EATON Rugged HMIs Human Machine Interface User Guide
- June 12, 2024
- EATON
Table of Contents
EATON Rugged HMIs Human Machine Interface
Product Information
Rugged HMIs
For reliable performance in the oil and gas industry
Introduction
Choosing the right electrical equipment, which includes HMIs and visual
displays is vital to achieving increased productivity and improved profit
without compromising on safety and reliability. This article reviews the
latest HMI technologies and advises engineers and operators on how to achieve
these goals.
Understanding the application
In designing and specifying, there are many considerations to take into
account, such as the environment, mounting options, lifetime expectation of
the equipment, and what happens in case of failure. There are also design
priorities to address.
Introduction
Human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and visualisation units present mission- critical data across many industries, enabling users to make decisions and take actions about their process and equipment to work more efficiently. They are especially important in the oil and gas industry where understanding rig performance and operation is key primarily to safety but also to improving profitability. With the cost of oil at the lowest it’s been for more than five years, operating efficiently has never been so important. The cost of rig downtime is exceptionally high, estimated at up to $500,000 per day offshore, so it is clear to see that increasing reliability and uptime goes a long way to increasing productivity and profitability. Choosing the right electrical equipment, which includes HMIs and visual displays is vital to achieving this, and in this article Dani Alkalay from Eaton, reviews the latest HMI technologies, advising how engineers and operators can have both increased productivity and improved profit, without compromising on safety and reliability.
Understanding the application
When designing and specifying HMI systems and instrumentation electrical engineers need to first and foremost understand the application and where and how the equipment will be used. There is a wide variety of applications for HMIs within the oil and gas industry, for example, on the rig floor of a refinery, on-shore versus off-shore, from permanent installations in a plant to truck-mount displays. Within the upstream exploration segment rugged and hazardous area-approved visual devices are designed for directional drilling, measurement/logging while drilling (MWD/ LWD), cementing, fracing, coil tubing, blowout preventer, mud logging, choke control, casing and production monitoring. In designing and specifying, there are many considerations to take, for example, what is the environment like? How will the equipment be mounted? Is it a permanent or rig-up/ rig-down installation? What is the lifetime expectation of the equipment? And what happens in case of failure? There are also a number of design priorities to address:
Computing power and connectivity
Computing power and bandwidth to run the most demanding distributed control system (DCS) or supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software packages, without configuration challenges is essential to a smooth operation. Having an available full client-performing computing platform reduces the need to develop specific software for the HMI. For example, modern equipment such as the MTL Azonix ProPanel PRO4500Z1 for Zone 1 environment features Intel Core i7 2655 processor, and the Azonix Barracuda 15 workstation for Zone 2 hazardous areas features the very latest Intel i7 2.5GHz processor and up to 8GB of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to deliver increased processing power compared to alternative technologies.
There is also a trend within the industry for increased communication options. Workstations that are built with wireless and Bluetooth options and offer high speed communications enable installation flexibility reducing the amount of cables required during rig-up and rig-down, therefore increasing productivity.
Ease of use
How easy it is to use the HMI is critical for ensuring the operator can run
the process as smoothly and reliably as possible. Intuitive workstations with
state-of-the-art touch panels and which feature either resistive or projective
capacitive touchscreens make the HMI exceptionally user-friendly. In the oil
and gas industry operators wear gloves in cold weather, so it is vital that
touchscreens support glove touch capability for use in harsh and cold
environments.
Visibility of the screen in all working conditions is also important so users
can see at quick glance the status of the process. HMIs are often positioned
outdoors and can be in direct sunlight, so screens with an LED-backlit display
with proper optical protection can be read easily in sunny positions.
Ease of installation and integration
In oil and gas exploration equipment is commonly moved from one rig to
another after completion of a job. As the drilling has to stop during the
setup phase, reducing the downtime for transition is critical. Creating
multiple mounting points, using connectors versus glands, supplying
intrinsically safe I/O are all features integrated in Azonix products which
lower installation costs and downtime, thus increasing rig uptime and process
efficiency.
Ruggedness
As the industry continues to explore further afield in search
of oil reservoirs, operating conditions can be extremely challenging. HMIs
positioned outdoors need to be protected from the elements and electronics
need to be reliable in extreme environments. Modern equipment provides
reliable operation between -40ºC and 60ºC. The devices also need to be
shielded against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency
interference (RFI) and to be able to withstand high shock and vibrations.
Industrial grade parts and thermally designed cast aluminium housings protect
electronics in extreme environmental conditions, which makes the HMI robust,
therefore increasing reliability and improved asset uptime.
Portable devices
How portable does the equipment need to be? Will it be fixed
to a station or does the engineer need to carry the HMI around with them on
site? Data visibility is key here and there is a growing trend for portable
devices that can be easily transported close to the application. A decade ago,
portable devices were rare and cumbersome because of the power consumption of
electronics. However, the mobile product demand in the consumer market has
driven chip companies to develop low-power processors that have led to the
design of more easily portable devices in the industrial platforms such as
Eaton’s Azonix product portfolio.
Summary
Intelligent HMI and display systems are making a real difference in the
exploration of oil worldwide, giving decision-makers critical data so they can
improve the safety and productivity of drilling operations. Experts in HMIs
and visual displays provide essential engineering resources, sharing computing
and electronics knowledge that ensures faster integration and installation of
rugged and robust systems for increased profitability.
Eaton Electric Limited,
Great Marlings, Butterfield, Luton
Beds, LU2 8DL, UK.
Tel: + 44 (0)1582 723633
Fax: + 44 (0)1582 422283
E-mail: mtlenquiry@eaton.com
www.mtl-inst.com
© 2016 Eaton
All Rights Reserved
Publication No. WP Rugged HMIs 171016 October 2016
EUROPE (EMEA):
+44 (0)1582 723633
mtlenquiry@eaton.com
THE AMERICAS:
+1 800 835 7075
mtl-us-info@eaton.com
ASIA-PACIFIC:
+65 6 645 9888
sales.mtlsing@eaton.com
The given data is only intended as a product description and should not be
regarded as a legal warranty of properties or guarantee. In the interest of
further technical developments, we reserve the right to make design changes.
Eaton is a registered trademark. All other trademarks are property of their
respective owners.
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