Yokogawa Releases Enhanced Version of ProSafe-RS Safety Instrumented System

Tokyo, Japan - May 12, 2011

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces the development of an enhanced version of the ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system that is used to ensure the safety of plant operations. This new version, ProSafe-RS R3.01, features input modules that can directly receive voltage signals from temperature sensors as well as software that restricts the operations performed by individual engineers and records a log on their activities. In addition, new compact terminal boards have been developed for use with the ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system. The compact terminal boards will be released in June and ProSafe-RS R3.01 will be released in July.

ProSafe-RS Safety Instrumented System

Development Background

There is a growing demand in the oil, natural gas, petrochemical, iron & steel, and other energy and basic materials industries for safety instrumented systems that can help to ensure the safety of plant operations. This is driven by companies' needs to provide a safe workplace, protect the environment, and be a responsible member of society.

In addition to looking for a reliable solution, companies that wish to install a safety instrumented system need to make maximum effective use of available space and have operation history management functionality that simplifies the task of identifying where problems are occurring in an operation. In response to these needs, Yokogawa has developed new modules and new terminal boards that are both reliable and compact, and software that improves operational safety. This new product lineup will meet our customers' needs for greater safety and reliability in their plant operations.

Overview of Enhancements

1. Temperature direct input modules
   These new modules receive signals from mV, thermocouple (tc), and RTD sensors. In contrast to conventional modules, these modules do not require a signal converter to process the voltage signals from a temperature sensor. This enables a more compact design. These SIL3-certified*1 modules provide highly reliable temperature monitoring.
2. Access control and opearation history management software
   This software restricts the operations that can be performed by the individual engineers who are operating the ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system, and records a log on their activities. This makes it easy to identify the causes of problems, and is particularly useful in plants that have a large engineering workforce.
3. Compact terminal boards
   This DIN rail mounted ProSafe-RS terminal boards that connect to cables from field devices are approximately 60% smaller than our previous terminal boards. These newly developed boards can be installed either horizontally or vertically, allowing the most effective use of available space.

Main Target Markets

Process control and operation management in the oil, natural gas, petrochemical, and other process industries

Applications

Systems for emergency plant shutdown, fire prevention/fighting, and burner management

About ProSafe-RS

Released in February 2005, the ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system helps prevent accidents by detecting unusual conditions in plant operations and taking emergency actions such as shutting down the plant. Unlike conventional safety instrumented systems and DCSs, which are regarded as having different roles and functions and which operate separately, the operations of ProSafe-RS and CENTUM series can be fully integrated. An independent certification body has certified that ProSafe-RS conforms to the IEC61508^*1 international safety standard and can be used in SIL3^※2 applications.

As a result, ProSafe-RS is highly regarded by users and has been installed in more than 800 projects worldwide since its release.

*1 A standard relating to the functional safety of electrical and electronic equipment that was established by the IEC

*2 Safety integrity levels (SIL) are defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). At SIL3, the risk factor for a plant where safety measures are not in place has been reduced to 1/1000 to 1/10000.

For more information

• Safety Instrumented Systems

 

About Yokogawa

Yokogawa's global network of 25 manufacturing facilities and 80 companies spans 54 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the US$3 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,200 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement. Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa. For more information about Yokogawa, please visit our web site at www.yokogawa.com