VistaFlo™ Electronic Flow Measurement (EFM) Solution Software

Weatherford’s VistaFlo EFM software solution includes RealFLO™ GFC, TelePACE™ ladder logic editor (LLE) and IEC 61131-3 software.

RealFLO GFC Software

Any application requiring gas flow measurement, a PLC for local control and a remote terminal unit (RTU) for communication is a candidate for automation with RealFLO GFC software. The software converts any SP series controller into a fully functional GFC, while retaining the controller’s inherent logic programmability. The result is a versatile GFC that is well suited to a wide variety of natural gas applications.

The software provides AGA-3 orifice plate, VCone and AGA-7 pulse type meter flow measurement with AGA-8 or NX-19 gas density calculations. In meeting the requirements of API 21.1, custody transfer, RealFLO software provides 35 days of hourly and daily averages, 700 user changes and events and 300 process alarms. No additional logic programming is required to use the software; it is complete and ready for configuration and use.

RealFLO GFC software can be used in a wide range of applications.

• Gas well measurement and control
• Separator measurement and control
• Flow measurement
• Industrial energy consumption measurement
• Pipeline balancing
• Pipeline transmission station automation
• Coal bed methane
• Point-of-delivery (POD) automation
• Well head measurement and automation

The software’s extensive features include:

• Modbus protocol interface
• Standard EFM Modbus interface
• Programmable control
• Universal primary variable interface
• Versatile communications
• Expandable I/O to over 650 points

Components of the software include:

• RealFLO executable code, an executable C or C++ program. It is provided by Weatherford and is written to the SP series controller with the configuration utility.
• The RealFLO configuration utility operates on a PC running Windows, and is used to download and configure the SS 4203 GFC. The configuration utility was designed in consultation with end users and consulting engineers to make commissioning a flow computer as intuitive and as efficient as possible. It allows online or off-line configuration of gas flow run operating parameters. This utility offers a user-friendly environment that is intuitive for any user familiar with Windows. It also provides all the tools necessary to confirm the correct operation of the SCADA system interface to the flow computations during system startup and configuration.

The configuration utility can also configure the SP series controller’s operational parameters, including communication-port settings, I/O register assignment, real-time clock and DNP settings, and provides a utility to automatically scale any SP series PLC process I/O.

TelePACE Ladder Logic Editor

TelePACE LLE is a user-friendly, flexible environment for developing, debugging and downloading ladder logic code to SP series EFM controllers. It allows both online and off-line code development and provides local and remote access to your process by using Intranet and Internet technologies. The software also provides controller diagnostic and configuration tools as well as custom functions for SCADA-specific applications.

In addition, the editor allows engineers and electricians to quickly and efficiently develop analog and digital control sequences, configure PID process control, create data logs, calculate flow totals and perform communication functions. TelePACE LLE features include:

• An easy-to-use programming environment
• A comprehensive list of SCADA-specific functions
• Online editing and monitoring
• Off-line development and editing
• A variety of communications media and protocols supported
• C/C++ programs that run concurrently with TelePACE LLE applications