Emerson Process Management is installing its PlantWeb™ digital plant architecture with Ovation™ expert control system at the Usina Termelétrica Luis Carlos Prestes power plant in Brazil.
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Integrating multiple OEM systems on a single Ovation™ control platform supports a plant expansion expected to boost megawatt production by more than 50 percent
PITTSBURGH (May 9, 2011) — Emerson Process Management is installing its PlantWeb™ digital plant architecture with Ovation™ expert control system at the Usina Termelétrica Luis Carlos Prestes power plant in Brazil. Owned and operated by Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), the plant is located in Três Lagoas, approximately 400 miles northwest of São Paulo. The Ovation system will help optimize the overall efficiency and reliability of the plant, which is being expanded to significantly increase generation capacity.
The plant began operation in 2003 as a 240-MW, simple-cycle power plant utilizing an Alstom generator and four GE 6FA turbines fired by gas from the nearby GASBOL pipeline. To boost productivity and efficiency, the plant is being converted into a 2x2x1 combined-cycle facility. Emerson’s Ovation system will monitor and control four new CBC Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs) that will feed two new Siemens steam turbines. The steam turbines will generate an extra 128 MW of electricity – using the same amount of fuel – enabling Petrobras to efficiently meet the area’s growing demand for power.
The simple-cycle plant already utilizes Ovation technology to monitor and control balance-of-plant (BOP) processes and interface with controls of other plant subsystems, including each gas turbine’s Mark V control system, Alstom automatic voltage regulator (AVR), ABB continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) and Siemens electrical switchyard. In addition to controlling the HRSGs, the new Ovation system will integrate the existing Ovation control system and the new Siemens steam turbines, as well as the BOP and electrical areas that are being expanded due to the new plant configuration.
As part of the contract, Emerson is also upgrading all existing Ovation controllers and adding its AMS Suite predictive maintenance software. The Ovation system will interface to other systems via Modbus RTU over Ethernet, PROFIBUS DP, and OPC communications protocols. In all, the Ovation system will manage 10,500 I/O points. Emerson will also provide training and field services for plant startup and commissioning. The plant is expected to be in full production in July 2011.
Emerson’s automation solution was selected based on a number of factors, most notably the excellent performance of the Ovation system at the simple-cycle plant and Emerson’s ability to fully integrate systems from a number of different suppliers under a single platform. Integrating systems from multiple vendors – a key objective for this project – is expected to be critical to optimizing the overall efficiency and reliability of the plant, while also helping Petrobras maintain its investment in control technology over the long term. Other criteria for choosing Emerson included the company’s project management experience, along with its ability to provide local technical support including field engineering, customized training, and startup assistance.
“Our work with Petrobras demonstrates how Emerson offers our customers the best of both worlds: global resources and technical expertise in managing and executing multifaceted power projects, along with strong, knowledgeable on-site, local support,” said Bob Yeager, president of the Power & Water Solutions division of Emerson. “This combination, along with our industry-leading technologies, has made Emerson the leading supplier of automation and control solutions for new and retrofit power generating projects worldwide.”
