EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a problem with a Pressure control valve where the pressure could not be maintained although the set point was at 3.2 bar.

The pressure was dropping gradually over 10 days.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The abnormal behavior was reported to the maintenance and was checked on-site.

The maintenance team reported a pressure transmitter failure and immediately scheduled for repairs.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier detection helped in detecting the faulty pressure transmitter.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“SAM GUARD alerted much earlier than the alarm limit in DCS, helping with earlier intervention of the failure.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a problem with a flow control valve where the flow rate couldn’t be maintained, and the valve position was not set to 54%. The setpoint was not changed and was constant at 116 m3/h.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The abnormal behavior was reported to the maintenance and was checked on-site.

The maintenance team reported a control loop failure, and the valve was then changed to manual control for better flow regulation.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier detection helped in detecting the valve failure early and change the valve operation  mode.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“SAM GUARD helped with identifying process control failures in the plant which could be easily otherwise overlooked.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a problem with a Dryer Blower.
The airflow decreased from 13 Kg/min to 11 Kg/min without any changes in the SP. If the issue had  gone undetected there could have been a plugging in the fluid bed dryer, it would lead to production loss and shutdown to clean.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The issue was communicated to the plant team and maintenance team during the daily review meeting.

There were air filters before the dryer and both required to be cleaned. The Team removed a buildup of product from filters and restored normal flow rates.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

This event avoided a downtime of the drying section of the facility for cleaning. It increased the runtime expectation of the customer. Leading to longer times between outages.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Alerts that impact on downtime reduction and prevent from potential production loss are considered one of our primary benefits of SAM GUARD.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected an unexpected raise in the broth receiving recycle pump pressure. This pressure is related to a heat exchanger which was out of service. On May/24^th it started with a small fluctuation in pressure but since June/24^th it started increasing sharply until it reached 105 psi, the maximum value read by the sensor.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

After a SAM GUARD ® alert, the drain valve was opened and pressure was relieved to a safe location. After investigation it was found one of the isolation valves was leaking. This led to a pressure exceeding the range of the pressure transmitter. Future maintenance repair planned for valve in next outage.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

SAM GUARD® alert prevented a major failure such as an equipment rupture since the equipment’s MAWP could have been exceeded.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“It was a good catch, especially because the equipment is out of service we probably woudn’t have caught it.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a sudden raise in the manipulated value of a flow control valve.
The tubulation is the hydrochloric acid inlet on the top of a purification column. Normally the valve opening was around 30% to have the desired flow, when suddenly the valve starts opening to 100% returning the same process value as before with no SP change.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

After SAM GUARD ® alert, plant team conducted an investigation on-site and it was found that the hydrochloric acid flow meter was plugging.
As the column is an important unit operation to the product’s purification step, a non-expected stop in the flow would have affected the quality of the product.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

SAM GUARD® alert prevented leading with major problems related to the quality of the product.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“This event helped prevent an issue that could impact in the quality of the product.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a fluctuation increase of the temperature valve in the MP steam header, without any S.P change.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The issue was communicated to the plant team which found that there was a tuning trial, but due to a human mistake, the values were not resumed to the initial stage.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The detection identified an instability which was caused by human intervention and would’ve been overlooked.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“An important detection, enhancing the protection from human mistakes.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Temperature sensor on a discharge stream out of a compressor zeroed out.

This is a critical compressor in the plant.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The issue was communicated to the plant team which found that the sensor malfunctioned. No alert was set for this tag in DCS system. Sensor was fixed by maintenance team promptly.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Faulty temperature reading in a critical compressor can potentially cause harm to equipment and lead to valuable downtime in the plant.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Quick detection from SAM GUARD allowed us to maintain control of the process”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

In early September an event was generated indicating a slow downward drift of the flow in a control valve. This while the valve is fully open.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The issue was forwarded to the plant team which found that the valve was partially blocked.
Due to SAM GUARD® event the valve was cleaned and flow stabilized.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Early maintenance assured the process wasn’t disturbed and prevented production losses.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Good finding by SAM GUARD® which made it possible to maintain production capacity in the plant.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a rise in temperature of cooling water temperature to HX. This in turn has lead to spike in outlet temperature from Vessel (outlet temperature 1; outlet temperature 2)

PROCESS ENG TEAM FINDINGS

Due to SAM GUARD® ENG checked the alert in the field and found that colling water flow controller was manually closed.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

This is impacting directly on the final product. This equipment is very critical for the process.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“This is a very critical equipment that has to be monitored closely. It’s Asset Priority and Consequence of failure are set to highest value. Good and critical alert.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a rise of instability in flow rate controller to scrubber.

PROCESS ENG TEAM FINDINGS

Due to SAM GUARD® alert – maintenance changed controller reading frequency which stabilized the flow rate.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

This scrubber is supposed to separate to final product residues from discharge outlet stream.

Change in flow rate impacts the efficiency of scrubber. This in turn will impact the total amount of final product.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a rise in SP. In most cases, we don’t forward to customer issues related to SP changes, since it’s usually a planned changed. In this case, we see that persistently PV is unable to reach SP.

PROCESS ENG TEAM FINDINGS

Apparently, customer has started using a new control system that automatically changes SP because of changes in final product (APC). Due to SAM GUARD® it was found that that system is asking the valve to reach SP which it is uncapable of ever reaching.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

This is impacting the final product.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

Customer had to set upper limit to SP in APC software.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

The pump discharge pressure experienced a significant surge, rising sharply from 1.8 to 2.5 bar.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The plant team was promptly alerted to a critical issue when SAM GUARD® detected a sharp increase in pump discharge pressure. Investigation revealed that an operator’s adjustment to the cooling water flow in a heat exchanger had altered the oil viscosity. Thanks to SAM GUARD®’s real-time monitoring, the team quickly corrected the cooling water flow, ensuring optimal performance and preventing potential disruptions

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The detection pinpointed an unintended consequence resulting from human intervention.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Early detection by SAM GUARD® enabled a swift resolution of the situation.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

In a critical caustic soda tank, two-level sensors are installed. A significant discrepancy between their readings has been reported.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The issue was reported to the plant team, who discovered that the sensor malfunctioned after the tank was filled and the line was purged with nitrogen. The maintenance team has since repaired the sensor.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Faulty level readings can potentially lead to spills, which pose a significant safety risk due to the hazardous nature of caustic soda. This can endanger both personnel and the environment.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“The safety hazard from a potential spill was successfully prevented.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected unstable pressure in CH4 compressor.

On May 15th, the compressor current dropped sharply. Further investigation revealed that this drop was accompanied by a simultaneous reduction in cooling water flow to the compressor

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The issue was reported to the plant team, who discovered that after an unexpected power outage, the compressor had not been restarted. Thanks to the SAM GUARD® event notification, the compressor was promptly restarted, and the water flow was restored.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The compressor is crucial for maximizing production, and this early detection helped minimize production losses by ensuring swift action and restoring optimal operation.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Good finding by SAM GUARD® which made it possible to maximize production capacity in the plant.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected an issue with a Heat Exchanger.

The temperature controller feedback was opening to 100% to maintain the heat exchanger outlet temperature, despite no changes in the setpoint or process temperature.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

An on-site inspection revealed a blockage in the heat exchanger.

Frequent blockages in the heat exchanger can lead to increased pressure, reduced heat transfer efficiency, decreased flow, and overall performance loss.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Early detection of such issues means lower cleaning costs for the heat exchanger and improved maintenance scheduling.

SAM GUARD® ensures these problems are identified early, saving you time and money while enhancing the efficiency and reliability of your operations.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Reduced energy efficiency and delayed intervention can lead to significant challenges, including the need for extensive repairs or even replacement of the affected heat exchanger, rather than just performing a simple cleaning.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Identified an issue with the vaporizer’s pressure indicator. The pressure began to gradually decline starting on 07/02/24 and continued for nearly a month.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Despite the pressure drop being minor, from 2.5 bar to 2.4 bar, the consistent decline raised concerns, signaling a potential issue.

On-site inspection uncovered an air leak in the pipeline near the vaporizer. The issue was promptly addressed, preventing further complications and ensuring optimal system performance.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Air leaks in pipelines are notoriously difficult to detect early on without a significant pressure drop, but they can silently drive up energy costs over time.

With SAM GUARD®, even the smallest pressure changes are identified, allowing for quick detection and resolution of issues like air leaks. This proactive approach ensures optimal efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and saves on operational costs in the long run.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Reduces energy efficiency and late intervention requires significant effect to remove or replace the affected heat exchanger rather than just cleaning.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a problem with a Heat Exchanger.

The caustic soda inlet flow rate to the heat exchanger experienced a sudden decrease, which was then accompanied by a drop in the heat exchanger’s outlet temperature.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

An on-site inspection revealed a leak in the heat exchanger.

Frequent occurrences of leaks in the heat exchanger, caused by corrosive substances, are resulting in a reduction in heating/cooling efficiency and an increase in energy expenses.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The estimated cost of the potential failure ranged between €10,000 and €50,000. However, pinpointing the exact value is challenging as a total breakdown was averted.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Preventing the safety hazard resulting from the leakage was crucial, and it proved beneficial that the alert was issued two hours before a DCS alarm.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Identified an issue with the condensate tank level.

Since November 10, 2023, the level controller has been experiencing fluctuations, frequently opening to 100% to maintain the condensate level.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The production engineers found significant temperature fluctuations, prompting them to conduct a more thorough analysis. During an on-site inspection, a steam trap failure was identified. SAM GUARD identified the steam trap failure solely based on the deviations in the condensate tank’s processes.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

A steam trap failure can compromise the performance of steam systems, posing safety risks and resulting in energy wastage

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Losses from one failed trap can cost an average of 35,518 €/Year. Production rate loss and unplanned process downtime were prevented.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Since November 5th, abnormal fluctuations in methane pressure have been observed in one of the critical compressors at the facility.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The issue was communicated to the plant team, who discovered an unrecognized problem with the compressor’s pressure stability. As a result of the SAM GUARD® event, the flow and pressure valve sensors were rechecked, and tuning was performed on the relevant control valves.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The early alert helped identify instability in one of the plant’s critical compressors and contributed to maintaining stable manufacturing operations.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“SAM GUARD® provided an excellent finding, enabling the timely detection of anomalies. This allowed the process to be stabilized before any damage occurred.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

SAM GUARD®  detected a drift down in Tank B levels, while no change in Tank A behavior since end of March 2024.

Process Engineers Team Findings

Due to SAM GUARD® alert it was found that level meter was clogged, causing it to transmit incorrect levels.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Incorrect level meter transmission was avoided

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“No alerts were observed in control room for this level meter. SAMGUARD alert raised suspicion that LT is faulty. Good alert by SAM GUARD”.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected an unexpected increase in the temperatures on both sides of the heat exchanger: the process side outlet and the cooling water inlet.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Following a SAM GUARD® alert, the maintenance team was dispatched to the field and found that the operators had not fully opened the cooling water inlet valve.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

High-temperature outlet from this heat exchanger will negatively impact the final product extraction, thereby affecting Yield.

Furthermore, if the temperature rises, there might be concerns for the equipment lines and equipment, as they are not designed to handle high temperatures.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Indeed, an abnormal rise in temperatures was observed in the heat exchanger, making this alert relevant and critical.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected significant deviations in the TIP PILOT GAS pressure valve at the entrance to the torch. The valve is closed to 30% instead of 20% with no change in SP and no significant impact on the present value.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The plant team wasn’t aware of that abnormal event. It was found out that the controller was dirty and presented wrong values. Due to the SAM GUARD® alert the device was cleaned and the values ​​returned to normal.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

This part is related to the torch. A malfunctioning device that is not found on time may constitute an event in terms of environmental issues.

Following the SAMGUARD® alert, the plant team discovered and fixed the faulty device on time.

POTENTIAL SAVINGS  – 10,000$ – 100,000$

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Without SAM GUARD® detection the plant would not be aware of a malfunctioning valve that could eventually lead to an environmental issue that could be prevented easily at an early time.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected an uncontrolled increase in temperature in an oil tank related to the ethylene compressor. As a result the heating in the oil tank immediately stopped working.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Due to the SAM GUARD® alert the plant team found a worn mechanical seal of the ethylene compressor in stage 2, therefore, more hot oil goes through it than it should. As a result, the heater stopped working.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

A worn seal can lead to a sudden stop of the ethylene compressor and shutdown of the entire facility.

Following SAM GUARD® alert Pressures were frequently monitored, and it was decided to change the seal as soon as possible at the next planned shutdown.

Potential savings  – more than 100,000$

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“An Excellent alert by SAM GUARD® that prevented a sudden stop of the ethylene compressor and a shutdown of the entire plant”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected level fluctuations in a Benzene-Water separator in a chemical plant since 16.07.2023.

There was an issue in this separator also in the past with bad sensor issue because of line blockage, so the issue was particularly interesting.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Blockage is a consistent issue particularly in this part of the plant.

There was an initial alert in Aug 2023, and it was assumed that the maintenance had already cleared the blockage but there second alert in Oct 2023, showing the same issue.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Blockages are difficult to catch earlier because of higher DCS alarm limits and SAM GUARD® helps to solve this issue and maintenance action can be made earlier.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“The issue was overlooked, and the second alert on the same asset helped to follow-up on the failure without leading to a bigger failure.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a pressure increase in the pre-heater in the Medium inlet and product outlet.

The pressure increase was gradual over the last three months and the alert was generated in SAM GUARD® as soon as the new maximum was reached.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Increase in pressure in pre-heaters usually arises when there is plugging and there is a large amount of pressure drop across the length.

The higher the plugging, the lesser the heat transfer surface available, causing increase of temperature in the outlet.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

There was no DCS alarm limit was set for this pre-heater and complete plugging would lead to higher repair costs and the potential value saving was set between $10000 – $1000000 in SAM GUARD®. 

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Plugging issues in multiple pre-heaters were detected as soon as SAM GUARD® was installed, providing us valuable input.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected increase in Rectifier temperature in the Electrolysis unit from 17°C to 23°C.

There was no change in the voltage of the rectifier and was under normal values.

Rectifiers are used along with transformer to convert grid ac voltage to dc voltage in the electrolyzer cells.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Increase in temperature will affect the theoretical voltage of the electrolytic reaction and cab cause an increase in the overall potential provided by the power supply.

The on-site inspection after the alert showed a problem in the air condition system and was immediately forwarded to maintenance.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier alert helped with finding eventual electrolysis failure and avoid major shutdowns .

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“A rectifier failure would have caused failure of direct voltage to the electrolyzer and eventually a electrolyzer failure.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a real-time anomaly in the amount of the olefines in the reactor.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The plant team wasn’t aware of that abnormal event and only due to SAM GUARD® alerts found out malfunctioning device.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Following the SAMGUARD® alert, the plant team discovered a faulty device and fixed it before there was a real event that probably wouldn’t find on time and would have an impact on the quality of production.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Without SAM GUARD® detection the plant would not be aware of a real time issue in the reactor and that they have a faulty device in the reactor”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

A significant decrease in the water flow towards the heat exchanger, which has worsened on the following week.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Due to SAM GUARD® alert the plant team discovered that the filters prior the heat exchangers were clogged and there were no other way to know that at such an early stage because there are only local pressure drop gauges on these filters.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Following SAM GUARD® the plant team took several actions:

•The filters for returning the gas to the torch were cleaned

•The completion of treated water, which was required to maintain a normal temperature, was closed.

•Updated new values for flow alerts in the control room

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“An Excellent alert by SAM GUARD® that would not have been discovered otherwise. Following the alert, a lot of money was saved on water consumption and early detection of clogged filters that could lead to part failure.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a significant increase in Differentials Pressure and immediately notified the client.
Due to internal delays in the plant, this assignment was not fulfilled on time, and something worse happened two weeks later that could have been avoided.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Following the SAM GUARD® alert, the plant team found out that the filter is clogged but as they were taking the time, it was too late, and they had to clean the column too. If they had delayed any longer in changing the filter, a more severe clogging would have occurred which would have caused severe blockages in the stripper and a sudden shutdown.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The plant team was unaware that the Differentials Pressure was rising rapidly and that a clogged filter in the stripper could be causing the column to become clogged. If the facility team would´ve acted in a timely manner, they could´ve greatly reduce downtime as they wouldn’t have to clean the column, just replace the filter.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Without SAM GUARD® detection the plant would not be aware that they need to change the filter of the stripper and wash the Column as soon as possible in order to avoid a sudden shutdown.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a malfunctioning level control valve combined with a new Set Point that was not suitable for appropriate work.

The level control valve of the heat exchanger was usually at a stable value of 50% and started fluctuating immediately when the Set Point was changed.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

During the daily meeting, the issue was brought up and relayed to the shift manager, maintenance team, and plant team.

Following an on-site assessment, it was determined that the valve had a mechanical problem, and the new Set Point was unsuitable for the process.

The Set Point was reset to its initial levels once the valve was replaced.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Further harm was prevented by early identification of defective level control valves and their operation under unsuitable manufacturing conditions.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“The level of the cooler fluid in the heat exchanger is critical for operation.

This alert help rectify the issue as soon as possible including maintenance and process.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected an abnormally high fluid level in a critical storage tank.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Following the SAM GUARD® alert, the plant team found out malfunctioning device and that there are no alerts for this tag in the control room. They switched to the backup device.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The plant team was unaware that the device and it’s back up were not working properly.

If a real-time fault would have happened, no one would have been aware of it. It could have lead to a significant effect both on the process and on the environment.

Potential Saving:  <10K $

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“SAM GUARD® detected a crucial malfunctioning device that has a significant effect both on the process and on the environment.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a problem with condensate outlet temperature of a secondary cooler was dropping gradually over the last six months.

It reached the lowest value of 2°C by 27.01.22. The temperature is dependent on the upstream air cooler temperature regulation.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The temperature regulation is very prominent for the production engineers to do a deeper analysis.

After the shutdown last year in August 2022, the set point of the upstream control valve was set cold that nothing condensed at the downstream cooler.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier alert helped with preventing the complete valve failure.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“It was an interesting event from a process monitoring perspective and helps with optimal control of assets.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a problem with process temperature of superheater in the boiler.

There was a continuous temperature increase over the last six months, with a difference of 100 Kelvin.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Initial suspicion of clogging or dirt build up since it is located closer to the exhaust channel.

An internal maintenance report was made to do an on-site inspection and repair in case of deeper developing issues.   

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier alert helped with complete failure of the super heater.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“The plant team was surprised with this temperature increase, since this is not desired from an operational perspective and could cause serious temperature control issues in the boiler.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a problem with a temperature control valve, where the valve was opening suddenly to 100%.

There was no change in the set point and process value of the valve. The event was alerted immediately in SAM GUARD following the abnormal behavior.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The valve issue was very prominent for the production engineers to act and was forwarded to the maintenance department.

It was found on the on-site inspection that the valve had a valve plug corrosion disrupting optimal control and was fixed.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier alert helped with preventing the complete valve failure.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“The control valve was regulating the temperature of cooling water in a heat exchanger, and a valve failure would have resulted in the failure of cooler operation.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• Detected a change in the temperature range at the outlet of a blower which is feeding process air to a central centrifuge.
• Hints provided additional information on the impact of the temperature change: Centrifuge head temperature started decreasing, while the bottom temperature began to increase.
• Demonstrated strong anomaly detection abilities in catching ‘abnormal’ values that are not unique

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

• Any disturbances in the centrifuge could result in a complete stoppage of the section, so an email was sent to the plant process engineer as soon as possible.
• The next day we received an update that the maintenance team found one of the straps of the reported blower was torn.
• The strap was replaced, and the temperature range returned to normal. The temperatures in the centrifuge also stabilized.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

SAM GUARD® detected a malfunction in the blower early enough to prevent damage to downstream equipment. The corrective action of replacing the blower’s strap is cheaper and simpler than handling maintenance work on the centrifuge, as well as much faster to minimize downtime.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“First-rate SAM GUARD alert. The issue was escalated to the plant operators, that inspected the blower and fixed the strap on the same day to restore the centrifuge’s efficiency.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a significant increase in cation conductivity in the condensate water.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Following the SAM GUARD® alert, it was found that the cation conductivity device was malfunctioning. In addition, the specs in the control room were changed and there was no chance to catch this issue without any alert.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The presence of cations in condensate water has a significant impact on the quality of the process and the final product. Finding a malfunctioning device on time prevents a major issue in the future.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“A great event that helped to identify a multifunction device and to detect changes in specifications that should not have been made in the control room.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected an abnormal trend of the gas temperature at the exit from the TLX  (Equipment used to crack hydrocarbons).

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Following the SAM GUARD® alert, the plant team found out that the capacitor of the transmitter in the TLX had burned out and managed to replace it on time.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The plant team wasn’t aware that something is wrong with the temperature in the TLX.
In the TLX takes place the cracking process, the temperature is lowered from 800֯C to 400֯C immediately in order to crack the hydrocarbons to the required products.

It is highly important to have the right temperature because otherwise the hydrocarbons will not crack properly, and we will receive different products.

Due to SAM GUARD® alert, the device was replaced on time and major problems were prevented.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Excellent alert by SAM GUARD®. SAM GUARD® detected a crucial malfunctioning temperature indicator which has a significant effect on the production process and the quality of the final product.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a real-time Increasing in the presence of hydrocarbons in the condensate. This is a major concern since the control room wasn’t aware that there is an increase of the hydrocarbons in the condensate which can lead to an explosion.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Following the SAMGUARD® alert, the plant team changed the set for alarm from 5000 to 2500 to get notifications on time.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

The high presence of hydrocarbons in the condensate can cause ignition and explosion once the contaminated condensate is in contact with the explosives. The plant team wasn’t aware of that situation and only Followed SAM GUARD® alert they took an action and fix the values in the control room.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Excellent alert by SAMGUARD. Without SAMGUARD detection the plant would not be aware of a major Increasing in the presence of hydrocarbons in the condensate which can lead to a major safety hazard.”

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

Detected a continuing trend of an ongoing increase in pump temperature from 20 °C to 50 °C. The main concern is a failure of the acrylic acid pump, which stops production.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Following the SAMGUARD® alert, the plant found that the temperature indicator measures the wrong temperature, and instead of measuring the pump temperature it measures the ambient temperature inside a water bottle.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Early detection helped identify abnormal measurements and to prevent future failures in the process. 

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Important detection by SAM GUARD®.After the event, the plant team noticed that the temperature indicator measures the wrong temperature and instead of measuring the pump temperature it measures the ambient temperature inside a water bottle “

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• Detected a problem with an oil cooler pressure as there was increase rather suddenly.
• The pressure has reached 0.6 bar from 0.2 bar which was rather a big increase and was reported on 24/06/22 in SAMGUARD.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

A report was made to the maintenance department to further inspect on site.

It was confirmed there is a damage on the cooler on the oil side on the pipeline causing a leakage.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier alert helped with easier planning of repairs by planned communication to the maintenance team and minimal impact on plant operation.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“The Plant team was not aware of the damage on the oil side of the cooler and the alarm at DCS was at 0.75 bar. Issue with oil temperature regulation could cause problems with the compressor operation. “

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• Detected a problem with a temperature increase in a pump which was monitoring the pumps mechanical seal.
• There were three pumps in operation and the issue was with Pump C as the temperature increased from 30°C on 15.08.22 and immediately was alerted.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

Mechanical seals ensures that the pumped media cannot escape, and the issue was prominent for the plant engineers to do an on-site inspection. 

On the inspection, the defective seal was replaced.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Earlier alert helped with easier planning of repairs by planned communication to the maintenance team and minimal impact on plant operation.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Excellent alert by SAMGUARD with comparative analysis between the three pumps on site and without it the issue would be noticed much late on site. “

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

A faulty temperature indicator led to non-uniform furnace temperatures

How SAM GUARD^® Helped

• SAM GUARD® detected a problem with the temperature in a furnace, but no other abnormal findings related to the furnace
• The plant team investigated and discovered that one of the temperature indicators was broken
• They replaced the damaged indicator

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• Without an accurate temperature indicator, the bottom dryer temperature of the furnace rose dramatically
• This led to non-uniform furnace temperatures, which in turn affected product quality
• Replacing the temperature indicator helped maintain high product quality and prevent wasted batches

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

A redundant cooling agent pump had mechanical problems, causing reflux temperature to rise in all the plant’s reactors

How SAM GUARD^® Helped

• SAM GUARD^® detected a rise in temperature in the reflux condenser flow back to the reactor
• SAM GUARD^® also found that the cooling agent pump’s on/off valve was opening and closing frequently
• SAM GUARD^® issued an alert about the behavior of the pump. 
• Plant engineers found that the redundant pump had mechanical programs. It reactivated the original pump, which worked correctly, and temperatures returned to normal. 

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• The malfunctioning pump was causing reactor temperature to rise, which could have resulted in production loss and a rise in emissions
• Traditional controls did not pick up on the rise in temperature

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• SAM GUARD® detected a drop in the tank level as soon as it was installed and issued an alert.
• Plant engineers carried out an on-site inspection and discovered a leakage in the tank’s manual valve.
• The valve was fixed, stopping the leak.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Why SAM GUARD® Instead of DCS ?

SAM GUARD® detects failures regardless of the asset’s location, unlike DCS. Some issues might be missed during routine plant walks by operations. When a critical alarm value is reached, the response time is much shorter, potentially leading to difficult and stressful situations.

Customer feedback

“If the level had continued to drop, the evaporator would have major temperature regulation issues. Tank level had been dropping for 3 months without anyone noticing.”

PROBLEM

Control Valve Failure (fertilizer industry)

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

•Detected a problem with the inlet steam control valve to a reactor when the process value (flow rate) started fluctuating and deviated from baseline.

•The first alert was generated on 03.04.21 although there was no distribution to the control behavior, increase of steam consumption to maintain the reactor temperature was a major concern.

•The issue was very prominent and clear on SAM GUARD^®  for the production engineers to take further action.

IMPACT

Since nothing was found on the initial inspection, no further action was taken since the valve was working.

Eventually the valve failed after 5 months on 20/08/21 causing a major disruption to production.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

After the first alert, the valve was inspected on site and was suspected to have condensate filling in the valve body, but  unfortunately nothing was found.

The valve failed and had to be replaced.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Had the alert not been ignored, production loss and product loss would have been prevented.

PROBLEM

Stirrer Failure in Reactor (fertilizer industry)

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

•SAM GUARD^® detected a problem with the stirrer in a reactor when the RPM value change from 37rpm to 21rpm.

•The alert was generated on 04.09.21 and, although there was no change in motor behavior, the maximum rpm was not reached.

•The issue was very prominent and clear on SAM GUARD^®  for the production engineers to take further action.

IMPACT

If the issue had been left undetected, the stirrer could have failed during a running batch process causing product quality issues for the entire batch due to uneven mixing and failed temperature regulation.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The plant engineers analyzed the alerts and told maintenance to check the stirrer.

It was found upon inspection that the disc on the stirrer was displaced.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Production loss and product loss was prevented.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD^®

•Detected a problem with the pump which is critical for inlet flow rate to distillation column. 

•The alert was generated on 06.09.21 when the pump temperature was slowly rising and reached a maximum value of ~88°C.

•The issue was very prominent and clear on SAM GUARD^®  for the production engineers to take further action.

IMPACT

If the issue had been left undetected, the pump could have failed during a running batch process. Also, for safety issues, it is important to avoid any bearing problems, an overheating motor or coupling issues in the pump.

MAINTENANCE TEAM FINDINGS

The plant engineers analyzed the alerts and told maintenance to check the issues with the pump.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

Production loss and product loss was prevented.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• Identified a continuous discrepancy in a relationship between two vibration tags.
• The compressor is a highly critical piece of equipment, controlling the plant’s control flow valves.
• When the alerts occurred, the substitute compressor was in repair. If the compressor had broken down, the plant would have completely shut down.

How SAM GUARD®Helped

• SAM GUARD® triggered an alert. The process engineer looked at the software and saw the abnormal relationship of the tags, leading him to send technicians to prevent a complete shutdown of the plant.
• A team was sent to check the compressor. Nothing was found. The sensor was replaced to rule out the possibility that the faulty vibrations were a result of a bad sensor.
• When the faulty vibrations continued, further investigation found the faulty part, which was replaced.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• SAM GUARD®’s alerts prevented the failure of the compressor of the system that controls the air pressure of the valves of the entire plant. Had the compressor failed, the entire plant would have shut down for at least 1.5 days.
• SAM GUARD avoided a shutdown, which would have caused substantial damage, and SAM GUARD® increased the availability of the plant.
• $1.1M of damage prevented
  (1.5-day shutdown = 240k tons of ethylene per year / 350 days of production x $1070 per ton)

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• The translator for the signals from the controller responsible for the main air compressor of the plant were not working properly so the temperature results being sent to the control room and historian were faulty.
• The control room did not realize that it was running completely blind with regard to the main air compressor of the plant as the temperature measurements were not reaching the control room.
• The problem was identified because temperature remained completely stable, even when the compressor was working. If the compressor is working, the temp typically should rise; it is not logical for it to stay completely stable.

Measurement Tags Alerted

• Power
• Temperature

How SAM GUARD®Helped

• Sent an alert indicating a correlation between power and temperature stagnation, which indicated a problem of temperature measurement.
• It identified that the problem was in the conversion unit between the two controlling systems, which was not functioning properly.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• The control room was running blind and could not see the actual situation with the compressor; if something had gone wrong, they would not have known; SAM GUARD® enabled them to see the real situation.
• A negative event in the essential, main air compressor of the plant may have caused a major failure, especially if not caught quickly.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• A valve was not closing properly, which led to a lack of control over the material’s flow

Measurement Tags Alerted

• Valve opening position
• Slave valve
• Set point

How SAM GUARD® Helped

• Sent an alert indicating strange behavior of valve EFC2702
• The opening position of the slave valve started fluctuating up to 100% while the master set point was absolutely stable.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• Upon first inspection it was found that the valve was not closing under 8%
• After calibration it was discovered that the valve was not sealing, so it was replaced and underwent an overall mechanical review
• Deeper inspection found significant wear and tear on the plug, which clearly needed to be replaced.
• Regaining control over the flow of material prevented waste of unnecessary material and helped safeguard the quality of the end products.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• Leakage in the heat exchanger – outlet temperature is higher than expected.

How SAM GUARD® Helped

• Identified and alerted of a leak in the heat exchanger hours before it was verified in the field.
• Repeatedly alerted on changes of behavior between tags of temperature input & output in heat exchanger.
• Presented via charts, allowing for easy identification of problem in the heat exchanger.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• Heat exchanger’s cold side gasket fixed.
• SAM GUARD® gave the alerts when the productivity was still intact. If there were no alerts, the stripper would have been less efficient, and less product – fire retardant in this case – would have been manufactured.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• The pump was experiencing vibration drift:
  There was an observable change in the behavior of pump #3’s vibration tag.
• The rise in vibration magnitude and range started ~06/07/19.

How SAM GUARD® Helped

• SAM GUARD® alerted about changes in vibration behavior while the pump’s power remained in baseline.
• This indicated that the issue was not related to higher performance by the pump, because performance remained the same (flow/RPM wise) while the vibration was increasing and becoming unstable.
• SAM GUARD® detected a deviation from standard tag behavior in reference to other parameters related to equipment.
• Alerts led the engineer to suspect a problem with the pump’s impeller or in the pump’s fixation to the concrete structure below. The issue was verified via an external vibration measurement  device, and a problem was isolated in pump #3.
• The maintenance engineer found that the pump was showing signs of imbalance and suspected that it had material crystallization on the pump impeller. The decision was made to stop the pump for cleaning.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• SAM GUARD® predicted the pump failure, allowing an engineer to respond in advance before critical damage was done to the equipment.
• The pump station’s concrete structure integrity was preserved (high vibration may cause cracks in structure damaging its structural integrity).
• No other system in the plant alerted about the high vibration since vibrations were still at acceptable values.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• The pump’s oil temperature rose by >10[C]. This temperature level is not standard. Such high values have never been measured in the history of the sensor.
• This rise in temperature was observed after filling the secondary oil tank, due to filling it with excessive amounts of oil. This made it impossible for oil to flow from the pump’s bearing back into the oil reservoir, which would have damaged the bearing and the pump as a result.

How SAM GUARD® Helped

• SAM GUARD® triggered an alert presenting the engineer investigating the issue with a unique insight.
• SAM GUARD® provided both oil reservoir level and oil temperature, and the relation between the two that triggered the alert. This enabled the plant engineer to immediately understand the problem.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• SAM GUARD® averted significant potential damage to the pump.
• A rise in the bearing oil temperature could cause bearing failure, in turn damaging the pump.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• The plant was experiencing blockages.
• Faulty product temperature reading may have caused material to leave the oven while still wet, which in turn would cause blockage.

How SAM GUARD® Helped

• SAM GUARD®  detected a change in the behavior of the product’s temperature at the oven’s outlet (Tag P64TIXXXX), which also changed the correlation between oven air outlet temperature (P64TIXXXX) and product temperature, triggering an issue creation in the system.
• The plant’s engineers analyzed the alerts and told maintenance exactly which sensor they should replace.
• Replacing the temperature sensor caused tag P64TIXXXX return to baseline.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• Blockages in the oven yield a damaged product and are a challenge to the operation. Considerable damage is caused by the time it takes to clean the oven, during which time it’s not in use to produce more materials.
• Wet product leads to additional waste.
• Alerts given ahead of time allow operation to prevent blockages and receive a dry and improved material.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

• Boiler motor failure

How SAM GUARD® Helped

• A failure that happened on February 12 was retroactively investigated using SAM GUARD®.
• The project manager testified that “the most evident are the vibration tags 34xxxx7 and 3xxxx16. They directly show the reason for the issue, as they affect the current. Several issues were raised specifically pointing to the tags of the motor.”
• Based on the plant model and machine learning calculations, the plant operation team discovered that the motor current is influenced by the following tags: 34xxxx11, 34xxxx12, 34xxxxVI, 34xxxx6, 34xxxx7.
• SAM GUARD® reported several issues for the tags before the actual failure, which could have predicted the failure as much as a few days in advance.

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

• Damage of at least $1.875M could have been prevented due to the plant being down for several days.
• One day of lost production is $937K (1500 tons x $625 per meter ton).
• If we consider only 2 days, this is the money lost only in lost production. Repairs and other collateral damage would add further expense.

EVENT REPORTED by SAM GUARD®

•Detected a change in set point behavior of flow controller with frequent step changes.

•This was followed by an alert at the pressure sensor located on the bubble trap reporting a constant value.

•The pressure sensor which is in cascade with the pump, provides control values to the flow & temperature valves which regulate the process parameter of various equipment parts. •

IMPACT

The required parameters to start the regeneration phase were not reached due to the defective sensor. Since the regeneration phase did not begin, the process was stopped. •

CONCLUSION

Although SAM GUARD® gave earlier warnings, it was discovered on site only on 31/03 almost 30 days after the initial alert causing major issues in production. •

COST / DOWNTIME AVOIDED

SAM GUARD® provided early alerts and rapid detection of the pressure problem. Production loss could have been prevented if the alerts had been considered when surfaced.