Advances In Digital Automation Within Refining

Advances in Digital Automation within Refining Tim Olsen Emerson Process Management

Speaker
Tim Olsen
Emerson Process Management
Emerson, 1998 – Present
Performance Consultant
UOP, 1990 – 1998
Technical Advisor on Refinery Unit Startups

The Digital Refinery
The continuing evolution in digital computing and communication capabilities and the application of these technologies have led to fundamental differences in the way processing plants operate and will continue to change the way they operate in the future. We can characterize these changes as “The Digital Refinery”
Background: Advances in Computing
Examples: Advances in Automation within Refining

Typical Process Computer’s Performance 50% per year increase! Compounded for 40 years!

Computer Advances Cray 2 Supercomputer 1 Gigaflop 1985 - $23 million Ref Wired , February 22, 2008 , by Rob Beschizza Cray CX1: 4 Terraflops $25,000 Available on Amazon.com Ref: Wired; September 16, 2008; by Brian Chen

Memory Cost 70% per year increase! Compounded for 40 years (RAM); 25 years (Disk) ! 100 gigabytes – Basic Demographic information on every human on earth!

IP Network Communication – Wired (Max - Bandwidth x Distance (wo amp)) Any information will be available anywhere! Bandwidth will substitute for local memory!

Network Communication - Wireless 200% per year compound increase!

The Exception - Software Productivity Growth Only 4% per year increase from 1970 to 2000; less thereafter! Salary increases similar! No net cost reduction. Software is dominant cost in system development/ implementation! However, software has much longer life than hardware.

Implications of Computing Trends
Low cost computing / communications replaces higher cost “other”
“ Distance Doesn’t Matter” - Physical location of individuals irrelevant with regard to communication and information availability – virtual organizations
Computational limits are receding
Everything that can be digitized will be digitized
No “practical limits” on data / information storage

What does this mean for the Refining Industry? The Growth of The Smart Refinery through Digital Automation

Older Automation Field Networks – Analog 4-20 ma 4-20 mA Only 1 value is transmitted Only one direction

But Computers and Communication and Calculations have migrated to the Field Devices… ST_REV, TAG_DESC, STRATEGY, ALERT_KEY, MODE_BLK, BLOCK_ERR, RS_STATE, TEST_RW, DD_RESOURCE, , MANUFAC_ID, DEV_TYPE, DEV_REV, DD_REV, GRANT_DENY, HARD_TYPES, RESTART, FEATURES, FEATURE_SEL, CYCLE_TYPE, CYCLE_SEL, MIN_CYCLE_T, MEMORY_SIZE, NV_CYCLE_T, FREE_SPACE, FREE_TIME, SHED_RCAS, SHED_ROUT, FAIL_SAFE, SET_FSAFE, CLR_FSAFE, MAX_NOTIFY, LIM_NOTIFY, CONFIRM_TIME, WRITE_LOCK, UPDATE_EVT, BLOCK_ALM, ALARM_SUM ACK_OPTION, WRITE_PRI, WRITE_ALM ST_REV, TAG_DESC, STRATEGY, ALERT_KEY, MODE_BLK, BLOCK_ERR, PV OUT, SIMULATE, XD_SCALE, OUT_SCALE, GRANT_DENY, IO_OPTS, STATUS_OPTS, CHANNEL, L_TYPE, LOW_CUT, PV_FTIME, FIELD_VAL, UPDATE_EVT, BLOCK_ALM, ALARM_SUM, ACK_OPTION, ALARM_HYS, HI_HI_PRI, HI_HI_LIM, HI_PRI, HI_LIM, LO_PRI, LO_LIM, LO_LO_PRI, LO_LO_LIM, HI_HI_ALM, HI_ALM, LO_ALM, LO_LO_ALM ST_REV, TAG_DESC, STRATEGY, ALERT_KEY, MODE_BLK, BLOCK_ERR, PV, SP, OUT, PV_SCALE, OUT_SCALE, GRANT_DENY, CONTROL_OPTS, STATUS_OPTS, IN, PV_FTIME, BYPASS, CAS_IN, SP_RATE_DN, SP_RATE_UP, SP_HI_LIM, SP_LO_LIM ST_REV, TAG_DESC, STRATEGY, ALERT_KEY, MODE_BLK, BLOCK_ERR, PV SP, OUT, PV_SCALE, OUT_SCALE, GRANT_DENY, CONTROL_OPTS, STATUS_OPTS, IN PV_FTIME, BYPASS, CAS_IN, SP_RATE_DN, SP_RATE_UP, SP_HI_LIM, SP_LO_LIM, GAIN RESET, BAL_TIME, RATE, BKCAL_IN, OUT_HI_LIM, OUT_LO_LIM, BKCAL_HYS, BKCAL_OUT, RCAS_IN, ROUT_IN, SHED_OPT, RCAS_OUT, ROUT_OUT, TRK_SCALE, TRK_IN_D, TRK_VAL, FF_VAL, FF_SCALE, FF_GAIN, UPDATE_EVT, BLOCK_ALM, ALARM_SUM, ACK_OPTION, ALARM_HYS, HI_HI_PRI, HI_HI_LIM, HI_PRI, HI_LIM, LO_PRI, LO_LIM, LO_LO_PRI, LO_LO_LIM, DV_HI_PRI, DV_HI_LIM, DV_LO_PRI, DV_LO_LIM, HI_HI_ALM, HI_ALM, LO_ALM, LO_LO_ALM, DV_HI_ALM. DV_LO_ALM Digital Field Networks Require To Support

Control Rooms have also Modernized Site Wide Control Room Coordinated Multiple Loop Digital Control Computer Screen Interface Each Unit had a separate Control Room Single Loop Analog Control Panel Board Interface Photo Ref: Emerson Process Management Photo Ref: Emerson Process Management

Ref: A. Chatha; “Current Business Drivers and Trends;” ARC 2009 Orlando Conference; February, 2009

Advances in Digital Automation in Refining
Predictive Diagnostics
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Advanced Process Control (APC)
Wireless Health Monitoring
Single Site Engineering Support / Control Room
Sample Examples

Predictive Diagnostics and Analytics Condition Detection BEFORE it becomes a problem in the Plant! Photo Ref: Emerson Process Management

Future Trends – Predictive Analytics - How do we avoid this? Photo Ref: Emerson Process Management

Smart cars monitor tire pressure Tire icon indicates low pressure Car advises driver of abnormal situation made possible via new technologies Photo Ref: Emerson Process Management

Two requirements: - Sensing technology - Presentation to user at the right time

Hydrocracker Quench Control Valve
Low instrument air pressure to quench valve actuator – poor response to control
Maintenance and Operator alerted
Potential exothermic reaction runaway avoided
No emergency depressuring / shutdown required
No safety incident
ALERT

Labor Savings – Predictive Analytics
Studies have shown that more than 60% of a typical instrument technician’s trips to the field result in either no action or a minor configuration adjustment that could be done from their office with smart instruments.
Manpower savings 1.6 hours per instrument per year with root cause analysis
1,000 instruments
1,600 hours savings

Smart Turnaround Case
Three-year study with Gulf Coast Refiner to reduce maintenance spending utilizing predictive instrument and valve diagnostics
Average maintenance savings $100,000 USD per year
Unexpected benefit of ~$1 million USD per year operations with better process control and plant availability
Fix only what needs maintenance, nothing more

System Modernization Case
“ Poor reliability and frequent shutdowns were undermining the refinery's efforts to serve the market effectively.”
Automation System Upgrade on Gulf Coast Hydrocracker
Results showed sustained 50% reduction in reliability risk
Estimated Savings, $1-2 Million per year

Key Performance Indicators, KPI
Quickly at a glance, understand issues with the refinery.
Poor performance does not go undetected.
Energy use per barrel processed is tracked and trended.
Predictor for poor heater operation or effects of heat exchanger fouling.
Detect losses with heat and weight balancing

KPI Dashboard Case “ After the installation of data reconciliation software and a KPI dashboard display, the model showed an incorrect process unit lineup. A recycle line was open that should have been closed. After closing the recycle we were able to increase hydrotreater throughput by 8 percent. This resulted in an energy savings of $400,000 per year and a product profit increase of $500,000 per year, for a total benefit of $900,000 USD per year .” Planning Manager Refinery, North America Abnormal Operation does not go Undetected

Advanced Process Control, APC
Embedded APC within Modern Automation Systems
Better measurements and tighter control valve resolution
Easy and Faster Startup
Easy for Board Operators to understand, thus stays “ON”
Easy to Maintain and Change as Needed
IMPROVED PROFIT BY CHANGING TARGET REDUCED VARIABILITY POOR CONTROL $ PROFIT SPECIFICATION LIMIT Safety Margin

APC Case, Complex Distillation Column
2 weeks configuring and commissioning
1 week proof testing
Average overehead product loss reduced by ~22%
Impurities in bottoms were maintained within specifications.
Steam usage reduced ~7%
Estimated value over $700,000 USD per year
Bottoms Main Product Feed 1 TC TI Feed 2 At constant OH rate, this temp sets the energy balance (R/F). Internal Reflux Lt Ends Impurities This flow sets the material balance (D/F) Complicated OH condenser system LC

Pump Health Monitoring Current Practice
Preventive pump maintenance programs pull pumps whether the pump needs maintenance or not increasing pump maintenance cost
API RP 52 (auxiliary pump seal flush system) improves safety but does not include monitoring for undetected failures
Auxiliary pump seal flush system alarms not implemented
Insufficient spare wiring in the field
Typical Pump Seal Assembly
What: Unpressurized buffer fluid circulation through reservoir
Why: Backup seal
Where: High vapor pressure fluids, emissions

Pump Health Monitoring Case
NA Refiner
Wireless Field Instruments on Pumps
Secure, robust Smart Wireless gateway
Benefits
Health monitoring enables prompt detection of abnormal pump vibration
Wireless sensor network implementation saved 75% of the cost over wired alternative

Multi-Site Control Center / Remote Support Control Center Engineering Center Plant 1 Plant 2 Plant 3 Photo Ref: Emerson Process Management

But…. Has it Mattered?

US Oil Refining Industry Employee Productivity Employee Productivity Up 300%, Even With: - Increased Complexity - More Crudes/ Product Grades - Increased Regulatory Requirements Crude Run Employment Ref: Crude Run: US DOE EIA: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mttrius2a.htm Employment: US DOL BLS; http://www.bls.gov/oes/

Refining Safety Impact

Conclusions
The continuing evolution in digital computing and communication capabilities and the application of these technologies have led to fundamental differences in the way plants operate and will continue to change the way they operate in the future.

Operate Smarter, More Efficiently
Diagnose and Alert problems prior to failure or safety incident
Opportunity to act on information to prevent failure or safety incident
Identify root cause of problem prior to going into the field
Quickly see KPI Dashboards to detect abnormal operation

Questions?
Questions? Comments – contact [email_address]
More material on subject:
www.SmartRefinery.com

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Advances In Digital Automation Within Refining

by Jim Cahill on Jan 27, 2010

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