Field%20Operations

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Field Operations
2
Field Operations (Real World)

• Applicable technology courses, core and
  non-core facilities
• operations, safety courses are the main thrust
  of most training
• program. At the end of those training program,
  we feel confident that
• we are ready to run the plant and cope with
  operational upsets and
• emergencies.
• Once out there in the field, some got lost in
  dealing with day to day
• events and failed to demonstrate workplace
  competency expected.
• So many views were offered regarding that
  issue. Some
• nasty, some polite or politically correct
  criticism, most experts says it
• is system failure, etc. Probably it is a bit
  of everything.
• One global company has this unwritten
  culture. They expect their
• people specifically Experts key staff to
  know what to know and what
• to look for on their own. Simple enough, but
  the problem is
• sometimes people hired were not prepared for
  that. Some do not
• even have a clue.

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Field Operations

• Some simply insisted in practices they
  learned in their previous
• workplace which may differ from present
  workplace practices.
• But because of difference in workplace
  environment what we
• considered acceptable practices may not be the
  right thing to do
• elsewhere.
• Even in the industry we are in, some practices
  differ due to many
• reasons.
• Fortunately in APC, all or most of what we
  should know and what to
• look for are made available for our perusal.
  They were prepared
• either as SI or WOI.

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Field Operations

• In addition to our ability to operate the
  plant efficiently and safely, putting into
  practice those SI and WOI we are expected to
  practice
• certain work place behaviors. Problem is
  nobody tells us.
• This module attempts to give you some hints
  of those expectations
• by way of compiling some work practices and
  behaviors which are part of the work culture in
  most manufacturing plant.
• Module also includes simplified basic
  aspects or fundamentals of some specialized
  field prepared by a non specialist so that we
  will not be intimidated by technical jargon
  during formal trainings.
• Because we should have reasonable ideas about
  field operation, this module can also help us
  prompt course facilitators to teach what we more
  on what is needed in our job as process
  technician.

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Field Operation

• Process Technicians
• Process technicians are the equivalent of
  plant or process operators in the old days.
• Common misconception from outsiders is that
  process technician
• job is similar to what a TV technician or
  the repair man Sony send you to fix your
  electronic appliances.
• In a manufacturing plant, process
  technicians are the man and women who run
  operate the plant. Their main task as a group
  is to
• manufacture/produce product required of
  them.
• To illustrate what process technicians do,
  let us talk about lube oil refining which is a
  multi-product plant with similar operating scheme
• like ours.

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Field Operation

• Process Technicians (cont)
• Normally corporate tells manufacturing
  volume of each products
• they want for that year based on forecast.
  TSD planner prepare a
• running plan based on figures supplied by
  corporate. Running plan includes scheduling of
  raw material, chemical, and everything needed to
  produce what the want.
• Plant operation, of course, is programmed
  based on facilities available/capabilities. Main
  thrust is to prepare a running plan sequence that
  would minimize slope transition product.
• Our job as process technician is to produce
  the volume of product
• with the spec they want safely and
  efficiently on time.

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Field Operation

• Process Technicians (cont)
• Plants are usually divided into two main
  areas. Main plant which is usually referred as
  ISBL or Core plant and OSBL or Non Core area.
• Each areas are further subdivided into
  several sections. These sections are divided
  among the process technicians based on some
  criterias.
• In most plant, the process technicians is
  considered the owner of assigned sections. Hence
  he/she is responsible for ensuring that all
  applicable rules and regulation were followed by
  everybody entering/working in his area. Ensure
  that all facilities/equipments under him were in
  good running condition including housekeeping
  
• in his workplace.
• Of course process technician main key
  results area is to come up
• with whatever is expected/needed from his
  area to manufacture product.

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Field Operation

• Process Technicians (cont)
• To illustrate, lets say you are assigned in
  the utilities and among your responsibilities is
  steam production and cooling water.
• - You should be able to treat raw water at
  required spec and volume to support your demin
  and cooling water system make needs.
• - You should be able to produce enough demin
  water to support
• your boilers
• - You should be able to produce enough
  steam with the right spec required at the core
  plant

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Common perceptions about Process Operator
• Heard from a Refinery Manager during an induction
  course
• Early one Sunday morning his wife decided
  that she wants to join his daily morning round of
  the plant. The man obliged. No problem after all
  he is the boss.
• While in the middle of the plant, his wife
  told him that she wanted to go the toilet. We do
  not have women toilet here, just do what you want
  right here, he replied. But dear, there are
  some chaps walking around , his wife argued.
  Dont worry about them, he replied. Those are
  my operators, they dont see, they dont hear,
  they dont smell.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Common perceptions about Process Operator (cont)
  
• Heard from a Refinery Manager during an induction
  course
• This story was an old, recycled joke about our
  profession repeated in
• an audience of about 300 cross-posted operating
  staff from about 6
• countries. Some of us might feel insulted hearing
  that joke in an
• induction course, but not that crowd. We asked
  for more after a big
• applause. But the refinery manager replied that
  he got to get back to
• business. He started his talk with something like
  this I think what you want to
• hear is something about pay. When is pay day,
  holiday and night premium
• rates etc, etc, but my job is to orient you gents
  about the project. Bear with me
• guys. Free lunch will be served.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator
• Elsewhere, plant operators classify their co
  workers according to work
• style. Here are few I had chosen from a
  newsletter, I found inserted in
• one training material used in preparing this
  training module.
• Probably, most of the type of operators named no
  longer exist in
• present day workplace culture, but let us look at
  them just the same.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator
• Smart Operator
• Walk around his area first hour. Sleeps
  most of the night, wake up once to take his snack
  and back to bed again. Morning comes he produces
  his readings (because he is smart unlike some who
  had readings at all times, he writes S/D on the
  reading sheets whenever his facilities are on
  S/D). He performs housekeeping (water flushing)
  minutes before the boss comes, ensuring that he
  is in a place he can be seen when the boss
  arrive.
• Oh, yes, he always have a friend who
  knows where his bed is, in
• case he is needed or the boss decided to
  walk around.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 2. The Professor
• Loves to lecture on trainees and plant
  visitors. Keeps correcting
• junior operators on the pretext that the
  later is not doing
• his job according to SOP, what ever SOP
  meant to him At the
• same time, he lecture the guys theories
  learned from University of
• Hard Knock he thinks applicable to the job.
  To him there is only
• one way to do the job right. Do it according
  to his SOP. Because
• he is the professor whenever trainees join
  the plant, people throw
• him those guys for on the job shadowing.
• Whenever, a trainee fumbles during
  assessment, he learned
• to reason out that, that is what the
  professor taught them, They
• usually got away with it. Good laugh for all,
  when assessors spread
• the story at the CCR the next day.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 3. Monkey Operator
• He can run all equipments in the plant.
  Usually he got what is called
• a bible they call it capitulo siete in the
  Phil where peculiar
• procedures were written. In addition, he got
  so many markings out
• in the field to assist him.
• It is something similar to this Push the top
  bottom on the left, next
• push the bottom below, a bulb will light,
  then push the green bottom
• and the machine will run etc.
• If equipment failed to runs, he request
  maintenance assistance.
• He satisfactory performs all routine, but
  hopeless when task deviates
• from normal. He never fails to do his
  readings. Even when plant is on
• shutdown, he got one.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 3. Monkey Operator
• Sometimes, others even call him for help in
  starting up machine
• which made him think he is the best.
• So during yearly assessment he complains to
  the boss during
• assessment about his grade and talk about
  his promotion claiming
• he knows all, but was left out for more than
  ten years. Once he even
• threaten

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator
• 4. Mr Credit Grabber
• He is always around in all activities. You
  can be sure that he is
• holding his handy talkies mouth piece all
  the time to makes sure
• he communicates with CCR before the man on
  the job do it.
• Here is a typical example While area
  operator is trying to run a
• turbine driven pump, Mr. C.G. would start
  communicating with CCR
• informing the DCS operator and for the bosses
  to hear the
• progress of the job. The lube oil system is
  now circulating, later
• Governor is now latch and steam valve is now
  being open. Then
• Pump is now fully commissioned, it is all
  your mate. Thanks,
• Raymond (Mr. C. G), excellent job, CCR would
  acknowledge.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 4. Mr Credit Grabber
• Man on the job? Entirely left out of the
  picture as they say. He
• usually just throw their valve wrench to the
  ground out of
• prostration, walk away looking for someone to
  complain about Mr
• C.G.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• He got the sense of urgency.
• He is already at the CCR while the rest of
  the gang are still halfway
• the premonade. He go straight to main CCR
  after getting his
• props from his locker, and look for the guy
  he is to relieve for
• handover. He checks the DCS and discuss
  status of his area with
• the DCS operator. Before going to the plant he
  pass by the Permits
• Office to orient himself of works to be
  carried in his area that day.
• Unlike some, he does not return to the locker
  room and waste time
• looking around the place for 10 minutes or
  pass by the pantry to
• inspect, read bulletins he had been reading
  daily for the past 3
• months nor to gather the latest gossip.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• He knows what to know and what to look for
• He performs his routines with meticulous
  attention to details. Note
• down concerns, rectify what he can
  immediately and discuss with his
• supervisor any issue that needs higher up
  attention. He performs
• housekeeping and do what he can immediately to
  eliminate hazard
• he noticed instead of just logging them and
  waits for someone to
• action.
• What is bad about him is he never come up
  with some idiotic report
• to please his boss whose expertise is to blew
  up non sense out of
• proportion.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• He often review engineering principles
  associated with his facilities
• referring to technical book to checks.
  Mentally review emergency
• procedures normally referring to SI/OI for
  confirmation.
• He always try to do his best to excel not
  necessarily for promotion
• but for the sake of learning. This type would
  be happy to be promoted
• but being an intelligent and realistic person,
  he do not expect it,
• because he knew he lack the real world core
  competencies
• whatever that mean. He will eventually make it
  if he decides to stay
• in a couple of years, and in time he will be
  the big boss running the
• organization.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• Off course, he knew the location of all F/G
  props in his area, their
• functions and design, particularly the
  characteristic of detection
• element, because he knew that is the key to
  proper management of
• the system.
• He never forget to perform routine
  checks/tests on safety equipment,
• Prepare WOR as required.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• He have the sense of ownership
• He ensure that he is aware of every
  activities in his area. Check all
• ongoing work. He satisfy himself that work
  permits issued are in
• order, stipulations correct even though they
  were signed by the boss.
• Ensures workers complied with PPE and
  requirements of the permit.
• He stops work if warranted.
• He repeatedly checks on his equipments several
  times during the
• shift to satisfy himself that everything are
  ok while ensuring that all
• routines are done and all request from CCR are
  complied with.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• No butterfly in his tummy
• Because he works hard and fully aware of what
  is going on, he does
• not leave CCR when the boss enters nor change
  direction to avoid
• meeting big guys walking around the plant.
• During emergencies he emerged as the leader
  directing the show
• while his boss keeps tailing him or no where
  to be found.
• During simulated safety drill he knows
  exactly what to do, problem is
• sometimes he shout at people doing idiotic
  actions and on occasion
• can not refrain from laughing seeing stupid
  things people are doing.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• Bad Guy on the Block
• He does not mind being tagged as bad guy by
  some people as long
• as he is doing what are expected of him. He
  would not allow people
• not wearing the prescribed PPE in his area,
  would not tolerate unsafe
• acts, police his area to ensure people are
  following company
• regulations no matter who they are. He would
  even sent you back to
• CCR to sign the visitor log book if you
  forget to do so. He would not
• allow maintenance to close completed work
  permits if housekeeping is
• not done reasonably well.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• He does not hesitate to challenge anyone when
  he thinks best
• efforts/options were not being carried out
  while performing activities in
• his facilities.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• 5. Operator (Typical)
• Model Operator
• How come? He is the bad guy on the block, do
  not support some
• boss idiosyncrasies, challenge people,
  insist that everybody follows
• rules, checks even his boss job, stops
  ongoing work if he feels
• necessary, act as if he own the plant, and at
  the same a model
• operator.

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What They Dont Teach You (And Tell You)

• Types of Operator (cont)
• In the former BPC forerunner of APC, there were
  about 80 process technicians
• And probably 50 maintenance tech. I like to think
  that all of them developed a
• work culture attributed to the last type I called
  operator (typical). In the
• newsletter they are called mga krus- why ?, you
  might be asking your self.
• Now almost all of them are doing good elsewhere.
  Despite their relatively shorter
• work experience, they were able to compete with
  others with 10 or more years of
• experience. Similarly all the mga krus in the
  work place where that newsletter
• was published were pirated by a similar firm with
  compensation 6 times higher
• plus benefits that is the best in the land at
  that time.

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Pre-com (General)

• Pre-commissioning assurance of systematic
  conformity to design
• spec.
• 1. Pre-com encompass such requirement as
• Punch list and check out of system
• Static/de-energized tests on equipment
  (calibration, loop checks and logic checks of
  inst, cold alignment and rotational checks of
  motors, testing of electrical equipments etc)
• Flushing/cleaning of vessels/pipes
• Leak testing
• Test running all utility systems
• Test running of all instrumentation including
  DCS, ESD and F/G systems
• Test running of all electrical systems
• Test running of all rotating equipment
• Test running of all power generation systems
• Performance testing of telecom systems
• Testing of the accommodation module in its
  entirely

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Pre-Com (General)

• Pre-com (cont)
• Pre-start up Technical Safety Audit during the
  testing and pre-com phase, Owner shall perform a
  pre-start up TSA to confirm that the production
  facilities and associated facilities are ready
  for commissioning and initial operation.
• After completion of pre-com and recommendation
  from audit, contractor shall apply to owner for
  the issue of a Certificate of Mechanical
  Completion, issue of w/c is required prior to the
  commencement of the commissioning of facilities.
• 2. Mechanical completion shall means completion
  of pre-com activities with the punch lists of
  outstanding items agreed by the parties.
• All essential utilities, life support
  system, carnage, electric power (supply
  generation distribution), drainage and
  firewater shall be commissioned as an integral
  part of pre-com prior to declaring mechanical
  completion
• The plant status reached at the end of
  pre-com is defined as Mechanical Completion or
  Ready for Commissioning

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Pre-Com (General)

• 3. Commissioning during this phase, the
  facilities, systems and equipment items are
  checked and prepared for the commencement of
  operations and oil in.
• Mechanical completion
• Electrical commissioning
• Instrument commissioning
• Telecommunication commissioning
• Pipeline and Sub-sea Cable commissioning
• HVAC commissioning

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Pre-com (General)

• Activities undertaken at this time include
• Dynamic verification that each equipment items
  performs properly (motor run-in uncoupled,
  integrity checks of inst loops, electrical
  breakers operations etc)
• Mechanical preparation, actual running and on
  line tests of plant utilities, and whenever
  practical, main process equipment being run in a
  closed loop condition.
• Preparation of al systems so as to be ready for
  the introduction of hydrocarbons such as piping
  dry out, inerting, charging of various chemicals
  and refractory dry out.
• Lubrication of equipment as required.

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Pre-com (General)

• Completion of commissioning is defined as READY
  for START UP at
• w/c point the systems are ready for the
  introduction of hydrocarbon.
• Contractor shall apply and owner shall issue
  Certificate of
• Commissioning Completion only if the contractor
  performed to the
• satisfaction of owner the testing and
  commissioning of all parts of the
• FACILITIES in accordance with the approved
  Commissioning Manual.
• The punch list items have been cleared
• The completion of the maintenance activities,
  including maintenance activities that may have
  commenced during but not completed before
  commissioning
• The submission of all required deliverables
• The satisfactory completion of all formal
  training
• Start up and Performance Testing since the
  start up of utilities would have been carried out
  during commissioning, the actual start up begins
  with the introduction of hydrocarbons into the
  facilities as follows

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Pre-com (General)

• Oil in
• Bringing the plant into operation and its steady
  state
• X hours test run (capacity performance testing)
• XX days Production Performance Testing

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General Pre-com Activities

1. System cleaning
2. Running test
3. Operational tightness test
4. Air freeing
5. Drying out
6. Catalyst, dessicant, chemical loading

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Pre-com (general)

• System cleaning
• 1. Air blowing
• - A pipe cleaning method utilizing kinetic
  energy of air flow
• Method
• Method A - air accumulation method
• Method B - direct blowing method
• Method C - scavenging run of compressor/blower
• Application
• Chemical lines
• Instrument/plant air lines
• Nitrogen lines

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Pre-com (General)

• Air blowing (cont)
• Hydrogen lines
• LPG/ethylene/butane lines
• Reactor and gas loop lines
• Powder conveying lines
• Pellet conveying lines
• Flare and vent lines
• Solvent, R20, and R21 lines
• Catalyst lines
• Catalyst activator lines

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Pre-com (General)

• 2. Steam blowing
• - Steam blowing utilizes the kinetic energy
  of steam flow.
• Since blowing and cool down of the pipe
  concerned are repeated
• during steam blowing, rust, weld slag or
  spatter become liable to
• peel off from the pipe surface due to the
  repetition of expansion and
• contraction of the pipe.
• Application
• Medium pressure steam lines
• Low pressure steam lines

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Pre-com (General)

• 3. Power flushing/water circulation
• - A pipe cleaning method utilizing kinetic
  energy of water
• Method
• Pipes are flushed using the permanently installed
  pumps connected to the pipe but running on water
  instead of the normal process fluid
• Flushing velocity must exceed the maximum process
  velocity during normal operation
• Application
• It is basically applied to the following carbon
  steel pipes

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Pre-com (General)

• Power flushing (cont)
• Raw water/filtered water service lines
• Potable water lines
• Demineralised water/boiler
• Cooling water supply/return line
• Condensate lines
• Fire water lines
• Process water lines

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Pre-com (General)

• Mechanical cleaning
• - manual cleaning. Wire brushes, hand
  grinders, broom for sweeping or industrial vacuum
  cleaners are used.
• Application
• The following are manually cleaned before using
  or closing them for
• process use
• Vessels
• Column
• Drum
• Hopper
• Tanks
• Pits
• Large pipes, etc.

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Pre-com (General)

• Running Test
• Mechanical run in of compressors
• - To check mechanical performance such as
  vibration, noise, heat generation on bearing of
  compressor systems including drivers and
  compressor auxiliary functions during start up or
  initial operation.
• Application
• Mechanical run in shall be conducted for all
  compressors. The recommended test period of
  mechanical run is about 4 hours.
• Fluid used nitrogen or actual gas.

42
Pre-com (General)

• Running Test
• Mechanical run in of pumps
• - To check mechanical performance of pump
  system including drivers and pumps auxiliaries
  using either water, lube oil or gas oil as
  pumping medium. Vibration, heat generation on
  bearing are checked.
• This testing enables early detection of
  machine problems and is intended to minimize
  problems during operation.
• Application
• In principle, process pumps except auxiliary
  pumps for lubrication shall be mechanically run
  in with water or actual fluids.

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Pre-com (General)

• Running Test (cont)
• Some pumps can be operated with water, while
  other pumps can only be operated with actual
  fluid due to reasons listed below
• 1. Overload of motor
• Overload will occur during run in with
  water for pumps which
• handle fluid of lower specific gravity
  than that of water. Throttling
• the pump discharge flow rate to avoid
  overload may cause
• another problem that the minimum
  allowable discharge flow rate
• can not be maintained.
• 2. Water contamination not allowed
• Remaining water may enhance corrosion,
  abnormal reaction with
• actual fluid, contamination,
  potentiality of icing/hydrate formation
• and the likes at or after start up.

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Pre-com (General)

• Running Test (cont)
• 3. Circulation route not practical
• Appropriate water circulation loop can
  not be realized. Once
• through run in route is planned only for
  pumps with normal
• flow of less than 1 m3/hr.
• 4. Difficult post work
• drain out or dry out operation of
  piping/pumps as a post work of water run in is
  considered to be a very big job giving an impact
  on pre-com schedule.

45
Pre-com (General)

• Running Test (cont)
• 3. Blower/fan mechanical run in
• - To check machine for vibration, noise,
  heat generation on
• bearing of blower/fan system including
  their drivers to confirm
• motor performance.
• Application
• - All blowers/fans

46
Pre-com (General)

• Operational Tightness Test
• - Checking entire plant or part of the plant
  for leakage. In general, plant handles
  combustible, poisonous or other dangerous
  materials.
• Where tightness is lacking, material handled
  will leak resulting to disasters. In some cases,
  operation can not be continued. Further the
  leakage of handled material will result to large
  economic loss.
• To prevent leakage during operation tightness
  test is carried out to confirm that the plant
  complies with the required tightness before start
  up.

47
Pre-com (General)

• Operational Tightness Test (cont)
• Method
• - The system is pressurized with compressed
  air or nitrogen (or steam in some system). If
  pressure holds for 2 hours, system is considered
  leak free.
• - Detection of leak is done using soapsuds.
  All flanges should be taped to give better
  results.
• Application
• - The test shall be performed for all piping
  and equipment processing/handling
  hydrocarbon/hydrocarbon container within process
  units, utility/offsite facilities, marine
  facilities.

48
Pre-com (General)

• 4. Air freeing
• - To remove potential hazard of forming an
  explosive mixture when combustible hydrocarbons
  are mixed with air (substantially oxygen).
• Method
• - Nitrogen or steam is introduced from one
  end of the system or equipment and vented from
  the other end until specified oxygen level is
  attained.
• Application
• - All hydrocarbon process pipeline/equipment
  and flammable
• chemical lines within the process unit.
• - Pipe/equipment for handling or transferring
  fluids in utility /offsite
• /marine area facilities.

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Pre-com (General)

• 5. Dry out
• Refractory drying carried out by heating
  the furnace (or
• equipment with refractory) to remove
  moisture and to stabilize the
• crystalline structure of the refractory
  under a previously specified
• temperature-time program.
• Circuit drying
• 1. Normal drying carried out by blowing
  air or nitrogen to remove
• moisture remaining to agreed specification.
• 2. Vacuum drying Carried out by vacuum
  pump etc to remove moisture remaining to agreed
  specification.
• Method
• Drying will be carried out as follows
• 1. Drain out carried out after hydraulic
  test or water flushing until no water drains out
  from low points.
• Application
• - All hydrocarbon process pipeline/equipment
  and flammable
• chemical lines within the process unit.
• - Pipe/equipment for handling or transferring
  fluids in utility /offsite
• /marine area facilities.

50
Pre-com (General)

• 5. Dry out (cont)
• Method
• Drying will be carried out as follows
• 1. Drain out carried out after hydraulic
  test or water flushing until
• no water drains out from low points.
• 2. Drying out with air preliminary drying
  out shall be carried out
• with air during air blowing.
• 3. Drying out with nitrogen final drying
  out shall be carried out with nitrogen during air
  freeing
• Application
• - All system where moisture would interfere
  with operation, cause
• icing and corrosion.

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Pre-com (General)

• 6. Catalyst, desiccant, chemical loading
• - Load above materials into vessels prior to
  commissioning
• Method
• Loading varies and are done in accordance
  with specific or
• applicable practice.
• Application
• - Where applicable

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Permit to Work

• Monitoring of the PTW
• One of the daily routine tasks of operation
  technicians is to monitor the PTW in her/his area
  of responsibility. Below are some general guides
  associated to this task
• - He/she should be aware of all works
  being carried out in his area.
• - Ensure that all works are covered with
  required PTW
• - Do permit spot checks and ensure that
• 1. Relevant hazards are correctly
  identified on the permit
• 2. Permits and other associated
  documents are displayed at the
• work site
• 3. Documentation complete and authorized
  correctly
• 4. Specified safety equipment in place,
  in good condition and
• being used correctly

53
Permit to Work

• Monitoring of the PTW (cont)
• 5. Specified precaution adequate and
  being implemented
• 6. Work force fully understand
  requirements/details of permit
• - Ensure that all works are stopped during
  emergency or whenever
• required
• - Stop work when warranted
• - Ensure that proper order and
  housekeeping are maintained at all
• time

54
Override

• Most modern plants are equipped with
  safeguarding system to protect operations, plant
  and investment. In recent years, many companies
  have incorporated the principles of depressuring
  or instrumented shutdown of key equipment as a
  means to control a release and avoid the
  actuation of pressure relief devices.
• The safety/emergency and operation interlock
  system are some of the commonly employed
  safeguarding system.
• Most facilities are provided with Fire and
  gas detection system
• to detect gas release or fire. In addition to
  sounding alarm some
• are provided with extinguishing means which
  activates upon
• detection.

55
Override

• - Interlock activated when a certain
  parameter go beyond a set
• operating envelop.
• - Fire detection system activate when it
  sees fire
• - Gas detection system activate when it
  sense gas release
• - Most PLC programs would abort if
  requirements of next ladder
• is not satisfied
• Very convenient and helpful in our job, but
  those safeguarding system can give you temporary
  inconvenience (like causing total shutdown of
  the plant in the case of some facilities). In
  general we are not suppose to play with them, but
  there are exceptional occasions wherein we should
  defeat these system to prevent unwanted incident.

56
Override

• In most of the modern facilities, the root
  cause of most shutdown and waste of productive
  time can be traced to problem associated with
  safeguarding system.
• Examples
• - Activation of interlocks during
  maintenance resulting to shutdown
• can be due to failure to defeat or
  override system at the right time
• - Waste of produce and environmental damages
  due to failure to
• restore defeat after completion of
  instrument PM.
• - Damage to equipment and in some case lost
  of whole plant
• and agonies can be caused by unserviceable
  safeguarding
• system.
• - Facility shutdown and/or work stoppage due
  to activation of F/G
• detection system can be caused by failure
  to deactivate them when
• necessary

57
Override

• Out there in the field as owner of the
  plant, it is our responsibility
• to manage those safeguarding system
  intelligently. Standing and Operating
  Instructions are in place to guide us, but it up
  to us to decide when to put defeat/restore defeat
  in those safeguarding systems.
• In order to do so, we should
• - Know locations and characteristic of F/G
  safeguarding system in
• the workplace
• - Know systems provided with interlock,
  their architecture and logic

58
Process Automation

• Courses in instrumentations, PLC etc are
  part of our general training, but it was thought
  that it is very helpful that introductory course
  are provided by an OPERATIONS STAFF to peers
  prior to attending those courses in order to
  clear the groundetc. It is considered very
  useful
• to have an idea of what you want to know
  for the sake of learning, what are relevant to
  your task, particularly those you will encounter
  in your present workplace.
• Clearing the ground
• Look at this (extracted from Foxboro Process
  Automatic Course)
• Concept of process
• 1. Production viewpoint
• Process is generally thought of as a
  place where materials and,
• most often, energy come together to
  produce a desired product.

59
Process Automation

• 2. Control viewpoint
• From a control viewpoint, the meaning is
  more specific. A process is
• identified as having one or more
  variables associated with it that are
• important enough for their values to be
  known and for them to be
• controlled.
• On the next slides, we will attempt to
  reconcile both viewpoints to be
• able to and/or cope i

60
Process Automation
Signal to control room

Signal from control room
TT
Steam
Hot water
Heat Exchanger
Cold water
Condensate
1.A. Process
Manipulated variable
Process
Controlled variable
Load variable
1.B. Variable
Heat exchanger represent a simple process
61
Process Automation

• Referring to Fig. 1A, we have only one variable
  to maintain the temperature of the hot water in
  this process. In this example, the control system
  manipulates the position of a steam valve.
• However the temperature of the water depends not
  only on the position of the steam valve but also
  on the flowrate of the water, its inlet
  temperature, the enthalpy of the steam, the
  degree of fouling in the exchanger, and the
  ambient temperature.
• Above illustrates controlled, manipulated and
  load variables
• Those are the three categories associated with
  every process under control (Fig. 1B)

62
Process Automation

• What they want us (operations) to be aware of
  is that the whole process is not simply
  manipulating the position of the steam valve to
  heat the water. It is more than that.
• To support above, let us look at how Honeywell
  define process. Honeywell define as the
  collective functions performed in and by the
  equipment in which a variable is controlled.
  Thus the term process
• includes everything that affects the
  controlled variable, other than the automatic
  controller.

63
Process Automation

• 1. Controlled variables
• These are the parameters that indicate
  product quality or the operating condition of the
  process. Example are
• - pressure
• - level
• - temperature
• - pH
• - specific gravity
• - density
• - composition
• - moisture content
• - weight
• - speed
• - other variables depending on the
  process

64
Process Automation

• 2. Manipulated variables
• Manipulated variables include
• - valve position
• - damper position
• - motor speed
• - blade pitch pH
• - a control loop manipulated for
  controlling another variable.
• example, a flow variable is
  manipulated to control level or
• temperature

65
Process Automation

• 3. Load variables
• All variables affecting a controlled
  variable, other than the one being manipulated
  are defined as loads.

66
Process Variables

• Process variable
• The 4 main process variables are
• Temperature
• Level
• Pressure
• Flow
• Note Quality control is now generally
  considered a process variable.

67
Process Variables

• Process variable
• There are numerous process variables detecting
  element available.
• Listing of most are shown in the next few slides.
  Those we have here
• shall be discussed during your instrumentation
  courses.
• For the others in the list, it would be helpful
  to be aware of them and
• better yet, know something about them.

68
Process Variables

• Process variable detecting elements
• Temperature
• The 3 dominant measurement devices are
• 1. Thermocouples
• 2. Thermometers
• - Resistance thermometers
• - Thermistors
• - Filled-system Thermometer
• - Bimetal Thermometers
• 3. Pyrometers
• - Total radiation pyrometers
• - Photoelectric pyrometers
• - Disappearing filament pyrometers
• - Ratio pyrometers

69
Process Variables

• Process variables detecting elements (cont)
• 2. Flow
• 1. Orifice meter
• 2. Venture meter
• 3. Rotameter
• 4. Turbine meter
• 5. Vortex shedding flowmeters
• 6. Ultrasonic flowmeters
• 7. Magnetic flowmeters
• 8. Coriolis flowmeters

70
Process Variables

• Process variable detecting elements (cont)
• 3. Level
• 1.- Float actuated characterized by a
  buoyant member that floats
• at the interface between 2 fluid
• 2. Chain or tape float gauge
• - Lever and shaft mechanism
• - magnetically coupled devices
• 3. Head devices utilize hydrostatic
  head as a measure of level
• 4. Bubble tube system
• - Those that mainly depends on fluid
  characteristics
• 5. Electrical methods
• - Thermal methods
• - Sonic methods

71
Process Variables

• Process variable detecting elements (cont)
• 4. Pressure
• Process pressure measuring devices may be divided
  as follows
• 1. Liquid-column method
• 2. Those that are based on the measurement
  of the distortion of an
• elastic pressure chamber (elastic
  element method)
• - Bourdon tube element
• - Bellows element
• - Diaphragm element
• 3. Electrical sensing devices
• 4. Strain gauges
• - Piezoresistive transducers
• - Piezoelectric transducers

72
Process Variables

• Process variable detecting elements (cont)
• 5. Quality control
• 1. Process stream analyzer
• Controlled condition may be a
  chemical/physical property or
• composition of a process stream or
  product, such as viscosity,
• ph, density, oxygen content, purity,
  or content of a specified
• hydrocarbon.