Peter Photos Streamline Innovations, Inc

1. Process Automation in the Age of
Imagination: Edge Computing for
AI-Powered Predictive
Maintenance & Remote
Operations
Peter J. Photos, Ph.D.
CTO, Streamline Innovations
MAKING HEAVY INDUSTRY CLEANER,
SUSTAINABLE, MORE PROFITABLE

2. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
(2018)
2
The 4th Industrial Revolution - the Age of Imagination
Agricultural Age
• Profits from Physical Energy
• What can you physically do?
Industrial Age
• Profits from mechanized energy
• What do you know?
Electrical Age
• Profits from electrical energy
• How deep is your knowledge?
Digital Age
• Profits from Data acquired
• How can you connect knowledge?
Imagination Age
• Profits from Innovation
• What can you imagine?
IR#1: Industrial
Revolution
1760
IR#2: The Electrical
Revolution
1905
IR#3: The Digital
Revolution
1962
IR#4: The Automation
Revolution
2025?
Mechanization
Factories
Power
Lighting
Basic Automation
PCs
Advanced Automation
AI
Machine Learning
Next Gen Automation

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Example of Imagination Age – DALL-E
“Two chickens riding a motorcycle over
a bridge in the style of Stuffed Animals”
“Pink elephant sitting in a refrigerator
in the style the new yorker cartoon”

4. WHITHER AUTOMATION?
Boldly go where no
one has gone before?
Go gentle into that
good night
4

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A Process Example
“System is controlled by maintaining liquid in this vessel at
all times without spilling”
“Reaction Rate kept at equilibrium”
“Run unit under optimal conditions”
5

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Programming
Problems
• Developing in-house
software and hardware
to deliver the effects
you want
Configuration
Problems
• Configuring pre-
developed tools to
deliver that effect
Autoconfiguration
• Plug-and-play
technology that
autoconfigures itself to
optimally deliver that
effect
6
The Path Forward

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Process Control and Automation are Behind the Curve
● Most process designs are wholly driven by fundamental mechanical engineering principles
of the early 20th Century; Process Control Engineers come in AFTER the P&IDs are
already made
● Process Control is therefore still limited to interlocks and PID loops - few industries have
advanced controls, such as Model Predictive Control and AI
● Automation is still basic sequencer steps; rarely is it integrated across multiple processes
● WHY? The System is still mostly “A Programming Problem”.
● …yet available technology is already here.

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Things we can do today
Programming Problems
• Safety / Interlocks
• PID Loops
• Cascade Control
• Manual Inputs
• Unit Alarming
• Real-time KPIs
• Mobile Phone App
• Soft Sensors
• Fast Fourier
Analysis on Pumps
• Python Scripting
Configuration Problems
• OT
Standardization
• HMI
Templatization
• Object-based
programming
• Containerization
• Virtual Imaging of
Systems
• API Integration
• Multiselect Input
• Fleet Management
Autoconfiguration
• Fallback
Algorithms
• Fuzzy Logic
• Preventative
Maintenance
Prediction
• Model Predictive
Control
• Self-tuning PID
Loops
• Machine Learning
• Artificial
Intelligence
INCREASING
COMPLEXITY

9. Streamline - what we do
Valkyrie™ H2S Treatment Technology

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• Liquid Redox
○ Developed In the 1930s
○ Attempts at Commercializations in the 1980s and 1990s
• Primary Challenge
○ Liquid Redox is a CHEMICAL REACTION, which requires controls to
maintain Chemical Stoichiometric Balance and sophisticated controls
system to maintain equilibrium
S H
H
Hydrogen
Sulfide
O O
Oxygen (air)
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
Elemental
Sulfur
O
H
H
Water
What Streamline Does

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How Bad is H2S?

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H2S is Everywhere

13. 13
Advanced Process
Control
Our multiple tiers of computer
infrastructure (PLC, Edge, Cloud) manage
extent-of-reaction and provide
autonomous control (some guided by
machine learning) to optimize for uptime
and treatment performance.
Advanced
Chemistries
We combine a biodegradable, highly
effective, degradation resistant
REDOX chemistry with advanced,
custom-engineered surfactants.
Business Model
Turn-key, fee-for-service reduces
customer capital outlay, provides for
long-term service agreements
requiring use of IP protected
chemistry in perpetuity.
What Makes Streamline Different?

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Gas Loop Liquid Loop Solids Loop
The Valkyrie Gas Treating Process

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Streamline Today
• 27 Units Across Texas-New Mexico in Oil & Gas
• Landfill Biogas Plant in Illinois
• Biorefinery Plant in California awaiting startup
• Future plants in Oman, Paraguay
• Expanding into small-scall biogas plants

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SuperValkyrie Project in Pecos, TX
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• 3 Amine Plants + 3 Valkyrie
Tail Gas Treaters
• Amine Plant typically requires
0.5 FTE/Amine + 0.5
FTE/Valkyrie = 3 Operators on
site 24/7 = 6 FTEs
• Maintenance and Support Team
needs to grow
• MISSION: Do this with 3 FTEs,
keep maintenance to a
minimum, and support off site

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Results
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• Smart Amine Plant Operations
managed by AI with 24-7 Control
Room Monitoring
• Daytime operations manned,
nighttime operations via control
room, with operators on-call
• 2 FTE’s – 66% Reduction in Labor
Costs from estimates!
• No more call-outs for computer
issues – all done from Control
Room
• Software Predictive Maintenance
• 99.5% Uptime!

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Triune Brain Theory

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Triune Brain Theory

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(2018)
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Triune Brain Theory
20
Higher Processing Speed
Longer Acquisition Time
Faster Response Time Required
Higher Bandwidth to Data

21. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
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Data
Acquisition
Time
Scale
(seconds)
0.1
0.01
1
10
100
1000
10,000
100,000
1,000,000
years
days
10,000,000
weeks
minutes
seconds
Computational Requirements (Flops)
100 1010
102 1012
104 106 108
105 109
107 1011
103
101
Interlocks
PID Loops
Cascade
Control
Soft
Sensors
FFT Pump
Analysis
Fuzzy Logic
Temperature
Forecasting
Temperature
Calculations
Advanced KPIs
Model
Predictive
Control
Machine
Learning
Real-Time
P&Ls
Inventory
Management
Personnel/Flee
t Management
Predictive
Maintenance
Unit Alarming
Phone App
Manual Data
Input
Sensor
Validation
ESD
Laying Out the Jobs
21

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Data
Acquisition
Time
Scale
(seconds)
0.1
0.01
1
10
100
1000
10,000
100,000
1,000,000years
days
10,000,000
weeks
minutes
seconds
Computational Requirements (Flops)
100 1010
102 1012
104 106 108
105 109
107 1011
103
101
PLC Edge Computer
Azure Cloud Server
with Ignition Gateway
Enterprise Management System
Azure AI Server
Interlocks
PID Loops
Cascade
Control
Soft
Sensors
FFT Pump
Analysis
Fuzzy Logic
3rd Party
APIs
(Weather)
Temperature
Forecasting
Temperature
Calculations
Unit Alarming
Advanced KPIs
Model
Predictive
Control
Machine
Learning
Real-Time
P&Ls
Inventory
Management
Personnel/Flee
t Management
Predictive
Maintenance
Phone App
Manual Data
Input
Fog Instruments
Laying Out The Tools
22

23. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
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Fog Instruments
Data
Acquisition
Time
Scale
(seconds)
0.1
0.01
1
10
100
1000
10,000
100,000
1,000,000years
days
10,000,000
weeks
minutes
seconds
Computational Requirements (Flops)
100 1010
102 1012
104 106 108
105 109
107 1011
103
101
PLC Edge Computer
Enterprise Management System
Azure AI Server
OPC Server/Ignition
Azure Cloud Server
with Ignition Gateway
Ignition
Gateway
Connection
AP
I
A
P
I
A
P
I
3rd Party
APIs
(Weather)
Connecting the Dots
23

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EDGE
COMPUTER
FOG
Instruments
PLC
ERP
Cloud
Database
SCADA
Gatewa
y
AI/ML
Server
3rd
Party
APIs
In-House
Scripting
Connecting The Dots

25. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
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FOG
Instruments
PLC
ERP
Cloud
Database
SCADA
Gatewa
y
AI/ML
Server
3rd
Party
APIs
In-House
Scripting
Connecting The Dots

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Equipment Selection
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5
Stratus ZtC Edge
• Redundant Processing gives high uptime
• Virtual Machine allows for replicating
units
• Significant Computing Power
• Modest Cost
Device runs 3 VMs:
• Ignition OPC data acquisition
• PostgreSQL Database
• Python Scripting for advanced Modeling
Running:
• Realtime Calculations of 20+ KPIs
• Ignition HMI Gateway
• APIs for external data
PLC

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Making a “Smart” Unit
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Control
Room
PLC
HMI

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OT Metasystem on HMI
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Streamline Innovations, Inc. ; All Rights Reserved
(2020)
• Control Room can restart VMs
as needed
• Monitoring of Computer status
• In-Ignition restart of Hardware
Stratus ZtC Edge

29. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
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● Non-Linear Calculations
○ Fast Fourier Transforms
○ Linear Algebra Problems
● Remote Access APIs
○ Weather Forecast to
optimize operating
temperature
○ Shutdown for Tornado
Warning
○ Sulfur-Fall Rate based on
Wind
Python and Advanced Calculations

30. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
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● Machine Learning
○ Fuzzy Control
○ Non-linear Regression
analysis
○ Real-time analysis
● Artificial Intelligence
○ Statistical Prediction of
Pump Failure
○ Aligning Scheduled
Maintenance
Our Next Steps

31. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
(2018)
31
Results
31
5
Streamline Innovations, Inc. ; All Rights Reserved
(2020)
• Smart Amine Plant Operations
managed by AI with 24-7 Control
Room Monitoring
• Daytime operations manned,
nighttime operations via control
room, with operators on-call
• 2 FTE’s – 66% Reduction in Labor
Costs from estimates!
• No more call-outs for computer
issues – all done from Control
Room
• Software Predictive Maintenance
• 99.5% Uptime!

32. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
(2018)
32
One Site  The Whole Company
32

33. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
(2018)
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Digital Transformation
33
Instruments
Field
Operator/HMI
Lead
Operator
Overview
Screen
Control Room
Hypervisor
Ops Engineer
Health Check
Executive
Real-Time
P&L
Data can flow from the instrumentation level all the way up the executive
Granular Strategic
Operational Technical

34. Streamline Chemical, LLC; All Rights Reserved
(2018)
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Digital Transformation to Digital Reality

35. The Democratization
of Intelligent
Automation
Peter J. Photos, Ph.D.
CTO, Streamline Innovations
MAKING HEAVY INDUSTRY CLEANER,
SUSTAINABLE, MORE PROFITABLE