My Story with Control Valves (3) – “I’m not a professional”……”
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bg15.jpg My Story with the Control Valve (3) – “I’m not a professional…” At 2:12 a.m. one night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The lighting at the site was as bright as that in a marketplace in the sky; pumps worked tirelessly to transport materials, while control valves executed each command issued by the system with precision. From time to time, people could be seen carrying out inspection tasks diligently, while operators in the control room monitored relevant data to ensure the smooth operation of the equipment. “Master Li, please take a look and see if there’s any problem with the FIC2105 control valve ”Wai Cao Xiao Ling notified me via walkie-talkie. “Okay, I’ll take a look and get back to you! ”While replying to Xiao Ling, she was looking at the trend chart. The trend chart shows that starting at 2:10, the measurement value of this control valve showed a slight downward trend, while the output value of the control valve increased by nearly 10%; however, the valve position of the control valve did not change. A cold sweat immediately began to seep down the back of my spine. No, this valve is related to the interlocks of the device; it must be dealt with right away! With that in mind, I immediately switched this control valve to manual control. “Xiaoling, you really have discovered a big problem! Now follow my orders and check the operation of this control valve! ”“Okay, Master Li, go ahead and tell me; I’ll be watching right here! ”“Now I’m moving in the direction of Guan, keep an eye on it! 2%, 4%, …” “The valves on site are not functioning! However, the air inlet pressure gauge of the control valve shows a corresponding response, while the air pressure gauge behind the electrical converter remains unchanged. ”“You’re not bad, kid – you know how to analyze and make judgments! So tell me, where lies the problem? ” https://timgsa.baidu.com/timg?image&quality=80&size=b9999_10000&sec=1504619741710&di=754ee63ed592f336a6d53fa5f9a13d4e&imgtype=0&src=http%3A%2F%2Fimg1.cache.netease.com%2Fcatchpic%2FD%2FD0%2FD014547771470F14BDDCDC54405A2644.jpg “Because this valve is constantly opening and closing in small increments over time, a sound associated with the instrument air can be heard every time someone inspects it!” I didn’t hear anything when I came here today, so I stayed a little longer. Following the line of thought you just presented and the methods of judgment you usually teach us, I now believe that there is a problem with the instrument air supply for the control valve at the electrical converter! ”Xiaoling reported to me via the walkie-talkie with full confidence. “Well, it wasn’t in vain that I taught you; I’ll submit a request for a reward! But do you still remember the two-confirmation method I mentioned? ”“Haha, Master Li, what great coordination – we thought of the same thing! I was just about to ask if you could adjust it on-site and confirm with small manual adjustments! ”We quickly identified the issue with the control valve and promptly contacted the specialized instrumentation maintenance staff to handle it. It was probably in the middle of the night; the maintenance staff woke us up while we were sleeping. There was also a person in charge of their team who, on the phone, said to me angrily, \"How can you non-professionals be so sure that it’s a problem with our instruments?\" ”“Oh, I’m not a professional indeed; I just suspect there’s a problem with the instrument, and since it’s an interlocked valve that serves as a key control valve, it’s even more necessary for you to verify it on site! ”Actually, I just wanted to laugh, but I pretended to respond out of courtesy. “Why isn’t it a problem with the mechanical structure of the valve? ”The person in charge of the instruments continued to press questions. I took over the conversation with confidence: \"We have already ruled out that issue; by changing the control valve to a local manual type, it can be operated within normal parameters!\" Therefore, it is suspected that there is a fault with the instrument components, so we need you to verify it on-site! ” https://timgsa.baidu.com/timg?image&quality=80&size=b10000_10000&sec=1504609728&di=368918a5ba855c40b6980ef20314c757&src=http://www.sinopecnews.com.cn/news/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20141119/fc4dd42f4e5b15d676f402.jpg Time was passing by second by second between 2:30 and 5:30, and the maintenance staff continued to check each component one by one without yet identifying the cause of the problem; exhaustion was evident on their faces. “You can check the instrument air hose at the back of the electrical converter; I remember a similar issue occurred in the previous phase, where aging rubber hoses caused air leaks and prevented the valves from functioning. ”Then, in just 2 minutes, the aged rubber hose was replaced, the control valve returned to normal operation, and the device ensured greater safety! “You guys are going too far too; you saw the problem, so why didn’t you say something earlier? ”The person in charge said to me, a bit annoyed. I smiled slightly: “I’m not a professional…” https://timgsa.baidu.com/timg?image&quality=80&size=b10000_10000&sec=1504609767&di=8bc880dfd10728bbd4500513a9212d1e&src=http://news.sinopecnews.com.cn/news/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20151119/imglib_ori_1447897002042.jpg
I remember when I first graduated, I was working at a chlor-alkali plant. A hydrogen flow meter was showing fluctuations in flow rate, so we asked the people in charge of instruments to take a look. It took them 2 hours to find the cause, and they were extremely worried. Even after the instrument technician called their supervisor, the problem still couldn’t be identified. We then disassembled the flow meter and found that there was ice formation in the pipes; subsequently, we installed heating elements and redid the insulation
Those working with instruments need to have some knowledge of equipment, while those working with equipment also need to have some understanding of instruments.
It’s really great! I’ve also just started working in the field of manufacturing processes. I think the instrumentation aspect is very important as well. How did you reach such a high level of expertise? Could we have a conversation? Thank you! I’m a beginner and I’m hoping for some advice on how to learn *instrumentation*
Talented and gifted! It’s really rare these days to find someone who can focus on the operations, carry them out carefully, identify problems, and solve them. :lol
One must be attentive to everything!
Give it a like; this hat is from Sinopec
Well... learning is endless... the ocean of knowledge has no bounds...
Why do instruments need to be divided into mechanical distributor boxes, when electrical instruments could simply handle everything?
I feel that the instrument knowledge of both process engineers and instrumentation technicians is completely wasted; reading this article is like reading a fairy tale.
If a pipe is leaking air, even a dog can tell that something is wrong. . . If there’s a leak, just replace the pipe. . . Should I look for someone from the piping field? . . . For such a trivial matter, why involve the instrumentation technician? I think it’s just creating trouble for no reason. . . . .