NSERC’s Awards Database
Award Details

Development of a strategy for alarm management in petroleum refinery

Research Details
Application Id: 536686-2018
Competition Year: 2018 Fiscal Year: 2018-2019
Project Lead Name: Imtiaz, Syed Institution: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Department: Engineering and Applied Science, Faculty of Province: Newfoundland and Labrador
Award Amount: $12,498 Installment: 1 - 1
Program: Engage Plus Grants Program Selection Committee: Atlantic Internal Decision Committee
Research Subject: Chemical engineering Area of Application: Engineering
Co-Researchers: No Co-Researcher Partners: North Atlantic Refining Limited
Award Summary

This project is an extension of an alarm management project between NARL Refining LP and Memorial**University. In the first phase of the project, funded by NSERC Engage, an alarm analysis tool "AlarmSoft" was**developed. The goal of the project is to further develop the tool to incorporate features to analyze the root cause**of an alarm, and integrate the alarm analysis tool to the overall alarm management strategy of NARL. The**newly developed alarm management methodology will be implemented to the crude distillation unit of the**refinery and its impact on the alarm system will be evaluated. Through this project we hope to develop an**advanced alarm analysis tool and an alarm management methodology that is efficient as well, feasible from an**application point. Improvement in the alarm management system has the potential of improving the**productivity of the plant by 3-5%. It addition to benefiting NARL directly, this project will contribute**significantly to technology development. There is currently a lack of field tested alarm management software in**the process industries. The new generation alarm management system has the potential to be developed as a**marketable product which can add significant revenue to Canadian economy. It will make Canadian Oil & Gas**industries safer, and save lives.