This week’s Smart Infrastructure roundup features Honeywell’s participation in the construction of a smart pipeline, and the latest in scalable communications infrastructure to help farmers around the world.

Honeywell’s automation system chosen for smart pipeline

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In order to utilize natural gas for clean energy purposes, pipelines were built from Central Asia to China. And because it is a renewable source reducing the cost of energy consumption, another pipeline is already in the works under the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline Project (CACGP).

Asia Trans Gas, responsible for construction of the third pipeline, has selected Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) and Safety Manager technology to turn the structure into a smart pipeline, which can be remotely managed and monitored to maintain operations and prevent safety problems.

Aldous Wong, regional general manager, Honeywell Process Solutions, Greater China, explained that because of the length of the pipeline (530 kilometers), it will be hard to monitor, but Honeywell’s system will increase operators’ access to information and help them make faster, better-informed decisions to promote the integrity and safety of the pipeline.

Honeywell’s Experion PKS will act as the main integration and control software platform, giving operators a complete view of the functioning of the pipeline.  Pipeline C, the third pipeline, will run parallel to existing twin pipelines A and B, which start at Turkmenistan, cut across Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, then eventually end up in China’s western Xinjiang province.  The twin pipelines also use Honeywell’s Experion PKS and Safety Manager, and are controlled by the existing main control center (MCC).  The MCC will be upgraded to become the control center of all three pipelines and leveraging Honeywell’s Distributed System Architecture (DSA).

Orange to keep farmers connected

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Orange Business Services will keep farmers and their crops connected to the Internet by delivering a scalable communications infrastructure, as well as managing machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity services for Dacom, a company that develops and supplies ICT and sensor solutions providing yield optimization to arable farms around the world.

The managed M2M solution from Orange will enable Dacom to connect devices of its agricultural customers in more than 30 countries around the globe.

Orange’s scalable communications infrastructure will collect and transmit information for Dacom’s connected devices, such as sensors for weather stations and soil moisture. With the combination of the sensor technology, the Internet and scientific knowledge, farmers will be able to continuously monitor and fine-tune their production process.  Information gathered can be easily shared with surrounding partners, allowing agribusinesses to anticipate and optimize raw material supply.

Dacom will benefit from Orange’s scalable communications infrastructure thanks to seamless SIM card ordering, as well as activation and tracking through a dedicated portal.