Case studies: Stark Tech
Location: USA
Industry: Oil and Gas (Renewable Natural Gas)
Project Type: SCADA System Design, Development, and Commissioning
Ignition Modules Used:
– OPC UA
– Perspective
– Tag Historian
– Reporting
– MQTT Transmission (Cirrus Link)
– Alarm Notification
Problem
The RNG project required a modern SCADA system to oversee the full operation of a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) plant, composed of multiple process units and controlled by twenty Allen-Bradley PLCs. The client needed an integrated platform to monitor, control, and archive system data for analysis and reporting. Also, the system needed to be connected to End-user Central Monitoring System for data collection, analysis and decision making.
Solution
A full SCADA solution was developed using Ignition 8.1, leveraging the Perspective module for a fully web-based user interface, Historian and Reporting Module for data archiving and reporting, Alarm Notification for advanced alarming and logical escalation, and MQTT Transmission for publishing data to End-user Central Monitoring System.
The system connects to:
20 Allen-Bradley controllers (1 main [Balance of the Plant], 18 unit-specific, and 1 legacy plant controller)
A dedicated PostgreSQL Server for historical and reporting data
End-user Central Monitoring System via MQTT
The architecture uses a standalone Ignition server, interfacing with all PLCs via native drivers and OPC UA, and with SQL Server via JDBC. A modern UI design in Perspective allows users to access the system securely from desktops and mobile devices.
System Architecture
- Platform: Ignition 8.1
- User Interface: Perspective
- PLC Communication: Allen-Bradley via OPC UA
- Database: PostgreSQL Server
- Deployment Model: On-premise, standalone Ignition server
- Networking: Managed private air-gapped network with DMZ outbound connection to Enduser Central Monitoring System, and secured remote access.
- Tag Count: ~100,000 tags
- Historian Tags: ~15,000 tags
Results
- Centralized monitoring and control of all RNG units from a single SCADA instance.
- Seamless data acquisition and historization to PostgreSQL Server.
- Modern Web-based UI/UX through Perspective for real-time access on any device.
- Scalable system design allowing future expansion and integration of additional modules
and sites. - Improved operational visibility and decision-making via custom reports and dashboards.
