Worst fears realized - Control Global

Worst fears realized A scary piece of malware named Stuxnet is in town. Remember its name. OPC and Security Simulation Success Portraits

Automation News from Europe Improving NERC-CIP Standards

October 2010

Big Job for Coriolis Flowmeters

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System 800xA Extended Automation The Power of Integration

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October 2010 • Volume XXIII • Number 10

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55 / The Straight Scoop on OPC and Security What you need to know about OPC-UA and OPC-Xi. by Ray Kok S i m u l a t i o n

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Mo d e l i n g

61 / Portraits of Sim Success

Three end users employ several types of simulators from Invensys to improve design, training and operations in power, mining and other applications. by Jim Montague F

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75 / Need a Plan in a Hurry?

Fluor uses Coriolis flowmeters to help fast-track construction of the world’s largest solar-grade polysilicon plant in China. by Charlie Henderson

W E B

E X C L U S I V E S

Improving NERC-CIP Standards www.controlglobal.com/articles/2010_NERCCIP.htmll

Cover Story

40 / Worst Fears Realized

A scary piece of malware named Stuxnet is in town. Remember its name. Its arrival may make you want to change the way you think about control system security. by Nancy Bartels

Industrial Automation Insider’s European Report www.www.controlglobal.com/IAI

CONTROL (ISSN 1049-5541) is published monthly by PUTMAN Media COMPANY (also publishers of CONTROL DESIGN, CHEMICAL PROCESSING, FOOD PROCESSING, Industrial Networking, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, and PLANT SERVICES ), 555 W. Pierce Rd., Ste. 301, Itasca, IL 60143. (Phone 630/467-1300; Fax 630/467-1124.) Address all correspondence to Editorial and Executive Offices, same address. Periodicals Postage Paid at Itasca, IL, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the United States. ©Putman Media 2010. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without consent of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CONTROL, P.O. Box 3428, Northbrook, IL 60065-3428. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Qualified-reader subscriptions are accepted from Operating Management in the control industry at no charge. To apply for qualified-reader subscription, fill in subscription form. To non-qualified subscribers in the U.S. and its possessions, subscriptions are $70.00 per year. Single copies are $15.00 domestic, $17.00 foreign. Subscriptions for Canada and Mexico are $112.00. Foreign subscriptions outside of Canada and Mexico accepted at $125.00 per year for surface and $210.00 for airmail. CONTROL assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items reported. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor Information: Frontier/BWI,PO Box 1051,Fort Erie,Ontario, Canada, L2A 5N8.

O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com

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October 2010 • Volume XXIII • Number 10 High Quality - Low Price!

D E PA RT M E N T S 9 / Editor’s Page

Can smart manufacturing save U.S. jobs? There are jobs in smart manufacturing— just not the same ones our parents and peers had.

67 / Roundup

This month the focus is on process analyzer technology information online.

69 / Ask the Experts

Underwater metal detection and controlling the weather—or not.

15 / On the Web

Digital managing editor Katherine Bonfante has prepared a bag of online treats for Control’s readers.

72 / Products

The latest in process automation technology, plus Siemens’ newest product uses PLCs to measure natural gas.

17 / Feedback Our readers weigh in.

73/ Control Talk

18 / Other Voices

How to do a cyber security gap analysis.

23 / On the Bus

The Island of Misfit Instruments could be a great place to shape the future of your control systems.

24 / In Process

News from around the process industries.

39 / Resources

McMillan, Weiner and friends give advice on organizing successful retrofits and automation upgrades.

75 / Ad Index

Check these pages for the best in automation technology.

76/ Control Report

Wayfinders and process control engineers show that keeping an eye peeled for subtle truth, instead of traditional prejudices, can help prevent cannibalism.

This month the focus is on process analyzer technology information online.

Circulation aUdited JuNE 2010 Chemicals & Allied Products Food & Kindred Products Paper & Allied Products Primary Metal Industries Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services System Integrators & Engineering Design Firms

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12,548 12,638 3,470 5,445 3,116 8,912

Rubber and Miscellaneous Plastic Products Stone, Clay, Glass & Concrete products Textile Mill Products Petroleum Refining & Related Industries Tobacco Products Total circulation

4,403 2,057 1,361 3,877 115 63,006

Quality that’s on the mark.

Easy online ordering! 50 years of expertise built into every E-direct product. Visit www.e-direct.us to shop for and purchase the measurement and component products you need anytime. You’ll fi nd complete product information, technical specifications, dimensional drawings, selection guide advice and pricing. Most orders ship within two business days.

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Easy DAQ or SCADA with low-cost I/O and practical software Use the technology built into the Productivity3000 programmable controller to make your job easier. If you need data collection - from the factory floor, lab, or field - it’s a system worth looking at. One program instruction in the controller connects and passes data to all the common database formats - Microsoft Access, ODBC, and SQL Server. Low-cost server software (DataWorx P3K, starting at $595) makes the data readily available to your upstream application. The FREE Productivity Suite programming software comes with a trial version of DataWorx P3K, so you can experiment with and test your database application with no risk! For simple data logging, the CPU can write data to a removable mass storage device (USB) on an event or time basis.

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EDITOR’S PAGE

Can Smart Manufacturing Save U.S. Jobs? In September, I attended a conference on “smart manufacturing” run by a who’s who in manufacturing and automation, under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, UT-Austin, UCLA and other imposing entities. The organization is trying to develop a framework for smart manufacturing for the United States, because we all believe that

the future of American manufacturing lies in connectivity of data and systems. Just as we want to create the smart grid, we want to create smart manufacturing. However, as several readers have pointed out, making manufacturing more productive is reducing the number of jobs available. And to be sure, the United States has lost over 2 million manufacturing jobs in the current recession. Some of the letter-writers also have blamed automation and more highly connected manufacturing systems for the radical drop in young Americans who are interested in careers in manufacturing. But take a look at what the kids see: They see “Captain Planet” fighting manufacturers who are uniformly evil and deformed humanoid pigs. They see factories as filthy, polluting and evil as well. Who would want to work in one? They have seen their parents and grandparents find out that the promise of lifetime employment if you did your best work was a lie. Even our best work isn’t good enough if the plant isn’t productive enough to compete with cheap labor in the Far East. They’ve watched and formed their own opinions about the value of a manufacturing job. They see securities fraudsters mostly get away with it—and pull down huge incomes to boot. They see game designers and iPhone app designers making the big money, too. What they don’t see is the Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio, where everybody wears white lab coats, and you can eat off the floor right next to the production line. We have an enormous technological lead in just about everything that has to do with computers and mobility, even though the hardware is almost all built in the Far East. Our ability to conceptualize new ways of thinking and communicating is second to none. No wonder

young people want to be game and app designers instead of production control specialists. They think that’s where the glamor and the money are. We need to demonstrate that there are good jobs in smart manufacturing—not the jobs of yesterday, but ones for maintenance workers equipped with mobility communications solutions and operators, who are technically at the level we associate today with engineers. There will be many of those jobs, but we are in danger of not being able to fill them. Why? Those jobs not only require technical skill with computers and networking, but also practical experience in process plants—the thing. we aren’t providing for students who might be interested in those jobs. I keep beating up my alma mater, UC Santa Cruz, for not providing any practical manufacturing engineering courses in the Engineering school. And yet, Silicon Valley, less than 30 miles away, could not function without a sophisticated level of automation. Being fair, UCSC is not alone. It’s hard to find universitylevel education in manufacturing at all, let alone Smart Manufacturing. We are hoping that this smart manufacturing effort will change things. You can read the framework document we’re working from at http://spm.oit.ucla.edu/. There will be more as the framework gets more detailed. Can Smart Manufacturing save jobs in the U.S.? Yes, and raise the average salary of workers in manufacturing at the same time. Why not suggest to young people that they can become “Process Heroes” themselves?

Walt boyes

Editor in chief [email protected]

Kids see factories as filthy, polluting and evil. Who would want to work in one?


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Web Treats, No Tricks K ATHERINE BONFANTE

MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL MEDIA [email protected]

Happy Halloween! Alas, I’m too old to go trick or treating. Instead, I play the the spooky thief who raids children’ candy bags, making sure to take the best sweets out of their Halloween baskets. Talking about the best treats, www.ControlGlobal.com also has a virtual Halloween basket for you. No chocolate bars, taffy apples, hard candies or gummy bears, but our website has video reports, white papers, articles, product announcements and much more to satisfy your craving for process automation treats. Check our multimedia library to listen to “Sustainability in the Process Industries,” and hear my conversation with ARC’s Vice President Greg Gorbach. Find out what sustainability is and what factors influence sustainability efforts in the process industries. (www.controlglobal.com/multimedia/2010/Sustainability1006.html) You can also watch our latest Webcast, “WirelessHART Enables New Levels of Asset Performance,” and learn how leading process companies are using WirelessHART. (www.controlglobal.com/multimedia/2010/ Webcast1007WirelessHART.html) Our “Knowledge Management and Staffing” podcast features executive editor Jim Montague and ARC’s senior analyst and expert Tom Fiske. Listen to their conversation at www.controlglobal.com/multimedia/2010/ARC1007Management.html. For a scary process automation adventure, check out Jon DiPietro’s “To Hell and Back,” and learn how to rebuild a control room in five days. This article has lessons in disaster recovery and emergency response. Read it at www.controlglobal.com/articles/2010/5DayControlRoom1009.html. When it comes to wireless networks, choosing the right one for your industrial facility can be difficult. The right decision will help improve safety, optimize the plant and ensure compliance. Read Honeywell’s white paper “Considerations When Choosing a Wireless Network” (www.controlglobal. com/wp_downloads/100910_HoneywellWirelessNetwork.html), and learn what questions you should keep in mind when decided on a wireless network. I hope you have enjoyed this virtual Halloween basket. If you want more sweet treats stop by our Website and search around. I promise you will only find automation treats. There are no tricks at www.ControlGlobal.com.

Hazardous Area Classifications and Protection Methods This paper describes what the hazardous area classifications are and what specific protection methods truly mean. www.controlglobal.com/wp_ downloads/100324_EH_AreaClass. htm.

Industrial Ethernet: Critical Differences Between Commercial- and IndustrialGrade Components Commercial-grade components and industrial-grade cabling are not the same. www.controlglobal.com/wp_ downloads/090729_Belden_Ethernet. html.

What End Users Think About Wireless Application Networks Control’s Walt Boyes and Steve Lambright of Apprion discuss the data collected from surveys about end-user attitudes toward wireless systems and infrastructure. www.controlglobal.com/ multimedia/2010/WirelessApplicationNetworksPart1_1009.html.

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ControlGlobal E-News Multimedia Alerts White Paper Alerts Go to www.controlglobal.com and follow instructions to register for our free weekly e-newsletters.

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for the monster truck and the spills happen “somewhere else,” then all is well. As for the grandkids—keep that cheap gas coming for them! 2) A good part of the population is math, science and politically illiterate. All issues are condensed down to black and white, and presented in 30-second sound bites on Fox, CNN or wherever, and it’s just too painful to have to actually think about any issue. And, then the politicians feed into this and make it worse. It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.

August 2010

publishing team

Thank you for your excellent editorial! (“It’s the People, Not the Technology,” August 2010, www.controlglobal.com/articles/2010/PeopleTechnology1008.html) It hits the target dead on. I also wish to congratulate Wireless? you on your insight into America’s slide from the top, and how important manufacturing is to a strong and growing economy. Manufacturing creates new dollars; a service economy just moves around the same dollar. We have really missed the boat by allowing all of our manufacturing industries to move overseas. With overseas wages being so low in the Third World countries, we can’t maintain our standard of living and compete in a global economy. Our wages will have to come down, and I think we are beginning to see the adjustment downward of those wages. If they want a stimulus package, why not give a stimulus for every job brought back to the U.S.? HAROLD DAUM

SENIOR PL ANT ENGINEER, JE A [email protected]

Agreement on Bad Business I couldn’t agree more with Jim Montague’s column on “Bad Business” in the August 2010 issue (www.controlglobal. com/articles/2010/ WorldBusiness1008. html)—Let’s make greed and stupidity a capital crime. I think there are a couple of parallel problems also: 1) A good part of the population just doesn’t care—as long as we have cheap gas

R AY JORGENSON

PROCESS CONTROLS ENGINEER, EMD MILLIPORE Raymond_ [email protected]

Have Your Say Control and ControlGlobal.com always welcome your comments. Please send letters via email to any of our editors at the following addresses: • Walt Boyes—[email protected] • Jim Montague—jmontague@putman. net • Nancy Bartels—[email protected] • Katherine Bonfante—[email protected] Snail mail goes to Control, Putman Media, 555 W. Pierce Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL, 60143. You also can fax letters to Control Editorial at 630/467-1124. Please indicate in your letter whether we have permission to publish it. We will not use anonymous letters, although we will withhold names by request. We do reserve the right to edit letters that appear in the magazine for space. In addition, you can submit comments to any of our online blogs—SoundOff!, Unfettered or The Great Kanduski—simply by registering and hitting the “comment” button.

[email protected]

Associate Art Director:BRIAN HERTEL bher [email protected] JESSE H. NEAL AWARD WINNER ELEVEN ASBPE EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS TWENTY-FIVE ASBPE EXCELLENCE IN GRAPHICS AWARDS ASBPE 2009 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR FINALIST FOUR OZZIE AWARDS FOR GRAPHICS EXCELLENCE

In Memoriam: Automation World’s Dave Harvey On Sept. 22, we lost a good competitor and a good friend, Dave Harvey, the vice president and publisher of Automation World. He passed away after a protracted illness. He is survived by his wife and six children. Dave was one of the founders of Automation World and had been with the magazine since it’s inception in 2003. He also was the longtime publisher of Control Engineering. He will be missed.

O C T O B E R / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com

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Other Voices

The Can of Worms Is Open–Now What? The recent Stuxnet worm that targeted Siemens HMI and PLC systems (see cover story page 40) highlights the fact that designing a good cyber defense for your SCADA or John Cusimano,

Director, E xida Securit y Services Division email: [email protected]

eric byres,

CTO, Byres Securit y eric@ tofinosecurit y.com

Cyber security is a

process control system is no longer an option. While the motivations of the worm’s designers are still not clear, the undisputable fact is that this worm was designed to let an

outsider gain unauthorized access to control systems using the most widely deployed brand of PLC and SCADA products in the world. To their credit, Siemens and Microsoft responded rapidly to the Stuxnet threat, and provided a patch to address the vulnerability and a utility to detect and remove the virus. But everyone knows it’s always better to prevent a threat than to react to one. So, how can you protect yourself from the next Stuxnet? The answer in a sense is relatively simple—develop and maintain a cyber security management program that employs a defense-in-depth strategy. Think of it this way: suppose you lived in a neighborhood that recently saw a large increase in the crime rate. Short of moving, what would you do to protect yourself , your family and your possessions? The answer probably wouldn’t be just one thing, such as patching the hole in the fence. You would probably implement a number of defenses, such as erecting a high fence around your property, installing a surveillance system, upgrading the locks on windows and doors, getting a watchdog, etc. In addition, you might also implement some “policy” changes around the house: no more

leaving the garage door open during the day, or the alarm must be armed whenever you leave the house, etc. A cyber security program is the same thing. It’s combines policies and procedures coupled with technical countermeasures and an ongoing program to monitor, maintain and adapt as necessary. Simply put, cyber security is a risk management issue, so the proper way to address it is with a risk management program. In the real world, there is no such thing as perfect security and no such thing as zero risk. However, a good risk management program will help you assess and mitigate the risk to levels you can live with, i.e. tolerable risk. Fortunately, there is no shortage of guidance on how to do this. Over the last decade numerous organizations such as ACC, ANSI, API, AWWA, DHS, IEC, ISA, NERC, NIST and WIB, to name a few, have published a variety of standards and best practice documents addressing the subject of control system cyber security. If you’re going to read one standard, we recommend ISA99, specifically ANSI/ISA 99.02.012009. It is sector-independent, outlines most everything you need to know to establish a cyber security program at your facility and provides

risk management issue, so the proper way to address it is with a risk management program. 18

Security gap analysis Figure 1. A good security gap analysis has three phases: pre-assessment, on-site data collection, and analysis and reporting.

www.controlglobal.com O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0

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9/27/10 10:16 AM

If you’ve paid for automatic control valves, none of your loops should have to be in manual mode. There must be a better way.

Loops in manual mode due to poor-performing rotary valves require constant operator attention. And they cost you process efficiency. You can expect better control from the new Fisher® Control-Disk™ valve from Emerson. The Control-Disk valve has double the control range of traditional butterfly valves to allow control closer to the target set point, regardless of process disturbances. You can keep your loop in automatic mode. With low maintenance requirements and availability to ship in two weeks, it’s time to put a Control-Disk valve in your loop. Visit www.Fisher.com/bettercontrolC to watch an animation video or download a brochure. ani

The Emerson logo is a trademark and service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2009 Fisher Controls International LLC MV20-CD210


9/27/10 1:54 PM

Other Voices

ample references to other ASteps CybertoSecurity Simulation Gap Analysis tion of each device (access control measures, sources of information. open ports, applications Of course, if you’re in a Phase I – Collect information and services, status of regulated industry, such • Network diagrams patches, anti-virus tools, as power or chemical, you • Cyber assets etc.) In most cases, phase will also want to read the • Existing policies and procedures 2 is performed on an opsector-specific regulatory erational production sysstandards, such as NERC Phase II – On-site data gathering tem, so the utmost care CIP and DHS CFATS. • Brief staff must be taken by the After you’ve read the • Tour the system assessment team to perISA standard (the nor• Verify network architecture and form the assessment in mative part is only 45 traffic flows a non-intrusive manner. pages long) and other • Collect information on individual It is important to note relevant information, we devices that a control system cyber recommend conduct• Analyze configurations security assessment is not ing a control system cyo Access control the same as penetration ber security gap analysis o Open ports, applications and testing. Pen testing has its to assess how your curservices place, but should never be rent control system and o Status of patches performed on an operamanagement policies o Anti-virus tools tional control system. The and practices stack up to assessment team will also the standard and other Phase III – Analyze data and report interview key staff during best practices. Such an on gaps between current and best the data-gathering proassessment will provide practices. cess to better understand the organization with a the actual procedures that good understanding of where you are, where you need to be, and how are being followed. Before they leave the site, the to get there. It can also be beneficial in provid- assessment team will meet with management to ing necessary documentation to demonstrate to provide a briefing on key observations and initial regulators, insurance companies and any other recommendations. In Phase 3, the assessment team fully analyzes stakeholders that the company is addressing the the data and formally document the results in issue proactively. Control system security assessments can be an assessment report. The gaps between current performed internally, or by using third-party con- practices and standards/best practices are docusultants or a combination of the two. The process mented, and recommendations are identified and itself is straightforward and can be broken down prioritized. When selecting an assessor, look for individinto three phases. In Phase 1, or the pre-assessment phase, existing uals or organizations with deep knowledge of information is collected from those responsible for control and safety systems, risk management, the system. Items such as network diagrams, lists reliability engineering, industrial networking, of cyber assets, existing policies and procedures IT security techniques, knowledge of relevant are compiled to provide the assessment team with standards and experience in performing similar a basic understanding of the system before they ar- assessments. Avoiding companies who provide both consulting services and industrial security rive on site. Phase 2 is performed on-site and is primar- products, as they may have a bias towards selling ily focused on data-gathering. The assessment you their solution. So, whether you view Stuxnet as an unexteam will brief the staff on the process, and physically tour the system. They will verify the pected wake-up call or the event you anticinetwork architecture and traffic flows. Then pated was coming, there is no doubt that now the assessors will visit each networked device is the time to establish or review the status of to collect basic information, such as make your cyber security management programs and and model, but also to analyze the configura- adjust them as necessary. 20


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9/27/10 10:17 AM

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9-10-

ON THE BUS

The Island of Misfit Instruments I heard from a neighboring plant, a refinery whose controls infrastructure is dominated by a legacy system that reached maturity 15 years ago, that it was looking at fieldbus for a new desulfurization unit. The plant’s favorite supplier’s present-generation I/O no longer supports the aging proprietary standard for digital integration of their own field

devices. The plant has an option to use legacy I/O and stick with the old standard, or switch to the new I/O and install either HART or Foundation fieldbus (FF) field devices. “HART sounds like the easier choice to me,” he writes, “only a one- (transmitter) card different from our old model transmitter.” I helped to install a number of his legacy, proprietary, digitally integrated transmitters back in the early 90s, and spent a few years in the previous decade trying to lead the instrument maintenance department there. It was probably more of an education for me than for them. One of the key operating principles was, “We are like a fire department. If we’re all sitting around the shop, that’s a good thing,” i.e. no fires are good, so be happy. Things must have been good a lot back then, because the shop always seemed to have more seats filled than empty—much to the dismay of my boss, who grew up in some Franco-Prussian military family where, I’m pretty sure, idle people were flogged. And real fire departments, I thought, spend a lot of effort preventing fires through education, inspection and enforcement of codes and standards. Then they sit around the station waiting for the bell to ring. An interesting thing happened when we completed installation of the first wave of digitally integrated transmitters. The instrument maintenance department manpower dwindled—through attrition—from 15 technicians and five supervisors to seven plus one. Most of them had been around 20 years, so between vacations, illness and injuries, we were at least another person short about every day. Nonetheless, refined products continued to flow, and instrument reliability was arguably better. The new digitally integrated transmitters had nothing in common with their predecessors. Having spent a few years getting the guys

to use multimeters, they were now useless—at least for the new transmitters that modulated milliamps in a way very similar to fieldbus. The proprietary handhelds for configuration and reranging were not especially user-friendly, but the group embraced them and learned what they needed to know to get the job done. Unlike the revamps of the 90s, the current project will add less than 10% to the population of instruments in the plant, so any choice other than the legacy standard—whether it be HART or FF—threatens to make the new plant the “island of misfit instruments.” This is a potential place of mystery, where every call-out response is, “Sorry I have no experience with the new stuff,” and therefore a guaranteed after-hours plant visit for the engineers who installed it. Since the plant already has some HART-smart valve positioners, you could argue that HART is a safe choice, but I’m going to speculate that the HART communicator is in a cabinet somewhere in need of new batteries. At least HART, in this case, could get a few more people proficient and comfortable in using the communicator. But what’s the value in that? The question is what’s the goal? As at our factory, the overriding goal is to make lots of highvalue products safely and efficiently. There’s an excellent chance my neighbors can achieve this goal, even with the old-timers’ legacy I/O and legacy proprietary protocol transmitters. They can also achieve it with new HART or FF devices, but perhaps with a little more pain. The reasons to endure this pain is learning. The plants that capitalize on intelligent device diagnostics are thrilled about it and aren’t likely to revert to 4-20 mA or proprietary protocols. The island of misfit instruments could become a great place for learning how the rest of the plant could be—and help shape the future when the aging systems will be replaced.

john Rez abek

contributing Editor [email protected]

The island of misfit instruments could become a great place for learning and help shape the future when the aging systems will be replaced.


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9/27/10 10:26 AM

IN PROCESS

Public/Private Partnership Works to Revitalize American Manufacturing Workgroup provides roadmap for smart manufacturing to make American industry globally competitive. The Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition, a private-public partnership to revitalize American manufacturing, completed two days of meetings on Sept. 14-15 in Washington, D.C. This group, comprised of participants from government, industry and academia, has already produced an operations and technology roadmap for smart manufacturing (http://tinyurl.com/22t5f36). Participants came from the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, including representation from Congress, the White House, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation and the National Laboratories; academic institutions such as UCLA, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, the University of Wisconsin Purdue; end-user companies in discrete, batch and continuous process manufacturing, such as DuPont, Dow, Praxair, Pfizer, Alcoa, Eli Lilly, General Mills, General Motors, Merck, Procter and Gamble, Ford Motor Company, ExxonMobil, Shell, Applied Materials, Owens Corning and Eastman Chemical Co.; and many of the major automation and systems vendors including Honeywell Process Solutions, Honeywell International, Emerson Process Management, Emerson Network Power, IBM and Cisco Systems. The 2010 Workgroup session produced a set of actionable, fundable milestones for the implementation of the roadmap. Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer of the United States 24

The Smart Manufacturing Workgroup aims to unite industry, academia and government in an effort to revitalize American manufacturing.

and of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, addressed the group by video. He said that the present administration was committed to revitalizing American manufacturing industry in the same way it was committed to the creation of a smart grid for sustainable power generation and consumption and to the Health Care Information Initiative, which is already underway. Dr. Patrick Gallagher, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), said that NIST might be able to help with some of the proposed initiatives, and he offered assistance in the standards-making area. Dr. Henry Kelly, principal deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy from the Department of Energy, also said that DOE was fully committed to

the creation of smart manufacturing technologies and had funding to support them. Workshop participants identified, defined and prioritized the meaningful uses of smart manufacturing, such as driving higher U.S. exports, reducing time-to-market, leveraging dynamic demand-driven economics, driving zero incidents and emissions performance, taking advantage of integrated energy management and the smart grid, empowering consumer demand for sustainability and cutting escalating government regulatory costs by automating the various agency reporting processes. The workgroup produced an agenda to accelerate smart manufacturing, including operational development requirements, collaborative approaches to overcome barriers, private-public co-investment models,


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IN PROCESS

and building and sharing experience in a pre-competitive structure Among the proposals made was one to do development work with new, simpler, smarter and less expensive “lick and stick” sensor technologies, especially wireless sensors. The workgroup recommended that the Department of Energy issue a “grand challenge” for the creation of those new sensor technologies similar to the X-Prize that led to the development of SpaceShipOne, the first practical commercial space vehicle. The workgroup also proposed that, in order to use the data these new sensors would provide, opensource, common data models be

developed. It further recommended development of an open-source, intellectual-property-neutral platform for the creation of modularly constructed operational models for smart manufacturing enterprises. Finally, the workgroup made detailed proposals to increase the funding for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction at the elementary, secondary and college and trade-school levels. In addition, in keeping with the administration’s focus on research that provides clear benefits and meaningful use areas, the workgroup defined some poten-

Chu and Rockefeller Get “Real” with Invensys

tricity in the United States could ultimately depend on the successful development of CCS technology. The Secretary was on hand to break down the impact CCS can have and what the United States is doing to pioneer this innovative technology. Invensys’ EyeSim and DynSim will assist in the development of new-generation, zero-emission, integrated gasification, combined cycle (IGCC) power plants with carbon capture. The Advanced Virtual Energy Simulation Training and Research Center (AVESTAR) in Morgantown is part of the Department of Energy’s initiative to develop new clean-coal power plants that burn fuel more efficiently and to produce environmentally friendly electric power. EyeSim and DynSim provide a high-fidelity and virtual reality simulation environment, in which prospective plant personnel learn to operate and interact with a clean-coal facility, much like an airplane pilot trains on a flight simulator. “Invensys has been working as a development partner with NETL to create a combined control panel and field operator training solution for IGCC with carbon capture,” explained

In September, Dr. Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) donned virtual reality goggles and experienced the future of clean-coal plant technology, when they interacted with the EyeSim training simulator from Invensys Operations Management. Chu and Rockefeller were at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, W. Va., prior to participating in a forum at the University of Charleston on the Future of Coal and related technologies. Invensys is supplying its EyeSim and DynSim solutions to NETL and to the U.S. Department of Energy to facilitate development and training for clean-coal plant operations. Chu attended the forum to speak on the capture and disposal of carbon dioxide emitted in the burning of coal, a process known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). Coal generates about 98% of West Virginia’s electricity and about 48% of the electricity generated in the United States. The continued large-scale use of coal to supply elec-

tial programs in support of energy efficiency, environmental performance, sustainability performance, environmental health and safety, a demand-driven supply chain and economic performance. Dr. Jim Davis, professor of chemical engineering and the IT and Academic CTO of UCLA, said, “This workgroup started as an adhoc group with a National Science Foundation grant, and has grown to be of significant assistance to public and private policymakers. Over the next weeks, it will finalize the actionable proposals that we believe will begin the process of revitalizing American manufacturing.”

Clean Coal “reality’ check Dr. Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) study the future of clean coal through virtual reality goggles.

Alastair Fraser, vice president, Invensys Operations Management. “Its innovative capabilities and additional operational benefits will enable more rapid development of clean-coal power generation to meet demand, as well as enhance training for new clean-coal plant operations teams. We are pleased that Secretary Chu and Senator Rockefeller were able to witness some of the new virtual reality training and simulation capabilities we have helped develop at the new NETL training center in Morgantown.” O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com


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9/27/10 10:31 AM

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Flow Control and Flow Measurement Solutions 9/27/10 12:17 PM

IN PROCESS

Fluke Offers Process Control Grants

Portable electronic test and measurement equipment manufacturer Fluke Corp. will donate $65,000 worth of test instruments to schools and training programs for use in teaching students to diagnose and repair sophisticated industrial process control systems. Through the new Fluke Industrial Control Grant Program, instructors in accredited U.S. training programs can apply for grants of Fluke industrial test instruments for classroom use. Five different schools will be selected to receive kits of nine Fluke test tools. Each kit is valued at $13,000 and includes three Fluke 719 pressure calibrators, three Fluke 773 milliamp process clamp

meters and three Fluke 289 True-rms industrial logging multimeters with TrendCapture. Fluke will announce the winners in November 2010. “Fluke values the contribution the instructors and trainers make, and appreciates the opportunity to participate in the classroom,” said Jim Shields, Fluke’s product manager for process tools. “The winning applicants will receive state-ofthe-art test instruments they and their students can really use.” Whether they receive a grant or not, educators can take advantage of important teaching support provided by Fluke: videos on all three products; a curriculum kit on industrial process controls; Fluke webinars on process tools; and a live webinar featuring Shields, who is Fluke’s process expert. To participate in the program, educa-

tors must be members of the Fluke Education Partnership Program. Complete guidelines and an application form are available at the Fluke Educators Portal at support.fluke.com. Deadline for applications is Oct. 18, 2010.

ABB Announces Smart Grid Center of Excellence

ABB is expanding its Raleigh, N.C., facility to include a technology center devoted to smart grid development. The company is making an initial investment of $10 million in the Smart Grid Center of Excellence (COE). Initially, the Smart Grid COE will be housed in ABB’s existing Centen-

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Simulated computer modeling, dimensional testing, and electron scanning of raw materials – you name it, we’ll go to any lengths to ensure that if it’s from Swagelok, it’s top quality. Because Quality isn’t just one of our values. It’s our attitude. It’s the focus of every associate, affecting everything from our services to our products. And by using the same disciplines, practices, and technologies through every office in every country, that focus is constant. We know that quality isn’t just a well-made product, it’s customers served beyond what they were expecting. To see what that attitude can do for you, visit swagelok.com/quality.

7/1/10 PM 9/27/1012:14 12:11 PM

IN PROCESS

nial Campus facilities at North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh, with plans to build and lease out space on the Centennial Campus for a permanent facility nearby. The center will initially have several full-time dedicated ABB employees. These positions will be supported by the State of North Carolina, after the state’s Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) committee recently approved grants for new engineering positions in Wake County. Enrique Santacana, ABB’s region manager for North America, said ABB’s long history with the state played a key factor in Raleigh’s selection. “ABB has a positive, longstanding relationship with North Carolina, and Raleigh in particular. The combination of North Carolina’s support for technology innovation, our great partnership with N.C. State University, the abundance of engineering talent, support from state officials and the Triangle’s growing reputation as a hotbed of smart-grid activity make Raleigh the right place to make this investment.” The Smart Grid Center of Excellence (COE) will include a testing and development laboratory, a verification center to certify customer solutions before deployment, and a demonstration center that will showcase ABB’s smart grid technologies and collaborative partnerships. ABB will work with the Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center, an ABB partner also based at N.C. State. The FREEDM Systems Center was established in 2008 by NSF to develop smart grid technology based on power electronics and information technology. “This is a very important development,” said Dr. Alex Huang, Progress Energy Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering, FREEDM Systems Center. “This new initiative by ABB will further enhance our collaboration. We are excited that ABB has initiated this new Smart Grid Center of Excellence, and we look forward to collaborating with ABB right here in our own backyard.” ABB will operate this smart grid techC

The NCSU Raleigh site is already nology center, which will enable collaboration and partnerships with several lo- home to the North American headquarcal entities in the power industry. This ters of ABB’s Power Products and Power includes the FREEDM Center, local Systems divisions, as well as one of eight utilities such as Duke Energy and Prog- global corporate research centers focused ress Energy, and other local metering and on advanced power system technology Ethernetio_Half_CM.ai 5/5/2010 3:53:29 PM development. communications companies.

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9/27/10 2:19 PM

RESOURCES

Plentiful Aid on Process Analyzers Control’s Monthly Resource Guide Every month, Control’s editors take a specific product area, collect all the latest, significant tools we can find, and present them here to make your job easier. If you know of any tools and resources we didn’t include, send them to [email protected] and we’ll add them to the website.

PAT POWERPOINT U.S.Food & Drug Administr ation www.fda.gov

This 66-slide Powerpoint presentation, “The Impact of Micro-Analytical Instrumentation on PAT Applications” by M. Koch of the Center for Process Analytical Chemistry (CPAT) at the University of Washington, covers definitions, origins of PAT, possible applications, techniques and more. The complete presentation is at http://tinyurl.com/25l3r9r.

PIP-ANALYZERS COLLECTION 800-4 47-3352

IHS Engineering ht tp://engineers.ihs.com

Subscribers to this website get secure, online access to search, view, bookmark and print documents. Online documents are updated daily and multiple users can share a single license. The analyzers collection of PIP practices covers such topics as toxic gas detection systems; engineering guidelines, project implementation guidelines, field installation, bid and proposal information, acceptance testing and data sheets for process analyzers. A direct link to the collection is at http:// tinyurl.com/yemg97r.

PAT PODCAST ControlGlobal.com www.controlglobal.com

In this podcast, Control editor-in- chief Walt Boyes and executive editor Jim Montague speak to ARC Advisory Group’s John Blanchard about market forces and technology trends affecting process analytical technology

(PAT). For example, is it just to comply with the FDA’s rules, or are there other reasons to use PAT? Go to www.controlglobal.com/multimedia/2008/034. html to access and listen to the complete recording.

CPAC The Center for Process Analy tical Chemistry www.cpac.washington.edu

This white paper, “Guidance for Industry: PAT—A Framework for Innovative Pharmaceutical Development, Manufacturing and Quality Assurance,” covers in detail the background of PAT, tools for its use, and strategies for implementing PAT in pharmaceutical operations. A direct link is at http:// tinyurl.com/2dnl5h9. The FDA’s general web site also contains additional links to tools, committees, presentations and other information about implementing PAT systems.

The Center for Process Analytical Chemistry (CPAC), established at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1984, is a consortium of industrial, national laboratory and government agency sponsors, who address multidisciplinary challenges in process analytical technology (PAT) and process control through fundamental and directed academic research. Among the resources on the CPAC website are numerous links to New Sampling/Sensor Initiative (NeSSI) material, including direct links to presentations given at recent NeSSI conferences, a basic explanation of NeSSI technology, a list of NeSSI-related product manufacturers, and direct links to presentations given at recent meetings. A link to these presentations is at http://tinyurl. com/23qhcjf

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CT1010_39_Resources.indd 39

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9/27/10 10:36 AM

Worst fears realized A scary piece of malware named Stuxnet is in town. Remember its name. Its arrival should make you want to change the way you think about control system security. by Nancy Bartels

We can’t say we weren’t warned. For years, the doubters and naysayers have been warning us that maybe all this PCbased computing and connectivity on the factory floor was a bad idea. Security was always one of the main concerns. But the warnings were drowned out in the noise of the inexorable march to PCs on the plant floor and Internet connectivity. Meanwhile, control engineers were used to working with closed systems that were pretty well blocked from outside mischief makers, and IT people, who did have a grasp of cyber security issues, were clueless about control systems and their unique security problems. So we’ve limped along with a few folks from both disciplines doing their best to bridge the gap, struggling to overcome institutional inertia, preaching cyber security best practices, training people to think differently and hoping for the best. As of July 14, that strategy is no longer good enough. On that day, Siemens was notified of a security breach 40

within Windows, which could potentially affect its Simatic WinCC SCADA software and the PCS7 DCS, which uses WinCC as its HMI, and the S7 controller. First to discover the worm in June of this year was the Belarus-based maker of the VirusBlokAda anti-virus product. In July, Byres Security’s (www.tofinosecurity.com) chief technology officer, Eric Byres, confirmed that Siemens and its users were experiencing “a zero-day exploit against all versions of Windows including Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP 2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7.” Later, it was reported that older versions of Windows, which Microsoft no longer supports, were vulnerable as well. For the uninitiated, a “zero-day” exploit is one that uses a previously unidentified security breach that only becomes apparent because of and at the same time as the original attack, and leaves all other users of the same system or systems at risk until such time as the vulnerability is eliminated.


CT1010_40_53_CVRstory.indd 40

9/27/10 10:38 AM

Stuxnet & System Security

Not Just a Prank Stuxnet is not some prank cooked up by a kid with more cyber smarts than sense. The sophistication of the attack and the kind of money that must have been spent on it suggest the perpetrators have a more serious agenda. What that

might be is open to speculation. Intellectual property theft is one likely possibility, but other, even more disturbing ideas come to mind as well—state sponsored espionage, nationalistic, political or religious groups “sending a message” or even terrorism. Joe Weiss, author of ControlGlobal.com’s “Unfettered” blog and principal at Applied Control Solutions (ACS, http://realtimeacs.com) says, “Many people think of Stuxnet as a data exfiltration issue. This does not seem credible to me for at least two reasons. First and foremost, why go to a controller unless you want to take control? If you want economic data, go to an archival database. Secondly, zeroday Microsoft vulnerabilities and counterfeit digital signatures are extremely expensive. I find it very unlikely that a cost-benefit can be made for this kind of investment if the sole purpose was economic espionage. It is not clear yet what Stuxnet has been programmed to do or when it will be activated, but it certainly has something to do with control. Although Stuxnet could have been used by a counterfeiter to steal industrial secrets, Kaspersky Lab’s (http:// usa.kaspersky.com/) Roel Schouwenberg suspects a nationstate was behind the attacks.” The fact that, according to Symantec, most of the attacks seem to have been directed at Iran, India and Indonesia (Figure 1) lends credibility to this kind of thinking. As of Sept. 17, Hamburg, Germany-based security expert Ralph Langner (www.langner.com/en/index.htm) offers a suspected victim, the Bushehr nuclear site in Iran, as well as a possible source of the virus, a Russian systems integrator. Note that none of this is proven yet, but Langner makes an interesting case for it. Industrial espionage. Nuclear facilities. Nation-states. Terrorism. Now we’re getting into Tom Clancy territory. Interesting speculation, but not necessarily helpful. Let’s get back to what we really know now as I am writing

60

58.85

50

Pecentage of hits from W32.Stuxnet by Country

40

30

20

18.22

10

9.20

8.31 2.57

1.56

1.28

USA

Pakistan

0 Iran

Indonesia

India

Azerbaijan

Others

Courtesy of Symantec.

According to Nicolas Falliere of security vendor Symantec (www.symantec.com), “Stuxnet can steal code and design projects and also hide itself using a classic Windows rootkit, but unfortunately it can also do much more. It has the ability to take advantage of the programming software to also upload its own code to a PLC typically monitored by SCADA systems. Stuxnet then hides these code blocks, so when programmers using an infected machine try to view all of the code blocks on a PLC, they will not see the code injected by Stuxnet. Thus, Stuxnet isn’t just a rootkit that hides itself on Windows, but is the first publicly known rootkit that is able to hide injected code located on a PLC.” Falliere adds, “In particular, Stuxnet hooks the programming software, which means that when someone uses the software to view code blocks on the PLC, the injected blocks are nowhere to be found. This is done by hooking enumeration, read and write functions, so that you can’t accidentally overwrite the hidden blocks as well. Stuxnet contains 70 encrypted code blocks that appear to replace some ‘foundation routines’ that take care of simple, yet very common tasks, such as comparing file times, and others that are custom code and data blocks. By writing code to the PLC, Stuxnet can potentially control or alter how the system operates.” Byres adds that Stuxnet “uses the Siemens default password of the MSSQL account WinCCConnect to log into the PCS7/WinCC database and extract process data and possibly HMI screens,” which it then attempts to export via an Internet connection to a remote server.” Furthermore, says John Cusimano, director of security services at security services and certification vendor exida (www. exida.com), that while this virus seems to have been coded specifically for Siemens products, other products could be just as vulnerable. “WinCC is by far the largest SCADA HMI package. It’s embedded into everything. Whether you know you’re buying it or not, it may be embedded [in your system]. That’s probably why it was the target.” The situation gets even scarier. After Stuxnet was created—and Symantec says that initial versions were circulating as early June of last year—its developers created a second, much more powerful iteration that allowed it to spread among USB devices with virtually no intervention by the victim. They also got their hands on encryption keys belonging to chip companies Realtek and JMicron and digitally signed the malware, so antivirus scanners would have a harder time detecting it. This has allowed Stuxnet to defeat multiple factor authentication.

Iran’s the Biggest Victim Figure 1. Most Stuxnet hits have been found in Iran. O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com


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9/27/10 10:38 AM

F E AT U R E E Y E B R O W

STUXNET & SYSTEM SECURITY

this story. Within days of the virus’ discovery, both Siemens and Microsoft issued patches to close the holes that Stuxnet used to get into systems. As of now, Michael Krampe, director of media relations for Siemens (www.siemens.com), says that “We have identified 15 customers where the virus has been identified on their systems. We have been able to isolate it, detect it and remove it from those systems without damage to operations.” Another way to get perspective on the issue is by seeing what has not happened. No major process event has happened that can be attributed to the Stuxnet virus. Furthermore, no entity has come forward to say it is the perpetrator or demanded money or issued threats. Why that is the case is open to interpretation, but the fact is, at the moment, in spite of its disturbing potential, Stuxnet seems not to have done much harm.

No Harm, No Foul? For the most part, other than Siemens, major automation vendors at first treated Stuxnet as just another security vulnerability. “How we treat Stuxnet is pretty much how we

view every vulnerability for control systems. It’s not the first, and it won’t be the last,” says Ernie Rakaczky, program manager for control systems cybersecurity, Invensys Operations Management (http://iom.invensys.com). Vendors also reported that only a few of their customers seemed especially concerned, even after news of Stuxnet was released. In part, this is no doubt due to the fact that not every control system is architected the same way, and the techniques deployed by Stuxnet’s inventors would not necessarily work on other systems. Furthermore, every major vendor has systems in place for managing security and notifying users of vulnerabilities. “We have formalized a whole set of practices to address cyber security—basic stuff—design, validation of code, training, information exchange with customers, monthly patch updates,” says Rakaczky, naming a laundry list that would apply to most vendors. So what’s the big deal? Just another virus. Not exactly. “This is a defining moment for the industry.” says Doug Wylie, business development manager for networks and security

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Stuxnet & System Security

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at Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com) “This was intentional, focused on industrial applications. The intent has caused a number of customers and the entire industry to say, ‘Yes, this is real.’ There are parties not just looking for information, but wanting to take control of systems,” Roy Tanner, of Strategic Marketing, Industries at ABB (www.us.abb.com), adds, “While this was a focused attack on a particular control system, it is also a clear sign that control systems are being specifically targeted. This must be considered in all phases of control system product development, but also in how control systems are installed, operated and maintained.” “They could have done it to anyone’s system,” says Bob Huba, product manager and security architect for Emerson Process Management (www2.emersonprocess.com ). “[Stuxnet] will certainly accelerate security awareness a bit.” Kevin Staggs, engineering fellow at Honeywell Process Solutions (http:// hpsweb.honeywell.com), adds that, “Although Stuxnet may have targeted specific systems, it serves as a reminder of the responsibility of keeping the malware protection software current on all control systems and following the best security practices. ” Brian Owen of OSIsoft (www.osisoft. com) adds, “This was very targeted, and if anyone thinks they can hide when they’re targeted, they’re wrong.”

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“One effect of the Stuxnet virus is that there will be a change in the way systems are built,” says Cusimano. “The trend has been around for awhile, but this will kick it into high gear. Users have been pressuring vendors to build security into systems. “The ISA Security Compliance Institute (www.ISAsecure.org), for example, is a consortium of venders and users, who have written a set of compliance criteria for assessing the level of security embedded in products.”

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Stuxnet & System Security He continues, “There’s also stuff going on in terms of best practices and competency of systems integration personnel. Control system security is a narrow field. It requires control system, IT and risk management knowledge. That’s a pretty special skill set.”

Invensys’ Rakaczky says vendors must build more security management tools into their systems. “Tools must have functionality to enable people to use them. We have a lot of good guidance and direction, things to do, etc. in our systems—but customers are

still struggling with the fact that that too much of that focuses on more for control engineers to do. Every successful [security] program has a strong management component—keeping logs, changing passwords, etc. The key will be the approach. We need a standard way of managing it, so that it can talk to all vendors’ products. It needs to recognize multiple vendor environments. We have an obligation to the community here. We’re not so much competing against one another here. At this level, all vendors are in this together.” Rockwell’s Doug Wylie says, “The sophistication level of Stuxnet is one that customers hadn’t anticipated in the past. They’re looking to vendors for leadership here. It has provided affirmation to vendor companies putting together control system solutions that investments in incidents response and designing in systems-level security are worthwhile. It helps them justify their investments in these things.”

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That brings us to the hard truth that applies to all control system users: Good cyber security begins at home. What should you be doing in response to Stuxnet? The answer is both simple and not-so-simple. Look to your own security. Begin by asking how secure you are now. (See John Cusimano and Eric Byres’ “Other Voices” column on page 20 for advice on evaluating your current security state.) Then talk to your system vendor(s). They’ve built your systems, after all. Who better understands the best way to secure them? Look to standards—ISA99, IEC SC65C WG13, NIST and others— for help. If you’re in a “critical infrastructure” industry, there are government guidelines. The guidelines for the power industry from the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), the Dept. of Homeland Security, and the Chemical Facility

9/27/10 10:48 AM

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Calibrate Faster? Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFAT) provide some regulatory benchmarking. Don’t let the multiplicity of standards confuse you. Most are quite similar. “If I take them all—ISA, NIST, NERCCIP, etc.—they all have same framework. Use a little bit of all of them,” says Invensys’ Rakaczky. Cusimano adds, “Get a copy of ISA99.02.01 (March 2009, ‘Establishing a Cyber Security Management System.’ It’s directed at control system users. It takes a lifecycle approach addressing risk assessment, policy and procedures. It’s also industry-independent, but there are good documents from specific industries. They can be crossreferenced. There’s no topic in one that is not addressed in the others.”

End of COTS and the USB Stick? The Stuxnet virus has exploited the vulnerability of using a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) operating system for control and one of the most convenient, ubiquitous tools available now, the USB stick, in process automation operations. One obvious solution is to go back to using only closed systems and banning USB sticks from the control room. But is either option viable? John Cusimano, director of security services at security services and certification vendor exida (www.exida. com), doesn’t think so. “Momentum for open systems is too great. Going back is almost not an option,” he says. “We’re far too dependent on being able to move data around throughout the organization, so we can make good decisions and optimize processes. It may slow down a bit, but it won’t stop. Nor is the drive to invest in COTS systems going to stop. The productivity and technical benefits are too great. Except for the most conservative industries, such as nuclear, most will continue to use them.” Brad Hegrat, principal security consultant at Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com) predicts that USB sticks still have a lot of life in them as well. “This is not the end of the USB stick because it’s so useful, but it might be the end of the USB stick in control systems. A control system-centric security system has a very limited place to integrate the USB into the environment.” He also suggests limiting the use of USB sticks to non-mission-critical systems. If they are to be used in the control room, they should be purchased from a trusted vendor and be clean—that is, have no other files on them. “You also have to have physical control over them. You should treat them like keys to the building. [Their use] should be regulated and enforced by strict policies in a formalized program.”

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Stuxnet & System Security Get outside help if you think you need it. Cyber security firms and consultancies with expertise in control systems can be a real help here. The not-so-simple part of the answer is that cyber security is not just about Stuxnet. Cyber security is about culture change—one of the hardest things to pull off in any organization. The CEO or someone on the board is going to have to make cyber security a priority and make it someone’s job—complete with accountability—not just another duty tacked on to the control room operator’s task list.

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9/27/10 12:00 PM

Stuxnet & System Security Getting the attention of the executive suite on any subject not related to next quarter’s profits is a challenge, but Stuxnet’s emergence may have made that easier. “One of the main takeaways,” says Rockwell’s Wylie, “is that there was a risk of loss of control and loss of intellectual property. That’s an attention-getter.” Still, selling security is a tough gig. If the system works, you literally have nothing to show for expenditures, because nothing has happened. Says Wylie, “Security conversations are always short: ‘We haven’t been attacked yet.’” He adds that the magic word for selling security to upper management is “uptime.” Management wants uptime, availability and reliability in their systems, and they can’t have those without security (and safety). Brad Hegrat (see sidebar p. 48) adds, “You can’t regulate due diligence, but executives do care about uptime. There’s the reputation factor as well and the possibility of a loss of public confidence. Accidents happen, but if I have to explain to the board why a digital security failure happened, the subject of negligence is apt to come up.” Good cyber security means developing a whole way of thinking about behaviours and operations. It means sorting out the knotty issues when IT and control engineering work together. It will take homework, and it

will require on-going training and vigilance. What the Stuxnet affair has taught us, says Hegrat, is that in terms of security, “the entire enterprise [must] be treated collectively. It’s going to be a full-on requirement from now on. [With Stuxnet] every last digital protection mechanism that you’d have deployed would have failed because this was a piece of targeted code that required human intervention. What this tells you is that no matter how secure the system is, if you don’t have people who are properly trained, etc., you’re not secure. On the flip side, a less secure system with properly trained people is better off.” Changing the way your organization thinks about security is a daunting task, but there is a model—safety. OSIsoft’s Owen says, “One of our executive VPs told me that 25 years ago, you’d get safety bulletins in morning meetings about fatalities. News was shared across the plant, and the culture did change slowly. Security is going to be the same kind of thing. These changes are cultural. It does take awhile. I’m looking forward to the time when we’re on top of this stuff instead of being reactive.” The question is how much time? Stuxnet suggests that time to let a security culture evolve slowly may be running out. Nancy Bar tels is Control’s managing editor.

Want to Know More? The Stuxnet story is an evolving one. As researchers continue to study it, more information will become available. Here are some places to look for updates. • The Tofino Security blog written by Eric Byres and Scott Howard. www.tofinosecurity.com/blog/ • Symantec security expert blogs. www.symantec.com/connect/symantecblogs/security-response/11761/all/all/all/all. • Industrial Defender. www.industrialdefender.com/. Look for white papers and regular updates on Stuxnet. • The Repository of Security Incidents. www.securityincidents.org/. A regular compilation of security incidents in the process industries. • Joe Weiss’ “Unfettered” blog. http://community.controlglobal.com/unfettered. • Also check with your control system vendor’s website. Most vendors are watching this story and updating information on a regular basis.


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DISTRIBUTED CONTROL by Roy Kok

The Straight Scoop on OPC and Security What you need to know about OPC-UA and OPC-Xi.

So you’re considering OPC for an application, and with today’s concerns over security, you want to make sure your choice is a good one. Is OPC capable? In order to answer that question, we need to ask and answer a few others first. What is OPC? If you answer Orthodox Presbyterian Church, you should probably be reading another article, but if you answered OLE for Process Control (OPC), you’re getting warmer. Today OPC simply stands for “Open Connectivity—Through Open Standards.” The earlier acronym gives a major clue to OPC’s beginnings. The problem industry needed to solve in 1996 had to do with sharing data between disparate automation solutions. OPC was founded by a group of automation vendors and leveraged the best available technology at the time. It essentially defined a set of standard interfaces to be adopted within automation products for the exchange of three types of data: real-time data access through a specification called OPC-DA; alarm and event messages through a specification called OPC-A&E; and historic

data through a specification called OPC-HDA. There are many more specifications available through the OPC Foundation (www.opcfoundation.org), but these are the most widely implemented. A major goal in the development of OPC was to leverage best available technology. Why reinvent the wheel? The technology to leverage back in 1996 was Component Object Model (COM) and Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM). This is Microsoft technology, and it’s at the heart of its operating systems even today. This technology makes up the plumbing for the transfer of data between applications. In one computer, connectivity between applications is handled by COM. Over networks, DCOM takes over. OPC simply defines the messaging (data naming and access conventions). OPC leveraged existing Microsoft technology ensuring the reliable and efficient transport of data. OPC does not define security. It leverages Microsoft security built into the operating systems. Again, why reinvent the wheel? In small network environments, that O C T O B E R / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com

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DISTRIBUTED CONTROL

means workgroup level security. In larger environments, domain security takes over. This presents us with a combination of both issues and opportunities. Plant engineers are expert at selecting software products, learning them and applying them. Hence, if the features are in a product, so is the solution—and they will be creative in crafting the solution. However, OPC leverages Microsoft’s security, which is the same security that is managed throughout the enterprise by another group—namely IT. This means the effective use of OPC in a distributed application will require collaboration between plant f loor engineering and corporate IT. There is no way around it.

Bad Configuration The OPC Training Institute (www.OPCTI.com), a resource for OPC training around the world, estimates that a majority of distributed OPC applications are actually incorrectly configured. Randy Kondor, president, says, “Security is the first requirement of any distributed application. Customers always make sure they acquire products with the capability of being secure. Then during the implementation phase of a project, security is lost. Systems are hastily architected. As systems come together and begin to operate, attention shifts to the qual-

ity of data and the breadth of system implementation, and the initial plumbing that makes up the data transfer is forgotten and often left open and vulnerable. This tends to give OPC a bad name, one it does not deserve. The technology it is based on is excellent and can offer all the security an enterprise needs—but only if it is properly configured. “There are also several myths about OPC that should be clarified,” he continued. “First that OPC is not secure due to port uncertainties inherent in DCOM. While it’s true that without configuration, DCOM will default to the use of a range of ports for communication, DCOM can also be tightly locked to the use of a minimum of two ports explicitly defined. This is important for any IT professional wanting to lock down his or her enterprise with a firewall. Additionally, I hear about OPC reliability as an issue in distributed applications. While it is also true that for performance reasons, OPC offers a subscription methodology, and a remote client is sent updates on change. A lack of updates could be stable data or a lost connection. However, most servers also offer variables such as counters or timers that are easily set up as a watchdog—ensuring that your system status is known at all times. OPC is at the heart of many automation products on the market today and isn’t just technology used to bridge between solutions.”

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DISTRIBUTED CONTROL

Tunneling

OPC-UA

One solution to improving distributed applications involves using “tunneling” solutions, effectively replacing DCOM in these applications. Tunneling products are OPC clients and servers that have their own proprietary technology for network communications. They have the ability to bridge the gap between machines, even across the Internet, operating through network address translation features in switches, routers or firewalls. Note that these products have their own security settings and may introduce additional security challenges. Again, proper training is the key to success. So far, we’ve been talking about the OPC technology developed back in 1996. Today that is known as OPC Classic, and while it has progressed in capabilities over the years, the underlying technology on which it is based (COM/DCOM) is being replaced. Also, there are new requirements for interoperability in automation. This is leading to a new set of OPC specifications. In 2004, the OPC Foundation and vendors in the OPC Technical Advisory Council (TAC) set forth to upgrade OPC specifications for the 21st century. The new specifications included all the past data interoperability requirements as well as some requirements for unification of specifications to enable even greater levels of interoperability. This interoperability was for all data types with the ability to support data models and enhanced platform portability. This enabled OPC to be on servers and operate robustly in distributed applications both on intranets and across the Internet with built in security. Security was to be manageable by the engineer and be default—not a bolt-on. This new specification is known as OPC-Unified Architecture (OPC-UA).

Unlike OPC Classic, where security is a benefit of the underlying technology, OPC-UA specifically defines the security to be implemented by vendors. It is a core component of the specifications. All products implementing OPC-UA must implement OPC-UA security, and although “none” is an option, it is now a conscious decision that can be reversed as easily as it was chosen. OPCUA leverages today’s standards in security, including message encryption and identity certificates. Security is enhanced to the application level. Clients and servers must exchange certificates in order to interact with each other. These certificates are based on the x509 standards. OPC-UA clearly changes the way in which security will be implemented in future UA-based automation systems, making them more secure by empowering the process engineer with the ability to design and implement the f low of data with application-to-application security, even security with respect to communications with embedded systems and devices. Higher level applications, for example, HMI/SCADA, will be implementing additional user-based security, typically based on Microsoft standards. OPC-UA based products started reaching the market back in 2008 and are available from a variety of vendors at all levels of the application spectrum.

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OPC-Xi Starting in 2008, several vendors recognized the need for a higher-level interoperability standard, leveraging the latest .NET development tools and Microsoft standards such as Windows Communications Foundation (WCF). This technology is intended to be used between higher

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level applications, such as HMI/SCADA, communication drivers, historians and higher-level business systems. This technology was adopted by the OPC Foundation early in 2010, and is now known as OPC-Express Interface (OPC-Xi). Unlike OPC-UA, which delivers sample code along with its specifications in order to deliver the functionality a developer requires from server to sensor level products, OPC-Xi is primarily a specification that leverages available new technologies on the higher level platforms. The benefit of OPC-Xi is that it unifies the OPC Classic specifications, and leverages current Microsoft technologies as the data transport, both within a PC or across any distributed architecture. Security is implemented as any other WCF application, leveraging existing IT personnel knowledge. OPC-Xi products are being showcased today. Both OPC-UA and OPC-Xi are designed with the lat-

est security standards, encryption and authentication in mind. Both OPC-UA and OPC-Xi enable communications across both intranet- and Internet-based environments, thereby essentially rendering separate tunneling products unnecessary.

OPC’s Future What’s the future of OPC? Well, a brief review of its hisotry may show where it’s going. Thomas Burke, president of the OPC Foundation, explains that, “After being introduced back in 1996, OPC has become the interoperability standard at the level above fieldbus and vendor protocol levels. The OPC Foundation now boasts over 400 members, distributed worldwide. There are thousands of OPC-compatible products on the market and OPC implementations numbering in the millions of nodes.” He adds, “The adoption of new OPC Technologies will likely be different from the days of OPC Classic. In the past, interoperability within the walls of the plant was the Holy Grail. It was OPC that delivered a common way to connect systems from disparate vendors, even systems from competitors. Today, this interoperability is largely taken for granted, and we are now faced with new challenges, primarily centered on system security.” The security we need in future automation systems will differ from what we need today as we are faced with the need to exchange data at a public level. Automation systems will be bridging to smart-grid control systems. They will make better use of real-time information from public sources, such as weather, dynamic raw material costs and new variable energy costs. In addition, enhanced and reliable communications over the Internet will enable new levels of outsourced services, enabling system integrators and other service providers to securely access the information they need for performance optimization, compliance reporting, equipment maintenance, etc. However, while systems are being enhanced through OPC improvements and the ability to leverage new technologies, it is still incumbent on the design engineer to learn the technologies, involve the right IT personnel and implement the tools to their fullest capability. The security of a system is only as good as the engineers that implement it. Training is also essential to understand the new technologies. More important, training will show you what you don’t know. Any engineer can tinker till something works, but today, with widely distributed systems, it is the attention to detail that will make all the difference. Roy Kok is a consultant with www.AutomationSMX.com.

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S i m u l at i o n a n d M o d e l i n g

Portraits of Simulation Success Three end users employ several types of simulators from Invensys to improve design, training and operations in power, mining and other applications. by JIM MONTAGUE

Now, don’t get distracted. There’s a lot more to simulation than pretty pictures. Likewise, simulation has a much longer and more varied history than those colorful CAD/CAM images, and its future is likely be even more diverse than its past. Of course, process simulation first grew out of the natural and longstanding desire to speculate and project what was most likely to happen next in many applications in an effort to improve them and avoid potential problems and accidents. Now, as more sophisticated and faster information and data processing became available, simulations have evolved from static recommendations to increasingly dynamic operational aids.

Taking Care of Turbines For instance, Tucson Electric Power Co.’s (TEP, www.tucsonelectric.com) Springerville Station recently needed new controls for its two 380-megawatt, coal-fired, net-combustion engineering drum boilers with an ABB steam turbine. The station also needed an upgrade to include overfire air, low-NOx burners and new hydraulic actuators for the turbine stop/control valves. TEP is the principal subsidiary of UniSource Energy and serves more than 375,000 customers in southern Arizona. To help avoid possible errors that might delay start-up and service or potentially cause damage, TEP’s engineers included detailed control checkout functions on a high-fidelity simulator for the station’s new control system, and then also used it for

Figure 1 (above): Mining engineering consultant Meteng uses Wonderware’s software to create its Walk-Through Interactive Simulated Environment (WISE) in which users can design applications, practice scenarios and learn by doing.

operator training. As a result, they selected Invensys Operations Management’s (www.invensys.com) Foxboro I/A Series distributed control system (DCS), which was a major shift from its former, bench-mounted analog controls. Invensys reports that it has pioneered a virtual simulation approach by modeling control systems using its FSIM Plus simulation of the I/A Series DCS. This method uses actual I/A Series controller algorithms and HMI and DCS configuration tools to provide the most accurate representation of the control system. For example, TEP’s staff now has the capability to move the controls and graphics back and forth between the simulator and control room, making the simulator a complete I&C device. In addition, for TEP’s new Alstom turbine control valve actuators to be guaranteed, an Alstom turbine control system also had to be part of the configuration. This led to questions about interfacing to the I/A Series DCS, I/O, turbine protection and operator controls. So, using FSIM Plus, the project was modified to include a connection to GEIP’s PLC 90-70 and 90-30 controllers, which ran the Alstom turbine control system programs. Also, TEP’s new simulator and DCS deO c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com


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SIM4ME Dynamic Simulation Environment Java GUI (Instructor/engineer) — run anywhere on LAN/WAN

Example control system solutions (easily swapped)

{

DCS HMI

{

DCS control

PLC control

GUI Plug and play engines

Simulation executive Engine API (CORBA — C++)

DYNSIM

OOD — model “on the fly”

Database Panel emulation

Platform independent

Where Simulation Fits In Figure 2: Intermountain Power Service uses Invensys’ SimSci-Esscor DynSim software architecture to support acceptance of repeated control system configuration downloads without requiring repeated compilation and linking steps.

signs went through concurrent development with major DCS loops tested and pre-tuned in the simulator. Feedback from operators using the simulator was then used to fine-tune graphics and make control function changes based on TEP’s operating procedures The simulator was on-site at the Springerville Station for six months of factory acceptance testing before the new DCS was installed in Unit 1, and it identified and allowed fixes of more than 350 errors before they reached the new controls and the plant. “Most of these problems were minor, such as graphics configuration errors and simple point misconnections. However, without the simulator, these errors would have been found during critical testing on the live unit,” says Chris Wallace, TEP’s simulator project manager. “Even simple configuration errors take significant unplanned downtime to find and fix, especially in that high-pressure environment.” Another value of the simulator came when merging the I/A Series DCS and Alstom’s control systems. Even though the running turbine and simulator were not connected, initiating the Alstom turbine using the simulator also prevented dozens of interfac-


ing problems. “It saved at least one week of start-up time due to the operator’s familiarity with the controls and advanced understanding of how they should interact with the unit,” adds Rex Brown, TEP’s project manager for the DCS retrofit project.

Mimicking Mining Logically, one of the emerging truths about simulation is that if the data is specific, accurate and appropriate, then the resulting images of it have the best chance of being genuinely useful. For instance, to help its mining clients in and around Brisbane, Australia, engineering consultant Meteng Pty. Ltd. (www.meteng.com.au) develops process models and simulations, and recently used Invensys’ Wonderware software to create a virtual, interactive environment where its users can design applications, practice scenarios and learn by doing. Meteng calls its solution the Walk-Through Interactive Simulated Environment (WISE). It uses Wonderware’s software to process dynamic mathematical data models, display on high-resolution screens in a 3D “cave,” and simulate an actual processing plant, including a prototype SCADA and control system (Figure 1).

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Though WISE also integrates Apple and Microsoft technologies on its displays, Wonderware’s software serves as the main control center and opens the 3D models, loads dynamic processes and initiates or saves training scenarios. Specifically, Wonderware’s InTouch Human Machine Interface (HMI) adds a GUI for the WISE SCADA system, while Wonderware’s InControl software provides expandable control and scripting that supports the system’s interlocks and logic control. Jim Groutsch, Meteng’s managing director, reports these software tools help Meteng apply its process engineering skills when analyzing workflow and developing efficient processes, and also provides standardization and repeatability. “Once a module is designed, it’s easy to rapidly spin off other versions, and tailor them to specific operator and plant requirements. It helps us to be smart and efficient, plus we can do it at a fraction of the cost,” explains Groutsch. For example, he adds that changes and rework to control systems and graphics are also facilitated smoothly, and this enables Meteng to respond quickly to client comments and requests for revisions. Also, when clients are participating in continuous development of their plant, they’re actually seeing Wonderware’s software at work in their individual environment.

Picture Perfect Power Ironically, while most simulations build models of existing applications, sometimes old simulators themselves need to be renovated and reproduced in a spiffy new guise. For instance, Intermountain Power Service Corp. (IPSC, www.intermountainpower.com) near Delta, Utah, generates 13 million megawatt hours (MWH) per year for consumers in Utah and southern California, but the utility was built in the early 1980s with a hard-panel simulator that became obsolete as its model predictions grew dif-


ferent from actual plant responses and its software became outdated. So, IPSC decided to replace the simulator during a recent DCS upgrade project, and picked Invensys and SimSci-Esscor’s DynSim-Power simulation software, which includes the DynSim simulator in the Sim4ME environment (Figure 2). DynSim-Power is a dynamic process simulation program that applies first-principle techniques and thermodynamic data, and features standard engineering analysis and operator training capabilities. Working at IPSC’s facility, DynSim enabled rapid tie-in to a third-party DCS simulator, and brought the process models, DCS controls and its GUI together for a complete system. In addition, IPSC’s staff specified using the new simulator where actual DCS software runs in emulated DCS controllers, so hardware costs are reduced, and the simulator can still use the actual DCS’ control software. Also, IPSC started simulator development well before DCS installation to allow time for DCS logic testing and operator training. “Following a four-week planned outage, we initiated the unit start-up and everything went great. This was due to the checkout of the controls and pre-tuning on the simulator prior to startup. This was a great benefit. The simulator paid for itself as a result of the DCS checkout alone,” says Bill Morgan, IPSC’s DCS project manager. However, DynSim’s benefits didn’t end when the upgrade was complete. Though the new simulator is mainly used for training, it also helps address and tests plant issues that arise on the unit. “The operators are on the simulator communicating and showing each other how things work, which has been helpful in terms of training newer operators and ensuring they are all comfortable controlling the unit,” explains Fred Tasker, IPSC’s simulator instructor. Jim Montague is Control’s executive editor

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Flow

Need a Plant in a Hurry? Every project presents different challenges, but sometimes one stands out because of its scale, complexity or schedule. One of these was building the world’s largest polysilicon plant for Jiangxi LDK PV Silicon Technology Co. Ltd. (www.LDKSolar.com) in Xinyu City in the People’s Republic of China—and doing it in record time. In fact, just 24 months after breaking ground in August 2007, one of the $1.2 billion plant’s three production lines produced its first product on Sept. 8, 2009. Because it is the largest facility of its type anywhere, LDK Solar’s polysilicon plant is divided into three major areas: polysilicon production, off-gas recovery and trichlorosilane production (Figure 1). The plant is designed to have an output of 15,000 metric tons per year from its three production lines. In each production line, there are reactors and converters. Production starts with sand, which is processed using hydrochloric acid, and then further purified to produce solar-grade polysilicon. This material is in high demand by photovoltaic cell manufacturers, which is why the plant had to be built so quickly. Likewise, LDK Solar is a leading manufacturer of multicrystalline solar wafers, which are the principal raw material used to produce solar cells. The company also sells multicrystalline wafers globally to manufacturers of photovoltaic products, including solar cells and solar modules. In addition, LDK Solar also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers.

by Charlie Henderson

Fluor uses Coriolis flowmeters to help fast-track construction of the world’s largest solar-grade polysilicon plant in China to meet the needs of photovoltaic cell manufacturers.

Spreadsheets Aid Flexible Planning With such a huge project and such a short time frame, it was clear that normal project schedules (which are based on designing the process, designing and engineering the plant, raising specification sheets for all the instruments and placing orders with suppliers) would not be possible. There simply wasn’t time. This fast-track project required our team at Fluor (www.fluor.com) to do things differently. Still, as with any project, we took the three-legged stool approach, which balances quality, cost and speed. We knew that we couldn’t compromise on safety or quality, but we were prepared to let speed override cost considerations. Given the rapid pace of the project design and the repeat setup among the production lines in the process, we had to be flexible in our approach to project planning. During the design, one set of process and instrument drawings (P&IDs) were developed for the first reactor and converter in the polysilicon production area. A P&ID numbering scheme was then developed to allow for sequential numbering of the subsequent reactor and converter P&IDs for the remainder of the polysilicon production lines. For convenience and reference, instrument tag numbers incorporated a portion of the P&ID numbering. Highly structured, custom spreadsheets rather than the more typical specification sheets were designed and used to organize and order the instrumentation. Spreadsheets helped quickly organize instrumentation requirements, with columns serving as the design parameters necessary to aid in se-

One of the Big Three Figure 1: This single section of LDK Solar’s $1.2 billion polysilicon plant produces trichlorosilanes. The plant’s other two major sections handle polysilicon production and off-gas recovery.


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Flow

lecting the appropriate model, including process fluid, fluid state, pipe specification, design temperature and pressure, projected flow rates. Spreadsheets also were a good reference for the instrumentation quantities required for each line. The tag numbering sequence was shared with the vendors, so the implied tags for additional quantities were known. In addition, from prior experience, we knew there would be many instruments requiring SIL 2 ratings. This was also included in the tracking spreadsheet. Changes that cropped up were addressed by a simple revision to the spreadsheet, rather than requiring revision to multiple datasheets. Finally, the speed of the project required us to begin ordering instrumentation prior to the availability of process data and the results of hazardous operation reviews. Our tracking spreadsheet provided a clear overview, both of what was required and when it was needed for the plant construction phase of the project.

Measuring Gas and Liquid Flows Figure 2: Two typical liquid flow measurement processes at LDK Solar’s polysilicon plant show how Micro Motion’s Coriolis flowmeters (right) fit into a congested piping area, use 50:1 turndown to handle pressure drops and maintain SIL 2 safety ratings. Toward the left is a gas flow measurement, upstream of the green valve.

Instrumentation Supplier Selection It was identified early that the success of this project depended on quality of construction and control system and instrumentation vendor selection. Especially with such a short timeline, supplier selection must be managed carefully. We needed partners with strong technical and engineering support capabilities, and the ability to meet delivery commitments. As a result, Emerson Process Management’s (www.EmersonProcess.com) broad product line, dedicated personnel and experience doing business in China were key factors in its selection by Fluor as the main automation contractor. Within its PlantWeb digital plant architecture, the DeltaV digital automation system would serve as the polysilicon plant’s distributed control system (DCS) for process control, its DeltaV SIS process safety system would be used for safety-related I/O, and its AMS Suite maintenance software would be used for managing calibration and diagnostics. Emerson personnel would also be involved in system integration and commissioning. Also, the PlantWeb architecture included Micro Motion Coriolis mass flow and density meters, Rosemount temperature and pressure transmitters, and Fisher control valves (Figure 2).

Importance of Flow Measurement The fast-track pace of the project, coupled with the requirement for almost 2000 flow data points, necessitated that we use flow technologies with which we had experience and which we knew could meet the many plant requirements. The aggressive planning timelines meant we had to deal quickly with undefined process data, while balancing this against known plant and operational constraints. Many of our applications were for demineralized water used for cooling the reactors, where the low conductivity would not allow the use of magnetic flowmeters. Also, the piping around the deposition reactors was congested. Because

it was known that space would be at a premium at the facility, differential pressure flow or vortex flowmeters were ruled out, too, because these instruments require significant straight runs of pipe work before and after each instrument. Another factor for consideration was pressure drop. Our process design did not allow for significant differential pressure loss at the flow measurement points. Generally, the closer a meter is to line size, the smaller the drop. We knew that Micro Motion meters have a large, 50:1 turndown, so we could confidently install line size (or one size below) meters and know that they would be able to measure the required flow rate when it was finally specified. If we’d chosen alternative technologies, which have a lower turndown, we would also have to wait for the final process data before we could select a meter. Lower turndown means that, in order to accurately measure the flow, we would have had to choose a smaller size meter than the Micro Motion meter required for the same application. In addition, this meter would have to be installed between reducers, creating a restriction in the pipe. The resulting pressure drop would very likely have been larger than the 5 psi specified by the process group. Our experience with the polysilicon process alerted us to a requirement that many safety instruments would need a SIL 2 rating. At that time, Micro Motion Coriolis mass flowmeters were the only Coriolis flow measuring devices rated to this safety level. If we’d used another technology, we’d have needed two measurements in series to meet the SIL 2 rating, and, as we knew, space would simply not permit this. After we decided to use Micro Motion Coriolis meters, we then passed the established dimensional data and installation requirements to piping designers for development of isometrics—months ahead of customary schedules. We only had to ensure that the meters were installed in their proper orientation. O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com


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Flow

Summary of Success Consequently, more than 1800 Micro Motion Coriolis flowmeters were used on LDK’s polysilicon project, which is the world’s largest concentrated installation of Micro Motion meters. By considering each application and prioritizing production lines, Emerson was able to begin delivering instruments in June 2008, and be ready for the September 2009 start-up. Emerson’s Micro Motion meters made a big contribution to the success of this project. From an installation point of view, the meter was perfectly suited to the application. Availability of dimensional and performance data meant the pipe work team could start work early, and product was delivered on schedule— months ahead of what we expect with a conventional design. Feedback from the site confirms that correct engineering decisions that were made. The engineers have access to accurate mass flow data at every stage of the process, enabling the operation and systems to be optimized to give the best efficiencies. LDK’s polysilicon project also has been a huge success for all its stakeholders (Figure 3). At the peak of construction, there were more than 8000 craft workers at the jobsite. Their safety

Ready Rods Figure 3: Only 24 months after breaking ground, Production Line 1 at LDK Solar’s polysilicon plant began producing product, such as these polysilicon rods ready for harvest, on Sept. 8, 2009.

record was impeccable, and, in spite of the hurdles, the plant was constructed in a very short time. With the support of Fluor and Emerson’s personnel and the technology providers, the commissioning effort has gone smoothly. Production Line 1 is underway, and the result is a world-class facility that will employ many people in a remote region of China. Alarms&recorders US

Charlie Henderson is senior control systems 1/12/07 12:43 Page 1 design engineer at Fluor Corp.

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9/27/10 11:27 AM

ROUNDUP

Data Acquisition Must-Haves The newest in DAQ and recorder technology is here. ADVANCED DAQ STATION

UPGRADE DAQ SYSTEMS

The DXAdvanced R4 is the newest DAQstation data acquisition and display station. It offers standard high-capacity memory and an option for pharmaceutical applications. The Advanced Security option delivers full compliance with FDA regulation 21 CFR Part 11. Standard features include 400MB of internal flash memory and an optional USB interface for data retrieval. Yokogawa 800/888-6400, x5212; www.yokogawa.com.

Acromag’s new 4001-111 ribbon cable has a DB25 female connector for an 8B backpanel and a 26-pin female IDC connector for the data acquisition system, enabling users to replace a 3B or 5B module rack without a custom adapter. 8B isolated signal conditioning provides ±0.05% accuracy, ±0.02% linearity, 3-pole to 5-pole filtering and 1500-Vrms isolation. Acromag 248/295-0865; www.acromag.com.

SECURE RECORDING AND PID CONTROL

PAPERLESS RECORDERS

The nanodac recorder/controller offers graphical recording combined with PID control. The compact ¼ DIN panel-mount unit offers four high-accuracy universal inputs. 50MB of flash memory for data storage and a USB port to attach a removable memory stick for at least 8GB of additional storage are included. The Ethernet connection also supports FTP for file transfer. Invensys Eurotherm 703-724-7300; www.eurotherm.com

The eZtrend QXe and QX Minitrend paperless recorders provide the ability to capture continuous and batch data electronically. AMS2750 process recording and report generation provide documentation to show compliance to process specifications and validation requirements. Also, concurrent batch recording allows users to record up to six different batches. Honeywell 800/343-0228; www.honeywell.com/ps/hfs

MULTIFUNCTIONAL USB DAQ MODULE

GET EMAIL FROM YOUR SYSTEM

USB-4704 DAQ module is a 48 kS/s, eight-channel, 14bit, multi-functional module with analog I/O, digital I/O and counter functions. It comes packaged with Wavescan, a data-logging tool that provides examples, such as Visual C++, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual Basic .NET, Borland C++ builder, Delphi and LabView for easy development. Its low price makes it an excellent tool for students. Advantech Corporation 800-205-7940; www.advantech.com/ea

XCGSM, GSM cellular modem expansion card for the Data Station Plus and Modular Controller series enables cellular connectivity for a wide range of remote and mobile data management applications. It delivers realtime production data via cell phone and email, integrated IT-ready data logging of system performance, and events and port-sharing for PLC control and programming. Red Lion Controls 717/767-6511; www.redlion.net


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ROUNDUP

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COMBINED DATA LOGGING & CONTROL

DATA LOGGING SOFTWARE

Smart SoftPLC can combine comprehensive data logging, I/O control, alarm notification and more. It provides unlimited capacity to gather and record data to removable media or to stream data to a remote drive over a network. Data files can be sent as an email attachment. A built-in Ethernet switch with fiber option, five serial ports, and built-in modem or sixth port option are standard. SoftPLC 512/264-8390; http://softplc.com

AutomationDirect and BizWareDirect DataWorx offer data collection software for the Productivity3000 programmable controller. The DataWorx for P3K data logger software package connects Ethernet-enabled Productivity3000 PACs to standalone PCs or network servers for easy data logging. The report-by-exception operation eases network traffic by sending information only when needed. Automation Direct 800-633-0405: www.automationdirect.com

MODBUS RTU & I/O IN ONE

EXPANSION POWER FOR DAQ

The microNCS Modbus RTU master and distributed I/O system provides Modbus RTU (RS-485) master capabilities and distributed DAQ and control capabilities. It gathers data from four or eight fully-isolated analog inputs and four discrete inputs, and transmits it to one or more host DCS-, PLC- or PC-based control systems. A data logger archives up to 64000 time- and date-stamped values. Moore Industries-International 818/ 894-7111; www.miinet.com

Sealevel’s SeaI/O DAQ modules provide digital, analog and serial expansion to any computer. Connect to the host via wireless, Ethernet, USB, RS-485 or RS-232. Daisy-chain units using passthrough connectors to create a distributed control and monitoring network. Multiple modules can be combined in a stack or separated up to 4000 feet with the RS-485 Modbus RTU expansion interface. Sealevel Systems 864/843-4343; www.sealevel.com

ENERGY MONITORING AND DAQ

SEQUENCE-OF-EVENTS RECORDER

OptoEMU System is a packaged, web-capable energy monitoring and DAQ system that enables real-time acquisition power consumption data from facilities and equipment in real time. Power draw of individual loads from buildings, machinery and other equipment can be identified and shared over standard networks, so it can be used to develop energy management strategies. Opto 22 951/695-3010; www.opto22.com

System 9000TS sequenceof-events recorder offers 1-ms resolution of events and works as a standalone or functions as a full alarm and event management system by using the optional integrated alarm annunciator features. It has standard 3U 19-in. racks with rear access terminals. It is fully programmable and equipped with serial communication ports. RTK Instruments 909/373-2012 www.rtkinstruments.com,


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ask the expertS

Process Control in Archeology and Meteorology “Ask the Experts” is moderated by Béla Lipták, process control consultant and editor of the Instrument Engineer’s Handbook (IEH). He is recruiting a team of co-authors to work on the 5th edition and welcomes contribution offers from qualified colleagues. If you have questions for our team of experts, please send them to: [email protected].

Q

My measurement question has to do with archeology. King Attila died in 453 CE and according to legend, was buried in three metallic caskets, one inside the other (made of gold, silver and copper). Also according to legend, a river was rerouted over the grave to protect it from being robbed. This grave is likely to contain valuable information concerning the 5th century and the Hun culture. Are there metal sensors that could scan a riverbed to find these caskets? Nichol as Wagoner [email protected]

A

Put on a diver suit and walk the river bed. If you can find a group of archeology students who are willing to spend their summer vacation walking the riverbed, using equipment such as a high-end metal detector, you could try doing it. Naturally, you would need sponsors to cover the expenses of renting tents, diver suits, metal detectors, etc. The principles of detection are covered in my handbook, and suppliers are listed at http://tinyurl.com/35bhfqy and www.hotektech.com/Tinsley5916.htm BÉl a LiptÁk

[email protected]

A

Detecting gravitational anomalies might be the only way to do it. The question is will the size of the burial be large enough to create an anomaly large enough to be seen through the water. The paper referenced below is a good introduction to the measurement and detection of gravitational anomalies and refers to oilfield practices too. The author of the question is certainly correct. The finding of the burial of Attila would be an archaeological coup of major proportions, second only to the discovery of the tomb of Temujin, a.k.a. Genghis Khan (1162?–1227?). And Attila should finally get some good press. He appears to have been a rather sophisticated Roman-educated leader—not a filthy barbarian, as he is often portrayed. Start your search here: www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ awc/streland.pdf. Walt Boyes

[email protected]

A

Fluid Kinetics used to sell a device which was used to detect the presence of communication cables in the ocean. I do not know if this device is still on the market, but it might be able to help find these legendary caskets. [Editor’s note: This product line has been acquired by Subsea Systems of Ventura, Calif., www.subsea-usa.com.] Ste ve Freitas, CCI [email protected]

Q

You wrote about the potentials of process control in modeling and predicting the performance of nonindustrial processes such as the economy. Could the laws of process control be also used to estimate the rate and consequences of global warming? Harold Crowne y [email protected]

A

I did discuss some aspects of global warming when I wrote about the process dynamics of the Gulf Current (www.controlglobal.com/articles/2006/002.html ) and also wrote a book titled The Post-Oil Energy Technology, (http://tinyurl.com/38o2yy7), which also included a discussion of the rates and time constants of global warming. One can look at this process as one which started about 2 billion years ago when the atmosphere began to change from a reducing (CO2) to an oxidizing one (O2). This is the time when climate evolution started and life appeared on the planet. The atmospheric concentration of O2 stabilized at around 21% and its CO2 content never increased over 280 ppm during the last couple of million years, but during the industrial age greenhouse gases were admitted into the atmosphere, causing the CO2 content to rise to 360 ppm to 380 ppm, and this concentration is projected to reach 510 ppm by the turn of the 21st century (Figure 1). It seems that life depends on the presence of liquid water (which can exist only between 0˚C and 100˚C) and on an atmosphere that protects life from both ultraviolet radiation and extreme temperatures. Weather is the state of the atmosphere that results from a number of processes. One of these processes is the heat balance of the planet. Global temperature is a somewhat self-regulating process because, as the heat input of the planet increases, the excess heat is removed by increased vaporization of the oceans and O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com

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ASK THE EXPERTS

Oxygen (Vol. %)

30 25 20 15 10 5

1000

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Millions of Years Before Present

FLUCTUATING OXYGEN CONTENT Figure 1. The changing content of the Earth’s atmosphere.

increased melting of the polar ice caps and glaciers. Melting and vaporization both increase the overall water circulation on the planet (storms, rain, floods), while increased vaporization also dries land areas, increasing the frequency of forest fires, water shortages and desertification. While the melting of the ice requires heat, and therefore temporarily cools the planet, it has the reverse effect in the long run, because ice and snow reflect more radiation back to space than does water. The reflection coefficient, the Bond albedo, says 29% of solar radiation received is scattered back into space, but as ice melts, that number drops. Water serves as the natural temperature controller of the planet, but this thermostat can only increase its cooling effect so long as there is ice at the glaciers and the poles. Once the ice is gone, the temperature will jump because incoming solar energy will be absorbed by the melting ice, and therefore, besides providing the energy needed to support life on Earth, the excess heat coming from the sun has to increase the temperature of the planet itself. While the overall planet warms, there will also be localized cooling caused by the stopping of ocean currents, such as the Gulf Current, which is a gigantic heat conveyor, moving the heat from the Equator to Europe and the east coast of the United States. The heat input of the planet is received from the sun and is a variable. Over the past few hundred years, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of sunspots and the Earth’s temperature has also increased in proportion to them by about 0.2˚C. On the other hand, as shown by the figure to the right, during the last half century this process reversed, solar activity was dropping while the temperature of the planet increased (Figure 2). For the dynamics of the atmospheric heat balance process, we have fairly good historical data concerning the dynamics and effects of hurricanes, wind, rain, clouds, CO2 70

BÉL A LIPTÁK

[email protected]

Temperature vs Solar Activity 1367

Solar Activity (11 yr average) 1366.5

0.5

Temperature (11 yr average)

1366

0

1365.5

1365 1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

-0.5

Year

FEWER SUN SPOTS; HIGHER TEMPS Figure 2. Global average of “insolation” per square meter and the corresponding global temperature variation since data started being kept.

Chart from www.skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-sunspots-global-warming.htm.

35

Temperature Change (°C)

During the Course of the Last Billion Years

content, smoke, etc. The energy content of a larger hurricane approaches the energy consumption of the United States for about a year and serves to equalize the air temperature in the stratosphere. As far as the dynamics of the thermal processes on the continents and in the oceans goes, the inertia and time constants of the process are much greater and take much more energy to move or reverse. So what are the variables (the control valves if you wish) that can influence the operation of this heat transfer control loop? What can humans manipulate (accidentally or intentionally) to lower and stabilize the global temperature? • Lower the amount of the incoming solar heat by introducing large quantities of solids into the atmosphere to block the sun’s radiation. This can occur due to natural causes such as nuclear wars, large fires or volcanic activity. • Change the reflectivity of the planet’s surface by making roofs and road surfaces more reflective (lighter in color). • Rebalance animal and plant life by the introduction of gigantic algae farms in the oceans or by other means. • Lower the CO2 concentration of the atmosphere by gradually replacing fossil fuels with solar-hydrogen and other renewable energy sources. It seems that the simplest variable to manipulate is to gradually stop the burning of fossil fuels. This we can do voluntarily and in a planned manner on the time frame dictated by the process control model, or we can let nature do it for us as fossil fuels are exhausted. The consequences of the second can be drastic and can possibly cause the collapse of human civilization (turn the process into a batch one).

Total Solar Irradiance (W/m2)

Oxygen Content of Earth’s Atmosphere

www.controlglobal.com O C T O B E R / 2 0 1 0

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Product introductions

VARIABLE AREA FLOWMETERS

DP TRANSMITTER MEASURES FLOW

Swagelok variable area flowmeters measure liquid and gas flow rates via a tapered tube and float. They provide accurate measurement with individually calibrated scales and a 10:1 turndown ratio. They are factory-calibrated and marked to indicate specific media, flow range and accuracy class. They are available with NPT and flange-end connections in sizes from 1/8 in. to 1 ¼ in., with high/low flow indicators, transistor relays, and 4 to 20mA analog outputs. Swagelok www.swagelok.com

The Ashcroft GC52 wet-wet differential pressure transmitter provides direct flow readings by measuring DP across a restriction. Simple push-button settings let the user program the correlation between pressure and flow rate, while the onboard square root extraction calculation accurately yields a representative flow measurement. In addition, a flow totalization counter can be activated to display the accumulated volume of passed fluid. Ashcroft 800/328/8258; www.ashcroft.com

WAFER-STYLE BUTTERFLY VALVE

I/O TERMINALS WITH MULTIMETERS

The wafer-style Type 567 polypropylene butterfly valve is now available in sizes 14 in. to 24 in. Its double-eccentric, off-center design reduces friction and wear for longer life. It requires only about half the torque of a traditional boot design, also reducing wear on the disc seal for longer product life. Pressure ratings at 70 ºF are 90 psi for sizes 14 in. to 16 in.; 75 psi for size 18 in.; and 60 psi for sizes 20 in. to 24 in. Additional features include industry-standard ISO flange mount, bi-directional capability and hand wheel. GF Piping Systems 800/854-4090; www.gfpiping.com

The EL3681 and KL3681 terminals have digital multimeters integrated directly into I/O nodes, giving users a streamlined, low-cost alternative to standalone digital multimeters. The modules provide high precision and simple, high-resistance measurement from 300 mV to 300 V and cost just $305 each. Measurement ranges are voltage: 300 mV to 300 V DC, 100 mV to 300 V AC; and current: 100 mA, 1 A, 10 A AC/DC. Beckhoff Automation 952/890-0000; www.beckhoffautomation.com

ERP INTEGRATION GATEWAY

PURGE/PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Integration Gateway application allows plants to more easily and costeffectively exchange transactions and execute business processes across plant-floor and business systems in real time. The expandable architecture allows for exchange of common types of information, such as quality, order planning and scheduling, accounting of production costs and material usage. The ERP Integration Gateway is delivered on the Rockwell Software manufacturing services bus. Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com/rockwellsoftware/erp/

The Bebco EPS 6000 Series Type X/Ex px purge pressurization system has automatic pressure control after purging, an intrinsically safe temperature hub and sensors modules, additional system feedback and alarms, IS inputs that can be inverted for normally closed inputs and Spanish, French and German programming menus. All Bebco family system features are standard. It is user-configurable and fits enclosures up to 250 cubic ft of volume Pepperl+Fuchs 330/486-0002; www.pepperl-fuchs.us. O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com

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Control Exclusive

Use PLCs to Measure Natural Gas Flow Siemens has implemented seven AGA Calculations in their flagship S7 PLC platform. The implementation is a pre-built and pre-tested library of function blocks that make using a standard PLC practical for measuring the flow of natural gas.

Since it is compressible, natural gas is difficult to measure with conventional uncompen-

sated flow devices. To remedy this, the American Gas Association (AGA) has released a series of reports, or

This stand-alone calculation has methstandards, that define the measurement ods of calculating heat values of natural equations for the flow of natural gas. gas with different compositions. They include orifice plates, turbine and • AGA Report No. 7, Flow Calculapositive displacement meters, ultrasonic tion for Turbine and Positive Displacemultipath meters and Coriolis mass ment Meters. flowmeters—as well as a whole suite of • AGA Report No. 8, Compressibilcalculations designed to improve the ity Factor of Natural Gas and Related accuracy and repeatability of flow meaHydrocarbon Gases. Three methods surement of natural gas. are available for calculating the comMuch of natural gas transmission is pressibility factor using mole weights of for custody transfer, so it’s essential to constituent—basic, iterative and comaccurately measure the flow of natural plete. The library also includes a simpligas in applications, such as check me- AGA calculations are now part of fied compressibility calculation, NX19, ters adjacent to custody transfer meters, Siemens’ S7 PLC platform. which is a version of the calculation usand in OEM skid applications where a complete wellhead control system or a set of packaged coming only specific gravity, temperature, pressure, and nitrogen and carbon dioxide components. pressor controls are provided. • AGA Report No. 9: Flow Calculation for Measurement Up to now, customers were limited to using expensive, purpose-built flow computers that had the AGA standards of Natural Gas by Multipath Ultrasonic Flowmeters. • AGA Report No. 10: Flow Calculation for Speed of programmed in. Many of these flow computers are difficult to use and increase the number and type of controllers that Sound in Natural Gas and Other Related Hydrocarbon operators, engineers and maintenance technicians must be Gases. This function block calculates speed of sound and also entropy, enthalpy and C* coefficient for sonic nozzles. familiar with. • AGA Report No. 11: Flow Calculation for Measurement In these days of limited resources and reduced personnel, many customers have requested the ability to use a standard of Natural Gas by Coriolis Meters. These blocks combined within S7 controllers are not controller in this application. Also, flow PCs need costly shelf spares, whereas a PLC with commercial off-the-shelf an API 21.1-certified system, so they can’t be used for custody transfer, but they are applicable for check metering up/ (COTS) software would be useful for many applications. “The AGA Calculation Library allows customers to use downstream from a custody transfer meter. The S7-1200 standard Siemens hardware in a commercial, off-the-shelf compact controller will support these blocks in the first platform that their people will be able to recognize and be quarter of 2011. According to Siemens, the S7 platform (ET200S, S7-300, able to implement,” says Paul Ruland, marketing manager for Siemens Industry Inc. “The library includes most of the S7-400 and S7-1200 in Q1-2011) can now be used instead of required calculations and several versions and calculation a dedicated flow computer, which will save customers time methods for AGA 3 and AGA 8 to allow consistency with the and money, and allow them to use the same equipment they are using to control other facets of gas transmission lines. user’s existing calculations.” The library includes HMI example screens to operate on a The library includes PLC blocks that implement: • AGA Report No. 3, Orifice Plate Metering of Natural standard 6-in. WinCC flexible display. . Gas. Both the 1985 and 1992 versions are included to match the customer’s existing local standard. For more information call 800/241-4453 or log on to www. • AGA Report No. 5, Natural Gas Energy Measurement. usa.siemens.com/Industry. 72


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C O N T R O L TA L K

Successful Retrofit and Automation Projects Greg McMillan and Stan Weiner bring their wits and more than 66 years of process control experience to bear on your questions, comments, and problems. Write to them at [email protected].

Stan: The success of a retrofit that upgrades an existing production unit or an automation project for a new production unit depends on the experience of the design team.

Greg: There also is a huge opportunity to take

• The project team has all three of the above as its customers. A new system can be terrifying for the more experienced operators, who are accustomed to walking down the panel board and immediately seeing how everything is running. Now they have to find the information and control the plant on a PC they have never used. If the plant has a DCS, then the operators have grown very accustomed to the existing graphics and functionality, and want the new system to behave exactly the same way. The cultural and psychological aspects of this transition are often overlooked.

advantage of the best of what new field devices and control systems have to offer. The newest sensor and process/installation compensation technologies, control valves with low-friction packing, direct tight connections, higher diaphragm actuator pressures and digital positioners, and DCSs with more flexible configurable basic control, model-predictive control and neural networks all make investing in new technology worthwhile, but implementing such systems requires careful planning.

Stan: How do you get operators to accept and effectively use PCs for their interface?

Stan: For the rest of the year, we will be inter-

Hunter: Get them heavily involved in the de-

viewing Hunter Vegas, a senior project leader for Avid Solutions Inc., a system integrator in Winston Salem, N.C., and a veteran of many such retrofits and upgrades. He provided the best answers when Control Talk posed puzzlers years ago and is on Béla Lipták’s exclusive list of experts that answer questions worldwide.

velopment of the graphics. There is almost always one operator whom the other operators

Greg Mcmill an Stan weiner, pe [email protected]

Greg: In Part 1, we’ll discuss control system design and implementation for retrofit and automation projects. What are the challenges in meeting plant and corporate requirements?

Hunter: The main challenge for the integration team stems from the fact that: • Corporate wants all the latest bells and whistles and to take full advantage of the available technology; • Plant maintenance wants a simple and robust system that rarely fails and that is easy to troubleshoot; • Plant operations generally doesn’t want anything to change at all; O c t o b e r / 2 0 1 0 www.controlglobal.com

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C O N T R O L TA L K

respect. Find this operator and have him/her provide the lead role officially or unofficially.

Greg: How do you get operators proficient on the new system?

Hunter: That can be a real challenge. The key is to create real-time simulations of the plant during configuration. The simulation does not need to be high-fidelity—simple tie backs on the valves, pumps and PIDs will often provide enough realism for the operators to “run the plant” during the acceptance testing. We also always invite a new operator who grew up with computers and a seasoned operator with clout. The seasoned operator looks over the shoulder of the new operator and sees how easily and quickly he navigates and controls the plant. If the operators ask for something on a graphic, we try to give it to them immediately to facilitate ownership and buy in. The net result is that the seasoned operator goes back and gives the other operators the impression that this new and fancy system is actually going to work. The fully simulated system is then sent to the plant a few weeks in advance of the start-up and used for extensive operator training on overtime.

Greg: How is the control functionality concisely and accurately defined?

Hunter: Most clients are familiar with the ISA-88 standard for batch processes. If not, we do most of the definition using ISA-88, and train the clients how to review and update the batch documentation. Stan: What is particularly important when using ISA-88? Hunter: Where you draw the line in the definition of the phases will often determine the success or failure of the system. Ideally, you are trying to create phase “puzzle pieces” that are easily arranged at the recipe level to perform the operations you need. If you make the phases too simple, you end up with inordinately complex recipes that can bog the system down. Conversely, if you create very complicated phases that do a variety of operations, you end up with spaghetti code that is impossible to troubleshoot, and requires a complete rewrite every time you want to change something. The initial decisions are critical—and any plant considering a batch installation needs to get the right person to help them understand and make those decisions.

Greg: How do you improve the proStan: How do you deal with the wiring maze of retrofits?

cess definition?

Hunter: We will help most clients Hunter: The whole experience is intense, but can be painless if you do enough homework up-front. But that means you have to have a very thorough understanding of all of the electrical details of the old and the new system, and know exactly what field devices you are wired to. Unidentified differences in grounds, card impedances, leakage current, etc. can turn a retrofit into a nightmare of epic proportions. Nobody is happy when a three-day start-up turns into a threeweek death march. 74

by creating the initial flowcharts and pointing out areas where cycle time reductions and/or process improvements are possible. Some clients know exactly what they want and we do that. Others are looking to us to suggest a path forward. Either way, we collectively review everything and get everyone on the same page, so system configuration can progress smoothly with minimal rework.

Stan: What are the benefits achieved in a successful retrofit project?

Hunter: Labor reduction is almost always cited, but is rarely where the money comes from. Operators that are “eliminated” are usually not let go, just reassigned elsewhere in the plant, so the actual plant costs are not reduced. The big benefits come from capacity, quality and flexibility for new products. For one plant producing 70 recipes on five different reactors, “first time right” went from 60% to above 90% within a week of installing the new batch system. This was made possible by the repeatability of the automated system that allowed the plant to home in on the best operating sequence and conditions. Increased capacity is another major benefit of batch automation, since an upgraded system will often allow the same number of operators to control two and even three times the reactors as before. The key to this is enhanced phase messaging that not only tells the operator the system has gone to hold, but why. The operator can resolve issues immediately rather than having to call in maintenance and hold production until they arrive. Greg: Hunter and I have come up with following list of scary stuff in time for Halloween.

Top 10 Things You Don’t Want to Hear During Start-Up (10) We never really could figure out what the old system was doing. (9) Do I have a system backup?!? I thought you were making backups! (8) They want to make our start-up into a reality show. (7) The displays are fine and dandy, but where are the panel boards? (6) We have changed our mind. We want the old system back. (5) Can you reprogram it so the wrong valve still works? (4) Didn’t you get the revised batch sheets? (3) Is a blue screen bad? (2) What is that burning smell? (1) We are out of coffee!


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9/27/10 11:09 AM

CONTROL REPORT

Whalers and Wayfinders Sometimes understanding comes like that old bolt from the blue. Other times it arrives like a one-two punch. The latest hit came when I watched “Into the Deep: America, Jim Montague

e xecutive Editor [email protected]

The everdiscontented American, God’son-our-side, fullspeed-ahead mentality often leads to huge waste, if not outright disaster. 76

Whaling and the World” on American Experience on PBS, which detailed the meteoric rise, mostly during the 19th century, and fall of U.S. whaling, which declined when

geological sources of oil and lubricants took over. There are many parallels between both industries and profound lessons one can teach the other. You can watch it at www.pbs.org/ wgbh/americanexperience/films/whaling/ The documentary also highlights the true story of the Essex, a whaling ship that was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale on Nov. 18, 1820, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and was an inspiration for Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Stranded in three boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the 20-man crew survived the initial disaster, but then slowly starved after deciding to make for South America 3,000 miles east, rather than the Marquesas Islands only 1,200 miles west, because they feared cannibals. The horrible irony is that the Essex’s crew later had to eat their dead shipmates to survive, and so had to became the cannibals they were running from in their ignorance. A few weeks later, I read Scientific American’s September 2010 issue, and ran across “Last of Their Kind” by Wade Davis (www. scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=last-oftheir-kind). The article reports that Polynesians have been routinely sailing the open Pacific since long before Christ. They use a “wayfinding” method that combines detailed memories of each journey’s winds, currents and speed, highly detailed knowledge of the stars, and even have the ability to differentiate between ocean swells, recognize reflective patterns from different island groups, and then follow them wherever they want to go! So, not only were many Pacific islanders not cannibals, but they also were exquisitely capable navigators. Of course, when I read about the Wayfinders and their sophisticated navigating abilities, I was reminded of the old-school process control engineers and system integrators I’ve covered. Many of these veterans also have priceless

know-how, such as how to calculate ZiglerNichols loop tuning equations or the ability to put an ear on a pipe or a hand on a tank and having a pretty good idea of what’s happening inside it. Fortunately, many players in the process industries are capturing and preserving this knowledge before these experts retire. However, it still ticks me off that business managers, manufacturing leaders and now IT administrators still seem to view process control engineers as some kind of mostly invisible support staff like clerks or custodians. This persistent, willful ignorance is spookily similar to those sturdy Nantucket whalers, who surged into the vast Pacific in a few years, but neglected to ask about how to get around from the folks who’d been living there for thousands of years. I’m sure it would’ve been mighty handy to have some of that Polynesian know-how onboard the Essex and its surviving rowboats! Much like those doomed sailors, we also fear the unknown. And, as we cast about to fill in the blanks, we populate the unknown with our reflections because that’s all we have. One of the main lessons from “Into the Deep” is that the ever-discontented, American, God’s-onour- side, full-speed-ahead mentality often leads to huge waste, if not outright disaster. We’re great at pursuing happiness. Not so good at finding and being content with it. So, similar to the Wayfinders and process control engineers, we too must pay attention to the ocean swells, go out and check the plant’s pipes and tanks in person, look beneath and beyond, and learn the unseen depths in people and familiar things we take for granted. Even though many of us mistreat and exploit our fellow humans on a regular basis, I’m pretty sure we’d rather chart a smarter, subtler, wayfinding course away from eating each other rather than towards it. If not, bon appétit.


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9/27/10 10:25 AM

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9/27/10 11:57 AM