OGE_21_09

WE have what you need... WE have it when you need it... WE are ready to ship...

2021 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Vote for the best products in the industry

Who will win gold in 2021? Oil & Gas Engineering announces the finalists for the 5th annual Product of the Year competition, and readers will have the final word.

This year, companies submitted their new and improved products introduced to the North American market between August 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021, to be judged. Here, we have listed the finalists in each of the nine categories. It is now up to Oil & Gas Engineering readers to determine which products will win gold, silver and bronze.

Read full product descriptions at www.oilandgaseng.com/awards/product-of-the-year. The results will appear in December 2021 in print and online.

Actuators, Motors, Drives

• PEV-1 piezoelectric gas flow valve, Key High Vacuum

• KOP AM-20 gate valve, SPM Oil & Gas

Advanced Analytics Software

• Formulation Advisor artificial intelligence software, Beyond Limits

• LUMINAI Refinery Advisor decision support software, Beyond Limits

• Curate cloud-enabled knowledge management software, Ikon Science

• Team, enterprise-level analytics software, Seeq Corp.

• TrendMiner 2021.R2, self-service analytics for time-series data, Trendminer

Asset Management Software

• Rosemount TankMaster Mobile inventory management software, Emerson

• Watchman AIR wireless vibration solution, Symphony Industrial AI

• Visual MESA Production Accounting, Yokogawa Corp. of America

Control Systems

• IEC 61131-3 Integrated Development Environment v1.12, Bedrock Automation

• zenon 10 industrial control software, COPA-DATA

• R2000 control panel, FS-Elliott

How to Cast Your Vote

Voting for the Oil & Gas Engineering 2021 Product of the Year program opened September 1, 2021; the online ballot is accessible at www.oilandgaseng. com/awards/product-of-the-year. Voting is only open to qualified subscribers of Oil & Gas Engineering products. Read more about voting eligibility via the program’s Official Rules online. OG

By Amanda Pelliccione, Research Director

Control Systems

• Allen-Bradley CompactLogix 5380 process controller, Rockwell Automation

I/O & Networking

• Ewon Cosy+ ETH industrial VPN router, HMS Networks

• iVisionmax-TAMS software, L&T Electrical & Automation

Power

• EcoStruxure Power Automation System, Schneider Electric

• Tier 3 OFD1550 oil-free portable air compressor, Sullair

Safety & Security

• RRS-3 MDSR1 remote racking system, CBS ArcSafe

• iVisionmax-Secure software, L&T Electrical & Automation

Software

• AUTOSOL Communication Manager v8.2, AUTOSOL

• GumboNet industrial smart contract network, Data Gumbo

• HazardIQ for iNet, Intelex Technologies

• Symphony Industrial AI Digital Manufacturing, Savigent

• RFP Ready Kit, Smart Connect Technologies

Test & Measurement

• J22 TDLAS gas analyzer, Endress+Hauser

• Sitrans FS230 clamp-on ultrasonic gas flowmeter, Siemens Industry

• TDLS8100 probe-type tunable diode laser spectrometer, Yokogawa Corp. of America

Sensing, Measuring and Control

Temperature profiling in hydro-processing units

Advanced temperature measurement technology leads to cleaner, safer, and more profitable downstream operations

By Mark Thomas and Chase Thorn

In the refining industry, catalytic hydroprocessing elements — such as hydrotreater, hydrodesulfurization and hydrocracker units — rely on high-performance catalyst technologies to maximize product conversion (see Figure 1). Simultaneously, efficient reaction control seeks to minimize the environmental footprint and cost. Precise and reliable temperature mapping of these densely packed reactor catalyst beds is required for stable and profitable unit operations.

Multipoint temperature instruments with thermocouple sensors are widely used in the industry to monitor for optimum heat distribution, and to prevent hotspots and premature catalyst deactivation under high-temperature, high-pressure and corrosive conditions.

However, most conventional multipoint thermocouple probe designs have two major weaknesses:

• Reliability: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) contamination affects conventional magnesium oxide (MgO) cables under extreme process conditions. H2S contamination can alter measurement accuracy, or even lead to a loss of control over the reaction.

• Size: They are comparatively invasive, taking up valuable space in catalyst beds, leading to undesired pressure drops and channeling effects.

A new, robust multipoint thermocouple probe design addresses these issues by combining thermowell and thermocouple sensors in a single space-saving probe, addressing failure vulnerabilities while providing more efficient catalytic reaction. The patented technology helps the automation system provide more reliable, precise and accurate process control, directly contributing to improved safety, profitability and uptime.

Thermocouple drift and migration

The harsh environments typically encountered in catalytic hydrocracker units pose a difficult challenge for process instrumentation. While all thermocouple probes are known to drift over time, mechanical stress, abrasion and H2S contamination are often not factored in when specifying design limits and making instrument vendor selections. Unfortunately, these issues can lead to a total loss of data—threatening process safety, reaction control and efficiency.

In these types of applications, industry expectations of a multipoint temperature instrument’s usable life for its wetted parts are typically one- or two-unit operation cycles or turnarounds, or 36 to 48 months. As the industry changes, there are desires for even longer life cycles of five to seven years, prompting increased demand for longer instrumentation and equipment life cycles.

Defective thermocouple probes have been found in a significant number of applications throughout the industry and are systematically affecting all instrument manufacturers. This occurrence has been examined scientifically, resulting in the discovery of two phenomena that degrade

Figure 1: Refineries need reliable temperature measurements to optimize operations. Courtesy: Endress and Hauser.

Sensing, Measuring and Control

misinformation or a lack of information in the measurement chain can lead to operational decisions with poor outcomes for reaction efficiency or worse.

According to technical investigations and relevant scientific literature, deviations in measurement accuracy (drift) of contaminated thermocouple sensors is typically negative. Therefore, the value displayed will be lower than the actual temperature, and the process may be running hotter than intended. Besides being a major cost issue, such an outof-spec state poses a considerable safety threat.

accuracy, or migrating the location of the thermocouple hot junction. The complete probe risks becoming blind to process temperature changes.

Sensor designs address issues

thermocouple measurement performance, with each occurring separately or in combination:

• Thermocouple drift. Chemical contamination of the MgO powder induces a change in the composition of the two dissimilar metals that make up the thermocouple conductor wires, leading to a shift in potential difference due to the Seebeck or thermoelectric effect. While the local hot junction remains intact, a change in conductivity of one or both metals will alter the measured voltage and thus negatively impact measurement accuracy.

• Hot junction migration. Permeation of H2S into the MgO powder can cause new conductive bonds (electrical short circuits) to form between the thermocouple wires at undesired locations away from the hot junction. The thermocouple will still work but will present incorrect values that seem true.

If one or several defective thermocouple sensors have been identified, process owners might decide to address the issue during the next scheduled unit turnaround. Depending on the severity of the failures and their safety criticality, extraordinary maintenance for sensor replacement might be required, which could entail an unscheduled unit shutdown.

H2S contamination

Sensor drift or damage causes erroneous readings that may go undetected by operation and process control staff. This scenario is particularly dangerous because

Legacy designs assume that sensors protected by singular MgO insulation provide sufficient measurement accuracy and precision. However, these standard multipoint thermocouple probes have been seen to fail under more challenging process conditions.

Hydrogen stress-induced cracking

It is standard practice to bend and route sensor cable probes inside a reactor to match the required layout because this flexible installation method ensures measurement points are adequately distributed. However, the bending of metal induces expansion and compression stress, causing weak spots, particularly along sharp bends.

In hydrogen-rich atmospheres, hydrogen stress-induced cracking may occur at these weak spots, which in time can increase enough to break through the metal sheath entirely. This loss of integrity leads to larger molecules of the process fluid, such as H2S, permeating through and contaminating the insulating MgO powder.

MgO powder reacts with certain chemicals, including sulfur and nickel. The now contaminated MgO powder promotes the formation of highly conductive Ni3S2 by combining nickel from the thermocouple conductor leads and the metal sheath with sulfur from the process.

As the contaminated area grows, the exposed electrical leads form a short circuit, negatively impacting sensor

The minimally invasive Endress+Hauser iTHERM ProfileSens TS901 multipoint cable probes consist of two or more independent temperature sensors embedded in a common outer metallic sheath. The outer sheath acts as an integrated thermowell, while the space between the sensors is filled with highly compacted insulating MgO mineral powder (see Figure 2).

Since the two sensors are completely independent from each other, contamination of the outer MgO powder does not affect the inner sensors’ electrical circuits and their operation. New, patented technology introduces a second layer of protection. An additional metal barrier isolates each measuring circuit within its own MgO bed, providing full sensor independence. This double protection layer results in extremely high sensor reliability, similar to a separate thermowell, while maintaining the flexibility characteristics of bendable cable probes.

Multiple thermocouple sensors can be grouped within a single probe, each delivering the required measurement performance. The probe layout and routing, length, and the number of sensors is individually adapted to process specifications. This type of design is proven in use to significantly lower the risk of premature sensor drift, corrosion, and short circuits.

Footprint impacts product conversion

Reducing space taken up by invasive reactor instrumentation is an evident way to increase conversion rate and productivity. The amount of necessary hardware directly impacts the catalyst charge density. Three key factors influence the spatial footprint:

• probe design

• sensor routing

• mounting hardware

Figure 2. This Endress+Hauser iTHERM ProfileSens probe uses MgO, high-purity, compacted powder to separate each temperature sensor. Courtesy: Endress and Hauser.

Probe design

Standard multipoint thermocouple probe technology has long been considered mature, but recent research efforts have reevaluated the mechanical design. This led to the use of advanced manufacturing processes to add safety layers and significantly miniaturize MgO cables, without compromising their existing qualities. The gain in robustness and spatial volume translates into a better use of catalyst bed packing. By simply reducing the number of thermocouple cables across the reactor bed, negative effects are also reduced, improving catalyst reactivity and profitability.

Sensor routing

Through smart sensor routing, measurement points can be distributed in the most effective way, while reducing the overall invasiveness. State-of-the-art CAD modelling software and routing calculations are used by seasoned engineers, applying years of experience in reactor layout to achieve best results.

Mounting hardware

Placing multipoint thermocouple probes in reactor beds typically requires mounting hardware, adding to the overall spatial footprint of the instrument. However, new cable probe technology factors in this requirement and reduces the number of brackets and mounting clips. The robust probe mechanical structure provides a higher degree of selfsupport for the cable, resulting in fewer required supporting elements, while remaining bendable. This reduces the instrument footprint, while cutting overall hardware cost and installation time. The higher product conversion, yield, and process efficiency quickly offsets the initial investment.

ROI and added value

In addition to improved process safety, control, and reliability, this new technology unlocks profitability potential by:

• Saving space for a higher catalyst charge density.

Break-even points compared

• Preventing untimely shutdowns or required maintenance caused by instrument failure.

• Allowing operation of units closer to their performance optimum.

To demonstrate how much impact a less invasive instrument can have on profitability, consider a typical hydrocracker reactor with three catalyst beds. Each bed is equipped with one entry nozzle and twelve measurement points.

Standard multipoint instruments would use:

• twelve 8-mm thermocouples and probes per bed.

• one thermocouple sensor per cable, for a total of twelve cables.

• 8-m average length.

New design uses:

• three 9.5-mm multipoint cable probes per bed, each with four thermocouple sensors per probe, for a total of nine cables.

• up to 13-m length.

The newer design increases the usable catalyst bed volume by 50 percent and cuts installation time by 75 percent. The increased volume can be used to boost the catalyst load, and the saved installation time directly translates into quicker turnarounds and lower cost.

Measured against an average daily unit profitability and a continuous operation of 36-48 months, the resulting extra revenue generated fully offsets the CAPEX (see Figure 3).

With iTHERM ProfileSens, the initial CAPEX (left y axis, base 100: standard multipoint installation), while minimally higher, is quickly offset through higher yield (right y axis, base 100: standard multipoint installation) and savings. The major factors leading to this quick return on investment are:

• higher unit performance and conversion

• higher efficiency

• faster installation and turnaround

• lower OPEX

As the number of measurement points increase, the savings effect grows to the point where the initial investment becomes negligible when compared to the increased returns. The new technology’s robustness, reliability, and longer operating life makes it a compelling choice for harsh process conditions. OG

Mark Thomas is the oil and gas industry manager for Endress+Hauser USA. Chase Thorn is the business development manager for temperature and system products with Endress+Hauser USA.

Figure 3: CAPEX is the instrument and installation cost. Example of typical cost delta, actual cost may vary depending on product specification, configuration, and services. Courtesy: Endress and Hauser.

Extra yield with iTHERM ProfileSens Yield with standard multipoint instrument

CAPEX / break-even with standard multipoint instrument CAPEX / break-even with iTHERM ProfileSens

Regulatory Concerns

Actuator designs offer zero emission options

Compressor stations often employ automated valves activated using pressurized natural gas, requiring improved actuator designs to eliminate emissions.

By John Carroll

Natural gas emissions are a growing focus for government and industry. Methane, the major component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas. Though carbon dioxide emissions in the United States were nine times higher than methane, methane inflicts eighty-four times more environmental damage in a typical ten-year period. In an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, governmental agencies around the world have passed regulations. Many of these rules target petroleum product production and transportation as these operations are a significant source of methane releases (see Figure 1).

There are three main types of natural gas emissions: fugitive emissions, combustion emissions and vented emissions. Fugitive emissions usually result from unintended leaks from equipment seals, packings and gaskets. Combustion emissions stem from burners, flares, heaters and other gas-fired equipment. Vent emissions from the release of methane from natural gas actuated equipment, and reduction of this source is the focus of this article.

Actuating options

There are a number of ways to operate onoff and control valves including electric actuators, pneumatic actuators powered by air or natural gas and hydraulic actuators. Each has advantages and disadvantages that vary with the application. In the case of remote natural gas pipeline valves, the options are more limited due to the remote location of the sites, the size

of the valves involved the need for some valves to fail to a safe state.

These requirements often preclude electric actuation, and the lack of a local air supply usually eliminates pneumatic valves as an option, leaving either direct gas pneumatic actuators, gas powered motor valves or hydraulics. Hydraulic actuators may be gas-over-oil, electrohydraulic or a new technology called emissions controlled actuating technology (ECAT). The relative methane emissions for these actuating technologies are shown in the chart below (see Figure 2).

Gas motors use compressed pipeline gas to drive pneumatic motors that move the valve. While they have the benefit of requiring no electrical power, they emit significant amounts of methane. Gas-over-oil systems use natural gas from the pipeline to pressurize hydraulic oil, which is then used to drive rotary vane (RV) or scotch yoke (SY) valve actuators. After the valve has actuated, the gas pressure is released to the atmosphere (see Figure 3).

Gas-over-oil systems utilize the available motive force of pipeline gas pressure, yet also offer the inherent hydraulic benefits of small actuator size and long service life. While gas-over-oil systems have operated reliably for years, the resulting greenhouse gas emissions are driving the gas pipeline industry to consider other options.

Electrohydraulic operation

One zero emission option for pipeline valve actuation is electrohydraulic operation (see Figure 4). These valves use a small electric motor to pressurize hydraulic fluid which drives the actuator. The actuator can incorporate a spring that drives the valve to a fail-safe position when power is lost if this functionality is required.

Hydraulics allow the actuator to develop high torque within a relatively small footprint and require no air or natural gas for actuation, but the electrohydraulic operator does require a source of electricity. Solar power is an option for smaller valves, or for valves with slow actu-

Figure 1: The petroleum industry accounts for a significant amount of methane release in the U.S., and worldwide. In response, EPA introduced CFR 40 Part 60 Subpart OOOO to address this issue. Courtesy: EPA.

a variety of technologies. Gas motor actuators emit the highest emissions, ECAT emits no methane at

ation speed requirements. A manually powered pump can be utilized to actuate the valve in an emergency condition if no power is available.

Electrohydraulic valves offer zero emissions but are somewhat limited regarding the speed of actuation and overall torque. If very high torque or fast speed actuation is required, a different hydraulic technology comes to the fore.

ECAT hydraulic actuation

Larger valves or valves that must move quickly require more power delivered to the actuator. In remote sites, the obvious source of power is the pressurized gas in the pipeline itself. A gas-over-oil hydraulic actuator taps that power but emits methane with every stroke. Recent government methane emission regulations have spurred the development of a zero-emission design (see Figure 5).

ECAT has a similar design to a gas-over-oil hydraulic system as it utilizes the available motive force of pipeline gas pressure, and it offers the same inherent hydraulic benefits of small actuator size and long service life. However, it achieves zero emissions by employing a small electric motor to push the natural gas back into the pipeline after each stroke.

The ECAT system uses pipeline pressure to pressurize hydraulic fluid and actuate the valve. Once the stroke is complete, ECAT uses a small electric motor driving a pump to reverse the hydraulic fluid flow and force the gas back into the pipeline so it is ready for the next stroke.

This motor can typically be solar powered if necessary due to its low power requirements. If multiple strokes are necessary, the accumulator and a reservoir tank can be enlarged to provide enough hydraulic fluid to drive the valve

several times. Hydraulic hand pumps can be utilized to move the valve in case of very low pipeline pressure.

The ECAT system design works with either scotch yoke or rotary vane actuators, and it can be retrofitted to existing gasover-oil systems, allowing users to reduce methane emissions at a relatively low cost.

Some existing valve control systems utilize components activated by natural gas, and these might be expensive or difficult to replace. In this case, the existing gas-over-oil hydraulic system can be replaced with ECAT, while leaving the pneumatic components left intact. This retrofit eliminates nearly 99% of the gas emissions with minimal cost.

Solving real world problems

Recent environmental regulations are highly focused on the reduction of vented emissions from equipment operated by natural gas, such as direct gas-operated valves and gas-over-oil hydraulics systems. Pipeline operators now have low and zero emission options to address these issues at a reasonable cost. OG

John Carroll is the director of the Emerson hydraulics business unit.

Figure 4: Zero emission electrohydraulic valves use a combination of an electric motor and a spring-return, hydraulically driven actuator to provide fail-safe valve actuation. Smaller valves or valves that need not open quickly can utilize solar power. Courtesy: Emerson.

Figure 2: Methane emissions per valve inch are compared for

all. Courtesy: Emerson.

Figure 3: Gas-over-oil hydraulic systems use high pressure gas from the pipeline (blue) to pressurize hydraulic oil (red), which is used to actuate the valve, with a rotary vane actuator shown in this case (left diagram). The natural gas is then vented (gray, right side diagram), and the high-pressure gas can be introduced to the right tank to actuate the valve in the other direction. Courtesy: Emerson.

The Age of Analytics

Applying IIoT and AI to midstream asset management

By Manish Chawla

Even as oil prices around the world have improved alongside the reopening economy, operators of liquefaction terminals, gas pipelines and organizations engaged in other midstream activities face challenges. In the face of uncertainty about the cost of oil in the future, companies have no choice but to continue to seek operational efficiency. At the same time, they must advance decarbonization, meet greater safety imperatives and apply learnings from the pandemic.

One study from IDC estimates that the benefits of smarter, more digitized asset management enabled by machine learning and AI alone can reduce an organization’s total costs by up to 20%, improve asset availability by 20% and extend the lives of machines by years. These savings can free up resources to invest in profit-seeking opportunities while also improving productivity and reducing downtime. Critically, they also can help advance sustainability goals.

Investment needed

For pipeline operators, the benefits are particularly critical in the prevention of leaks, which is why companies such as Bridger Pipeline are deploying artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that use deep-learning techniques to reduce false alarms and detect legitimate leaks more rapidly and efficiently.

Of course, predictive maintenance requires investments of its own. Users need sensors, beacons and even drones to monitor assets and collect data, as well as 5G-enabled connectivity to power workflows in the field and at the edge. Users need advanced AI models capable of analyzing that data against asset histories to make holistic determinations about asset health and what is likely to break down in the future. Also needed is AI capable of helping organizations decide where to deploy technicians and, once technicians are in the field, help them make inspections and repairs more quickly and efficiently. Critically, users need a hybrid cloud based

digital infrastructure capable of bringing all these pieces together while maintaining cybersecurity and resilience in the face of disruptions or threats.

The democratization of AI

Fortunately, these technologies are all advanced and in robust deployment today. They are also becoming more accessible, part of a movement toward the greater democratization of AI. Only a few years ago, using AI required technological expertise and domain expertise. Users needed to understand how AI models worked and how oil refineries worked. Today, breakthroughs in computer vision and machine learning are making it much easier to train and deploy advanced AI with significantly less training and resources. This is giving midstream operators of all sizes access to the immense potential of advanced technologies like AI.

AI is also going mobile, with significant ramifications for technicians and the assets they maintain. Thanks to hybrid cloud, companies can gather, reconcile and display data anywhere, including in the field. They can run software, too, including advanced AI models even without a Wi-Fi signal. This gives them the ability to take advantage of AI that helps them do their jobs more quickly and safely, for example assisted repairs, advanced parts recognition and optimized scheduling. Technicians can access these capabilities using applications with simple interfaces run on common smartphonesw.

Tapping advanced technologies requires upfront investment. But benefits outweigh the costs. More frequent industry disruptions, and the push toward more sustainable operations, make digitalization an imperative. Due to the valuable assets that midstream energy companies must maintain, the benefits of AI are quantifiable. By tapping the data an organization produces and putting it into use through AI, companies make organizations more efficient, sustainable and profitable. OG

Manish Chawla is industry general manager, energy, resources and manufacturing, IBM.

Asset management, intelligent workflows and automation play critical role in operational efficiency

Online Valve Configurators Save Time for Engineers

Engineers who specify or purchase automated valves overwhelmingly prefer to have the actuator and accessories integrated with the valve in one assembly.

Assured Automation’s automated valve configurator uses a powerful, rules and constraint-based configuration and pricing management technology to deliver complete solutions quickly and accurately.

The online configurator assists engineers, stepping them through the build process, guiding them to select compatible options for optimal pricing and area classifications.

As the valve, actuator and accessories are selected, assembly image, part number, description and price all update instantly. 3D CAD models, installation and maintenance manuals and data sheets can them be downloaded or saved on the Assured Automation web site.

We understand how you need to reduce complexities at your plant.

CLEAN PROCESS + CLEAR PROGRESS

You strengthen your plant’s safety, productivity and availability with innovations and resources.

SpectraSensors J22 TDLAS Gas Analyzer - the first of its kind!

Prosonic Flow G 300 – Ultrasonic flowmeter redefines gas measurement

Do you want to learn more?

Do you want to learn more?

www.us.endress.com/j22-gas-analyzer-us

www.us.endress.com/prosonic-flow-g300

Built to measure moisture in natural gas, this analyzer is the first of its kind. Finally an analyzer that provides low maintenance and low total cost of ownership without compromising increased demands for high accuracy or reliability.

• For raw and processed natural gas, coal seam gas, shale gas, gas mixtures, wet biogas and digester gas

• Powerful process control thanks to pressure and temperaturecompensated values measured in real time

• Minimizes operational costs

• Advanced gas analysis functions for calculation of additional process variables, customer-specific gases or gas mixtures

• Increased quality and safety in the pipeline

• Optimized productivity

• High plant availability

• Maximum reliability and robustness independent of the gas moisture