Success Stories
Coker and Desulphurization Plant Controls Retrofit
Our automation team was tasked with the improvement and retrofit of existing DCS's and PLC's at a major oil sands plant in northern Alberta. The scope of work included software and HMI programming, testing and loop checking services on the Honeywell TDC and Modicon Quantum platforms.
Hydrogen Compressor and Hydrogen Recovery Unit Controls Upgrade
Design review of I/C systems for existing Cokers and completed a control system design and optimization of Hydrogen Compressor and Hydrogen Recovery Unit (HRU).
Control System Infrastructure Remodelling
Our senior control engineers were put to the test to design and implement a multi-vendor network reconstruction of DCS's, PLC's and HMI's. The scope involved reconfiguration of over 100 Allen Bradley PLC's and 40 HMI's to a Honeywell TDC DCS and called for a complex swingover strategy to minimize process disruptions.
Flue-Gas Desulphurization Plant Logic Upgrade
Performed restart of the Flue-Gas Desulphurization plant including loop check-out and trip testing of PLC systems and Honeywell DCS System (TPS) and upgraded PLC programs per new requirements and standards.
Data Highway Air Gap PLC Conversion
Completed the Air Gap PLC project and decommissioned Xlink, the data highway between the plant mine site and main control room. Training manuals were also prepared for the newly configured Mine system.
In addition, completed the migration of the PLC system to new PCN Subnet utilizing ifix Scada from Intellution and Allen Bradley PLC for the Main Stack PLC Control.
PHD and PI Historian Support
Performed site maintenance and administration of various historian systems for a major oil company. PI (Plant Information) and PHD (Process History Database) configuration and administration including: tag creation, data retrieval and data editing, maintenance of the Sybase system for lab data and maintenance and configuration of the PI-OPC interfaces for plant operations.
Troubleshooting of site problems performed during PI and PHD system failures and PI interface issues and a complete upgrade of the PI Historian system to the latest version of PI (3.4.370) was performed.
Created training manuals and provided internal training to client’s internal personnel. Client training was provided for two PI products (part of the PI Suite of Client Tools), PI DataLink (Microsoft Excel Add-In) and PI-ProcessBook (GUI designed by OSISoft)
Pipeline SCADA/HMI Support
Executed several SCADA projects for the SCADA Services group including project management, system support and maintenance, design, database management and HMI development and maintenance.
Commissioned new facilities and newly developed SCADA functionality and developed third party communications for various pipeline and tank farm SCADA interfaces using multi-level redundancy for the various databases, HMIs and communications paths.
Provided expert skills in Unix, Linux, Perl, C++, communications interfaces and protocols such as IPL, Modbus rtu, Modbus ASCII, Modbus TCP/IP, serial data radio, INET ethernet radio, microwave, MSAT and VSAT.
Created and implemented detail design of local Modbus plus networks to tie PLCs, flow computers (Omni or Datek), tank gauges and other local third party HMI devices to the SCADA systems.
Power Utility Instrumentation and Controls Support
One of Canada's largest power utility approached Dexcent to provide in house instrumentation and controls expertise in support of several ongoing improvement projects.
Substation Upgrade Project Management
Leading a team of client, vendor, consultant and industry stakeholders, Dexcent provides project leadership in the improvement of one of Alberta's largest coal fired power plants. The scope of work involves the installation of new transformers, switchgear and related infrastructure in this $100M project.
CADD Drawing Updates
Dexcent worked with our affiliate in Bangalore, India to vectorize 200 one of a kind, hardcopy drawings to AutoCAD within three weeks. The drawings were scanned in Canada, sent to India via our FTP server, updated and returned with exceeding quality and accuracy. Our team of engineers, designers and drafting personnel in India ensured proper engineering data was transferred before final checking by Canadian leads. This effort proved that even the smallest quantity of drawings can be completed economically half a world away while adhering to strict quality and accuracy guidelines.