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PETROCHEMICAL, CHEMICAL & ENERGY INDUSTRY NEWS
Monitoring transient pressure variation accurately to prevent failures Talking Point
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Most plants design for steady-state pressure. But the real danger often lies in the milliseconds: surges, shocks and transients that conventional monitoring cannot capture.
xxxxx@reply-direct.com The unseen menace of transients
Pressure is one of the most measured variables in petrochemicals.
Every tank, every pipeline and every vessel is fitted with transmitters feeding data to control systems.
These readings reassure operators that systems are within design limits. But what happens in the gaps between measurements?
The reality is that most standard pressure sensors sample too slowly to catch rapid fluctuations.
A water hammer lasting just milliseconds, a flashing event in a pump or a sudden depressurisation can escape detection.
Yet these transients can fatigue metals, damage seals and trigger failures long after the event has passed. For decades, such phenomena were understood by engineers but effectively invisible to plant instrumentation.
Why transients matter now
The industry could once afford to treat pressure transients as theoretical risks. But tighter safety standards, more complex
process conditions and the integration of low- carbon fuels are making them harder to ignore.
Hydrogen embrittlement, for example, is exacerbated by pressure shocks.
Supercritical CO₂ systems are especially sensitive to flashing events. And as plants chase ever-greater efficiency, operating margins shrink, leaving less room for hidden stresses.
Regulators and insurers are beginning to notice. Some safety case reviews now ask for evidence of transient analysis, not just steady-state monitoring.
In effect, what was once a background engineering concern is moving into the compliance spotlight.
Instruments catching up
Recent advances are making it possible to capture transients in real time.
High-speed piezoelectric pressure transducers can sample thousands of times per second, recording the shape of a surge rather than missing it between readings.
Portable high-frequency loggers are being used to audit critical systems during commissioning and start-up.
In some plants, acoustic sensors are being coupled with pressure instruments to build a fuller picture of dynamic stress.
Digital twins amplify this progress. By comparing real-time data to simulated
Airmen monitor fuel pressure.
expectations, they allow operators to identify when a system has experienced abnormal stress, even if the event itself was fleeting.
Instead of waiting for cracks to appear, plants can take preventative action based on data- driven foresight.
From diagnosis to prevention
The shift from steady-state to transient monitoring changes the very role of pressure instrumentation.
Instead of acting as passive guardians of safe limits, instruments become forensic tools and early-warning systems.
A transient captured on a logger today can prevent a ruptured gasket tomorrow.
Over time, these records build a history of system stresses that can guide maintenance schedules and asset replacement with far greater precision.
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New handheld device manager now available for hazardous areas Measurement and Testing
Part of ABB’s device management portfolio, Smart Device Manager builds on the company’s existing Field Information Manager (FIM) software, combining cybersecurity- enabled hardware with scalable Windows- based functionality. This built-in protection helps secure sensitive device data, reduces exposure to cyber threats from unsupported legacy systems, and safeguards plant operations against unplanned downtime.
ABB has extended the capabilities of its ABB Ability ™ Smart Device Manager – a universal handheld configurator for field instrumentation – by certifying it for use in hazardous areas. Smart Device Manager supports configuration, commissioning, diagnostics and maintenance of process instrumentation in oil & gas, chemical and other industries where safety, efficiency and reliability are critical.
“Our Smart Device Manager addresses long-standing challenges in industrial device management,” said Manjus Manu from ABB’s Measurement & Analytics division. “From outdated configurators to fragmented workflows and limited protocol support, the industry has needed a solution that is comprehensive, secure and easy to use. With its newly extended certification for hazardous areas, Smart Device Manager is a scalable and future-ready tool that allows operators to configure and maintain
devices quickly and safely even in the most demanding environments.”
Smart Device Manager enables plant operators, maintenance teams and instrumentation technicians to scan, identify and gain access to field devices in under three minutes, cutting configuration times approximately by half even in high-risk hazardous environments where time spent on- site must be minimised for safety.
By bridging the gap between legacy systems and modern digital workflows, Smart Device Manager helps plants overcome challenges such as limited vendor support, high maintenance costs, and lack of documentation. Operators benefit from a single, intuitive interface that can manage legacy and new devices alike, while also enabling remote support and future feature upgrades without requiring new hardware.
Unlike conventional configurators, Smart
Device Manager is certified for both general purpose use and in Zone-1 hazardous areas. It is a vendor-agnostic solution, supporting ABB and third-party instruments across multiple communication protocols, including HART, Profibus, Profinet, OPC-UA, and Ethernet- APL. The optional Power-Loop feature allows devices to be powered directly from Smart Device Manager, making bench-top testing and field commissioning faster and simpler without external power sources.
Smart Device Manager is designed to simplify device management while reducing the total cost of ownership. Offline templates, universal device libraries, and auto-updating drivers minimise the time and effort required for commissioning and maintenance.
More information online:
ilmt.co/PL/0KvA 66034pr@reply-direct.com
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