Field-Mountable Platform Good For RTU Applications

July 12, 2009

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, recently announced its new PAC8000 RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) Controller, a rugged, field-mountable platform. Combined with the 8000 Process I/OTM, it offers flexible sys­tem design and high system availability. A PAC8000 RTU Control system can utilize any off-the-shelf HMI package, including Proficy® HMI/SCADA iFIX and CIMPLICITY.

The PAC8000 RTU Controller is ideal for all types of RTU applications, including Oil & Gas pipelines and wellheads. It is designed for use in the harshest environments, operating over a temperature range of -40ºC to +70ºC, and is resistant to 30g shock, 5g vibration and G3 corrosive environments. Access to timely and accurate mission-critical information from fixed assets such as oil and gas wells, compressor stations, pipelines, fluid storage tanks and utility meters, can eliminate critical gaps in oil and gas operations, resulting in higher productivity and long-term growth. The PAC8000 RTU’s relative low power makes it suitable for applications using Solar Power.

"With increasing pressure to improve operational performance, meet environmental specifications and overcome rising energy costs, oil and gas operations must efficiently monitor and control entire processes across local and remote locations," said Jim Leatherby, Product Manager for GE Fanuc’s RTU Products. The PAC8000 RTU solution enables Oil & Gas customers to easily monitor, diagnose and maintain utility assets—even in the most hazardous environments."

The PAC8000 RTU Controller engineering software takes advantage of Microsoft Windows®-based object-oriented technology, graphical user interfaces and easy to learn software solutions to reduce engineering time. It executes control strategies and manages all control activities for the I/O modules providing a tight control loop response, quickly giving a control output in response to input data. It also incorporates a rigorous redundancy model, HART® capability and a fault tol­erant Ethernet implementation to manage communications on the control network and deliver reliable operation.