Highlights
Benefits
- Reliability - through the selection of industrial rated hardware and enhanced cabinet temp control
- Cost Effective - using optimized and structured Software & Hardware design
- Performance improvement - leveraging of existing SEMStar5 TRL7 standard application logic migrated to enhanced industrial controller hardware
- Compact single cabinet and dual cabinet solution to support up to 60 XTs
- Lead–time reduction through structured function block code and standard cabinet design – Typically 10months
Features
- Flexibility - with front access only and top and bottom cable entries
- Serviceability - through enhanced design with component accessibility and maintenance as a core consideration
Overview
The Aptara™ Master Control System (MCS) is Baker Hughes’ Master Control Station for reliable topside control and monitoring of subsea production control systems. In addition, providing critical operational data to third party equipment for safe and reliable operations.
The Aptara MCS draws on the design heritage and learning from over 40-years of Subsea Controls experience. It is modular in construction, highly configurable and expandable to meet wide-ranging customer needs.
Baker Hughes understands that topside space is often at a premium and so the Aptara MCS has been designed to minimise space requirements and with the host facility interfaces in mind such as top and bottom cable entry, front access and full system control via door mounted KVM.
Reliability and availability are at the forefront of the Aptara MCS product design. Baker Hughes specify the use of industrial grade components, and it is ensured that no single electrical component failure will impact the operating capabilities of the system.
The system is built using the highly reliable Beckhoff industrial controller platforms that delivers high performance and capacity. The system is configured in dual-redundant and fault-tolerant configuration to deliver an availability of >99.9% with a mean time to repair and test of 72-hours and a minimum 25-year design life. Readily available, easily accessible, and hot-swappable components make this Baker Hughes’ MCS most serviceable MCS solution to date.
Redundancy is embedded throughout the design and is reflected in the hardware, networking, interfaces, and software adopted within the Aptara MCS.
Integrated system level diagnostics related to details of process and internal parameters facilitates fast troubleshooting and resolution. Integrated Sequence of Event (SOE), alarms, and trending tools makes it easy for operations and maintenance to determine issues being observed.
Early indication of equipment health coupled with the hot swappable hardware capability allows replacement of hardware without interrupting operations.
Architecture
The architecture of software design is modular to facilitate troubleshooting navigation and future field expansion.
The Aptara Master Control Station provides the control and monitoring for the subsea Production Control System (PCS), often operating in conjunction with the other control & riser platform safety, utility and management systems and associated surface package units.
Software also processes user commands for actuating valves, chokes, and subsea chemical metering valves, monitoring the status of their control and communication health and displaying on the user interface screens.