Process Control
HP Control: Audit your APC applications
I was one of the first control industry whistleblowers, pointing out that half of the advanced process control (APC) applications implemented over the years do not work. We APC engineers have the resp..
HP Control: Jim Ford's views on advanced process control
C. F. Picou Associates, Inc. (CFPA), an affiliate of Maverick Technologies, was founded in 1974 by Dr. Courtney Picou. Originally aiming to provide process engineering consulting to the refining indus..
Controlling hydrocracker reactor temperature
Avoid safety incidents and runaway reactions
Faster plant testing and modeling
Automated technology performs both open-loop and closed-loop testing simultaneously
Set vapor velocity setpoints profitably
Use Clifftent principles to account for operating limit tradeoffs and risk to substantially improve financial performance
Dynamic real-time optimization increases ethylene plant profits
This project resulted in a $12.5 million/yr profit increase and one-month payback
Fieldbus enables single-loop integrity with control-in-the-field
Benefits include device and process health monitoring that enable establishing asset management and predictive maintenance practices
Determining plant equipment performance during transient conditions
Steady-state performance algorithms can be modified to improve accuracy
HP Control: What constitutes a real-time application?
I recently heard computer programs, mainly of the simulation variety, described as working in real time in service of the unit operators, inferring product properties and other unmeasured constraints ..
HP Control: Are there any good APC training programs out there?
I have written several articles and editorials warning about the failure rate of advanced process control (APC) applications. See for example my January 2006 editorial,1 which also references related ..
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- U.S. Gulf refiners seek Middle East, S. American oil to offset Venezuela, Mexico losses 7/25
- CEO of Russia-backed Indian refiner Nayara resigns after EU sanctions 7/25
- PetroChina makes FID for new northeast refinery complex 7/25
- Valero Energy beats Q2 profit estimates as refining margins improve 7/24
