POWER May 2016 - 51

INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROLS
ble parts from different vendors at different
times. However, achieving success in that
brave new world would require purchasers
and plant operators who are sufficiently
sophisticated to make wise decisions. That
could be a challenge.
I had the opportunity to talk with representatives
of some ICS providers at IHS
CERAWeek a week after the Automationworld.com
article came out, and I asked
them what they thought the implications
of a new open controls system might be for
them and for the power industry. After that
event I asked a few other control system
vendors about this idea, and they responded
via email. Honeywell declined to comment.
Schneider Electric
In the Automationworld.com story, Schneider
Electric's Gary Freburger, president, process
automation, industry business, was quoted
as saying, " We have a good majority of the
technology and products needed [for an
open control system], " but, he added, " The
question is around the implications from a
business perspective, because it's not just a
technology discussion. "
" Specifically, " the article explained, " it
means changing the business model that ICS
2. Closed vs. open controls. Proprietary, closed, industrial control systems bundle
hardware, software, and communications components, whereas open systems, as in this simplified
representation, would enable à la carte selection of components from multiple vendors,
represented by multiple colors. Source: POWER
Closed
Communications
Software
Hardware
vs.
Software
Hardware
Software
Hardware
vendors have adhered to over the years, which
includes engagement over the lifetime of the
system from maintenance and support to upgrades.
This is a model upon which ICS suppliers
have generated revenue after the initial
system installation.
" Now, manufacturers like ExxonMobil
are asking for a lower long-term cost of ownership
and the flexibility of working with
multiple vendors in order to plug in interchangeable
hardware. "
When I asked Freburger about this at IHS
CERAWeek, he said that ExxonMobil had
standardized on Honeywell controls in the
1980s in its downstream applications, and
the system is going to be obsolete soon, so
the oil company is looking for a more open
structure with separate software, hardware,
and connectivity systems-rather than the
Open
Communications
Software
Hardware
Software
Hardware
Software
Hardware
fully integrated systems currently available
from multiple vendors. " Theoretically, "
he said, " they could mix and match any of
them " (Figure 2).
Philosophically, Freburger said, his company
agrees with the direction in which ExxonMobil
is headed, but " it's not clear if it's completely
viable, because it's a pretty significant change in
the industry. " Schneider has been working with
the oil company over the past three years, looking
at how to replace the existing systems. Freburger
thinks that ExxonMobil will move to an
open system, where the majority of the control
work will be done at the device level, with the
assistance of lots of sensors.
" Potentially, that's the way the market will
go, " he said, and Schneider is working with
the two companies to help them " prove out
that process, which they're targeting for the
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23546
May 2016 | POWER
www.powermag.com
51
Cooling Water
& Condensers
Guidebook
23416

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POWER May 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER May 2016