A typical downstream refinery has thousands of components, parts, and assets, each with unique maintenance requirements, operating tolerances, and lifespan.
At the same time, aging infrastructure, severe weather, and changing regulatory requirements further complicate the role of Asset Integrity Managers and the Operations & Maintenance departments.
Refineries are under increasing pressure to ensure the reliable and effective performance of equipment while simultaneously lowering emissions, reducing operations & maintenance costs, and improving safety. But the current approaches to Asset Integrity Management (AIM) and maintenance are limited in their viability and effectiveness.
This article is part of a series on downstream oil & gas refineries and the need for visual & thermal sensors. To learn more, download our recent white paper - Transitioning to Condition-Based Maintenance With Touchless™ Monitoring Solutions [registration required]
Comparing Approaches to Asset Integrity Management and Maintenance
There are already a variety of tools and technologies used by oil & gas refineries to detect faults and monitor the health and performance of high-value assets. While a comprehensive maintenance strategy will always incorporate a range of approaches, each has advantages and disadvantages depending on the application, the facility, and the equipment being monitored.
Time-Based Physical Inspections
On-site inspections are among the most common ways to detect potential faults. Highly skilled technicians use specialized tools to inspect assets, take measurements, record data, and report on the condition of equipment.
Physical inspections will always be necessary as they are often required by regulatory agencies and can be effective at finding faults. However, they are also difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Simply accessing the site may require permits or equipment shutdowns. More significantly, because they are time and location-dependent, any failure that occurs between inspections can go unnoticed and unrepaired for weeks or months, ultimately leading to a more costly and damaging failure.
Gas Detectors
Gas detectors play an important role in detecting hazardous gas leaks or abnormal conditions that could result in equipment failure, operational inefficiencies, or safety risks. The sensors are placed strategically around compressors, pumps, heat exchangers, storage tanks, valves, or pressurized assets that are prone to leaks.
While useful, gas detectors have several limitations that can create risks for both equipment and personnel. They are highly sensitive and complex systems that must be regularly calibrated, and they are greatly affected by weather and proximity to equipment. Gas detectors can also be prone to false positives, or, more dangerously, missed detections that could lead to unknown hazards.
Ultrasonic Testing
Ultrasonic testing uses high-frequency sound waves to measure the thickness of materials, identify internal cracks, corrosion, or degradation, and detect gas leakage. The non-destructive test allows operators to plan maintenance and repair or replace equipment before catastrophic failure.
Like physical inspections, however, ultrasonic testing requires direct access to the asset and skilled technicians to perform the test and interpret the results. Further, ultrasonic testing works best on relatively smooth surfaces, making it unsuitable for assets with rough, irregular, or coated surfaces.
Advanced Robotics
Given the safety concerns and challenges associated with entering a refinery, many companies are experimenting with advanced robotics to perform hazardous, repetitive, or highly precise tasks. The robots can be equipped with sensors, cameras, or other tools to collect data, inspect equipment, or perform basic maintenance.
However, robots for these applications are still in their early stages of development and require a significant upfront investment in both time and money. Operators must be trained on using the robots without damaging sensitive equipment, and it can be difficult to integrate the robots into existing workflows and systems.
The Benefits of Touchless™ Monitoring Solutions for Downstream Refineries
Touchless™ Monitoring solutions leverage visual & thermal sensors to provide downstream oil & gas refineries with continuous, 24/7 monitoring of high-value assets.
The explosion-proof sensors work alongside other technologies to augment the operator’s capabilities and overcome the limitations of their existing maintenance strategies.
Advanced software automatically detects hot spots, sudden or prolonged temperature anomalies, flames, or gas leaks and alerts the Operations & Maintenance team to the issue. Operators can then remotely inspect the fault, check gauges, diagnose the issue, and prioritize repairs based on the severity and expected time-to-failure.
Compared to traditional approaches, Touchless™ Monitoring solutions are cost-effective, easy to deploy, and suitable for a wide range of applications and deployment scenarios throughout the refinery.
Better Asset Integrity Management and Maintenance
Maintaining equipment and ensuring asset integrity is a complex and demanding process, and the consequences of a catastrophic failure can be severe and long-lasting.
While a comprehensive AIM and maintenance strategy will always involve a variety of technologies, visual & thermal sensors help downstream refineries reduce operations & maintenance costs and overcome the limitations of other solutions.
To learn more about how Touchless™ Monitoring solutions can be deployed in downstream oil & gas operations, download our white paper: Transitioning to Condition-Based Maintenance With Touchless™ Monitoring Solutions [reqistration required]