Plant Personnel Research Articles

Comprehensive Strategies for Addressing Tube and Tubesheet Joint Leaks in Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

Heat exchanger tube leakage severely affects the ability of the heat exchanger to maintain its process temperature and energy efficiency. A comprehensive strategy for heat exchanger repair is presented, focusing on addressing leaks of varying types and locations within the tubesheet. The approach considers the historical context of recurring leaks to formulate repair decisions effectively. Techniques such as tube plugging, installation of weld plug, and double plug for tubesheet joint leaks are demonstrated. Moreover, the implementation of individual tube hydro testing and insurance plugging is highlighted to ensure sustained heat exchanger functionality. A novel aspect of this paper is the inclusion of a decision-making flowchart, offering practical guidance to plant personnel encountering diverse leak scenarios in the industrial process. By integrating historical data and considering leak specifics, plant maintenance teams can streamline repair processes, thereby optimizing heat exchanger performance and longevity in various industrial applications.

Method for Calculating the Unbalanced Current in Ungrounded Double Wye C-Type Harmonic Filters

This paper presents a methodology to calculate the neutral unbalanced current in C-type filters with an ungrounded double Wye topology; this equipment is widely used in the steel sector to mitigate the harmonic content in electrical installations caused by electric furnaces used in metal smelting processes. A common failure in these filters is the current unbalance caused by the degradation of the capacitor and inductor modules, leading to dangerous surges that affect these components, possible harmonic resonances, and deficient filtering by the equipment. Currently, there are no documented strategies for calculating the neutral current that allow for the proper adjustment of neutral protection in this type of equipment, resulting in catastrophic failures, costly unscheduled shutdowns, and potential harm to plant personnel. In this paper, we propose a methodology for calculating the unbalanced current in double Wye C-type harmonic filters, considering the natural degradation of capacitor and inductor modules and based on on-site measurements of the impedances for each element of the equipment. This allows for the predictive maintenance of these devices and the precise adjustment of neutral overcurrent protection. First, we review the operating principle of C-type harmonic filters and the neutral protection scheme. Then, the calculation methodology is proposed and validated in two practical case studies. In the first case, a 45 Mvar C-type second harmonic filter connected to a 34.5 kV bus is analyzed. In the second case, an 18.5 Mvar C-type second harmonic filter, part of a ±80 Mvar STATCOM system, connected to a 34.5 kV bus is examined. In both cases, these filters reduce the harmonic content in two steel plants: the first connected to a 400 kV bus and the second to a 230 kV bus. The results obtained with the proposed methodology were implemented in the protection device for a neutral current imbalance, considering different degradation values of the capacitors, and compared with the manufacturer’s suggested settings. The discussion highlights the good performance of the proposed methodology, particularly in terms of the protection device’s response speed to a risky unbalanced current.

Trends in Exposure to Respirable Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica Among Lithium Mine Workers in Western Australia

BackgroundExposure to respirable dust (RES) and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is common in mining operations and is associated with health effects such as pneumoconiosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, silicosis, lung cancer, and renal disease. MethodsThis study used industry occupational exposure data for respirable dust from two surface lithium mines in Western Australia for the period between 2017 and 2023. A total of 1122 samples were collected in workgroups across four departments - administration and support, mining, crushing and processing, and maintenance. ResultsThe study found that the overall RES concentration did not exceed the exposure standard. However, Crusher Dry/Wet Plant Personnel (0.558 mg/m3) and Workshop Boilermakers (0.842 mg/m3) recorded elevated exposure to RES. The highest mean exposures for RCS over the seven-year study period were measured for Management Administration & Technical (0.068 mg/m3), followed by Crusher Dry/Wet Plant Personnel (0.042 mg/m3), exceeding the ES. Maximum results for both RES (15.00 mg/m3) and RCS (2.50 mg/m3) indicated exceedances. ConclusionThe study demonstrated a decline in exposure to RES over the seven years of study from 0.472 mg/m3 to 0.151 mg/m3, with a slight increase in 2019 and 2022. A decline in the concentration of RCS was observed between 2019 -2021, followed by an increase after 2021. The mean concentration of RCS exceeded the exposure standard in 2023. Based on the study results and the established adverse health effects associated with exposure to silica, various control measuresto protect workers from RCS exposure should be considered.

Smoking-YOLOv8: a novel smoking detection algorithm for chemical plant personnel

Smoking-YOLOv8: a novel smoking detection algorithm for chemical plant personnel

A Field Test Study on the Instability of a Pump-Turbine under Turbine Mode

Abstract In the context of increasing demand for flexible operation of hydropower plants, this study analyses the factors leading to instability in a prototype pump turbine under turbine mode, based on experimental data collected on-site. Pressure sensors and accelerometers were installed to compare pressure signals and vibration acceleration signals. The test results show that the characteristics of pressure fluctuation are dominated by three specific factors under different output power. Vibration reaches its maximum value at approximately 30% of the rated output and its minimum value at around 70% of the rated output, and the causes of twice increases in vibration is not the same. These characteristics often indicate potential unsteady flow, vortex-induced vibration, and flow separation, subsequently affecting the stability of the pump turbine. Understanding the conditions and severity of the occurrence of instability characteristics in the unit is of great significance for power plant personnel to adjust the unit’s operation strategy and improve operational efficiency.

Development and Application of Control Concepts for Twin-Screw Wet Granulation in the ConsiGmaTM-25: Part 1 Granule Composition

Continuous manufacturing of pharmaceuticals offers several benefits, such as increased production efficiency, enhanced product quality control, and lower environmental footprint. To fully exploit these benefits, standard operation mode (production processes with no or minimal disturbance mitigation measures) should be supported by adopting novel quality-by-control (QbC) methodologies. The paper at hand is the first part of a study focused on developing QbC algorithms for optimizing twin-screw wet granulation in the industrial manufacturing line ConsiGmaTM-25, specifically addressing granule composition.This work relies on previously established process-analytical-technology (PAT) equipment for real-time monitoring of the granule composition, i.e., the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and liquid content in wet granules. The developed control platform integrates model-based process control algorithms that aim to keep the API- and liquid content at target values through real-time adjustments of the process parameters. Furthermore, the platform integrates a digital operator assistant, which aims to detect and classify granulation disturbances and provides messages and instructions for the plant operator.The present manuscript systematically outlines all design steps from the development phase in the simulation environment to the final real system application and validation. The control platform’s performance is demonstrated through selected test scenarios on the ConsiGmaTM-25 manufacturing line. The obtained results indicate improved disturbance robustness and an increase in intermediate/final product quality (compared to conventional operating modes): The process control algorithms successfully maintained the API- and liquid content at target values despite process disturbances. Furthermore, realistic disturbances (feeder, pump, and material) were accurately detected and classified by the digital assistant algorithm. The information was provided through a user interface, offering real-time support for plant personnel.

A model-based framework for controlling activated sludge plants

This work presents a general framework for the advanced control of a common class of activated sludge plants (ASPs). Based on a dynamic model of the process and plant sensors and actuators, we design and configure a highly customisable Output Model-Predictive Controller (Output MPC) for the flexible operation of ASPs as water resource recovery facilities. The controller consists of a i) Moving-Horizon Estimator for determining the state of the process, from plant measurements, and ii) a Model-Predictive Controller for determining the optimal actions to attain high-level operational goals. The Output MPC can be configured to satisfy the technological limits of the plant equipment, as well as operational desiderata defined by plant personnel. We consider exemplary problems and show that the framework is able to control ASPs for tasks of practical relevance, ranging from wastewater treatment subject to normative limits, to the production of an effluent with varying nitrogen content, and energy recovery.

Temperature prediction for wire rod pickling plant management

The prediction of the temperature in the different tanks of a mixed acid pickling line of wire rod coils is described in this paper. The goal is to develop a robust model-based prediction tool that allows prospective development of pickling bath states and adjustments in the management of a pickling line. The temperature of the pickling bath is a critical variable for the efficiency of the pickling process. Excessive temperatures can have an unfavorable effect on the pickling results and can complicate the decontamination of the exhaust gases. Root mean square error values lower than 0.2∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{\\circ }$$\\end{document}C were obtained when treating martensitic and ferritic steels, which are precisely the most problematic types of steel in the control of pickling temperature. The model software was installed on a computer for online operation at the pickling plant. Relevant information is predicted and transmitted such as the temperature pickling bath trend with the sequence of the wire coils to be treated. Plant personnel are able to change this sequence or modify pickling retention times based on this information. The economic benefits come mainly from better use of the production line, reducing coil waiting times.Graphical abstract

EFFICIENT PLANT GAS LEAKAGE DETECTION AND MONITORING SYSTEM BASED ON IOT INTEGRATION

In industrial areas, fire breakouts often stem from gas leaks within the surrounding environment. These leaks could be caused by faulty apparatus, inadequate maintenance, or human mistake either during handling or storage of flammable gases. The presence of combustible gases poses a significant risk, as they can ignite easily and escalate into large-scale fires, endangering both personnel and property within the industrial site. This research employs a compact detection device capable of identifying combustible gases like propane, LPG Gas, Carbon Monoxide, butane, and other hazardous gases. The device is designed to identify these gases quickly and accurately, aiding in ensuring safety in various environments such as industrial sites, homes, and workplaces. The leakage detector includes NODEMCU, gas sensors, buzzer, and LCD system. When harmful gases surpass acceptable thresholds, the micro-controller initiates a alerting SMS using Blynk server. The prototype emits a sound alert and illuminates LCDs to indicate the leaking gas. Gas concentration datais sent to Thinkspeak server for easy monitoring by plant personnel.

Possibilities of automating the plant personnel recruitment

The presented research is devoted to determining the possibilities of introducing information technologies in the work of the human resources department of the enterprise for the personnel selection activities automation. The article substantiates the relevance of studying the problem of “personnel shortage” at Russian enterprises in general and in relation to the production enterprise of the Sverdlovsk region. The authors carried out a comparative analysis of the wages at the analyzed enterprise with the average level in the metallurgical industry and in the Sverdlovsk region. Based on the results of the empirical study, the recruitment process’ components are highlighted, the results of the analysis of the photograph of working hours of recruitment specialists of a large manufacturing enterprise in the Sverdlovsk region are presented. The reserves of increasing the productivity of labor time use of human resources specialists of the production enterprise through the automation of a number of processes have been revealed. Recommendations for the introduction of information technologies in improving the recruitment system of the production enterprise are developed. The research paper may be of interest to specialists of personnel management services of large production and industrial enterprises in terms of analyzing the possibilities of automating the business process of personnel recruitment.

The Psychological Characteristics and Job Satisfaction in Relation to The Happy Workplace of Electrical Industrial Factory Personnel in Pathumthani Province.

The objectives of this research aimed to study 1) the level of significance of psychological characteristics, job satisfaction and happy workplace of electrical industrial factory personnel in Pathumthani Province. 2) To study the relationship between psychological characteristics and happy workplace of electrical industrial factory personnel in Pathumthani Province. 3) To study the relationship between psychological characteristics and job satisfaction of electrical industrial factory personnel in Pathumthani Province. 4) To study the relationship between job satisfaction and happy workplace of electrical industrial factory personnel in Pathumthani Province. The population is the personnel from a total of 191 electrical industrial factories in Pathumthani Province. Using Taro Yamane’s formula, 35 electrical industrial factories were selected to be calculated with unknown population sample size. A sample of 385 personnel with 11 production personnel were purposive sampled from each factory. Statistical tool was questionnaire, and statistics used for analysis were frequency, percentage, mean and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The research had found that: 1) The overall level of significance of psychological characteristics, job satisfaction and happy workplace was found that in general the level of importance was high at average of 3.67, when considered individually, it was found that the highest aspect was happy workplace at average of 3.74, followed by job satisfaction at average of 3.71, and psychological characteristics at average of 3.57. 2) The relationship between psychological characteristics and happy workplace of electrical industrial factory personnel in Pathumtani Province had a high positive correlation (r = .972, Sig <.05). 3) The relationship between psychological characteristics and job satisfaction among electrical plant personnel in Pathumtani Province and electrical industrial factory personnel in Pathumtani Province had a high positive correlation (r = .771, Sig <.05). 4) The relationship between job satisfaction and happy workplace among electrical plant personnel in Pathumthani Province and electrical industrial factory personnel in Pathumtani Province had a high positive correlation (r = .843, Sig <.05).

Automation of the procedure for determining the admissibility of erosion- corrosion wear in pipelines of nuclear power plants made of carbon steels

Many pipelines in Ukrainian nuclear power plants have been in operation for over 30 years, and the determination of the admissibility of erosion-corrosion wear (ECW) defects in the pipeline wall metal is currently one of the pressing issues in the nuclear energy sector of Ukraine. A comparative analysis of determining the admissibility of pipe wall thinning due to ECW was conducted using the adopted methodology “MT-T.0.03.224-18” by the State Enterprise “Energoatom” and the guidance based on the use of regulatory documents for designing pipeline elements. The use of the methodology demonstrated significant advantages in terms of reducing the conservatism of ECW assessment, especially for small-scale thinning and pipelines operating at pressures below 60-80 kgf/cm2, which allows for a substantial reduction in repair work. However, the implementation of the methodology in practice may encounter difficulties due to the complexity and labor-intensiveness of the calculation assessment procedure for nuclear power plant personnel. Therefore, to automate the ECW admissibility assessment in accordance with the methodology requirements, software (SW) was developed for use by nuclear power plant personnel, enabling the prompt generation of a protocol for the express assessment procedure of ECW admissibility for a straight section of the pipeline based on the measurement results of wall thinning parameters in the axial direction. The software allows for concluding whether the section can be put into operation, sent for repair, or requires further refined assessment. Additionally, software based on the finite element method (FEM) was developed, which, when necessary, allows for a refined assessment of a straight section, taking into account the depth and angle of thinning in the circumferential direction, and calculates the stress of the limit plastic state of the pipeline section with ECW from the perspective of viscous fracture. The devel- opment is applicable in the field of nuclear energy in Ukraine.

Integrating Continuous and Batch Processes with Shared Resources in Closed-Loop Scheduling: A Case Study on Tuna Cannery.

Scheduling tasks in production facilities are usually hybrid optimization problems of a large combinatorial nature. They involve solving, in near-real time, the integration of the operation of several batch units of continuous dynamics with the discrete manufacture of items in processing lines. Moreover, one has to deal with uncertainty (process delays, unexpected stops) and the management of shared resources (energy, water, etc.) including decisions made by plant operators: still, some tasks in the scheduling layers are done manually. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MESs) are intended to support plant personnel at this level. However, there is still much work to do in terms of performing automatic scheduling, computed in real time, that guides managers to achieve an optimal operation of such complex cyber-physical systems. This work proposes a closed-loop approach to handle the uncertainty arising when facing the online scheduling of supply lines and parallel batch units. These units often share some resources, so effects due to concurrent resource consumption on the system dynamics are explicitly considered in the presented formulation. The proposed decision support system is tested onsite in a tuna cannery, to handle short-term online scheduling of sterilization processes that deal with limited steam, carts, and operators as shared resources.

Simulator for personnel of Yumaguzinskaya HPP

During the operation of hydroelectric power plants, issues arise of improving the skills of hydroelectric power plant personnel, which can be ensured by the introduction of simulators for targeted training of personnel to work both in normal operating conditions and in pre-emergency and emergency situations as close as possible to real ones. It should be noted that the developers of simulators in the Russian energy sector peviously focused on the creation of simulators for thermal power plants, leaving hydroelectric power plants overshadowed. To date, TEST JSC has developed and implemented simulators for Irkutskaya, Bratskaya, Ust-Ilimskaya, Krasnoyarskaya, Ondskaya, Pavlovskaya and Yumaguzinskaya HPPs. This paper discusses the development for the Yumaguzinskaya HPP: a simulator with dynamic computer-aided mnemonic circuits of hydraulic units and electrical circuits of one of the Russian hydroelectric power plants, which will arouse interest among readers of the journal and potential customers. The article describes the prototype facility, the composition of the simulator, which includes a model of the facility and operating modes, a model of the control system, a model of the protection system, a model of locks, a model of emergency and warning alarms, describes in detail the educational and methodological support of the simulator complex, including models of training scenarios, an introductory model, a monitoring program, protocols and instructions. The organization of effective simulator training of operational and maintenance personnel on the simulator for operational switching of the Yumaguzinskaya HPP is achieved through the implementation in the simulator of the following main simulated subsystems: trainee's workplace model, instructor's workplace model, control object model, control system model, training system model. The hydroelectric power plant simulator presented in the paper is versatile and can find practical application both as a tool for training and examination of knowledge of operational personnel, and as a means for conducting occupational skills contests.

Availability optimization of power generating units used in sewage treatment plants using metaheuristic techniques.

Metaheuristic techniques have been utilized extensively to predict industrial systems' optimum availability. This prediction phenomenon is known as the NP-hard problem. Though, most of the existing methods fail to attain the optimal solution due to several limitations like slow rate of convergence, weak computational speed, stuck in local optima, etc. Consequently, in the present study, an effort has been made to develop a novel mathematical model for power generating units assembled in sewage treatment plants. Markov birth-death process is adopted for model development and generation of Chapman-Kolmogorov differential-difference equations. The global solution is discovered using metaheuristic techniques, namely genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization. All time-dependent random variables associated with failure rates are considered exponentially distributed, while repair rates follow the arbitrary distribution. The repair and switch devices are perfect and random variables are independent. The numerical results of system availability have been derived for different values of crossover, mutation, several generations, damping ratio, and population size to attain optimum value. The results were also shared with plant personnel. Statistical investigation of availability results justifies that particle swarm optimization outdoes genetic algorithm in predicting the availability of power-generating systems. In present study a Markov model is proposed and optimized for performance evaluation of sewage treatment plant. The developed model is one that can be useful for sewage treatment plant designers in establishing new plants and purposing maintenance policies. The same procedure of performance optimization can be adopted in other process industries too.

СОСТОЯНИЕ ЗДОРОВЬЯ НОВОРОЖДЕННЫХ ДЕТЕЙ В СЕМЬЯХ МУЖЧИН ПЕРСОНАЛА АТОМНЫХ СТАНЦИЙ

Purpose: To give a general description of personnel exposure doses and assess the health status of newborn children in families of male nuclear power plants personnel. Material and methods: The work includes the results of studies of the reproductive health of male personnel of Smolensk, Kursk, Kalinin and Novovoronezh NPPs. The source of information on annual doses of occupational exposure of personnel was the data from the Federal Bank of individual exposure doses of personnel of organizations and the population in the territories served by the FMBA of Russia. The state of newborns was assessed by indicators of physical development and the frequency of birth of a child with pathology. Intrauterine growth retardation, congenital malformations, and other perinatal diseases were noted in the structure of pathological conditions. The source of medical data was information from the individual medical records “History of childbirth” and “History of the development of the newborn” for 2007–2018. Results: The health status of newborn children born in 2007–2018 in the families of male personnel of the considered NPPs and in control groups did not differ significantly in terms of selected indicators characterizing the adaptive capabilities of newborn children to extrauterine life. The proportion of healthy children ranged from 60 to 73 % of their total number. In the structure of pathological conditions, perinatal conditions made the greatest contribution (from 10 to 17 %). The birth rate of children with congenital malformations did not exceed 34,0±8,9 per 1000 newborns and was significantly lower than the level adopted by the ICRP for calculating radiation risk (60 per 1000). There were no differences in the influence of the maternal factor (age and complications during pregnancy) on the development of the fetus and the health of newborns in the families of male staff and control groups. According to calculations, the accumulated individual doses of occupational exposure of male personnel before conception of children did not exceed 30 mSv (on average) and for more than 95 % of the personnel – 100 mSv, which is lower than the exposure doses (above 100 mSv) when the negative consequences of exposure of men were reliably observed in the offspring in radiation-epidemiological studies. Conclusion: No influence of occupational exposure on the health status of newborn children in families of male nuclear power plant personnel has been identified. At the same time, it is proposed to conduct monitoring observations of the state of reproductive health of a small group of male personnel of nuclear power plants, whose accumulated effective doses may exceed 100 mSv.

A Case Study of the Development Experience of Using a Prototype Stirling Engine in A Novel Bioenergy Driven Co-Generation Plant in Bolivia

The necessity for green technology to generate power in rural regions is becoming more widely recognized. Stirling engines have attracted a lot of interest in recent years due to their relative ease of maintenance and simple design. Practical experience from the operation and maintenance of the Stirling engine Genoa-01 in Bolivia is the subject of this case study. The project uses a trial-and-error approach to maintain the engine in order to find relevant lessons that may be used in training of power plant personnel based in locations with limited technical resources. Analysis of the information gathered during the study identified the main challenges to overcome for small, decentralized power technologies as supply chain of spare parts, technical capacities, and promotion of the technology.

Development of a simulator for hydraulic power plant personnel

As annals show, the first hydroelectric power plants were built in Russia in 1802 – 1806. During the Soviet period of energy development, emphasis was placed on the special role of the country’s unified national economic electrification plan — GOELRO, which was approved on December 22, 1920. The chapter of the plan dedicated to hydropower was entitled "Electrification and water energy". In today’s Russia about 1/3 of power is produced at hydroelectric power plants. Accordingly, there arise issues of advanced training of personnel of hydroelectric power plants, which can be provided by the introduction of simulators for targeted training of personnel to work, both in normal modes and in pre-emergency and emergency situations, as close as possible to real ones. Unfortunately, the developers of simulators in the Russian energy sector have so far focused on creating simulators for thermal power plants, leaving hydroelectric power plants neglected. It can therefore be assumed that this article, which examines a simulator with dynamic computer mimic diagrams of hydraulic units and electrical circuits of one of the Russian hydroelectric power plants, will arouse some interest among readers of the journal and potential customers. The article describes a prototype facility, the composition of the simulator, which includes a model of the facility and operating modes, a model of the control system, a model of the protection system, a model of locks, a model of emergency and warning alarms, describes in detail the training and methodological support of the simulator complex, including models of training scenarios, an input model, a monitoring program, protocols and instructions. The hydroelectric power plant simulator presented in the article is versatile and can be applied both as a means of training and examination of operational personnel, and as a means for conducting professional skills competitions.

Bayesian Network–Based Fault Diagnostic System for Nuclear Power Plant Assets

Future advances in nuclear power technologies call for enhanced operator advice and autonomous control capabilities that can leverage simpler designs and increased safety features to reduce reliance on human labor. One of the first tasks in the development of such capabilities is the formulation of symptom-based conditional failure probabilities for the plant structures, systems, and components (SSCs) of interest. The primary goal is to aid plant personnel in (1) deducing the probabilistic performance status of the monitored SSCs and (2) detecting impending faults/failures. The task of estimating conditional failure probability is a bidirectional inference problem, and a logical approach is to use the Bayesian network (BN) method. As a knowledge-based explainable artificial intelligence tool and a probabilistic graphical model, BN offers reasoning capability under uncertainty, graphical representation emulating physical behavior of the target SSC, and interpretability of the model structure and results. This paper provides a systematic overview of the BN technique and the software tools for implementing BN models, along with the associated knowledge representation and reasoning paradigm. Both operational data and expert judgment can be readily incorporated into the knowledge base of a BN model. The challenges with data availability are highlighted, and the general approach to target SSC identification is presented. The focus is on failure-prone and risk-important balance of plant assets, especially for cases with strong operator involvement. Two example case studies on the failure of (1) a centrifugal pump and (2) an electric motor are conducted to demonstrate the usefulness and technical feasibility of the proposed BN-based fault diagnostic system using an expert system shell.

Importance of “SMART valve positioners” in testing of final control elements in safety instrumented systems application

AbstractMany industrial facilities, especially those in the chemical and oil and gas industries, involve inherent risk in operations due to the processing of materials that may be hazardous in nature. It is therefore necessary to precisely identify and analyze these hazards, operability issues, associated risks, and consequences. Safety instrumented systems (SIS) are often used to reduce the risk associated with processes or plants to an acceptable or tolerable level. The reliability of safety function(s) implemented through SIS is dependent on how reliable the sub‐elements of the safety function, that is, sensors, logic solvers, and final elements, are. The final elements of such a SIS usually include the emergency shutdown valves, depressurizing valves, emergency isolation valves, and critical on–off valves. Since these final elements remain continuously open or are sometimes closed during the normal operation of the plant, it becomes a challenge to operate the final elements when there is a demand on the SIS. During an emergency, if these final elements fail to operate, this contributes to the dangerous failure of the plant, which may result in explosion, fire, or catastrophic damage to plant assets, environment, and personnel. Hence, it is essential to test these final elements frequently while in operation, without disturbing the operation of the running plant, to ensure that these final elements are available to perform their intended functions when needed. Smart valve positioners are one of the options among various methods available to test the final elements without disturbing the process. This paper evaluates the application, functionality, diagnostics, and advantages of SMART positioners in the testing of final control elements in a SIS application.