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Summary
This application describes a web-based HMI and SCADA system
for remote monitoring and control of 6 water treatment plants
and 135 water pumping stations from 4 regional and a
central control center. The project requirements are to provide remote
monitoring and control of water treatment and pumping stations
from any of 5 locations via a secure WAN. Additionally the project is to enable remote software
support of control system and SCADA software using ordinary
web browsers.
Photo1: Water Treatment Plant
Using an ordinary web
browser, Water System Operators can "assume" control
of the entire system from any of 5 control centers.
The Water District currently has 5 regional control centers
(each controlling only part of the water distribution system),
a central dispatch center with control of part of the
distribution system and 6 water treatment facilities with
local control rooms. There are 12 control centers and
control rooms in all. The aim of the project is to unify these
12 control rooms into a single system connected via a Wide
Area Network (WAN). Further, due to possible upsets due to
earthquake or other disasters, full control of any regional
center could be assumed by any other regional control center
or the central office. Coordination with the water
treatment plants and the ability to provide supervisory
control of those plants is also an objective of the project. The
water district company choose to enhance its existing SCADA Control
and Process Control systems with affordable state-of-the
art web technology.
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Photo 2: SCADA node -
A
PC-based operator station
running standard Windows 2000
is connected to the existing control systems. |
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Photo 3:
Pumping Station -
One of 135 monitored and controlled remotely. |
Benefits of Web Access
Web Access allows control center operators to
quickly access information from anywhere in the system.
Further, using appropriate password and other security,
operators from one regional center can "log on" and
assume control of plants assigned to another regional center
during emergency or system upsets using an ordinary web browser.
Management can ascertain the water and energy
usage data, trends and reports directly from the system; this frees
up staff for more productive work.
The use of Web Access increases the quality and value
of services to customers, with more timely and accurate
reports, better over all integration of water system
operations and higher reliability of the system.
An additional benefit is that
Web Access facilitates remote software support of the Control System
components distributed over more than 120 plant
locations. Engineers and technicians can log on to the system and remotely access the
controls at remote facilities using an ordinary web browser
from anywhere in the system and at any time. This enables engineers
and technicians to solve problems as soon as they occur,
rather than waiting hours or days to travel to the remote
water treatment facility or remote pumping plant.
In the past, some of these requirements were
provided via dial-up access via telephone modem. The advantages
of an ordinary Web Browser using the Internet, or an intranet, over
private WAN are speed of the connection and that any number of remote users can access the
network from any computer by familiar procedures, without special software.
Security Levels assigned to each users and areas of the
facility specify what data can be changed by various groups of
people.
Implementing
Web Access
Broadwin's Web Access software is the most direct way to implement Internet access to
a new or existing automation system. Simply install Web
Access SCADA node software on an ordinary PC connected to the
SCADA system, PLC or Process Control system. This is a readily available, off-the-shelf solution. The SCADA node
acts as an Operator's Station and/or an Engineering Station used by
plant engineers and
operators to monitor and control the process or equipment at
the plant. It also is used as a link between the automation
system and the Intranet.
In this project, an off-the-shelf web server software suite is provided
connected via WAN to the SCADA nodes at each facility. The web server suite is Microsoft's Internet
Information Server, which is included in the standard Windows 2000 Professional
package. The choice of a web server suite depends on the
number of simultaneous connections desired. Windows 2000
Professional allows up to 10 connections via the Web.
Windows 2000 Server would provide an unlimited number of
connections via the Web.
In this project a WAN (Wide
Area Network) already exists and provides a high level of
security required by a major metropolitan utility. If a
WAN did not
already exist, an intranet connection or an Internet connection could be arranged with a local Internet
service provider or telephone company. It would use a modem or other interface
device of the desired speed.
Management and Operators: Access to real-time data
Using a web browser such as Microsoft Internet
Explorer 6.0, Control System Operators, managers and engineers
can view process
graphics, process-variable trends updating on a real-time basis, historic
trends, and summaries of events, and alarms.
The
Web Access software provides security to grant or deny
access to individual modules, so that users can access only the information needed.
Engineers and
Technical support Personnel: Remote Software
Administration
Web Access software also provides a significant benefit to the
process engineers and Control System Engineers, in that the
WAN acts as the automation network.
Personnel at any computer on the network can use a web browser to access the
automation system, without having to run automation software. This enables "remote software" support.
Without leaving their offices at the central control
center, technical support personnel can log onto the
control system at any remote facility using an ordinary web
browser. They can modify graphics, modify the IO
database and restart
nodes. Using Broadwin's WebAccess software enables complete
automation system support through an ordinary web browser. The
use of remote desktop software found in Windows XP allows
remote configuration of PLCs and controllers via the WAN.
Innovation
for the Future
Currently, the latest innovation for Municipal Water Systems is
integration of remote facilities into a single system using
Internet Technology. An Internet server on the utility's
Wide Area Network (WAN) provides secure and reliable
communications to all automation systems. Real-time data
can be accessed
directly from any web browser by management.
Engineers, operators and technical personnel can support the control system remotely through any web
browser using appropriate security features.
Web-based automation
of water distribution and treatment facilities is advancing in North America. We are installing the same Web Access technology at the other
facilities.
For a municipal utility managing plants and facilities at many locations,
making useful real-time data available via a WAN, intranet or the Internet can increase
system reliability and uptime, improve monitoring and control of
water and energy use,
while at the same time reducing the costs to support the
software and hardware at remote facilities.
Chances are, not every company
will choose to enhance its existing control systems with state-of-the
art web technology. The choice is to make web technology work for you.
BroadWin
Software Powers eAutomation
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