News
Halo DTS installed at Yara
08 Oct 2009
Sensornet improves efficiency and safety at Europe’s largest ammonia plant
Sensornet, the global provider of the most advanced digital monitoring solutions, has installed and commissioned two of its Halo DTS (distributed temperature sensors) systems and sensing cables at the largest ammonia plant in Europe to provide continuous process monitoring of two reactor vessels.
By providing reliable, real-time data, Sensornet brought a number of significant benefits to the client. Yara is the world’s largest supplier of mineral fertilizers, the world’s largest supplier and trader of ammonia, and a global leader in a wide range of chemical products. The site, at Sluiskil in the Netherlands is a major European fertilizer complex.
Sensornet has developed its Halo DTS technology to cope with the thermal and chemical processes that occur within reactor vessels and columns and which can slowly erode and weaken the structure of the vessel. As this weakening occurs the skin of the vessel is reduced causing a potential point of weakness or failure.
Yara Sluiskil Ammonia Plant, The Netherlands
The two ammonia vessels at Yara Sluiskil operate at high temperatures. Constant monitoring of the skin temperature (approximately 110 to 150°C) is required to detect the location of any cracks in the internal insulation, allowing any hotspots to be identified and managed from an early stage.
The temperature of the vessels can rise up to 350°C when a hotspot occurs. These hotspots create great stress on the vessel and repairs must be completed during a turn-around.
The former monitoring solution, using electrical resistivity, was outdated and was not supported by the original supplier. Sensornet was required to fill the monitoring gap by providing a solution that provided a complete temperature profile of the reactor vessel with near real-time refresh rates. Monitoring the entire vessel online enables the process to be managed to ensure the vessel performs within its operational tolerances. This results in longer run times between cleaning and maintenance periods. Moreover, the operator can be safe in the knowledge that the vessel is operating safely.
The Sensornet team worked around the clock along with other service companies to ensure the installation of the monitoring cables was completed within schedule.
The DTS from Sensornet offers measurement times of down to 10 seconds and temperature changes of better than 0.01°C can be detected by the sensing cable. For each of these vessels a total of 1km of sensing cable was deployed directly onto the skin. This gives a total of 1,000 measurement points and provides the client with comprehensive thermal modelling of the reactor vessel.
Jerry Worsley, Industrial Monitoring Manager, Sensornet said: “Having developed our technology and established our reputation in the oil and gas industry, working with Yara posed unique challenges for our team. By delivering within the tight deadlines imposed by the need to have the work completed within the down periods we were able to complete the monitoring process with the minimal disruption to production.”
Installing fibres on the mesh
About Sensornet
Launched in 1998, Sensornet is the global provider of the most complete monitoring solutions to the upstream and downstream oil and gas industry by using real-time distributed temperature, strain and pressure measuring systems.
Sensornet is part of the recently-formed Tendeka family of companies which aims to consolidate specialist solutions for increased efficiency in well completions and production. Joining Sensornet within Tendeka are swellable elastomers expert Swellfix and wireless well communications and downhole instrumentation specialist Well Technology.
Sensornet provides the world’s most advanced monitoring solutions and offers its own temporary and permanent DTS installation capability. The company is rapidly expanding and has offices based globally in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Sensornet’s award winning technology is supported by a highly qualified and experienced technical, operations and management team, which has provided multi-million dollar turnkey solutions to many of the world’s leading blue-chip businesses. The company is ISO 9001 accredited.
Sensornet was named as the UK’s 24th fastest growing technology company in the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards in 2008.
From system engineering and design, to data interpretation services and post delivery support agreements, Sensornet delivers the total monitoring service.
www.sensornet.co.uk
For more information please contact:
Jerry Worsley, Sensornet, jerry.worsley@sensornet.co.uk,
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