The idea of Distributed Control Systems (DCS) has eliminated alternative control systems from the field since the first DCS was implemented in the late 1970s. The use of DCS is expanding significantly due to the notable increase in the building of facilities in the conventional heavy process sectors, which include petrochemicals, water, oil and gas, power generation, and refining. The general architecture of a solution consists of connections made through a Fieldbus communication system or directly to physical equipment like switches, pumps, and valves.

Course Objectives:

Upon the successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Apply in-depth knowledge and skills in DCS systems and implement systematic applications, selection and troubleshooting techniques and methods
Identify the DCS hardware & software, particularly the traditional process controllers, programming, execution time, configuration, etc
List the parts and configuration of a SCADA system and determine its basic architecture and levels of hierarchy
Differentiate DCS from PLC and SCADA and discuss their features and functions
Determine the types of DCS used in petroleum refining processes and explain their specific function in each process
Employ the concepts of alarm management systems including the types, features, architecture and functions
Discuss the concepts of humans in control and identify the factors that contribute in their actions
Recognize the safety issues involved in DCS such as intrinsic safety, explosion, approval standards, etc.
Identify types of redundancy and understand how they work
Appreciate the principles of analogue and digital field communications and their transmitter classifications, intrinsic safety, Fieldbus communications and technologies, etc.
Discuss the concepts of safety instrumented systems and explain their functions, integration and hazard and risk analysis
Explain the maintenance considerations of DCS and identify the various types of failures and faults
Select the proper DCS system for each application and determine the system specification and its functional description
Update a DCS for optimized operations
Manage the DCS upgrade
Choose between PLC and DCS for process industries
Carry out immediate action items for an ageing DCS/PLC
Configure implementation considerations for distributed control systems

Who Should Attend?

This course will benefit managers, engineers, and other technical staff who are responsible for the selection, application, and implementation and troubleshooting of distributed control systems and their possible upgrades.
Personnel in technical positions who want to know more about distributed control systems will also benefit from this course.

Course Outlines:

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

Intrinsic Safety
Explosion-proof Standard
Approval Standards
Oxygen

REDUNDANCY

How Does It Work?
Device Redundancy
Network Redundancy
Port Redundancy
System Redundancy
Power Supply Redundancy
Cable Reliability

ANALOGUE FIELD COMMUNICATIONS

Transmitter Classifications
Intrinsic Safety
HART and 4 – 2-mA
Driving the Circuit

SMART MEASUREMENT

Features
Brief Specification
Overview
Application
Multi-variable Transmitter

DIGITAL FIELD COMMUNICATIONS

Data Highway
Fieldbus Communications
Advantages of Fieldbus
Fieldbus Technologies
HART
Foundation Fieldbus
Profibus

SAFETY INSTRUMENTED SYSTEMS

Preview and Concept

Safety Instrumented Function (SIF)
Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS)
Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
Hazard and Risk Analysis
Safety PLC
General Notes

MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS

Mean Time Between Failures
Spare Parts
Types of Failures
Types of Faults
Diagnostics

SYSTEM SPECIFICATION

Functional Description
Process Diagrams
P & ID’s
Loop Diagrams
HAZOP
Instrument Index

NEW TRENDS IN WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

Application
Installation
Network Architecture
System Integrity
Wireless in Oil & Gas
Wireless Transmitters

NEW TRENDS IN DCS

Filters