Activity

  • Reducing Personnel Emergency Response Times

    Jim Cahill
    In an earlier post, Connecting with Experts in the Spring Event Season , I highlighted one of Greg McMillan ’s presentations at the 2023 Spring AIChE & Congress on Process Safety meeting . Today I’ll recap a few things from Jacob Tardoni ’s presentation that he shared this week. Jacob’s presentation, Mapping an Evacuation in Real-Time—Digital Mustering with Wireless Personnel Location Technology, explored barriers to…

  • Two-Solenoid Safety Instrumented Functions

    Jim Cahill
    The practice of process safety has its own language, including concepts such as PFDavg, 1oo2 (one out of two), 2oo2, 2oo3, etc. A whitepaper, Doubling Up On Safety (signup required for download), explores a two-solenoid safety methodology that lets you exercise your solenoid valve online—protecting your plant, improving uptime, and enabling you to better adhere to functional safety requirements. The solenoid valves…

  • Simplifying Safety Valve Installation and Maintenance

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson Portfolio Manager Kurtis Jensen and Product Manager Lura Parrent recently published an article in the Jan 2023 issue of Hydrocarbon Processing . It is titled “ Simplifying Safety Valve Installation and Maintenance ” and it discusses new technologies on how to simplify safety valve installations while improving performance and reliability. The article is summarized below. Hazardous materials and dangerous reactions…

  • Expert Advice for Alarm Management

    Jim Cahill
    Many factors, both internal and external to a process, can contribute to alarms. Effective alarms are one of the most important elements of a safe plant. However, setting up an effective process alarm solution is a stumbling point for many teams. There are ways to create better alarm management, but they aren’t always intuitive. Fortunately, experts like Emerson’s Asad Malik and David Lee are ready to help, as they…

  • Actuation Solutions for Constrained Spaces

    Jim Cahill
    I recently had an article published in the August 2022 issue of Hydrocarbon Processing. It is titled “Why Compact Actuation Solutions are Ideal for Constrained Space Installations,” and it discusses how a vertical profile actuator is providing new opportunities for space-constrained applications. A summary of the article follows. Space constraints are common in the oil and gas industry. However floating production,…

  • Streamlining Proof Testing Procedures

    Jim Cahill
    Click to enlarge Safety instrumented systems (SISs) require periodic proof testing of all of their safety instrumented functions (safety loops) which include the sensor, logic solver, and final element. An out-of-the-box proof testing solution from Emerson, ProofCheck , is available to provide all the aspects of proper SIS testing in a single solution, including field devices, wiring, signal conditioners, safety logic…

  • Driving Safety Improvements Through Location Monitoring

    Jim Cahill
    Location monitoring technology is part of some manufacturers’ and producers’ safety programs. In the event of a safety incident, this technology enables the safety management team to know which people are in the affected area and which are not. The Location Awareness system provides you with relevant-time, safety-focused monitoring of your most valued resource – your people. Enabled by WirelessHART Anchors and battery…

  • Control Valves in Safety Instrumented Functions

    Jim Cahill
    A reader of this blog came upon the post, When is a SIL Suitability Rating Required for Final Control Elements? The reader sent an email to the blog post author, Emerson’s Riyaz Ali , asking (of which I’ll paraphrase): When is it possible to use control valves like final elements for SIS [safety instrumented system] application? I am looking for other useful documents and technical requirements when it is possible to…

  • The Benefits of Continuous Corrosion Monitoring Over Periodic Manual Inspection

    Jim Cahill
    Whilst manual inspection remains a valuable tool for measuring the plant health, this blog post explains the benefits of continuous monitoring over periodic inspection.  Turning corrosion and erosion data to into true process insights Uncontrolled corrosion and material degradation undeniably leads to hefty safety, environmental, reliability, and operational consequences. Standards, developed by the American Petroleum…

  • Safety Loop Redundant Solenoids for Exercise and Testing

    Jim Cahill
    Solenoid valves are often found in safety instrumented functions (SIFs) to release pneumatic pressure holding safety valves open or open depending on the application. Redundancy of these valves enables greater reliability and online proof testing. In a Process Industry Informer article, Redundant Solenoid Valve Architecture Improves Safety and Reliability , Emerson’s Mike Howells describes the importance of these valves…

  • Valve Reliability in Safety Instrumented Functions

    Jim Cahill
    The three key components in a safety instrumented function (SIF)—sensor, logic solver and final element—each have their own probabilities of how they will perform, or not perform, when called upon to bring the process to a safe state. Of these three components, the final element is more like to fail on demand due to its role in touching the process and mechanically operating. In a Hydrocarbon Engineering article, Improving…

  • How Industrial Facilities Are Prioritizing Safety with Advanced Location Technology

    Jim Cahill
    Safety has always been a top priority for industrial facilities, but varying safety regulations, personnel training obstacles, and high implementation costs have presented challenges in creating more encompassing safety programs. From housing complex process equipment to hazardous materials, industrial facilities present unique challenges and more barriers to implementation, preventing these facilities from advancing…

  • Chemical Industry Solutions for Safety Performance Improvements

    Jim Cahill
    We often highlight how advancements in technology enable digital transformation initiatives to drive improvements in production, reliability and sustainability. But what about safety? In an AIChE recorded webinar, Digital Innovations for Improving Safety in Chemical Plants , Emerson’s Michael Machuca and Marty McDonough highlight was to drive safety improvements for this important industry. Michael and Marty discussed…

  • Understanding API 2350 for Storage Tank Overfill Prevention

    Jim Cahill
    Storage tanks are critical assets in the hydrocarbon supply chain and require great care in operating safely and reliably. In a Tank Storage article, Overfill Prevention , Emerson’s Richard Ireland shares updates about the API 2350 standard 5 th edition (published September 1, 2000) which addresses overfill prevention in these storage tanks. Rich opens describing the API 2350 standard . API 2350 is the standard (of…

  • Advanced Sensor Technology in Safety Instrumented Functions

    Jim Cahill
    The safety instrumented function, or safety loop, is comprised of a sensor, logic solver and final element. Sensing the shutdown condition requires highly reliable sensors. In a Process Engineering article, Improve the reliability of safety instrumented systems with advanced measurement technologies , Emerson’s Julie Valentine and Meha Jha share how technology advancements combined with best practices helps drive process…

  • When is a SIL Suitability Rating Required for Final Control Elements?

    Jim Cahill
    Abstract Final Control Elements (Control valves or Safety Shut Down Valves) are the key components of any close loop control system, whether it is used for Basic Process Control Systems (BPCS) or for Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS). Financial constraints derive different constructions of valves suitable for throttling vs On-Off applications. However, due to past accidents, reliability has become a key criterion in…

  • Safer Operations with Online Corrosion and Erosion Monitoring

    Jim Cahill
    Emerson’s Kevin Thomas discussed corrosion and erosion monitoring at the 4C Health, Safety & Environmental conference. Kevin opened citing some statistics. 100 of the most expensive downstream accidents cost $50 million in damage. Chemical and electrochemical reactions create metal loss in piping and vessels in an industrial process. Manual inspection is typically performed infrequently and miss conditions that may…

  • Reducing Tank Venting Equipment Fugitive Emissions

    Jim Cahill
    At the 4C Health, Safety & Environmental conference , Emerson’s Derek Kelly highlighted ways to reduce fugitive emissions from tank venting equipment. Here is the abstract of his presentation: Tank venting equipment such as blanketing regulators, thief hatches, pressure/vacuum relief valves and emergency vents are needed to safely operate AST’s. If these devices are not correctly sized and selected, excessive fugitive…

  • Driving Safer Operations

    Jim Cahill
    At the 4C Health, Safety & Environmental conference in Austin, Emerson’s Ed Schodowski and Doug White presented on ways to address safety issues that relate to process , loss of containment and occupational trends, regulations and other factors that affect plants. Ed opened showing a Chemical Safety Board video showing an accident at a Philadelphia refinery caused by a pipe loss of containment issue at an elbow in the…

  • Meeting the measurement challenges presented by LNG

    Jim Cahill
    Level and temperature measurement technology plays a key role in modern liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank gauging systems. In a Control Engineering Europe article, ‘ Increasing safety and optimizing tank usage at LNG terminals ’, Victoria Lund Mattsson, a solutions engineer with Emerson’s tank gauging business, explains how modern tank gauging systems not only provide accurate and reliable level and temperature measurements…

  • Emerson at August 18-20 4C Health, Safety, Environmental Conference

    Jim Cahill
    A key conference for health, safety and environmental (HSE) is the 4C Health, Safety, and Environmental Conference . The 2021 conference will take place next week, August 18-20 here in Austin, Texas. The purpose is for HSE professionals to discover strategies for improving occupational and process safety procedures, minimizing containment risks, and understanding the latest emissions reduction and best management practices…

  • Addressing Common Misconceptions in Safety System Configuration

    Jim Cahill
    Traditional safety systems have a centralized architecture, meaning that a large processor unit runs hundreds of safety instrumented functions (SIF). Modern safety systems have a distributed architecture where multiple smaller processor units execute dozens of SIFs. Distributed safety systems offer many cost and maintenance benefits, but some users worry they’re harder to configure than a centralized safety system. I…

  • Fail-Safe Electric Actuators in Safety Applications

    Jim Cahill
    Valves used in safety shutdown applications require actuators to perform reliably on demand. In a recorded webinar, Smart Electric Valve Actuators for Critical Fail-Safe Applications , Emerson’s Knut Riegel and Umberto Bianchi share how these actuators are well-suited for emergency shutdown (ESD) applications. Knut provides background on ESD valves and their use and addresses the question on if ESD valve applications…

  • Deliver better control, reliability, and safety in today’s demanding steam operations with Rosemount 8800 MultiVariable Vortex Flow Meter

    Jim Cahill
    Vortex flow measurement is uniquely adaptive when it comes to handling difficult applications. By virtue of its science, utilizing the von Kármán effect, these instruments are accurate across a wide operating range and effective at withstanding high process pressures and temperatures. In this post, we’re highlighting the latest in our 8800 Flow Meter product portfolio – the MultiVariable Vortex Flow Meter. Designed with…

  • Extending Final Element Proof Testing Intervals

    Jim Cahill
    I received a question from a very old post here on the blog, Credit for Partial Stroke Tests in Verification Process . The person was trying to get a better understanding about this chart showing how partial stroke tests (PSTs) can extend the intervals between full stroke tests for final elements in a safety instrumented function (SIF). I turned to Emerson’s Riyaz Ali for help with this question. Riyaz explained that…

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