When dealing with equipment failure, it is best to review all evidence to determine the root cause.
For over 30 years, KnightHawk Engineering has performed Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) across various equipment in the O&G and petrochemical industries. Often, preliminary data and incoming files from the client lead to further investigation in the field. This can occur when initial data is not reconciled or the analysis of given data results in a hypothesis formed that must be confirmed with conclusive measurements. Over the many years of experience in RCFA, we have learned a few key aspects that span across most field service jobs.
Designed testing equals insightful data
As advanced as technology has become, a simple "plug-and-play" approach isn’t the ideal solution for testing and field measurements in RCFA. Prior experience, a well-designed test plan and careful post-test data reduction are key in testing a hypothesis. Taking experience into account, strategically designing a test protocol for data acquisition and analysis is essential. Simply placing an accelerometer on a pipe without taking careful consideration of the test goals would result in insignificant data. When tasked with planning field service analysis for RCFA investigations, having a holistic, multi-physics approach is the best way of proving a hypothesis.
Adaptability is crucial
Often in field service jobs, adapting to new information when arriving onsite is detrimental to getting the job done. While planning is crucially important, being able to adapt to unexpected situations and still gathering useful data is essential. For example, you may arrive on-site at a job on the other side of the world and the insulation is not removed for access to a particular part of a transfer line exchanger. You explain this to the unit supervisor, yet no one is available to build the scaffold necessary to remove the insulation and the supervisor insists that it wasn’t a part of the testing plan. Time is of the essence as you have a permit to travel and cannot stay longer than three days due to unforeseen travel restrictions. The pressure is on, and you still need to get the job done. What do you do?
KnightHawk Engineering’s dispatched team is in frequent communication with the Houston headquarters. When problems arise in data acquisition or accessibility of equipment, the Houston team of engineers quickly works on a solution to solve the problem in tandem with those in the field. Our jobs often require decisive and accurate decisions to be made for field work on tight deadlines. If critical equipment fails and the stakes are high, communicating with expert engineers is paramount.
Observe and ask questions
You have a well thought out test protocol and have considered different possibilities of what and where measurements need to be taken, but is that all? Hardly. Arriving onsite with tunnel vision to simply "do what you’re told" greatly reduces the opportunity in RCFA investigations. To arrive at the root cause of the problem, you need to adopt an intentional curiosity when arriving onsite, just like Dr. House, the TV doctor from the popular medical drama series ‘House,’ who approached the differential diagnosis and evaluation of his patients with an inquisitive mind. You are there to prove or disprove a hypothesis, but everything you observe is important. For instance, if you are investigating a turboexpander impeller failure, it is important to not only examine the impeller itself but also the upstream control valve and inlet piping conditions. By remaining observant and inquisitive, you may discover contributing factors that were not initially considered and ultimately arrive at the root cause of the problem.
Takeaway
These are just a few key points learned from years of experience in both field service and RCFA. KnightHawk Engineering is the one-stop-shop for your engineering needs. Equipped with specialty engineering at the Houston headquarters — a materials lab with an expert metallurgical team and field service engineers ready to be dispatched around the world, we are ready for your call to assist with your plant’s critical equipment needs.
For more information, visit knighthawk.com.
