Chemical Engineering March 2020 - 16

TrendMinder
FIGURE 5. TrendMinder offers analytical software that indexes data from a historian and provides multiple
ways to search for abnormal patterns, relevant events or time frames within historical process or
asset data. It can be used to prevent repeated production issues by monitoring live processes and sending
automatic notifications in the event of deviations, based on predefined settings to provide early warnings
on process behavior
valves by communicating acoustic
level and temperature data, as well
as device data, event status and
leak detection via the WirelessHART
network. To make the data provided
by the sensor more actionable, it is
tied into Emerson's Plantweb Insight
software platform. " This makes it a
more complete solution and brings
pressure-relief-valve monitoring into
the world of pervasive sensing and
the IIoT, " says Emerson's Cureton.
" The data coming from the sensor
can be a little crude, but the software
analytics of Plantweb Insight make
sense of the data coming out of it.
The software detects releases, alerts
users on it and logs the duration in a
way that can help create a report. "
The important value here, he says,
is that when there are VOCs or other
hazardous chemicals released that
need to be reported, you can accurately
report the releases rather than
being dependent on the time of the
last inspection. " Typically, if you have a
release and it has been detected, the
Environmental Protection Agency will
fine the facility for the time between
detection and last inspection, which,
for pressure relief valves that are hard
to reach, can be days or weeks and
this can result in huge fines, " he says.
" There can be a huge delta between
a momentary release and something
that's been sustained. "
Further, monitoring and analyzing
data can be helpful in other ways.
" We are able to look for patterns of
16
behavior and associate rises and
falls with issues with the process. It
is also able to identify which valve
is releasing, helping to identify and
correct the source of the release
sooner, " explains Cureton.
Similarly, TrendMinder offers analytical
software
that indexes data
from a historian and provides multiple
ways to search for abnormal
patterns, relevant events or time
frames within historical process or
asset data (Figure 5). It can be used
to prevent repeated production issues
by monitoring live processes
and sending automatic notifications
in the event of deviations, based on
predefined settings to provide early
warnings on process behavior.
Using time series data collected
from temperature gages, pressure
gages, flowmeters and other sensors,
users can ask the software
things like " How many times have
I exceeded this pressure threshold
while producing this product? "
" By examining these patterns and
creating monitors based on patterns,
you can find early indicators that a
relief event may occur, " says TrendMinder's
Petrosyan. " If pressure
swings or pressure or temperature
oscillations usually precede a pressure
event, you can capture those
patterns inside TrendMinder and use
them to generate new types of monitors
that will alert you when something
is about to happen. "
Further, he says, the software helps
with incident investigation. " Processors
try to design processes and
plants to be safe and if you're constantly
exceeding key safety limits,
then something is wrong, " he says.
" Typically when there is a relief event,
there is a release investigation that involves
data analysis, looking through
historical data and studying the sequence
of events that led to the pressure
excursion. This type of analytical
software makes it easier to do a good
job with the investigation because it
looks at all the available data, which
helps users determine the appropriate
corrective actions necessary to
make the plant safer and to prevent
the event from happening again. "
And, to ensure that the pressure
relief system is properly designed, to
avoid potential incidents and comply
with current regulations, Farris
Engineering has created iPRSM, a
solution for the design, audit and
documentation of new and existing
pressure relief systems. The webbased
software provides a comprehensive
approach to the management
of pressure relief systems for
safety compliance. It facilitates the
evaluation of protected systems, systematically
identifying problems and
providing plant management with
the critical tasks needed for overpressure
protection compliance. The
analysis capability acts as an effective
management-of-change system
and all reports and documentation
necessary for regulatory purposes
can be produced from iPRSM.
" This helps improve equipment
and plant reliability, minimizing downtime
and production losses related
to overpressure events, " says Farris'
Croxford. " We are able to tie devices
into this software and log events to
provide actionable information back.
Because it's web enabled, one of our
experts can look at any issues the clients
may be having and assist them
with taking the right course of action.
It is like having an expert next to you
while doing calculations. We put a
lot of time and energy into providing
subject matter expert advice to our
clients and into helping them make
their plants safer, more effective and
within compliance. "
n
Joy LePree
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
MARCH 2020

http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM

Chemical Engineering March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering March 2020