Case Study

Fermentation Tank Farm DeltaV Mechanical & Controls Upgrades

Challenge:

A leading global pharmaceutical/biotech company and a Fortune 100 top employer needed to evaluate several tank farms with regards to their process design as well as convert their process controls from one system to another. The tank farms had undergone field work over time that had not been documented and the client needed to better understand the existing conditions.

Solution:

Valdes worked with the client to review piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) for each system and performed walkdowns to validate their accuracy and summarize the instrumentation and control valves. Valdes also reviewed the operational philosophy/design change recommendations with client stakeholders. This included overfill protections, hi/low level interlocks, spill detection, environmental/LEL remediation and human error risk remediation to prevent cross-contamination and incorrect system line-up. There were obsolete instruments found within the tank farms and Valdes identified them and made recommendations for their replacements. An evaluation of existing manual valves was necessary, as well, and Valdes recommended and detailed the implementation of automation of manual valves in accordance with the process evaluation.

Impact:

Valdes performed the front-end engineering and design to evaluate and design integrated tank farm vessel instrumentation, monitoring, and automated protections to provide safe uninterrupted service. Valdes also coordinated with the vendor to define and execute the Provox to DeltaV conversion to update the process controls.

SERVICES: