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. Industrial Process Optimization

Summary

Sketches

Iteration

Challenge

EMBER - Intelligent Diagnostics

What are fired heaters?

  • Contain hundreds of process burners

 

  • Used in refineries and chemical processing plants to facilitate chemical reactions at scale.

 

Redesign of cross-platform enterprise application used by technical operators and combustion engineers to optimize operation of fired heaters in industrial facilities.

 

I was primary designer working with 3 product managers and two OnPoint development teams in the US and India. OnPoint partnered with John Zink Hamworthy, a global leader in process burner technology.

Fired Heater Operation (Air/Fuel Ratio)

Operators manage this ratio by opening and closing dampers on individual burners, but this is far from an exact science.

Existing Product State - Ember Mobile App (EMA)

Provides data-driven guidance on burner settings based on a proprietary first-principle algorithm.

John Zink Training

Audited courses to understand the complexity of different user journeys in fired heater operation

Visit John Zink Test Center in Tulsa

Problem Space

Problem Statement

EMBER only provides guidance on burner settings, but there are many other elements to heater operation that are not addressed.

 

Intelligent Diagnostics would provide contextual guidance on all aspects of heater operation grounded in combustion expertise.

Design Delivery

Desktop Experience

To support the desired customer outcomes, we needed to create a new experience for the facility manager. This desktop experience allows facility managers to coordinate efforts with operators moving throughout the complex.

Fired Heaters, Stoichiometry and EMA

Research and Ideation

Design

Results, Feedback, Retrospective

November 2019 - February 2021

Results and Feedback

“With Ember it is like having a John Zink Smart Combustion Engineer with you while operating.

Not only is it easier on your heater, you are able to produce more throughput with less time and fuel.”

 

 

-Flint Hills Resources Operator

  • Developed a “collective success” mentality here. I learned how to leverage my teammates expertise to move the project forward.

 

  • Adapt to different timezones and work schedule
  • Firrst customer facing product that I have designed as the lead. It was often very challenging managing my own confidence

 

  • Working with distributed team

 

Challenge

Learning