Technology innovators garner industry kudos

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IS THE driving force behind any industry, and this year has been another key year for advances. As a part of its ongoing effort to spearhead technology innovation throughout the industry, ISA - The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society will hand out six awards for achievement in areas of science or research.

Wireless is now becoming a major force in the industry. For designing and developing a self-organizing wireless sensor network system called the I-Bean network, Somwoo Rhee, Ph.D., of Millennial Net, Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., will receive the Douglas H. Annin Award. The I-Bean network is a result of Rhee's early work on biomedical sensors. The ultrasmall and ultra-low-power wireless sensor networking system can run up to ten years with a small coin battery.

For design, development, and application of advanced control strategy for boiler control systems for fixed and variable pressure operations, Richard H. Morse from Doylestown, Pa., will receive the E.G. Bailey Award.

For educational and training contributions to the fields of industrial data communications, network security, and fieldbus technology, Eric J. Byres of British Columbia Institute of Technology in Lantzille, British Columbia, Canada, will get the Donald P. Eckman Education Award.

Jerry M. demons, Ph.D., of ABB Process Analytics, in Ronceverte, W.Va., won the Kermit M. Fischer Environmental Award for his innovative design and testing of the analytical chemistry involved in the measurement of total sulfur at trace levels in fuels such as gasoline and diesel.

For developing and implementing the new sample system initiative for analyzers in the process industry and increasing their overall reliability, Peter van Vuuren, Ph.D., of Exxon Mobil Chemical will receive the UOP Technology Award.

John A. Pittman of Fieldbus Foundation in Austin, Texas, will receive the Albert F. Sperry Founder Award for his technical and educational contributions.

ISA will honor the award winners at its Honors and Awards banquet 5 October at the Reliant Center in Houston, Texas. For more information, call 919-549-8411.