Yokogawa periodically publishes the Yokogawa Technical Report, which contains articles that take a detailed look at the technologies employed in Yokogawa's products. At this site you will find links to all of the reports that have been published since 1997 as well as links to PDF files containing the full text of selected articles from each issue.
Field Instruments and Process Analyzers Gaining More Intelligence
- Hidefumi Kobatake*1
*1：President, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Evolution of Field Digital and Sensing Technologies in Field Instruments and Process Analyzers
- Yoji Saito*1
- Seizo Nakamura*2
*1：Field Instruments Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
*2：Analytical Products Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
Field digital technologies including sensing and diagnostic technologies using IT, network technologies such as FOUNDATION Fieldbus and analyzer bus, and visualizing technologies such as the Field Device Tool/Device Type Manager (FDT/DTM) are indispensable to intelligent field instruments and process analyzers. Meanwhile, user needs have been significantly changing due to changes in the social environment. This report describes the evolution of field digital and sensing technologies in the area of field instruments and process analyzers to address various user needs.
Field Wireless Solution Based on ISA100.11a to Innovate Instrumentation
- Shuji Yamamoto*1
- Toshiyuki Emori*2
- Kiyoshi Takai*1
*1：IA Foundation Technology Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
*2：Control Systems D&E Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
In May 2009, Yokogawa announced efforts to promote international standardization and dissemination of the ISA100.11a wireless communication standard of the International Society of Automation (ISA) for industrial automation, and in June 2010 Yokogawa released the world's first wireless field instruments and a device for wireless systems based on this standard. This report describes the concept of field wireless solutions and field wireless systems based on ISA100.11a, including Yokogawa's CENTUM VP distributed control system (DCS).
World's First Wireless Field Instruments Based on ISA100.11a
- Shuji Yamamoto*1
- Naoki Maeda*1
- Makoto Takeuchi*1
- Masaaki Yonezawa*1
*1：IA Foundation Technology Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
The innovation of wireless technology encourages application of wireless communications to industry. Industrial communication networks require strict features such as robustness, real-time responsiveness, and low power consumption. ISA100.11a, an international wireless communication standard for industry, is designed to realize these capabilities. Yokogawa has commercialized the world's first two wireless field instruments and a device for field wireless systems based on the ISA100.11a with huge potentials, excellent expandability, and high affinity with process control. This report introduces these three products.
ADMAG AXR Two-wire Magnetic Flowmeter
- Yutaka Aoyama*1
- Fujikazu Sugawara*1
- Tooru Shimura*1
- Yuuichi Kaneko*1
- Hisashi Noda*1
- Akio Yasumatsu*1
*1：Field Instruments Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
Yokogawa has developed the ADMAG AXR magnetic flowmeter, the world's first two-wire system applying the dual frequency excitation method. In order to achieve steady flow measurement in a two-wire system with limited power consumption, the S/N ratio was improved by reducing power consumption and converter noise, improving excitation efficiency of the detector by using a high-density coil, and lowering noise caused by the electrodes of the detector. This report describes the technologies used in the ADMAG AXR.
- Shuuji Urabe*1
- Kiyoaki Koyama*1
*1：Field Instruments Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
The Yokogawa Group has developed the ROTAMASS 3 series Coriolis flow and density meters. A Coriolis flowmeter can directly measure mass flow of fluid regardless of its temperature and pressure. The ROTAMASS 3 series meters have such unique features as fast signal processing, anti-vibration mechanism, and high accuracy density measurement. This paper describes these features and applications of the ROTAMASS 3 series.
FieldMate: Versatile Device Management Wizard Evolving with Field Instruments
- Keiichiro Kobuchi*1
- Mizuo Kawahara*1
- Hironori Murata*1
- Hiroaki Kanokogi*1
*1：IA Foundation Technology Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
FieldMate is field instrument adjustment and configuration software applying Electric Device Description Language (EDDL) and Field Device Tool/Device Type Manager (FDT/DTM) technologies. The main purposes of this software include supporting a wide range of models of field instruments and field communication protocols. IT and communication technologies are advancing at a rapid rate, accompanied by the advance of field digital technologies, which has led to the increasing release of new field devices, and progress of field communication protocols. The FieldMate should support these new devices and protocols, and Yokogawa has continued efforts to this end since its release. As part of such efforts, Yokogawa has released FieldMate R2.02 which boasts improved usability as well as supports new devices and protocols. This report introduces new features of FieldMate R2.02.
Advanced Diagnostic Functions of EJX Series Differential Pressure/Pressure Transmitters
- Kiyoshi Watanabe*1
*1：Field Instruments Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
Diagnosing the process interface where the field instruments and process equipment are contacting each other enables prediction of the required maintenance for the instrumentation. With the EJX series differential pressure/pressure transmitters, Yokogawa has developed functions to detect blockage and monitor heat traces in impulse lines which are process interface parts. These functions are called advanced diagnoses, to distinguish them from the self-diagnosis of the instruments. This paper introduces the advanced diagnostic functions built in the FOUNDATION Fieldbus communication type and HART communication type EJX series transmitters.
- Takashi Kawano*1
- Shinnosuke Yoshida*1
*1：Field Instruments Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
Yokogawa introduced the world's first vortex flow meter for industrial use in the 1960s, which is now widely used for measuring liquid, gas, and steam. However, Yokogawa's digitalYEWFLO vortex flow meter had limited functions in tracking pressure changes especially in the measurement of gas and steam, for which mass flow measurement is generally required, due to the use of the pressure value as a constant. The newly developed FieldMate FlowNavigator flow configuration software applying Field Device Tool/Device Type Manager (FDT/DTM) technology has made it possible to compensate density using a physical properties database. Combined with FOUNDATION Fieldbus type digital YEWFLO, it can accurately calculate mass flow. This report describes mass flow calculation in the FOUNDATION Fieldbus type digitalYEWFLO, and highly accurate calculation of the mass flow of natural gas by FlowNavigator with actual test data.
Valve Signature Logger for Optimal Valve Management
- Yutaka Yokochi*1
*1：Field Instruments Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
Since the release of the FOUNDATION Fieldbus-support instrument in 1998, Yokogawa has been working hard to improve the efficiency and usability of the field instruments in order to maximize their intelligent functions. Combining the use of the YVP110 advanced valve positioner and ValveNavi has made it possible to tune valves automatically, check the tuning results, and detect deterioration of instruments using the valve diagnostic function. This report introduces the Valve Signature Logger, a new approach to enhance these functions.
FLXA21 Modular Two-wire Liquid Analyzer in FLEXA Series
- Ryuji Chiba*1
- Shinjirou Kiyono*1
- Takeshi Houkita*1
- Yukihiro Seki*1
*1：Analytical Products Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
Yokogawa has developed the FLXA21 two-wire liquid analyzer as the first product in the FLEXA series. The FLEXA series, named after “Flexible EXA,” is a successor of the EXA series with advanced configurability and expandability. The FLXA21 is a successor of four EXA202 series products: pH/ORP analyzer (ORP: oxidation-reduction potential), contacting conductivity analyzer, inductive conductivity analyzer, and dissolved oxygen analyzer. FLEXA series was designed to put together common functions and have independent sensor parts, forming a modular architecture that allows easy assembling. This report introduces the specifications and functions of the FLXA21 and describes its hardware and software structure.
OX400 Low Concentration Zirconia Oxygen Analyzer
- Jun-ichi Suzuki*1
- Kaori Endou*1
*1：Analytical Products Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
Targeting the electronics industry, Yokogawa has developed the OX400 zirconia oxygen analyzer capable of measuring a wide range of concentrations from ppm up to 100 vol%O2. The OX400 has such characteristics as high-speed response and high reliability by using a zirconia narrow tube with proven track record for the sensor. Furthermore, the analyzer was designed so that customers can replace the sensor themselves. To improve maintainability, an aspirator type is provided for gas sampling in addition to a pump type. This report introduces the principle of zirconia oxygen analyzers, and the features, structure, and application examples of the OX400.
TDLS200 Tunable Diode Laser Gas Analyzer and its Application to Industrial Process
- Kazuto Tamura*1
- Tomoaki Nanko*2
- Yukihiko Takamatsu*1
- Junichi Matsuo*3
*1：Analytical Products Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
*2：Quality Assurance Dept.,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
*3：Laser Analysis Division, Yokogawa Corporation of America
Yokogawa's TDLS200 laser gas analyzer, which is based on tunable diode laser spectroscopy, features high selectivity and long-term stability, and offers fast in-situ analysis of even high-temperature or corrosive gases. This report introduces the measurement principle of the TDLS200 and an example of real-time residual ammonia measurement in a flue to control ammonia injection volume during the denitration and dust collection process.
- Hideko Tanaka*1
- Toshiki Ohara*1
- DukWon Ryu*2
- Chris Hopkins*3
*1：Analytical Products Business Center,Industrial Automation Business Headquarters
*2：Industrial Automation Div., Yokogawa Electric Korea Co., Ltd.
*3：Process Analyzer Div., Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Yokogawa's NR800 near-infrared analyzer can measure both liquid and gas samples and is applicable for various petrochemical processes such as ethylene plants and chemical process. Gas chromatographs are commonly used for measuring gas compositions such as those broken down by naphtha crackers. However, they take about five to ten minutes, so faster measurement methods are required. This report introduces an application of NR800 to such gas composition measurement that realizes rapid measurement and control cycle of about one minute.