Türkiye Petrol Rafinerileri : Tüpraş Started Field Tests of Autonomous Robots

04 February 2022

As a part of its roadmap for robotic technologies, Tüpraş continues on its digitalization works at production sites without slowing down. The company that places safety at the center of all of its business processes, has started tests to implement artificial intelligence supported autonomous robot applications in risky working environments at its production sites. The last step of Tüpraş, which has undersigned pioneering and innovative practices in digitalization of energy industry, was test trials of Spot*, the robot of Boston Dynamics.

Focusing on "safety" as the most fundamental value throughout its business processes, Tüpraş continues to undersign innovative digitalization practices in line with its Robotic Roadmap. Tüpraş Robotic Team, which was established in 2020, continues on its project development works for advanced technologies with the contributions of relevant technical teams of all refineries.

Performing its pilot tests with robotic technologies in risky areas of refinery sites, periodical control works of oil storage tanks and measurements conducted at meters of height, Tüpraş has recently started tests at production sites with Spot, intelligent autonomous robot of Boston Dynamics, which is powered by Cognite Data Fusion. The company has thus become one of the leading implementers of technology at production sites in Turkey.

Tüpraş aims to support a secure and safe working environment by using robots at production sites. The robots facilitates repeating works in risky processes and allows technical teams to use their capabilities in different areas.

Trials of the robot, which was equipped with refinery specific sensors by Cognite, Norwegian unicorn startup, was completed in Izmit Refinery initially, and then in Kırıkkale Refinery in order to perform periodical control works. Feasibility works will be performed by taking the requirements of various sites into consideration after the data and information achieved from field tests are technically evaluated in detail.

The most advanced and innovative digital applications will be utilized with the aim of leadership also in future energy business.
Tüpraş, announced its commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2050 and its strategic transformation plan aiming at leadership also in the energy industry of the future in December 2022. The company continues on with its pioneering and innovative practices as a part of its artificial intelligence and robotic technologies roadmap in the field of digitalization, one of the most important pillars throughout the transformation journey.

In addition to benefiting from its assets to access technologies that will contribute to its operational excellence as a part of sustainable refining activities, Tüpraş continues to take part in international platforms and develop joint R&D projects, as well as innovative products and projects by collaborating with startups.

The company that enhances safety of its business practices with artificial intelligence applications has minimized energy consumption and costs and will benefit from artificial intelligence algorithms also in reducing carbon emission.

It can operate autonomously
Expected actions can be defined easily thanks to advanced management platform of Spot, the autonomous robot, powered by Cognite Fusion and supported with three dimensional models. After receiving necessary instructions, the robot can work alone and complete its tasks without requiring any additional direction. The robot, which is supported with a wireless connection, can provide any data that can support the operator, such as transmitting live images with a 360 degree camera, in real time. It also allows remote manual control in order to manage non-routine or emergent operations.

Analog data can be achieved
Different types of analogue meters, level indicators, valve opening indicators and various safety controls at the sites can be performed autonomously by the robot. The images retrieved from the photos of equipment are processed to have digital data and they can be recorded to create a time series and tracked accordingly.

Leaks can be detected much more easily
Any leak that might spill on the ground can be detected easily thanks to artificial intelligence supported cameras while the sensors placed on the robot can detect the gas available in the environment.

Thermal imaging
The robot can also report temperature values of displayed places thanks to the thermal camera placed on it. These temperature data are processed to have more intelligent warnings by comparing them with historical data thanks to the integrated data management system.

A new dimension for safety - 3D modeling
The robot can create 3D modeling of its current environment with its surrounding scanning cameras. Objects can be defined by image processing methods and they can be compared with previously retrieved data in order to create a warning for any unidentified object that must not be present there. One of the biggest achievements of this method is to keep evacuation routes to be used in case of an emergency always clean.

Additionally, the robot is capable to detect the obstacles on its predetermined routes thanks to its surrounding detection sensors and it can determine the action to be taken to overcome such obstacle with its decision support mechanisms without requiring any intervention.

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