Deregulation and privatization of electric utilities around the world are having a major impact on the way they operate as businesses. In order to respond to the dynamic business environment, power plants must increase revenues through greater capacity and availability, and reduce the cost of generating electricity from aging units. At the same time, they must add generating capacity and build new plants, while maintaining safety and reliability, improving security and meeting ever-tightening environmental regulations.

While significant improvements have been achieved through the conversion of electro-mechanical, analog and hydraulic systems to centralized digital control, these advances alone are no longer enough. A modern control and information system needs to anticipate problems, and make information easy to access, embed and distribute. Honeywell’s Experion^® Process Knowledge System (PKS™) achieves all those objectives.

Protection from the effects of power grid upsets must be “built in” to unit control schemes, providing runbacks and rundowns, and other means of falling back to safe operating levels. Honeywell’s advanced control applications are pre-configured with these features where needed, and have found proven success keeping power plants running when disturbances threaten to shut down regional grids.

Safe and reliable operation involves keeping the plant equipment running smoothly, within specifications and minimizing the stress or neglect that would cause gradual degradation or sudden failure. Solving this problem starts with managing assets more actively, analyzing the performance of critical equipment over time to understand the effects of operational changes, whether planned or unplanned. Honeywell’s Asset Manager family of solutions is tailored to fit these requirements.

A new way to maximize the productiveness and effectiveness of routine maintenance activities involves the use of wireless tools. Handheld wireless devices are now available to help calibrate sensors, and automate work orders reduce or eliminate the need for paperwork and transmit data directly to an electronic repository. Wireless transmitters can be used in non-critical applications, or can be placed temporarily during planned shutdowns to speed the maintenance and repair of critical equipment.

Honeywell has installed more than 1,300 control systems in power plants around the world through Power Generation Business Centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. As an example, Honeywell control systems are ensuring the reliable operation of some of the largest fossil plants in North America, including multiple units at TXU, Nebraska Public Power District, CPS San Antonio, Progress Energy, Vectren and Great River Energy.