As in many industries, integrating IIoT capabilities into ongoing operations is a key requirement for pipeline operators, but also like other types of industries, pipeline professionals don’t want to give up their robust existing systems while updating their operations. According to a recent article by Emerson’s Denka Wangdi in Technical Review Middle East, the ideal solution in these challenging applications is the use of industrial edge control technology.
Wangdi explains that industrial edge controllers are physically similar to PLCs and RTUs, but in addition to having a real-time operating system (RTOS) for deterministic direct control, they also incorporate a general-purpose OS like Linux to perform advanced computing and communication. Huge amounts of process data can be collected, stored and analyzed by the edge controller’s general-purpose OS. Advanced algorithms and logic can be executed, with the results transmitted securely to the RTOS element of the controller as required, to implement responsive low-latency control. Alternatively, the general-purpose OS can securely communicate data to supervisory systems for further evaluation.
Industrial edge controllers are an ideal solution to many challenges that are specific to pipeline operations such as leak detection and corrosion monitoring. The all-in-one nature of edge controllers enables end-users to enhance basic control schemes with closely integrated on-board visualization options. The detailed operational and diagnostic information that is made available this way can be of significant benefit to operators and maintenance personnel.
Read the article in full for more information on the use of edge control in pipeline operations as well as other demanding applications.
Are you currently using edge control to modernize systems without extensive replacement?