Modular Procedural Automation

A solution that captures operators’knowledge throughout the

manufacturing process

Elbert van der BijlIA Marketing Manager SystemsYokogawa Europe & Africa

Elbert.vander.bijl@nl.yokogawa.com

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

Agenda

• ISA106• Modular Procedural Automation• Examples• The Benefits of Procedural Automation

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

ISA106 Input

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

ISA106 Scope

These figures are in draft version 6 of the Technical Report, you can count on

them changing as committee members review

them

ISA106 Technical Report, Draft 6

Modular Procedural Automation

Refinery Losses Trend Upwards

Large Property Damage Losses in the Hydrocarbon Industries (1972 – 2009)Adjusted for Inflation

Source: Marsh Associates

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, 2004– 6 employees were injured, 4 requiring hospitalization with

serious burn injuries – During hydrofluoric acid (HF) alkylation unit maintenance a shut-

off valve was not closed as required, caused release of flammable liquids and vapors which caused subsequent explosions

*(FAT/CAT) fatality/catastrophe

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

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.

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

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

Capturing Procedural Best Practices

A B CD E F

Operator A’s Procedure

A CD E FB1

B2

Operator B’s Procedure

A B CD1 E FD2

Operator C’s Procedure

A B1B2

CD1 E FD2

Best-PracticesProcedure

} Capture the Best Procedure from all operator inputs

} Combine into a Best Practice Procedure

Capturing Procedural Best Practices

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

Examples

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Conclusion

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

Thank you for your attention!Questions?