Modular Procedural Automation Addressing

Distillation Control and Operations Issues

Dr. Maurice J. Wilkins
VP Global Strategic Marketing, Yokogawa

Dr. Arthur Pete Parker

President, Fractionation Research Inc

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Agenda
Oil Refining Industry Issues
Focus on Distillation
Capturing Procedural Knowledge and Best
Practices
Modularizing Procedural Operations
Fractionation Research Inc
Chevron Example
Crude Switching
ISA106 - A New Procedural Automation Standard
Conclusion The Benefits of Procedural
Automation

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Refinery Losses Trend Upwards

Large Property Damage Losses in the Hydrocarbon Industries (1972 2009)

Adjusted for Inflation

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Source:
Associates
Copyright Marsh
Yokogawa
Electric Corporation
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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 shutoff valve was not closed as required, caused release of
flammable liquids and vapors which caused subsequent
explosions
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*(FAT/CAT)
fatality/catastrophe
Copyright
Yokogawa
Electric Corporation
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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

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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 procedure

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

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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
One manufacturer had to bring back retired operators
to restart a unit after maintenance shutdown as the
current operators had never been through a start-up
Automated procedures can capture the knowledge of
the best operator on his/her best dayevery day
Remove shift to shift inconsistencies
Ensure that a procedural operation is being conducted
safely

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Capturing Procedural Best Practices

Operator As Procedure
A

C
D

Best-Practices
Procedure

Operator Bs Procedure
A

B1
B2

C
D

A
F

Operator Cs Procedure
A

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C
D1
D2

B1
B2

C
D1
D2

Capture the Best

Procedure from all
operator inputs
Combine into a Best
Practice Procedure

Capturing Procedural Best Practices

Original SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
(1) Check base tank level LI100.PV >= 50%
(2) Start pump P-101
(3) Check answer back flag
(4) Confirm field operator to open hand valve HV100
<Condition icon>
Check LI100.PV>=50

<Block mode setting icon>

P101.MODE to AUTO

<Condition icon>
Check P101.PV = 2

Capture Operator
Knowledge!

<Confirmation icon>
HV100 Open

<Output to DCS icon>

P101.CSV to 2 (Start)

Original SOP

<Guidance message icon>

P101 start finished
<Pause icon>
Pause this sequence

YES

YES

NO

NO

Know-how
NO
YES

<Condition icon>
Check P101.ALRM = NR
(NR means Normal)

Know-how

<Alarm message icon> <Output to DCS icon>

Preparation error
FIC100.SV to 20t/h

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<Timer icon>
Wait 10 minutes

<Alarm message icon>

P101 start error

<Output to DCS icon>

P101.CSV to 0 (Stop)

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) is 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

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Fractionation Research Inc. (FRI)

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

Research budget ~$3,000,000/yr

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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 operating systems and conditions
Only way to fully test new internals is to flood the
column
Documented procedures are in place, but
Operators..
Have different start-up, operation and shut down
philosophies
Have different reactions to column upsets

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Expected Procedural Gains at FRI

Process Safety
FRI starts up and shuts down around 20 times per year.
Transition from one set of operating conditions to another
several times a day
Routinely flood the column to test new internals
Transition periods typically represent the greatest risk of a
process safety incident

Productivity
Quicker startups and faster transitions from one state to
another
Procedural automation reduces the number of control actions
required to reach steady state during start up and transition
Brings all operators closer to the practices of the best
operator.
Reduce cost of learning

Member Benefits
Building procedural automation on the FRI pilot plant and
sharing insights with FRI members

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FRI Methodology
Startup and shutdown procedures evaluated with
operators and engineers
Steps needed to be:
In logical order, complete and correct, automatable &
modular

Procedural flow diagram created for each startup and

shutdown procedure
Procedural flow diagrams converted into automated
procedures
Procedures automated and tested then reviewed with
operators and engineers to validate logic and
completeness
Required adjustments incorporated

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Startup of FRI Column

Using a Modular Procedural Automation (MPA)
developed procedure
Procedure was used in a semiautomatic mode to
ensure that the operator had full control at all times
The ramp up of steam to the reboilers was
programmed to the specifications of senior
operators
Modifications were made to provide a more succinct
and efficient startup
The operator was comfortable with the MPA
process

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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

Estimated 250 transitions that this would be applicable per year
250 X 75 min= 312 hours/year potentially saved in transition time
Operators feel that this will improve standardization between them

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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%

Console Operator Moves per Hour Comparison from paper Improving Refinery Unit
Transitions Using Process Automation Technology in a base Oil Hydroprocessing Facility.
AIChE Spring 2011 Robert M. Tsai, Chevron, Richmond, CA
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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.
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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
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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 Standards and Practices Board in April 2010

The committee has met face to face several times and held
monthly teleconferences since June 2010
Current major work item and first major deliverable is a technical
report
The committee gets input from many sources including existing
company and ISA standards, industry associations, suppliers and
consultants

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ISA-106 Input
NAMUR

ISA-88

Company Practices

Part 1
Proposed Part 5

Part 3
Enterprise Site Area

Process Cell

General and
Site Recipes

Unit

Master and
Control Recipes

Equipment Module Control Module

Automation Object

Recipe Coordination Control

Recipe Procedural Control

Equipment Coordination Control

Equipment Procedural Control
Equipment Basic Control

TR 03 Recipe
Procedure Presentation
TR 02 Machine
And Unit States

TR 01
S88/95
Recipe Management
Production Scheduling
Process Management

Recipe/
Equipment
Interface

Part 4
Batch Production Records

Part 2
Data Structures
Language Guidelines

Articles & Literature

ISA-95
Consultants

Vendor Input

ISA-84

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ISA106 Participating Companies

Owner/operators

Suppliers, SIs, and

Consultants

Chevron (ETC & Upstream)

Dow Chemical
Valero
Bayer Material Sciences
(U.S.)
ConocoPhillips
Shell
Saudi Aramco
Aramco Services (Houston)
Savannah River Nuclear
Solutions

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Yokogawa
ABB
Rockwell
Emerson Process
Management
Honeywell
Invensys
BR&L Consulting
ARC

ISA106 Technical Report Content

Forward
Introduction
Scope
References
Terms & Definitions
Models
Value Proposition
Examples and Use Cases
Work Processes
Issues

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Conclusion
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
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Thank you!

Dr. Maurice J. Wilkins

VP Global Strategic Marketing Center (USMK)
2155 Chenault Dr., Carrollton, TX 75006, U.S.A.
Phone: 972 471 2770
Cell:
904 304 4647
E-mail: maurice.wilkins@us.yokogawa.com

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