Emerson Exchange 365

Blogs

Jim Cahill
- 20 Jun 2017
Blog: Reducing Storage Tank Thief Hatch Emissions

Regulations on emissions for process manufacturers and producers have continued to grow ever stringent. Storage tanks in oil and gas production sites account for a sizable percentage of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. To address these regulations, you may have seen last week’s news, New ultra-tight thief hatch reduces storage tank emissions, conserves tank contents . I caught up with Emerson’s...
Jim Cahill
- 15 Jun 2017
Blog: Digital Transformation in the Chemical Processing Industries

How are companies in the chemical processing industries looking at Industrial Internet of Things technologies to improve their operations? This question was the focus of a Chemical Engineering article, The Digital Transformation in the CPI . The article opens describing this digital transformation occurring: More and more, smart sensors and equipment that contain smart diagnostic features are being used in industry...
Jim Cahill
- 5 Jun 2017
Blog: Enabling Right-the-First-Time Manufacturing

Quality and compliance are indispensable in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. In a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine article, Crazy About Quality and Compliance? , Emerson’s Michalle Adkins shares how organizational engagement, technologies and work practices must come together for safe, efficient and profitable manufacturing. Michalle opens sharing her experiences in pharmaceutical...
Jim Cahill
- 31 May 2017
Blog: Smart Vapor Recovery for Oil & Gas Production Process Emissions

The Schlumberger Oil Field Glossary defines a stock tanks : A storage tank for oil production after the oil has been treated. As oil is held in these stock tanks, residual natural gas and other vapors can flash off and collect above the liquid level. Vapor recovery is the process to collect, compress and prepare this gas to be used or sold and send the liquid condensates back to the liquids in the tank. In...
Jim Cahill
- 22 May 2017
Blog: Avoiding Dangerous Malware Infections

The malware WannaCry/WannaCrypt has been all over the news recently. Since most of the operator and engineering workstations used in distributed control systems (DCSs) and supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) are PC-based, the question was naturally could these have been/or be impacted by this dangerous malware. I caught up with Emerson’s Jaime Foose . She noted that it is important to point...
Jim Cahill
- 22 May 2017
Blog: Avoiding Dangerous Malware Infections

The malware WannaCry/WannaCrypt has been all over the news recently. Since most of the operator and engineering workstations used in distributed control systems (DCSs) and supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) are PC-based, the question was naturally could these have been/or be impacted by this dangerous malware. I caught up with Emerson’s Jaime Foose . She noted that it is important to point...
Jim Cahill
- 19 May 2017
Blog: Improving Refinery Corrosion Monitoring

With the diversification of crude oil types brought about by U.S. shale production, refineries have increased risk for vessel and piping corrosion. Many of the aging refineries also are operating past the design life of some of their plant assets. In a Chemical Processing article, Refineries: Rethink Corrosion Monitoring , Emerson’s Jake Davies describes some of these challenges and ways that wireless corrosion...
Jim Cahill
- 4 May 2017
Blog: Improving Raw Material Management Productivity

For manufacturers in highly-regulated industries, such as pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, it is critical to keep track of raw materials as part of the production records. To minimize or avoid waste, it’s also important to use the first-to-expire raw materials from inventory. I caught up with Emerson’s Lynn Richard about his experiences to help a manufacturer solve this challenge and...
Jim Cahill
- 28 Apr 2017
Blog: Streamlining Oil & Gas Well Test Operations

The separation of oil, gas, produced water and sediments from producing oil & gas wells take place in production separators . Traditionally test separators were also installed to individually test the wells to determine their composition of these components. Technology advancements have opened up the opportunity to perform this multiphase measurement without the need for the test separator. In this short, 2-minute...
Jim Cahill
- 27 Apr 2017
Blog: Improving Project Performance with Dynamic Simulations and Operator Training Systems

Dynamic process simulations can be used across the lifecycle of a capital project from early verification studies of process designs to training the operators to prepare to operate the running facility. For offshore oil & gas production facilities these simulations are even more important given the remoteness, space limitations and transportation requirements for the project and operating teams. In an Offshore...