Auma supplies HART actuators to Petronas cogeneration plant

Auma has been selected to supply electric actuators equipped with the HART interface to a cogeneration plant currently under construction in Pengerang, Malaysia.

To date, Auma has supplied more than 300 electric actuators for the four cogeneration units to be built on the site.

The gas-fired power plant forms a key part of the Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC), a prestigious project run by Malaysia’s state-owned petroleum corporation, Petronas.

The plant is expected to generate up to 1,220MW of electricity as well as up to 1,480 tonnes per hour of steam to supply other plants within the complex.

Support for the HART communication protocol was one of the key requirements for the actuators on the project.

The main objective was to obtain robust and simple control while at the same time allowing remote parameterisation and transmission of device and operational data between the actuators and the DCS, both requirements met by the HART protocol.

By modulating an additional signal onto the basic 4-20mA analogue signal, HART allows simultaneous transmission of additional field device data, thus combining the advantages of both fieldbus and conventional wiring.

Auma supplies electronic device descriptions (EDDs) for its HART-equipped AC. 2 actuator controls for integration with interpreters such as Siemens Simatic PDM, Emerson AMS, and Emerson 475 field communicator.

Following device integration in the interpreter, the actuators’ most important parameter and diagnostic information is available without additional programming.