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JUNE 2017 | INSTRUMENTATION / INSTRUMENTATION

PoWer THe LooP TecHnoLoGydelivers faster project start-ups

With increasing numbers ofmeasurement devices deployed

within process plants to provideactionable operational, safety andreliability data, the techniciansresponsible for installing, configuringand maintaining them are underincreasing pressure. Power the Looptechnology, available with the latesthandheld communicators, is enablingthese tasks to be performed moreefficiently, helping to minimise plantdowntime and prevent start-up delays.

In the age of the Industrial Internet ofThings, within the process industries thereis an increasing reliance on devices thatmonitor the process and plant equipmentto provide actionable operational anddiagnostic data. As the demand for datagrows, the number of devices that need tobe managed constantly increases. Greateraccess to plant-wide data from thesedevices can provide measurable andsignificant improvements in the areas ofplant and worker safety, regulatorycompliance, equipment reliability andprocess optimisation. However, aproliferation of devices can createincreased pressure on technicians with

Tiberiu Socaci, business development manager at Emerson Automation Solutions,explains how Power the Loop technology is helping technicians perform configuration and maintenance of measurement devices more efficiently

steps take time, especially when youmultiply each one by the number ofdevices being worked on. This can befrustrating if the plant is still operatingas normal, but if an outage has beencreated, this time can also be very costly.

TIME SPENT ON TROUBLESHOOTINGAND REPAIRS IN THE FIELD If a device cannot go to the workshop,perhaps because it is critical to theprocess and removal might interruptproduction. Time is of the essence andany work would need to take place inthe field which presents a different setof complications. Although the powersupply and adequate loop resistance will be established, what if the problemis the power supply or the wiring to that device?

In a situation where the device is notoperating correctly, possibly due to aproblem in the surroundinginfrastructure, a lot of time can bewasted in the field trying to diagnoseeven simple issues. Instruments arenotoriously difficult to isolate from theirsurrounding environment, which canresult in many wasted hours should theenvironment turn out to be the issue.

In some cases, discovering what iswrong begins with determining what isnot wrong. Problems with power suppliesand wiring can be difficult to diagnosewithout power. However, dragging aseparate power supply and loopsimulator out into the field just to ruleout power issues can be frustrating.

LONG WAITS BEFORE DEVICES CAN BE CONFIGUREDWhen a new plant or processing unit isbeing constructed, power is commonlybrought to instruments through thecontrol host system. However, beforethat takes place most of theengineering work must be completed,with plumbing, piping and wiring alltypically installed prior to techniciansconfiguring instruments.

In many cases, the instrumentationarrives on site long before thepreparatory work is complete and justsits waiting for the rest of the project to

responsibility for their installation,configuration and maintenance.

There are several challenges, discussedbelow, that these workers must overcomeif they are to perform these tasks asquickly and efficiently as possible.

TOO MUCH TIME SPENT IN ACLUTTERED WORKSHOPAs a consequence of the harshenvironments found within processplants, instruments such as pressuretransmitters and flow meters willoccasionally need to be returned to theworkshop for evaluation, maintenance orreconfiguration. For large plants such asrefineries that have thousands of devices,this task can be time-consuming andoften very inefficient. Just connecting toa specific device in the workshop tocheck its configuration and functionalitycan be cumbersome.

With the technician first needing tospend time searching through cabinets tofind the right power supply for thedevice. Then they will need to verifywhether the instrument has adequateloop resistance before connecting to itusing a device communicator. These

Power the Looptechnology enablestechnicians to performmaintenance tasks moreefficiently

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be completed. Without power theycannot be configured. When the timefinally arrives to configure thetransmitters, usually as the projectnears its conclusion, thetask will often havebecome a critical pathitem. With a start-up date looming, devicecommissioning will oftenbe rushed to prevent adelay. But these devices arealmost always critical to theefficient and safe operationof a plant, so rushing thistask is never wise.

WHAT TECHNICIANS NEED TOHELP THEM MEET THESECHALLENGESTo reduce the time taken to repair andconfigure device on a workbench, it isimportant for technicians to have theright tools to minimise the externalcomplications of device set-up.ensuring critical equipment has superiorlevels of reliability, requires superiortools. The latest technology givestechnicians more flexibility in both theworkshop and the field, helps them tosave time and give them greaterconfidence about the configuration andrepairs they perform on a daily basis.

Because technicians make trips intothe field, a lot of the tools they take

with them such as hand heldcommunicators must simplifytroubleshooting. There is also a need toeliminate unnecessary tools. The idealscenario is to have the flexibility toconfigure devices in the field regardlessof the infrastructure supporting them.This enables project managers to planthe configuration of devices moreeffectively, spreading the task acrossthe length of the project and cruciallyallowing man power to be used for morepressing concerns as a project reachesits conclusion. This helps to keepprojects on schedule.

THE BENEFITS OF ‘POWER THE LOOP’ FUNCTIONALITYTo meet these challenges and helptechnicians achieve faster configurationand troubleshooting, either in theworkshop or out in the field, emersonhas incorporated ‘Power the Loop’technology within its AMS Trex Devicecommunicator. This enables techniciansto connect and gain access toinstruments without the need for anexternal power supply or loop simulator.This helps to eliminate many of thechallenges we have mentioned, providingmuch greater flexibility, resulting ingreater efficiency.

The ability to power a device in thefield means technicians can isolatedevices from a potential problem in the

surrounding environment. This allows the technician to rule out commonproblems such as wiring faults or issueswith power and control system I/o orcontrol loop configuration. equally, whenused in the workshop, Power the Loopenables technicians to configure devicesin a fraction of the time needed withother communicators.

With Power the Loop, if theinstruments are installed, plants do not have to wait for the host system to be installed, or for hardware, I/o andcabling to be run. Instead of waiting on transmitter configuration at the end of a project, technicians can install and configure devices as soon as they arrive, helping to give plantmanagers greater flexibility in terms of schedule and workforce.

Power the Loop technology is helping torelieve some of the pressure on workers bysimplifying and expediting their tasks inthe workshop and in the field. By reducingthe number of tools technicians need tocarry, and helping to take configurationoff the critical path, Power the Looptechnology helps plants make moreefficient use of available man-hours andshorten or eliminate process outages. This results in less downtime, lower costsand increased profitability.

Emersonwww.emerson.com

Emerson hasincorporated Power theLoop technology withinits rugged AMS TrexDevice Communicator

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INSTRUMENTATION | JUNE 2017 17Reproduced with permission of Instrumentation (June 2017)