Bharat Heavy Electricals limited (BHEL), Electronics Division, has entered into a Technical Collaboration Agreement (TCA) for the manufacture and supply of new generation Distributed Control Systems 'MAX1000+PLUS' , for modern Power Plants & Industries, with MAX Control Systems (MCS) Inc USA, part of METSO Automation. 

The MAX1000+PLUS is now re-named as maxDNA. where-in DNA stands for Dynamic Network of Applications. maxDNA is a network of applications where diverse hardware and software solutions co-operate to allow the plant to reach its greatest potential.

BHEL's Electronics Division has established itself in the area of Control & Instrumentation for new power plants as well as renovation and modernisation of existing power plants. A leader in the Indian Power Sector market, it has already supplied and commissioned above 200 sets of DCS for thermal, combined cycle and hydro sets all over the country and overseas. 

MCS Inc., USA, former systems division of Leeds and Northrup, USA, is an internationally reputed technology leader In both Power as well as Industrial process control systems, with 70 years of rich experience in the field.

maxDNA systems are used in many applications throughout the world including electric power generation, co-generation, cement, glass, ceramics, primary metals, chemicals and petroleum, water and waste-water treatment and incineration plants. 

BHEL offers a variety of solutions for Power Plants ranging from simple control systems to complex unified automation for Power Plants of any size. The synergy of BHEL's expertise in Power Plant Controls and cutting-edge technology of maxDNA provides for unified DCS solution for entire Power Plant comprising of Steam Generator, Steam Turbine Generator and Balance of Plant C&I. The state-of-the art control system is also configured for complete range of Hydro Turbine governing and auto sequence controls, SCADA systems and for wide range of industrial process applications. 

The spectrum of applications in brief are as listed.

Power Plant Controls

o Steam Generator Controls
o Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) controls
o Steam Turbine controls
o Industrial Steam Turbine Controls
o Balance of plant controls
o Data Acquisition and information management
o Hydro Turbine Governing and Auto sequence controls
o Generator and Switchyard controls
o Electrical System controls
o Fossil power utility plants
o Combined cycle power plants
o Captive power plants
o Simple cycle power plants
o Hydel power plants

Industrial Controls

o Process Industry


The maxDNA allows easy integration of third party devices and communication with external systems. The system also allows user flexibility to operate a small stand-alone control system to a mega control system with plant-wide automation. Its open architecture permits the integration of process control, management information systems, local and wide area networks, PLC systems and SCADA systems

BHELs integrated Automation and Information Management System maxDNA is a microprocessor based real time system. This system is designed on modular basis, allows scalability and provides operator the complete tool to increase the availability, efficiency and safe operating state with respect to the Process component.

The maxDNA DCS product line provides regulatory control, sequential logic control, operator interaction through CRTs (MAXSTATIONS) and information management. The MAXSTATION can be configured as an operator station, engineer's station, historian (MAXSTORIAN), gateway, or link server (MAXLINKS) to foreign systems. It provides for high-resolution graphics utilising a powerful graphical user interface - MAXVUE. The maxDNA also provides a comprehensive set of tools (MAXTOOLS) for the development of system application, configuration and installation.

maxPAC input and output modules connect thousands of process variables, controllable and element devices throughout the plant to the maxDNA Plant Automation System. maxPAC I/O modules are available in a number of input and output configurations to match the electrical characteristics of the sensors, transmitters and controllable devices.

· High density I/O.
· Isolated Input / Output modules.
· Supports full redundancy.
· Both local and remote installations.
· Lower power consumption.
· Self calibrated analog modules.
· Remove and insert modules while powered.
· Modules have colour coded faceplates for rapid identification.
· Rotary address switches for fast set-up.
· All the modules that require field power include a front mounted fuse disconnect 
and a LED fuse status indication.
· All discrete modules include front mounted LEDs for input / output state.
· (15+1) bit Resolution for Analog inputs.

MaxPAC I/O and related hardware comply with the following standards.

· ESD - IEC 801-2.
· Surge - IEEE-472-1974 (ANSI C37 90a) surge withstand test.
· RFI-801-3 with the cabinet door closed.
· Vibration - Sinusoidal vibration specification per SAMA PMC31.1 using control
room level; 1 mm displacement 5-15Hz, 0.5G 15-150Hz.
· Storage temperature - 26 to 70 Degree C.
· Operating temperature 0 to 60 Degree C.
· Relative Humidity; 5 to 90%, non-condensing.

- The DCS Data Highway speed is 10/100 Mbps.

- Communication Network is full Duplex type.

- Intelligent Switched Fast Ethernet for communication with redundancy.

- 32 Bit Intel Multifunction Controller for OLCS & CLCS with WINDOWS CE Operating System.

- Intel Pentium IV OWS with WINDOWS 2000 for MMI / DAS.

- Distributed Data base on RPUs.

- On line documentation system.

- Centralized Engineering Station for programming, configuration and downloading.

- Dedicated links for other system.

- Integrated SOE with 1 milisec resolution functions are envisaged.

- Multilevel security system are envisaged for different functions like engineering, database 
changing etc.

- Optical isolation for I/O modules.

- Scan time for critical analog signals is 20 milisec & others 100 millisec or above.

- Execution time for control logics is selectable from 20/100/500 millisec. as per requirement.

- Interchangeability of Engineering station and Operator Workstation, wherever necessary.

- History with 1 second sampling rates and long term storage & retrieval.

- Point database (Global Data) accessible at any station across the Network.

- Selective I/O redundancies depending on process criticality.

- Enhanced graphic capabilities.

- OPC complaint.

- Status of modules available on OWS.

- Controller logic is available on the OWS (on-line).

- Facility for simulation of control logic schemes with virtual processor.