Speakers:
Darin Foote, CHS Inc.
Chuck Johnston, Marathon Petroleum Corporation LP
Vidyashankar Kuppuraj, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Johnny Serafin, Phillips 66
Nic Tognetti, CHS Inc.
Advanced process control (APC) has been employed in FCC applications for 40 years. Despite the similarities of FCC Technology and APC platforms the success of these applications varies widely. In this session we will discuss common threads that lead to poor outcomes and how to build a successful APC program on a modern FCC.
Refineries have increased focus on processing unfamiliar opportunity crude oils to improve profitability. However, the introduction of these new crude slates brings uncertainties that can impact refinery operations. One major challenge is crude incompatibility due to asphaltene instability, which affects desalters, emulsion stability, preheat trains and furnace fouling.
For decades, the industry has recognized the importance of tracking asphaltene stability. Suppliers and refineries employ diverse equipment to assess feeds stability including benchtop microscopy and titration equipment. Unfortunately, those methods can require time-consuming offsite laboratory testing.
Now, utilizing a portable, handheld near-infrared (NIR) analyzer, crude oil tanks and other refinery feeds can be assessed for stability and blending suitability with near instantaneous results. NIR spectra from crude oil samples are collected and compared against a database of crudes and crude unit feeds with known asphaltene stability parameters. Asphaltene stability parameters are modeled and reported with a stability assessment.
In the presentation, we will delve into the fundamentals of these available tools, showcasing real-world case studies where they have been successfully applied for crude blends and crude pretreatment to improve and optimize desalter operations and crude preheat train fouling.
Facilitator:
Tim Olsen, Emerson Automation Solutions
Speakers:
Jerry Isch, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Dave Lee, User Centered Design Services Inc.
Christi Mezzic, Emerson Automation Solutions
Johnny Serafin, Phillips 66
This is a panel session follow-on based on the recent AFPM webinar by Phillips 66 Bayway that discussed HMI and alarming enhancements during a control room modernization project. Key components discussed in the webinar were alarm rationalization and the development of HMI graphics based on human-centered design principles with the goal to improve safe reliable operation at the facility. Key design considerations come from industry standards and good shared practices, along with valuable input from key stakeholders across departments. This panel session will also discuss operator development to improve situation awareness as part of a control room modernization.
Come prepared with your questions by viewing the pre-session.