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Plant Modernization and Consolidation Overview
In refinery or process plant modernization, change
is not only inevitable, but it is the goal. The issues are the
degree of change that should occur and the ramifications of that
change. What may seem like hardware changes, such as changing
control systems, can or should have a profound impact on the
operators. For example, upgrading a distributed control system
raises questions such as consolidating unit control, board operator
skill requirements, control room design, and how to tap the
capabilities of the new system to enhance operator performance.
Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to
carefully research and evaluate the consequences of the changes that
will be made prior to making the changes. Unfortunately, it is
difficult to envision the possibilities of a modernization project
unless you have experienced several firsthand. Without this
knowledge, it is possible to miss out on opportunities for simple,
yet significant, changes that may go hand in hand with certain
facets of modernization.
Of course, there is also the potential to
make a change that can severely affect the workload, attitudes and
safety of the workers. Either of these errors can be costly, due to
missing potential money saving changes or due to expenses caused by
safety violations or operator dissatisfaction.
Modernization almost always impacts people due to
the complex and interactive nature of the man-machine system.
Operator performance is the result of numerous variables that are
all connected and interact, as in the figure. Altering any one
variable typically necessitates some change in one or more of the
other variables. It can also enable/facilitate change.
Getting the most out of modernization is
accomplished by using the interactive nature of human performance.
Once change is created in one dimension, the momentum of change can
be harnessed to alter the other dimensions and multiply the benefits
of the modernization. Opportunistic changes can be readily
implemented as a result of the interactive bonds being broken for
the primary goal of modernization.
APPROACH
Modernization analysis involves answering three basic questions:
- Where are you?
- Where do you want to be?
- How do you get from one to the other?
"Where are you?" entails a detailed assessment of
the operating characteristics of the plant. How are operators
utilized? What are they doing? What is the culture of the plant? How
much change can be accepted? What is the existing infrastructure?
What are the plant’s strengths? What are the plant’s weaknesses?
These questions are answered through operator
workload evaluations and interviews with plant personnel. Those
closest to the operation have most of the answers to these
questions, however, they often have a hard time articulating them,
lack objective data to support their opinion, and/or they move too
quickly to tie a solution to a problem. Beville provides systematic
methods to capture and structure the corporate knowledge so that it
can be understood and objectively evaluated.
"Where do you want to be?" is the domain of plant
management. What is the vision for the refinery? A clear direction
for change is needed if the change is to be successful. The vision
must be articulated, or (1) the effort will be unfocused and/or (2)
personnel changes will cause misdirection. The vision for the future
must reflect plant performance parameters, but not be tied into
short term market justification. The modernization is for the long
term and needs to reflect operating characteristics more than better
production of a single product.
"How do you get from where you are to where you
want to be?" involves an understanding of the bottlenecks or
barriers to change. Often certain operations, conditions, or
characteristics will limit the modernization. Comparing the future
state vision to the existing operating characteristics helps define
the bottlenecks. Understanding where, why and what functions
operators are performing provides a framework to determine if
automation or reallocation of the functions to other operators,
departments, etc., can remove the bottleneck.
For further information, visit the
links below.
Control Room Layout and
Design
RELATED ARTICLES/PAPERS
To download these papers, please visit our
Published Papers page.
- A Humanistic Approach To Managing Plant
Modernization Projects
- Impact of Control Room Consolidation on
Operator Workload
- Human Factors Engineering in Control Room
Design and Operation
- Staffing Levels
- Control Room Design Manual
- Control Room Consolidation: It's More Than
Just a New Building - World Refining Magazine, December, 2003,
B.A. Walker/Brad Adams Walker Architechture, P.C., & D.A.
Strobhar, PE/Beville Engineering, Inc. Contact World Refining
directly (ask for Amy) at 800.874.2544, ext. 129 to request a
copy.
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