Critical vessels handle high pressures, temperatures, or hazardous materials, making their integrity essential to safe and reliable plant operations.
Unfortunately, many of the traditional approaches to critical vessel monitoring fail to provide the level of coverage required for today’s facilities. The consequences of failure can be significant. Fire or explosions can result in damaged equipment, production downtime, emergency repairs, and potential health and safety risks.
Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring solutions leverage advanced thermal and visual cameras to provide complete, 24/7 coverage of the entire vessel. With greater access to data, operators can enhance safety, optimize operations, and reduce maintenance costs, all while mitigating the risk of catastrophic failure.
This article is part of a series on Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring solutions and how petrochemical companies can enhance their Asset Integrity Management strategies. To learn more, download our white paper: Improving Safety and Reliability in Petrochemical Plants With Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring.
Leveraging Thermal Cameras for Critical Vessel Monitoring
Compared to traditional tools, Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring solutions offer a complete, real-time temperature profile of the outside of the vessel.
Operators can measure temperature, rate of change, and temperature differential (min/max/average) across the entire surface of the vessel. Ruggedized enclosures specifically designed for Class I and Class II environments ensure the sensors withstand exposure to high temperatures or corrosive materials, while protecting the sensitive camera equipment.
On-premises software analyzes and compares the temperature data against predefined parameters. Automated alerts notify operators of anomalies that exceed these limits via email, SMS, or the facility’s existing control system.
Alerts include information about the duration and severity of the event, while instant alarms trigger in cases of severe failure. Seamless integration into the existing plant control system means the solution can automatically initiate a shutdown or other mitigation measures if required.
The Benefits of Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring
Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring solutions deliver downstream oil & gas refineries and manufacturing plants substantial safety, reliability, and operational benefits.
Safety must always be the number one priority. A recent report found that there were at least 825 hazardous chemical incidents in the US since 2021, including 344 in plastics and petrochemical manufacturing and 44 at downstream refineries.
Early detection and repair of potential issues mitigates the risk of injury or death from catastrophic failure, while the remotely deployed sensors reduce the need for personnel to access and operate in hazardous areas.
Continuous monitoring of the vessel’s thermal profile allows operators to optimize conditions and mitigate issues before irreversible damage occurs. This data-driven approach to asset management allows facilities to make repairs, retrofits, and component replacements as needed, reducing downtime and increasing equipment reliability.
Finally, Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring allows facilities to transition toward a Condition-Based Maintenance strategy. Rather than relying on scheduled maintenance, operators can prioritize repairs based on the actual health and performance of the asset.
Enhancing Operations and Improving Safety With Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring
Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring solutions provide an additional layer of coverage compared to traditional tools. Advanced thermal and visual cameras enable 24/7 coverage of the vessel, allowing operators to view a complete temperature profile of the vessel under all operating conditions.
With greater access to both historical and real-time data, operators can detect anomalies, diagnose potential issues, adjust inputs, and mitigate the risk of catastrophic failure. The results are enhanced safety, extended equipment life, and improved operational performance.
To learn more about Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring solutions and how petrochemical facilities can deploy thermal cameras for a range of applications, download our white paper: Improving Safety and Reliability in Petrochemical Plants With Continuous Critical Vessel Monitoring.