Arkansas power plant to adopt digital architecture

An Emerson Process Management - Power + Water product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 23, 2006

Emerson Process Management has won a contract to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system at Plum Point Energy Station.

Emerson Process Management has won a contract to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system at Plum Point Energy Station, a new pulverised coal-fired plant in NE Arkansas.

Emerson's PlantWeb solution, a digital bus-based approach to plant automation and control that incorporates high-speed communications networks, intelligent field devices, asset management software, and bus I/O technologies, was selected by Plum Point Power Partners, the project's EPC contractor.

For Plum Point Power Partners - a joint venture of Black and Veatch, Zachry Construction Corp and Gilbert Central Corp, an affiliate of Kiewit Construction Company - the operational and economic advantages offered by a digital bus-based architecture - which range from reduced wiring costs, streamlined device configuration and more efficient plant startup, to long-term operations and maintenance savings - were key factors in the selection of Emerson's PlantWeb approach.

According to Roger Lenertz, Project Manager, Plum Point Power Partners, Emerson's experience implementing digital bus technologies was also an important consideration.

"Emerson's success in executing projects of this type, combined with their expertise in automation technologies, qualified Emerson as the supplier for this important project", explained Lenertz.

Emerson's Ovation system, which was designed and engineered specifically to meet the power industry's unique requirements, will monitor and control the IHI boiler, as well as the burner management system and balance of plant processes at the new Plum Point Energy Station.

The Ovation system will also interface to the plant's Toshiba steam turbine controls.

The new plant will make extensive use of digital bus-based technologies, with Emerson's Ovation system incorporating 138 Foundation fieldbus segments and 58 Profibus-DP segments to network intelligent field instrumentation.

Emerson's PlantWeb digital automation solution for Plum Point Energy Station also includes AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager, which streamlines device configuration, enabling savings and increased efficiency of plant startup.

The AMS Device Manager also supports proactive maintenance by providing online access to instrument and valve process information, and predictive diagnostic information.

It also delivers predictive health information and corrective guidelines as needed to plant personnel, and automatically documents all field device maintenance information.

The predictive intelligence of Emerson's AMS Suite can help customers not only optimise plant operations and maintenance activities, but avoid costly unplanned outages.

"Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture has been proven across a number of industries to lower installation costs, ensure a fast startup and improve ongoing plant operations and maintenance", said Bob Yeager, President of the Power and Water Solutions Division at Emerson.

"Plum Point's adoption of this digital automation architecture is indicative of the growing recognition among power producers that these technologies translate into tangible economic and operational advantages".