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
to persistently evaluate
and improve processes
with respect to their
efficiency, effectiveness
and flexibility.
Improve performance and Optimize employee Identify, assess, and
competitiveness through productivity and efficiency prioritize risks through
improved operational using operational insight coordinated and
decision-making and new and automation. economical application
insights into optimization of resources to minimize
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.