In an exclusive interview with Fluor, our editorial team sat down with Vincent Mezzano and David Hoeppner to explore the world of instrumentation, measurement, and automation through the lens of a leading engineering, procurement, and construction company.
By Madeline McNabb & Christian Borrmann
Vincent Mezzano began his career at Fluor in 1987, where he started out as a designer on a drafting board, doing power grounding and lighting. Before computer-based design tools like SmartPlant Instrumentation, engineers like Mr. Mezzano had to learn the hands-on process of physical drafting. At the time, when designs were drawn by hand and graphics were pixel based, Mr. Mezzano learned programming and creating graphic displays, as well as wiring, grounding, and lighting. This sort of training allowed engineers to learn the entire process, from design to instrumentation field wiring to control system. Long term, this is beneficial for engineers in understanding what they are producing and how it will affect other people.
These days, Mr. Mezzano is the control systems senior fellow at Fluor, specializing in control valves, on/off valves and relief devices, along with other instrumentation. With his all-encompassing training and experience, Mr. Mezzano has the knowledge to answer tough questions on various projects, both within his department and for other departments that need technical information.
Mr. Mezzano works with people such as David Hoeppner, who is the control systems global functional process lead at Fluor. Together, Mr. Mezzano and Mr. Hoeppner work across control systems that impact many Fluor offices and projects.
Flexibility in complex projects
As a leader in the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) industries, Fluor partners with clients on some of the world’s most technically and logistically complex projects. Mr. Mezzano is currently working on a world-class ethylene project, which stands out due to the significant involvement of the clients in the sizing and selection of the instruments. “Normally, we are the technical authority, we do the sizing and advise on the appropriate technology to be used for the application,” explains Mr. Mezzano. “On other projects, we are the ones who select the instrument. With this one, the client has the responsibility of doing that.” In this case, Fluor does the specification sheets for the client, communicating between the process leads, the technology representatives for the client, and the client counterparts.
In another recent project, Fluor and another company developed and constructed one of the world’s first floating LNG facilities on three rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Fluor did the sizing and selection for this project, choosing the right instrument for the right application. “That is normally what people hire us for: our expertise in large projects. Fluor is known worldwide for executing large, fast-track, high risk projects,” Mr. Mezzano continues.
The ethylene project and the LNG project are examples of the two extremes that Fluor encounters. In some cases, a client wants to have complete control over the project, implementing their own procedures and specifications. In other cases, the client relies on Fluor as the technical authority on sizing, instrumentation, and proper technology. “As an EPC, based on our client and our contract, we have to be flexible,” says Mr. Hoeppner.
Technological advancements
Technology is constantly evolving, evidenced by the move from fieldbus to ethernet-based systems. “Advancements in technology make the process control industry much more efficient and more accurate,” asserts Mr. Mezzano. Twenty years ago, with the introduction of fieldbus systems, suppliers tried to universalize the protocol. “They tried to bring the control from inside the system itself, which is away from the process.” With fieldbus technology, control was at the device level, and it did not matter who manufactured the device. However, the wiring methods were specific, and you could not overload the system. “Now we are heading toward an ethernet-based system where you can plug in the device. As long as the device speaks in ethernet protocol, we will bring the wires in and we will be able to use anyone’s device to get the information,” says Mr. Mezzano. The turn of technology toward ethernet means that “every job is different, and you can use different devices at different applications. Twenty, thirty years ago, you couldn’t. Now you can.”
In some cases, wireless technology is the best fit. For example, with the right infrastructure, wireless level measurement in farm applications is a logical solution. Corrosion coupon monitoring is another example, where clips are placed inside the pipe or welded on, and the wireless gateway is connected. “We find feasible applications for wireless technology,” says Mr. Mezzano. However, wireless technology is not always the best option. In cases where the scan rate is critical, traditional wired transmitters are preferred, as wireless devices may deplete their batteries within a few months. “Is wireless truly needed for the operation and maintenance of the facility?” is an important question to consider. The decision to apply new technology must always be thoroughly evaluated.
Automation and instrumentation
With the rise in automation and advances in technology of control systems, accurate and reliable instrumentation is more important than ever. Clients want to reduce operating costs and automate more, which means more instrumentation. By eliminating the staff on the ground who make daily rounds to read the pressure or temperature gauges, instruments become a necessity. “We need to have more of these signals coming into the operation system for that operator sitting at the desk to control and maintain the facility,” says Mr. Hoeppner. Relying on instrumentation so extensively means that engineering must be exact, and that is where Fluor comes in as the technical authority to fit for purpose.
Automation and instrumentation are important not only in new facilities, but also to update facilities that already exist. “Vince and I have been engaged in a lot of those projects where we are going back in and re-instrumenting them with new technology and bringing them up to date. If they do not have the capital cost projects, the new projects, they are optimizing what they have existing right now. And the best way to do that is through the new technology of instrumentation,” explains Mr. Mezzano.
Whether the project entails updating pre-existing facilities or fitting instrumentation for new facilities, safety is of utmost importance, and a major concern for Fluor. “Safety is first and foremost in our engineering and design, so it is only Tier 1 suppliers that we deal with,” Mr. Hoeppner emphasizes. “We control the process, and we have to make sure that process runs safely, and it is done through instrumentation.”
Data-driven execution and standardization
Clients have their own ways of utilizing technology and data. For example, digital twin is a hot topic among clients. The challenge with digital twin, according to Mr. Hoeppner, is that “all the data does not reside in the model. There are a lot of different engineering tools, from process all the way down to control systems, that we use.” Mr. Hoeppner goes on to share that Fluor is working on “aligning that data to be able to flow between engineering tools.” As it stands now, “all the data, from process simulations through to configuration at the back end, does not exist in a consistent, standardized manner. We at Fluor are really focused on integrating all our internal data.”
By integrating the data, clients can use it to do predictive maintenance and optimize their processes to get maximum output. Furthermore, clients can understand more about the machinery they have installed and answer questions like, “Are they killing a compressor faster? What is the lifespan of that compressor based on what simulation they are running?” Through the work that Fluor is doing to standardize data, clients can do their own analysis for optimization while also returning data to Fluor to further their own design and engineering.
Instances such as the ethylene project highlight the challenges of standardization within the industry. “It is tricky because clients all have their own ways of doing the same thing,” comments Mr. Mezzano. Some clients, such as the one for the ethylene project, have their own system that they use to size and select the instruments. In such cases, Fluor will wire that client’s field device to their specific control system. Mr. Mezzano explains that these clients “may be able to strip the information off the DCS or SIS because they have certain proprietary protocols, they can bring in.”
However, not all clients use their own devices and systems, which is why standardizing the data is so crucial. As Mr. Hoeppner points out, standardization is “something as simple as units of measurement.” Especially with the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), standardization will be the key to capturing accurate data. “If AI goes out and pulls all this information and the units of measure do not align with something else that it is also pulling, right off the bat you have an error in engineering data,” Mr. Hoeppner explains. Standardization is the way forward for reliable and accurate measurement in the years to come.
Advancing cybersecurity
As instrumentation and technology evolve, cybersecurity for industrial automation is becoming increasingly relevant. Fluor is placing a concerted effort on cybersecurity advancements: “Any equipment that can touch the outside Internet of Things, we are putting safeguards, practices, and requirements in place to make sure that, if there is an infiltration, they cannot get into the process control system or the SIS system and change parameters unknowingly to the operations and cause havoc,” Mr. Hoeppner discloses. Fluor implements a variety of automation systems and ensures proper zoning to further combat cybersecurity attacks and protect against malicious uses of advancements in technology. Fluor’s commitment to safety and efficiency amid advancing technologies ensures that they remain at the forefront of the EPC sector, delivering solutions that meet the evolving needs of their clients and the industry.
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