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Improving Control Valve Reliability through Valve Condition Monitoring

Posted 3 weeks ago, under Digital Transformation, Final Control Element
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An Asian refiner sought to improve reliable operations around their control valves a decade ago. I caught up with Emerson’s Sumitaka Ichiki who shared the story of their journey to more reliable operations.

Using the Fisher FlowScanner valve diagnostic software, they analyzed the dynamic response of many of their critical valves. Based on their findings, they decided to see if they could improve performance of a critical control valve using a Fisher FIELDVUE DVC6000 digital valve controller as a proof of concept in one of their refinery units.

The diagnostics provided by the digital valve controller coupled with the operational analytics in the AMS Valvelink application convinced them to install the DVCs on a broad range of critical control valves.

Later that year during a scheduled turnaround, the refinery staff installed around 70 DVC6000s and a digital network. Over the last several years, this number has grown to around 180 installed DVCs. This wealth of diagnostics had some drawbacks from too many alerts and too few in plant experts to assess the data and form recommendations on actions to take. Continue Reading ▶

Principles-Driven and Data-Driven Operational Analytics

Posted 4 weeks ago, under Digital Transformation
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Manufacturers & producers are addressing industry challenges using technology and digitization. With initiatives such as Digital Transformation & Industry 4.0, they are changing manual practices and moving towards automatic, digital, and data-driven ways of working.

I caught up with Emerson’s Manasi Menon on the role analytics plays in digital transformation initiatives. These businesses want to use analytics to make sense of this digitized data from smart instrumentation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices and use actionable insights from it for decision making and improved operational performance. Whether it is energy monitoring, asset reliability or process optimization, they want to use real-time analytics and predictive insights to improve business performance.

Analytics in an organization typically falls into two major categories—business analytics used for organizational support functions such as HR, IT, Supply Chain, Finance, etc. and operational analytics used for improving the production of the plant and the process itself.

Long history of Emerson operational analytics applicationsEmerson has more than 30 years of experience in operational analytics-based applications, which began with embedded diagnostics in smart instrumentation and control systems. AMS Device Manager was developed to collect, analyze and present these diagnostics to users. Ever more sophisticated analytics added over time include PeakVue machinery analysis technology, embedded in the DeltaV and Ovation distributed control systems and the addition of KNet Analytics advanced process data analytics & machine learning software. Continue Reading ▶

Refinery Digital Transformation Case Study

Posted 4 weeks ago, under Refining
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Ergon's Steve Elwart & Emerson's Marcelo Carugo

Ergon’s Steve Elwart (l) and Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo (r) discussing Ergon’s digital transformation journey

Advancing technology has enabled productivity gains in both capital projects and ongoing operations for manufacturers and producers. Ergon Refining‘s Steve Elwart and Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo collaborated on a case study presentation on digital transformation at the Ergon Vicksburg, Mississippi refinery for the ERTC conference in Warsaw, Poland.

For a 500-metric-ton refinery, projects required between 5,000 and 10,000 man-hours in 1990. Today, this same design can be completed in 1,500-to-2,000 man-hours by taking advantage of available digital technologies. This productivity increase is due to increasing the number of tasks that can be performed in parallel and the broader collaboration enabled by communications and storage technologies. Continue Reading ▶

Optimizing Well Performance in Unconventional Shale Using Cloud-Enabled Multiphase Flow Meters

Posted 4 weeks ago, under Digital Transformation, Oil & Gas
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Upstream oil & gas producers face unique challenges in measuring their production compared with other industries. What comes from a well is a changing mix of oil, gas, produced water, and sediment. Traditionally, test separators have been used to periodically check an individual well’s performance. These well tests are performed on a periodic basis.

I caught up with Sturle Haaland, Emerson’s Roxar Flow Metering Director, who shared with me that for unconventional, shale oil & gas production well pads, multiphase flow meters, such as the Roxar 2600 MFPM, are being used on each well to provide accurate, continuous measurement of water, gas and oil rates coming from the wellhead.

Roxar 2600 Multiphase Flow Meter Performance Monitoring serviceOne concern oil & gas producers have about multiphase flow meters is verification of performance, as they replace conventional test separators. To build confidence in the performance and reap the full benefits of the vast amount of real-time well data provided by these meters, their output should be monitored, analyzed and reported on. This provides valuable insights for reservoir and production optimization, as well as performance of the meter sensors. In case process conditions require any setting adjustments, an auditable track record is logged.

Sturle explained that operators often use manual processes for collecting data from the field. What’s more, their available resources for analyzing the data are also limited, and they may not always be trained on new multiphase flow metering technologies. This can make the detection of changes in production difficult, and ultimately lead to costly wrong decisions. Continue Reading ▶

Agile Project Methodology for the Right Types of Projects

Posted 4 weeks ago, under Project Services
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The concept of Agile for managing software projects began in the 1990 in software development under early forerunners such as “…Scrum, DSDM, Application Development and Extreme Programming“. The waterfall project management method was causing growing lead times and lack of flexibility to make changes later in the project as more was learned along the way. Based on this early work:

…seventeen developers met once again in February 2001, and from this, the Agile Manifesto was born.

Here’s where you can read about the four core values in the Agile Manifesto.

I share this as background for a ProjectManagement.com article, Agile is Fragile—Handle it With Care (registration required for full article), by Emerson’s Sal Zafar.

Sal opens highlighting the importance of a core framework:

It is critical to properly frame agile before utilizing it as a building block for project executions. Companies that have never utilized an agile approach will have to put forth significant effort to prepare for establishing a framework.

He shares 12 considerations in establishing this framework: Continue Reading ▶

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