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Chemical Manufacturer Explores<BR>New Technologies for Monitoring PRVs Chemical Manufacturer Explores<BR>New Technologies for Monitoring PRVs

Monitor and Accurately Report Emissions
With Digital PRV Solutions from Experitec

Whether initiated by your HSE team, reliability engineers, or operations professionals, the need to understand the full breadth of accurate monitoring capabilities is now considered “part of the job”.
 
Relief valves are the last line of defense to mitigate catastrophic events, and their successful operation can mean the difference between life and death. They are designed to move material from a high pressure to a lower one. That lower pressure either vents to the atmosphere or is released as a flare that burns up the contents—emitting toxic chemicals closely monitored by the EPA.

Customer Situation

Customer Situation

This particular customer approached Experitec with their unique situation relative to their emissions challenges and government reporting. While they were already using some wireless monitoring solutions, their interest was piqued when we started discussing our pressure relief valve solutions with their reliability engineering group, which was tasked with researching new technologies for monitoring PRVs and other equipment. This conversation quickly developed into a full-blown technology presentation at our Emerson manufacturing campus in Texas.

Team Emerson/Experitec Presents

In addition to some vendor-agnostic alternatives, these two Emerson-exclusive solutions were selected to be the most viable to address this customer’s priorities—accurate real-time data, little to no maintenance, and ease of reporting.

The solutions presented included Fisher™ FIELDVUE™ 4400 Digital Position Transmitters with Crosby™ J-Series Direct Spring Pressure Relief Valves, and Rosemount™  3051 Coplanar™ Pressure Transmitters with Anderson Greenwood™ Pilot Operated Relief Valves. Let’s explore the highlights of each.
Data, All the Time, At Any Time
Data, All the Time, At Any Time
Even though this combined solution would require the customer to make a switch to the Crosby J-Series, it has the advantage of providing an exact measurement of emissions at any given time. As a ‘wired’ solution it supplies data, all the time, at any time. Compared with a vendor-agnostic solution that just tells you ‘if’ the valve lifted (not how much), the FIELDVUE 4400 allows you to know—with confidence—the exact travel profiles at any given time. This enables very accurate emissions reporting, not over-reporting which could incur higher EPA fines. With this solution, you can also know if your valve has re-seated properly, allowing you to get ahead of maintenance.

Fisher FIELDVUE 4400  |   Crosby J-Series
A Modulating Solution Provides the Lowest Possible Emissions
A Modulating Solution Provides the Lowest Possible Emissions
In addition to all of the advantages of the 4400/Crosby J solution described above, the Anderson Greenwood solution will ‘modulate’ depending on the overpressure event—inherently emitting less. This is the most sustainable solution because we can determine the exact volumetric release into the atmosphere.
 
Rosemount  3051  |  Anderson Greenwood PRV
Anticipated Results
The ultimate result is to adhere to regulations and avoid unnecessary fines. Due to the inherent nature of relief valves, there is a potential for them to be damaged and not reseat, after lift. Actively monitoring them would provide a real-time alert of when that occurs which could have a significant financial and environmental impact.
Future Plans: Just Press the ‘Easy’ Button
The monitoring data can funnel up to an analytics program, called Plantweb Insight™, that generates the exact report that the EPA requires. By utilizing that data, it’s possible to develop a root cause analysis of the release event and mitigate it in the future. This solution is currently being evaluated by this customer.
Schedule a PRV Monitoring Demo

Schedule a PRV Monitoring Demo

Learn about the latest PRV Technologies, Plantweb Insight Software, and Rupture Disc Activation.
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