PACOS ... Control System

PACOS combines the advantages of SCADA, DCS, MES, MIS and SCM in one system without the traditional limitations of these approaches. Process and organisation data is condensed in real-time to form the basis for decision-making and execution for control room operators, maintenance personnel, customers, partners and management.

The PACOS user interface works with intelligent, context-sensitive tiling technology. As a result, even in very extensive systems with several 100,000 data objects, users can access detailed information at lightning speed without losing the overview of the whole process at the same time. The monitoring and management of complex processes is also substantially simplified thanks to high performance topology functions. As a result, control room operators can make and implement the right decisions even in a stressful situation.

Even a user who does not work with PACOS all the time can intuitively find the information and interaction options he requires. As a result, the valuable information in the control system can be used by all of your company’s departments.

With the integrated process organiser, you can organise and schedule the temporal process of the procedure easily and transparently. Regardless of whether it’s processing steps in a batch process or calendar-related parameter changes to supply contracts, all scheduling can be done conveniently and transparently in the process organiser and be carried out precisely.

Libraries with powerful functional modules that you can easily extend yourself meet various sector and customer-specific requirements such as load and capacity management, topological checks and calculations etc.

A highly efficient time series and event archive enables the complete documentation of the whole process, even over long periods of time. Various compression methods are available according to the different signal dynamics of the process signals.

The pronounced connectivity of PACOS enables the linking of existing and future external systems, regardless of whether they provide standard signals, fieldbus and teleconnection protocols, RFID readers, M2M and B2B communication, Office and ERP interfaces, video cameras etc. Over 80 communication interfaces are available from IEC60870, Tase.2, Modbus®, HART®, OPC® up to SEAB-1x.

As a portable system, PACOS is not fixed to a specific platform. For you, this means long-term protection of your investments and long-term availability and usability of the information accumulated. We can provide PACOS on a platform that meets your needs exactly taking into consideration infrastructure already in place.

PACOS is designed for the utmost availability, performance and scalability - with no compromises. Both vertical and horizontal scaling is possible; in a PACOS system, the performance limits of one of the individual components, such as a PLC, are no limiting factor for system performance. Your PACOS system can be scaled from a simple automation island to a multi-process control system with several remote locations and extensive geographic distribution of the process facilities without any loss of information.

The PACOS architecture is also a guarantee for true non-stop operation, even during software upgrades or hardware replacements without proprietary hardware components.

A powerful role concept with user groups and various authentication processes as well as modern encryption technologies ensures that your valuable information does not fall into the wrong hands.

A configurable, topological and hierarchical data model enables efficient modelling of your processes. So that no limits are placed on your subsequent creativity, PACOS is delivered with all the tools required for customer parameterisation. Via this workbench, the advanced applications such as simulation, forecasting and leak detection are parameterised consistently and automatically.

 Epsilon ... Real-time Simulation

Epsilon is a software package for the digital simulation of dynamic behaviour of spatially distributed processes such as energy transport networks and pipelines.

Depending on the user’s requirements, the software can provide real-time simulations as well as simulations that are faster or slower than real-time. Combined with the PROG forecasting programme, EPSILON provides an exact projection of the status with all transient transitions at any point of the supply network up to the forecasting horizon.

As an online simulator, Epsilon provides real time information for any point of the supply network that cannot be accessed by instruments. Valuable additional information can be deduced from this state prediction such as capacity reserves, pipeline status, status of the measurement devices, survival time or even load cycles, for example.

As an offline simulator, Epsilon is used for capacity studies, HAZOPs, bottleneck analyses and operator training, but also for the reconstruction of gas qualities in a meshed supply network.

The simulation accuracy of Epsilon is so high that is can also be used for closed loop control.

Process modelling is done conveniently using the PACOS topological editor. Adapting the model to changes is therefore done just once for the control and simulation system, both parts of the system are always automatically consistent with one another.

The EPSILON temperature model provides a temperature profile along the whole supply network, using just a few temperature sensors.

With the integrated batch and quality tracking, Epsilon knows the properties of the transported media at every point of a pipeline system. This means that the influence of, for example, flow improvers or a chlorination can be optimised.

The simulation system can also be operated in reconstruction mode so as to be able to bill for service in a gas network at any transfer point even without costly calorific value measurements.

 Safepipe Leak Detection and Localisation

Pipe transport is by far the safest and most reliable method for transporting various media even over large distances. As a system that is subject to external influences outside of the enclosed business premises, a pipeline nevertheless does require high performance monitoring equipment in order to minimise the severity of the damage in the event of an incident.

Safepipe minimises the risk of a leak and detects and localises leaks in pipelines quickly and precisely for all liquids and gases, even in highly dynamic modes of operation of the pipeline.

With Safepipe, the residual risk of a pipeline gets manageable, even when transporting very critical media. As the potential causes of leaks are different, Safepipe is based on the principle of diversity.

Safepipe not only detects leaks, but also proactively reduces the risk of leaks. In closed loop operation, the ageing of the pipe is reduced. Automatic shutdown functions can reduce the leak quantity to an absolute minimum in the event of an incident, thanks to targeted interventions in the pipeline hydraulics.

In addition, Safepipe can - automatically and online - ascertain the pipeline’s theoretical remaining lifetime that results from the actual mode of operation.

 TFMS ... Tank Farm and Terminal Management

TFMS combines technical and organisational processes in an automatic real-time workflow. In combination with PACOS, the whole supply chain, from wellhead to the refiner and from the production system to the consumer, can be seamlessly automated in real-time and across organisational limits in an integrated system.

TFMS has a modular design and, as a result, can be adapted to practically any logistic system. The functional modules include:

• Calculation
• Additives and blending
• Procurement
• Batch management
• Loading and unloading of lorries, wagons and ships
• Drawing up customs papers
• Identification of vehicles and drivers
• Inventory in the warehouse and on the transportation route
• Queuing and routing of transportation vehicles
• Contaminate testing and contaminate management
• Customer and partner portal
• Mixing and mix zone calculation
• Nomination management
• Routing of wagons with weight limits
• Scheduling

  PROG ... Forecasting and Look Ahead Simulation

Precisely predicting the demand of energy and water consumers is the basis for maximum security of supply and the key for the efficient operation of supply systems. PROG provides precise forecasts

• on freely selectable time horizons
• for each individual customer and for groups
• with various influential variables
• for various scenarios
• with curtailing taken into consideration
• with schedules
• and quality calculation

With integration in PACOS, it is not only interfaces and multiple data storage that no longer apply, but maintenance of the forecast models is also drastically simplified because a customer data object created in PACOS is automatically available in PROG, in a topologically correct way. The results from PROG are also directly availble to the appropriately authorised users of the PACOS control system; the whole data mining toolbox from PACOS can be applied directly to the results of the forecast.

Direct linking to the PACOS time series archive guarantees high performance learning behaviour from PROG and continuously consistent databases even in the event of archive corrections.

In combination with Epsilon, PROG provides all changes in the network status for any point of the supply network from the actual time point to the forecast horizon. All transients are simulated by EPSILON even in time lapse mode.

 CUBE ... Automated Scheduling

CUBE is a scheduling software specially designed for transportation and distribution tasks. Taking nominations, system availability and capacities, quality regulations and other contractual and technical conditions into consideration, CUBE develops schedules automatically or semi-automatically. Complex itinerary development in common carrier scenarios or in the field of liberalised energy markets are thus significantly simplified.

CUBE is integrated in PACOS and works automatically with real-time process and inventory data; externally defined boundary conditions can be processed like regulations, target values, target deadlines and time series. The itineraries generated are therefore always correct and up-to-date. As a result, control room operators and schedulers can react quickly to any changes.

The itineraries can be visualised and edited in PACOS and, if desired, also be implemented in closed loop mode. An automatic redirection to external systems can take place via communication services provided by PACOS such as email, TASE.2 etc.

Incoming data, and its implementation in itineraries, can be fully documented, meaning that the whole process is traceable.

 OPT ... Optimisation

Optimisation increases efficiency and security of supply and reduces costs and environmental footprint.

As an optimiser that can be used online and offline, OPT not only uses particularly high performance algorithms for optimisation. Thanks to seamless integration in PACOS, it guarantees exceptional model quality and great user friendliness.

OPT enables the execution of even complex optimisation tasks, such as the optimisation of time discrete or non-linear systems with direct connection to PACOS real-time data.