Oil and gas, chemical, refining, food and beverage, power, and other process industries are under pressure to increase production, make processes more efficient, reduce energy usage, cut maintenance costs, improve safety and meet dozens, if not hundreds, of federal, state and local regulations.
One way to address these issues is to install WirelessHART instrumentation, as Brian Joe, wireless product manager at Emerson Process Automation, explains in his article, “Implementing Wireless Process Sensing,” in the August issue of Applied Automation magazine.
“To accomplish these goals, plants must monitor all aspects of a process, acquire data from new instrumentation, analyze the data to turn it into actionable information and take steps to remedy problems,” he says, adding, “Many process plants are huge, with many opportunities to improve operations. Where do plant personnel start?”
Brian outlines a simple four-step process for employing strategies to monitor anything, anywhere.
“The first step in identifying investment opportunities is determining the economic value associated with improved operational visibility,” he says. “For example, what's it worth to know an asset is about to fail or is operating inefficiently?”
After the economic value is estimated, the measurements and variables needed to make an informed decision can be determined.
The second step is to acquire the necessary data, which is where WirelessHART comes in. “The key to a successful wireless implementation is executing a strategy where wireless sensors are used to acquire data from all parts of the plant at a reasonable cost. WirelessHART sensors allow points of measurement to be added at a fraction of the cost and time required for their wired equivalents, and sensors not requiring process penetrations can be installed without any downtime.”
The third step is to analyze the data. Recent developments in analytical software—now available as an app that can be accessed from Web browsers on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile device—make analysis simpler and less expensive. “These apps use pre-built analytic models and strategic interpretation to turn the raw data into information that plant personnel can use to make decisions and take action,” Brian notes.
Finally, corrective action needs to be taken when problems are discovered by the WirelessHART instruments and the apps. Fortunately, such a system identifies the source of the problem, the probable cause and offers advice on how to deal with it. Brian describes a few successful applications where this happened:
“In one petrochemical plant with 200 pressure relief devices, the annual energy savings obtained by identifying and repairing leaking PRDs was $1,487,040,” he notes. “By installing WirelessHART acoustic sensors, plants quickly can identify steam traps failing open or closed, leaking, or working improperly. The annual savings from monitoring 112 steam traps in one ethylene plant amounted to $342,578.”
While such a solution may appear challenging, with the help of Emerson and following this basic four-step procedure, a wireless solution can be quickly installed at a reasonable price with a quick ROI.