Wireless Now Wireless plant netWorking unleashes neW era oF

MAKING THE POSSIBLE REAL

Wireless NowMAKING THE POSSIBLE REAL

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Who SayS you Can’t take it With you?

Far From Quiet on the Wireless Front…p8

Future-prooF Your next Capital projeCt…p12

plant Wireless and the ‘it’ FaCtor…p14

March 2009

Wireless plant netWorking unleashes neW era oF Worker produCtivitY

Supplement to

MARCH 2009 ● speCiAl AdveRtising suppleMent 2

over the past three years, wireless field network-ing technology has taken the process industries by storm. Answering the need for fast and easy imple-mentation relative to wired alternatives, hundreds of wireless mesh networks and thousands of wireless sensors have been successfully deployed and continue to reliably, efficiently and economically broaden the measurement landscape.

“The principal advantage we see around wireless is the ability to accumulate and analyze a much greater array of data than would otherwise be possible,” says Michael Ingraham, technical manager at BP’s Cherry Point refinery in the U.S. “Wireless enables us to get more data more efficiently, more economically than we ever have been able to in the past.” (For more ideas on how leading process manufacturers are innovating globally with wireless field networks, see the following article, “Far From Quiet on the Wireless Front.”)

In addition to the new frontier of sensor data afforded by the wireless field is a large and rapidly growing class of wireless success stories: “plant-level” applications that are boosting the productivity, safety and security of plant personnel as well as easing the connection of physically disparate digital systems into an integrated whole.

To accommodate the disparate needs of wireless field- and plant-level applications, Emerson Process Management’s Smart Wireless architecture consists of two layers that are seamlessly integrated with the com-pany’s control and plant network offerings (Figure 1). The plant-level wireless layer is based on Cisco’s Unified Wireless Network architecture, and is managed through the Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) platform.

WaYs to beneFit From plant Wireless

Having successfully implemented hundreds of wireless

FiGuRe 1. eMeRSon PRoCeSS ManaGeMent’S SMaRt WiReLeSS SoLution The Smart Wireless architecture includes tiers for field- and plant-level applications that integrate seamlessly with the company’s tradi-tional control- and plant-level offerings.

Who says You Can’t take it With You? Plant-level wireless networks unleash new era of worker productivity, safety and security.

field network applications, Emerson has more recently seen a dramatic up-tick of interest in plant-level wire-less network applications. Topping the list of customer requested wireless applications are: empowering mobile workers, location tracking, safety mustering, integra-tion of non-traditional signals such as video, and bridg-ing remote or isolated control systems.

Mobile worker productivity. Perhaps most appealing of all wireless plant network applications are those designed to enhance the productivity of mobile workers. Indeed, it’s here where perhaps the biggest wireless plant network returns are to be made—incremental productivity improvements that pay off repeatedly. “The dollars really add up when you can save 10 minutes to an hour, over and over again,” explains Neil Peterson, wireless services marketing manager for Emerson Process Management.

The variety of wireless-enabled mobile devices now available ranges from hardened, 13-in. tablet PCs to ½-VGA palm-sized devices to hand-held communica-tors. For example, the Panasonic U1 is a handheld PC that includes built-in Wi-Fi and cellular commu-nication capabilities and is able to run a full-featured Emerson DeltaV operator interface client.

“The operator is no longer chained to his desk,” Peterson says. “We finally have the devices and the net-works that make this possible.” And instead of installing a wireless plant infrastructure, users can even leverage commercial mobile data networks where it makes sense. “All you need is a connection back through the firewall, a data plan, and away you go.”

Smart handheld devices, of course, have been around for some time—streamlining data-gathering tasks during operations and maintenance rounds. But with wireless connectivity comes the ability to continuously synchronize data as workers move from point to point. There’s no need to dock the device at the end of the shift; information moves and updates immediately.

Location tracking and safety mustering. Another and often critical class of wireless plant network applica-tions involves real-time location awareness. That is, the ability to know where your people and your mobile plant assets are located at any given time. In the case of a safety incident, the ability to know immediately where all your employees are facilitates safer and more efficient mustering. The wireless application replaces clipboard tracking, allowing for quick, automated roll-call during an emergency.

Tracking the location of high-value equipment can be a boon to maintenance productivity. Further, when paired with a growing range of mobile worker applica-tions, location awareness could even be used to manage

a particular operator’s permission levels relative to their specific location in the plant.

Video. Because broadband plant wireless networks are based on commercial IT networking technology, they can readily handle a range of signals more common to the telecom world, namely wireless video and voice. Video applications include both process monitoring and security applications – for the video monitoring of flares, for example, or for complying with perimeter security monitoring requirements.

Bridging. The higher bandwidth of plant wireless net-works is required in the bridging of two control system areas into one network.

“A wireless segment is an effective means of integrat-ing two remotely located control systems,” says Peterson. The wireless bridging of two areas of control systems may be essential when the systems are located across bodies of water or are separated by terrain that is too dif-ficult or expensive to trench for cable.

Field data back-haul. Similarly, wireless back-hauls are used to integrate remote wireless field networks into the existing plant-level control network: Wi-Fi is used to overcome obstacles to physical network wiring such as roads, rivers, railroads or just plain distance.

Wireless-enabled operations management

The promise of a wireless-enabled mobile worker is

3 speCiAl AdveRtising suppleMent ● MARCH 2009

FRee to RoaMa growing class of worker mobility applications are allowing plant personnel to readily access the information they need, wherever they are in the plant.


even more potent when considered in the context of the latest generation of real-time production management applications such as Emerson’s new Syncade smart operations management suite offering. Itself a modu-lar, scalable suite of software applications, Syncade is designed to integrate real-time plant-floor data with off-line and transactional plant business processes. Add wireless mobility to the mix and you have a powerful combination for improving productivity while avoiding procedural and documentation errors.

Consider, for example, the following scenario: A wireless pressure transducer alarms because of excessive pressure drop across a filter. The alarm is seamlessly transmitted to the control room operator who, suspect-ing a plugged filter, locks out the associated pump and kicks off a maintenance request.

A maintenance tech receives the request on her wireless-enabled mobile device and, because she can directly access the pump and filter specifications from her handheld, arrives in the field with requisite spare parts in hand. She then accesses the control system to verify that the pump is indeed locked out, accesses the work processes library for the proper filter replacement procedure, scans the barcodes on the filter and pump to track and ensure the proper filter is being used, and replaces the filter. Then, she updates the equipment maintenance log electronically to sign off and places the pump back in available status. All from the conve-nience of her wireless handheld device.

Regulatory compliance can also be enhanced by a combination of a plant wireless network with real-time production management tools. Imagine that a tech-nician is sent to confirm that Unit 1’s safety system is working. Syncade suite, communicating with the worker’s mobile device, verifies that the tech’s safety training is current, verifies that the test procedure being utilized is current, collects data as the tech executes the

procedure, and then documents that the test was prop-erly completed with all associated data and records.

plant and Field: a natural union

Wireless plant networks have requirements that are unique and different from wireless field networks. Wireless field networks, including those described by the WirelessHART standard, are single-purpose and low in bandwidth and power consumption. Wireless plant networks, on the other hand, are based on IEEE wireless network standards common to the broader IT world, including the 802.11-2007 Wi-Fi series of wire-less protocols. These higher bandwidth plant networks are designed to accommodate multiple simultaneous applications. “The plant network completes the union of a seamless wireless plant architecture, bringing the higher capacity that spurs full integration of the likes of

oPeRationS ManaGeMent MaDe eaSyenabled by wireless, emerson’s syncade suite of operations management tools integrates real-time plant-floor data with transactional plant-floor work processes.

A key differentiator of emerson’s smart Wireless offering is that both field- and plant-level net-works are scalable, allowing users to start anywhere and grow, with full confidence that applications can be added as the scope of your wireless implementation expands. A sample evolutionary path might be as shown.

1) start with a wireless field network; use 802.11 Wi-Fi as the backhaul.

2) Add a small-scale wireless mobile worker application.

evolving Your Wireless netWorks

1 2


cameras and bar code gear with the process infrastruc-ture of intelligent information-bearing field devices,” explains Jane Lansing, Emerson Process Management vice president. “It’s a marriage of networks for a sus-tainable future of advantages.”

“The wireless plant network is a shared resource,” adds Emerson’s Neil Peterson. “You can have multiple virtual networks within one physical plant network.” These virtual local area networks are configured with quality of service guarantees; to ensure that control signals, for example, have the proper transmission priority relative to other, less critical signals such as video monitoring. “You can use one physical installa-tion of wireless mesh network hardware for multiple and different applications such as video and personnel tracking,” Peterson explains.

start anYWhere. start todaY

It’s important to note that a key differentiator of the Emerson Smart Wireless network offering is its scalability. Users don’t have to install both field- and plant-level wireless networks at the same time. Users can start small, with either a field- or plant-level net-work and evolve from there.

At the field level, users can start with a gateway and a handful of measurement points and, as long as a few simple rules of thumb are followed, have con-fidence that the mesh network will come to life with little fuss. No exhaustive site survey is necessary, and an initial field network can be readily expanded—in fact becoming more reliable as more measurement points are added.

At the plant level too, users need not start with an extensive wireless infrastructure. Indeed, two of the most common wireless plant network applica-tions – the bridging of two control system networks and the back-haul of field network data – are relatively

straightforward to get up and running, requiring no extensive infrastructure plan (and no site survey if it is less than five miles and there is a clear line-of-sight).

Of course, deploying an asset tracking applica-tion over a wide area would require a bit more plan-ning, engineering and a site survey—but fortunately there’s help available for that, too.

so You’re readY to sCale…

You may have started with a wireless field network in a tank farm. Then added a localized mobile worker application. But at some point you may be ready for a full-blown wireless infrastructure project—and you’ll be glad you started with Emerson.

One key aspect of Emerson Process Manage-ment’s approach to wireless plant-level networks is its relationship with networking leader Cisco Systems. Cisco’s industry-leading Wireless Control System (WCS) for wireless network planning, configuration and management provides a cohesive communica-tions platform across the physical as well as the functional areas of plant operations so that a shared wireless plant network can readily grow into and support a variety of applications.

Emerson itself offers a comprehensive services port-folio to help customers design and deploy wireless plant networks. With three global service centers located in North America, Europe and Asia, users can be assured of consistent support on a global basis. Included in the project services portfolio are capabilities for site surveys, network planning and design, network installation and commissioning, application implementation, network support and management, as well as project manage-ment. And even after your wireless network is up and running, Emerson’s after-project support is available to help you continue to get the most from your wireless plant network investment.

3) expand the plant wireless network coverage, add RFid and wireless video.

4) Add more devices and continue to expand wireless network coverage.

3 4

Access Point Coverage

Smart Wireless Gateway

Mobile HMI

Wireless Video Camera

RFID Tag Reader

Wireless Discrete Transmitter

Wireless Pressure Transmitter

Wireless Vibration Transmitter


despite the economic downturn of recent months, the global application of wireless field networks continues apace. Indeed, today’s economic realities are in many ways a perfect fit for wireless: With capital at a premium, process manufacturers are looking for quick investments that cost little and save even more. Or, for cost-of-doing-business applications such as for satisfying regulatory requirements, they’re looking for solutions that will help them toe the line as quickly, easily and cost-effectively as possible.

In the course of this article, we’ll visit seven indus-trial sites around the world – all of which have turned to Emerson Process Management’s Smart Wireless field networks to cost-effectively enable compliance, boost productivity, improve safety or increase reliability (and sometimes a combination of all of the above!).

prediCtive monitoring enabled at total

Our first stop takes us to Total Petrochemicals in Carling, France, where Rosemount Smart Wireless temperature transmitters provide the information need-ed to infer changes in boiler wall thickness. The boiler provides steam for the plant’s cracker, and monitoring wall thickness enables personnel to anticipate when the boiler might need replacement.

By going wireless, Total Petrochemicals avoided the need for a kilometer of new wiring, while reducing the need for personnel to move into and around at-risk areas.

“Our plant is more than thirty years old,” explains Jerome Uszes, electricity control & regulation main-tenance manager for Total Petrochemicals. “With the rising cost of copper and the ageing of existing wiring—from corrosion, infiltration, armature degradation—it’s essential to find alternative methods to carry data throughout the plant. We believe in wireless technolo-gies and Emerson is a pioneer that is on the right track to offer a solution that meets our needs.”

This non-critical monitoring of the boiler walls presented Total Petrochemicals with the perfect opportunity to evaluate Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology on a large scale and in a real industrial environment. The application would also enable the company to determine the current limits of the wire-less devices and to direct future developments made by Emerson’s research and development department.

Far From Quiet on the Wireless Front

From power-gen to petrochem, fiber production to gas distribution, wireless field networks continue to prove their process automation mettle

aBoVe. ‘WiReLeSS MonitoRinG FoR noW, ContRoL aPPLiCationS neXt’For Total Petrochemicals in Carling, France, wireless mesh network technology has proved itself an essential alternative to running new wiring or relying on ageing infrastructure.

“ installation was quick and easy; we just switched them on and they all worked.”

— Simon Lark, E.ON UK

“We were very pleased with Emerson’s respon-siveness. Delivery, installation and a successful startup was completed within just ten days of our order,” says Uszes.

Water usage monitored at e.on

Across the channel at the E.ON Kingsnorth power sta-tion, a 1940-MW unit located on the Medway Estuary in Kent, U.K., Smart Wireless technology is helping to accurately monitor and measure treated water usage.

“E.ON is keen to adopt the very latest technology to help improve productivity, efficiency and availability, and wireless technology provides the ideal network-ing solution to access the flow measurement data from the turbine building without having to install new cabling,” says Chet Mistry, E.ON UK team leader.

Having initially undertaken extensive trials of Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology, E.ON selected the Emerson solution because it offered high levels of reliability and long transmitting distance, as well as the ability to add additional devices to the network without the need for additional infrastructure.

“We have great confidence in the technology. The self-organising network provides redundant routes for the data to pass back to the gateway. The resulting wireless mesh network delivers high reliability, “says Simon Lark, C&I engineer, E.ON UK.

“We were initially a little skeptical of the claims made for wireless, especially considering the environ-ment we would be placing it in. But installation was quick and easy and we just switched them on and they all worked,” continues Lark. “The gateway is situated in a windowless room within the main building. Despite being totally surrounded by brick walls, when switched on the wireless transmitters were all clearly visible and immediately connected to the gateway.”

“This initial installation of wireless is providing us with valuable experience,” adds Mistry. “We are now hoping to be able to use this experience to apply the technology to a range of applications including access-ing valve diagnostic information.”

remote reaCtions traCked at nu-West

At Nu-West Industries’ phosphate-based fertilizer plant in Soda Springs, Idaho, U.S., a self-organizing Smart Wireless system is tracking 16 pressure and temperature points on a reaction tank located about 250 feet from the central control room.

Emerson’s Smart Wireless technology was selected by Nu-West, a subsidiary of Agrium US, because it proved to be the easiest to install, most secure, and most reliable solution to the problem of retrieving es-sential operating information at an extended distance.

The remote tank is 40 feet high and has four different beds of gases used to react with certain process chemi-cals. Even though this is not classified as a hazardous area, the tank layout and distance involved made running wires to the tank and mounting instruments both difficult and expensive.

“Hard wiring this installation would have been very challenging due to the location of the vessel,” according to Brian Wood, DCS specialist at the Nu-West plant. “The self-organizing architecture was the clincher since less than perfect line-of-sight to each device is not a concern with this system. We already have plans to add more devices to the network.”

Transmissions from the remote tank at Nu-West are received by a Smart Wireless Gateway and chan-neled via the PlantWeb digital plant architecture to the DeltaV automation system where the AMS Suite predictive maintenance software recognizes readings that are out of the norm, enabling operators to take action to control the reactions in the tank.

‘We haVe PLanS to aDD MoRe DeViCeS’At Nu-West Industries in Soda Spring, Idaho, a series of wire-less temperature and pressure transmitters enable more precise process control by measuring process conditions at various points in this vertical reactor.



saFetY and produCtion improved at Chevron

At Chevron’s San Ardo, Calif., U.S., oil field, the company boosted personnel safety, has reduced waste-water discharge, and improved time and strategy for production by utilizing two Smart Wireless networks to monitor its steam injection process and measure down-hole well pressures.

Rosemount wireless pressure transmitters are installed at eight stations and on multiple steam lines leading to out-of-service wells undergoing steam injection at the company’s operations in the San Joaquin Valley. Chevron switched to wireless moni-toring after a Smart Wireless demonstration on one well confirmed an operator’s suspicion that steam usage was actually much higher than what had been previously recorded.

“The Smart Wireless transmitter in the demo uncovered that we were injecting four times as much steam as needed into this particular well,” says Paul Kinne, Chevron head operator. The over-steaming created more wastewater, which had to be pumped

from the well and treated before being discharged into wetlands draining into the Salinas River. The over-steaming also meant the company used more natural gas than necessary to produce the steam.

Operator safety has been improved and mainte-nance and travel costs reduced at the oil field because of the wireless technology. Personnel no longer need to visit the injection wells to collect data from traditional chart recorders or to check instruments for proper operation. The robust, self-organizing wireless network includes a Smart Wireless gateway, which communi-cates reliable data to the oil field’s control room via an Ethernet network connection.

“In addition, operators no longer need to make and break high pressure and temperature connections, so their safety is improved,” says Kinne.

Chevron estimates that having the correct steaming measurements has saved the company 14 days of produc-tion four times each year, worth more than $100,000 annually. Smart Wireless also saved $60,000 in installa-tions costs relative to hard wiring.

“The new wireless system is reliable and has passed our rigorous IT security review,” adds Mohammad Heidari, Chevron automation engineer. “Installation was easy and we haven’t had any problems.”

environmental ComplianCe

enabled at lenzing

At the Lenzing Fibers mill in Heiligenkreuz, Austria, a Smart Wireless network is enabling the company to meet local government regulations related to the temperature of water discharged into rivers and watercourses.

“The Emerson technology was both easy to install and integrate and has been extremely reliable in terms of data transfer,” says Wolfgang Gotzi, head of automation and maintenance. “When all the transmitters were in place the network offered us a communications reliabil-ity of 100%, which is very impressive.”

Lenzing Fibers, a winner of the European Busi-ness Awards for the Environment, is the world’s largest producer of Tencel fibers. The Heiligenkreuz fibers plant uses water drawn from a local river for cooling purposes. Local environmental regulations require that the water returned to the river must not be more than 3 degrees Celsius higher than the water extracted. The regulations also stipulate that the company must main-tain a constant check and record of the water tempera-ture at both inlet and outlet points.

“Because of the distance of the River Lafnitz from the control room and the fact people are free to walk by the river, we would have had to dig a trench for the cabling and this would have been very expensive,” said Gotzi. “The cost of installing wireless is much lower and has made this project possible.”

Prior to the regulation being introduced, Lenzing was already monitoring the water temperatures manually involving daily visits to the river. However to meet the environmental regulation there was a need to improve the reliability of the results and for these measurements to be easily stored and be made readily available for in-spection. By implementing a solution that enabled online measurements, Lenzing Fibers reduced operations costs and streamlined reporting.

pipeline upgrade streamlined at bord gáis

Emerson Smart Wireless technology is being used to help monitor an expansive natural gas pipeline distribu-tion system as part of an upgrade to Bord Gáis’ Above Ground Installations (AGIs) in Ireland. New Rose-mount wireless devices have replaced aging hard-wired

“ going wireless eliminated the need for drilling through concrete decks, installing conduit and cable trays, and pulling wires. instead, we have an easily installed, cost-effective and reliable wireless network.”

— Joe Murach, PPL Generation


devices as part of a trial to decide the future ‘specifica-tion’ of such sites going forward and for other sites that are due upgrades. Existing AGIs reaching the end of their lifespan are being upgraded with the latest instru-mentation. One such site was at Middleton, near Cork, where a number of instruments needed to be upgraded with the latest temperature and pressure transmitters.

“Having adopted GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) as a “back up” communications technol-ogy for our RTUs we were very comfortable with wireless,” says Frank Smiddy, communication & instrumentation engineer, Bord Gáis. “We like to think that we are very forward thinking and open to new ideas and we are always looking to improve our service using the latest technology.”

For the upgrade at Middleton, wireless promised to be lower cost, offered faster installation and start-up, as well as easy integration into the existing RTUs using Modbus serial communications. Although there is mini-mal traffic on the road dividing the Middleton facility, Bord Gáis could not use a line-of-sight wireless solution as the signal may be interrupted by passing cars affecting the reliability of the communications.

At Middleton, Rosemount wireless transmitters included five measuring pressure, one differential pres-sure, and one temperature. All have been successfully installed and are sending measurements back to the control room via the RTU. The devices are placed in enclosures, standard practice for all instrumentation used at Bord Gáis AGIs, and the Smart Wireless Gate-way is positioned within the instrumentation kiosk, which is effectively a “walk in” enclosure.

“We found that the enclosures do not interfere with the signals at all. We tested a few devices that were posi-tioned furthest away from the gateway and these worked without any problems so we proceeded to install the rest of the transmitters,“ explained Brid Sheehan, Communica-tion & Instrumentation Engineer, Bord Gáis. “Reliability of the wireless signal has not been an issue. We trend the wireless transmissions from the control room so we can see if there are any problems, but so far there hasn’t been any.“

reliabilitY improved at ppl generation

At PPL Generation power plants in Pennsylvania, Smart Wireless technology has proved to be “extremely cost-effective and reliable.” For example, in providing con-tinuous performance data on critical boiler feed pumps at the Montour power stations as well as feedwater and air heaters at the Brunner Island Unit 1. “The additional information provided by the wireless instruments al-lows us to more effectively monitor the mechanical and thermal performance of these valuable assets,” says Joe Murach, supervisor of equipment reliability.

Key temperature and pressure measurements were not available previously to populate software designed to analyze thermal performance and determine preven-tive maintenance schedules. Company officials had long wanted to obtain this information, but the high cost of installing wiring was a roadblock they could not overcome. Wireless was the only option for obtaining the needed data, Murach says.

“The Emerson technology is able to handle the power plant environment,” Murach says. “The transmitters communicate with the gateway without a problem even across several floors and through walls. Going wireless eliminated the need for drilling through concrete decks, installing conduit and cable trays, and pulling wires. Instead, we have an easily installed, cost-effective and reliable wireless network.”

“We are now able to more closely monitor the condi-tion of our valuable assets like the feedwater pumps and determine the thermal efficiency of critical equipment,” adds Murach. “The newly available information allows us to optimize boiler efficiency and detect problems at their onset. This enables our maintenance personnel to make repairs at the most opportune time rather than waiting until something fails unexpectedly.”

‘eaSy to inStaLL anD inteGRate’For Lenzing Fibers in Heiligenkreuz, Austria, a Smart Wireless network has proven a cost-effective means to continuously monitor the temperature rise of cooling water drawn from and returned to the local river.


Future-proof Your next Capital project

Wireless earns its keep in capital project savings, while laying a flexible foundation for change

bY noW, the case for considering wireless field networks has been well made—at least when you’re faced with add-ing a few new measurement points to an existing facility. If you can avoid the need to run new conduit or armored cable to the field; if you can avoid the need to add new cabinet space; if you can avoid the need to expand I/O capacity—you can slash installed cost per incremental measurement point by as much as an order of magnitude.


But for a capital project—a new greenfield unit or a significant brownfield expansion—the answer may not be quite so clear. No one today would argue that all measurement points in a new plant could or should be wireless. So, some traditional wire still needs to be run. That being a given, does it make economic sense to do wireless, too, on a new project?

The answer emerging from two recent engineering studies is an unqualified “yes” – but perhaps not for the reasons you might think.

Wireless + Fieldbus = neW best praCtiCe

Emerson Process Management recently unveiled the results of two independent analyses of the use of wireless field networks in real-world, greenfield projects. In one case, JDI Contracts applied Emerson Smart Wireless technology to applications in a new process plant design for a major U.S. chemical man-ufacturer (see sidebar, p12). In the other, Emerson modeled the application of wireless to an aromatics plant capital project (see second sidebar, p12).

Each of the studies considered the use of wireless against a baseline case of 100% hard-wired, 4-20mA HART instrumentation, as well as wireless in combi-nation with Foundation fieldbus and other device-level bus network protocols.

Key installed cost savings for wireless accrued to labor savings associated with not running conduit or making wiring terminations for the points deemed suitable for wireless (25% of total measurements in the JDI study; 44% in the Emerson analysis). The Emerson study only considered monitoring points eligible for wireless; the JDI study included slow response con-trol points as well. “The largest differential costs were conduit and associated labor between the field junction boxes and each field device, followed by labor for all terminations,” says Dan Daugherty, field architecture consultant, Emerson Process Management.

At the bottom line, today’s wireless technology presented a significant installed cost savings over traditional 4-20mA instrumentation. The studies

also showed that installed cost savings with wireless technology approach those seen with Foundation fieldbus technology. Further, wireless was less expen-sive to implement than hardwired regardless of the wiring distances involved.

In the final analysis, however, it wasn’t installed costs that carried the day for wireless in each of the study’s conclusions. Rather, it was the forward-looking

flexibility of wireless that earned it a place in the capital projects toolkit. Indeed, wireless is only the latest en-abler of smarter and simpler engineering and construc-tion, more flexible start-up, faster deployment and proj-ect completion, and the ability to better accommodate changing automation needs, both studies concluded.

“It’s part of a new best practice,” says Roger Hoyum, JCI Contracts principal engineer and au-thor of one of the studies. “Our PePC/MAC design approach includes HART and Foundation fieldbus in the communications toolkit–and now wireless is an important new tool. It delivers savings, flexibility and speed of implementation.”

Wireless ‘delivers a better plant’

“Our recommendations regarding best practices are firmly centered around procedures and technology required to meet owner objectives and deliver expected project outcomes to our clients, including scope, sched-ule, budget and less tangible outcomes such as main-tainability and ease of use,” continues Hoyum. “With wireless technology, we can deliver a better plant.”

“ Wireless is part of a new best practice….it deliv-ers savings, flexibility and speed of implementation.”

–Roger Hoyum, JDI Contracts


Jdi Contracts worked with a major epC and end user to study the project impact of wireless. they compared engineering, construc-tion, startup and overhead costs for approaches using wired HARt, wired bus technologies, WirelessHARt,

and combinations of each. Wireless was used for non-safety, low speed control and monitoring, amounting to about 25% of the total points.

Overall plant engineering, construction and startup savings were about 10% of considered costs

as compared with wired HARt; for the bus installation, wireless savings were on par with wired busing. Al-though not quantified, other consid-erations of flexibility and schedule impact were deemed very important in each approach:

Case 4, an integrated approach to using wireless together with Foundation fieldbus, devicenet, and 4-20mA hardwired HARt was deemed optimal.

“By implementing wireless with other technologies, we found we could deliver a smarter plant at the same or lower cost,” says Roger Hoyum, principal engineer, Jdi Contracts.

According to Hoyum, wireless benefits accrued to nearly every aspect of the project: • Engineering: Reduced complexity

and simplified application. • Construction: Reduced scope,

simplified installation.• Startup: Highly flexible, responsive

to changing needs.• Overheads: Schedule savings trans-

late to significant costs savings.

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4

4-20mA HARt x x x x

Fieldbus/ devicenet x x

WirelessHARt x x

total points 7,493 7,493 7,493 7,493

HARt/4-20 7,493 2,351 5,570 2,351

Bus 0 2,646 0 723

soft i/O 0 2,496 0 2,496

Wireless 0 0 1,923 1,923

total Cost ($M) $257.4 $231.5 $231.8 $229.7

engineering $3.0 $2.3 $1.4 $1.5

Construction $24.2 $18.3 $19.7 $18.2

startup $1.4 $0.7 $0.5 $0.5

Overheads $228.8 $210.1 $210.1 $209.5

installation savings Base -10.1% -10.0% -10.8%

emerson process Management, using real data from a greenfield aromatics project, found that wireless could conservatively be applied to 44% of all measurement points. similar to the Jdi study (above), smart Wireless showed significant savings of 36% in installation costs as compared with a hardwired, 4-20mA HARt solution; Foundation fieldbus offered higher installation savings than WirelessHARt, in part due to the current availability of higher density temperature measurement devices (four multiplexed sensors per transmitter with current wireless technology compared with eight for Foundation fieldbus).

the Foundation fieldbus design actually delivered the lowest installed-cost scenario relative to a 100% hard-wired approach. But many of the ongoing benefits of using wire-less are not adequately accounted for in this analysis, the study noted. these include the ability to accommodate difficult or remote installations; simplified training and en-gineering; reduced need/cost for spare i/O capacity; ability to accommodate late changes and temporary installations; and the ease of adding future wireless points.

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3

4-20mA HARt x x x

Fieldbus/devicenet x

WirelessHARt x

total points 5,882 5,882 5,882

Monitoring points 2,614 2,614 2,614

Monitoring Costs ($M) $8.7 $4.8 $5.5

engineering $1.0 $0.3 $0.3

Construction $7.4 $4.4 $5.1

startup $0.3 $0.1 $0.1

installation savings Base -44% -36%

the Case For Wireless: a greenField ChemiCal plant

the Case For Wireless: a greenField aromatiCs plant


“It’s also important to remember that once detailed engineering is done, every greenfield project becomes a brownfield plant,” adds Peter Zornio, Emerson Process Management chief strategic officer. “Our takeaway from these studies is that all three technologies—HART, fieldbus and wireless—should be in the design toolbox for capital projects.”

“The studies confirm that fieldbus continues to offer the lowest cost installation for process control points. For monitoring points, both fieldbus and wireless offer

good alternatives and similar installation savings,” Zornio adds. “However, over the plant lifecycle, wire-less adds significant benefits with simplified training, greater flexibility and allows very easy and lowest cost incremental expansion.”

So in the end, if installation savings are compa-rable with fieldbus (and very significant when com-pared to hardwired HART), the decision regarding whether to include wireless in your next capital project may not be why, but why not?

“ once detailed engineering is done, every greenfield project becomes a brownfield plant.”

–Peter Zornio, Emerson Process Management

because of its persistent flexibility and ongoing productivity gains, expect a wireless field- and plant-level network infra-structure to be included in a growing number of grassroots projects right from the start. ©

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in the past, process automation and office automa-tion networks had little in common. As a result, process operations often functioned independently of infor-mation technology (IT) departments, and IT policies didn’t encroach on the plant floor.

All that changed as process automation began to use more technologies that originated in the IT world–from Ethernet to Microsoft Windows–and as process networks were linked to IT-controlled business networks and even the Internet.

Introducing wireless technology for process ap-plications can raise concerns in your IT department. They may simply be unfamiliar with how it will work in the plant environment or have specific concerns about technology, security and support. On the other

hand, IT may also have valuable experience and re-sources to help you plan a wireless network, get it up and running, and keep it that way.

Although wireless networks are becoming more common in office environments, your IT group may not be as familiar with them as with wired networks–especially when it comes to wireless technologies designed for industrial applications.

They’re also likely to be concerned about anything that may represent a risk to the security of assets they have been charged with protecting, including both infor-mation and infrastructure.

And they may be concerned about how a wireless-networking project will affect their workload–especially when it comes to ongoing maintenance and support.

the ‘it’ FactorProcess manufacturing wireless networks may encroach on your IT department’s standards space. Here’s how to make sure it all works together.

aBoVe: ‘taLk to Me’An effective field- or plant-level wireless deployment will likely benefit from early-and-often collaboration with your IT department.


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Key IT concerns likely revolve around technology, security and support–and how to deal with them. Your IT group may have concerns about technology risk (whether the wireless solution will work, and keep working) and compatibility (how it will work with other technologies and existing IT infrastructure).

You can relieve those concerns by sticking to solutions based on appropriate standards-based technologies–and making sure IT understands that’s what you’re doing.

Start by clarifying which wireless technology you’re planning to use. For example, the primary tech-nology for in-plant applications may be a self-orga-nizing network based on the IEEE 802.15.4 physical standard. (Field networks based on the wirelessHART standard use this physical standard.) Your IT group may be less familiar with this technology than the 802.11 Wi-Fi networks used in offices, but the fact that it is based on an IEEE standard should reduce their concerns about risk and compatibility.

Wi-Fi may be a component of some solutions–for example, to provide a wireless link between a gateway (which collects data from several wireless devices) and the control room, or to provide mobile workers access to the plant control network. If so, you may be able to take advantage of existing IT experience with this technology.

Compatibility concerns may focus on the gateway itself, since it is the point where self-organizing networks integrate with other plant networks. You can overcome IT objections by selecting a gateway that will “play by the rules”–for example, by supporting standard network scanning, discovery, and vulnerability tools.

seCuritY, support are Common ConCerns

It’s a common misconception that wireless devices are not as secure as wired networks. In fact, wired and wireless networks can both be vulnerable – and a well designed, properly implemented wireless network can actually be more secure than a typical wired one.

Show your IT group that most of today’s wireless solutions for industrial applications–unlike some older office and automation networks–are designed with security in mind. Encryption, authentication and verification, key management, and anti-jam-ming measures all help prevent unauthorized access to network data. In fact, such security capabilities often are absent in older wired networks that rely solely on physical isolation to provide a cursory level of security. You can work with IT and your wireless supplier to identify the techniques that make the most sense in your application.

Adding a wireless component to your existing plant environment may also prompt a more compre-hensive review of plant information security in general – from firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs) to passwords and anti-virus software. That’s a good thing! In fact, system audits and reviews of security procedures and policies should be done on a periodic basis, regardless of specific networking decisions.

Just like the other parts of your plant, your wireless system may need periodic maintenance, upgrades and other support. Your IT group can be a great resource for best practices on handling patches and upgrades, as well as network troubleshooting if needed. They may even be willing to do it for you. Regardless of who does it, the work will be easier–and your IT department will be less concerned–if your supplier has a record of making reliable products and an efficient system for managing patches and upgrades.

do You reallY need their help?

Possibly not. If you are connecting a self-organizing wireless network to an existing process automation net-work, especially through a wired gateway device, you may not need to involve IT. The process and equipment information collected from wireless instruments is the same as that from wired devices, and it will be used in the same way—all within the process control domain.

If you include IT in your planning, however, you may benefit from their networking expertise, tools and resources. For example, if you’re using Wi-Fi for a plant-level wireless application, much of what they’ve learned about applying this technology in office environments will also be relevant in process related applications. Their experience evaluating network sup-pliers and conducting IT-security audits can be useful as you do the same for your wireless network. They can be invaluable in determining the best way to make the data available to other plant and business systems.

Finally, if you expect your IT group to provide ongo-ing maintenance for your network, it’s a very good idea to get them in the loop early and make sure it’s imple-mented in a way they will support.

today’s wireless solutions for industrial applications – unlike older office and automation networks – are designed with security in mind.


SEAMWIRELESSSmart Wireless lets you start anywhere and go everywhere.

INTEGRATION.

Whether you start with a handful of nodes or hundreds, Emerson Smart Wireless gives you the first truly scalablewireless network that seamlessly integrates with your wired one. Thanks to open, interoperable WirelessHART™

and industrial Wi-Fi standards, Emerson Smart Wireless incorporates directly into your existing automationarchitecture — without any need for upfront engineering, site surveys or special commissioning. And to youroperators and maintenance staff, each Smart Wireless device looks and behaves like a wired one, no matterhow many you install. So not only is it self-organizing, Emerson Smart Wireless plays well with others too.

Discover your plant’s limitless potentialat EmersonSmartWireless.com

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2008 Emerson Electric Co.HART® is a registered trademark of the HART Communication Foundation

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