Larger size capabilities of Coriolis Flow-
meter allow greater applicability for
process applications
technology are all about smart positioners
which supply new features about self-
diagnostic and analysis capability.
Many manufacturers have many products
with new tech nologies everyday even with
well-known measuring concepts. The new
features of modern smart transmitters
and control valves smart positioners that
provide large amount of data become very
crucial. Hence, in my opinion the recent
technology in process instrumentation
is how to get the most benefits of these
data by applying analysis techniques
using special software tools in order
to support the decision making in any
facility regarding optimized cost, waste
reduction, and enhanced productivity.
Those software tools may be parts of ERP
(Enterprise Resource Planning) software.
However, in my region, these software
applications incur resistance to be applied
but sooner or later they will be found in
any new facility.
The clamp-on ultrasonic flow-meters with
their transducers that simply attached to
the outside of the pipe are also considered
one of the recent technologies with their
effective feature as portable flow-meters.
Although this type was found many years
ago, the recent technology makes it now
more accurate and reliable.
One can observe new technologies in
Control Valves regarding the severe
applications operability and higher
reliability. However, the most effective new
10
PECM Issue 31
It is obviously that the new technologies
of process instrumentation could not be
separated from the new technologies of
BPCS (Basic Process Control System) and
SIS (Safety Instrumented System).
Everyday, we hear that a certain
manufacturer celebrates, for example, the
first level transmitter from certain type
certified for SIL 2 (SIL : Safety Integrity
Level is a measure of reliability / integrity
of safety instrumented system when
a process demand occurs. The level of
reliability is defined in the scale of 1 to 4
as SIL-1, SIL-2, SIL-3 & SIL-4; wherein SIL-4
designates highest reliability level of safety
instrumented system). We also may hear
about how a control valve from certain
manufacturer has better applicability to be
used in an SIS and so on.
The enhanced features of modern
transmitters and valve positioners,
including self-diagnostics, updated data
communication and analysis capabilities
that can provide on-line monitoring for
condition-based predictive maintenance
capabilities that improve equipment
reliability and reduce the likelihood of
forced outages will make use of up-to-
date communication protocols used in
BPCS latest technologies such as HART,
Foundation Fieldbus, and Profibus.
Nobody can disregard the fastest
growing technology of industrial wireless
system which maybe one of the best
practices in the near future after all
that effort exerted by ISA (International
Society of Automation) till reaching
ISA-100.11a-2011, “Wireless Systems for
Industrial Automation: Process Control
and Related Applications” which has been
recently approved by the IEC (International
Electrotechnical Commission) as a PAS
(publicly available specification).