US 10,816,947 B2Granted

Early surge detection of rotating equipment in a petrochemical plant or refinery

AssigneeUop LLC

InventorsMichael Van de Cotte, Ian G. Horn

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A plant or refinery may include equipment such as condensers, regenerators, distillation columns, rotating equipment, compressors, pumps, turbines, or the like. Different operating methods may impact deterioration in equipment condition, thereby prolonging equipment life, extending production operating time, or providing other benefits. Mechanical or digital sensors may be used for monitoring equipment to determine whether problems are developing. For example, sensors may be used in conjunction with one or more system components to perform invariant mapping, monitor system operating characteristics, and/or predict pressure, volume, surges, reactor loop fouling, gas quality, or the like. An operating condition (e.g., of one or more pieces of equipment in the plant or refinery) may be adjusted to prolong equipment life or avoid equipment failure.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a reactor;
a heater;
a system control valve;
a compressor;
one or more sensors associated with the compressor;
a data collection platform comprising:
one or more processors of the data collection platform;
a communication interface of the data collection platform;
and
computer-readable memory storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
receive, from the one or more sensors associated with the compressor, a stream of sensor data associated with the compressor and collected by the one or more sensors associated with the compressor;
and
send the stream of sensor data associated with the compressor and collected by the one or more sensors associated with the compressor;
and
a data analysis platform comprising:
one or more processors of the data analysis platform;
a communication interface of the data analysis platform;
and
computer-readable memory storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
receive the stream of sensor data associated with the compressor and collected by the one or more sensors associated with the compressor;
analyze the stream of sensor data associated with the compressor to determine a potential surge event within the compressor based on determining that current temperature data of the stream of sensor data indicates that a temperature at a suction of the compressor and a temperature near a discharge of the compressor are outside a threshold range;
and
based on a first determination regarding the potential surge event within the compressor, send a command configured to cause adjustment of the system control valve to reduce load on the compressor;
and
a re-cycle valve associated with a discharge of the compressor;
wherein the computer-readable memory of the data analysis platform stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the data analysis platform to:
based on a second determination regarding the potential surge event within the compressor, send a command configured to cause opening of the re-cycle valve to reduce pressure near the discharge of the compressor.

24 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause a data analysis platform to:

receive sensor data associated with a compressor and collected by one or more sensors associated with the compressor;
analyze the sensor data associated with the compressor to determine a potential surge event within the compressor based on determining that temperature data of the sensor data indicates that a temperature at a suction of the compressor and a temperature near a discharge of the compressor are outside a threshold range;
based on a first determination regarding the potential surge event within the compressor, send a command configured to cause adjustment of a system control valve associated with the compressor to reduce load on the compressor;
and
based on a second determination regarding the potential surge event within the compressor, send a command configured to cause adjustment of a re-cycle valve associated with a discharge of the compressor to reduce pressure near the discharge of the compressor.

2 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, by a data analysis computing device, sensor data associated with a compressor and collected by one or more sensors associated with the compressor;
analyzing, by the data analysis computing device, the sensor data associated with the compressor to determine a potential surge event within the compressor base on determining that temperature data of the sensor data indicates that a temperature at a suction of the compressor and a temperature near a discharge of the compressor are outside a threshold range;
based on a first determination regarding the potential surge event within the compressor, sending, by the data analysis computing device, a command configured to cause adjustment of a system control valve associated with the compressor to reduce load on the compressor;
and
based on a second determination regarding the potential surge event within the compressor, sending, by the data analysis computing device, a command configured to cause adjustment of a re-cycle valve associated with the discharge of the compressor to reduce pressure near the discharge of the compressor.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/935,872Filed 26 Mar 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 28 Mar 2017
Published: US 2018/0284705 A14 Oct 2018
Granted: 27 Oct 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G05B 15/02
Systems controlled by a computer: electric
C10G 11/187
According to the "fluidised-bed" technique: controlling or regulating
C10G 45/72
Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds: controlling or regulating
G05B 2219/45219
Nc applications: making intermeshing helical rotors, for pump, compressor