Blog - Post List

  • Ovation Blog: Avoiding Forced Outages from Rotating Equipment Issues

    Jim Cahill
    The reality for manufacturers and producers is that their plant assets continually degrade over time. Valves wear over time, electrical assets may experience intermittent faults, and rotating equipment imbalances may lead quickly to forced outages. In this 3-minute YouTube video, Alert Plant Operations When Rotating Equipment Problems Pose a Threat , Emerson’s Kevin Rossi shares ways to equip plant operators with insights…

  • Ovation Blog: Handling Processes with Long Lag Times

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Mircea Lupu shared his thoughts on Ovation system algorithms for handling processes with long lag times—a control challenge that vexes many. Mircea opened noting that control algorithms are at the heart of any control system to provide stable and accurate response and robustness against disturbances and process changes. Tuning these algorithms to achieve the desired performance can be laborious. Proportional…

  • Ovation Blog: Handling Processes with Long Lag Times

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Mircea Lupu shared his thoughts on Ovation system algorithms for handling processes with long lag times—a control challenge that vexes many. Mircea opened noting that control algorithms are at the heart of any control system to provide stable and accurate response and robustness against disturbances and process changes. Tuning these algorithms to achieve the desired performance can be laborious. Proportional…

  • Ovation Blog: Trends toward Remote Turbine Operations

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’ Brett Benson discussed the challenge of operating multiple plants with reduced staff levels and how centralized control for single or multiple plant sites is a viable solution. The latest developments in communication technology coupled with modern control hardware provides utilities the ability to monitor, analyze alarms and control their plants, remotely, from…

  • Ovation Blog: Trends toward Remote Turbine Operations

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’ Brett Benson discussed the challenge of operating multiple plants with reduced staff levels and how centralized control for single or multiple plant sites is a viable solution. The latest developments in communication technology coupled with modern control hardware provides utilities the ability to monitor, analyze alarms and control their plants, remotely, from…

  • Ovation Blog: Practical Tips for System Security

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Nick Janouskovec shared his practical tips for attaining and managing Ovation system security at the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference. With so many different standards, regulations, technologies and approaches to cybersecurity, it can be challenging to figure out what you really need. Developing a security program that truly secures your control system, meets your compliance obligations and doesn’t add…

  • Ovation Blog: Practical Tips for System Security

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Nick Janouskovec shared his practical tips for attaining and managing Ovation system security at the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference. With so many different standards, regulations, technologies and approaches to cybersecurity, it can be challenging to figure out what you really need. Developing a security program that truly secures your control system, meets your compliance obligations and doesn’t add…

  • Ovation Blog: Electronic Turbine Overspeed Protection

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s Sam Onuska and Greg Lieb presented improvements in advanced overspeed protection and online, real time testing of overspeed systems. Greg opened describing where overspeed protection systems can be applied including steam turbines, gas turbines, boiler feed pump turbines (BFPTs) and hydro turbines. These systems measure the shaft rotational speed and decide & take…

  • Ovation Blog: Electronic Turbine Overspeed Protection

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s Sam Onuska and Greg Lieb presented improvements in advanced overspeed protection and online, real time testing of overspeed systems. Greg opened describing where overspeed protection systems can be applied including steam turbines, gas turbines, boiler feed pump turbines (BFPTs) and hydro turbines. These systems measure the shaft rotational speed and decide & take…

  • Ovation Blog: Ovation Compact Controller

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Tom Snowdon provided a closer look at the Ovation Compact Controller (OCC100) with third party I/O at the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference. The OCC100 extends the Ovation platform to small-scale and highly-distributed applications that need secure, reliable and direct control close the field devices or plant equipment. Typical applications may include small hydro, PLC replacements, wind, solar, microgrids…

  • Ovation Blog: Ovation Compact Controller

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Tom Snowdon provided a closer look at the Ovation Compact Controller (OCC100) with third party I/O at the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference. The OCC100 extends the Ovation platform to small-scale and highly-distributed applications that need secure, reliable and direct control close the field devices or plant equipment. Typical applications may include small hydro, PLC replacements, wind, solar, microgrids…

  • Ovation Blog: Integrated Machinery Health Monitoring

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s Jason King and John Reidelbach provided an update on Ovation Machinery Health Monitor and a case study of its application. Jason opened describing some of the challenges of traditional machinery protection systems. Plants today have more operational issues due to cycling stresses, loss of expertise, and maintenance issues from growing reactive work practices. …

  • Ovation Blog: Integrated Machinery Health Monitoring

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s Jason King and John Reidelbach provided an update on Ovation Machinery Health Monitor and a case study of its application. Jason opened describing some of the challenges of traditional machinery protection systems. Plants today have more operational issues due to cycling stresses, loss of expertise, and maintenance issues from growing reactive work practices. …

  • Ovation Blog: Power and Water Cybersecurity Suite Modules

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s Jose Pablo Bonilla and Levi Crosier described the different components of the Power and Water Cybersecurity Suite (PWCS) . This presentation included providing users with guidance for configuring their systems, identifying custom reports & dashboards along with establishing a cadence for performing routine security tasks effectively & efficiently. Their focus included…

  • Ovation Blog: Power and Water Cybersecurity Suite Modules

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s Jose Pablo Bonilla and Levi Crosier described the different components of the Power and Water Cybersecurity Suite (PWCS) . This presentation included providing users with guidance for configuring their systems, identifying custom reports & dashboards along with establishing a cadence for performing routine security tasks effectively & efficiently. Their focus included…

  • Ovation Blog: Ovation Control System Lifecycle Planning

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’ Nick Koonce and Mike Ames presented on some of the tools and data that Ovation control system users can use for lifecycle planning . It included a step-by-step demonstration along with an explanation of the data (format and content) focused on: Lifecycle planning tools & data such as System Gather & Registration Utility Considerations/limitations/things to…

  • Ovation Blog: Ovation Control System Lifecycle Planning

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’ Nick Koonce and Mike Ames presented on some of the tools and data that Ovation control system users can use for lifecycle planning . It included a step-by-step demonstration along with an explanation of the data (format and content) focused on: Lifecycle planning tools & data such as System Gather & Registration Utility Considerations/limitations/things to…

  • Ovation Blog: Power Generation Improved Steam Temperature Control

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Jeff Williams presented, Holistic Approach to Steam Temperature Control, at the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference. Jeff opened describing the trend of plants being started and operated more frequently than in the past due to intermittent sources of renewable energy sources on the grid. A key challenge to this mode of operation is to maintain consistent superheat temperature in this transient environment…

  • Ovation Blog: Embedded Simulation for Training and Engineering

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s James Thompson and Sheldon Willis provided an update on embedded simulation in the Ovation distributed control system . Ovation-based high-fidelity simulator models are embedded directly into virtual Ovation controllers as compared with the more traditional approach with third-party models that run in separate hardware. This single platform for simulation and control…

  • Ovation Blog: Design and Secure Network Communications

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s Craig McDaniel highlighted practices for effectively designing and securing communications between the Ovation distributed control system and field networks. Craig opened describing the function of a router and net masks as part of the Internet Protocol. The mask identifies what is local to the network and what most go through the router to other connected networks…

  • Ovation Blog: Cybersecurity Worst Practices: The Good-the Bad-the Ugly

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, Emerson’s David Foose shared examples of bad practices in securing control systems. Dave opened describing how the focus on control system security over the past decade has changed from bothersome to imperative. The five stages of cyber grief include denial, frustration, bargaining, burn out and finally acceptance. Burn out is the phase where a person or small team is…

  • Ovation Blog: Advanced Startup Automation in the Power Industry

    Jim Cahill
    At the 2018 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, a power producer shared their story of how they improved their unit startups through the application of advanced technology. The US electrical power grid is evolving rapidly as it adds more renewable generation from solar and wind energy sources. This trend is driving the need for large generating fleets to make their current assets flexible and cost competitive. Important…

  • DeltaV Blog: Planning Operator Workloads

    Jim Cahill
    There’s a great question on planning operator workloads. This Emerson Exchange 365 community, DeltaV group member posted, Is there a standard, industry reference or best practice to determine operator workload and staff requirement for DCS consoles? In part, they ask: I’ve been dealing with a question from our management for some time: we fear that in some scenarios we have our console operators dealing with too…

  • DeltaV Blog: Planning Operator Workloads

    Jim Cahill
    There’s a great question on planning operator workloads. This Emerson Exchange 365 community, DeltaV group member posted, Is there a standard, industry reference or best practice to determine operator workload and staff requirement for DCS consoles? In part, they ask: I’ve been dealing with a question from our management for some time: we fear that in some scenarios we have our console operators dealing with too…

  • Ovation Blog: Improving Control System Alarm Effectiveness for Operators

    Jim Cahill
    During the week of July 29 through August 3, I’ll be attending the Ovation Users’ Group Conference in Pittsburgh. This users’ group is composed of people working in the power, water and wastewater industries. If you’re in one of these industries and an Ovation distributed control system user, I look forward to seeing you there. One of the critical parts of an effective control strategy is to get the alarm design right…

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