Petroleum Instrumentation Course

Lesson 1 • Instrument Accuracy and Performance Metrics

Explains accuracy, repeatability, hysteresis, and rangeability. Students apply these metrics to evaluate instrument suitability for a given service.

Lesson 2 • Instrument Classification and Terminology

Introduces transmitters, sensors, controllers, and final control elements. Provides the vocabulary needed for all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 3 • The Role of Instrumentation in Oil and Gas

Defines instrumentation's function in process control, safety, and efficiency. Establishes why accurate measurement is critical to petroleum operations.

Lesson 4 • Key Process Variables and Units

Covers pressure, temperature, flow, and level as the four primary variables. Connects each variable to its standard engineering units and typical petroleum ranges.

Lesson 1 • Pressure Instrument Installation Practices

Addresses impulse line routing, isolation valves, and manifold configurations. Proper installation prevents measurement errors in high-pressure petroleum service.

Lesson 2 • Calibration and Troubleshooting of Pressure Instruments

Applies zero, span, and linearity calibration procedures to pressure transmitters. Students diagnose plugged impulse lines, drift, and overpressure damage.

Lesson 3 • Pressure Fundamentals and Standards

Defines gauge, absolute, differential, and vacuum pressure. Anchors these concepts in petroleum process conditions encountered in wells and pipelines.

Lesson 4 • Electronic Pressure Transmitters

Examines capacitive, piezoelectric, and strain-gauge transmitter technologies. Students select transmitter type based on process fluid and accuracy requirements.

Lesson 1 • Calibration and Troubleshooting of Temperature Instruments

Applies dry-block and bath calibration methods to thermocouples and RTDs. Students diagnose open circuits, drift, and thermowell fouling in field conditions.

Lesson 2 • Temperature Sensing Principles

Reviews thermal equilibrium, heat transfer modes, and response time. Connects physical principles to instrument selection criteria in petroleum processes.

Lesson 3 • Thermowells and Installation Design

Covers thermowell geometry, insertion length, and wake frequency calculations. Proper thermowell design prevents mechanical failure in high-velocity petroleum streams.

Lesson 4 • Thermocouples in Petroleum Service

Covers Seebeck effect, thermocouple types, and cold-junction compensation. Students select appropriate thermocouple types for furnace and wellhead applications.

Lesson 1 • Velocity and Volumetric Flow Meters

Covers turbine, vortex, ultrasonic, and electromagnetic meters. Students match meter technology to fluid properties and custody transfer accuracy requirements.

Lesson 2 • Flow Measurement Fundamentals

Covers continuity equation, Reynolds number, and flow profiles. These principles govern meter selection and installation requirements for all petroleum flow services.

Lesson 3 • Flow Meter Calibration and Uncertainty

Applies prover loop and master meter calibration methods to field flow meters. Students calculate measurement uncertainty and interpret calibration certificates.

Lesson 4 • Mass Flow and Multiphase Meters

Introduces Coriolis and thermal mass meters alongside multiphase metering concepts. Addresses the unique challenges of measuring gas-liquid-solid petroleum streams.

Lesson 1 • Float, Displacer, and Guided Wave Radar

Examines float switches, displacer transmitters, and guided wave radar for continuous level. Students evaluate each technology against fluid density and interface requirements.

Lesson 2 • Tank Gauging and Inventory Management

Introduces automatic tank gauging systems for custody transfer and inventory. Students configure servo gauges and radar tank gauges to meet custody transfer standards.

Lesson 3 • Non-Contact Level Technologies

Covers free-space radar, ultrasonic, and nuclear level instruments. Addresses applications where direct contact with petroleum fluids is impractical or hazardous.

Lesson 4 • Differential Pressure Level Measurement

Covers DP transmitter-based level measurement with wet and dry leg configurations. Students calculate span and zero for vessels with varying specific gravity fluids.

Lesson 1 • Control Valve Sizing and Selection

Applies Cv calculation methods for liquid, gas, and two-phase service. Students size valves to avoid cavitation, flashing, and choked flow in petroleum streams.

Lesson 2 • Control Valve Fundamentals

Covers valve body types, flow characteristics, and the role of the final control element. Establishes how valve selection affects loop stability and process efficiency.

Lesson 3 • Valve Trim and Materials for Petroleum Service

Covers trim materials, anti-cavitation trim, and noise-attenuating designs. Proper trim selection extends valve life in erosive and corrosive petroleum fluids.

Lesson 4 • Control Valve Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Applies valve signature analysis and partial stroke testing to assess valve health. Students diagnose stiction, hysteresis, and packing leaks in field conditions.

Lesson 1 • PID Controller Modes and Tuning

Explains proportional, integral, and derivative actions and their combined effect. Students apply step-test and Ziegler-Nichols methods to tune petroleum process loops.

Lesson 2 • Feedback Control Loop Architecture

Defines the components and signal flow of a closed-loop control system. Connects sensor, transmitter, controller, and final element into a functional petroleum control loop.

Lesson 3 • Loop Performance Monitoring and Optimization

Applies control loop performance metrics including IAE, ISE, and oscillation indices. Students identify poorly performing loops and implement corrective tuning actions.

Lesson 4 • Advanced Control Strategies

Covers cascade, ratio, feedforward, and override control configurations. Students apply these strategies to improve disturbance rejection in petroleum separation and compression.

Lesson 1 • Hazardous Area Classification

Covers zone and division classification methods for flammable atmospheres in petroleum facilities. Students assign equipment protection levels based on area classification.

Lesson 2 • Safety Instrumented System Architecture

Covers SIS components: sensors, logic solvers, and final elements in voted architectures. Students evaluate 1oo2, 2oo3, and other voting configurations for SIL compliance.

Lesson 3 • Functional Safety Concepts and Standards

Introduces the safety lifecycle, risk reduction, and functional safety management. Establishes the framework within which SIS design and verification are performed.

Lesson 4 • SIL Verification and PFD Calculation

Applies probability of failure on demand calculations to verify SIL targets. Students use simplified fault tree and reliability block diagram methods for SIS loops.