Hydrocarbon Processing - May 2021 - 43

Special Focus

Maintenance and Reliability
M. CALVERT, Servomex, Crowborough, UK

How maintenance and reliability in gas analysis
supports hydrocarbon processing installations
Industrial plants depend on accurate, reliable gas analysis for
process control, efficiency, safety and emissions monitoring.
When analytical systems perform poorly, it can increase costs
and affect the quality of the final product. If the system fails, it
can lead to very expensive downtime.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need for preparation into sharp focus for industrial plants. Maintaining equipment reliability and minimizing downtime have taken on new
levels of importance, and it has become essential to ensure the
right spare parts, consumables and other equipment are available
when needed.
Even the most reliable analyzers benefit from regular, planned
maintenance. Getting the necessary level of service support can
be the difference that keeps a plant operating reliably and profitably, even during pandemic restrictions.
Industrial plants that have addressed this by being in a service
agreement will be far better prepared to cope with the stress of
unplanned downtime, as well as an emergency response when a
crisis (e.g., COVID-19) makes rapid reaction much more challenging. It also ensures they have better access to tailored support,
including staff training and critical spares packs, giving them full
peace of mind that they are prepared for any eventuality.
The benefits of good maintenance. The most basic level of

maintenance is to wait until something goes wrong and then fix
it. What this means for industrial plants is potentially lengthy
downtime while an engineer identifies the problem, obtains the
necessary part(s) and rectifies the issue.
Often, the expense involved-primarily from lost production-far exceeds the cost of even the most comprehensive service support packages. Regular inspection is a far more proactive
approach to maintenance that significantly reduces the risk of
unplanned downtime. It helps to identify any developing problems or unexpected damage and allows for the planned replacement of consumable parts.
For example, if a process must be stopped temporarily to replace an aging sensor cell, properly planned maintenance means
this scheduled window can be used to address any other problems that may have been identified. Otherwise, left unattended,
these issues could lead to an unexpected breakdown or affect the
accuracy of the gas measurements.
The other side of this process is that regular maintenance
means plant operators have to make 'just in case' replacements-
inspections will reveal if a product is working as intended and
does not need servicing.

Many modern plants operate with minimal staff, with some
functions carried out entirely remotely. Quite commonly, the
time and expertise to carry out even minor maintenance is
not available. In the past, plant personnel have built up a good
knowledge of the gas analyzers they use over time and learned
to spot any problems. Changing work practices and the movement of experienced staff out of the industry means that much
of this onsite expertise has been lost.
Forging an ongoing partnership with a service network ensures that processing plants have access to trained, expert engineers who have a deep understanding of the gas analysis systems and how they work within an application. It means that
busy personnel do not have to be switched from other tasks
to carry out inspections-the maintenance becomes part of
an organized schedule that supports the continuous operation
of the plant.
In the author's experience, visiting engineers are often seen
as a key part of the plant's team and build a strong relationship
with the customer. Operating out of regional service centers,
the author's company's personnel have an excellent knowledge
of the technologies involved, as well as the process and application, which helps them achieve better results. By attending the
site regularly, they increase their understanding of each plant's
individual needs, ensuring a tailored service beyond simple analyzer inspection and looking at entire process requirements.
How service supports industry. Reliability is achieved

through good maintenance. However, this can mean different
things to different operators, as plant requirements can vary
greatly according to such factors as the applications involved
and the gas analysis technology being used.
For this reason, the best approach is to offer a flexible, customized service that can adapt to meet the individual needs of
each customer. This may range from the standard support and
protection provided alongside every analyzer purchase, to a full
partnership across the lifecycle of the gas analysis equipment.
Service support typically embraces several different products that can be combined into a custom plan to ensure the
necessary assistance each plant requires. For example, regional service centers provide customers with rapid access
to expertise, analyzer repairs, preventative maintenance and
upgrades. They can also serve as hubs for locally based teams
offering the onsite service support needs of industrial plants,
ranging from emergency assistance to routine maintenance.
This may also involve equipment health checks-where exHydrocarbon Processing | MAY 2021

Hydrocarbon Processing - May 2021

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