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Overview of Industrial Process Automation
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Overview of Industrial
Process Automation
Second edition

KLS Sharma
Automation Education and Training,
Bengaluru, India

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK


OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE
SYDNEY • TOKYO
Elsevier
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The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, United Kingdom
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Copyright © 2017, 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to
seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with
organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found
at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.

This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher
(other than as may be noted herein).

Cover page background image courtesy: Yokogawa, India (www.yokogawa.com/in) and Bosch
Rexroth, India (www.boshrexroth.co.in)

Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and
experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices,
or medical treatment may become necessary.

Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in
evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using
such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the
safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.

To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or
editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products
liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or
ideas contained in the material herein.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data


A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-0-12-805354-6

For information on all Elsevier publications visit


our website at https://www.elsevier.com/

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Typeset by TNQ Books and Journals


Dedication

This book is dedicated to ABB India, where the author learned


and practiced automation for over 24 years.
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Contents

About the Author xiii


Forewordxv
Preface to the First Edition xix
Preface to the Second Edition xxiii
Acknowledgmentsxxix

1 Why Automation? 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Physical Processes 2
1.3 Localized and Distributed Processes 4
1.4 Process Behavior 6
1.5 Process Management 7
1.6 Process Signals 9
1.7 Automation Steps 12
1.8 Needs met by Automation 12
1.9 Benefits of Automation 13
1.10 Summary 14

2 Automation System Structure 15


2.1 Introduction 15
2.2 Subsystems 15
2.3 Input Instrumentation Subsystem 18
2.4 Output Instrumentation Subsystem 19
2.5 Human Interface Subsystem 20
2.6 Control Subsystem 21
2.7 Summary 23

3 Instrumentation Subsystems 25
3.1 Introduction 25
3.2 Structure 26
3.3 Signal Interfacing Standards 34
3.4 Input Data Reliability Enhancement 35
3.5 Isolation and Protection 35
3.6 Summary 38
viii Contents

4 Human Interface Subsystem 39


4.1 Introduction 39
4.2 Operator Panel 39
4.3 Construction 42
4.4 Summary 44

5 Control Subsystem 45
5.1 Introduction 45
5.2 Structure 45
5.3 Interfacing 46
5.4 Summary 51

6 Automation Strategies 53
6.1 Introduction 53
6.2 Basic Strategies 55
6.3 Advanced Strategies 63
6.4 Summary 74

7 Programmable Control Subsystems 75


7.1 Introduction 75
7.2 Soft-wired or Microprocessor Technology 76
7.3 Automation Strategy Implementation 82
7.4 Upward Compatibility 98
7.5 Summary 98

8 Data Acquisition and Control Unit: Hardware 99


8.1 Introduction 99
8.2 Basic Modules 101
8.3 Functional Modules 103
8.4 DACU Capacity Expansion 115
8.5 System Cables 118
8.6 Integrated Assemblies 120
8.7 DACU Construction 120
8.8 Data Exchange on Bus 121
8.9 Summary 122

9 Data Acquisition and Control Unit: Software 125


9.1 Introduction 125
9.2 Software Structure 126
9.3 Application Programming 128
9.4 Summary 149

10 Advanced Human Interface 151


10.1 Introduction 151
10.2 Operator Station 152
Contents ix

10.3 Features of Operator Station 156


10.4 Comparison with Operator Panel 164
10.5 Enhanced Operator Stations 164
10.6 Engineering and Maintenance Stations 167
10.7 Logging Stations 168
10.8 Control Desk 169
10.9 Modern Control Center 169
10.10 Summary 170

11 Types of Automation Systems 171


11.1 Introduction 171
11.2 Localized Process 171
11.3 Distributed Process 174
11.4 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition 180
11.5 Summary 183

12 Special-Purpose Data Acquisition and Control Units 185


12.1 Introduction 185
12.2 Localized/Centralized Processes 185
12.3 Remote/Distributed Processes 191
12.4 Other Variants 196
12.5 Summary 200

13 System Availability Enhancements 203


13.1 Introduction 203
13.2 Standby Schemes 204
13.3 Distributed Control System 206
13.4 Network Control System 211
13.5 Input–Output Redundancy 214
13.6 Summary 215

14 Common Configurations 217


14.1 Introduction 217
14.2 Distributed Control System Configurations 217
14.3 Network Control System Configurations 220
14.4 Real-Time Data Availability 220
14.5 Summary 221

15 Customization 223
15.1 Introduction 224
15.2 Hardware Selection 225
15.3 Hardware Engineering 228
15.4 System Engineering 228
15.5 Application Programming 230
15.6 Power Supply Systems 230
15.7 Summary 235
x Contents

16 Data Communication and Networking 237


16.1 Introduction 238
16.2 Communication Networks 238
16.3 Signal Transmission 240
16.4 Data Transmission 243
16.5 Data Communication Protocol 246
16.6 Interprocess Communication 254
16.7 Cyber Security 258
16.8 Safe and Redundant Networks 260
16.9 Summary 261

17 Fieldbus Technology 263


17.1 Introduction 263
17.2 Centralized Input–Output 264
17.3 Remote Input–Output 266
17.4 Fieldbus Input–Output 269
17.5 Fieldbus Communication 274
17.6 Fieldbus Device Integration 282
17.7 Other Networks 286
17.8 Asset Management 289
17.9 Summary 290

18 Safety Systems 293


18.1 Introduction 293
18.2 Process Safety Management 294
18.3 Machine Safety Management 310
18.4 Summary 318

19 Management of Industrial Processes 321


19.1 Introduction 322
19.2 Classification of Industrial Processes 322
19.3 Manufacturing Processes 325
19.4 Utility Processes 341
19.5 Industrial Robotics 351
19.6 Summary 357

20 Information Technology–Operation Technology Convergence 359


20.1 Introduction 359
20.2 Operation Technology and Information Technology 361
20.3 Before Convergence 362
20.4 After Convergence 363
20.5 ISA 95 Standard 366
20.6 New Developments 368
20.7 Summary 375
Contents xi

21 Concluding Remarks 377


21.1 Introduction 377
21.2 Basic Functionalities 379
21.3 Extended Functionalities 380
21.4 Emerging Trends 382
21.5 Summary 385

Appendix A: Hardwired Control Subsystem 387


Appendix B: Processor 411
Appendix C: Hardware–Software Interfacing 421
Appendix D: Basics of Programming 431
Index447
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About the Author

KLS Sharma graduated from University of Mysuru, India, and received his masters
and doctoral degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India.

He has worked for the following organizations:


• Technical manager, Electronics Corporation of India, Hyderabad, India
• Assistant vice president, ABB, Bengaluru, India
• Consultant, Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab, Bengaluru, India
• Professor, International Institute of Information Technology, Bengaluru, India
• Professor emeritus, MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India
• Member, Campus Connect Program, Automation Industry Association of India, Delhi, India
• Distinguished visiting professor, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, India

His current positions are:


• Advisor, Automation Education and Training, Bengaluru, India
• Principal
consultant, Advanced Engineering Group, Infosys, Bengaluru, India
• Member, Editorial Advisory Board, A&D Magazine on Industrial Automation, Pune, India

Association
• Senior member, International Society of Automation (ISA)

Awards and Recognitions


• ISA Celebrating Excellence Member’s Choice Award for Student Mentor of the Year 2015.
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Foreword

The industrial revolution replaced the need for human muscles; the computer revolution
substituted the routine functions of our brains. Today we operate robots on Mars that can
vaporize rocks by laser to determine their composition, and soon we will be ordering
pizza while sitting in our hydrogen-fueled driverless cars and the drone-delivered pizza
will be waiting for us in the driveway by the time our smart car parks itself.
Similar advances took place in the field of industrial automation. 50 years ago we
were tuning single loop pneumatic controllers and were perfectly satisfied with using
filled bulbs for temperature and orifices for flow measurement. At that time the main
job of the instrument department in the plant was to clean plugged pressure taps and
open stuck control valves, and our control panels were full of push buttons, blinking
lights, and manual loading stations. Over the past decades our tools changed into
self-checking digital components, wireless transmission, and redundant safety backup
systems that provide ease of configuring complex algorithms and generating dynamic
displays. Today automation is minimizing operating and energy costs while maximiz-
ing both safety and profitability of our industries.
Yet the totality of the automation field is poorly understood because that knowledge
is fragmented, since our colleagues are working only in particular segments of the
field. Few have an overall view of the totality of the automation profession. This book
of Dr. Sharma serves to fill that gap by describing the totality of this field.
We live at a time when cultural attitudes concerning automation are changing as we
debate the proper role of machines in our lives. Whereas in everyday life we accept the
spread of automation, that our mobile phones can do just about anything except sharpen
our pencils (but who needs pencils or handwriting anymore, for that matter?), industrial
attitudes change much more slowly. Our industries are still mostly run by human oper-
ators, and although they are assisted by machines, it is the operator who usually has the
“last word.” In other words, automation is seldom used to prevent human errors.
xvi Foreword

Safety statistics tell us that the number one cause of all industrial accidents is human
error. One could refer to Three-Mile Island, where operators poured water into the instru-
ment air supply; the BP accident, where there was no automation to keep the drill pipe
straight; the ferry accident in Korea, where safety overrides were not provided to prevent
the captain from turning sharply into a fast ocean current; or airplane accidents, where
pilots are allowed to fly into mountains or attempt to land at wrong speeds. Yet we know
that in addition to its other contributions, automation can overrule the actions of pan-
icked or badly trained operators who often make the wrong decisions in emergencies.
To achieve this higher level of industrial safety, an override safety control (OSC)
layer of safety automation is being added to our control systems, one that cannot be
turned off or overruled by anything or anybody. With this design, if the plant condi-
tions enter a highly accident-prone life- or safety-threatening region of operation, the
uninterruptible safe shutdown of the plant is automatically triggered. The functioning
of this layer of automation is free from possible cyber attacks because it is not con-
nected to the Internet at all. In short, once the OSC layer of protection is activated, the
plant is shutting down and nothing and nobody can prevent that.
In addition to safety improvements, advances in standardization are also taking place.
Just as it occurred in the “analog age,” a global standard is now evolving for digital
communication that could link all digital “black boxes” and could also act as a “transla-
tor” for those automation devices that were not designed to “speak the same language.”
Naturally, this standardization should apply to both wired and wireless systems, thereby
eliminating “captive markets” and allowing the easy mixing of different manufacturers’
products in the same control loop. This trend is most welcome because once completed,
it will allow the automation and process control engineers to once again concentrate
on designing safe and optimized control systems and not worry about the possibility
that the “black boxes” of the different suppliers might not be able to talk to each other.
Therefore it is hoped that the “Babel of communication protocols” will shortly be over.
The automation profession can simultaneously increase gross domestic product
and industrial profitability without building a single new plant, just by optimizing
existing ones. We can achieve that goal while also reducing both pollution and energy
consumption, solely through applying the state-of-the art of automation. We can
increase productivity without using a single pound of additional raw material and
without spending a single additional BTU of energy. We can also protect our indus-
tries not only from human errors but also from sabotage or cyber terrorism by replac-
ing manual control with OSC-type automatic safety controls.
Our profession can do all this and much more, but to do so it is necessary for the
people entering or working in this field to have an overall view of this profession, and
this book of Dr. Sharma serves that goal.
May 1, 2016 Béla Lipták
Stamford CT, USA Liptakbela@aol.com

Béla Lipták is president of the consulting firm Lipták Associates, PC.


Foreword xvii

Future of Industrial Automation


Extract from the article by Jim Pinto
“As the second decade of the 21st century moves forward, technology continues to
accelerate and is generating rapid changes in industrial automation & control systems.
Industrial automation can and will generate explosive growth in the next decade,
with several new inflection points:
• Nanotechnology will bring tiny, low-power, low-cost sensors and nano-scale electromechan-
ical systems. The Internet-of-Things (IoT)—Europeans call it Industry 4.0—will be perva-
sive and change the face of industrial automation, generating vast productivity gains.
• Wireless sensors and distributed peer-to-peer networks will give rise to major new software
applications—tiny operating systems in wireless nodes will allow nodes to communicate
with each other in a larger complex adaptive systems.
• Today’s pervasive smart-phone has more power than a super-computer of just a couple of
decades ago. The use of WiFi-connected tablets, smartphones and mobile devices with new
real-time monitoring software (Apps) will be used widely in industrial plants and process con-
trol environments.
• Conventional Real-time control systems will give way to multi-processors and complex
adaptive systems

These are the waves of the future. The leaders will not be the traditional automation
majors, but new start-ups with innovative ideas that will generate industrial productiv-
ity gains to drive significant growth.”

June 28, 2016 Jim Pinto


Carlsbad, CA, USA jim@jimpinto.com

Jim Pinto is an international speaker, technology futurist, automation consultant, and writer
(http://JimPinto.com).
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Preface to the First Edition

During my 33-year career in the computer and automation industry and subsequently
my 7 years in academic institutions, I have observed a gap between academia and indus-
try regarding the automation domain. These observations are based on my time spent
training new recruits in Indian industry and later, on my teaching experience in Indian
academic institutions. One of the ways this gap can be bridged is by introducing the basics
of modern automation technology to those who are beginning careers in automation. This
includes students and persons in industry who are switching to the automation domain.
Prior knowledge of automation provides these beginners with a better and quicker start.
In many academic institutions, curriculum is being upgraded in instrumentation/
control engineering courses to prepare students for careers in the automation industry.
Currently the automation industry spends considerable time and money training and
preparing new recruits for the job. The situation is more or less the same for persons
switching to the automation domain in industry. This motivated me to write this book
introducing the principles of automation in a simple and structured manner.
This book teaches beginners the basics of automation, and it is also intended as a
guide to teachers and trainers who are introducing the subject. It addresses the current
philosophy, technology, terminology, and practices within the automation industry
using simple examples and illustrations.
The modern automation system is built out of a combination of technologies, which
include the following:
• sensor and control
• electronics
• electrical drives
• information (computer science and engineering)
• communication and networking
• embedded
• digital signal processing
• control engineering, and many more

Current automation technology is one of the few engineering domains that use
many modern technologies. Among these, information, communication, and network-
ing technologies have become integral parts of today’s automation. Basic subsystems
of a modern automation system are instrumentation, control, and the human inter-
face. In all of the subsystems, the influence of various technologies is visible. By and
large, the major providers of automation use similar philosophies in forming their
products, systems, and solutions.
xx Preface to the First Edition

As of now, most of the information on modern automation exists in the form of


technical documents prepared by automation companies. These documents are usually
specific to their products, systems, solutions, and training. This knowledge has not yet
been widely disseminated to the general public, and the books that are available deal
with specific products and systems. Most of this industry material is difficult for begin-
ners to understand. It is good for next-level reading after some exposure to the basics.
Automation of the industrial process calls for industrial process automation sys-
tems. These involve designing, developing, manufacturing, installing, commission-
ing, and maintaining automation systems, which calls for the services of qualified and
trained automation engineers. In addressing the basic concepts of automation, this
book provides a starting point for the necessary education and training process.
Over the years, considerable advances have taken place in hardware technologies
(mainly in electronics and communication). However, in computer-based automation
systems, hardware interfaces have remained virtually the same, except that control
has become more powerful owing to the availability of large memory and increased
processor speeds. In other words, the memory and speed constraints present in earlier
systems are not an issue today. In view of this, many aspects of hardware interface
and function have been taken over by software, which does not need special inter-
face electronics. Today, complete operation and control of industrial processes are by
software-driven automation systems. Furthermore, this software provides maximum
support to the user. The user is now only required to configure and customize the auto-
mation system for a particular process. Therefore the emphasis in this book is placed
on hardware, engineering, and application programming.
This book is intended for:
• students beginning automation careers
• teachers of automation and related subjects
• engineers switching to automation careers
• trainers of automation

How to read the book:


• Follow the book from beginning to end, because its sequence is structured as a guided tour
of the subject.
• Skip appendixes if you already have the background knowledge. They are provided for the
sake of completeness and to create a base for easy understanding of the book.

Benefits the book provides for readers:


• does not call for any prior knowledge of automation
• presents a guided tour of automation
• explains the concepts through simple illustrations and examples
• makes further study easy
• prepares the reader to understand technical documents in the automation industry
Preface to the First Edition xxi

Based on my experience in training, teaching, and interacting with trainees and


students, I have specially formulated and simplified the illustrations and discussions
in this book to facilitate easy understanding.
The book is organized as follows:
Chapter 1: Why Automation?—Industrial process, Undesired behavior of process, Types
and classifications of process, Unattended, manually attended, and fully automated pro-
cesses, Needs and benefits of automation, Process signals
Chapter 2: Automation System Structure—Functions of automation subsystems, Instru-
mentation, control, and human interface, Individual roles
Chapter 3: Instrumentation Subsystem—Structure and functions, Types of instrumenta-
tion devices, Interface to control subsystem, Interfacing standards, Isolation and protection
Chapter 4: Control Subsystem—Functions and structure, Interfaces to instrumentation
and human interface subsystems
Chapter 5: Human Interface Subsystem—Construction, Active display and control ele-
ments, Types of panels, Interface to control subsystem
Chapter 6: Automation Strategies—Basic strategies, Open and closed loop, Discrete, con-
tinuous, and hybrid
Chapter 7: Programmable Control Subsystem—Processor-based subsystem, Controller,
Input–output structure, Special features—communicability and self-supervisability
Chapter 8: Hardware Structure of Controller—Construction of controller, Major func-
tional modules, Data transfer on the bus, Structure and working of functional modules,
Integration
Chapter 9: Software Structure of Controller—Difference between general-purpose com-
puting and real-time computing, Real-time operating system, Scheduling and execution of
tasks, Program interrupt
Chapter 10: Programming of Controller—Programming of automation strategies, high-
er-level languages, IEC 61,131-3 standard, Ladder logic diagram, Function block diagram
Chapter 11: Advanced Human Interface—Migration of hardwired operator panel to soft-
ware-based operator station, Layout and features, Enhanced configurations, Logging station,
Control desk
Chapter 12: Types of Automation Systems—Structure for localized and distributed pro-
cess, Centralized system, Decentralized/distributed system, Remote/networked system,
Multiple operator stations, Supervisory control and data acquisition
Chapter 13: Special-Purpose Controllers—Customization of controller, Programmable
logic controller, Loop controller, Controller, Remote terminal unit, PC-based controller, Pro-
grammable automation controller
Chapter 14: System Availability–Availability issues, Improvement of system availability,
Cold and hot standby, Standby/redundancy for critical components
Chapter 15: Common Configurations–Configurations with operator stations, Supervisor
stations, Application stations
Chapter 16: Advanced Input–Output System—Centralized input–output, Remote input–
output, and Fieldbus input–output, Data communication and networking, Communication
protocol
Chapter 17: Concluding Remarks—Summary, Application-wise classification of automa-
tion systems, Data handling, Future trends
xxii Preface to the First Edition

Appendixes: Hardwired Control Subsystems, Processor, Hardware–Software


Interfacing, Basics of Programming, Advanced Control Strategies, Power Supply Sys-
tem, Further Reading.
I wish to emphasize that the content in this book is mainly a result of my learning,
practicing, teaching, and training experience in automation areas in ABB India, where
I worked for over 24 years. I would also like to mention the following organizations,
where I gained valuable automation teaching and training experience:
International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, India (http://www.iiitb.ac.in)
National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, India (http://www.nitk.ac.in)
Axcend Automation and Software Solutions, Bangalore, India (http://www.axcend.com)
Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab, Bangalore, India (http://www.honeywell.com)
Emerson Process Management, Mumbai, India (http://www.emerson.com)
M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India (http://www.msrit.edu)

For their help with this book, I respectfully and gratefully acknowledge the kind
guidance and support of my senior colleagues:
Prof. S.S. Prabhu, senior professor at IIIT/Bangalore, former professor at IIT/
Kanpur, and a veteran on control systems and power systems.
Prof. H.N. Mahabala, former professor at IIT/Kanpur, IIT/Chennai, and IIIT/
Bangalore, a veteran on information technology, and a founder of computer education
in India.
I also acknowledge the help of my student, Mrs. Celina Madhavan, who developed
the automation program examples for the book and reviewed the manuscript.
In addition, the following professionals supported me at every stage of preparation
of the manuscript with their valuable suggestions and input:
Prof. R. Chandrashekar, IIIT/Bangalore, India.
Mr. Hemal Desai, Emerson Process Management, Mumbai, India.
Mr. Shreesha Chandra, Yokogawa, Bangalore, India.
I also gratefully acknowledge the support and encouragement of Prof. S. ­Sadagopan,
director of IIIT/Bangalore, and Mr. Anup Wadhwa, director of Automation Industry
Association of India (AIA).
Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Mrs. Sumitra Sharma, for her kind encour-
agement and support through it all.

March 1, 2011 KLS Sharma


Bangalore, India
Preface to the Second Edition

Greetings,
This is a continuation of the preface given in the first edition, also reproduced in
this edition. Most of my observations enumerated in the preface of the first edition
continue to be applicable for this edition as well, although a lot of progress has taken
place in this area over the past 5 years, and hence not repeated here. Since the publica-
tion of the first edition of this book in August 2011, more advances have taken place
in industrial automation technology. The purpose of this edition is to cover these new
developments to the extent possible. As stated earlier in the first edition, industrial
automation technology is one of the few engineering domains that employ many mod-
ern technologies such as:
Engineering technologies:
• sensor and control elements
• control engineering
• electronics, embedded, and digital signal processing
• micro-electromechanical and nano-electromechanical systems
• electrical, mechanical, etc.

Information technologies:
• computer science and engineering
• data communication and networking, etc.

Among these, information technology has been the enabling and driving force.
In line with the first edition, this edition is also primarily intended for:
• students about to embark on industrial automation careers
• teachers of industrial automation and related subjects
• engineers switching to industrial automation careers
• trainers of industrial automation

I suggest readers complete all chapters in the book from beginning to end. The
sequence of chapters is structured as a guided tour of the subject. Readers may skip
the appendixes if they are already familiar with the legacy technologies and basics.
The appendixes are included for the sake of completeness and to create a base for easy
understanding of the book.
xxiv Preface to the Second Edition

Benefits of this edition for readers are that they:


• provide working knowledge for engineers without prior knowledge of industrial automation
and present a guided tour of industrial automation
• explains the concepts of industrial automation through simple illustrations and examples
• make further study of industrial automation easy
• prepare understanding of technical documents in the industrial automation industry

I believe in imparting the basic knowledge and concepts of any subject to give
readers a feel for the subject to prepare them for further learning on their own. The first
edition followed this philosophy and this edition continues it.
Based on my experience in training, teaching, and interacting with trainees, stu-
dents, and professionals, I have continued the same style followed in the first edition
in this edition with specially formulated and simplified illustrations and discussions to
facilitate easy understanding. This edition is organized in three parts.

Part 1: Basic Functionalities


Chapters 1–12 are repeated from the first edition with updated and reformatted con-
tent. These chapters introduce the reader to the basic concepts of automation:
1. W hy automation? explains industrial processes and its management to deliver products
and services of required quality, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. Also, the needs met by
industrial automation and the resulting benefits are discussed.
2. Automation system structure: explains the basic subsystems in industrial automation
systems. Their individual functions and interfacing among themselves and with the process
for the management of industrial processes are also discussed.
3. Instrumentation subsystem: explains the interface between the process and control sub-
system for the conversion of physical process signals into electronic signals and vice versa.
4. Human interface subsystem: explains the facility for manual interaction with the process
to observe the status of process parameters and effect their control, if required.
5. Control subsystem: explains the heart of the industrial automation system, which not only
coordinates the functions of all the subsystems but also manages the industrial process.
6. Automation strategies: explains the control philosophy specific to the individual pro-
cesses that is required for its management to achieve the desired results.
7. Programmable control subsystem: explains the realization of the control subsystem with
soft-wired or microprocessor technology.
8. Data Acquisition and Control Unit (DACU) - Hardware: explains the hardware ­modules
(basic and functional) for realizing the DACU.
9. Data Acquisition and Control Unit (DACU) - Software: explains the software structure
and application programming for implementing the automation strategy.
10. Advanced human interface: explains the application of computer-based platforms for
realizing the software-based human interface that provides many more functionalities than
are available in hardware-based operator panels.
11. Types of automation systems: explains different types of industrial processes based on
their physical arrangements and specific automation systems for their management.
12. Special-purpose Data Acquisition and Control Units (DACUs): explains different types
of DACUs that are optimized for different application requirements.
Preface to the Second Edition xxv

13. S ystem availability enhancements: explains typical standby/redundancy schemes for all
types of automation systems to increase their availability.
14. Common configurations: explains configurations that are commonly employed in distrib-
uted control systems and network control systems that are need based.
15. Customization: explains the realization of a tailor-made industrial automation system
from a common platform.

Part 2: Extended Functionalities


Chapters 16–21 are added to this edition to take the traditional industrial automation
system into the connected world integrated with enterprise and business processes.
16. D ata communication and networking: explains the deployment of this technology to ­manage
inter and intra system data exchange in industrial automation systems in a secure way.
17. Fieldbus technology: explains moving from conventional centralized input–output (I/O)
to fieldbus I/O to eliminate control and signal cabling and field asset management.
18. Safety systems: explains the management of safety in process plants and machines to
avoid or reduce damage to the people, property, and their environment in case of a hazard.
19. Management of industrial processes: explains the different kinds of industrial processes
such as manufacturing (process plants and factories) and utility (civic and backbone) and
their management.
20. Information technology–operation technology (IT-OT) convergence: explains the inte-
gration of OT (plant and automation system) and IT (business systems) to derive opera-
tional and business excellence.
21. Concluding remarks: Summarizes basic, extended, and some additional functionalities,
and a peek into some emerging trends in industrial automation technology

Part 3: Appendixes
As mentioned, these are provided for the sake of completeness and to create a base for
easy understanding of the relation between hardware and software in DACU.
1. 
Hardwired control subsystem: explains legacy technologies in the realization of control
subsystems to implement all types of automation strategies.
2. 
Processor: explains the architecture of a hypothetical processor-based DACU with all of its
basic and functional modules
3. 
Hardware-software interfacing: explains how software in a DACU is interfaced to hard-
ware in a DACU to execute the automation strategy.
4. 
Basics of programming: explains the programming of DACU, starting from machine level
to higher level and its conversion into executable code.

Acknowledgment
I wish to acknowledge that the content in this book is mainly the result of my learning,
practicing, teaching, and training experience in industrial automation in ABB India,
where I worked for over 24 years followed by teaching and training experience in
xxvi Preface to the Second Edition

industry and academic institutions. I would also like to mention the following orga-
nizations, where I gained valuable teaching and training experience in the industrial
automation area:
Training and teaching programs in:
• ABB, Bengaluru, India (www.abb.com)
• Automation Industry Association of India, Campus Connect, Delhi, India (www.aia-india.org)
• Axcend Automation and Software Solutions, Bengaluru, India (www.axcend.com)
• Emerson Process Management, Mumbai, India (www.emerson.com)
• Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab, Bengaluru, India (www.honeywell.com)
• Infosys, Bengaluru, India (www.infosys.com)
• International Society of Automation, Bengaluru, India (www.isabangalore.org)
• International Institute of Information Technology, Bengaluru, India (www.iiitb.ac.in)
• M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India (www.msrit.edu)
• National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, India (www.nitk.ac.in)
• Power Engineering and Technology Consultants, Bengaluru, India (www.poetconsultants.in)

Faculty development and short student programs in:


• Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering Technology, Kochi, India (www.adishankar.ac.in)
• BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India (www.bmsce.acin)
• BVB College of Engineering and Technology, Hubballi, India (www.bvb.edu)
• Dayanand College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India (www.dyanandasagar.edu)
• Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India (www.dr-ait.org)
• Malnad College of Engineering, Hassan, India (www.mcehassan.ac.in)
• Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, India (www.manipal.edu/mit)
• MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India (www.msrit.edu)
• PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India (www.psgtech.edu)
• RNS Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India (www.rnsit.ac.in)
• RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India (www.rvce.edu.in)
• SDM College of Engineering and Technology, Dharwad, India (www.sdmcet.ac.in)
• Shri Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Tumukuru, India (www.ssit.edu.in)
• Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumukuru, India (www.sit.acin)
• Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India (www.vit.ac.in)
• Vidya Vikas Institute of Technology, Mysuru, India (www.vidyavikas.edu.in)

This edition is also primarily a collection of information from various sources


(books, websites, scholarly articles, white papers, technical documents, technical
­discussion with experts, technical presentations, industry literature, etc. in the public
domain) and a presentation as a structured and guided tour on industrial automation
for easy and quick understanding by readers. The sequence of presentation is based
on the way I have understood the subject and interpreted it. I express my indebtedness
and gratitude to all professionals who have made their rich knowledge and experience
on industrial automation technology available in the public domain.
Notwithstanding this, I would like to specifically and gratefully acknowledge:
Béla Lipták, well-known as the father of modern industrial process automation, for his
wonderful forward to this book.
Preface to the Second Edition xxvii

Jim Pinto, well-known critic, commentator, and futurist in industrial automation, for his
thoughts on the future of industrial automation for this book.
Ana Claudia Garcia, editorial project manager, Elsevier, for her excellent and comforting
support all through the preparation of the manuscript.

Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge kind support and encouragement from:


Fellow professionals from the International Society of Automation, Bengaluru, India.
Colleagues from Infosys, Bengaluru, India.
Friends and colleagues (past and present) from industrial automation companies and aca-
demic institutions.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Sumitra Sharma, for her kind patience,
encouragement, and support through it all.
July 1, 2016 KLS Sharma
Bengaluru, India kls.sharma@hotmail.com
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Acknowledgments
Institutional Support
The following organizations have extended their full support for this book with technical information and images of their products,
systems, and solutions.

Companies Location Country Address Products

3S-Smart Software Solutions Kempten Germany www.codesys.com IEC 61131-1 Programming software
Adept Fluidyne Pune India www.adeptfluidyne.com Strip-chart recorder
Adept Technologies San Ramon, CA United States www.adept.com Industrial robots
Adobe Metal Products Bengaluru India www.adobemetals.com Mimic panels
Aplab Mumbai India www.aplab.com Float-boost chargers, uninterruptible power
supply system
Avcon Controls Mumbai India www.avconindia.com Solenoid valve
B&R Automation Pune India www.br-automation.com Safety programmable logic controller (PLC)
Behr GmbH & Co. KG Charleston, SC United States www.mahle.com Coolant module assembly
Control Dynamics Vadodara India www.mimicpanels.net Annunciator windows, Mosaic panels
DiFacto Bengaluru India www.difacto.com Robotic end-effectors
ELCOM Mumbai India www.elcom-international.com Push button switch
Emerson Process Mumbai India www.emerson.com Control valve, flow transmitters, visual display
Management units, control desk, control center, controller,
remote input–output, fieldbus devices, wire-
less field devices, safety PLC
Exide Industries Kolkata India www.exide.co.in Battery banks
Fabionics Bengaluru India www.fabionics.co.in Distribution panel
Fuji Electric Tokyo Japan www.fujielectric.com Variable-speed drive, PLC, single loop controller
General Industrial Controls Pune India www.gicindia.com Electronic counter, PLC

Continued
—Cont’d
Companies Location Country Address Products

xxx
Ingenious Technologies Bengaluru India www.aquamon.in Water level controller and indicator
Integral Systems Bengaluru India www.integralsys.in Thumb wheel switch
Jai Balaji Chennai India www.jaibalaji.firm.in Limit switch, indication lamps
JSW Steels Vidyanagar India www.jsw.in Hot strip mill
Kevin Technologies Ahmadabad India www.kevintech.com Temperature transmitter
Levcon Controls Kolkota India www.levcongroup.com Flow switch
Manikant Brothers Mumbai India www.watermeter.co.in Water meter
MECO Instruments Navi Mumbai India www.mecoinst.com Analog panel meter, digital panel meter
Megacraft Enterprises Mumbai India www.megacraft.net Potentiometer
OEN India Kochi India www.oenindia.com Supervision relay, control relay, voltage switch
Omron Kyoto Japan www.omron.com PLC, push button switches, indication lamps,
limit switches
OPTO 22 Temecula, CA United States www.opto22.com PC-based controller, programmable automation
controller
Pankaj Potentiometers Bengaluru India www.pankaj.com Potentiometer
Pepperl-Fuchs India Bengaluru India www.pepperl-fuchs.com Proximity switch, safety barriers
Renu Electronics Pune India www.renuelectronics.com Operator terminals
Rishabh Instruments Nashik India www.rishabh.co.in Energy meter
Rockwell Automation Milwaukee, WI United States www.rockwellautomation.com Safety PLC
Sahyadri Electro Controls Bengaluru India www.secoindia.com Electronic buzzer
Schneider-Electric Bengaluru India www.schneider-electric.com Safety PLC
Secure Gurgaon India www.securetogether.com Intelligent energy meter
Shridhan Automation Bengaluru India www.shridhan.com Level transmitter, level switch
SICK India Bengaluru India www.sick.com Technical protective devices
Siemens Mumbai India www.siemens.com Remote terminal unit (RTU)
Strategi Automation Bengaluru India www.strategiautomation.com Industrial robots
Sunlux Technologies Bengaluru India www.sunluxtech.com Field-programmable gate array controller,

Acknowledgments
embedded controller, Internet of things–
enabled device
VA Tech WABG Chennai India www.wabag.in Sewage treatment plant
V-Guard Industries Kochi India www.vguard.in Voltage stabilizer
Yokogawa India Bengaluru India www.yokogawa.com Pressure transmitter, Single loop controller,
controller, RTU, fieldbus devices, wireless
field devices, safety PLC
Technical Support

Acknowledgments
The following experts have extended their full support for this book with technical input and have reviewed the topics for their correct-
ness and completeness.

Name Organization Location Country Address

General
Amit Tiwari Rockwell Automation Delhi India www.ra.rockwellautomation.com
Jitendra Vasista JSW Steels Vidyanagar India www.jsw.in
PV Sivaram B&R Automation Pune India www.br-automation.com
Rajesh Nair Siemens Mumbai India www.siemens.com
Rajesh Rathi Control Infotech Bengaluru India www.control-infotech.com
Sachin Kulkarni Bosch India Ahmadabad India www.boshrexroth.co.in
Sameer Gandhi Omron Mumbai India www.omron.com
Siva Prakash Schneider Electric Bengaluru India www.schneider-electric.com
Suhas Bhide Emerson Delhi India www.emersom.com
Sunil Nambiar Yokogawa Bengaluru India www.yokogawa.com/in
Sunil Shah Communications, Diagnostics, and Controls Bangalore India www.cdcontrolsit.com
TV Gopal VA Tech WABG Chennai India www.wabag.in

Chapter 15: Customization


BK Suresh Consultant Bengaluru India bettesuresh@gmail.com
Girish Ayya Avadhoot Automation Bengaluru India www.avadhoot.in
Sunil Nambiar Yokogawa Bengaluru India www.yokogawa.com/in

Chapter 16: Data Communication and Networking


Mallikarjun Kande ABB Bengaluru India www.abb.com/in
Prasanna Inamdar Senseops Tech Solutions Bengaluru India www.sense-ops.com
Ram Kerur Sunlux Technologies Bengaluru India www.sunluxtech.com
Vijay Murugan Schneider Electric Bengaluru India www.schneider-electric.com

xxxi
Continued
—Cont’d

xxxii
Name Organization Location Country Address

Chapter 17: Fieldbus Technology


Prasanna Inamdar Senseops Tech Solutions Bengaluru India www.sense-ops.com

Chapter 18: Safety systems


Jan Baldauf SICK Düsseldorf Germany www.sick.de
Rajendran Menon Rockwell Delhi India www.ra.rockwell.com
S Vinod Yokogawa Bengaluru India www.yokogawa.com
Shabad Khan Honeywell Pune India www.honeywell.com

Chapter 19: Management of Industrial Processes


Ajay Gopalaswamy Difacto Bengaluru India www.difacto.com
Arun Menon Strategi Automation Bengaluru India www.strategiautomation.com
BS Sugunanada ABB Bengaluru India www.abb.com
Deven Patel Wipro Bengaluru India www.wipro.com
HR Shivaprakash JSW Steels Vidyanagar India www.jsw.in
K Srinivasan VA Tech WABG Chennai India www.wabag.in
KA Sampath Kumar Newfield Engineers Bengaluru India www.newfieldengineers.com
KV Rehani Automation Consultant Mumbai India kvrehani@gmail.com
Mark Sauls Control Infotech Morrisville, NC United States www.control-infotech.com
Srinivas Patnaik ABB Bengaluru India www.abb.com

Chapter 20: Information Technology–Operations Technology Convergence


Bhaskar Rao Technospehere Bengaluru India www.technospehere.com

Acknowledgments
Krishnanada Shenoy Infosys Bengaluru India www.infosys.com
MK Kumar Infosys Mysore India www.infosys.com
Nampuraja Enose Infosys Bengaluru India www.insosys.com
Ram Kerur Sunlux Technologies Bengaluru India www.sunluxtech.com
Sunil Shah Communications, Diagnostics, and Controls Bangalore India www.cdcontrolsit.com
Vijay Murugan Schneider Electric Bengaluru India www.schneider-electric.com
Acknowledgments
Name Organization Location Country Address

Chapter 21: Concluding Remarks


BR Mehta Reliance Industries Mumbai India www.ril.com
GK Raviprakash Infosys Bangalore India www.infosys.com
Sunil Shah Communications, Diagnostics, and Controls Bangalore India www.cdcontrolsit.com
Vikas Kukshya Infosys Bangalore India www.infosys.com

Media Support
The following publishing houses have extended their full support and have provided ­technical information and established contacts with auto-
mation companies and experts.

Editor Publisher Location Country Address

Publisher of A&D India Automation & Drives


Shekhar Jitkar Publish Industry India Pune India www.industr.com/in/en/
Publisher of Automation & Controls Today
Jigar Patel Himani Infomedia 8 Ahmadabad India www.aandctoday.com

July 1, 2016 K.L.S. Sharma


Bengaluru, India kls.sharma@hotmail.com

xxxiii
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Why Automation?
1
Chapter Outline

1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Physical Processes 2
1.2.1 Natural 2
1.2.2 Self-regulated 3
1.2.3 Industrial 3
1.2.3.1 Application 3
1.2.3.2 Operational 3
1.2.3.3 Physical 4
1.3 Localized and Distributed Processes 4
1.4 Process Behavior 6
1.4.1 Water Tap 6
1.4.2 Electric Bulb 6
1.5 Process Management 7
1.5.1 Unattended 7
1.5.2 Attended 8
1.5.3 Automated 9
1.6 Process Signals 9
1.6.1 Input Signals 11
1.6.2 Output Signals 11
1.7 Automation Steps 12
1.7.1 Data Acquisition 12
1.7.2 Data Analysis, Monitoring, and Decision Making 12
1.7.3 Control Execution 12
1.8 Needs met by Automation 12
1.9 Benefits of Automation 13
1.9.1 Manufacturing Processes 13
1.9.2 Utility Processes 14
1.10 Summary 14

1.1  Introduction
Over the past few decades, the emphasis in industry worldwide has been to produce
goods or deliver services which are of quality, consistency, and cost-effective, to stay
in the market. Quality, consistency, and competitiveness cannot be achieved with-
out automating the process of manufacturing goods and of delivering services. In
line with this trend, the application of automation today is omnipresent in almost all

Overview of Industrial Process Automation. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-805354-6.00001-3


Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
2 Overview of Industrial Process Automation

applications, from deep water sea to space, and has gained the confidence of the world
for achieving desired results. Over the years, automation technology has advanced
along with various other technologies. The main driving and enabling technologies are
information, communication, networking, and electronics.
This list below shows the evolution of automation technology over the past decades:
• 1940–1960: Pneumatic
• 1960–2000: Analog: Electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic
• 1980–1990: Digital: Proprietary
• 2000 onward: Digital: Open.

The technology has already moved to an open network of embedded systems.1


This chapter gives a brief introduction to automation and explains why it is necessary
to automate the production of goods and delivery of services to achieve the required
quality, consistency, and cost-competitiveness for today’s marketplace. Apart from
these tangible requirements, there are many more complex requirements that cannot
be achieved without automation.

1.2  Physical Processes
Physical process2 is a series of actions, operations, changes, or functions that takes
place within, bringing about changes or producing an output or a result. It is also a
sequence of interdependent operations or actions which, at every stage, consumes one
or more inputs or resources to convert them into outputs or results to reach a known
goal or the desired end result.
Whatever we see and work within reality are all physical processes. Physical
­processes can be broadly divided into three categories:
• Natural processes,
• Self-regulated processes, and
• Industrial processes.

1.2.1  Natural
Natural processes3 are presented by or produced by nature. The best example
is a human body that generally does not need external assistance to regulate its
body parameters (e.g., body temperature) irrespective of the effects of surround-
ing environmental conditions. The human body maintains or regulates all of its
parameters. Typically, in natural processes no abnormal behavior is present in
most of the conditions.

1 Pinto, Jim. Automation Unplugged, ISA, 2004.


2 http://www.wikipedia.org.
3 http://www.wikipedia.org.
Why Automation? 3

1.2.2  
Self-regulated
Self-regulated processes4 are not natural but do not need external assistance for
regulation. The best example is a domestic geyser that is designed such that the water level
in it is always maintained to be full irrespective of any condition. Another typical exam-
ple is an irrigation dam in which the water automatically overflows whenever the inflow
exceeds the storage threshold. All natural processes are self-regulated but the reverse is
not true.

1.2.3  
Industrial
Industrial processes5 are systematic series of physical, mechanical, chemical,
or similar kinds of operations that produce a result. They manufacture goods or
deliver services. These processes are not always self-regulating and need external
regulation on a continuous basis to produce desired results. Typical examples of
industrial p­ rocess are factories manufacturing goods or equipment providing services
such as passenger lift, traffic signals, etc. They are also known as Man-made Processes.
Technically, all industrial processes can be broadly classified into three levels
(application, operational, and physical).

1.2.3.1  
Application
Regarding application, any industrial process can be either manufacturing that creates
physical values to deliver goods/products as per specification or utilities that deliver
services as per requirement.
Manufacturing processes are further divided into process plants and factories.
­Typical examples are:
• Process plants: Chemical, cement, power generation, fertilizer, cement, etc.; and
• Factories: Engineered products, automobiles, assembly lines, etc.

Utility processes are further divided into civic utilities and backbone utilities. Typical
examples are:
• Civic utilities: Water distribution, power distribution, gas distribution, water/sewage treatment,
etc.; and
• Backbone utilities: Power transmission, water transmission, oil/gas pipelines, etc.

1.2.3.2  
Operational
Regarding operation, any application process can be continuous, discrete, or batch.
Typical examples are:
• Continuous: Process plants, distribution of power, water, gas; treatment plants, etc.;
• Discrete:Factories, assembly lines, etc.; and
• Batch: Pharma, food, beverage, etc.

4 http://www.wikipedia.org.
5 http://www.wikipedia.org.
4 Overview of Industrial Process Automation

1.2.3.3  Physical
All processes are physically classified as either localized or distributed (even geo-
graphical). Typical examples are:
• Localized: Process plants, factories, electrical substations, pump stations, etc.; and
• Distributed: Distribution of water, power, and gas; transmission of water, power, and
gas, etc.

Chapter 19 will discuss more about the industrial process and its management.
This chapter discusses only the physical classification of the industrial processes.

1.3  Localized and Distributed Processes


Among the industrial processes, the localized process is present in a relatively
small physical area with all of its subprocesses or components closely intercon-
nected. Conversely, the distributed process is present in a relatively larger physical
area with its subprocesses or components distributed and loosely interconnected.
A distributed process can also be termed a network of many localized processes
distributed over a larger physical area and interconnected. Some simple compara-
tive examples are:
• 
Several water taps (localized processes) connected to a common water supply line (water
supply system) in a building

Here, the coupling or networking of the water taps is through the water pipeline
supplying the water to all the taps in a building. Each water tap is a localized process,
whereas the group of water taps, networked through the common water supply pipe,
is a distributed process.
• 
Several electric bulbs (localized processes) connected to a common electric supply line
(electric supply system) in a building

Here, the coupling or networking of the electrical bulbs is through the electricity
supply cable supplying the electricity to all bulbs in a building. Each electrical bulb
is a localized process, whereas the group of electrical bulbs, networked through the
common electricity supply cable, is a distributed process.
Fig. 1.1 illustrates the above concept.
It is generally difficult to draw a fine line between localized and distributed pro-
cesses because processes that fall in the border area can be treated either way and
managed. The distributed process network can even be spread over a large geo-
graphical area.
Figs. 1.2–1.4 illustrate some typical comparative industry examples.
The distributed process treats the entire network of localized processes as a single
entity (not as individual/independent localized subprocesses). Here, each localized
process has some effect on the operation and performance on the other individual
localized processeses in the network.
Why Automation? 5

Figure 1.1 Localized and distributed processes.

Figure 1.2 Power distribution system.

Figure 1.3 Water distribution system.


6 Overview of Industrial Process Automation

Figure 1.4 Oil transportation system.

1.4  Process Behavior
Following are some simple examples of the processes that are discussed here to
demonstrate the behavior of industrial processes before we proceed further.

1.4.1  Water Tap
The function of the simple water tap in the house is to provide water when the tap is
opened. The actions involved are to open the tap and wait for the water to flow. Here,
the process is the water tap, the action is turning on the tap, and the output is the water.
The intention is to get the water with the desired flow. This may not always happen
for several reasons, such as low or no water pressure (external factors) or a clog in the
pipe or in the tap (internal factors), resulting in either inadequate or no flow of water,
leading to an undesired result.

1.4.2  Electric Bulb
Similarly, the function of a simple electric bulb in the house is to provide light when
it is switched on. The actions involved are to switch the bulb on and wait for the bulb
to glow. Here, the process is the electric bulb, the action is turning on the switch, and
the output is the light. Once again, the intention is to get the light with the desired
illumination. This may not always happen for several reasons, such as low or no volt-
age (external factors) or a faulty/broken filament (internal factors), resulting in either
improper or no illumination, leading to an undesired result.
As seen, an undesired behavior is expected under unusual conditions in any indus-
trial process owing to either external and/or internal factors that cannot be eliminated.
Special efforts are required to overcome or minimize the effects of these factors to
ensure that the process behaves the way we want or produces the desired results.
Because our discussion will focus on industrial processes and their manage-
ment to get the desired results, the term “process” hereafter will refer only to
industrial processes. These processes may also be called plants or process plants.
Why Automation? 7

Figure 1.5 Water-heating process.

1.5  Process Management
The next obvious question is on managing the process to make it deliver the desired
results. To understand and analyze this aspect, let us take a simple water heater as
an example Fig. 1.5. The intention of the water heater is to have a heating process to
maintain the temperature of the water at a desired value. There are three possibilities
to achieve this.
In this example, internal disturbances are the quality of heating element, insulation,
etc. whereas external disturbances are over-/under-voltage, outside temperature, etc.,
which are uncontrollable.

1.5.1  
Unattended
In an unattended process, the actions involved are to:
1. Turn on the power supply to the water heater.
2. Wait for the water to heat up.

After switching on the power, water starts to heat up and continues even after cross-
ing the desired level if not checked. Also, the heating time depends on the effects of
internal and/or external factors, which are not in our control. In this setup, the heating
process is totally uncontrolled and there is no guarantee that at any point of time we
have the water with the desired temperature. Leaving the power switched on to the
heater can also be a safety hazard if left unchecked.
Fig. 1.6 illustrates the schematic and operation of the unattended water heater
system.
This approach is the simplest and most cost-effective approach. However, there
is no mechanism to judge whether the temperature of the water is higher than,
lower than, or equal to the desired level. Hence, the unattended processes not
only do not produce the desired result but also can also lead to serious safety con-
sequences such as overheating of the water, burning of the heating element, etc.
Hence, unattended management of a process always produces poor results.
8 Overview of Industrial Process Automation

Figure 1.6 Unattended process.

1.5.2  Attended
In an attended process, the actions involved are to:
a. Turn on the power supply to the water heater.
b. Check the temperature of the water.
c. Turn off the power supply to the water heater when the temperature of the water reaches/
crosses the desired level.
d. Repeat the steps [Go to (b)] periodically

With these steps, almost all drawbacks seen in the unattended process management
are rectified, although with a lot of burden on the operator. The more frequently the
operator checks, the better the result is, but the increased work for the operator is
unproductive.
Fig. 1.7 explains the schematic and the operation of the attended water heater
system.

Figure 1.7 Attended process.


Why Automation? 9

Furthermore, the effects of both the internal and external factors are taken care
of without additional effort. Hence, attended management of a process produces
better, but average, results.

1.5.3  
Automated
In an automated process (with a temperature controller installed), the steps involved are:
a. Set the desired or reference temperature at which the temperature of the water is to be maintained.
b. Start the process by turning on the power to the heater.
c. The temperature controller continuously measures and checks the actual temperature and
keeps the heater on if the actual temperature of the water is less than the reference tempera-
ture. The controller turns off the power to the heater if the actual temperature the water is
either equal to or more than the reference temperature.
d. Repeat the cycle [Go to step (c)] as long as the process is on.

Fig. 1.8 illustrates the schematic and the operation of the automated water heater system.

Figure 1.8 Automated process.

The cycle continues and the process management goes on with no manual inter-
vention until the operator decides to stop the process. The operator’s job is performed
automatically by the temperature controller. Hence, automated management of pro-
cess always produces the best results.
Fig. 1.9 illustrates the water heater system with automated temperature control.

1.6  Process Signals
A process signal6 is a fluctuating or varying physical quantity (such as electrical,
mechanical, chemical, thermal, etc.) whose variations represent the coded or embed-
ded information of the process parameters. In practice, the process signals exist in one
6 http://www.wikipedia.org.
10 Overview of Industrial Process Automation

Figure 1.9 Automated water-heating process.

of the physical forms: discrete or digital, continuous or analog, and pulsating or pulse.
Normally, all discussions on discrete or digital signals are equally valid for pulsating
or pulse signals, because they are variations of discrete or digital signals.
Fig. 1.10 explains the nature and differences among the three types of physical signals.

Figure 1.10 Physical signals.

The process signals are further divided into input and output signals. Signals that
are sent by the process and received by the automation system (to understand the pro-
cess behavior) are called input signals. Signals that are sent by the automation system
(to change the process behavior) and received by the process are called output signals.
The input and output signals are always defined with reference to the automation
system.
Fig. 1.11 illustrates the relationship among the process, input–output signals, and
automation system.
The input and output signals can be in any form, such as discrete, continuous, or
pulsating. The form depends on which parameters of the process are being monitored
and which parameters of the process are being controlled.
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“Are you the Rovers?” he demanded.
“We are,” answered Jack. “What of it?”
“I’ve got bad news for you,” was the man’s answer. “Mr. Tom
Rover has been seriously hurt, and the other fellows think you had
better come to see him just as soon as possible.”
CHAPTER XXV
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LOG CABIN

“My dad hurt!”


The cry came simultaneously from Andy and Randy.
“What happened to him?” questioned Fred and Jack.
“His horse stumbled on the down trail and threw Mr. Rover over
his head,” answered the man. “I don’t know but he may have his
skull cracked. Some miners picked him up and took him to
Longnose’s shack.”
“You mean the Indian called Longnose?” queried Randy, for the
boys had heard of such an individual living along Sunset Trail. He
was an old man and quite a notorious character, and the lads had
thought that some time they might visit him.
“That’s the fellow. They put Mr. Rover to bed and sent one of the
men off for a doctor. He was unconscious for a while, but then he
began to call out for his sons and for Jack and Fred. One of the men
knew about you being in this vicinity and said you were stopping with
Cal Corning. So then I rode over to Corning’s place. He wasn’t
home, but the women folks there told me that you were on a
camping trip and that I could find you either at Dogberry Lake or
Gansen Lake. I rode over to Dogberry first, and then I came here.
My name is Nick Ocker. I’m from Allways.”
“Will you take us over to my dad?” questioned Andy.
“Sure, I will. I told the other fellows that I’d come back with you.
They thought if they couldn’t get the doctor they might get some sort
of a wagon and move Mr. Rover over to Allways. He’s west of here,
and it would be easier traveling that way than this. The road is better
going. Besides that, we’ve got two doctors over there, and one of
them, Doc Hendershot, runs a kind of hospital.”
The sad news that the twins’ father had been seriously hurt
worried the boys greatly. The twins were the most affected and so
worked up they could scarcely prepare themselves for the trip.
“Oh, Jack! suppose he dies?” burst out Andy frantically.
“Oh, it may not be so bad, Andy,” said the young major soothingly.
“First reports are often ten times worse than they ought to be.”
“But if he’s got a fractured skull——” put in Randy, and then
choked up so he could not go on.
The boys could think of but one thing, and that was to get to Tom
Rover’s side as quickly as possible. Kicking the campfire into the
lake so that the blaze might do no damage during their absence,
they ran for their horses and were soon mounted. In their hurry to get
away they forgot almost everything else, although just before leaping
into the saddle Fred grabbed up one of the pistols and Jack the
other.
The horse on which Nick Ocker was mounted showed signs of
having been ridden a considerable distance. Yet he got over Sunset
Trail at a fairly good rate of speed, although to the boys, anxious to
get to Tom Rover’s side, it seemed almost a snail’s pace.
“If we were only sure where this Longnose’s cabin was located we
could go ahead,” said Randy.
“That’s right,” breathed his brother, clattering along beside his twin
over the rocky trail. “Gee, if only we had an auto and could use it!”
“If dad is seriously hurt what are we going to do?”
“I don’t know. I suppose it will depend on circumstances. It’s too
bad there isn’t some city near by where we could get a first-class
doctor and maybe put dad in a real hospital. That’s most likely what
he’ll need.”
Up one foothill and down another passed the Rover boys and their
guide. Then Sunset Trail made a sharp turn and they found
themselves climbing the mountainside. Here the going was
exceedingly rough, and they had to ride with care. Then they
reached the top of the rise and went downward, still hugging the
mountainside.
“I reckon it was somewhere along here that the other fellows
picked Mr. Rover up,” observed Nick Ocker as they clattered along,
occasionally sending a loose stone down into the rocky valley below
them. “It’s a mighty bad place to get a tumble, if you want to know it.”
“Did he break any bones, do you know?” questioned Fred.
“It seemed to me one of his wrists acted that way,” answered
Ocker. “It was very limp and swollen. But, of course, Mr. Rover was
hurt too badly around the head to tell anything about it. He’s got a
bad bruise on his left shoulder too. I don’t like to alarm you boys, but
I think he’ll be mighty lucky if he pulls out of it.”
“How far have we to go now?” questioned Randy. He had asked
the same question several times before.
“Not more than half a mile,” was the reply of the guide.
Nick Ocker was not a prepossessing individual when it came to
looks. He was tall, gaunt, and had several scars on the side of his
face and on his neck. He had bulging black eyes that seemed at
times to almost pop out of his head, and a crop of black hair that was
almost as stiff as a brush. He was rather poorly dressed, showing
that he was most likely down on his luck.
But just now the boys paid little attention to their guide except to
follow him on the trail. Their thoughts were centered upon their
relative who had been hurt. In what condition would they find him?
Was he still alive?
Presently they reached a split in the roadway. Sunset Trail
continued westward and a smaller trail headed along the
mountainside to the north.
“There is Longnose’s cabin!” exclaimed Nick Ocker, pointing
ahead. “And there is one of the fellows waving to us to come on.”
The place he pointed out was an old and dilapidated log cabin
built, evidently, by some prospector years ago. It stood in the
shadow of a clump of fir trees and on one side was an immense rock
resting precariously close to the edge of a sharp cliff.
“Are those the Rover boys?” sang out the man in front of the
cabin, as the party came up.
“Yes,” answered Nick Ocker. “How is Mr. Rover?”
“Not so well,” was the reply. “He’s been asking for his two sons
and the others right along. But listen,” went on the man. “You chaps
want to go in there cautiously. The doctor was here and said Mr.
Rover was not to be excited.”
Hastily dismounting, the four boys entered the log cabin, and as
they did so the two men outside led the horses away. Then several
other men appeared, each with his soft hat pulled far down over his
forehead.
“Make it short and snappy,” said one of the men to all of the
others. “Don’t take any chances. If you give ’em any rope they’ll fight
like wildcats.”
“I’m all ready,” answered one of the other men. He was carrying a
number of ropes.
One after another the boys entered the log cabin. It was rather
dark inside, and for several seconds they could see little or nothing.
Then they saw a bunk on the far side of the room and on it rested a
form partly covered with a blanket. The head of the form was
swathed in bandages. With their hearts in their throats Andy and
Randy approached what they thought was the form of their father,
and Fred and Jack followed. Then, as they were bending over the
form in the bunk, they heard hasty footsteps behind them. The next
instant each of them found his arms pinned behind him.
“Take it easy now! Take it easy or you’ll be sorry for it!” cried one of
the men in a hard voice.
“If you try to fight you’ll get the worst licking you ever had in all
your life,” added another of the men.
“Wha-what does this mean?” stammered Randy. The sudden turn
of affairs completely bewildered him.
“Dad! Dad!” came from Andy, who in a flash thought his father
might be the victim of foul play at the hands of the men who were
now attacking them.
“Keep quiet there—keep quiet!” ordered one of the men who was
holding Jack.
But the young major had no intention of submitting calmly to the
unexpected attack that had been made on him and his cousins. Like
a lightning flash it came to him that they were the victims of a trap,
and his astonishment was increased when he saw that the man who
was holding him was Carson Davenport!
“I told you I’d get you some day, you rat!” cried Davenport between
his set teeth. “I’ve waited a long time, but now I’ve got you!” and still
holding Jack he did his best to bind the young major’s hands behind
him.
In the meanwhile the other boys were struggling with might and
main to get away from the rascals who were holding them. Half a
dozen blows were struck, and poor Fred was dragged outside by two
of the men and tightly bound, hands and feet. Andy presently
followed, and then the whole gang of men set upon Randy and Jack.
They continued to fight until each received a blow on the head that
all but stunned him. Then they, too, were roped up.
In the mêlée in the cabin Randy and his assailant had lunged
against the bunk where the figure supposed to be that of Tom Rover
rested. In the mix-up the figure fell out on the floor and proved to be
nothing but a crudely made dummy.
When the boys recovered somewhat from the effects of the
unexpected attack they were surprised to find themselves
confronted, not only by Carson Davenport, but also by Tate and
Jackson, Davenport’s cronies in the oil fields. The other two men
were a fellow named Digby and the guide who had brought them to
the ill-fated spot.
“Well, that trick worked to perfection,” said Davenport, as he eyed
the four prisoners with satisfaction. “Now then, Ocker, tell us just how
you worked it.”
Thereupon Ocker related how he had gone directly to Gansen
Lake and told his faked story of Tom Rover’s mishap. He had not
been near Cal Corning’s home, for the reason that the crowd had
already information regarding the movements of the younger Rovers.
“I think the best thing you can do, Ocker, is to go back to that
camp and bring all of the duffel up here. Take Digby with you. Make
it look as if the boys had been there and then moved on to some
other place. That will set Tom Rover to guessing and give us a
chance to make a clean get-away.”
“Now you’ve captured us, what do you intend to do with us?”
questioned Jack. The blood was flowing down one of his cheeks, but
he had no means of wiping it away.
“You’ll find out a little later,” answered Davenport.
“You kids are responsible for our dropping a lot of money down in
the oil fields,” came from Jackson, with a sour look at the Rovers.
“We calculate to get some of that money back.”
“Nothing happened to you but what you deserved,” retorted Fred.
“That’s your way of looking at it. We think differently,” growled
Tate, and then he added: “We might as well be on the way.
Longnose will be back here to-night most likely, and we’ll want to
clean up before he comes.”
Bound as they were, the boys were helpless. One after another
they were lashed fast to their horses and then the men brought forth
their own steeds. The log cabin was put in order, the door closed,
and the whole party rode off, Jackson in advance and Davenport
bringing up the rear. Between them rode the four boys and Tate. All
of the men carried guns, and Davenport had the pistol taken from
Jack while Tate carried the one Fred had brought along.
“Well, I’m mighty glad of one thing,” said Randy to his twin, as they
rode along a narrow trail leading into the mountains. “I’m glad that
figure in the bunk was a dummy and not dad.”
“That’s right,” answered his brother quickly. “Gee! when I think of
that story being a fake I’m almost satisfied to be a prisoner.”
“I wonder if we can’t ride away from them,” whispered the other.
“What! with all of them carrying guns? I’m afraid not. They could
easily shoot our horses, even if they didn’t want to shoot us.”
The boys, bruised and bleeding from the atrocious attack made
upon them, thought the ride along the mountainside would never
come to an end. The horses had to proceed with care, for the rocky
trail was full of perils, and before the ride came to an end Fred was
so dizzy and weak he could hardly see. Randy’s back hurt him, and
he would have given almost anything just to lie down.
Presently they reached a place where the underbrush among the
trees was heavy. Here the whole party came to a halt and the men
dismounted. One after another the boys were unlashed and the
ropes binding their feet were released. Then, somewhat to their
surprise, they were led into a long, low cave shaped somewhat like a
dumb-bell with a narrow opening in the center. At this opening some
rough timbers had been placed, held securely by several chains. At
one side one of the timbers could be pushed away, forming
something of a door.
“Now then, in you go!” cried Davenport, and one after another the
lads were thrust into the back section of the cavern. Then the log
door was pushed again into position and chained, and the four Rover
boys found themselves prisoners in the cave.
CHAPTER XXVI
THREE DEMANDS

On the morning following the capture of the four Rover boys, Miss
Jennie Corning, on getting up to prepare breakfast for her brother
and Tom Rover, was much surprised to find a letter that had been
thrust under the front door of the house.
“Well, I declare, it’s a letter for Mr. Rover!” she exclaimed to
herself. “I wonder why they didn’t knock? Perhaps they thought we
were all asleep and didn’t want to wake us up.”
She heard Tom stirring in his room, and, going to it, knocked on
the door.
“A letter for you,” she said as he peered out through a crack. “I
found it shoved under the front door.”
On the day previous Tom Rover had received telegrams from both
Mr. Renton and Mr. Parkhurst stating that they were with him in his
actions against Peter Garrish and that they would come to Gold Hill
as soon as possible.
“Maybe Garrish has got wind of what I’m up to and wants to head
me off,” thought Tom as he sat down on a chair by the window and
opened the communication.
He read the letter hastily and then uttered a low whistle as he read
it a second time. The communication ran as follows:

“You and your family have done a whole lot toward


placing us in a hole. Now we intend to get square. We
have your twin sons and the other two boys prisoners
a long distance from here. They are in a spot where
you will never be able to find them. If you ever expect
to see your twins alive again be prepared to pay us fifty
thousand dollars in cash. This is a first notice so that
you can get the money together and have it ready. You
will soon receive another notice as to how the money
is to be paid. Do not try to put the authorities on our
track or you will regret it as long as you live.
“Davenport.
“Jackson.
“Tate.”

It would be hard to analyze poor Tom’s feeling when he had


ascertained the contents of the letter. The news that the boys were
prisoners of their enemies upset him fully as much as the boys had
been upset when they had been told the twins’ father was injured.
“Dick was right, after all!” he groaned. “I thought he was
overcautious when he had the women folks and the girls taken away.
But he was right. Davenport must have been up around Colby Hall
and Clearwater Hall for the express purpose of getting his hands on
the boys, and the girls too. It was a deep-laid plot, no doubt of it. And
that being so, they have probably done everything they could to
cover up their tracks.”
What to do Tom hardly knew. He dressed with all possible haste
and then went to talk the matter over with Cal Corning, who had not
been away from home, as Nick Ocker had told the boys.
“It’s a villainous piece of business,” was Corning’s comment. “Why,
those rascals have kidnaped the lads! They ought every one of them
to be shot down!”
“I agree with you,” answered Tom. “But first we’ve got to find them.
You told them to go to a place called Gansen Lake, didn’t you?”
“Yes. It’s one of the finest spots in this vicinity for camping out.”
“Then I think I’d better ride over there and try to find out what
happened,” went on the twins’ father. “I’d like you to come along.”
“I sure will, Mr. Rover. And we’ll take guns along too—we may
need ’em,” went on Cal Corning, an angry look in his eyes. “I hope
we can round those rascals up. Things have been pretty peaceable
like in this county, and we want ’em to continue that way. We don’t
harbor no bandits nor kidnapers either.”
Tom waited until Cal Corning had swallowed a hasty breakfast. For
himself, he managed to drink a cup of coffee at the earnest
solicitation of Miss Jennie and Miss Lucy, both of whom were highly
excited over what was taking place. Then the two men rode off
toward Lake Gansen.
It was an easy matter for Corning to locate the spot where the four
boys had camped. On the edge of the lake they found the remains of
the campfire, and, searching the vicinity, came upon a handkerchief
bearing Fred’s initials. But everything was gone, for Ocker and Digby
had taken the things away the evening before.
Cal Corning was a thorough backwoodsman and after a careful
search declared that all of the horses had passed up to Sunset Trail.
They followed the hoofmarks for a short distance, but soon lost them
where the trail became rocky.
It was long after dark before Tom Rover returned to the Corning
homestead. Cal had preceded him, but Tom had been loath to give
up the hunt for the missing ones. He had found absolutely no trace
of the boys, and he was increasingly dispirited. For the time being all
thoughts concerning Peter Garrish and his doings were forgotten.
“I’ve got to do something,” muttered Tom to himself. “I’ve simply
got to do something!” But what to do he did not know. He started
another hunt the next day, and then, being equally unsuccessful in
getting a trace of the four boys, rode over to Maporah and sent a
long telegram to his two brothers.
The telegram was delivered to Dick Rover at the home on
Riverside Drive in New York just at a time when Dick and Sam were
so excited they could scarcely contain themselves.
And their excitement was justified, for while the two men had been
eating dinner in Dick’s home, a messenger had appeared at the front
door with two communications, one addressed to Dick and the other
to his younger brother. Each of the two letters was similar to that
sent to Tom Rover. In the one addressed to Dick the three rascals,
Davenport, Jackson and Tate, demanded fifty thousand dollars for
the safe return of Jack, while in the communication addressed to
Sam the same amount of money was demanded for the safe return
of Fred. Completely bewildered by these letters the two men had
been discussing the situation when the telegram from Tom was
brought in.
“Poor Tom is in the same boat!” exclaimed Sam. “Those
scoundrels want fifty thousand dollars from him or they won’t return
the twins.”
“That means that Tate, Jackson and Davenport want a hundred
and fifty thousand dollars from us for the safe return of the four
boys,” came from Dick. “It’s a pretty stiff demand, I take it.”
“Are you going to pay it, Dick?”
“Not if I can possibly help it. Fifty thousand dollars isn’t a flea bite.
At the same time, I don’t want them to hurt Jack or the other boys. I
know Davenport and his crowd pretty well. They are about as hard-
boiled as they come. I suppose the gang are as mad as hornets at
me and the kids for the way we turned the tables on them down in
the oil fields.”
“Well, I don’t believe in giving them a cent, either,” said Sam. “Just
the same, it makes me shiver to think of what they might do to Fred if
I don’t pony up.”
“We’ve got to do something, that’s sure.” Dick Rover began to
pace up and down the floor. “I expect Tom is just as much worried as
we are. It was an outrage to let Davenport and those other fellows
out of prison, and this proves it. I’ll tell you what, Sam. I’d give a
good part of that fifty thousand dollars right now to get my hands on
Davenport,” and Dick’s eyes sparked angrily.
From the servant girl they learned that the message had been
delivered by a boy. Who the fellow was she did not know, nor could
she give a very good description of his appearance.
“I suppose he was a kid just hired for the occasion,” said Dick.
“Most likely he knew nothing about the fellow who gave him the
letters.” And in this surmise Jack’s father was correct.
The two talked the matter over for half an hour and then Dick
telephoned to a telegraph station and sent a telegram to Tom stating
he was starting for Maporah immediately and that Sam would
probably follow in a day or two.
“Somebody will have to go down to the office in the morning,” said
Dick. “I’ll take the midnight train for Chicago. You can follow just as
soon as you can fix things up in Wall Street,” and so it was arranged.
Although he did not know it, Dick Rover’s departure for the Grand
Central Terminal was noted by a young man who was watching the
three Rover houses from the other side of Riverside Drive. This
person was none other than the fellow who had introduced himself to
the Rover boys as Joe Brooks. And it was Brooks, acting on
information sent to him by telegraph by Davenport, who had made
the demands in the letters received by Dick and Sam.
“Going West, eh?” muttered Brooks to himself, after he saw Dick
on his way on the midnight limited. “I’ll have to let Davenport know
about this,” and he immediately forwarded a cipher dispatch. Then
he returned to the vicinity of the Rover homes to learn if possible
what Sam Rover intended to do.
He remained around the vicinity for more than an hour, then
returned to his hotel to snatch a few hours’ sleep. But he was up by
seven o’clock and once more on the watch, and he followed Sam
down into Wall Street and at noon saw Sam also depart for Maporah.
Then he sent an additional dispatch to Davenport.
“I think I might as well go out West myself now,” he told himself
after the dispatch had been forwarded. “There is no use of letting
Davenport and that crowd get their fists on one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars when I’m not around. If I’m not on hand they may
forget all the work I’ve done on the case. I’m entitled to my full share
of whatever comes in, and I intend to have it.” A few hours later he
too departed for the West, getting a ticket for Allways. He traveled as
he was as far as Chicago. But there, before changing to the other
train, he donned the costume of a Westerner and put on a wig of
sandy gray hair which made him look considerably older than he
was.
Although he had not said a word to anybody about it, Dick Rover
carried with him on his Western trip the equivalent of seventy-five
thousand dollars, part in cash and part in Liberty Bonds. When Sam
left the city at noon the day following he carried a like amount of
cash and securities, the two sums making the total of the amount
demanded by the rascals who were holding the four boys for
ransom.
“If the worst comes to the worst, we’ll have to pony up and let it go
at that,” was the way Dick had expressed himself before leaving.
“Just the same, I hope we won’t have to give up a cent, and that we
can catch those rascals red-handed.”
Dick hoped greatly that Tom would have good news for him on his
arrival. But he was doomed to disappointment. Tom rode over to the
Maporah station to meet his brother, and one look at his face told
Dick that so far the hunt for the missing boys had proved fruitless.
“I’m keeping the thing as quiet as possible,” said Tom, whose eyes
showed that he had slept but little the past few nights. “But I’ve got
Cal Corning, Hank Butts, Lew Billings, and half a dozen other men
hunting high and low for the boys. So far though they haven’t turned
up the slightest clew, and I haven’t been able to get a clew myself,
although I’ve been riding up and down one trail and another and
making inquiries of every one I met. Not a soul seems to have seen
them since they were at Lake Gansen.”
“Have you received any more letters?” asked Dick.
“No. But I’m expecting one every day. Those fellows are probably
as anxious as we are. They’ll want to get their money and most likely
get out of the country—maybe going down into Mexico where we
can’t get at them.”
“I don’t like it, Tom, that you haven’t got more word,” and now
Dick’s face showed deeper anxiety than ever. “Those fellows may
have got cold feet on the whole proposition and done away with the
boys.”
“That may be so, Dick,” and Tom’s voice took on a tone of
hopelessness. “I wouldn’t put it past Davenport and that gang to do
anything. I only pray to Heaven that the boys may still be alive.”
CHAPTER XXVII
PRISONERS IN THE CAVE

Meanwhile, what of the four Rover boys and their captors?


Bruised and bleeding, the lads had been thrown into the rear part
of the stony cavern, as already mentioned. The ropes which had
bound them had been taken away, but they were prisoners behind
heavy logs kept in place by strong chains.
Fred was so weak he was unable for the time being to stand, and
so slipped down in a heap in a corner with his back against a big
stone. There Andy followed him, nursing a wounded shoulder where
he had been struck with a club. Randy and Jack had also suffered,
the former having one arm severely wrenched in the mêlée at
Longnose’s cabin and the young major suffering from several cuts
on the forehead and on his chin.
“Now then, you boys behave yourselves and rest a while, and then
we’ll have a talk,” announced Davenport, and he and his gang went
outside, leaving the boys alone.
It was rather dark in the cavern, the only light coming from the
entrance, which was partly screened by the bushes, and from a
small crack overhead. This crack served to ventilate the place, there
being a continual current of air from the opening in front to that
above.
It must be admitted that the four boys felt anything but happy as
they peered at their surroundings. All were too fatigued from the
forced ride over the rocky trail to do much talking. They gathered in a
group on the stony floor of the cave, trying to attend to their cuts and
bruises as well as their limited means permitted.
“Gee, if a fellow only had a bit of water!” said Fred.
“They are a bunch of beasts!” cried Randy.
“They have certainly made us prisoners,” said Jack grimly.
“Evidently they fixed this place on purpose for us.”
“Certainly looks it,” came from Andy. “Gee, it’s just like a regular
prison! Not much chance of getting away from here, I’m afraid.”
A little later Tate came in carrying two buckets of water and two
towels. He was followed by Jackson, who unlocked the chain holding
the log of the doorway in place, so that the water and towels might
be placed inside of the prison-like apartment. The men had a lantern
with them, and this they placed on a flat stone.
“There is one bucket to wash in and another for drinking,” said
Tate. “And here are a couple of towels you can use on your hurts.
We didn’t mean to treat you quite so rough, and it wouldn’t have
happened if you hadn’t put up a fight.”
“What are you going to do with us, Tate?” demanded Jack.
“You’ll find out a little later. Davenport will come in and talk with
you.”
“I suppose you’ve made another demand on our folks for money,”
declared Randy.
“Don’t bother your head about that now,” put in Jackson. “Better
have a drink and wash up. Then you’ll feel better.” Thereupon the
two men placed the log of the doorway in position, adjusted the
chain, and left the cave.
The boys were glad to get the water and likewise the use of the
lantern. Each washed in turn and took a drink, and then all felt
somewhat better. But their long tramp through the woods that
afternoon, the ride to Longnose’s cabin, and then the ride to the cave
had made all of them exceedingly hungry.
“Wonder if they’re going to give us anything to eat,” remarked Fred
after the light from outside had faded, leaving only the lantern to light
the cavern.
“I hardly think they intend to starve us,” replied Jack. “Those
fellows are out for only one thing—money.”
The young major was right in regard to being starved, and less
than an hour later Tate and Digby appeared carrying a pot of stew,
another of coffee, and a loaf of bread.
“It’s the best we can do to-night,” said Tate, grinning. “Perhaps to-
morrow we’ll have something better.”
“Then you intend to keep us prisoners?” demanded Jack.
“Sure thing!”
“Don’t you know you’ll get yourselves into hot water doing that,
Tate?”
“I reckon we know what we’re doing, Rover.”
“If you kids will only behave yourselves you’ll be treated fine,” put
in Digby. “We don’t want to hurt you. All we expect to do is to keep
you here for maybe a week at the most. As soon as your folks come
across we’ll let you go.”
“And suppose they don’t come across?” questioned Fred.
“Then you’ll have to take the consequences.”
Once more the Rover boys were left to themselves. The men had
brought with them four tin plates, four cups, and the necessary
knives, forks and spoons, and the lads lost no time in attacking the
simple meal which had been furnished them.
“This must have been a well-prepared plan of theirs,” was Andy’s
comment while they were eating. “They’ve even got tableware for us,
and towels.”
“I’ll wager Davenport’s had this planned ever since he went to
Haven Point,” returned Jack. “Perhaps he thought he could get hold
of us or a hold of the girls while we were there. And since I’ve been
here thinking things over I’ve got another idea,” went on the young
major slowly. “I may be all wrong, but somehow I can’t get it out of
my mind.”
“What is that?” questioned Fred.
“Do you remember that fellow who was in the runabout with
Davenport the day we met them on the road near Colby Hall?”
“Sure!”
“Well, ever since we met that fellow named Joe Brooks first in New
York and afterward in Chicago I’ve been trying to figure out where I
saw the chap. Now I’m wondering if he wasn’t the fellow who was
driving that car.”
“Why, he said he was a friend of Fatty Hendry’s!” exclaimed Andy.
“Yes, he said so. But that doesn’t make it so, does it?”
“You think he was a faker?” came quickly from Randy.
“He was if he was in cahoots with Davenport. Do you remember
how he stood alongside of us when we were buying our tickets for
Maporah, and how he questioned us about Sunset Trail when we
were going around with him in Chicago? He must have been nothing
but a confederate of Davenport and his gang.” And in this surmise,
as we already know, Jack was correct.
Although the bread was somewhat stale, the stew and the coffee
were both warm and fairly good, and, all told, the boys managed to
satisfy their hunger. They were wondering what was going to happen
next when Jackson and Digby came in carrying four blankets.
“No feather beds for you kids to-night,” said Digby. “But I reckon
you’ll find these a good deal better than nothing.”
“Davenport told me to tell you he’d have a talk with you in the
morning,” put in Jackson. “Now don’t try to break out and get away,
because one of us will be on guard in front of the cave all night.
Whoever is there will be armed and ready to shoot if you try any
monkey business.”
“Have you got a camp near by?” questioned Jack.
“Yes; we’re right where we can keep our eyes on you.”
The men went out and once more the four Rovers were left to
themselves. Jack and Randy now felt better, and while the latter took
up the lantern the young major made a careful inspection of the walls
of the cavern.
This inspection was disappointing. There were several nooks and
angles in the back of the cave and one large crack and several small
ones, all leading upward. But nothing in the way of an opening large
enough to admit the passage of the body was revealed.
“It isn’t likely that those fellows would leave any loophole for us,”
remarked Randy, as he held up the lantern. “They probably went
over this place very carefully before they set those logs up and
chained them.”
“I suppose that’s true,” was Jack’s answer. “But I’m going to get
out of here somehow if I possibly can.”
“Humph! I guess we all want to get away if it can be done, Jack.”
“If we don’t get away soon those rascals will hold our dads up for
thousands and thousands of dollars.”
“I know that, too. But we’re not going to be able to get away if this
prison is secure, and if they’re going to set a guard to watch us. For
all you know, they may be listening to every word we’re saying.”
As tired and worn out as they were, Andy and Fred also took a
look around the rocky prison. But nothing new was brought to light,
and presently all four of the boys were too tired to do more. They
arranged their blankets as best they could, and then sank down to
rest. But it was a long while before any of them fell asleep. Jack was
the last to drop off, and he turned the lantern low just before doing so
in order not to waste the oil, for there was no telling if any more
would be forthcoming.
When the four boys arose in the morning each felt in anything but
an agreeable humor. All were stiff and lame and it is doubtful if any
of them could have run very far even had the chance offered. They
had expected a visit from Davenport, but much to their surprise that
individual failed to show himself. Instead Tate and Ocker brought
them a breakfast consisting of coffee, bread, and some slices of
bacon.

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