Chemical Technology October 2015

Simplifying remote asset management with IP

by David Bell, Consulting Solutions Architect, Cisco, California, USA

From oil well heads drilled into Arctic tundra to pumping stations far beyond the walls of water treatment plants, Internet Protocol (IP) technology is driving down the cost and complexity of monitoring remote operations while increasing critical data flows and improving cyber security.

I P creates a single, streamlined platform upon which to deliver all the services necessary to operate satel- lite assets. That’s a significant leap forward from the conventional approach of multiple segmented systems. Consider this: Automation controls, physical security and surveillance systems; each of these remote services have in the past required multiple, often proprietary, networks and configurations to deliver their data to central control centres. Such diversity drives up operating expenses, including the high costs of maintaining disparate services and cross- training staff on the intricacies of mismatched technologies. Contrast to the use of IP: A single unified, wired and wireless networking platform, with integrated cyber security that easily interconnects different types of devices and streamlines data delivery and control. This just scratches the surface of the benefits that can be gained. IP’s 'always on', connections provide the ability to collect far greater quantities of data. More data provides the op- portunity to perform more analytics – and more analytics means faster, more intelligent decisions to manage, monitor and maintain remote assets. This really is the 'Internet of Everything' in action.  However, with this surge of data comes the need for care- ful planning and engineering to ensure that each remote service receives the appropriate level of network access and priority. If the network cannot differentiate the types of traffic coming from the asset and manage them based

on priority, then all the data will potentially be fighting over the network uplinks. The best systems also are tailored to the security needs of the remote asset, from both physical and cyber security aspects. Streamlined wastewater management Good planning equals good network design. Early engage- ment of network and automation vendors will help ensure companies with remote assets have the right services with the correct capabilities. A case in point: Early engagement was key in the recent deployment of converged platforms for water/wastewater treatment centres in the UK and the Netherlands. Each treatment centre required a number of different remote outstations, depending on the size of its geographical reach. Each outstation had remote telemetry units collecting various data about the localised treatment process, such as the pH, turbidity and water flow rates. Information from these outstations is critical to helping water utility operatorsmanage their hydrological models. The more data they have, the more information they can feed into these models to improve the efficiency of the algorithms that help balance the supply of treated water and ensure the capacity to treat wastewater. Getting this right drives down operating costs and reduces the risk of expensive fines from releasing untreated water into rivers, streams and seas.

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Chemical Technology • October 2015