Drones and 360-degree cameras have made it relatively easy to create virtual plant tours. For one ammonia production site in particular, virtual tours ensured a safe and cost-effective turnaround.
For facilities looking to speed turnarounds, 360-degree photography is gaining popularity as the cost of cameras decreases and image processing capabilities improve. It used to take months to fully photograph and 3D scan a chemical process facility; with continued improvements in 360-deg. imaging technology, this process can now be completed in a matter of days. This has made virtual tours and other augmented and mixed-reality applications readily accessible to the chemical process industries (CPI).
A virtual tour allows users to virtually walk through a specific facility — like an ammonia plant — using a series of still images, 360-deg. images, and videos. This technology gives engineers and planners the ability to inspect a developing or ongoing process without having to travel or be at the location physically.
This article discusses how 3D scans of CPI facilities are created and presents examples that show how virtual tours can assist in planning and executing construction projects, plant modifications, and safe turnarounds. An illustrative case study demonstrates how virtual tours helped one ammonia plant decrease cost overruns during a turnaround.
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