Chemical plant inspection

Thread Content

Unlike other industries, petrochemical enterprises operate in hazardous environments characterized by high temperatures, high pressures, flammability, explosiveness, and toxicity. Coupled with features such as large-scale and densely arranged production facilities, complex production processes, and closely interlinked production stages, they pose a greater risk compared to other industrial sectors. As a result, even a minor malfunction can very likely turn into a catastrophic accident causing widespread casualties due to delayed detection or improper handling. Safe production is directly related to the safety of people’s lives and property, to the survival, stability, and development of enterprises, as well as to the vital interests of employees. Therefore, the production characteristics of petrochemical enterprises dictate that improving the quality of equipment inspections and emergency response capabilities are practical and effective ways for them to achieve safe production at the current stage. 1. There are many hazardous materials involved in chemical production. The raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products used in chemical production are diverse, with the vast majority being flammable, explosive, toxic, or corrosive chemical hazards. Improper management during production, use, and transportation can lead to fires, explosions, poisoning, and burns, having a significant impact on safe production. 2. The process conditions required for chemical production are stringent; for each product, there is a specific process flow, control parameters, and testing methods from the stage of material input to the production of the final product ； Most production processes take place under specific conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, a sealed environment, or deep cold. Without strict management and appropriate technical measures, normal production is impossible, and it is also not possible to prevent explosions, fires, corrosion, and pollution during the production process. 3. Expansion of production scale: Over the past few decades, the use of large-scale production facilities in the international chemical industry has been a clear trend. The use of large-scale equipment can significantly reduce the capital investment and production costs per unit of product, which helps to improve labor productivity. 4. Continuous and automated production processes: The manufacturing methods of modern enterprises have shifted from manual operations and batch production in the past to highly automated, continuous production ； The production equipment has been changed from open-type to closed-type ； The production facility moves from indoors to the outdoors ； Production operations have shifted from decentralized control to centralized control, and have also evolved from manual operation to computer-controlled operation. Therefore, whether it is normal equipment operation or emergency handling of equipment failures, it must be based on a thorough understanding of the overall production conditions; only through the orderly cooperation of various technical personnel located in different places, organizations, and positions can such tasks be completed safely and smoothly. Otherwise, any error in any one link can trigger a chain reaction, leading to catastrophic consequences. The current traditional inspection methods have the following issues: 1. The method used to confirm that inspections have been carried out properly is not scientific; it is easy to be altered, and there is no electronic management system in place ； 2. Inspection results cannot be supervised or guaranteed ； 3. During inspections, missed detections and incorrect detections occur from time to time ； 4. In the event of an anomaly at the site, it is not possible to provide immediate and effective guidance for the work being carried out there ； 5. Paper-based tasks are cumbersome and time-consuming; the records are difficult to read, and the data cannot be analyzed effectively ； 6. It is difficult to trace and audit historical records ； 7. It is difficult to implement predictive maintenance during inspections, thereby making it impossible to develop specific strategies to address devices or conditions with potential issues. The chemical equipment inspection system is composed of three parts: a data server, a service management terminal, and mobile inspection devices. Data server: Configured according to the minimum requirements of the enterprise, a database server is composed of one or more computers along with database management system software. It provides users’ applications with services such as querying, updating, transaction management, indexing, caching, query optimization, security, and multi-user access control. Data servers are generally operated by system maintenance administrators or maintained on a daily basis by server maintenance staff in the enterprise’s information center. Service management side: Used by administrators, it adopts a B/S architecture, that is, a browser and server structure. Managers log in to the service management interface via a web browser to access the work interface and conduct a series of evaluations on inspection tasks. Managers use the operational status and data on pipelines and facilities collected by inspectors to arrange maintenance for them, and rely on the accumulation and analysis of such data to make informed decisions regarding the upgrading and selection of these pipelines and facilities. Smart inspection devices: These utilize the most widely used Android-based handheld devices, with no restrictions on the manufacturer of the specific model. The devices are available in three types – dustproof, explosion-proof, and standard – allowing users to choose the appropriate model for different working environments. Android handheld devices run on the Android operating system, which is simple to use; they feature large capacitive screens that make operation easy. Being open-source, it is possible to modify the software as needed based on project requirements.