Yokogawa Electric Corporation will release an enhanced version of the ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system.
This latest release, R4.03.00, includes an improved engineering function for configuring fire and gas systems (FGS) and new operation faceplates for the FGS operation and monitoring screens. These enhancements make it easier to adopt and use ProSafe-RS in FGS applications.
Development background
A safety instrumented system can secure plant safety by functioning as an emergency shutdown system (ESD), which detects abnormal conditions and safely initiates emergency shutdowns, and by functioning as an FGS.
Yokogawa’s ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system can be integrated with the CENTUM VP integrated production control system and is used, mainly in ESD applications, across the world.
Customers can add a new input/output (I/O) module and enabling the use of an alternate control network topology. Cybersecurity has also been strengthened.
Enhancements
Easier adoption and use in FGS applications
Software components that define the operations and functions to be performed when smoke, heat, or gas is detected have been added to the ProSafe-RS engineering functions.
Standard FGS faceplates have been added for the integrated display of smoke, heat, and gas detector information, such as gas concentration level and device status.
In addition, the I/O module has a new function that can reset the detector that sends smoke and heat detection signals to the ProSafe-RS system.
This eliminates the need for a reset circuit to restore communications after an abnormality is detected.
New I/O module
An N-IO (Network-IO) I/O device with channels can be configured by software to handle either analog or digital signals.
As most safety instrumented systems rely mainly on digital I/O signals, the company has added a new I/O module to its lineup used for only the input or output of digital signals.
Ring network topology
For the Vnet/IP real-time control bus, ProSafe-RS has relied on the star network topology, in which all devices are connected to a central hub.
Vnet/IP is a control network developed by Yokogawa that complies with the IEC61784-2 international standard.
The new ProSafe-RS is also compatible with the ring topology, in which devices are connected to each other in the shape of a ring.
Improved cybersecurity
Enhancements have been made to the ProSafe-RS engineering station’s software security functions and changes to the Windows security settings.
This latest ProSafe-RS release also supports a Windows function that enables the centralised management of security settings.
With this feature, users can apply the same security settings to multiple monitoring and operation PCs.