SILZone™ – The Safe Systems Approach
SILZone is a simple, cost effective and time efficient Willowglen solution to address SIL related system complexity, client requests and new regulations requiring SIL systems for specific types of applications. SILZone™ can be easily incorporated into SentientQ.™
SentientQ is SCADA Reimagined.
Hello. My name is Ian Verhappen. I am one of the Solutions Architects at Willowglen Systems developing SentientQ’s SILZone safety architecture. Over my career I have supported safety systems in processing facilities, qualified as a Functional Safety Engineer and continue to participate in the development of ISA-84 safety standards working groups.
What is SIL?
SIL is an acronym that stands for Safety Integrity Level.
SIL is a measure of safety system performance, in terms of probability of failure on demand (PFD).
The PFD convention was chosen based on the numbers: it is easier to express the probability of failure rather than that of proper performance (for example: 1 in 1,000 vs. 999 in 1,000).
SIL describes the ability to reduce risk.
There are four discrete integrity levels associated with SIL: SIL 1, through SIL 4.
The higher the SIL level, the higher the associated safety level, higher the reliability, and lower the risk and lower the probability of a system failure on demand.
As the SIL level increases, the installation, maintenance costs and the complexity of the system also typically increases.
Why SILZone™?
To address this problem and to easily integrate safety systems into geographically distributed SCADA environments, Willowglen developed SILZone™.
What is SILZone?
SILZone is a simple, cost effective and time efficient Willowglen solution
to address SIL related system complexity, client requests and new regulations requiring SIL systems for specific types of applications.
How does SILZone™ work?
SILZone™ works like a VPN for safety systems by providing a secure connection between end devices without being concerned about what is in the middle.
As a result, SILZone™ isolates the implementation of safety critical logic and its specific requirements from the balance of the SCADA system.
This makes SIL certifications easier; without siloing operator interface, enhancing ease-of-use at every touchpoint without compromising system safety and reliability while also controlling costs.
SILZone™ can be easily incorporated into SentientQ™ or SCADACOM™ to meet the reliability requirements of a SIL system in an integrated SCADA environment.
To learn more, check out our website.