Hydrocarbon Processing - June 2021 - 15

Digital
A. DAVID
Endress+Hauser, Indianapolis, Indiana
Safety, simplicity and productivity provide
the value needed in plant operations
In today's manufacturing environment, process automation
professionals must choose from a multitude of widgets and innovations
to help their plants run more smoothly. This raises questions
as to what makes a new technology or widget useful and
not just another PowerPoint slide detailing features and benefits.
When researching the universe of process automation
technologies, it is easy to get excited about something new
and innovative. However, investing in new technology for
the plant environment is much harder than upgrading to the
newest smartphone. Many different aspects and effects of proposed
improvements must be considered, including compatibility
with existing systems, ease-of-use, cost/benefit ratio
and other factors.
Before deciding to install the newest widget in the market,
it is important to evaluate the everyday work and demands of
the process automation professionals who are the end users of
the equipment. How can this new technology make their lives
easier, and why should they care about this new tool? While the
reasoning may change depending on who in the plant one is
talking to, simplicity, safety and productivity are interconnected
points that provide a solid basis for evaluating new technologies.
This sentiment is shown in the following examples.
Improving instrument commissioning and operation.
Smartphone apps are a relatively new tool in the industrial arena,
although they have been in use for more than a decade in the
consumer and commercial sectors.
Many process plants experience problems with instrument
commissioning and with ongoing operations due to a lack of
readily available diagnostics. Existing tools-ranging from pen
and paper to frequent field visits-are not up to the task. To
address these and other issues, some instrument vendors have
introduced smartphone apps, allowing plant personnel to interact
with process instruments via Bluetooth.
The following details how this new technology can be used
to improve safety, simplicity and productivity.
Safety. Instrument apps make interactions with instruments
safer. Technicians do not need to open electrical panels or instrument
housings to establish the connectivity required for
commissioning and diagnostics. Commissioning wizards walk
a technician through the entire startup process, while ensuring
that no steps are skipped. This is especially important for startup
and verification of safety systems, where completing every
step is essential for devices to function as intended. Bluetooth
provides connectivity up to 30 ft, eliminating the need for a lift
in certain cases, while decreasing fall risks and job site accidents.
When combined with onboard monitoring and verification
software, technicians can see process data and diagnostics in real
time. This empowers them to make predictive maintenance decisions
on the spot, further decreasing the possibility of job site
accidents due to equipment failure or product contamination.
An often-overlooked aspect of safety is cybersecurity, which
should be provided along with any Bluetooth app intended for
use in industrial applications. Features to look for include:
* Connectivity with a security level rating of at least
" High " from an independent security specialist
[e.g., the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and
Integrated Safety (AISEC)], which provides a level of
security just below that of passports and credit cards.
* Passwords are never stored on the app or the instrument.
* Instruments can only be accessed wirelessly using the app.
Once paired with a handheld device, basic information-
such as tag number, PV and instrument status-are visible to
the technician without the need for a password. This provides
visibility to basic information but with no ability to alter settings
without the password.
Simplicity. Smartphone apps make instrument interactions
simpler. Bluetooth communication eliminates the need for
handheld communicators, which may require periodic updates.
Guided commissioning ensures all bases are covered, converting
a complex set of steps to a simple procedure.
The ability to access the reports generated by verification
and monitoring software makes documentation much simpler,
as well. Rather than manually filling out a report each time a setting
is changed or when an instrument is checked, technicians
can generate an " As Found " file before and an " As Left " file after
assessing the instrument. This eliminates any questions about
who made the adjustment or why it was made, which provides
homogeneity among technicians.
Productivity. Imagine walking all the way across a plant to the
instrument shop, grabbing a communicator (if one is available),
walking back to the other side of the plant and then climbing
up the side of a tank only to discover that the handheld does
not have the proper EDD or DTM file loaded to communicate
with the instrument requiring service. This problem becomes
even more pronounced in petrochemical plants and refineries
because they are often spread out over wide areas and require a
lot of time to traverse from one side to the other.
Once the technician has gone back to the instrument shop-
either updating the drivers or grabbing a different handheld
that has been preloaded-and trekked back to the instrument,
Hydrocarbon Processing | JUNE 2021 15
Hydrocarbon Processing - June 2021

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