for all DeltaV and FOUNDATION fieldbus-based control loops. DeltaV InSight is uniquely automatic - it provides system-wide performance monitoring and diagnostics with no additional configuration or maintenance effort. InSight performance monitoring is automatically updated for any changes made to the system. DeltaV InSight also accounts for process changes by automatically learning process dynamics from normal day-to-day operations. This process knowledge may be applied to improve plant performance and availability with adaptive loop tuning, non-linear control, loop diagnostics, process simulation, and model based control.

DeltaV InSight has also been enhanced with automatic performance reports that can be scheduled to provide key performance metrics for a user’s control system. Based on XML standards and Microsoft Excel templates, these reports are ready to use out of the box, or can be customized with a plant’s unique key performance indicators. These reports will also be available through Emerson’s highly successful Guardian Web Dashboard, enabling customers to easily distribute reports across their enterprise.

Posted at 10:01 AM by sclouther

Emerson Process Management closes Atlanta office

Just got word that Emerson has closed the Process Management office in Atlanta.

New Invensys DCS project

SEPCO III to deploy Invensys DCS technology at Indian power plant

Invensys Process Systems, a technology, software and consulting firm, has signed a deal with Shandong No 3 Electric Power Construction of China to implement its Foxboro I/A Series distributed control system technology for a 3,300MW generating station being built in the Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat.

Under the terms of the contract, Invensys Process Systems (IPS) will provide I/A Series automation hardware and software, as well as a range of installation, engineering, training and field services.

The systems will be used to control the new plant's boilers, turbines and generators, utilizing IPS's Performance Plus co-ordinated control system technology.

Subsystem applications will include a data acquisition system, furnace safety supervisory system, boiler and turbine sequence control system, turbine digital electro-hydraulic control system, feed water pump mechanical electro-hydraulic control system, and electric control systems.

Siemson Yang, sales director of IPS China, said: "IPS has provided complete distributed control system (DCS) services to Shandong No 3 Electric Power Construction Corporation (SEPCO III) for more than 20 generation units, and we are pleased to be their trusted solutions partner as they continue their global expansion."