Presidential Executive Order on Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity draws comprehensive response from ISA and AF U.S. Presidential Executive Order 13636, announced in President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address and signed on 12 February, is intended to confront the growing threats and risks of destructive and potentially deadly cyber attacks on the nation’s critical infrastructure. [...]
The commissioning and configuration of digital communications of a field-level network, such as Foundation Fieldbus, is fundamental to obtaining certification of the digital communication of the segments and, hence, approval to start up the plant. Despite the fact that the Fieldbus Foundation (FF) project may have been developed and designed following all concerns, standards, such [...]
As a result of the ISA Mentor Program, I have had the personal pleasure of seeing firsthand the enthusiasm and talent of new automation engineers. These engineers have incredible positive energy and computer skills. However, the challenges facing a person entering this profession are considerable. I had company training programs, technical presentations, in-house standards and [...]
Few measurements are as common and widespread in terms of application, operation, and variety as is level. This measurement is defined as the determination of the position of an existing interface between two media. These media are usually fluids, but they may be solids or a combination of a solid and a fluid. The interface [...]
The distillation process uses enormous amounts of energy, consuming up to 50 percent of a refinery’s operating costs due to intense heating and cooling cycles. Proper distillation tower operation can reduce energy consumption, but plant personnel need the right information in order to improve operation. Specifically, operators must have precise measurement and control of numerous [...]
One of the major benefits of the International Society of Automation’s (ISA) membership is ISA’s flagship magazine, InTech. Published six times a year, InTech is a peer-reviewed and trustworthy source, providing timely information about recent technical developments, trends in our industry, and details about the sector as a whole. InTech explores and reports on the [...]
Compressors are major pieces of capital equipment with long, effective lifespans. Unfortunately, control system obsolescence, plant reconfigurations, and changes in process requirements can all drive the need for a control system retrofit over the lifetime of the compressor, and the multivariable, nonlinear system architectures required for compressor control can cause fear and uncertainty for the [...]
The use of wireless transmission is part of everyone’s life. Every day, companies develop and update products with wireless capabilities. The benefits of mobility make the use of wireless equipment almost a necessity. The online life is now possible not only through computer desktops but also through cell phones, tablets, notebooks, and TVs, which makes [...]
Almost three decades ago, we control engineers were given a new task for which we were ill-prepared. We installed control systems with the capability to display real-time process control graphics for the operator. But the screens were blank, and we were responsible to fill them up. We had no available guidelines as to what constituted [...]
ON World’s 2012 survey shows continued growth and new opportunities for wireless sensors Despite a challenging economy, the industrial Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) market has doubled over the past two years. A recently completed ON World survey of 216 industrial automation professionals, in collaboration with ISA, HART Communication Foundation (HCF), and the Wireless Industrial Networking [...]
