What is Experion LCN? Honeywell Control System Explained

This article is about What is Experion LCN?, Upgrading BioMCN Methanol Plants with Honeywell’s Experion LCN Technology.

What is Experion LCN?

Learn about the successful upgrade of two BioMCN Methanol plants to Honeywell’s Experion Local Control Network (ELCN) technology in July 2018. This migration allowed BioMCN to optimize their operations, reduce costs, and increase their methanol plant capacity. Let’s explore the benefits and experiences derived from this upgrade.

About BioMCN:

BioMCN, headquartered in The Netherlands, is a leading producer of bio-methanol, a second-generation biofuel. With a commitment to developing better biofuels, BioMCN has pioneered commercial bio-methanol production on a large scale. They convert crude glycerine, a by-product of biodiesel, into methanol, which has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions.

BioMCN Operations:

Operating at the chemical cluster Delfzijl in The Netherlands for over 10 years, BioMCN owns two methanol plants: M1 and M2. M1 is Europe’s fourth-largest plant, capable of producing 440 thousand metric tons per year. M2, a mothballed plant, has a production capacity of 430 thousand metric tons per year. BioMCN is investing in refurbishing the second methanol production line.

Methanol Production:

BioMCN produces two types of methanol: bio-methanol and regular (grey) methanol. They have developed a procedure for producing methanol from glycerine. Currently, the feedstock includes Bio-Natural gas and Bio-CO2 injection, while they continue to explore more bio-usage options to improve their carbon footprint.

Plant History:

BioMCN has operated its plants for over 30 years, starting with the installation of Honeywell TDC 3000 DCS in the 1980s. In the 2000s, the M2 methanol plant was mothballed. In 2018, BioMCN underwent a modernization upgrade using Honeywell’s Experion control technology. They also planned to restart the M2 methanol production line.

Reasons for Migration:

The acquisition of BioMCN’s plant assets by OCI and market demand for increased methanol production led to the migration. The objectives were to minimize costs in restarting the M2 plant, update cyber security, refurbish the control room, and prepare for future growth by upgrading the infrastructure.

Project Team Challenges:

BioMCN faced the challenge of starting methanol production one and a half months earlier than expected, with only two weeks’ notice. The migration to Experion LCN was introduced in late February, and local resources were trained in early July. The project involved configuring and staging the virtualization architecture at Honeywell Amsterdam facility, utilizing local Honeywell expertise, and replacing the Classic LCN coax infrastructure.

What is Experion LCN?

Experion LCN is Honeywell’s Experion Local Control Network solution, offering a secure and cost-effective modernization approach to Fault Tolerant Ethernet (FTE) technology and integration with Experion PKS. It enables the migration of legacy control platforms while leveraging existing assets, providing standards-based functionality, regulatory support, and integrated operations.

What ELCN Offers:

ELCN allows modernization of the Classic LCN infrastructure without disrupting the customer’s configuration. It offers phased node-by-node upgrades, moves display and history request traffic to FTE, retains graphics, controllers, and I/O, and provides lifecycle advantages through virtualization technology. It extends the lifespan of the TPS/TDC environment and unifies TPS and Experion systems.

Best Practices and Prerequisites:

To make the most of the ELCN solution, it is important to address certain prerequisites. These include ensuring TPN Nodes meet the minimum requirements, using compatible server and operating system versions, checking LCN load before the upgrade, following FTE and virtualization best practice guidelines, and creating a detailed migration plan with participation from both the site and Honeywell.

Conclusion:

Honeywell’s ELCN solution enabled BioMCN to economically increase their methanol plant capacity while preserving graphics, control strategies, controllers, I/O processors, and wiring. The use of virtualization will further facilitate modernization in the next phase. Despite the challenge of a different corporate DCS standard, ELCN was the right choice for BioMCN. Proper planning and adherence to best practices contribute to a successful control system migration project with ELCN, adding value to the overall effort.