Berkshire Hathaway

Alert #9

Tomorrow we will be discussing BHE and the potential created by the combination of IIoT, IIoW and the BHE service we are providing.  You can register for this 10:00 a.m. meeting at Weekly IIoT Webinars.

IIoT empowered by IIoW (Wisdom)

The focus tomorrow will be on coal-fired power plants but the big potential for BHE is to take a broad perspective.  For example condensate filter issues are similar whether you are operating gas turbines or coal plants.  In fact BHE has coal plants with ACC for cooling.  So there are the same particulate contamination issues which you will have with gas turbine plants using ACC. 

The successful upgrade of the lubrication filter on a pulverizer at Jim Bridger can be useful knowledge for BHE people operating wind turbines as well as GTCC plants.  IIoT will track performance of each lubrication system at each plant.  BHE people can be supplied with valuable information on an alert, regular news, or upon demand basis.

Combustion Optimization is just part of the bigger picture

With the new administration there is the likelihood of continued operation of BHE coal plants for some time.  Ongoing investigation and piloting of combustion optimization promises an attractive ROI.  But optimization can be extended to all the processes in each plant with IIoT systems.  The webinar tomorrow will be identifying these opportunities

BHE personnel now receive the IIoT and Remote O&M newsletter monthly

All BHE subscribers receive a number of monthly newsletters from McIlvaine. One has been the Air Pollution Monitoring Newsletter.  This newsletter has now been expanded to IIoT and Remote O&M newsletter.  The March issue will be sent to you in the next few weeks.  Here are headlines from last month:

Yara NO_x Control Inventory Management and Telemetry Services to Optimize Reagent Usage

The Yara telemetry solution can help manage, and in some cases, optimize SNCR and SCR reagent logistics. The telemetry solution is a web-based remote monitoring system which:

·          Increases security of supply of  NO_x reduction reagent

·         Simplifies reagent ordering and stock management

·          Increases data management control

·          Increases security of supply

The telemetry system handles reagent stock levels, triggering a delivery when a predefined level is met. All telemetry orders are automatically delivered, securing supply to where it is needed. This flexibility allows for operator resources to fully focus on other business needs.

Yara can provide installation of everything from tank level monitoring, to data collection and transfer, to a user friendly web-based monitoring system, which can be accessed from the owner’s process computers, office computers or smart-phones and tablets. The system is flexible, and can also be used to collect and monitor other measurement data, such as temperature, pressure or chemical sensors.

BHE could negotiate programs for reagent supply for all the gas turbine and coal-fired plants

Wallace & Tierman^® Data Management Process Monitoring System

The Process Monitoring System PMS is an intelligent visualization system with an advanced architecture for data communication and Internet technology. This Wallace & Tiernan^® data management system can be used as a simple data acquisition and visualization solution. Four user levels are used to permit access to the operating data.

Internet capable devices such as PCs, laptops and smart phones can be used to analyze and visualize Wallace & Tiernan^® devices connected to the RS 485 bus. They can be connected using a number of connection options, for instance via a LAN or modem. A LAN port is provided as default on every PMS device. A version with an integrated analog 56K modem is available as an option, and standard internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google chrome can be used.

The Process Monitoring System is not just a visualization system but also provides nonvolatile data storage device — even for future data volumes. The archived data is save in CSV format (comma separated values) and can be downloaded at the click of a mouse and imported into Excel or other databases. The PMS device automatically creates monthly files for each device that is connected to the bus. These files are updated on a daily basis and can be downloaded via the web interface or copies directly from the memory card.

Features include:

• Data visualization using an integrated web server
• Remote device configuration and maintenance
• Can only be accessed by authorized users
• Archive files remotely accessible
• E-mail function for scheduled status reports or even-driven mails triggered by preconfigured alarms
• Data archiving to memory card
• Integrated, battery-buffered real-time clock.

Evoqua is the parent company of Wallace & Tiernan. The company is now a participant in the BHE Energy and Supplier Connect Program.  Two contacts are:

Scott Berrum, scott.berrum@evoqua.com

Walter Kozlowski, walter.kozlowski@evoqua.com