Comperj (Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Complex) will be one of the largest Fieldbus Foundation refineries in the world, with an installed capacity in the first phase of 165,000 barrels per day. One of the main units of this plant corresponds to the hydrotreatment unit for middle distillates and aviation kerosene, under the responsibility of the QGGI Consortium, formed by the companies Queiroz Galvão, Galvão Engenharia and IESA. This package has a global value of around one billion reais.
One of the safety-critical elements of this unit are the emergency valve actuators. These devices must achieve a high degree of reliability to guarantee operation, even in the event of fire or operational risk to the plant.
The choice of the QGGI Consortium fell on Rotork's Skilmatic electro-hydraulic actuators. These actuators have the diagnostic features and ease of operation of an electric actuator, including Fieldbus Foundation communication capability, standard for every Comperj plant.
In fact, these actuators have the same features found in their electrical counterparts. Among these facilities
we can highlight:
1) Partial stroke – ability to bring the actuator and valve assembly to a pre-defined position for the purpose
to test the equipment's ability to move and ensure its reliability.
2) Pressure curve – ability to monitor the equipment pressure and thus the force required to open and close the valve. Comparing the efforts required at different times of the valve's operating interval allows defining intervention points for predictive maintenance, increasing equipment availability time.
In parallel, Skilmatic actuators have an emergency actuation system that operates independently.
of the electrical system. This emergency system is SIL3 certified and meets all the strict requirements imposed by Petrobras. The Skilmatic actuator has a dual system of solenoids that are used for emergency operation. These solenoids are inserted inside the actuator housing and are cooled with the hydraulic fluid itself. In this way, there is no
risk of fluid contamination or solenoid overheating, which can occur in other emergency actuation alternatives.
The solenoid used for this actuator was specially developed for this type of application. In addition to certification
SIL3, the solenoid is of the direct acting type, that is, the fluid passage area is integral. This ensures greater reliability
in operation, compared to piloted-type solenoids used in some other equipment available on the market.
The Skilmatic actuators that are being supplied to Comperj will ensure a high degree of reliability
and safety to the operations of the middle distillates and aviation kerosene hydrotreatment unit. Like insurance, the idea is that these actuators never have to be activated. However, it is essential that, if they are needed, the client can be sure that he can count on them.