Enhanced safety instrumented system

Yokogawa has announced 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.

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 Yokogawa's 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 modules provide highly reliable temperature monitoring.

2. Access control and operation 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 and applications
Target markets include process control and operation management in the oil, natural gas, petrochemical, and other process industries.
Applications include systems for emergency plant shutdown, fire prevention/fighting, and burner management