Enhanced Version of Safety Instrumented System Released for Greater Efficiency in System Configuration and Engineering

Yokogawa Electric Corporation (the Netherlands) has announced it will be releasing an enhanced version of the ProSafe(R)-RS safety instrumented system (SIS) on November 27. This new version, R4.01, features an exciting expansion of Yokogawa's lineup of I/O devices and introduces crucial new SIS components. In addition, the FieldMate(TM) Validator software has been enhanced to work with this latest version of ProSafe-RS.

In the oil, natural gas, petrochemical, iron & steel, and other energy and basic materials industries, accident prevention and protection of the environment are paramount concerns in plant operations. Accordingly, there is a growing demand for SISs that can detect abnormal conditions and safely initiate emergency shutdowns.

To keep pace with the ever evolving business and technology landscape and respond to customers' needs for solutions that will deliver maximum return on assets and minimise total cost of ownership, Yokogawa has continued to strengthen the functions of the ProSafe-RS SIS. With R4.01, plant operators can be assured of an optimum engineering environment that spans the entire plant lifecycle, from plant design and the engineering and installation of systems and devices to the start-up of production, maintenance, and renovation.

SISs rely on field I/O devices for the transfer of data to and from sensors, valves, and other types of field instruments. Using this data, they can detect abnormal conditions and safely initiate emergency shutdowns. Depending on the instrument model, the type of electric signal used to transfer this data varies. With a conventional FIO device, a compatible I/O module is needed for each signal type.

The N-IO field I/O device developed for use with ProSafe-RS fulfills the functions of smart configurable I/O, enabling software marshalling and flexible I/O assignment. It has an I/O module that accommodates multiple I/O signal types and allows configuration of an individual signal type for each point. Both analogue and digital I/O signals, which account for the majority of I/O signal traffic, can be handled solely through software settings. With the N-IO, it is no longer necessary to replace the I/O module, reducing the amount of rewiring that must be done when changing sensor types and/or layouts during a plant revamp. This significantly reduces the amount of work that has to be performed by plant engineers and maintenance personnel. The N-IO device can also be used together with conventional FIO devices.

In addition, Yokogawa has signed OEM agreements with Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH and MTL Instruments Group Limited under which Yokogawa will receive baseplates and market them as its own products. These will be used in combination with the company's N-IO modules and intrinsic safety (IS) isolators procured from the two companies. Both partners have solid track records in the development of interface products for use in hazardous areas. This tie-up means Yokogawa is able to ensure that the N-IO conforms to the major IS regulations in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Upon installation of a field instrument and completion of all wiring, the wiring must be checked. Until now, such verification could only be conducted using the SIS's engineering screen, which required engineers to wait for all field I/O devices to be installed and the entire SIS, including all operation/monitoring stations and system controllers, to be set up.

The N-IO loop commissioning software, which is used to verify the wiring and relevant operations for any newly installed field instrument or field I/O device, has been modified to support ProSafe-RS R4.01. When FieldMate establishes a connection with an N-IO device, the FieldMate Validator tool can check in real time the wiring of all field instruments, based on the control loop I/O information in the SIS's application software, to verify that they are operating correctly. An industry first, there is no longer the need for the entire SIS to be installed to do this, thus saving significant time and providing added versatility in project execution. FieldMate Validator will be released in early December.

ProSafe-RS R4.01 features AD Suite, the same engineering environment used with the CENTUM VP integrated control system, allowing the integrated management of CENTUM VP and ProSafe-RS data. With this feature, ProSafe-RS engineers can use AD Suite to design the I/O. AD Suite also has functions for managing the change history and recording changes that save time when renovating systems.

Applications and major target markets include: use with emergency shutdown systems (ESD), burner management systems (BMS), and fire and gas systems (FGS) in process industries such as oil and natural gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, electric power, pharmaceuticals, and iron and steel.