Operational Excellence by Using Dynamic
Simulation for Steam Shedding Studies
Hydrocarbon Processing Webcast – Thursday, 21-July-2016
Dhaval Dave, Senior Consultant, Schneider Electric Software
Agenda
> Operational Excellence
> Total Steam System
> Dynamic Simulation for Steam Network
> Schneider Electric Approach
> Case Study A: Petrochemical Complex
> Case Study B: Refinery and Petrochemical Complex
> Case Study C: Refinery Site
> Summary
Customers Say: Top 3 Challenges in 2016
The top three challenges for the process
industries this year are:
1. Lower operating expenses
2. Improving productivity
3. Safety
4 out of 5 customers intend to implement
some form of Operational Excellence this year
Operational Excellence
• Operational Excellence is the pursuit of efficient,
effective, and reliable operations to achieve
optimal profitability for a process as part of a defined
business strategy
• Focusing on operational excellence maximizes
profitability through lower operating and energy
costs, optimized process conditions, and improved
employee productivity
Process clarity leads to operational excellence.
Four Facets of Operational Excellence
Achieve operational excellence through four pursuits:
Continuous Actionable Workforce Managing &
Improvement Intelligence Optimization Lowering Risk
Empower employees Improve performance and Optimize employee Identify, assess, and
to persistently evaluate competitiveness through productivity and efficiency prioritize risks through
and improve processes improved operational using operational insight coordinated and
with respect to their decision-making and new and automation. economical application
efficiency, effectiveness insights into optimization of resources to minimize
and flexibility. potentials. impact of risk and
maximize business goals.
Consider these as we apply them to process design,
simulation & training, and process optimization
Total Steam System
“Energy fluid”
• Multiple pressure levels
• Multiple producers and consumers
• Complex dynamics
• Interaction with various systems
Steam generation accounts for approximately 30% of the total energy used in industries
Goal of Steam Network
The goal is to ensure that steam can be provided to all
consumer facilities safely, efficiently and without interruption.
• Safely
– Ensure header pressure and steam velocity are within design limits
• Efficiently
– Minimize vent to atmosphere and steam consumption
• Without interruption
– Effective control/operating policy to ensure emergency situation such as loss of boiler can be handled properly
Schneider Electric Products
PRO/II® Steady State Simulation Heat and Material Balances
Dynamic Simulation and Operator
DYNSIM® Dynamic Simulation
Training Simulators (OTS)
ROMeo® Optimization Real Time Optimization (RTO)
Upstream Subsea Piping and
PIPEPHASE® Steady State Multiphase Flow
Production Allocation
Dynamic Simulation
• Dynamic simulation can be used to evaluate the “as designed”
process and control strategy to maximize likelihood that it can
provide stable and uninterrupted operation.
Steady State Simulation
Dynamic Simulation
– Control and trip logic
– Header geometry
– Valve trim and open/close times
– Boiler ramp up/down times
Critical Equipment Trip
Steam Network Simulation Controls &
Steam Turbine
Master Controller Trip Logic
Generators
Boilers
Fuel / Water Piping
Volume
DYNSIM
Back Pressure
Turbines
Turbine De-aerators
Performance Pressure Letdown
Curves Stations/ De-super Heaters
Study Approach
Data Steam Dynamic Model Scenario
Report
Gathering Balance Validation Evaluation
• P&ID, PFD • Heat / Mass balance • Validating transient • Sensitivity study • Recommendations
• Control files • Data recon behavior with and • What-if scenarios
• Control Narratives • Two or more without control
conditions actions
• Pipe geometry
• Kick off meeting
Few weeks to few months!
Steam System Dynamic Simulation Application Area
Design Control Determine Sensitivity Others
1 2 3 4 5
Validation System amount of on design
• Line size verification
Validation steam to boiler
• Validate and
shed and rating
• Relief valve size and
safety validation understand existing which unit
control strategy
• Duration of steam
• Identify opportunities shedding
for load shedding
improvement • Determining effect of
steam shedding on
• First pass controller process units
tuning
• Test/tune feed
forward controllers
Ex 1: Petrochemical Complex
Utility Boilers
– 4 gas fired boilers (pressure control)
– 2 oil fired boilers (base loaded at 100%)
Trip of 1 Oil Boiler
Single selector
HP push or MP pull
No clamp on low HP
Staggered set-points and
Low Selector clamps
Let-down station Valve the HP push
Design # 1
Low Pressure Clamp LSS
Let-down station Valve
Design # 2
HP Pressure response at control point after the trip of 1 Oil fired Boiler
Critical Equipments trip at 41.6 barg
Without clamp on HP-MP let-down With clamp on HP-MP let-down
Benefits
• Prevented tripping of critical Instrument Air and CW pump turbines on low HP header pressure
• Achieved tighter control of the critical HP steam header
HP header response at control point after the trip of 2 Fuel Oil fired Boilers
Critical Equipment trip at 41.6 barg
Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4
Feed forward actions to shed users tested and “best” identified
“Option 4” selected as MP header stable
Option 3 Option 4
MP header response at control point after the trip of 2 Fuel Oil fired Boilers
Benefits
• Ensured stable steam system operation in the event of loss of major steam producers
Ex-2 Integrated Refinery and Petrochemical Complex
Representation of the HP steam network Bottleneck Discovered
(Remove)
Normal Steam
Polymers Flow
Check valve
Low High Steam Flow
Existing
Tanks Utility Island
Olefins Refinery
A B New Aromatics
Refinery
C
Light Ends Alternate
Normal Steam Route?
Flow
4000 meters
A - VHP Auxiliary Boiler 1 (Oil Fired)
Case - Trip of Boiler C
B - VHP Auxiliary Boiler 2 (Gas Fired)
C - HP Auxiliary Boiler (Gas Fired)
Ex-3 Refinery Site
Key Objective
• To verify effectiveness of process
and control design
Ex-3 Refinery Site
Scenario Scenario Name Recommendation
1 Normal operating conditions Increase the line size between Hydrocracker and Sulfur Recovery Unit
2 Planned shutdown #1 Change control strategy to incorporate high pressure protection to avoid lifting relief valve
7 Unplanned shutdown of DCU Strategy to provide steam to be made gradual in order to control HP pressure
21 General power failure LP steam distribution exceeds design limit and additional safety valves can be installed
HP header low pressure clamp remains in operation.MP Header pressure increases and
26 Control Failure - HP-MP Let down
additional relief valves in MP header are recommended.
Summary
• Dynamic simulation is quickly becoming acceptable tool for in-depth steam system analysis
• Such a tool can be useful in various phase from design to training
• Typical users of steam system dynamic simulation models are process/utility engineers,
design engineers, control engineers and operators
• Model can easily extended to understand the impact on process
Experience in Dynamic Simulation
1. Steam system studies
2. Integrated turbo-machinery controls checkout solutions
3. Distillation column relief studies
4. Hydro-processing reactor depressurization studies
5. Furnace implosion studies
6. Custom reactor modeling
7. Operability/control studies on IGCC
8. Others…
Conclusion
Derived Business Value
• Process simulation technology solution can:
– Reduce capital costs up to 30% on new designs or revamps
– Accident/Incident-free commissioning phase
– Shorten start-up time by 3 – 5 days
– Reduce training time by weeks or months
– Increase production capacity by > 20%
– Lower energy costs by 3 – 5%
– Cut turnaround time in half
– Enhance management decisions
• Payback in a matter of weeks or months
Executing Operational Excellence
1. Find a vendor uniquely qualified to implement operational excellence solutions
• Extensive experience in the process industries
• Numerous years of applicable optimization expertise
• Commitment to each customer’s continuous operational excellence
2. Choose integrated technology that promotes
• Process design, simulation & training, and process optimization
• Operational excellence through continuous improvement, actionable intelligence, workforce optimization,
managing & lowering risk
3. Implement projects as economics allow
• Services team supports client’s efforts through ongoing engagement, cooperation and partnership with customers
Let SimSci help you pursue efficient, effective, and reliable operations to
achieve optimal profitability via successful Operational Excellence initiatives.
