Process Automation and Control System Includes Embedded Batch and Simulation Capabilities

Nov. 17, 2008
Honeywell releases an enhanced version of its Experion Process Knowledge System

Honeywell releases an enhanced version of its Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) that allows plant operators to carefully coordinate process control, safety shutdown and fire and gas mitigation steps. In addition to the safety instrumented system (SIS) integration, Experion helps improve plant operations through embedded simulation capabilities used for comprehensive operator training and control, display and procedure validation. The system also introduces integrated batch functionality that can significantly increase production as well as reliability for chemical and life sciences companies.

Experion is Honeywell’s process automation and control system that provides operators with greater insight into plant operations. The system feeds data from critical plant subsystems directly to operators to help improve decision making in the control room.

Through integration with the company’s Safety Manager platform, Experion provides crucial safety and fire and gas information, such as pre-shutdown alerts, directly to operators using a common display. This allows Experion to provide operators with plant-wide SIS point data, diagnostics and system information, as well as alarms and events, operator displays and sequence-of-event information. It also reduces overall system and maintenance costs by reducing the amount of installed field sensor equipment.

Experion can also help increase production capacity through the Experion Batch Manager. The system’s embedded batch functionality allows chemical and life sciences customers to execute batches at the control level, versus using a separate server. This makes the system more reliable, less complex and easier to maintain.

Additionally, Experion features embedded integration capability with Honeywell’s UniSimÒ simulation tool and can be used to train operators on processes before they are implemented in a plant. This approach can help prepare operators for normal and abnormal operations and improves plant reliability by reducing operator errors. Experion’s simulation capability also provides engineering efficiency by testing control strategies, displays and procedures before applying them on live processes.

Another capability of Experion is an alarm shelving utility that allows operators to better manage and prioritize alarms on their displays. This capability is based on years of collaboration between Honeywell and the Abnormal Situation ManagementÒ consortium in the interest of improving operator effectiveness during abnormal situations that can lead to process upsets.

Experion also provides a reliable interface with third-party subsystems to reduce the overall cost of ownership. The Process Control Data Interface uses universally accepted MODBUS TCP protocol to control devices such as remote terminal units, terminal servers, analyzers and scales.