Environmental Protection and Cost Savings via Automated Corrosion Monitoring
By Ron A. Welsh
Executive Summary
Rohrback Cosasco Systems, Inc. (RCS) recently provided a major corrosion solution at an industrial facility in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida region with state-of-the-art equipment to monitor corrosion automatically. The RCS solution provided unprecedented environmental protection along with complete regulatory requirement coverage and significant cost savings for the operator by proving that the low corrosion rate at the facility did not warrant the installation of costly cathodic protection systems.
Corrosion Harms our Environment
Corrosion is the leading cause of production and process equipment, storage and piping failure worldwide where industries of many types struggle with corrosion prevention, detection, maintenance and control on a daily basis.
The corrosion of pipelines, tanks, valves and other equipment utilized in the production, storage, transportation and delivery of liquids provided by such industries as the oil and gas, petrochemical, water treatment, chemical processing, public utilities, pulp and paper, and pharmaceuticals represents one of the major environmental challenges in the world today.
The Cost of Corrosion in the United States
A recent study by The National Institute of Science and Technology (www.nist.gov/) estimated that the annual cost of metallic corrosion in the United States was between US$300 and US$350 billion. The NIST study also suggests that approximately US$140 billion (~40%) of these costs could be avoided with the use of existing technologies and the introduction of proven best practices. The installation of a Rohrback Cosasco Systems remote corrosion monitoring system by Motiva Enterprise's at their Everglades East facility is a good case in point.
The huge costs associated with corrosion include; design, manufacturing and construction to minimize corrosion: material selection such as non-metallic substances, corrosion resistant alloys and stainless steel: management costs associated with all areas of corrosion prevention: coatings, inhibitors and sealants: cathodic protection and application: monitoring, testing and analysis: corrosion related maintenance (both scheduled and unscheduled) as well as plant and equipment inspection and repair. The loss of productive time by personnel and the loss or reduction of production rates as a result of corrosion are also a significant contributor to the overall costs associated with corrosion.
RCS Automated Monitoring Vs Cathodic Protection
The cost of cathodic protection (CP) is a significant factor in corrosion control. The installation RCS automated monitoring at Motiva's Everglades East facility proved that CP was not necessary due to the low corrosion rates inherent in the tanks.
The RCS automated system essentially consists of strategically placed Corrosometer® electrical resistance (ER) probes, a 4020LT Corrosometer® transmitter and CordPager®. The RCS Corrosometer® probes are placed inside the double skinned "false bottoms" of fifteen tanks used to store aviation, jet and diesel fuel. The 4020LT Corrosometer® transmitter sends automated signals containing metal loss values from the probes through the CordPager® via satellite. The data is then ready for analysis or downloading from any computer, anywhere.
The automated monitoring of the primary tank floor provides a safety margin previously unattainable with manual corrosion checks at a fraction of the cost of implementing an expensive (and in this case, totally unnecessary) CP system.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
The famously wise words of Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1456 - 1536) "prevention is better than cure" apply to many facets of life, commerce and industry, but they also seem particularly applicable to the problems corrosion cause today. Though more emphasis is (correctly) being placed generally on the prevention of corrosion than ever before, rather than treating corrosion generally as a maintenance and repair issue, it is not always scientifically possible or practical to totally prevent corrosion. In such instances the implementation of effective and immediate monitoring is the next best step in reducing or totally removing the possibility of catastrophic loss of product to the environment and in lowering overall corrosion costs. Today, with the installation of the latest in monitoring technology it is possible to detect corrosion in "real time" and on a continuous basis.
The real cost of corrosion damage to the global environment is largely incalculable. Rohrback Cosasco Systems provide systems, services and training to address these vital issues and help to protect the environment in doing so.
Rohrback Cosasco Systems
Rohrback Cosasco Systems (RCS) is the world leader in corrosion monitoring and has been so since 1950, providing solutions to monitor (and thus ultimately, to control) potential corrosion problems via RCS asset preservation, remote monitoring and field services. Rohrback recognized five decades ago that, in situations where total corrosion prevention was not possible, the only way to control corrosion was to test and monitor it's adverse effects, take action to prevent it occurring where possible and repair the damage before the loss of product could cause serious safety, production and environmental issues.
The development of cost effective, accurate and instantaneous monitoring systems became a major goal for Rohrback Cosasco research, development and engineering departments five decades ago. Today, RCS utilizes the latest technologically advanced equipment, electronics, computers and the internet to provide state-of-the-art monitoring that saves time, money and most importantly, helps to protect our environment.
Rohrback & Motiva: Solutions in Port Everglades
Motiva Enterprises LLC is an oil refining, lubricants and retail company which refines and markets gasoline to approximately 9,400 Shell-branded and Texaco-branded gasoline stations, primarily located in the eastern and southern United States. Motiva assets include three refineries with a combined capacity of 725,000 barrels per day and ownership interest in 47 refined product storage terminals with an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 19.3 million barrels.
Corrosion is obviously a major issue for Motiva, as is the protection of the environment the company operates in. Motiva is totally committed to responsible environment management in every instance and their Port Everglades East facility presented particular corrosion control challenges.
As Ken Krauter, Port Director at Port Everglades stated in an EPA paper titled "Environmental Management Systems. Systematically improving your performance": "Port Everglades operates in a sensitive environment and in an area that is very dependant on tourist-related dollars. We have to be environmentally proactive. Our EMS is formalizing our practices and establishing an operating philosophy that will sustain itself". (www.epa.gov/sectors/ports/ports_bizcase.pdf)
In line with company policies Motiva Enterprises needed an effective and totally reliable method of monitoring underside corrosion rate of the primary bottom of product tanks without having to take manual readings on a regular basis. Motiva believed their terminal operations personnel had more than enough to do without this time consuming job as well.
They chose a Rohrback Cosasco automated remote corrosion monitoring system.
The Outstanding Results
Rohrback Cosasco Systems remote monitoring services provide Motiva Enterprises with the capability to not only monitor corrosion rates but to also maximize safety and environmental protection as well as the facility's productivity. Motiva's stated aim to "continuously improve health, safety, and environmental performance" via effective corrosion monitoring was also achieved.
The RCS remote systems include installed include alarms, triggered by destructive and potentially dangerous process conditions caused by corrosion. This immediate warning system allows Motiva to respond quickly, effectively and responsibly to prevent spillage or the loss of liquids in an unprecedented way.
David Meaux, Project Coordinator, Southern Region, Motiva Enterprises, LLC stated the following at the completion of the project:
"The remote monitoring piece of this project really ties it all together. It allows us to monitor corrosion rates and thus remaining life on the tank floor to satisfy integrity assessment as well as regulatory requirements from the nearest computer. This remote acquisition process not only relieves our field personnel of the burden of obtaining required data, but the automation/ programmable aspect of the system allows us to set the level of information we need to acquire. This allows for extremely accurate data analysis.
We are pleased with the system and are appreciative of the efforts made by Rohrback Cosasco Systems".
State of the Art RCS Automated Monitoring Process
Rohrback's Port Everglades East system includes a 4020LT Corrosometer® transmitter installed adjacent to each tank. The transmitter outputs standard 4 to 20 mA analog signals through a Cord-Pager™ remote monitoring unit (RMU) elevated in an open area 5 to 10 feet away. The RMU utilizes the Cord-Pager™ to transmit metal loss values determined by measuring the electrical resistance within the Corrosometer® probe, which increases in proportion to the loss of metal as it corrodes. The data signal is then conveyed via satellite automatically on an as-needed basis and stored on a website operated and maintained by RCS. Motiva can then access the data and download for evaluation and action from any computer on the planet, at any time of the day or night.
Client Cost Savings & Environmental Benefits
On installation, the Rohrback RMS system immediately removed the need for Motiva terminal operations personnel to physically measure readings at fifteen tank farm locations on a weekly basis.
The Rohrback RMS system further provides the following specific benefits to Motiva:
Technological Monitoring Reliability
By removing reliance on fallible human attention the system provides immediate, accurate and reliable information to warn of potentially dangerous or damaging corrosion situations.
Periodic reporting on an "as needed" basis
The RMS system provides an elevated level of assessment, control and protection via the capability to monitor potential corrosion daily if required, control that could never be achieved with manual weekly measurements.
Optimized Asset Management
By continuously monitoring and reporting corrosion levels in each production or storage facility the RMS system provides management with the information needed to maximize the utilization of each asset. This assures a positive impact on production rates.
Communication from remote locations
After installation of the RMS system Motiva management now review the data and make critical safety, production and environmental decisions from anywhere at any time via any computer anywhere in the world, with secure authorized access codes of course.
Data Acquisition, Analysis & Management Reporting
Authorized users at Motiva can take readings in real time as needed and corrosion rates can be viewed with a single click of a mouse. Data can be downloaded to the user's computer to a simple spreadsheet file for further analysis and reporting.
Provision and maintenance of web servers
RCS provides and maintains all web server requirements on a continuous basis to ensure the continuity of measurement and control for the RMS system.
Safety & Regulatory Compliance
The Rohrback RMS system allows Motiva to both monitor the integrity of their equipment and stay ahead of regulatory requirements on a daily basis.
Motiva thus exceeds United States Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations pertaining to compliance in the safe usage and monitoring of tank farms containing potentially dangerous or environmentally damaging substances.
Rohrback Cosasco Systems Provide Complete Corrosion Solutions
Rohrback's remote monitoring services constitute an important part of the total corrosion solutions provided by the company.
Through an outstanding Asset Preservation Group RCS also provides fully integrated strategies to combat corrosion which erodes the value of industry assets every minute of every day. RCS Asset Preservation support includes: Corrosion surveys, Specification writing, Project planning, Project engineering, System design, System and corrosion data analysis, Education and Certification, Seminars, Articles, Technical papers and more.
RCS also takes responsibility in field situations with a very effective Field Services Division which provides turnkey corrosion monitoring systems. RCS professional teams of field engineers ensure successful project implementation and commissioning. After completion RCS sustain a high level of service with follow-up activities such as retrofits and maintenance. RCS Field Services Division provides the following critical services: System and site surveys, Installation and commissioning of RCS equipment, Corrosion monitoring system troubleshooting and repair, Coupon and probe insertion, retrieval and processing, Retrofits and hot tapping and COSASCO® System training.
RCS Automated Corrosion Monitoring = Real Environmental Protection
Rohrback Cosasco Systems are justifiably proud of their achievements in conjunction with Motiva Enterprises at Port Everglades, just as they are proud to be able to provide products, systems and services that help protect our environment.
The RCS monitoring system is now working very effectively at Motiva's Port Everglades facility, protecting our environment against corrosion with sate-of-the-art technology and RCS expertise and know-how.
Rohrback Cosasco Systems. Monitoring corrosion to protect your environment
By Ron A.Welsh
Published by RigZone global magazine
RAW Power Writing