BP selects SIS for UK deployment

BP's fuel storage and distribution sites in the UK will use a common overspill protection system.

By Control Engineering Staff January 7, 2009

BP has selected Emerson’s Delta V SIS (safety instrumented system) for use in its overspill protection systems throughout the UK, following a evaluation program by Trident Engineering Consultants.

The new deployment program will begin at BP’s oil terminal at Hemel Hempstead, followed by other sites throughout the UK. “We have chosen Emerson to deliver these systems because of the flexibility offered by the DeltaV SIS platform and the service and support that is available through Emerson’s network of global resources,” says Matt Atkinson, project manager for BP. “We also have the reassurance of knowing that these systems have been proven at many other critical installations worldwide.”

The tank overspill protection systems are designed to enhance existing safety measures, and guard against potential hazards resulting from an overfill accident. The new system will monitor the tank level and automatically shut off the feed to the tanks if the level reaches the high cut off limit.

Emerson says the project was awarded after it worked closely with Trident Engineering Consultants on the Hemel Hempstead project, and TAS Engineering Consultants on other ongoing projects. Emerson’s safety systems engineers will design, configure, install, and test the new systems, in compliance with the requirements of IEC61511, the international standard for safety related systems in the process industries.

Emerson characterizes its DeltaV SIS as the world’s first smart safety instrumented system. It uses predictive diagnostics capabilities to monitor the whole safety loop to make installations safer and more productive. This is based on research that attributes more than 85% of safety faults to problems in field instruments or final control elements. The system’s logic solver communicates with intelligent devices via the HART protocol to diagnose faults before they cause spurious trips, in an effort to increase SIS availability.

The new technology takes into account SIS standards that insist upon separation of control and safety functions to eliminate failures that might affect both layers of protection, while answering end-users’ desires for integrated configuration, maintenance, and operation.

—Edited by Peter Welander, process industries editor, PWelander@cfemedia.com , Process & Advanced Control Monthly eNewsletter Register here and scroll down to select your choice of free eNewsletters .