5 th May 2006 Page 1 of 4 Emerson Fieldbus Technology used to Upgrade Temperature Monitoring at Largest UK Coal Fired Power Station Emerson Process Management has supplied FOUNDATION TM fieldbus based Rosemount temperature transmitters and interface units to transmit data from over 500 temperature monitoring points on one of the boiler and turbine systems at Drax Power Station, the largest, cleanest and most efficient coal fired power station in the UK. The Emerson solution was chosen by Drax Power and Capula, the contractor undertaking the refurbishment, following presentations and demonstrations of interfacing the Rosemount 3420 fieldbus interface module to their Schneider PLC host system. Drax Power Station uses six steam boilers to generate up to 4000MW, at current output levels Drax supplies enough power to meet 7% of UK demand. The main fuel used is pulverised coal, but Drax Power has developed the capability to burn alternative fuels such as biomass, to blend and burn with the coal. The temperature sensors are mainly thermocouples used for monitoring the boiler tubes, superheater and re-heater, plus turbine and generator temperatures, in high density arrangements, to detect any irregularities or hot spots. The monitoring thermocouples are linked individually to one of the 70 Rosemount 848T eight input temperature transmitters supplied on this project: the ambient temperature specification (up to +85ºC) of the 848T units allows them to operate accurately in the existing cabinets located in the high temperature environment around the boiler. Up to 13 of the Rosemount 848T units can be powered from one FOUNDATION fieldbus segment, transmitting the temperature measurements from up to 104 sensors along two wires.
Page 2 of 4 The link between the site fieldbus segments and the host PLC system is provided by seven Rosemount 3420 fieldbus interface modules: these each power up to four separate FOUNDATION fieldbus segments and retransmit the data over a Modbus RS485 serial connection. The Rosemount 3420 unit also provides an Ethernet port for separate connection of a supervisory PC, which can be used to configure the unit, as needed for example when a sensor is changed. It also allows access to the diagnostic data available over the fieldbus which monitors the sensor and transmitter performance. While providing Drax Power with a neat and accurate system solution, the extra capabilities of the Rosemount 3420 will allow further investigation of any unusual heat patterns during tests of alternative fuels and firing systems. It will also reduce the complexity and time needed for the rewiring task on the current retrofit. Once installed, the availability of FOUNDATION fieldbus segments around the boiler will allow the addition of further test equipment or other sensors for plant condition monitoring, with relatively simple configuration to transmit the data back to the supervisory systems, and no extra wiring. - ENDS -
Page 3 of 4 Notes to the Editor: About Emerson Process Management Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is a leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, pulp and paper, power and other industries. A division of Emerson, Rosemount (www.emersonprocess.com/rosemount) is a global leader in high-precision pressure, temperature, level, and flow instrumentation. Rosemount best-in-class technology and expertise plays a key role in the Emerson mission of combining superior products and technology with industry-specific engineering, consulting, project management and maintenance services. Emerson brands include PlantWeb, Fisher, Micro Motion, Rosemount, Mobrey, Daniel, Bristol, DeltaV TM, Ovation, and AMS TM Suite. About Emerson Emerson is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2004 were $15.6 billion. For more information, visit www.gotoemerson.com. Rosemount is a mark of Emerson Process Management. FOUNDATION is a mark of The Fieldbus Foundation. Other marks are the property of their respective owners
Page 4 of 4 CONTACT ADDRESSES: If you wish to publish for your readers the address, telephone and fax details to contact Emerson Process Management, the relevant information is: Emerson Process Management, Horsfield Way, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SU UK Telephone: +44 (0) 870 240 1978 Fax: +44 (0) 870 240 4389 Email: uksales@emersonprocess.com Web: www.emersonprocess.com FURTHER PRESS INFORMATION: Our Ref: 500862 Issued by: HHC Lewis Limited 22-26 Commercial Road Southampton SO15 1GE UK Tel: +44 (0)23 8022 6361 Fax: +44 (0)23 8033 1585 Illustration: Photo enquiries: Technical enquiries to: Reader enquiries to: Photos are available to illustrate this release, and are shown on the attached sheet. Copies of these photos are available on request from Genevieve Nicholls. Genevieve Nicholls Email: genevieve.nicholls@hhc-lewis.co.uk Nick Denbow Email: nick.denbow@hhc-lewis.co.uk Rebecca Cadorette Emerson Process Management Horsfield Way Bredbury Industrial Estate Bredbury Stockport SK6 2SU UK Email: marcomms@emersonprocess.co.uk
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