Invensys and Apprion implement wireless infrastructure at LCRA Lost Pines Power Park

Invensys and Apprion implement wireless infrastructure at LCRA Lost Pines Power Park

Initial applications include wireless, hands-free voice communications throughout Sim Gideon and Lost Pines power plants plus wireless LAN access

Invensys Process Systems and its strategic partner, Apprion, have successfully implemented a managed wireless infrastructure plus several initial productivity-enhancing wireless applications at the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) Lost Pines Power Park. The park is located near Bastrop in central Texas. The Lost Pine Power Park houses both the LCRA-owned Sim Gideon Power Plant and the Lost Pines 1 Power Project, owned by Gen-Tex, an LCRA affiliate. Together, the two plants can generate up to 1,165 MW, or enough electricity to meet the peak demands of approximately 250,000 homes. LCRA has recently merged these two plants under one functional management system, and with assistance from Invensys and Apprion, has implemented a new layered WiMax/WiFi wireless infrastructure to help link the two plants.

“We’re always looking at new technologies that can help us maintain our competitive edge while meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements,” commented David Runkle, production manager at LCRA’s Lost Pines Power Park. “Invensys’ comprehensive managed approach to the new wireless technology has enabled us to unify both plants in the Lost Pines Power Park under a common communications system. They did this at a fraction of the cost of a wired solution, while providing an extremely flexible platform for future wireless-enabled applications, including remote equipment condition monitoring and tank farm level monitoring.”

The joint Invensys/Apprion wireless communications solution for LCRA includes:
• Comprehensive site assessment study
• Wireless network design, engineering, installation, and commissioning
• Application qualification, implementation, and integration
• Ongoing network administration, performance monitoring and tuning, infrastructure evaluation, scheduled upgrades, and around the clock system monitoring

Initial wireless infrastructure-enabled applications already in place at LCRA’s Lost Pines Power Park include:

• Common, sitewide, mobile Voice Over IP (VoIP) system for hands-free, “push-to-talk” personal communications and paging anywhere in the Lost Pines Power Park via a WiMax broadband umbrella
• Wireless Public Address (PA) system

Planned Phase 2 applications under consideration include:

• Remote wireless equipment condition monitoring
• Ammonia leak detection/alarm system
• Wireless fuel oil tank farm tank level monitoring
• Wireless material transfer monitoring
• Remote perimeter security video monitoring
• Tablet PCs that will provide process control operators with remote wireless access to the Foxboro and Westinghouse control systems currently installed in the Sim Gideon and Lost Pines power plants, respectively

“There’s certainly a lot of hype in the marketplace about wireless technology being the next game-changer in automation,” said Dave Runkle. “And while this might indeed be true, it also means that the technology is still relatively unproven in many of the types of industrial wireless applications that we are considering. Not only do Invensys and Apprion appear to have an excellent handle on what it takes to implement and manage a cohesive wireless network over time, based on the highly successful track record of our 10+ year strategic technology partnership with Invensys, we are highly confident that the benefits will be sustainable.”

About the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)

The Lower Colorado River Authority is a conservation and reclamation district created by the Texas Legislature to provide energy, water and community services to help improve the quality of life for the people of Texas. LCRA generates electricity and sells it wholesale to city-owned utilities and cooperatives that serve more than 1.1 million people in Texas. It builds and operates transmission projects through a nonprofit corporation, manages and protects the lower Colorado River, owns and operates parks, owns and operates water and wastewater treatment systems, and helps communities with community and economic development. LCRA operates on revenues from the sale of electricity, water and other services. It cannot levy taxes and receives no tax money.

About Apprion

Apprion provides the ION system – an integrated platform that optimizes the security, management, performance and business value of wireless systems deployed in industrial manufacturing environments. The ION wireless infrastructure can be deployed across a single facility, or across multiple operational areas to help cut costs, improve efficiency, productivity and performance, enhance safety and security, and provide more meaningful analytical metrics of plant systems and assets. Headquartered at NASA Research Park at Moffett Field, Calif., more information about Apprion can be found at: www.apprion.com, by e-mail at info@apprion.comor by phone at 650/934-5700.