Practical

DISTRIBUTED CONTROL
SYSTEMS (DCS)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
• A solid understanding of the architecture and operation of
Distributed Control Systems (DCSs)
• Ability to design the overall DCS and process control system
• Better specification of planned DCSs
• Improved process performance for your plant
• Understanding of the key ergonomic issues in design of operator
displays
• Apply advanced control strategies to your plant control system
• More effective use of your existing DCS process control
capabilities
• Design and create a consistent and effective alarm philosophy for
your installation
• Recognise and deal with human problems in interfacing to alarm
systems

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

• Process Control Engineers & Technicians
• Automation Engineers
• Operations Managers
• Operators & Control Room Personnel
• Metallurgists
• Production Engineers
• Process Engineers
• Plant Engineers
• IT Managers working with Networks
• Electrical Engineers
• Project Engineers
• Electrical & Instrumentation Technicians
• Maintenance Engineers & Supervisors

6.51
 THE WORKSHOP THE PROGRAM
This workshop will cover the practical DAY ONE DAY TWO
applications of the modern distributed control
system (DCS). Whilst all control systems are INTRODUCTION ALARM SYSTEM MANAGEMENT FOR
distributed to a certain extent today and there is DCSS
a definite merging of the concepts of DCS, SUMMARY OF TYPICAL DISTRIBUTED
• Philosophies of Alarm Management
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and CONTROL SYSTEMS
SCADA and despite the rapid growth in the use • Human and Ergonomic Factors
of PLCs and SCADA systems, some of the DCS VERSUS SCADA VERSUS PLCS • Structure of good Alarm System
advantages of a DCS can still be said to be: • Comparison • Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
Integrity: The expected process down-time • The Smart Instrument As A The Key • Design of Alarm System
caused by a conventional DCS is significantly Component In A DCS System
less than with using a SCADA/PLC. One • Measurement of Performance
incident in a refinery can cost more than the DCS SYSTEM ELEMENTS
DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM
difference in price between a DCS and • Main differences between a distributed REPORTING
SCADA/PLC. Reasons for this would include control system and PLC/SCADA systems.
• Alarm reporting, types of alarms generated
redundancy, fault tolerance, diagnostic alarming • Requirements of the operator interface and acceptance of alarms
on I/O errors, system design, and others. within the DCS
Engineering time: A small SCADA/PLC system • The different types of logs and reports which
• Layout of a DCS system with data highway can be configured on a DCS system
is easy to design and configure. As the system communications paths
grows bigger, the effort involved to properly • Data history use in logs, reports and
• Redundancy in the DCS trend displays
design and configure the system grows
exponentially, and also the risks that things can DATA COMMUNICATIONS IN A DCS DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM
go wrong. To design and implement a single loop • Overview of DCS & SCADA CONFIGURATION
PID controller in a SCADA/PLC system is easy Communications (field/operator/long
and quick. To design and implement the base • The organisation of system data files
distance)
layer control on a refinery using a SCADA/PLC • Data configuration procedures necessary for
• Network topologies
system can be an absolute nightmare. setting up the DCS area database
• Foundation Fieldbus
Abnormal Situation Management and • The need for different security levels
Intelligent Alarm Management is a very • Profibus attached to various operating parameters
important DCS issue that provides significant • Devicenet • Configuration control procedures adopted to
advantages over PLC and SCADA systems. • Industrial Ethernet ensure data integrity
Few DCSs do justice to the process; in terms of
• Routers, switches, hubs ADVANCED CONTROL STRATEGIES
controlling for superior performance - most of
them merely do the basics and leave the rest to • TCP/IP
MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS
the operators. Operators tend to operate within • Industrial Network security
their comfort zone; they don't drive the process • Maintenance requirements of system and
• Links to MES and ERP system elements
"like Schumacher drives his Ferrari". If more
than one adverse condition developed at the same THE BASIC CONTROLLER • The requirements for in-built diagnostics and
time and the system is too basic to act • Identification of the PCBs, which make up for maintenance diagnostic routines
protectively, the operator would probably not be the controller • The requirements for installation of
able to react adequately and risk a major • Function of the central processing unit UPS system
deviation. Not only is the process control (CPU) • Recovery of a DCS following a
functionality normally underdeveloped but on- power outage
• The types of memory
line process and control system performance
evaluation is rarely seen and alarm management • Discrete and logic control THREE TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
is often badly done. Operators consequently have • Sequential and batch control
little feedback on their own performance and COMPARISON OF OFFERINGS FROM
BASIC DCS CONTROLLER DCS VENDORS
exceptional adverse conditions are often not
handled as well as they should be. This workshop CONFIGURATION
SUMMARY AND CLOSURE
gives suggestions on dealing with these issues. • Control modes available within each
Why are DCSs generally so under utilised? Often controller slot
because the vendor minimises the applications • Tracking and initialisation in control slots
software development costs to be sure of winning used for cascade control
the job, or because he does not know enough • Control algorithms
about the process or if it is a green-field situation,
• The use of diagnostics
enough could not be known at commissioning
time but no allowance was made to add the PROGRAMMING OF DCS SYSTEMS
missing functionality during the ramp-up phase. • Block Configuration
Often the client does not have the technical skills
in-house to realise the desired functionality is
• IEC 61131-3 "open" Programming PRACTICAL SESSIONS
languages (structured text, function
missing or to adequately specify the desired
block,ladder, sequential) • Simulation Software - Simulation of a typical
functionality.
• Tips and tricks in programming DCS will be used.
This workshop examines all these issues and
gives suggestions in dealing with them and whilst THE OPERATOR INTERFACE • Specification of a DCS
by no means exhaustive, provides an excellent • The operators process 'window' • Configuration of a typical DCS Control Loop
starting point for you in working with DCSs. using a typical plant problem
• The various operator display configurations
• The requirement for keyboard entry of data
• Ergonomic requirements in the operator
environment

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