Chemical Engineering May 2017 - 19

Honeywell-UOP
PROCESS
PLANTS FOR
FIGURE 2. Digital tools that enable plants to take advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things and cloud
computing are becoming pathways to higher profitability
" Adoption is slow in this industry,
but the plants are recognizing the
potential benefits of these tools and
these approaches, " remarks Alzein.
Remote process support
The March AFPM meeting also
saw the launch of the KBC Co-Pilot
Program, which is a service using
simulation technology with IIoT and
cloud computing tools to access the
expertise of strategic and technical
consultants at KBC Advanced Technologies
(Walton-on-Thames, U.K.;
www.kbcat.com). In Q3 2016, KBC
became a wholly owned subsidiary
of automation company Yokogawa
Electric Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.
yokogawa.com).
The Co-Pilot program is the initial
manifestation of the KBC Production
Core, which envisions automation of
all aspects of production operations,
with integrated technology and consulting
best practices that leverage
cloud computing and the IIoT.
The first release under the program
is a Refinery Unit Performance
Co-Pilot, says Jason Durst, Co-Pilot
Program Manager at KBC, and is
focused on driving value for clients
by providing them with the tools and
expertise to collaboratively maximize
the potential from oil-refinery process
units. Future releases will add CoPilot
solutions for other asset types.
The Refinery Unit Performance
Co-Pilot service monitors process
operations at a facility in realtime to
remotely support the plant with expertise
and insight that supplements
the plant's own capabilities and resources.
It tracks data from multiple
sources, including actual operating
units and simulation programs, says
Durst, and through Web-based dashboards,
allows both clients and KBC
subject matter experts to analyze the
raw data and standardized unit performance
indicators to make decisions
to increase unit performance.
Co-Pilot is focused on bringing
value to the client, Durst adds, and
it is suited to process operations
where the following may be true:
managers are not confident that their
operating plan is always realistic and
achievable; an inexperienced workforce
means the unit operation often
misses plan; engineers lack the tools
and knowledge to maximize profit or
reduce risk; or operators do not always
automatically know when they
are deviating from plan.
Co-Pilot assures asset operators
that their simulation and planning tools
are up-to-date through the cloud, and
that any adjustments made or recommended
by their engineers result in
optimal process performance and
safe operation of equipment within
recognized limits, KBC says.
Cybersecurity risks
The
proliferation
of
internet-connected
devices and sensors associated
with IIoT technologies, coupled
with increased use of cloud computing
and data-as-a-service models,
has further raised cybersecurity concerns
for industrial control systems.
Attention on the topic continues to
grow and AFPM meeting organizers
included a session about cybersecurity
and automation systems. Among
the themes explored by speakers was
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Chemical Engineering May 2017

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