Exploring how a digital inspection system can improve industrial processes in the absence of common regulations
In hazardous industries such as oil and gas, chemicals and petrochemicals, regulatory frameworks play a critical role in ensuring the safety and reliability of equipment.
However, some aspects, such as leak testing of valve seats, remain at the discretion of individual companies, creating a mix of regulatory oversight and corporate responsibility.
Despite some regulatory frameworks, (valve leak classes and the first EU methane regulation to reduce harmful emissions from fossil fuels), seat leak detection in the field and its frequency is typically left to the discretion of individual companies.
There are several reasons for this:
• Industrial plants have different operating conditions (pressure, temperature, types of liquids or gases). This diversity makes it difficult to establish a single standard for seat leak testing.
• Frequent and rigorous seat leak testing can be costly, both in terms of downtime and resources. Regulators ensure overall safety through standards but leave scheduling to companies to allow for flexibility.
• Using risk-based maintenance strategies, companies test valves with a higher failure rate or higher criticality more frequently. While maintaining safety standards, regulations typically support this flexibility.
The importance of seat leak testing
Despite the limited regulatory requirements for valve leak testing, it remains an important procedure for maintaining valve integrity. An estimated 5-10% of industrial valves leak internally. Valves that leak through their seat can allow an unplanned flow of a medium which can lead to safety hazards, environmental pollution, or operational inefficiencies. Leaking valves connected to a flaring system, for example, contribute to additional emissions, which the EU now also wants to regulate more strictly with the May 2024 EU Methane Regulation.
Companies that proactively perform seat leak testing can prevent costly failures and improve overall process safety to reduce emissions. To help companies test valves for leaks, i.safe Mobile and Senseven have developed a digital, and mobile inspection system called Valve Sense. The system works with acoustic emission sensors meaning leak testing can be carried out without dismantling the valves.
Valve Sense is also the first system on the market to use algorithms that automatically detect whether a valve is leaking or not. Process parameters such as pressure, medium and ambient noise are taken into account to achieve the best and most reliable results.
By analysing a broad frequency signal, the system can distinguish background noise from leakage noise in individual processes and it selects the perfect frequency range for each specific measurement. Once a leak has been identified, AI models come into play to quantify the leak size.
This digital inspection tool has been designed to be easy to use and offers companies the flexibility to test their valves quickly and as required. Using the latest data processing tools, Valve Sense helps companies to achieve more accurate results, depending on their specific operating environment and, in addition, allows them to check compliance with specific standards such as the. EN 60534-4 allowable leak rates for control valves. It also helps them reduce emissions in accordance with the EU Methane regulation.
For more information visit: www.isafe-mobile.com
