Controller offers retransmission, remote set point options
This new PXR4 controller includes options to meet a variety of needs in the processing segment of the oil industry.
New options include retransmission and remote set point.
Existing options include RS485 communications, digital input, timer function, heater burnout alarm, dual outputs, and programmable alarms.
One feature is the large LED display, which the company says is larger than any other 1/16 DIN controller on the market.The faceplate, designed for NEMA-4X (IP66 equivalent), is watertight and corrosion-resistant.
The easy-to-use three-button keypad allows for programming similar to the PXW controller.
The screw terminal on the back further reduces cost by eliminating the need for sockets, the firm points out.
In addition to the autotuning and fuzzy control that are standard, the PXR4 now comes with self-tuning.It automatically retunes the controller under certain conditions, without the need to revert to autotuning.
The standard eight-segment ramp-soak feature has been expanded to include two patterns that can be linked to create a 16-step profile.
The unit accepts temperature and process inputs and offers two control outputs and two programmable alarms.
Remote monitoring of as many as 31 controllers at a time is possible with the RS485 option that uses the industry-standard Modbus protocol.
The purchase of a PXR4 with PC communications includes the firm's free Windows-based software—PXR-LITE.
Source: Fuji Electric Corp. of America, c/o TTI Inc., Box 1073, Williston, VT 05495-1073.
Improved reservoir modeling software
Tecplot RS (reservoir simulation) Version 4.0, an integrated plotting environment designed specifically for oil reservoir modeling, is now on the market.
Focused on the needs of reservoir engineers, Tecplot RS allows data from multiple sources to be loaded and displayed in plots ranging from XY graphs to complex 3D renderings.
The software manages data from multiple reservoir simulators, as well as observed data like production rates and formation tests.
With Version 4.0, engineers improved the software's functionality in three primary areas: speed of loading large data files, the addition of new data loaders to support new data formats, and new plotting tools for grid data.
Depending on the type of data, 4.0 can load files as much as 17 times faster than the eadier version of the software. A new data loader option allows for partial loading of grid solution files.
With this option, the user can select subsets of the variables and time steps to be loaded into 4.0 for plotting and display.
This speeds the data loading process and requires less computing memory.
A load-on-demand option enhances this feature further when working with very large data sets.
New and improved data loaders are also available with Version 4.0, allowing previously nonsupported data formats to be plotted by the user.
A generic ASCII data loader has been added for user-created observed data files. In addition, 4.0 features an enhanced loader for ECLIPSE data files and a new data loader for VIP plt files.
The main feature of multiple data loaders is that data formats from multiple reservoir simulators can be plotted and compared against one another and-or observed data, giving the user flexibility and control, the firm notes.
Tecplot RS 4.0 also features new plotting tools for grid data.
These new plotting tools include 3D display of multiple grid layers; ternary (red, green, blue) coloring for oil, water, and gas plots; the ability to load multiple grid data sets; and the ability to display multiple grid plots per page.
Source: Tecplot Inc., Box 3633, Bellevue, WA 98009-3633.
Temporary surface offers versatile use
The BRAVO Mat System promises to be a versatile temporary surface for access and staging over soft soils or delicate surfaces.
The lightweight flooring installs efficiently, the company says.
Mats are made of a durable, light-weight thermoplastic formulation that can be configured in multiple patterns for a variety of uses.
The 48 in. by 48 in. mats (42 in. by 42 in. of usable surface) weigh 50 lb each, include four integrated twist lock fasteners retained within the unit, and require a hex head wrench to lock the mats in place (no parts to lose or store).
The firm says a two-person crew can lay out and install a 20 ft by 50 ft floor in less than 1 hr.
The product can support normal vehicle traffic, provides all-weather walkways, ground cover, tent floors, maintenance pads, storage platforms, surface protection, and harsh terrain access. Rubberized surfaces on both sides of the mat provide traction as well as resistance to weather, oil, and chemicals.
The modular nature of the mat allows installation around trees, columns, and other existing structures.
Source: Soloco LLC, 207 Town Center Parkway, First Floor, Lafayette, LA 70506-7524.
