Page 99 - Industrial Plants 2014

Multi-Level, Integrated Fire

and Gas Control System

Major Middle East refinery benefits from the flexibility, power and simplicity of a single
architecture for both plant and office facilities developed by SAFCO Engineering

Gianbattista Zago
Safco Engineering

he solution developed by Safco runs on one common system. From each individual
Engineering, with support from point, wherever the user is, they can gain access
Rockwell Automation for fire and gas into the system using password authority to
control, is unique in the market. determine the level of access and control, to check
Operators at the refinery can now all the components. The Allen-Bradley PanelView
T leverage the capability, reliability, HMI display is also available over the internet, so
connectivity and open protocols used by the users can gain access from remote or off-site
Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) locations – answering one of the customer’s primary
across the whole infrastructure. Normally there are requirements, which was: “I want to control it from
so many product families, but in this instance we my seat, no matter where I am”.
have one product family. PACs normally used for
process control are being used for buildings for
protection as well. The market has not really pursued Why is this project so
this way because PACs are not normally linked to fire interesting? What’s the
alarms. challenge?
The refinery will benefit in multiple ways. In the first
instance the operators It is one of the first in the world to leverage a single A sight of an local fire
The refnery will do not have to use architecture for both the refinery and the office alarm control panel
for satellite instrument
beneft in multiple several programs or buildings, using the PlantPAx process automation shelter (the opened
ways. In the frst software to make solution from Rockwell Automation alongside the one) and substation
instance the operators modifications, as Safco Engineering Intelligent Fire Panel. (the blind one)
do not have to use RSLogix 5000 is used
several programs or for all PACS and
software to make addressable devices.
modifcations, as In the past, at least
RSLogix 5000 is two software programs
used for all PACS and were needed, one for
addressable devices the PACs and one for
the fire alarm; some
form of software
‘bridge’ was also required to link the two systems.
The HMI (Human Machine Interface) is also common
across all systems, using FactoryTalk View instead of
one display for the PAC and one display for the fire
alarm panel.
The biggest advantage is the fact that the solution

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