US 11,988,069 B2
Predictive pressure protection system
Ahmer Irshad, Dhahran (SA); Wael F. Blaies, Dhahran (SA); and Mahdi A. Al-Dajani, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Oct. 15, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/071,720.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/036,077, filed on Jun. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0381341 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. E21B 44/06 (2006.01); E21B 34/16 (2006.01); E21B 35/00 (2006.01); F23D 14/82 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 34/16 (2013.01) [E21B 35/00 (2013.01); E21B 44/06 (2013.01); F23D 14/825 (2013.01); F23D 2900/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring petroleum facilities, the method comprising:
establishing flare sources, performance limits, and relationships between control valves and relief valves of the flare sources;
generating a flare simulator of the flare sources using piping isometric drawings, wherein the flare simulator comprises a hydraulic model that uses a network model comprising the control valves, the relief valves, and piping extracted from the piping isometric drawings;
monitoring an emergency event and filtering information for the emergency event based on a control valve limit breach;
dividing start and finish time periods of the emergency event into a plurality of cases representing smaller time frames within the emergency event, wherein each of the plurality of cases represents a sub-part of the emergency event;
determining source max loads for each case in the plurality of cases, and running each case through the flare simulator; and
determining, based on the source max loads and the running of each case through the flare simulator, performance indicators of the relief valves and of a flare during the emergency event.