HART Communication Foundation Executive Director Ron Helson (2nd from left) presents the 2010 HART Plant of the Year Award to MOL Danube Refinery, Százhalombatta, Hungary, (l-r) László Galambos, Refining Director; Gábor Bereznai, Head of Instrumentation and Electrical Department; Gergely Nádasy, Head of Maintenance Management; and József Bartók, Automation Engineer. High resolution image
Photo courtesy of HART Communication Foundation.
Danube Refinery benefits from using AMS Suite and diagnostics from HART field devices
AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 21, 2011) – The Danube Refinery of the MOL Group, Budapest, Hungary, has been named the 2010 HART Plant of the Year by the HART® Communication Foundation. This marks the fourth year out of the last six where Emerson Process Management technologies have played a key role at plants winning the award, which recognizes sites around the globe that are using the advanced capabilities of HART communication in real-time applications to improve operations, lower costs, and increase availability.
MOL’s Danube refinery was selected for the 2010 award because of its commitment to establishing a predictive and proactive maintenance program.
“It is always more cost effective to eliminate a problem before it develops than to replace a malfunctioning asset,” said Gábor Bereznai, head of instrumentation control & electrical at the Danube Refinery. “Emerson’s technologies and the expertise of their team working alongside our people have been key to helping us drive down costly maintenance issues and create a safer environment.”
Emerson’s AMS Suite predictive maintenance software provides easy access to the diagnostic data generated by more than 30,000 HART instruments throughout the refinery, including Rosemount® measurement instruments and Fisher® FIELDVUE™ digital valve controllers. Refinery personnel are able to minimize downtime through early warning of field device issues, improving profitability by millions of dollars each year. In just one case, preventing the unnecessary removal of a functioning control valve avoided an unscheduled shutdown, saving the refinery $840,000 USD.
To better leverage this diagnostic information, the refinery launched an initiative in 2005 to establish a standard maintenance strategy for all units. By 2010, AMS Suite was continuously monitoring about 3500 HART devices transmitting data via the HART Communication Protocol. Online diagnostics drive the predictive maintenance strategy for scheduling asset repairs based on operating condition and importance to the overall operation. Emerson’s portable Field Communicators are used to configure and gather data from devices not yet online. The information from the Field Communicators is uploaded into AMS Suite and the predictive maintenance environment built by MOL.
Predictive asset management also helps maintain the stable operation of critical control valves. Inaccurate control loops – often caused by valve detuning – can be identified by using the HART-enabled FIELDVUE digital valve controllers. As a result, process control can be improved and the profit-generating capability of a unit increased.
In addition, calibration costs are reduced on instruments throughout the refinery. By using AMS Suite to supply calibration information and routes, maintenance technicians are more efficient, accuracy improves, and the refinery produces better documentation for regulatory agencies.
MOL also uses the automated work notification between their online HART devices and their SAP system. The integration connects critical asset alerts and events with the CMMS to automate maintenance work procedures, increasing maintenance and operational efficiency and reducing the possibility of unnecessary work and human error.
Stuart Harris, vice president and general manager of Emerson’s Asset Optimization business, commented, “We are pleased that MOL is being recognized for their exemplary use of predictive diagnostics through HART technology to achieve operational improvements and quantified business results. This award marks a fulfillment of their vision to create a predictive and proactive maintenance environment and showcases their dedication and commitment to building a world class refinery.”
The HART Communication Protocol is a worldwide instrumentation standard supported by the HART Communication Foundation. The HART Plant of the Year Award showcases companies and their suppliers who demonstrate innovation, excellence, and leadership in using the HART technology.
