What is a CFT Credit?

Critical Function Testing (CFT) often involves dedicated shutting down of facilities, or at the very least partial shutdown, to demonstrate the integrity of a given safety system. This can be very time consuming and expensive to plan and execute.

Most of the required information for CFTs could be captured from unplanned trips, thus reducing the time and number of devices to be checked during a formal CFT. Every time a unit or facility shutdown occurs, a pseudo CFT for Emergency Shutdown (ESD) valves and Blow Down Valves (BDV) is performed. If the information regarding these tests are recorded, a ‘CFT Credit’ is initiated.

Save cost and demonstrate CFT compliance

In virtually every industrial process, unplanned trips occur more often than planned stoppages. The kanepi Emergency Shutdown valve / Blow Down Valve CFT Credits system leverages a company’s existing DCS to meet the requirements of safety valve CFT recording without having to resort to a specific planned shutdown.

When configured appropriately, every time an unplanned trip occurs the CFT Credits system records relevant elements of the safety valves responsible for the safe shutdown of a unit or system. In this way, every unplanned trip becomes an event that is recorded as a CFT, with any non-conformance in a critical safety loop highlighted for attention just as with a planned CFT.

The CFT Credits system from kanepi provides an operator with an efficient means to meet its CFT obligations for safety valves, while minimizing the need for production downtime and significantly reduces the cost to undertake and record a CFT.

A smart way to monitor and report on shutdowns

The CFT Credits system from kanepi continuously monitors for shutdown events, whether Emergency Shutdown, Process Shutdown, Operations Shutdown etc., which act as a trigger for the CFT Credits system process.

Data such as valve stroke times and exception data is automatically captured and maintained within the system for each event. This data is then formatted into Exception, Valve and Shutdown reports which are configured and tailored to the customers’ requirements and can include exceptions per shutdown, valve performance, facility / unit restart approval report etc.

Additional safety elements and devices tested during the CFT can be easily added to enhance the benefits of the solution.