Networks for which no distance is too great
Natural gas sometimes has to travel vast distances before it reaches the consumer. It isn’t uncommon for pipelines to be several thousand kilometers long. Monitoring them is no easy task – and would be almost impossible in the absence of a reliable data exchange system.
Redundancy for mission-critical applications
Painstaking monitoring of natural gas pipelines is absolutely essential if transportation is to be guaranteed and any potential leaks identified at an early stage. For this to happen, all sensors installed along the entire route must be connected to a central monitoring system via a powerful communication network that operates reliably at all times – even across great distances and often in difficult climatic and geological conditions.
Considering the stringent demands for security, reliability, and efficiency, redundant communication networks based on Industrial Ethernet are recommended for monitoring mission-critical applications like pipelines. If one point in the network fails, these networks ensure that communication is switched to a different, intact system within milliseconds, with no time delay in the data transfer and with no repercussions for the system itself. In other words, in network structures with a redundant configuration, the system can compensate for the loss of one of the transmission components – and the gas transportation is assured at all times.
Efficient remote access
Even if it is becoming increasingly common for machines and systems to be operated far from the actual place of production, it’s essential to be able to rely on their productivity and availability. Remote access is also growing in importance as a result.
Intelligent and economical
Whether we’re talking about telecontrol – the monitoring and control of remote sites and substations – or remote maintenance that requires temporary, targeted access in the event of an error, remote access to machines and plant ensures greater efficiency and significant cost savings for servicing and maintenance. At the same time, this approach is a highly effective strategy for optimizing machine and plant performance without the time and cost-intensive on-site deployment of a service technician. The foundation is provided by powerful and secure networks known as remote networks that assure communication between different locations.
