Ask Aaron Crews
We ask Aaron:
You’ve mentioned the desire to avoid “replacement in kind” and to deliver ROI a couple of times. It’s not intuitive where that return would come from on a DCS replacement project – where is the value? What’s the role for simulation there?
Aaron's Response:
When we talk about ROI in a modernization, we are really talking about enabling the ROI of automation, given a modern DCS. This requires a change in automation approach but can deliver big returns.
The primary value categories fall into the following:
- Throughput
- Bringing the process up to its level of expected performance
- Safety
- Utilizing automation to expose fewer people to the process
- Automated handling of abnormal situations or infrequent situations
- Reducing probability of incidents due to human error
- Consistency
- Optimal control strategies and operating/tuning parameters under any given condition
- Digitalization
- Asset optimization and insight through the DCS to plant personnel
- A Path for data analytics to empower enhanced decisions.
Unfortunately, reaching these goals often requires a more modern DCS than what is installed. Beyond that, that DCS needs to be instrumented and automated beyond what is typically seen – especially in industries outside of perhaps life sciences and modern specialty chemical installations.
To deliver on the potential value here, simulation plays an important role. It mitigates risk by allowing for development, testing, and iteration on automation without process impact. This is key for driving production throughput and improved safety. And for those consistency applications, simulation can help with the development of state-based or dynamic control strategies as well as to train the operators through those varying operating conditions and state transitions. The interface between the process and operations post-optimization may be very different than before. Done right, this improved automation can deliver major improvements.
Some benchmarks we have seen include:
- 5% increased equipment capacity
- 5% Energy and utilities reduction
- .5% Yield improvements (savings through reduced feedstock)
- 20% Reduction in transition times between products/grades
- 20% Reduction in off-spec product
- 10% Reduction in abnormal events
- 5% Reduction in reduced undesired byproducts
- 20% Reduction in re-blending costs
- 10% Reduction in inventories
- 20% Reduction in unscheduled maintenance
- 1% Reduction in unscheduled downtime
Applied to a large process, these benefits can be massive – certainly worth the investment in automation, including dynamic process simulation.