Digital automation on majority of coal-fired units

Emerson digital automation has been selected for the majority of coal-fired units currently under construction in US Utilities, offering quicker plant start-up and commissioning, plus O+M savings

Emerson Process Management has announced that over the last 18 months the company has been selected to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system at 12 new US coal-fired units.

In fact, Emerson has been selected more often than any other control system vendor to automate new plants, reinforcing the company as the supplier of choice for the power generation industry.

Emerson control systems are already installed in plants representing roughly 300,000 MW of generating capacity, which is equivalent to 40 percent of average peak demand in the United States.

The 12 new units, which are all expected to go into commercial operation within the next five years, represent nearly 7,000 MW of new generating capacity that will help US utilities satisfy an increasing demand for electricity.

The majority of these new units are taking advantage of industry standard communications protocols, such as Foundation fieldbus, DeviceNet and Profibus-DP.

Extensive use of digital bus-based technologies offers significant benefits throughout the lifecycle of a plant.

During the plant start-up/commissioning phase, these technologies help lower wiring costs and streamline device installation, communications verification and troubleshooting.

Over the long term, the wealth of information made available by digital bus technologies and intelligent field devices can be used to optimise plant operations and maintenance activities, as well as avoid costly unplanned outages.

"In the United States and around the world, Emerson has experienced first hand how power generators are increasingly adopting a digital bus-based approach for new construction," said Bob Yeager, president of the Power and Water Solutions division of Emerson.

"We are gratified that so many utilities trust Emerson to execute digital bus-based automation solutions for their new generating units".

Emerson PlantWeb digital architecture is the blueprint for implementing a comprehensive, digital bus-based solution that incorporates high-speed communications networks, intelligent field devices, wireless communications, asset management software, and bus I/O technologies.

Emerson Ovation control systems, key technologies of PlantWeb, is designed specifically to meet the challenges of the power generation industry.

The Ovation system boasts a number of industry-leading advanced technologies, including incorporation of embedded advanced control algorithms; a mission-critical, fast Ethernet network for high-speed communication of plant information; the industry's most powerful controller with the fastest duty cycle available; and a full line of analogue, digital and special-purpose turbine and boiler I/O modules among others.

"Technically speaking, this is an exciting time for the power generation industry," said Yeager.

"Emerson has been at the forefront, championing integrated, digital automation technologies for this industry.

It is rewarding to see this new generation of power plants deploying technologies that will have a positive impact on their operations not just initially, but over their entire service life".

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