Aarhus installs fieldbus technology

"We found that the Emerson's PlantWeb architecture supplies all imaginable requirements for an innovative automation system in the food and beverage processing industry,"​said Jens Quist, automation engineer at Aarhus United.

A few years ago, Aarhus made a decision to build a complete new vegetable oil processing plant. In planning the best possible automation system for the new plant, engineers from Aarhus United researched the latest technologies. Based on their findings, they specified the use of fieldbus technology, open architecture, easy programming, fast commissioning and high functionality for operators.

In addition they defined the module library, faceplates, and other automation tactics to secure a uniform structure across the plant.

The new plant features a central control room for two operators, each equipped with double DeltaV system monitors. There is an additional operator desk in the hazardous area of the plant, and seven distributed DeltaV controllers.

AMS Suite predictive maintenance software within the DeltaV system communicates with intelligent field devices over the Foundation fieldbus-based network, providing installation setup and configuration plus ongoing monitoring of field device and process health.

The Foundation fieldbus installation has 16 segments that connect instrumentation and valves. Typically four field devices are connected into each junction box in the extraction plant. Field devices include Fisher control valves with Fieldvue digital valve controllers, Rosemount transmitters, and Micro Motion Coriolis metres.

Instrumentation from other suppliers is also linked to the Foundation fieldbus network. This installation approach and use of AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager software produced savings in plant commissioning, testing and documentation.

By introducing PlantWeb digital plant architecture, Aarhus United has achieved their objective of a uniform automation structure across the plant. Since the DeltaV system within PlantWeb conforms to IEC1131-3, several different application software development contractors have been able to do their programming in one common platform, and access the modules, faceplates and standard programme provided.

Aarhus United also chose to use the DeltaV system because of its integration capabilities, demonstrated first by the connection to a Profibus-DP network to monitor several frequency converter inputs, and second by compatibility with legacy DCS systems installed from 1973 onwards. The integration capabilities allow extension of the DeltaV automation throughout the plant, enabling upgrade of additional plant areas.

At the business management level, PlantWeb architecture with the DeltaV digital automation system offers increased access to data from the field instrumentation. Operators and higher-level business systems within the plant are provided with improved plant efficiency by means of improved production surveillance, optimisation and resource planning.