Hydrocarbon Processing - November 2021 - 44

Maintenance and Reliability
corrosion, but it requires a more reliable
way of deployment to be of real use to a
facility. To ensure better corrosion measurement
coverage, a different ultrasound
tool is becoming the device of choice in
refineries. This permanently attached,
continuous-monitoring ultrasonic measurement
device transmits data wirelessly
to a central location, thereby providing
real-time measurement data-to-desk. The
device attaches magnetically for easy use,
can withstand temperatures up to 600°C
(1,100°F), and can be deployed at scale.
There are several benefits to deploying
this device:
* Instantly access real-time data
Keeping it safe
One consideration many IT departments want to know is: How secure is
the wireless data collection and transmission? These systems are built on WirelessHART,
which is proven secure from the ground up. Hundreds of successful
deployments of software using WirelessHART have been demonstrated across a
broad array of network architectures, providing reassurance to end users.
to drive informed decision-making
* Eliminate risk to personnel
when inspecting dangerous
locations manually
* Shift from reactive to proactive
maintenance.
The main benefit is that with instant
data available, combined with process
data, it becomes possible to gain a more
complete overview of operations. It can
show where potential trouble spots are
growing and what type of hydrocarbon
blend is moving through the pipes at what
time, thereby pinpointing when trouble
first emerges (FIG. 2).
With the increased use of more corSoftware
completes the picture. Online
corrosion monitoring is only as good
as the software that is used to analyze the
data. Independent market research shows
that corrosion monitoring software and
software services are growing faster than
any corrosion hardware has over the past
5 yr. Operators can now have access to an
abundance of data, but if they cannot see
the patterns in it or the software does not
show them what is actually happening inside
the facility in an easy-to-read format,
then it is not useful.
Real-time asset monitoring means providing
end users with continuous, consistent
analytics, instead of having to download
and export data, and then perform
manual calculations. Pre-packaged analytics
that focus on the health monitoring of
plant assets, along with the corrosion application,
allow end users to monitor the
risk and impact of corrosion in the plant.
Having this data available makes it possible
to correlate wall thickness against process
variables to better manage risk and
drive more efficient operations (FIG. 3).
Better
outcomes. With better qualFIG.
2. A comprehensive solution of hardware and software delivers secure and reliable corrosion
data data-to-desk continuously.
ity and more current information, a refinery
can mitigate risk and manage its
crude strategy, choosing less favorable
and cheaper feedstocks, while ensuring
that the plant is operating safely. Online,
non-intrusive corrosion monitoring is fast
becoming a refining industry best practice
with the availability of data-to-desk
monitoring systems that provide previously
unachievable quality and frequency
of wall thickness measurements.
Maximizing operations, both in terms
of productivity and profitability, while
balancing the impact of corrosion on
fixed assets, removes a great amount of
worry and potential for unplanned maintenance
shutdowns.
FIG. 3. Analytics inside software allow end users to perform root cause analysis, plan
maintenance strategies and improve informed decision-making.
vision into reality.
44 NOVEMBER 2021 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
WILLIAM FAZACKERLEY is a
Global Product Manager at
Emerson's Automation Solutions
business, with 10 yr of enterprise
software experience. He manages
Emerson's corrosion and erosion
software portfolio, turning product
rosive opportunity crudes, it becomes
essential to know where those feedstocks
might be causing problems and how to
stay ahead of such issues by scheduling
preventative maintenance instead of reactive
maintenance.

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Hydrocarbon Processing - November 2021

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