TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Before we start
• Akselos Assessments and Reports Deployment: Get Started
  • What is an Engineering Assessment?
  • How does your Input sensor data flow in Akselos Engineering Assessment Types?
  • Manage accessibility to an Assessment Dashboard Report
• Summary

Before we start

This article targets project managers and operators working with Downstream assets and building dashboard reports with Akselos. This article will offer information to:

• Gain a clear understanding of Akselos's products (Simulation Model, Applet, and Dashboard Report), recognize their respective functionalities and how they contribute to engineering assessments.
• Explore three specific engineering assessments conducted by Akselos across different asset types: Coke Drum, Reactor and SMR (Steam Methane Reformer).
• Obtain insights into the overall deployment strategy of Akselos's tools for conducting engineering assessments.
• Understand the importance of controlling access to sensitive engineering assessment data and learn how to use the Akselos Account to manage accessibility to Assessment Dashboard Reports.

To begin with:

• Have you registered for an Akselos account yet? Find out more in Sign up an Akselos Account article.
• Have you got access yet to the CustomerTrainingLIB Organization on Akselos Dashboard? There are many sample simulation models and Dashboard Reports ready for you to explore!

Please reach out to our support team at [email protected] to be granted access to any sample collections within our Library on the Akselos Portal.

Akselos Assessments and Reports Deployment: Get Started

What is an Engineering Assessment?

An engineering assessment is a systematic evaluation process conducted by engineers to analyze, review, and verify the technical and operational aspects of a system or an asset as per industry codes and standards. The primary objective is to ensure that the system or asset meets specified requirements, functions correctly and efficiently. 

Engineers need such assessment for several critical reasons:

• Safety Assurance: Engineering assessments help identify potential safety hazards in systems, structures, or processes. By pinpointing deficiencies and risks, engineers can take proactive measures to prevent accidents, ensuring the safety of users, operators, and the public.
• Compliance with Standards and Regulations: Many industries have stringent regulatory requirements and standards that must be met. Engineering assessments ensure that designs, constructions, and operations comply with these regulations, avoiding legal issues and penalties.
• Performance Optimization: Assessments provide insights into how well a system or structure performs under current conditions. Engineers can identify inefficiencies or areas where performance can be improved, leading to more efficient and cost-effective operations.
• Preventive Maintenance: Regular engineering assessments help in the early detection of wear and tear, deterioration, or potential failure points. This allows for timely maintenance and repairs, preventing costly downtime and extending the lifespan of equipment and structures.
• Risk Management: By evaluating potential risks and their impacts, engineers can develop strategies to mitigate those risks. This is crucial for managing the safety, financial, and operational risks associated with engineering projects.

Akselos offers a multitude of different Engineering assessment as follows:

• Fatigue Assessment for Coke Drum:
  • Monitor Coker Drum status in operational condition: Within the complexity of the coking procedure, simulate and capture critical behaviors/locations of the Coke Drum using a Digital Twin solution.
  • Fatigue analysis and Life extension: By applying the API 579 Fatigue assessment procedure, calculate damages and predict life, then provide this information to the operational team for inspection or maintenance plan scheduling.

Figure 1: Akselos Fatigue Assessment for Coke Drum

• Minimum Pressurization Temperature (MPT) Assessment for Reactor: Live monitoring of MPT analysis during planned or unplanned startups and shutdowns of the Reactor.

Figure 2: Akselos MPT Assessment for Reactor

• Creep Assessment for Steam Methane Reformer (SMR):
  • Developed a special creep model verified with scientific paper and peer-reviewed by Subject Master Experts.
  • Performed creep analysis for SMR models in different configurations.
  • Created an Applet for user input and auto-report generation on creep life assessment.

Figure 3: Akselos Creep Assessment for SMR

How does Akselos do it?

Below figure describes the process of how Akselos receives input data from customers, builds a Digital Twin Model, updates it with as-is data, performs assessments on it, and finally deploys the results as an interactive dashboard report to customers.

Figure 4: Akselos Engineering Assessment Flow

The above flow is divided into following phases:

• Phase 0: Design, operation & sensor data with required Engineering Assessment of the real asset are provided to Akselos by customers.
• Phase 1: Design and operation data are used to build 3D model of the asset. 
• Phase 2: As-built model of the asset is constructed utilizing created 3D model and Akselos simulation software. 
• Phase 3: The collected sensor data is integrated to as-built model and now the model is updated into as-is model. 
• Phase 4: Required Engineering Assessment is performed on the as-is model then assessment results are updated and visualized on the Interactive Report.

Description of information included in the Akselos Engineering Assessment Flow are: 

• Design data: technical data of actual structure such as 2D drawings of the assets, materials properties, etc...
• Operation data: operation conditions which the structure is working under. 
• Sensor data: technical data recorded with sensors on the structure, streamed and analysed directly automatically into the simulation model on the Cloud.
• Engineering Assessment: will be run on the asset such as Fatigue analysis or Creep Assessment as per Customer’s request based on specific industry code or standard.
• As-built model: Akselos engineers assemble the simulation model with its temperature-dependent material properties along with the loading configurations and predefined boundary conditions.
• As-is model: The simulation model is now available on the Cloud, and the loading data are configured to automatically stream onto the simulation model to make it ready for near real-time analysis.
• Interactive Report: which is the end product of the Engineering Assessment Flow that shows Assessment results and sensor input data.

Akselos has 3 products for an Engineering Assessment which are:

• Simulation model: consists of as-built and as-is models.

Figure 5: A Reactor simulation model

• Applet: for users to manually control information related to the simulation model or perform a specific analysis such as Fatigue Assessment for Coke Drum on a single operation cycle.

Figure 6: An Applet of Fatigue Assessment for Coke Drum

• Interactive Report: with data streamed from our solver, allows operators and engineers to view, interact with, and examine the asset status. This is where Akselos's customers primarily interact to see simulation results visualized, such as the accumulated fatigue damage on the Coke Drum or the calculated fatigue life remaining of the asset.

Figure 7: An Coke Drum Interactive Report on Akselos Dashboard

How does your Input sensor data flow in Akselos Engineering Assessment Types?

Types of input data

There are 4 types of input data required for Akselos Engineering Assessment:

• Design data: technical data of actual structure such as design 2D/3D CAD drawings of the assets, specifications like weld lines properties, materials, design loads, etc... 
• Operation data: operation conditions which the structure is working under, for instance, performance metrics or condition indicators. Operation and design data are used to build as-built model of the asset. 
• Sensor data: technical data recorded with sensors on the structure, streamed and analysed directly automatically into the simulation model on the Cloud. Sensor data is incorporated into as-built model to construct as-is model as historical or live formats and consists of:
  • Temperature Sensors: Installed inside and outside the asset, these sensors record the temperature of the environment and the asset during operation. 
  • Pressure Sensors: Installed in the pipe systems or inside the asset, these sensor record the pressure of Gas or Liquid affect on the asset during operation.
• Engineering Assessment information: Engineering Assessment type, specified industry code or standard to apply and required input with output.

Figure 8: Input data of Akselos Engineering Assessment

Data Flow

The below figure illustrates data flow of an Akselos Engineering Assessment from asset data to user’s end product which is the Interactive Report. 

Figure 9: Data Flow of Akselos Engineering Assessment

The above data flow consists of following phases:

• Collect asset data: Akselos engineers gather design and operation data, such as geometry (2D drawings/3D models), weld segments, material properties, etc., from design documents and drawings to componentize and build a meshed version of the asset using pre-processing softwares. Engineering Assessment information such as type, applied code or standard, required input and output… is also collected.
• Use design & operation data to build simulation model: Akselos engineers assemble the simulation model of the asset in Akselos Modeler, incorporating its geometry, material properties data, etc… along with the loading configurations and predefined boundary conditions data. After that, the simulation model is uploaded to the Cloud.
• Update real-time data: The asset simulation model is now available on the Cloud then sensor data is configured to automatically stream onto the simulation model to make it ready for real-time analysis. There are 2 types of sensor data:
  • Historical data: manually input for period-specific examination as desire by engineers. Historical data are uploaded on Assessment Applet then analysis is performed. Below is an example of an Applet to run Fatigue Assessment on Coke Drum for a single operation cycle with manual uploaded data of temperature, pressures, fill levels and mixture densities. The output is a PDF Fatigue report for further study and review.

Figure 10: An Applet to run Fatigue Assessment on Coke Drum for a single operation cycle

• Live data: automatically feeds into the simulation model and perform the analysis. Live data is streamed automatically in data servers connection between customers and Akselos.
• Results and input data visualization: When live data is connected to the Cloud and the assessment is automatically performed, the final product being the Dashboard report, is deployed on the Akselos Dashboard, ready for users to view and interact with assessment results and live input data. Following is an Coke Drum Fatigue Assessment Report sample for multiple operation cycles with live sensor data of temperature, pressures, fill levels and mixture densities streamed automatically from customer’s data server.

Figure 11: A Coke Drum Fatigue Assessment Report for multiple operation cycles

Akselos Platforms Deployment for an Assessment

Below figure shows subsequent stages of Akselos Engineering Assessment Flow and the platform used in each stage. 

Figure 12: Utilized platforms of Akselos Engineering Assessment Flow

Descriptions of above platforms:

• Pre-processing tools: Engineers can use any familiar CAD and mesh tools at this stage, as long as the file meets the requirements and provided standards. Akselos engineers handle this phase of production by creating a digital representation of the asset.
• Akselos Modeler: is the simulation software where the asset is assembled and the configurations, such as loads and boundary conditions, are applied according to the design and operation data. Simulation model, 1 of 3 Akselos’s products for Engineering Assessment, is stored here. 
• Akselos Cloud: is cloud-based solvers where the model data is stored and analysis is performed. This platform is also used to store and exchange project data with customers. 
• Akselos Dashboard: is a web-based interface designed for assets monitoring, managing cloud jobs and collaborating on data. This is where Applet and Interactive Report, 2 of 3 Akselos’s products for Engineering Assessment, deployed for Customers to use.

Manage accessibility to an Assessment Dashboard Report

Assessment Dashboard Report is 1 of 3 Akselos’s products for an Engineering Assessment and the key delivery to customers. This is where customers primarily interact to see assessment results visualized and view live sensor input data. There are some sample Dashboard Reports on CustomerTrainingLIB Organization of Akselos Dashboard.

Figure 13: Some sample Assessment Reports on Akselos Dashboard

Below figure is an example of Minimum Pressurization Temperature (MPT) Assessment Dashboard Report for Reactor with live input data. On this Dashboard Report, users can view and interact with:

• Temperature data: measured by temperature sensors spread around the reactor. The sensors record the temperature fluctuations of the reactor during normal operation cycles. The graph displays a detailed log of temperature readings from all 10 sensors, along with their respective recording times. 
• Inlet Pressure data: measured by a pressure sensor located in the inlet pipe. The sensor measures the internal pressure fluctuation of the tank during normal operation cycles. The graph depicts a log of each recorded Inlet Pressure alongside its corresponding occurrence time.
• Maximum Utilization Factor: With live Pressure and Temperature continuously streaming into the simulation model, Akselos Cloud conducts analysis and provides the maximum Utilization Factor every 5 minutes. These graphs and figures are designed to help engineers promptly identify the position with the highest value. 
• Location with Maximum Utilization Factor: show the position and value of the highest Utilization Factor, aiding engineers in swiftly identifying the location on the asset.

Figure 14: MPT Assessment Dashboard Report for Reactor

If you can not access the above CustomerTrainingLIB Organization on Akselos Dashboard, please contact our Support team at [email protected] to be granted access.

Akselos Dashboard data structure

Monitoring the Access Permissions for team members is a crucial part of an Operation Manager. Below enlists meanings of data available to be accessed and access levels on Akselos Dashboard. Operation Manager should decide each member's access level based on the information provided below.

Following figures demonstrate data structure available on Akselos Dashboard.

Figure 15: Data items on Akselos Dashboard

Figure 16: Data structure diagram on Akselos Dashboard

Description of each data item in the above figures:

• Organization: a workspace tailored for a group of users in the same company where the data is stored and shared internally.
• Repository: A storage area capable of accommodating diverse data, materials, and content (such as documents, videos, images, and reports) that is unrelated to collection data.
• Folder: A space to create many levels of data, such as repositories, collections or sub-folders within. 
• Collection: A specialize space designed to contain the data of a simulation model or a Digital Twin, and the tools related to it.

Types of access permissions

There are 3 types of access level on Akselos Dashboard:

• Read: allows users to view simulation data, sensor data, assessments on Applet, download and import the model to the local computer through Akselos Modeler, perform analysis, but cannot commit any changes to the cloud.
• Write: allows users to view and make changes to the simulation model data, use the assessment and interact with the dashboard report.
• Admin: allows users to:
  • Set the access permissions of other users, so it is usually reserved for operators.
  • View and modify simulation data, sensor data and assessments on Applet
  • Organize the files within users’ organization
  • View and interact with Dashboard Report

Figure 17: 3 Access Levels on Akselos Dashboard

Here is an example of how Reactor project managers can manage different group of users on an Organization of Akselos Dashboard where the MPT Assessment Report is deployed:

• For Operation engineers who oversees the asset status to promptly make maintenance decisions, they should be granted “Read” access to view and interact with the Dashboard Report for essential positions and sensor data through the heat-up and cool-down process.
• For Inspection engineers who monitor the temperature and pressure sensor data with update Reactor simulation model, they should be granted “Write” access to use the MPT Applet which allows them to update the simulation model.
• Project managers with “Admin” access can add new users, remove existing users and grant access for other users on the Organization.

Capabilities of 3 above Access Levels corresponding to Engineering Assessment data are:

Summary

In this article, there are:

• 3 Engineering Assessments examples that Akselos has performed for different assets:
  • Fatigue Assessment for Coke Drum
  • Minimum Pressurization Temperature Assessment for Reactor
  • Creep Assessment for Steam Methane Reformer
• Definitions, applications and overall deployment of Akselos's Simulation Model, Applet and Dashboard Report into the framework of an Engineering Assessment. 
• 3 access levels and corresponding user capabilities to Engineering Assessment data on Akselos Dashboard.

Read More

• Akselos Dashboard for New Users
• Manage Data Access permission for Admins on Akselos Dashboard