BKO AI

Maximizing LNG Cooldown Operation Efficiency

BKOAI streamlined monitoring of an LNG cooldown cargo operation, where piping and tanks were cooled from 80°F to −260°F during ship unloading. By deploying a Seeq dashboard that centralized critical parameters and automated threshold alerts, BKO AI enabled a smooth cooldown while minimizing operational risk. Project Duration: 3 months

Goals

Safely cool down LNG cargo piping and tanks from 80°F to -260°F during unloading.
Mitigate structural failure risks through continuous, automated thermal monitoring.
Improve remote visibility so engineers and operators can monitor cooldown status from anywhere.
Reduce the risk of missed threshold exceedances during the cooldown process.

Challenges

Manual tracking of hundreds of temperature relationships increased the risk of human error and missed threshold exceedances.
Thermal stress, cracking, and stratification threatened piping and tank integrity.
Fragmented manual readings and live PI tag data made it difficult to maintain a unified view of the cooldown process.
Rapid temperature changes created a high risk of leaks, cracks, and equipment damage if abnormal conditions were not identified early.

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Solutions

Deployed a Seeq dashboard for real-time automated thermal monitoring and alerting.
Tracked pipe parallelization, thermal displacement, and top/bottom temperature delta.
Monitored tank trending to prevent thermal stratification and rapid rate-of-change issues.
Integrated manual readings with live PI tag data into a unified dashboard for clearer operational visibility.

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Results

Enhanced safety and reliability by detecting abnormal thermal behavior early.
Reduced structural risks, including piping leaks, cracks, and unplanned shutdowns.
Unified data views by seamlessly integrating manual readings with live PI tag data.
Enabled remote monitoring through a web-based dashboard, allowing engineers and operators to track cooldown progress from anywhere.

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