Emerson Enhances Ovation SCADA for Power Generation

Emerson Process Management recently announced that its Bristol ControlWave remote terminal unit (RTU) technology has been fully integrated into its Ovation SCADA platform.

Traditionally, SCADA systems poll RTUs for information either at specified time intervals or on demand. With the tight integration of the Bristol ControlWave RTU, the Ovation SCADA platform now features a configurable polling mechanism. Emerson says this allows operators the option of having the RTUs send data directly to the SCADA server or central Ovation control system only when values change.

If configured for periodic polling, the Ovation SCADA solution with ControlWave RTU technology has the capability to buffer and time stamp data – including alarms – then send it directly to the Ovation historian so that no data is "lost" in the event of a communication failure.

The monitoring, control and diagnostic functionality of Emerson's enhanced SCADA solution optimizes renewable energy generation operations. It supports connections to a variety of equipment used in renewable energy sites, including turbine controllers, feed water controls, mirror assemblies, heat storage controls, substation controls, water level controls, pump house controls, meteorological towers and switchgear.

The Ovation SCADA solution also supports multiple communication network types, such as dial-up, leased lines, and wireless, and is able to remotely start, stop, reset and tag out individual pieces of equipment, minimizing labor-intensive site visits. Protective supervisory shutdown is automatically conducted by the Ovation SCADA system when certain predefined site conditions are reached. Diagnostic information generated from the generation equipment is available from the Ovation SCADA system through network interfaces. Also, the SCADA system allows users to track equipment maintenance schedules and histories, and access custom reports.

Emerson's solutions for renewable energy are derived from more than a century of experience providing proven technologies for a variety of energy generating assets, including coal-fired, combined cycle and cogeneration units, according to Bob Yeager, president of the Power & Water Solutions division of Emerson. "For the past 20 years, we have built upon our successful fossil-fuel foundation to develop automation strategies for alternative energy resources, including hydro-electric, solar and wind," explained Yeager. "As power generators around the world diversify their generating assets by investing in alternative energy resources, Emerson is uniquely qualified to help our customers best manage their renewable generation assets."