FSC system helps to ensure safety at SAPREF bitumen blending plant

September 2001 System Integration & Control Systems Design

A failsafe control system from Honeywell Safety Management Systems (HSMS) has recently been installed at SAPREF's Durban-based bitumen blending and rail and tanker loading plant. Due to be fully operational and commissioned later this year, the new system will contribute to the safety of personnel and the environment as well as protect SAPREF's capital investment in the plant.

Replacing an older shut-down system, the failsafe control (FSC) system is tightly integrated with the existing TotalPlant Solution (TPS) plant-wide distributed control system to provide comprehensive protection of the plant and its personnel during the loading of gas, fuel and related petroleum products into the bulk rail and road carriers.

A safety manager module that communicates via the universal control network was used to link the new FSC system to the TPS system. Redundant central parts and I/O modules increase system availability and allow modifications while the plant is on-line while HSMS specially designed the FSC control logic to maximise plant and personnel safety.

Additional benefits of the system will include simplified fault finding and automatic event logging on the FSC's sequence of events recorder. Events will be simultaneously communicated to the main control room.

Although specially designed cabinets were used for the FSC installation, the core components were integrated within the existing Honeywell TPS system. The system was designed in accordance with the accepted practices adopted by HSMS worldwide including Honeywell's ISO 9001 procedures. HSMS' ideal location in Durban afforded engineers the opportunity to offer dedicated service and expertise to SAPREF.

In all safety-critical applications it is vital that important process parameters are closely monitored in order to pre-empt the very real risks both to life and equipment. Integrated into PlantScape, or in standalone configurations, FSC provides a sound basis for functional safety, facilitating the necessary protection of persons, equipment and the environment combined with optimum availability for plant operation.

Honeywell Southern Africa

(011) 805 1201

[email protected]

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