Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Triconex SIS chosen for refinery modernisation

Ecopetrol SA of Colombia has selected Invensys Process Systems to implement Triconex TMR (triple-modular redundant) technology for burner management systems in the power plant at its Cartagena refinery, which is undergoing modernisation. Located in the Mamonal industrial area on the Colombian north coast, the facility has a capacity of 80,000 barrels per day (BPD) and produces gasoline, middle distillates, propane and fuel oil. Invensys will implement four Tricon TMR high-availability systems for burner management system applications at the power plant steam generators (boilers).

These will protect new burners being installed as part of the modernisation.

The new systems will increase control reliability and availability, increase boiler safety, and help bring the refinery into compliance with the Safety Integrity Level and Safety Instrumented Systems provisions of international standards, such as represented by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Invensys Systems Colombia will install the new systems and also provide a range of other professional services, including local engineering services, configuration and start-up.

The latest systems contract extends the Invensys presence at Ecopetrol.

Multiple systems, including Foxboro I/A Series process automation, Triconex safety instrumented systems, and SimSci-Esscor simulation solutions, are in service at the Cartagena refinery visbreaker and cracker units.

These successful implementations contributed to the selection of Invensys for the current project.

The Triconex triple modular redundant (TMR) technology employs three isolated, parallel control systems and extensive diagnostics integrated into one system.

The system uses two-out-of-three voting to provide high-integrity, error-free, uninterrupted process operation.

The TMR architecture eliminates any single point of failure and enables on-line maintenance, on-line programming downloads, self-calibration and fault localisation.

The industry-certified Tricon TMR controller control functions and diagnostics are embedded and transparent, and the device behaves as a single control device to the operator or engineer.

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