[Weekly Topic] Discussing the operational stability of refining and chemical processing units
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bg4.png A Discussion on the Stability Rate of Refining and Chemical Processing Units I. Introduction: According to reports from China Petroleum Network (reporter Yang Yonghui), on June 13, the reporter learned from the Technical Department of Dagang Petrochemical Company that as of the end of May, this company had maintained a 100% stability rate for its processing units throughout the year, ranking first among the 26 refining and chemical enterprises in China Petroleum’s sector. Faced with the severe challenges of an economic downturn, a sluggish refined oil market, and plants operating at low capacity with high inventory levels, Dagang Petrochemical has continued to implement refined management throughout the entire production process of its plants. By fully tapping into the potential for energy savings and cost reduction, as well as for process optimization and efficiency improvement, it has managed to ensure the safe and stable operation of these plants over extended periods of time. To strictly control the stability rate of the equipment, the Technology Department of Dagang Petrochemical implements a system of \"daily statistics, weekly analysis, and monthly evaluation\" for operational stability, utilizing the MES management system to monitor 462 indicators across the entire plant in real time. Strengthen the inspection and assessment of process discipline enforcement, and enhance the quality control through employee inspections and monitoring. It is required that the personnel on duty analyze the reasons for each deviation recorded by the system and formulate corrective and preventive measures. The person taking over must verify that the information is correct before signing to confirm it; otherwise, they are not allowed to take over. This approach aims to encourage employees to pay more attention to operational parameters and to adjust them proactively, thereby enabling more precise operations and smoother production. On the basis of refining and optimizing the control of various indicators, Dagang Petrochemical emphasizes the assessment of operational stability. On a weekly basis, it uses methods such as random inspections, checks, evaluations, and assessments to ensure that workshops strictly comply with the regulations regarding operational stability. Units that fail to meet the required standards are subject to evaluation, and this information is shared during weekly meetings, thereby encouraging the relevant units to further strengthen the controlled management of their production processes. In addition, Dagang Petrochemical also ensures a stable supply of steam, gas, nitrogen, and other utilities by strengthening the monitoring of such resources. It enhances predictive maintenance for equipment, thereby improving its reliability and operational efficiency, and thus laying a solid foundation for safe and stable production. http://img0.imgtn.bdimg.com/it/u=3669153513,3637206151&fm=21&gp=0.jpg II. Discussion: 1. Does your organization implement assessments regarding the stability of equipment operation? 2. How does your device ensure that its stability rate meets the requirements? 3. What do you think are the prerequisites for the stability of the device? http://www.shbtp.com.cn/mid/1358000/1358368.jpg
1. Does your organization implement assessments on the stability rate of equipment? Our company also uses MES (commonly referred to as “useless”) and P to evaluate the stability rate of equipment, with the requirement that this stability rate reach 95%, and we strive to achieve 98%. 2. How does your device ensure that its stability rate meets the requirements? Putting aside certain external factors, meeting the requirements regarding the stability of the equipment demands a high level of skill from those who operate it; it is necessary to monitor the instruments promptly and make accurate judgments, as well as address any potential fluctuations early on to prevent them from spreading. Especially during night shifts, it’s indeed quite tough! It’s really not easy these days to earn some money; it’s all hard-earned money! 3. What do you think are the prerequisites for the stability of the device? The prerequisite for the stability of the device is that the equipment meets the required standards, especially with high-quality maintenance. For one emergency repair on our equipment, the total time taken for shutdown, repairs, and restart was 15 days; after operating at full capacity for 3 months, we could no longer sustain it. On the contrary, the maintenance period is 45 days; slow work does indeed lead to high quality. It has been in operation for over 1,000 days, and the shutdowns were mainly due to a lack of raw materials – otherwise it could have continued operating for another year without any problem. The entire setup is like an engine with well-lubricated cylinders – it runs more smoothly the more it’s used, and operating it is truly comfortable at that point; almost no major adjustments are needed, as only minor tweaks are sufficient. Another factor is the stability of the raw materials. The theme of salt formation in version W reminds us of how poor the quality of the raw materials we used back then was; all kinds of impurities would end up in our equipment, making it seem like a treasure chest from which gold could be obtained no matter what was put in it. . . . . Ultimately, by using the crude oil (oil after primary processing) directly, problems such as salt formation and equipment corrosion arose after a short time. The stability rate can only be kept at a certain level as much as possible; it should be said that many things are beyond our control, so expecting us to manage them is quite difficult. Night shifts back then were truly exhausting; four words to describe it: \"living in constant fear.\"
Once you delve into catalysis, it’s as deep as the sea; alas! I’ve been doing this for over 20 years now, with trash cans :'(
How is your variance stability rate calculated?
Is the stability rate you mentioned the parameter stability rate of the operation control loop?
Stability rate refers to the condition in which the process parameters of the device operate within the specified range. The allowable fluctuation period for the main process parameters is generally 30 minutes; otherwise, an abnormal parameter report must be submitted!
Our stability rate is around 85%; many instruments have limit controls in place to regulate this stability rate
The function of limits has both advantages and disadvantages, and extreme situations must be taken into account!