26 Mar

What We Can Learn From the 100 Largest Losses

What We Can Learn From the 100 Largest Losses

Recently, Marsh released its report on the 100 Largest Losses in the hydrocarbon extraction, transport and processing industry from 1974 to 2013. Using the Nelson-Farrar Petroleum Pant Cost Index, the report includes inflated values to show how much these 100 incidents would cost in 2013.

Of the top 20 events, eight have taken place in the United States. Most of those losses are associated with vapor cloud explosions at petrochemical plants. While the study covers 40 years of plant operations, these events are hardly in our past. A petrochemical explosion on June 13th, 2013 was one of the eight events.

While different sectors were involved in the report, all problems can be narrowed down to a few key areas that exist in all plants: Hardware, Management Systems and Emergency Controls. These are the systems that keep everything running smoothly and their failure can be catastrophic.

One of the easiest ways to ensure your safety systems are always running is to have a maintenance plan in place for routine checkups. The more regular the maintenance, the more you reduce the risk of a catastrophic event. In addition, new and emerging threats should be considered when upgrading hardware and emergency controls. This is why cyber security has been such a huge topic of late. Explosions and natural disasters may be at the heart of these 100 losses, but negligence towards emerging threats leaves the door open to something new creating even more damage.

If you want more information on protecting yourself from all safety threats, contact your local engineering consultants at Synergy Systems Inc.

06 Mar

The Synergy of Man and Machine

The Synergy of Man and Machine

Smart machines only hold as much intelligence as the humans who build and program them. William Hawkins mentions the idea of machines and computers that learn from each other to be frightening. In such an environment, a machine could “learn” to override human actions it interprets as harmful. While current technology and gather, measure and interpret large amounts of data, they lack the ability to learn from it. That job is left to humans who must work in synergy with plant machines.

Having both humans and machines involved in a process system takes advantage of the strengths of each. Machines are an obvious asset with their predictability and ability to withstand steps in the manufacturing processes that are risky for humans. Process and plant engineers, on the other hand, have ingenuity and creativity that can be harnessed as continuous business improvement.

Synergy Systems balances these strengths with a three pronged process. We send our engineering experts directly to client plants and communicate with the process engineers working there. Since plant employees play such a crucial role in the operation of a system, we believe their input is vital to the success of any project. The three things we discuss are what machines should be doing, how they are currently running and how the plant employees would like them to run. Balancing these three realities with the goals of the business is a sure way to achieve success.

When it comes to business success, it is imperative that the strengths of all available assets be used. Cutting-edge technology is only one facet of success. Incorporating the knowledge, needs and ideas of plant employees to work in tandem with technology enables any company to accomplish its highest goals.

18 Sep

New Control Room Evolution

New Control Room Evolution

Recently, Synergy completed a complete control room remodel for a client.  Along with the updated look and increased storage space, the new control room provides:

  • Modern boiler control Human Machine Interface
  • Improved workflow
  • Improved reaction time
  • Improved screens and display, allowing for faster dissemination of information
  • Low-voltage lighting, reducing fatigue and eye strain of operators

Click here to see a slideshow of all the work that went into this incredible transformation.

Control Room Evolution
June 6: Demolition begins and control console is moved to a temp location.

Evolution of Control Room
June 22: The remodel, rough in.

Control room on July 9th and nearly finished.
July 17th: Major components are in place.

Completion: July 17th.
Completion: July 17th.
28 Aug

Businesses Seek Automation to Stay Competitive

Automation expenditures in the process industry are expected to soar to $7 billion by 2016 in the food and beverage industry alone, according to an article published in Process Magazine. As business do all they can to be more competitive and profitable, optimization of the process – including product creation and packaging – is ever more essential. Lag in the plant is unacceptable.

Specifically, the industry is turning for automation to assist in cost containment, time profitability and even sustainability and waste reduction. These last couple are sure to carry a lot of weight as the price of producing and using energy rises. In addition, people have become increasingly aware of the sustainability, or lack thereof, that a business’s uses throughout its processes. All these and more contribute to a growing need for superior automation.

There is another side to this story that is not being told. As technology moves forward at an ever increasing pace, companies are doing all they can to acquire the latest and greatest in order to stay competitive. Time spent adjusting and tweaking the process of a system is time that is not being spent on other areas of the business, such as innovation. America has always been a land that produces some of the greatest inventors and Synergy aims to keep it that way.

We specialize in the process optimization, in addition to providing repairs and replacements for the boilers that are so often responsible for plant energy generation. Our goals are yours. While we always strive to assist our clients in creating the most using the least amount of energy, are biggest concern is that our solutions and services help you achieve your goals. Not only do we create solutions customized to your needs, we do so in such a way that the majority of our solutions produce a return on investment in under a year. After construction and installation, we continue to stand by our clients through safety and business focused services.

Automation is a significant investment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Companies need to consider all that goes into upgrades and new systems. Moreover, they should partner with someone who has their best interest in line. Contact one of our process and combustion experts today to see if Synergy can help you meet your goals and remain ever competitive in business.

 

 

 

21 Aug

Do Not Let the Flash and Glamour Fool You

Do Not Let the Flash and Glamour Fool You

Long-time employees of a plant tend to feel anxiety when word of technological upgrades starts to circulate. A recent Control Engineering article mentions that IT professionals tend to be young and used to the latest and greatest platform. The older operators in the plant aren’t nearly as enthused about new technology if the old technology does the job just as well. While there are certainly reasons to upgrade plant technology, decisions about what to do should be made with optimization as the core goal.

Synergy rarely values technology based on how new it happens to be. Instead, we concern ourselves with providing services and solutions that generate the outcome for the client. If technology provided needs to work with other equipment in the plant, then we will find what fits. There are many cases where the latest and greatest technology is also the best to install, just as it may be more financially reasonable to replace a part that only has a few years left in it then to try and find technology that will work with the old part.

Old and new are relative. Functionality, optimization and monetary savings are where true value shows itself. Our professionals are intimately familiar with the operations of a plant and build for functionality first. As a result, many of our services have a return on investment that takes less than a year.

In a world that has become fascinated with the glitz and glamour of graphics and speed, too often we forget about the true purpose of control systems and HMI. Make sure the technology installed in your plant is more than the latest and greatest. Make sure it benefits your needs and goals as well.

There is a lot out there to consider in the world of technology. Feel free to contact our expert combustion engineers to discuss the optimal way you can achieve your business objectives.

 

 

05 Jun

The Numbers behind Safety, Efficiency & Reliability

The Numbers behind Safety, Efficiency & Reliability

We are always ready to discuss how our various solutions and services save clients time, money and resources. The fact that our work is often customization to client demands gives us a significant edge in the control systems industry. Perhaps even more impressive are the numbers behind all we have to offer. From average savings to return on investment, our solutions boast substantial benefits.

Boiler Optimization and Burner Management
Improved controls result in reduced air and fuel flows, allowing for an improved boiler turn down ratio. Synergy clients see a return on investment within a year. By year two, the savings is significant.

Economizer Solutions
Our economizer solutions provide the fastest return on investment. Often ROI takes little more than six months and increases the efficiency of a boiler by 3 percent. This is achieved through the economizer’s purpose of recovering waste heat and cooling the temperature in the stack. For every 40 degree drop in temperature, clients see a one percent increase in efficiency.

Combustion Air and Burner Management Solutions
When there is unnecessary oxygen in the stack, the combustion formula in a boiler is inefficient and may be wasting energy and fuel.  For every 15 percent decrease of oxygen in the stack, fuel efficiency is improved by 1 percent.

Water System Solutions
Operational constraints can create parasitic electrical loads that waste money. With a variable frequency drive, of VFD, adjustments can be made based on demand, saving money overall. Most clients see immediate savings in electrical cost and receive return on their investment in less than a year. VFDs can also be used to control air flow and result in similar savings.

The above are some of our most popular solutions, and with such rapid return on investment, it’s not hard to understand why. Significant improvements can be made in plant efficiency that translates quickly into monetary savings.  If you are curious about how much you have the potential to save, have one of our experts perform and boiler evaluation. Uncover the hidden savings in your plant.