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Gerard Tucker
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1 Wireless technology in the refinery Wireless data gathering can mean lower capital costs and gains in efficiency, provided the limitations of available bandwidth are taken into consideration Jeff Becker and Jerry Stanek Honeywell Process Solutions The geographical locations of oil pipelines and refineries inherently place challenges on operators working to keep systems functional and maintained. In the US, with the majority of refineries located along the country s Gulf Coast, the equipment endures hot temperatures, high humidity, thunderstorms and hurricanes. With these types of environmental factors, refinery equipment and transmission pipelines are placed under an immense amount of stress, in addition to normal operating conditions. For technicians charged with keeping equipment functional, having accurate real-time performance data is invaluable. The more detailed information a technician can pull from the plant floor about the operational status of equipment the better decisions can be made about preventative maintenance. For instance, a technician who is able to monitor a boiler s daily runtime, pressure level and exhaust temperature in real-time can use the data to identify a problem immediately and fix it before it results in an outage. With historical operations data available, the technician can see the number of cycles the unit has run since its last maintenance check to determine if a repair needs to be made right away or if it can wait until the next scheduled downtime event. Benefits of wireless As with all process manufacturing industries, uptime is critical to business success. And the oil and gas and hydrocarbon processing industries are no different. Refineries have three ways of monitoring production equipment and their transmission pipelines: remotely by wireless transmitters, using a wired network, or by manual inspection. However, given the harsh environmental conditions and geographical terrain most pipelines traverse, along with the vast amount of land they cover, monitoring this type of infrastructure manually or with a wired network can be cost prohibitive, if not impossible. The same goes for refineries. Even though the location of a refinery will be conducive to manufacturing processes, the operating environment creates a difficult setting for wired and manual monitoring of equipment. This is where wireless technology fits in. It offers the flexibility and mobility to monitor equipment across a facility remotely. The same goes for an oil pipeline. Wireless technology can be implemented across an entire pipeline or at a specific section. Wireless technology also offers safety benefits for environments with explosive hazards. Where a wired network requires that power be supplied constantly to operate, creating a spark risk, wireless technology uses battery or solar power. A wireless network also provides increased savings compared to a wired network by removing the cost of buying and installing network lines. Instead, wireless technology offers a plug-and-go configuration, greatly simplifying installation compared to running miles of wiring. Selecting a wireless network The fundamentals and key strategies for implementing a wireless network are the same across all industrial settings. What varies from installation to installation is the size of the network being implemented. A wireless infrastructure can vary from one to multiple networks, and from a small to a multipoint large-scale mesh network. Deciding which configuration fits best depends on why the network is being installed. The overarching uses for industrial wireless technology can be grouped into three categories: safety, reliability and efficiency factors that ring true for the oil and gas and hydrocarbon processing industries. Key items to consider when evaluating a wireless network are: Will the network be operating in a noisy radio frequency environment? Does your wireless infrastructure need to be capable of supporting wireless transmissions at multiple reporting speeds? Does the battery life of the wireless transmitters meet your needs? Do you need end-to-end data security across the wireless network? Have you identified a plan for future usage and expanding the wireless network with additional applications? Having answers to these questions at the beginning of the review phase will help ensure the correct wireless technology is selected for current and future applications. Understanding wireless implementation The functionality of a wireless network goes beyond monitoring and reporting equipment status. With the availability to implement Wi-Fi technology on the factory floor, PTQ Q

Honeywell Process Solutions OneWireless network architecture wireless technology can be used for activities such as aiding first responders in responding to an emergency call or equipping employees

2 Honeywell Process Solutions OneWireless network architecture wireless technology can be used for activities such as aiding first responders in responding to an emergency call or equipping employees with real-time data access. Keeping in mind how wireless technology can extend beyond equipment monitoring is important, especially as you evaluate how the network might be used in the future a critical component to consider when determining how a wireless network can expand with the business. For instance, if a wireless network is not quality of service enabled from the beginning, it is possible that first responders may overload the available network in an emergency. This will occur because the bandwidth available to the network may not be large enough to sustain transmissions from both the equipment and first responders communications. This is why it is important to consider where the wireless network will be installed. If the network will be running in a noisy radio frequency environment, it is important to determine if the available infrastructure is capable of mitigating those risks. If you need to add applications later, it is helpful if your network can support various transmissions at multiple reporting speeds without sacrificing battery power. For example, if a network only supports a fast speed, the reporting points that report data at longer intervals can unnecessarily consume transmitter battery life and bandwidth. Conversely, slower-speed networks may not provide adequate reporting for more critical applications. When considering the hundreds of reporting points that are likely to be across a facility, having the necessary bandwidth will ensure the wireless network works efficiently. It will also guarantee that transmitters get the best use from their batteries. The longevity of transmitter battery life is a common concern for manufacturers when considering the possibility of having to replace batteries in hundreds of reporting points distributed across a facility. However, the expense of replacing batteries should not negate the cost savings of less wiring. When evaluating wireless solutions, many vendors will quote the battery lifetime at a very low reporting rate. Knowing this, select the reporting rate you require and ask for the battery s lifecycle at that rate. The industry s standard reporting rate is typically three to five seconds. The next step is to make sure the wireless network is secure. Security is essential to protect against malicious intent and to safeguard workers, intellectual property and market share. Installing security safeguards for a wireless network should be easy to deploy, simple to maintain and offer multiple layers of protection. A layered approach to security means protecting the network from multiple risks such as: A passive listener who can sit outside a facility reading and accessing data. To mitigate this risk, confidentiality and encrypted messaging have to be integrated into the network An active listener who can take good messages and resend bad ones, alter a real message or replay old messages. To avoid this, networks need to incorporate message integrity and replay protection, including time stamping, cyclic redundancy checks and other message markers A rogue device that takes the place of a good sensor and actively sends 88 PTQ Q

3 bad messages to the system. To mitigate this risk, the network has to have source authentication A Denial of Service attacker that will flood a system with bad messages so that good messages are unable to get through the network, essentially shutting down all wireless communications through a wireless access point. A secure network will incorporate resistance to denial-ofservice attacks through a combination of authentication, mesh network, redundant paths and a performancedesigned architecture for mesh networks to minimise the effects. When evaluating the type of security needed for your wireless network, consider the location of your plant and pipeline(s), the potential harm that could come from a security breach and the criticality of the data being transmitted. For a network that requires high security, a system should offer strong encryption, robust authentication and layered protection from attack. It is also important that the system offers end-to-end data encryption, meaning the data should remain encrypted until it reaches a wired network. Taking into account the operating environment of a wireless network, available network bandwidth, transmitter reporting speeds and battery life, along with security requirements, provides a strong foundation for selecting the correct wireless network. Remote tank readings In the case of Reliance Industries (RIL), India s largest private sector company serving the energy and materials value-chain markets, the company faced difficulties obtaining reliable tank level and temperature readings from its furthest-removed crude spheres. RIL s existing wired network was located remotely within its facility, creating problems for its technicians to keep the system maintained and online. To address its reporting challenges, RIL determined a wireless network would deliver the greatest business value. The company selected a wireless mesh network because of its ability to cover a greater area and provide system failover if a transmitter were to go offline. By switching from a wired network to a wireless network to monitor its remote crude spheres, RIL was able to save costs from instrumentation cable, labour and maintenance. The result from the implementation is that RIL no longer records inaccurate measurements, which causes suboptimal capacity usage and potential accounting errors. The open standard The majority of wireless technologies are configured using an open standard protocol. This enables the network to work with a variety of applications old and new. There are several standard wired open interface protocols in use, such as Modbus, OPC, HART, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus and Ethernet. In practice, the protocol the wireless network uses will not impact its implementation. Instead, it is important to verify that the wireless network is developed to support open protocol standards. Having a wireless network based on an open protocol allows the system to connect across a variety of legacy and new applications that may be in use in a facility. This will allow the network to service the entire facility and not just a single department. A wireless network can be used across a variety of applications. Knowing how the wireless network will be used will help determine what type of equipment is needed for your application. Industrial applications of wireless technology The capabilities of wireless technology for the refining and hydrocarbon processing industries are immense and include pressure, corrosion, temperature and gas emissions monitoring, tank level management, preventative maintenance programmes, asset management and personnel tracking, along with enabling twoway communication. An example of the critical role wireless technology can play in monitoring pressure inside oil pipelines comes from Repsol YPF. The company completed an underwater pipeline crossing of the Rio Colorado in Argentina. The crossing consisted of installing one oil pipeline, two gas pipelines and a 585m aqueduct under the river to connect its Medoza Head and Neuquen Head oil fields. Government regulations required that the pipeline be actively monitored to avoid possible spills into the river in the event of a pipe breakage. To ensure the pipeline remained secure and did not harm the environment, Repsol choose to continuously monitor the pipeline s pressure and integrate the data into a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) reporting system. To transmit the data from the reporting system, Repsol evaluated installing both a wireless and wired network. The company determined that using wireless technology to connect the Mendoza Head and Neuquen Head would provide the greatest cost savings. Repsol implemented wireless pressure transmitters with 4 20 ma outputs at both heads and used an existing remote terminal unit at its Neuquen Head to send data to its SCADA system. In addition to the cost savings Repsol achieved by implementing the wireless network versus a wired network, the wireless network eliminated data transmission faults found in wiring, marshalling panels and junction boxes. Installing one or multiple wireless networks For Repsol, its decision to implement a single wireless network topology worked seamlessly to resolve the problem it had identified. The company determined right away that the wireless network would only be used in a single application monitoring pipeline pressure. By determining that the wireless network would only be used for a single application, Repsol eliminated the need for a multipoint network or an even larger mesh network. A single industrial wireless network topology offers greater flexibility for users. It can support both controllevel applications as well as 90 PTQ Q

4 device-level applications, capable of communicating with wireless transmitters and Wi-Fi devices. This wireless network is basically an extension of the process control network. The topology will rely on W-VLAN technology to create a logical network for applications such as human-machine interface process displays and electronic operator round applications. A single wireless network is easier to maintain and monitor at the plant level. These single networks use a high-speed backbone to transmit data so that wireless devices leverage the wireless backhaul. This reduces the latency between field devices and controller, and increases the battery lifetime of the wireless devices. When and how to mesh Mesh networks are considered the most comprehensive of industrial wireless solutions, but they may not be the right decision for all deployments. Again, determining the correct wireless network topology is dependent on identifying how the network will be used. Wireless mesh networks improve data transmission reliability by efficiently using the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bandwidth to provide transmission redundancy. Since communication devices using the ISM bands must tolerate any interference from ISM equipment, these bands are typically intended for unlicensed operation. Unlicensed operations need to be tolerant of interference from other devices. In the US, for instance, ISM band usage is governed by the Federal Communications Commission. To mitigate signal interference in the limited ISM bands, an efficient mesh network will employ a frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS). This technique modulates the data signal with a carrier signal that periodically hops frequencies across a wide band. Through the relaying process, a packet of wireless data will find its way to its destination, passing through intermediate nodes with reliable communication links. Wireless mesh networks are also able to self-heal in the event of a network failure due to an incident such as a truck hitting a node. The signal will be rerouted away from the damaged node through other points to ensure critical information such as process data is delivered. In general, there are two types of mesh network: sensor and backbone. Sensor meshes use a series of sensors to communicate with one another in a localised area. Backbone meshes involve powered nodes that communicate with each other across wider distances, connecting various parts of the plant. These nodes enable thousands of devices, from field instruments, mobile worker devices to voice and video communications, to co-exist on a single network infrastructure. Manufacturers typically decide to employ a multifunctional backbone mesh network for two main reasons. First, the decision can be based on the number of points needing to be monitored and the geographical 92 PTQ Q

5 dispersion of those points. The more areas on a plant floor that require monitoring the more cost effective installing a wireless backbone mesh network becomes. Second, some companies place a high value on reliable communications with predictable battery life and update rates. A backbone mesh network takes advantage of routing through powered nodes, which allows the devices to conserve battery power and offer flexible update rates. Implementing wireless on a large scale Colombia-based Hocol, an exploration and production company, wanted to increase the production efficiency of three of its four production fields. The oil fields in the Magdalena valley, which spans from the lower extremes of the Andes mountains, at Huila, through the Tatacoa desert and past the snow-capped mountain, Nevado del Tolima, are in some of the world s most geographically and environmentally challenging locations. To achieve greater production rates in its oil fields, Hocol realised that it would need to increase equipment uptime and worker safety. The company identified that these objectives would be achieved by: Improving operator effectiveness through better visualisation of the producing wells to enable timely and qualified production decisions Reducing routine rounds for operational personnel to minimise the amount of driving time Eliminating routine well surveillance rounds so operational personnel can focus on activities that will increase production Increasing the capability for remote oil and gas production-based activities. To achieve these objectives, Hocol determined that, of its 110 wells, on 36 well pads, they only produced into one of four production facilities. To improve the distribution of material to its production facilities, the company knew the following information exchange was required: SCADA with respective well pad SCADA with remote users such as the ESP/VSD manufacturers so optimum production set points can be managed by these manufacturers on a performance contract SCADA with the main pipeline pump station Information exchange with the production facility control system SCADA with the produced water treatment plant. For these disparate systems to communicate effectively, it was determined that the well pads would contain a programmable logic controller (PLC) using wireless communication to field transmitters, as well as hardwired interfaces to variable-speed drives for individual wells. Given that the terrain s topology and vegetation were not favourable for long-distance point-to-point or multipoint communication, Hocol decided to use satellite communication to gather well pad information from the PLCs. The use of PLCs to communicate wirelessly with field transmitters connected with satellite technology gave the company the flexibility to make well additions, deletions or production method changes, as well as further control advancements. Production at the well pads is controlled by a host redundant controller (PLC). At each of the wellheads, Hocol uses wireless field transmitters to collect process information into the PLC. This information is then transmitted to production centres, where the oil wells are monitored remotely. With the wireless solution enabling remote monitor capabilities, a primary producing well can be converted to a progressive cavity, pump-lifted well in real-time. Additionally, to ensure the interoperability of transmission exchanges from the well pads to the production centres, and vice versa, Hocol installed Modbus gateways on some if its well pads. An example of Hocol s success in using wireless technology comes from its Columbia well. Prior to remote monitoring, the well produced 86 barrels a day with a 50% water cut, or approximately 43 barrels of crude daily. Once remote monitoring was implemented, an analysis of a shut-in well test identified the source of a high well-skin pressure drop. After corrective action was taken, the Columbian well improved production by 1700%, from 40 to 750 barrels of crude per day. Long-term investment Deploying a wireless network is a long-term investment. The advantages extend beyond plant efficiency and towards preparing the business for future growth and efficiency. A wireless network needs to be able to grow and expand with the business, so the total cost to implement and support the network well into the future must be considered. While wired networks can easily co-exist, wireless networks share the same limited air space. Without considering inevitable expansion, the addition of new wireless networks could create conflicts. Wireless technology offers benefits beyond just wire-related cost avoidance, such as real-time access to previously difficult to collect data, and employee efficiency and safety. Plants can provide wireless connections between their wireless transmitters and controllers to connect remote controllers and I/Os. They can also benefit from reliability-related applications, such as vibration transmitters for rotary equipment, safety wireless devices, tablet PCs, handhelds and wireless cameras for access to real-time data. Experion, XYR and OneWireless are marks of Honeywell International Inc. Jerry Stanek is a Honeywell Global Vertical Segment Manager for Oil and Gas, based in Houston, Texas. He has more than 30 years experience in oil and gas, including roles as an upstream production client, an engineering and procurement contractor, and vendor. He has a bachelor s degree in telecommunications from Seattle City University. jerry.stanek@honeywell.com Jeff Becker is Director of Global Wireless Business for Honeywell Process Solutions, Phoenix, Arizona, responsible for all aspects of the company s wireless business. His career spans a variety of engineering, sales, marketing, and general management roles. He has a bachelor s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, San Diego. jeff.becker@honeywell.com PTQ Q

OneWireless Network Overview

OneWireless Network Overview Manufacturers are turning to innovative wireless applications and services to help meet higher productivity goals and respond to stricter security and environmental regulations.