In tank farms, a safe and efficient handling of highly valuable liquids is the highest priority. Important operational focusses are on fast loading and unloading operations, safe and clean operations and high asset availability. Netherlocks solutions enable efficient operation and proper maintenance of the vast network of pipelines and valves in a tank farm. With our solutions we help you to offer a continuous high level of quality to your customers.

1. CONTENT
ENHANCING SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY IN TANK FARMS

2. INTRODUCTION
> Avoid product spills by ensuring
correct routing of manual valves
> Improve your plant safety by ensuring
correct valve switchovers
> Reduce manual valve operating time
In tank farms, a safe and efficient handling of highly
valuable liquids is the highest priority. Important
operational focusses are on:
> fast loading and unloading operations
> safe and clean operations
> high asset availability
Netherlocks solutions enable efficient operation and
proper maintenance of the vast network of pipelines
and valves in a tank farm. With our solutions we
help you to offer a continuous high level of quality to
your customers.

3. Ensure correct alignment of manual
valves using valve position indicators
Avoid incorrect pump start-ups
Ensure safe switchover of parallel relief
valves
Safe maintenance by temporary valve
lockout
Business case: Early detection of
misalignment avoids wrong loading
and related clean-up expenses
Reduce operating time of large
manual valves
Ensure correct alignment of manual
valves using valve interlocks
CONTENT
Ensure pigging safety by eliminating
the risk of incorrect valve operation

4. Correct alignment of manual valves is critical
to avoid incorrect (un)loading, product spill or
even equipment damage.
Correct valve alignment helps you to:
> ensure that a pump is aligned to the correct
vessel and loading arm
> product is not contaminated by mixing with
other product
> isolation valves are in correct position before
filling
Valve position indicators instantly
signal manual valve positions to the
control room
A VPI is permanently mounted on top of a
manual valve. Without hindering the normal
valve operation, the VPI detects when a valve
reaches its fully open or closed position and
instantly signals the position to the control
room.
With the VPI you assure full real time
knowledge about individual valve positions.
This helps you to avoid or timely discover
misalignment, thus strongly reducing the risk of
high costs due to product spill or loss.
Ensure correct alignment of manual valves using valve
position indicators
Valve position indication
for multi turn valves
Features & benefits
>> VPI is mounted on top of a manual multiturn
valve
>> Integrated sensors detect valve position
>> Valve position is transferred to DCS
>> Signal is transferred wired, or wireless via a
transmitter
Challenge

5. Client:
Large Spanish refinery
Challenge:
Avoid contamination during loading
operations from their tank farm
Solutions evaluated:
1. actuators
2. position indicators
Results:
> 75% savings in CAPEX
> Timely signalling of misalignment
> Avoiding of unanticipated clean-up
costs
A large Spanish refinery operates its own tank farm
for petrol storage. The tanks contain various types of
product. Gasoline of various qualities and compositions
is stored in separate tanks.
Incorrect valve alignment had resulted in the loading
of wrong product
In the past, misalignment of manual valves resulted in
the loading of the wrong product quality into a barge.
Since this was only discovered after the ship left, it had
to return to be emptied, cleaned and refilled, resulting in
avoidable clean-up costs.
To avoid such mistakes, a solution was required for
1.100+ manual valves
The company sought for a way to eliminate the risk
to such events. A common solution would be to add
actuators to the valves. These can be programmed
such that misalignment is impossible and clearly
indicate the position of a valve. An additional benefit
of actuators, that operators should no longer go into
the field to operate the many valves manually, was
irrelevant to this customer. Company policy required
manual valve operation in many cases. Nevertheless,
the costs of equipping 1.100 + valves with an actuator
are very high.
Dedicated position indicators for multi-turn valves
are hard to come by
Finding alternative ways to get position feedback of
their manual, mostly multi-turn valves proved difficult.
Although 90° switchboxes are readily available, reliable
solutions for multi-turn valves are hard to be found.
Thorough testing proved VPI to be the best position
indicator available
After an extensive search, several alternatives were
piloted, for a period of over 2 years. By the end of that
period, the Netherlocks Valve Position Indicator proved
to be the most reliable position indicator available in
the market. With VPI, the company found a highly cost
effective but state of the art alternative. By installing the
VPI on all manual valves in the tank farm, the refinery
avoided a 4x higher investment in actuators. With this,
the position of each manual valve became visible in
the control room, giving the operators a good overview
of the alignment of the many valves in the field before
starting loading operations.
VPI offered 75% CAPEX savings compared to
actuators
Quite soon after installation VPI proved its worth. It
enabled the operators to timely discover an accidental
valve misalignment. Loading was timely canceled,
avoiding delays and unexpected costs.
BUSINESS CASE:
Early detection of misalignment avoids
wrong loading and related clean-up expenses

6. The slightest quantity of incorrectly loaded
product may cause critical contamination.
Slight mistakes thus result in large product
losses and high costs. Any unauthorized and
incorrect operation of valves must be avoided.
Interlocks ensure authorized operation
of valves
The detection of operating keys offers your
control system reliable, wireless position
indication of your manual valves.
Valve interlocks regulate the operation of manual
valves with the use of unique operating keys.
Operators can only operate a valve with the use
of its dedicated key, taken from a key cabinet in
the control room.
Ensure correct alignment of manual valves using valve
interlocks
Challenge
More about mechanical
valve interlocks
Features & benefits
>> Valves are locked for operation without use
of dedicated key
>> Operating keys are stored in a key cabinet in
the control room
>> Key presence in the cabinet indicates valve
status in the field
>> The cabinet communicates presence of
individual keys to DCS
>> Fully wireless solution for valve position
indication

7. CONTENT
Parallel relief valves should never be isolated at
the same time. For a safe changeover between
relief valves you want to ensure that operators
cannot accidentally close all inlet valves
simultaneously.
By interlocking all in- and outlet block
valves, you avoid that all relief valves
are isolated simultaneously.
Valve interlocks, permanently mounted on
the in- and outlet block valves, enforce that
one inlet valve is to be opened before another
one is closed.
Valve interlocks ensure safe change overs
of critical equipment like relief valves by
eliminating the risk of human error.
They can be applied to systems with any
number of parallel relief valves.
Valve interlocks for
pressure relief valves
(PSV)
Ensure safe switchover of parallel relief valves
Features & benefits
>> At least one PSV is always online
>> One PSV must be put online first, before
another one can be isolated
>> Outlet block valves can not be closed when
inlet valve is open
Challenge

8. During pipeline pigging, operator mistakes
could lead to very dangerous situations. High
pressure and toxic gasses seriously threat
operators’ lives.
Interlocking the closure door with
vents, drains, main valves and kicker
line valves eliminates dangers from
incorrect valve operations.
By interlocking all critical block valves that
are involved in a pig launching and receiving
procedure, the correct operating procedure
is enforced. Commonly, the vessel door is
interlocked with block valves to the vent, drain,
main and kicker lines. This way operators are
guided through a safe operating procedure,
without any chance on dangerous mistakes.
Often MOV’s are part of a pigging operation.
Various solutions are available to include these
valves in the pigging interlocking sequence.
Ensure pigging safety by eliminating the risk
of incorrect valve operation
Challenge Features & benefits
>> The vessel closure door can only be opened
when
- pressure is relieved through the vent
- residu is removed through the drain
- vents and drains are shut
- main line is closed
>> The throttle valve can only be closed when
the main valves are open
>> MOV’s are included in the interlock system
with a specific locking solution
Valve interlocks for pigging
Pigging infographic

9. Pumps are isolated by suction and discharge
valves. When starting up or shutting down a
pump, these valves and the pump must be
operated in the right order to avoid serious
equipment damage.
Interlocking the electrical pump switch
with suction and discharge valves
avoids damage to your equipment
The pump switch is equipped with a special
locking mechanism and the related valves
are also interlocked. Operation of the switch
is unlocked only after a key is inserted. This
key is only available to the operator after he
has performed the required valve operations.
Hence pumps can only be started with the
valves in the correct position.
Avoid incorrect pump start-ups
Electrical Switch Lock
Features & benefits
>> Pump can only be started with suction and
discharge valve in the correct position
>> Pump is protected against damaging
overpressures
>> Pump operation can be authorized by
controlled key handout
Challenge

10. While performing maintenance to field
equipment, valves must often be temporarily
locked out. You prefer universal valve lockout
products that can be reused.
Netherlocks reusable valve LOTO fit
any type of valve
Netherlocks provides locks for all levels of
safety.
The Netherlocks Wire Lock is a flexible lock
specifically designed for any type of hand
wheel operated valve. The Netherlocks Hybrid
lock (NL-H) suits both hand wheel and lever
operated valves. Both types of locks are easy
to install and do not require any mounting
parts.
Safe maintenance by temporary valve lockout
Netherlocks LOTO
products
Challenge Features & benefits
>> Fit any type of hand wheel or lever operated
valve
>> Fully AISI 316
>> Fully reusable
>> Including colored labels, indicating valve
position

11. Large manual valves may take a lot of
operating time. Operation may become
increasingly heavy and cause injuries.
Power Wrench operates large manual
valves quickly and easily
The Power Wrench is a portable valve actuator.
Universal mounting plates are bolted to hand
wheels of a number of manual valves. There
the operator takes the wrench and connects it
to a local air supply. The wrench head is then
connected to the mounting plate on the valve
and is ready for operation.
By using the Power Wrench, operators save a
lot of time for operating large manual valves.
They experience less physical strain during
valve operation.
Reduce operating time of large manual valves
Power Wrench
introduction movie
Features & benefits
>> Severe reduction of valve operating time
>> Strong reduction of physical operator strain
>> Universal mounting plates fit all multi-turn
valves and gearboxes
>> One tool for many valves
>> Cost effective alternative to fixed actuators
Challenge