A nuclear level transmitter and multiphase measurement instrument, the Tracerco Profiler^TM has significantly improved operational efficiency and addressed various challenges in refining processes through its advanced process control equipment and nucleonic technology.

How the Tracerco Profiler^TM enhances refining processes:

• Accurate and real-time process condition monitoring
  The Profiler^TM provides real-time characterisation of process conditions within a vessel, allowing operators to make data-driven decisions. With continuous measurement solutions, refiners can quickly react to anomalies, improving efficiency and reducing unplanned downtime.
• Enhanced interface control
  With its ability to provide multiple outputs per interface, the Profiler^TM enables precise control of oil, water, and emulsion or foam levels. This enhanced interface control leads to separation efficiency, reduces carry-under, and ensures better downstream process solutions that comply with environmental regulations.
• Optimised chemical usage
  By offering a high vertical resolution (e.g., 30mm), the Profiler^TM increases confidence in interface level measurements. This has enabled refiners to optimise interface levels for maximum wash water contact, leading to a 50% reduction in emulsion breaker chemical dosing.
• Reduced unplanned shutdowns and increased throughput
  With live monitoring and process control, the Profiler^TM  used in high temperature desalting operations can prevent issues such as the emulsion phase reaching plates and causing distillation operation failures. A customer reported an increase of 2.5 operational days per month due to improved interface control after installing the Profiler^TM.
• Improved desalter performance
  In a customer success story, a poorly performing desalter was identified as a potential cause of corrosion in distillation towers. The installation of the Profiler^TM, replacing conventional level transmitter instruments, provided continuous high-level imaging and control of each phase within the desalter, leading to enhanced separation. This led to a 44% reduction in basic sediment and water and a 50% reduction in chlorides, enhancing crude quality.
• Facilitation of preventative maintenance
  The Profiler^TM software can indicate potential build-up within the vessel, allowing for maintenance to be planned proactively. The visualisation of deposits in real-time has helped clients optimise their cleaning schedules, reducing cleanout time from three days to a few hours.
• Resilience to radiography
  Unlike some external detection systems, the Profiler^TM is radiography resilient due to its internally mounted design and collimated low-energy gamma sources. This feature reduces the need for process overrides during radiography, ensuring a seamless operation.
• Remote calibration capabilities
  The Profiler^TM supports remote calibration, allowing refiners to adjust the system while the vessel remains online. This involves analysing historical data and uploading a calibration file, resulting in very little equipment downtime to as little as 50 minutes.
• Addressing challenges of conventional instruments
  Conventional level transmitters can malfunction, leading to issues like emulsion carryover. The Profiler^TM, with its advanced algorithms and proprietary technology can compensate for pressure and temperature variations and provide accurate measurements even in the presence of process deposits. External detector systems can also struggle with accuracy when vessels are not fully flooded. The internally mounted Profiler^TM overcomes these limitations.
• Detection of foam and emulsions
  The Profiler^TM can detect foam and emulsions, allowing operators to control foam carryover and optimise the use of antifoam agents. Alarm points can be set to trigger if foam reaches critical levels.
• Insight into process density distribution
  The HMI associated with the Profiler^TM provides a clear graphical interface, offering a "window into the vessel" that allows operators to visualise the process density distribution and utilise diagnostic data. This aids in faster analysis and a greater depth of optimisation of industrial process solutions.

In summary, the Tracerco Profiler^TM enhances operational efficiency by delivering accurate, real-time multiphase measurements, improving control, optimising chemical usage, reducing downtime, and facilitating proactive maintenance. It addresses the challenges of conventional instrumentation while offering valuable measurement solutions for complex refining processes.

To learn more about how the Profiler^TM can help you make insight driven decisions to reduce operating costs, optimise effect chemicals, and improve your environmental compliance, download our latest whitepaper today.

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