Award-winning Water Treatment Plant Reduces Operations Costs, Energy Use and Downtime with Help from Networked Control System and Services from Rockwell Automation Parts management and service agreements help City of College Station reduce inventory costs and extend equipment life Solutions Rockwell Automation® Power Control plant-wide process control system based on: • Allen-Bradley® ControlLogix® controllers • CENTERLINE® 2100 MCCs with IntelliCENTER® technology • Allen-Bradley PowerFlex® drives and networked communication via EtherNet/IP™. Rockwell Automation Services and Support • Service Agreement • Parts Management Agreement • TechConnectSM phone support and unlimited online support
Results Improved Process Control • The PlantPAx™ Process Automation System provides real-time monitoring, data collection and automated reporting. Reduced operations costs • Reduced operator count. • Drives contributed to annual energy savings of $65,000. Reduced downtime and eased maintenance • Networked communications make operations accessible from remote locations.
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The City of College Station wastewater treatment plant in Texas standardized on a PlantPAx Process Automation System from Rockwell Automation.
Background The City of College Station runs a groundwater production and transmission system, and wastewater treatment facility in Brazos County, Texas, to service more than 83,000 people with up to 23 million gallons of water at peak demand in the summer. Pumping groundwater from wells around the county, the City of College Station Water Services cools the water and transports it through water lines to a second pump station for further treatment, and then into the water distribution system and two elevated storage tanks. Raw wastewater travels through a network of over 275 miles of wastewater collection lines to one of two award-winning wastewater treatment plants owned and operated by the City of College Station. This complex process requires a sophisticated control system to monitor the processes for best efficiency, and to meet the many standards and regulations of the water industry. Over the past two decades, College Station Water Services (CSWS) has worked to increase city water production and delivery capacity as well as improve water quality and treatment processes.
A 2006 capital improvement project, “Quality Water for Brazos Community”, earned the City an Environmental Excellence Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The treatment facility has also been recognized with consecutive awards for Outstanding Performance from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). Recent improvement projects focused on standardizing on a networked automation control system that provides leading-edge monitoring and control, saves time and money, and is accompanied by services that will not only contribute to the lifetime of the system but also to the City’s financial bottom line.
Challenge A proponent of continuous improvement, CSWS takes a proactive approach to technology by making smart choices for the best long-term solutions for its operators and its citizens. In 2006, CSWS recognized that the existing control hardware was reaching the end of its lifecycle and needed to be upgraded before the system started to fail. This was putting a strain on the technical support staff to keep the equipment operational 24 hours per day. Issues could be difficult to resolve as there were multiple vendors and no troubleshooting tools available. “With many disparate systems, there can be a lot of finger pointing between suppliers,” says Michael Kellogg, College Station Water Services SCADA Systems Analyst, “which makes it difficult to just get the issue resolved quickly.” Specific goals were to standardize control equipment across all plants, and to improve control, communications, scalability and flexibility with a comprehensive communications network. CSWS had always used standard digital and analog 4-20mA I/O but had the foresight to investigate current communication standards such as ControlNet™, DeviceNet™, EtherNet /IP™, PROFIBUS and HART.
“The easy way would have been to utilize the newer version of the existing vendor,” says Kellogg. “It would be easy to convert the programs, wire in the existing I/O and keep going with the ‘that’s the way we always did it’ mentality. But our calculations on cost per I/O point proved that a networked technology would be very cost effective, especially when you incorporate the cost of conduits, concrete for duct banks, enlarged termination cabinets, and additional terminal blocks.” The City also considered how a new control system could benefit maintenance and training, reduce overtime, and prevent regulatory fines and administration costs. The new system would have to provide common programming environments and easy integration with existing and future equipment. Lastly, city-owned utilities are required by law to take three competitive bids to ensure the best value for citizen money. CSWS researched several vendors, looking for one that could support the bus technology and the standard I/O. Some vendors could primarily support one method but would have to use third-party vendors for other applications.
Solutions Working with its local electrical distributor, The Reynolds Company, of Houston, TX, CSWS evaluated the cost-benefit of a control system from Rockwell Automation, which could support all the communications methods and provide excellent flexibility to determine the best application solution. It also took into account the opportunities and long-term value and returns of Rockwell Automation Services & Support. To help the City reduce capital costs, the Houston office of Rockwell Automation made CSWS aware of the opportunity to purchase products using a U.S. Government Services Administration (GSA) contract. Rockwell Automation was awarded a GSA Schedule 70 contract with the federal government, which is a multiple award schedule contract that allows federal agencies choice, flexibility, ease of use, and access to quality businesses in the information technology marketplace. It allows federal agencies to procure information technology equipment, software, and services as needed to meet agency missions. The GSA contract also offers an option for municipalities to purchase equipment and services under the Cooperative Purchasing agreement, which gives state and local agencies the opportunity to use a pre-negotiated federal contract to capitalize on benefits such as monetary savings, streamlined process, leveraged pricing and purchase of commercial items. The Rockwell Automation solution included a PlantPAx™ Process Automation System, motor controllers and variable frequency drives, as well as field services for installation, inspection, calibration, startup and commissioning, along with phone and online support.
The PlantPAx solution integrates all process operations controls and motor controls into one system through EtherNet I/P, DeviceNet and ControlNet wireless communications networks.
The PlantPAx solution integrates all process operations controls and motor controls into one system and uses core Integrated Architecture™ technologies through EtherNet I/P, DeviceNet and ControlNet wireless communication networks. Ethernet is the top level program for computer networking, replacing conduits and wires for each I/O to help reduce wiring and installation costs, increase reliability and enable point-to-point management and troubleshooting. ControlNet networks transmit electrical information, bus voltage, motor data such as winding temperatures and network security to operators using the proven Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) to combine the functionality of an I/O network and a peer-to-peer network to provide high-speed performance.
“The IntelliCENTER software offers the ultimate window into an MCC, and allows the plant operators to drill into any network equipped section of the MCC and determine the status of the incoming power, pump performance and efficiency.” CSWS also standardized on Allen-Bradley ControlLogix® programmable automation controllers (PACs) across the treatment plants. ControlLogix PACs are fully integrated with all aspects of the water treatment process and help operators access plant-wide information for better management, decision making, and productivity optimization. They offer real-time visibility into monitoring, data collection and automated reporting. Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE® 2100 motor control centers (MCCs) with IntelliCENTER® technology package Allen-Bradley soft starters to control process applications with soft starting and stopping. IntelliCENTER technology provides site operators remote access, real-time diagnostics and electronic documentation for the MCC, to help minimize their MCC downtime and improve their equipment performance. “The IntelliCENTER software offers the ultimate window into an MCC and allows the plant operators to drill into any network equipped section of the MCC and determine the status of the incoming power, pump performance and efficiency,” says Kellogg. Mike Kellogg, with more than 20 years experience in the water wastewater industry, helped design and program the control system. “Tag-based programming was important to us. It enabled us to follow our standards and nomenclature, and provided continuity for operators,” says Kellogg. “Since the first part of the tag identifies the equipment name, for example, ‘TFP01’ represents Thickener Feed Pump 01, it was easy for our operators to use and saved valuable programming time.”
CSWS also replaced its two-speed pumps with variable frequency drives on cooling fans, water service pumps, lift pumps, bio-feed pumps, centrifuges and wasting pumps. Allen-Bradley PowerFlex® 70 AC drives now gradually ramp the speed of the motor up and down to help save energy, and to help protect the life of the motor and related equipment. The PowerFlex 70 drives are configured to provide additional data that gather process information at the drive level and automatically disperse it to any part of the plant through the Integrated Architecture. Taking advantage of Premier Integration drive configuration from Rockwell Automation allowed CSWS to consolidate drive system configuration, operation and maintenance into a single, integrated environment and location. This minimizes the potential for errors when defining I/O and eliminates the task of individual parameter and tag programming. Rockwell Automation estimates that designers using the Premier Integration approach can program PowerFlex drives in ControlLogix-based systems up to 70 percent faster than competitive drives. CSWS also procured a number of services into a Rockwell Automation service agreement. This agreement makes field service professionals available to assist with scheduled maintenance or to troubleshoot. Maintenance costs can be budgeted in advance and are at a lower rate than standard time-and-materials services. A Parts Management Agreement (PMA) helps reduce inventory and carrying costs, and provides immediate spare part availability. Since Rockwell Automation owns and manages the spare parts inventory, the City is able to budget a monthly fixed cost. In addition, CSWS has a TechConnectSM support agreement for their online and phone support needs.
Results Start-up and commissioning began in May 2009 and the City now produces an average daily flow of 11.8 million gallons of water, compared to the previous system’s average daily flow of 8.1 million gallons. CSWS recorded approximately $65,000 in annual energy savings since implementing the control strategy from Rockwell Automation. The newly automated plant now only requires five operators instead of 11, allowing CSWS to reallocate its human resources to other critical areas. The control system helps reduce the risk of operator error by allowing them to adjust setpoints while the controller automatically makes related decisions for them. Before the upgrade, the plant operated on a shift schedule, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Now it runs one shift, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. “The new shift provides better morale for operators. It simplifies their work schedule and they don’t have to sacrifice time at home, family life and vacations,” says Kellogg.
The new networked communications make the City’s operations accessible from remote locations. “By using Ethernet communications we are able to look at all of our facilities, from the water source in the Northern end of the county, to the elevated storage tanks at the southern end,” says Kellogg. “Now the plant floor is the entire county.” Improved control in real-time helps to reduce downtime since it allows operators to take pro-active action before a problem arises. Programming of I/O, drives and water wells, using the user-defined tags and add-on instructions in the ControlLogix framework, also helps save time. “The tags and instructions are a lifesaver! It used to take three days to program a water well and test it, “says Kellogg, “Now we can do it in a day to a day-and-a-half.” The pre-configured software wizards facilitate installation of motor controllers, variable frequency drives (VFDs) and switches to save time. “With the software wizards, I’m up and running, and I don’t have to get I.T. involved,” says Kellogg. “It can take as little as 15 minutes to set up a switch, compared to about a week previously.” PowerFlex VFDs contributed to reduced energy use of the 40Hp cooling tower fans and 450Hp transfer pumps. To maintain a more constant water temperature the CSWS now bases the fan speed on the water temperature, and has estimated a 13-15% reduction in electrical usage by switching to VFDs. Since Rockwell Automation is an approved vendor for Government Services Administration contracts, the products and services offered were able to be discounted. The Rockwell Automation Parts Management Agreement provides a large annual cost savings in inventory and parts handling. College Station’s previous control system stocked spare parts inventory of about US$250, 000. The City’s
spare part investment is now less than $20,000 and they use far less square-footage for onsite inventory storage. TechConnect provides real-time 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. phone support, access to the Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase, and software and firmware updates. “Every Monday morning I receive an email from Rockwell Automation notifying me of any software updates along with links to the Knowledgebase – an invaluable tool that allows me to search for solutions to specific problems I may encounter,” says Kellogg. “Other vendors require you to go to their web site and do an active search to find notices and updates.” In addition, the City of College Station receives one annual invoice for its Rockwell Automation service agreement, making the accounting and tracking process much simpler. The Rockwell Automation service agreement helps CSWS reduce downtime and extend equipment service life through regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance, vibration and current analysis, harmonics analysis, spare parts surveys and timely recommendations. Customer service was an important deciding factor for the City. Kellogg was impressed by the products, solutions and services, and the multi-layers of support available by investing in Rockwell Automation, and knew it offered the best total cost of ownership. “I have a lot of confidence in the service we receive,” says Kellogg. “Our distributor, Reynolds, is my first line of support and then Rockwell Automation, Houston. I see people from both companies at each other’s facility on a regular basis. I know it’s a strong relationship and they have my best interests in mind. I know they’re there for me.” The results mentioned above are specific to the City of College Station’s use of Rockwell Automation products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for other customers. Rockwell Automation and PartnerNetwork companies collaborate to help you develop an ongoing approach to plant-wide optimization, improve your machine performance and achieve your sustainability objectives.
6775 Bingle Road Houston, Texas 77092 Phone: 713-426-8400 Fax: 713-426-8401 www.reynoldsonline.com
The Reynolds Company is a premier supplier of electrical, industrial automation, switchgear, lighting and datacom products representing the industry’s most recognized manufacturers; however, products only represent a small portion of our value-added capabilities and operational philosophy. We see being a solution provider as the ability to provide a useful service to your organization that reduces the overall transaction cost. The result has been rapid growth of our organization throughout Texas, Louisiana and beyond – as a preferred supplier of electrical products.
PlantPAx, CENTERLINE, IntelliCENTER, PowerFlex, TechConnect, Integrated Architecture, ControlLogix and Allen-Bradley are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.
Publication WATER-AP013A-EN-P – August 2010
Copyright © 2010 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in Canada.
