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Jason Urso, Chief Technology Officer of Honeywell Process Solutions, described a broader industry shift towards “digital cognition,” where AI systems not only analyze data but also learn and adapt. This concept is central to the Honeywell-Chevron collaboration, which aims to develop and deploy AI-powered technologies in tandem with sensors and compute to optimize refinery operations.
A core focus of the Honeywell-Chevron partnership is the integration of AI into existing workflows. “This is not just about doing things faster. It is about empowering our people, our operators, our technicians, to focus on what matters most,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, President of Honeywell Process Solutions.
Collaboration goals
“The collaboration aims to enhance refining operations and workforce with advanced AI-assisted technologies, including a new generation of alarm management solutions,” stated Pramesh Maheshwari, President of Honeywell Process Solutions.
Hensley noted that the strategic partnership would “significantly reduce non-productive opportunities and minimize process safety incidents, while also accelerating the learning curve for our early and mid-career operators.” A core element of this collaboration is the development of AI-powered technologies like the Alarm Guidance application, which will provide operators with real-time data and recommendations to optimize their responses to critical events. Using AI, the system will mine historical data on past actions to identify patterns of alarms and the corresponding operator actions that help return the process to normal operation.
Additional AI developments
In addition to the Alarm Guidance application and Experion DCS, the collaboration will leverage other Honeywell AI technologies such as the Honeywell Field Process Knowledge System, Experion Operations Assistant, and Honeywell Production Intelligence to provide a suite of tools for optimizing refinery operations.
“By advancing historical learnings into Honeywell’s Experion PKS and other systems, Chevron operators will be more future-ready and equipped with unprecedented insights in the control room, enabling smarter and more consistent decision-making than ever before,” Hensley added.
Lucian Boldea, President and CEO of Honeywell Industrial Automation, noted in a press release that AI advances will “change the way companies like Chevron innovate, learn and solve problems at the plant level.” He also highlighted the potential of AI-Assisted automation to not only improve industrial plant performance but also address industry’s workforce shortage. The tech could do so in several ways, he said “through institutional knowledge capture, workflow digitalization, and accelerating the learning curve for the next generation.”
Integrating ‘digital cognition’
Echoing Urso’s emphasis on digital cognition, Maheshwari also highlighted the importance of “integrating digital cognition,” where AI systems not only “analyze and react” but also “learn and evolve.” This fusion of “technology and human intelligence,” he believes, will help drive the process industry forward, enabling it to “tackle the most complex challenges and unlock unprecedented growth.”
He noted that traditional refinery workflows have often forced workers to “navigate through multiple siloed applications, standard operating procedures, documents, and historical data to gather the necessary information, process it, and make the right decision.” He described the workflows as being, at times, “time-consuming and complex.”
“Now envision a machine learning-driven system stepping in when an abnormal situation arises,” Maheshwari said. “The system instantly collects all relevant data, conducts a root cause analysis, and offers a solution based on historical incidents, all within seconds. This rapid intervention prevents potential plant shutdowns and ensures production continues smoothly and optimally.”