COST-EFFECTIVE SCADA SYSTEMS Presented by: Tritech Group Ltd. PAUL MCRAE
Summary Background Defining Cost-effectiveness Tech trends and IT/SCADA synergies Small system challenges Case studies and lessons learned
Definitions Value for dollar Initial capital and integration costs Recognizing maintenance requirements Maximizing system lifetime
IT Trends & SCADA Virtualization Backup/recovery planning Decoupling SCADA HMI software from hardware, improved upgrade paths Mobile Accessibility Web-based, standardized presentation (HTML5) Smart device ubiquity, growth of high-bandwidth cellular connections Remote operator access Connectivity options for telemetry Privacy/Security Multifactor authentication Encryption Network intrusion monitoring, security testing
IT/SCADA synergies Increased ability to leverage existing IT resources Virtualization Backup/recovery planning Decoupling SCADA HMI software from hardware, improved upgrade paths Network intrusion monitoring, security testing Secure remote devices (group policy administration) Flexibility in implementation Server placement Maintenance and infrastructure options: Cloud based SCADA Wider remote access support HTML5 vs Flash RDS, VNC for traditional HMIs
Small system challenges Lack of internal resources Lack dedicated IT staff or are understaffed Operations and IT skill-sets often have little overlap Reliance on outside consultants/contractors Lack of existing infrastructure Costly to establish new communication networks Lack of suitable environment for computer equipment
Alternatives? Single sites: Data Acquisition Systems/Dataloggers Remote accessibility Event and alarm handling (email/sms) Low Maintenance (embedded platforms) Industrially hardened, wide temperature tolerances Multipurpose: Protocol conversion with optional communication modules Potential future expansion to SCADA Cloud-based solutions Create a communication infrastructure quickly Reduced maintenance requirements
Case Study 1: Town of Banff Current SCADA HMI user Inadequate support from local contractors Multiple HMI vendor packages Shared operations personnel using interfaces that employed different standards Multiple alarm systems, reliability issues Existing communications FHSS serial radio network, contraints on growth Fibre backbone between major town sites
CS1 (Banff) - Goals Improve reliability, disaster recovery Improve remote accessibility Improve interface consistency Improve ease of maintenance Expand communication network System growth potential
CS1(Banff): Outcomes Reliability, Consistency: Separate servers connected over existing fibre backbone Harmonized equipment, user interface and alarm handling Integration of cell-based VPN connections into existing client gateway Accessibility: Web-based remote access through existing client-maintained gateway Consistency: Single HMI, alarm-handling systems Growth: Connectivity to sensitive remote sites through cell-based VPN Potential integration into modelling tools
Case Study 2: Little Bow Resort Small WTP operator with wide seasonal variations in demand Low operating budget, contracted operations Little existing instrumentation, local alarm annunciation
CS2 (LBR): Goals Improve data collection Remote access to process visualization and instrument data Improve alarm handling and remote annunciation Retain low system maintenance requirements Low cost
CS2 (LBR): Outcomes Remote access and improved data collection: Standalone smart datalogger Web server for remote access Configurable interface using mimics Standard.csv export for existing Excel report integration Improved Alarm handling Voice-capable alarm dialler with email backup Low system maintenance requirements Industrial embedded platforms (Datalogger, HMI, Alarm dialler) High physical environment tolerances Longer patch cycle
Conclusion Assess client resources against maintenance requirements Engaging existing client resources adds value to a project For some systems, simple data acquisition systems can serve multiple roles in addition to lowering maintenance requirements.
Presented By Paul McRae Tritech Group Ltd.