Remote - Fall 2012 - (Page 28)

Industry News Open Systems International, Inc. (OSI) and South American partner, Tecnet S.A. have been selected by Transelec S.A., to supply a centralized SCADA/EMS system in replacement of a legacy Siemens system. Operation of this extensive network to this point has been achieved through the use of a common SCADA/EMS system, shared between Transelec and other utilities. In order to modernize and achieve optimal operation, Transelec has chosen to implement a state-of-the-art new SCADA/EMS system based on OSI’s monarch platform. Transelec’s monarch based SCADA/EMS system is set to include a .NET based graphical user interface (GUI), remote console GUI, dynamic tabular display subsystem, data engineering and maintenance subsystem, alarm management, real-time and historical trending, data archiving; intercontrol center communications protocol, calculation and scripting subsystem, disturbance data collection, network security analysis and switching order management software products, with monarch interfaces to ODBC and SNMP. “Transelec is always looking for ways to incorporate more and better technology into its processes as part of a policy of continuous improvement; therefore, we are pleased to implement a new SCADA/EMS system to automate our area of operations which is relevant to the company. We look forward to forming alliances with providers of excellence,” said Rodrigo Lopez, vice president of operations, Transelec. Transelec S.A. Selects OSI Technology for New SCADA/EMS System Machine builder markets, especially in Europe and Asia, hold a strong position. Because they use PLCs widely, the demand for the I/O modules, which are attached to the PLCs, also enjoyed strong growth. On the other hand, demand for process automation has lagged somewhat. Cash flows for those projects were cut off because of the recession and this situation continued even into 2011. Thus, the market for DCS I/O modules, which is closely associated with the process industries, grew slower than that for PLC I/O modules. However, worldwide PLC I/O module revenues make up more than half of the total I/O module target, which thus had quite strong growth. The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) has recently launched WATERiD, an on-line living knowledge base, that permits utilities to easily share their experiences, information and lessons learned in managing the nation’s water infrastructure. Developed by Dr. Sunil Sinha, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, WATERiD will help the nation address the challenges associated with the aging and deteriorating wastewater and water infrastructure. WATERiD is unique in that it allows utilities to share their lessons learned and thus avoid repeating mistakes. This sharing is accomplished through a wiki-like capability for utilities to submit their information on cost, performance and capability of various technologies. Then, utilities can easily access all of the information necessary to assess whether a practice or technology is right for their application. “Having an expansive knowledge base for condition assessment and renewal technologies that can assist drinking water and wastewater entities to more effectively put comprehensive asset management into practice, and meet their Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act requirements,” said Thomas Speth, director, Water Supply & Water Resources Division, US EPA Office of Research and Development. New WERF Research Project Enables Better Communication Among Utilities Semaphore, a CSE Global company, has welcomed InstruLogic Corp. as a distribution partner for Semaphore’s T-BOX and Kingfisher SCADA system product lines. InstruLogic is now a Semaphore authorized distributor for customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Semaphore’s Kingfisher RTU series is based on an automation technology platform for SCADA applications. Kingfisher features an embedded programming environment that is compliant with both IEC 61131-3 and 61499 as well as an enhanced DNP3 protocol suite, security platform, complete array of communications networks and advanced functionality including redundancy. Kingfisher Plus+ is a modular RTU that offers expansion up to 192 communications ports and 1024 I/O points. T-BOX employs a decentralized architecture that enables the complete integration of programmable automation, alarm management, data logging and IP telemetry in a single, rugged package. Simple yet powerful platforms leverage web technologies and push messaging via e-mail, SMS text, and FTP. T-BOX systems are easy to configure and offer dramatically reduced costs versus traditional PLC and SCADA architectures. Semaphore Reaches SCADA Distribution Agreement With InstruLogic Corp. IMS Research has released its latest report on the world market for I/O modules. It shows that the market, especially for programmable logic controllers (PLC)I/O modules, recovered quite strongly after the recession with double-digit growth in both 2010 and 2011. However, recovery of the distributed control system (DCS ) I/O market was somewhat slower. I/O modules, which are mostly used with controllers, are essential components in complex automation systems. By adding more I/O modules, the scope and flexibility of an entire automation system can be enhanced. PLCs, for example, can move towards their control capability to the field level by adding remote I/O modules. There are many active vendors in this market, including as suppliers of a complete range of automation products and specialists which mainly provide I/O modules. Broadly, I/O modules can be segmented into three categories by controller type (PLCs, DCS and industrial PCs), the most commonly used products in automation. The world recession hurt the industrial automation market, with the market for each controller type falling more than 20 percent from 2008 to 2009. The I/O market also decreased due to the lower demand for controller products. 28 www.RemoteMagazine.com PLC I/Os Led the Way in 2011 While DCS I/Os Lagged ReliOn and Hy9 are collaborating on the development of an integrated fuel processor for fuel cell products. The program will bring together ReliOn’s strengths in hydrogen fuel cell technology and product engineering and Hy9’s expertise in reforming and hydrogen purification systems. ReliOn and Hy9 will work together on the development of the subsystems, controls and the systems integration of the new liquid fuel-based power system. The fuel processor, or reformer, converts a liquid fuel, in this case methanol and water, into hydrogen for use with ReliOn’s fuel cell products, including its E-series fuel cell systems. The development process is on schedule for ReliOn to deliver first demonstration prototypes during third quarter 2012, with customer evaluation units available before the end of the year. Customers will be delivered a fully integrated product that supports a range of power applications up to 10 kW, providing telecom regulated DC power from a methanol-based liquid fuel. The introduction of the liquid fuel-based product line will expand ReliOn’s market reach into new geographic regions and applications where liquid fuel may be advantageous over gaseous hydrogen due to availability or logistics and based on the energy needs of the application. ReliOn and Hy9 Collaborate on Fuel Processor for Fuel Cell Products Cambium Networks and S&C Electric Join Forces to Improve Smart Grid Communications Cambium Networks and S&C Electric company have formed a partnership that will strengthen the S&C portfolio of solutions delivered to their electric utility customers, and extend market reach for Cambium into the electric utility sector. Cambium Networks’ point-to-point (PTP) and point-to-multipoint (PMP) wireless broadband radio platforms expand S&C’s existing portfolio, which includes the IntelliCom WAN Mesh radio and SpeedNet radio offerings, providing utility customers with all the tools necessary for optimal grid communications network design. “The requirements of the many applications found on the grid, such as distribution automation, CVR/VVAR and AMI backhaul, as a few examples, vary tremendously in terms of their requirements of data speed, latency and priority of service. Accordingly, no single communication de- http://www.RemoteMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote - Fall 2012

Remote - Fall 2012
Contents
Editor's Choice
New Opportunities in a Wireless World
Why Land-lines May Still be the Best Option for Your Remote Monitoring Network
SCADA Systems – The Best Choice For Water and Wastewater Remote Monitoring
M2M: Why Remote Monitoring Matters
SCADA
Networking
ZigBee Resource Guide
Security
Onsite Power
Enclosures
Environmental Monitoring
Naval Security and Energy Initiatives: Taking Control
Wireless Sensors and Cloud Platform Provides Real-Time Vineyard Environmental Monitoring
Industry News
Simulcast Expands Channel Availability and Cuts Expenses for Public Safety Communications

Remote - Fall 2012