As part of the Robotic Roadmap, Tüpraş makes use of the latest digital applications for periodic control studies of oil storage tanks and for metering heights. Carrying out a pioneering practice by deploying drone cameras in risky business areas in refinery sites, the Company supports its business processes with the most advanced digital technologies, focusing on the “safety” approach, which it sees as its most fundamental value.
As part of its digital transformation journey, Tüpraş has implemented innovative and pioneering
Robots eliminate the risk of working at height
Within the scope of periodic controls of equipment reaching meters above, technical controls made by human power through lifting equipment or scaffolding are undertaken by robots equipped with visual and special sensors; A safe environment that eliminates risks is provided. In this way, the thickness of high pipelines and equipment, which are normally difficult to access, can be easily measured.
Periodic checks of Pressure Equipment and Storage Tanks are carried out with Robotic Remote Visual Inspection
In the “Remote Visual Inspection with Drone” method, a drone designed for indoor space is used, which is equipped with robotic technologies and contains control software specific to the area of use.
Pressure equipment varying in height from 5 to 40 meters and robots working instead of humans in oil storage tanks at a depth of 15-18 meters eliminate the risks and difficulties of the process by minimizing human labor in closed areas.
In the remote visual inspection study performed with the drone, high resolution images and sensor data taken from every point of the equipment in the closed area can be evaluated, and detailed examinations can be carried out with 3D modeling.
Invisible obstacles can be detected with Online Tank Robotic Control Method
In the “Online Tank Robotic Control Method”, another technology implemented within the scope of digitalization, a specially equipped and ATEX-class crawler robot allows storage tanks containing petroleum products to be controlled without being taken out of service.
Thanks to the 3D sonar, sensors and cameras on the robot, it can easily detect and overcome obstacles that may be encountered in the tank. Periodic controls of the tank bottoms, which are the most critical components of the storage tanks, which are mapped thanks to its special software, are carried out both visually and with MFL and UT technologies, which are considered the most effective methods in the world.
Tank periodic control processes, which would take an average of 7 months with the traditional method, from deactivation to re-commissioning in storage tanks, can be completed in about 1 month with the online tank robotic control method. According to the Robotic Control results, maintenance and repair works can be planned in advance without the tank being disabled.
“With the use of robotic technologies, we aim to support the human workforce with safety-oriented digital applications”
Metin Tüfekçioğlu, Director of the İzmit Refinery, gave information about the robotic field applications that were first commissioned in the İzmit Refinery and said, “Safety is our most important value. We act with the motto of ‘People First’ and ‘My Future is My Safety’ in all our business processes. We expect all our employees and solution partners to unconditionally comply with our Health, Safety, Environment (HSE) and Process Safety Standards. It is among our basic principles to ensure a safe work environment where our employees will not have to enter risky environments by making use of technology at the highest level. With the proliferation of robotic technologies in our refinery sites, our primary goal is to support the human workforce with safety-oriented digital applications. Thus, while making use of robot technologies for repetitive and risky jobs, we aim to take part in critical decision-making processes by improving the diversity of knowledge and experience and competencies of our human resources. In addition, we aim to increase efficiency and performance by saving resources and time.”
Tüfekçioğlu stated the following regarding the use of robotic labor in oil tanks and at heights that require the use of lifting equipment or scaffolding: “We are working with all our strength to implement studies that will prevent the use of physical manpower at risky points, with applications we have developed with the health of our employees in mind first. In this way, we will also prevent the signs that may escape the human eye due to the difficult conditions in the visual inspections carried out in the tanks. Also, performing objective and repeatable examinations.