ATEX solenoid valves and fieldbus system solve North Sea problem17 May 2010

Burkert's ex-proof AirLine Ex 8650 system, together with modules from the intrinsically safe Siemens Simatic ET 200iSPTM system, has solved a problem in a North Sea project for oil and gas industry specialist Jiskoot.

Jiskoot, which supplies Zone 1 hazardous area control, sampling and blending systems for the industry, needed an electro-pneumatic actuation system for a compact gas sampling system it was manufacturing under contract.

The skid was destined for use in the North Sea, controlling three gas samplers in a highly automated system for use on offshore oil rig, where maintainability and space were key issues.

The control solution also needed to interface with a Profibus DP network, and had to be suitable for use within an ATEX Zone 1 Area.

Until recently, Jiskoot's requirement for a control cabinet that combined electrical and pneumatic devices for use in Zone 1/21 could not have been satisfied – due to the risk of corrosion of electrical parts, which might cause an explosion.

However, Burkert's development of its AirLine Ex 8650, which delivers substantial reductions in cabinet space, wiring, documentation and validation, made the different.

The system combines EExia solenoid valves with modules from the intrinsically safe Simatic ET 200iSPTM system and fieldbus communications, providing users with a complete ATEX certified unit for use in zone 1/21.

In this project, Burkert's EX 8650-based solution allowed Jiskoot to collect all of the control signals from the sampling skid into one place within the hazardous area, and then communicate information to a Siemens S7 315 PLC located in the safe area.

Using a pneumatic manifold with integrated Siemens I/O reduced the amount of wiring and tubing on the skid, and, because the PLC and remote I/O were from the same manufacturer, there were no communication problems.

Brian Tinham

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