Modular Procedural Automation

Transcription

1 Modular Procedural Automation A solution that captures operators knowledge throughout the manufacturing process Elbert van der Bijl IA Marketing Manager Systems Yokogawa Europe & Africa Elbert.vander.bijl@nl.yokogawa.com

2 Objective Provide information on ISA106 Demonstrate how Modular Procedural Automation can assist manufacturers with the optimization of operator actions and realize a more safe and efficient plant

3 Agenda ISA106 Modular Procedural Automation Examples The Benefits of Procedural Automation

4 ISA106 Standard Committee Procedural Automation for the Continuous Process Industries The proposal for the formation of a new standards committee was approved by the ISA in April 2010 The committee has met face to face three times and held monthly teleconferences since June 2010 and now consists of 5 working groups preparing material for the initial technical report. The working groups are: Knowledge Management Definitions & Terminology and Models References (other standards & industry publications) Examples and Use Cases Work Process These topics have the input and support from 39 Manufacturers & Suppliers including many companies that run distillation operations

5 ISA106 Input

6 ISA106 Participating Companies Owner/operators Chevron Dow Chemical Valero Bayer Material Sciences ConocoPhillips Shell Saudi Aramco Aramco Services Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Suppliers, SI s, and Consultants Yokogawa ABB Rockwell Emerson Process Management Honeywell Invensys BR&L Consulting ARC

7 ISA106 Scope

8 ISA106 Technical Report, Draft 6 These figures are in draft version 6 of the Technical Report, you can count on them changing as committee members review them

9 Modular Procedural Automation

10 Refinery Losses Trend Upwards Source: Marsh Associates Large Property Damage Losses in the Hydrocarbon Industries ( ) Adjusted for Inflation

11 Refinery Incidents - FAT/CATs* Kern Oil Refinery in Bakersfield, California on January 19, 2005 Incident killed one employee and caused multiple injuries to other employees Crude unit start-up Workers over pressurized a pump casing which catastrophically ruptured, releasing and igniting hot oil that immediately exploded Giant Industries Ciniza Refinery, Gallup, New Mexico, April 8, employees were injured, 4 requiring hospitalization with serious burn injuries During hydrofluoric acid (HF) alkylation unit maintenance a shutoff valve was not closed as required, caused release of flammable liquids and vapors which caused subsequent explosions *(FAT/CAT) fatality/catastrophe

12 BP Safe Ups and Downs BP has a guide for safe unit start ups and shut downs BP also has FREE on line videos showing incidents that could potentially have been avoided using MPA

13 Procedures in Distillation Startup frequency may vary, from once every day to once every five years Operator skill impacts the efficiency of the startup May not have experienced personnel available for the start up. Shutdown Might not be scheduled On shift operators might not be the best operators Feedstock and product output transitions Many refiners purchase crude oil of different types in tankers & must adjust operation to process correctly the next type of oil Chemical plants often make a variety of products in a campaign fashion by changing operation to meet the new product specs.

14 Procedural Operations Process plants are designed and run according to operational procedures Every process has a SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) Three main types of procedures Manual Prompted Automated Procedures consist of a set of tasks that are conducted in a set way to achieve a certain goal Starting up Shutting down Transitioning Procedures vary by industry/company/plant, but they require consistent execution

15 Capturing Procedural Knowledge Much procedural knowledge is in the heads of the most experienced operators But these operators will be retiring over the next 5-10 years (aging workforce) Automated procedures can capture the knowledge of the best operator on his/her best day every day Remove shift to shift inconsistencies Ensure that a procedural operation is being conducted safely

16 Capturing Procedural Best Practices Operator A s Procedure A A B C D C D E Operator B s Procedure A B1 B2 B C D1 D2 E Operator C s Procedure E F F F A Best-Practices Procedure B1 B2 C D1 E F D2 } Capture the Best Procedure from all operator inputs } Combine into a Best Practice Procedure

17 Capturing Procedural Best Practices

18 Modularizing Procedural Operations Procedural automation increases safety and reliability provides consistent, repeatable and verifiable procedural operations in an era of skills depletion Modularizing procedural operations improves flexibility and standardization Procedures can be constructed like building blocks Reduces engineering and maintenance costs Best example is batch automation using ISA88 Modular Procedural Automation (MPA); a consultative methodology to document and automate procedural operations in continuous processes It is modular to standardize implementation within sites and across companies improves acceptance and understanding by operations

19 Examples

20 Fractionation Research Inc. (FRI) Non-profit corporation performing distillation research Consortium of 72 global member companies 55 years of experience (and data) Test unit on Oklahoma State University (OSU) campus in Stillwater, OK Conducts R&D on distillation devices using commercial-scale equipment Packing Trays Distributors Feeds and Draws

21 Unusual Safety Concerns at FRI Only 8 technicians Board operators average 8 years of experience Junior operators average 1 year of experience Many start-ups & transitions Different control systems and conditions Documented procedures are in place, but operators.. Have different start-up, operation and shut down philosophies Have different reactions to column upsets

22 FRI Transition Improvements Normal FRI transitions Transition to new steady state is normally 3 hours to expected flow and temperature equilibrium After 3 hours, samples are taken to confirm composition equilibrium Automated Transitions Steam condensate rate was automated with incremental flow condensate rates Flows and temperatures lined-out within 15 minutes of the target steam condensate rate being reached Compositions lined-out within 60 minutes of hydraulic and temperature steady state Results Achieve steady state 75 minutes faster for each transition condition Operators feel that this will improve standardization between them 22

23 FRI Results Procedure was used in semiautomatic mode to insure the operator had full control at all times The ramp up of steam to the reboilers was programmed to the specifications of senior operators Pressure has to equalized across flow valve before valve can ramped Corrections made, operators have become more comfortable with the automated process So far, 15% time savings seen in start up in Semiautomatic (prompted) mode

24 Chevron Example A Chevron refinery operations team recognized there was a large optimization opportunity to automate a feed switch. Benefits in automating the feed switch procedure were: Operator workload reduced by 60% A 42% reduction in product yield loss Increased feed throughput during transition by 18% Reduced feed switch transition time by 36% AIChE Spring 2011 Robert M. Tsai, Chevron, Richmond, CA

25 Crude Switching Japanese Oil Refinery Crude oil feedstock switch between 2-3 times a week. The efficiency very dependent on the experience and skill of the board operator running the distillation unit. Skilled operator, the time to reach normal steady state operations was typically 5 hours. Junior operator could take over 8 hours to reach the same normal steady state operations. Long transition times had an impact on: product quality and production efficiency. inefficient use of utilities such as fuel gas, power, and cooling. With junior or less experienced operators there was a higher incident of operational errors resulting in abnormal conditions and off-spec product.

26 Crude Switching Engineers worked with the operational staff at the refinery & interviewed the board operators from different shifts Junior operators would typically ramp feed temperatures at a linear rate throughout the temperature zones Veteran operators had the operational experience to change the temperature ramp at different rates depending on the temperature zone of the column Operators typically had to make over 100 adjustments to the process through the DCS system during the switch over in addition to responding to false alarms that were set for normal operating conditions. Implementing procedural automation methodology Switchover time to very predictable 2-1/2 hours regardless of what operator was on shift. Over 100 control system adjustments reduced to 10 and process alarms system to be operationally aware of process conditions. Increased process knowledge sharing, a reduction in operator errors, and reduced operator training

27 Conclusion

28 The benefits of Modular Procedural Automation Standardize and Automate Procedures Capture and implement operating know-how of experienced operators Implement plants predefined Standard Operating Procedures Modularity Reduces engineering costs Improves flexibility Reduces downtime for changes Improve Plant Operating Efficiency Increase productivity by reducing the time that operators take during manual operation Reduce costs by reducing usage of energy, utilities, and materials during manual operation Reduce alarms and events to allow operator to concentrate on other activities Improve Safety of Plant Operations Operates plant exactly as defined by the stored operating procedures Reduce operational errors and omissions Documentation of stored operating procedures

29 Thank you for your attention! Questions?