This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
As will be appreciated, natural resources such as oil and natural gas have a profound effect on modern economies and societies. Indeed, devices and systems that depend on oil and natural gas are ubiquitous. For instance, oil and natural gas are used for fuel in a wide variety of vehicles, such as cars, airplanes, boats, and the like. Further, oil and natural gas are frequently used to heat homes during winter, to generate electricity, and to manufacture an astonishing array of everyday products.
In order to meet the demand for such natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in searching for and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Once the natural resource is extracted, it is generally transported to processing locations, such as refineries. The transportation of these resources is accomplished through a system of pipelines, which are controlled through various types of valves located at different points throughout the system.
Such extraction systems may include pipelines or other transportation infrastructure to transport the resource from a source, e.g., a well, to a destination such as further transportation systems or storage facilities. The pipelines or other transportation infrastructure may include pressure control, regulation, and safety devices, which may include valves, actuators, sensors, and electronic control modules. Such devices may be configured to relieve pressure or shut off flow of the resource if a high pressure condition is detected.
One such device or group of devices may be referred to as a high integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS). A HIPPS may be required to meet certain regulatory specifications, such as a minimum risk reduction level, referred to as a Safety Integrity Level (SIL). The HIPPS may be used to shut off fluid flow in response to a high pressure condition so that equipment downstream of the HIPPS is not damaged by the high pressure.
Conventional systems often provide an automatic response to a high pressure condition via a sensor, electronic control module, and an actuator that closes a valve in response to the high pressure condition. If the sensor, electronic control module, or actuator fails, the high pressure in the valve or other forces may force the valve to open. The high pressure fluid may damage equipment downstream of the HIPPS that is not capable of withstanding the high pressure condition. Additionally, testing is routinely performed on the HIPPS to meet or maintain regulatory approval. During testing, the HIPPS may be susceptible to the high pressure conditions discussed above, and failure of the HIPPS may result in undesirable high pressure downstream of the HIPPS.