Emerson AMS Suite monitors the health of critical instruments and control valves at Lyondellbasell
A project
was initiated at Channelview North to determine if Emerson’s Smart Wireless
technology could be a satisfactory alternative for obtaining diagnostic data
from smart field devices and other equipment. The test project proved wireless
communications to be very well suited for use in established plants where legacy
control systems offer operators and maintenance reliability staff minimal
information on the health of critical field devices. Two mesh networks using the
WirelessHART™ communication standard were established in the BT Unit by
attaching Smart Wireless THUM™ Adapters to 65 instruments and digital valve
positioners. The THUM adapter can be retrofit on any existing two or four-wire
HART device to provide continuous transmission of diagnostic information
generated by the device. Each THUM Adapter not only transmits data wirelessly
but also acts as a router for other THUM Adapters on the network, passing
transmissions along until they reach a Smart Wireless Gateway. If there is an
obstruction, the self-organizing network simply finds an alternate path.