A distributed control system (DCS) is a specially
designed automated control system that consists of
geographically distributed control elements over the
plant or control area.
It differs from the centralized control system wherein
a single controller at central location handles the
control function, but in DCS each process element or
machine or group of machines is controlled by a
dedicated controller. DCS consists of a large number
of local controllers in various sections of plant control
area and are connected via a high speed
communication network.
DCS is most suited for large-scale processing or
manufacturing plants wherein a large number of continuous
control loops are to be monitored and controlled. The main
advantage of dividing control tasks for distributed
controllers is that if any part of DCS fails, the plant can
continue to operate irrespective of failed section.
Distributed individual automatic controllers are connected to
field devices such as sensors and actuators. These controllers
ensure the sharing of gathered data to other hierarchal
controllers via different field buses. Different field buses or
standard communication protocols are used for establishing
the communication between the controllers. Some of these
include Profibus, HART, arc net, Modbus, etc.
The communication medium plays a major role in the entire
distributed control system. It interconnects the engineering
station, operating station, process station and smart devices
with one another. It carries the information from one station
to another. The common communication protocols used in
DCS include Ethernet, Profibus, Foundation Field Bus,
Device Net, Modbus, etc.
It is not mandatory to use one protocol for entire DCS, some
levels can use one network whereas some levels use
different network. For instance, consider that field devices,
distributed I/Os and process station are interconnected with
Profibus while the communication among engineering
station, HMI and process station carried though Ethernet.
The operation of DCS goes like this; Sensors senses the process
information and send it to the local I/O modules, to which
actuators are also connected so as to control the process
parameters. The information or data from these remote modules
is gathered to the process control unit via field bus. If smart field
devices are used, the sensed information directly transferred to
process control unit via field bus.
The collected information is further processed, analyzed and
produces the output results based on the control logic
implemented in the controller. The results or control actions are
then carried to the actuator devices via field bus. The DCS
configuring, commissioning and control logic implementation are
carried at the engineering station as mentioned earlier. The
operator able to view and send control actions manually at
operation stations.
DCS DCS
DCS Brand
Name Software controller Industries
name
name name
Honeywell
Oil & Gas,
Experion C300/C200,
Petrochemicals,
Honeywell Experion and HPM/APM/
Metal industry,
TDC3000 CB
Polymers, etc.,
(Legacy).
Centum VP Oil & Gas,
Centum CS
and Petrochemicals,
Yokogawa Centum VP 3000 and
Centum Metal industry,
1000
XL(Legacy). etc.,
Delta V, DeltaV PK
Oil and Gas,
Ovation Controller
Delta V, Pharmaceutical
Emerson and Fisher and
Ovation and Water
Provox(Leg Ovation
applications
acy). Controller.
Invensys
EcoStruxure EcoStruxure FCP 280, FDC Oil and GAs,
(now Schneid
Foxboro Foxboro 280 Power, etc.,
er)
Chemical,
Siemens Simatic PCS 7 Pharmaceutica
l, Power
Pulp and
Valmet DNA
Metso(Valmet) DNA ACN controller Paper,
Explorer
Chemical
System 800xA, Power, Cement
ABB Freelance 800F AC800M
Symphony Plus Industry
Mark VIe
GE Mark Vie ControlST Power
controller
Mitsubishi PMSX Pro MELSOFT Power
ControlLogix Pharmaceutica
Rockwell PlantPAx FactoryTalk
controller l