High Integrity Pressure

Protection System (HIPPS)

Dependable pressure protection for downstream systems

Overview
Where safety of people, environment and assets is concerned, a system independent
of all other safety loops may be required in addition to process control systems, alarms,
and physical and community safety procedures.
A High Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS) is a safety
instrumented system designed to prevent over-pressurization of a pipeline,
processing refinery, or chemical plant. HIPPS provides equipment to:

Reduce high-pressure pipelines or vessel over-pressure risk

Conform to safety regulations/environmental policies

Improve economic viability of a development

Reduce risk to a facility/plant or flowline

Reduce the total load of relief in a relief/flare system

A HIPPS is designed and built in accordance with the IEC 61508 and IEC
61511 standards. These international standards refer to Safety Functions
(SF) and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) when discussing a solution to
protect equipment, personnel, and environment. A system that closes the
source of overpressure within two seconds, and incorporates redundancy
within the initiators (pressure sensors), the logic solver, and final elements
(shutdown valves) with at least the same reliability as a safety relief valve
is usually identified as a HIPPS.
When operating in high-pressure environments and existing production
fields, a failure of the completion can cause damage to the environment,
the infrastructure, and most importantly, personnel. Mitigating that risk on
existing production wells and flowlines is a challenge that can be met with
safety systems that incorporate HIPPS.

Mechanical HIPPS skid in Saudi Arabia

How a HIPPS Works

A HIPPS detects high-pressure conditions and closes isolation valves
to protect lower rated downstream infrastructure. The system operates
autonomously and is not connected to the plants process shutdown
(PSD), emergency shutdown (ESD), or control systems. It is fail close for
any loss of instrument air, hydraulic power, electric power, or instrument
signals. Each HIPPS loop within a HIPPS is independent of all other loops.
A HIPPS is designed with redundant safety functions to isolate downstream
components from overpressure

Logic

PT

Final elements
Typical safety loop

1500 600

PT

Logic solver

PT

Initiator

Cameron HIPPS
Suitable for onshore and offshore installations, the Cameron HIPPS is a
turnkey, independently instrumented system designed with higher integrity
than process shutdown and emergency shutdown systems. Our complete
HIPPS skid design and fabrication is compliant with IEC 61508 and 61511
and SIL standards along with global installation, commissioning and testing
services, and service support. It incorporates our field-proven power-actuated
FL* API 6A slab-style gate valve, our FLS* API 6A extreme service slab-style
gate valve, and MH series hydraulic actuators combined with controls.
We offer both mechanical and electronic HIPPS:
Typical hydraulic HIPPSThe intended use of the hydraulic (mechanical)
version of HIPPS is to provide a self-contained independent protection
system operated in the demand mode with one-out-of-two voting pressure
sensor inputs, hydraulic logic solver, and two spring return hydraulically
actuated surface safety valves. The unit is self-powered with a manual
hand pump used to provide a one-time pressurization (arming) of the
HIPPS. This pressurizes the system and opens the safety shutdown valves.
The system remains open (armed) until an abnormal condition is detected.
Once an abnormal condition is detected, the system closes the two
actuated gate valves, protecting the downstream production or facility.

Hydraulic HIPPS

Typical electronic HIPPSThe intended use of the electronic HIPPS is

to provide a self-contained independent high integrity pressure protection
system operated in the demand mode with two out of three voting
pressure transmitter inputs, electronic logic solver, and two spring return,
hydraulically actuated surface safety valves. The unit is self-powered with a
manual hand pump/hydraulic power unit (HPU) used to provide a one-time
pressurization (arming) of the HIPPS. This pressurizes the system and opens
the safety shutdown valves. The system remains open (armed) until an
abnormal condition is detected. Once an abnormal condition is detected,
the system closes the two actuated gate valves, protecting the downstream
production or facility.

Applications

Electronic HIPPS

Wellhead flowline

Pipeline

Gas/oil separation plant

Gas plant

Modular skid-mounted

FPSO

Capable of plug-and-play

Offshore platform

Compliant with all stringent quality standards

Compressor station

Reliable shut-in

Features

High-integrity, flexible mechanical and electronic design with

built-in functionality

Gas storage

Chemical plant

System feedback

Flaring system

Industry and field proven gate and ball valves

Pneumatic and hydraulic actuator options (linear and quarter turn)

Benefits

Minimizes flowline shut-in

Self-contained hydraulic system

Reduce site visits/labor time onsite

Partial test/stroke testing

Reduces the environmental impact of pressure release flaring systems

SIL3 certified design

Maximized system availability

System diagnostics and status feedback

Economically tie back high-pressure fields to existing pipeline

infrastructure and topsides
Quick to install and easily swapped out

HIPPS Components
The Cameron HIPPS is comprised of two
emergency shutdown valves, one-out-of-two
(1oo2) logic solver, and typically three pressure
transmitters that are two-out-of-three (2oo3)
voting logic. Components include:

Sensors that detect the high pressures or flow

rates, one-out-of-two (1oo2), and/or two-outof-three (2oo3)

Final elementvalves,
actuators, and solenoids

Logic solver that processes the input from the

sensors to the final element
SIL 3 rated final elements (a valve, actuator,
and solenoids [fail-safe closed]) that actually
perform the corrective action in the field by
bringing the process to a safe state. In the
case of HIPPS, this means shutting in the
source of overpressure.

Logic solver

Sensors

PSH PSH

PSH PSH Mechanical

Initiators

Final elements

1500 600

Mechanical HIPPS safety loop

Logic solver

Initiators PT

Final elements

Logic

PT

PT

1500 600

Electronic HIPPS safety loop

We manufacture HIPPS to meet customer requirements using the following components:

Complete system design to meet HIPPS standards

Skids designed for HIPPS

API 6A fail-safe gate valves

Controls/HPU designs (mechanical or electrical with logic solvers)

API 6A linear hydraulic spring-return actuators

Solenoid valves

API 6D quarter turn ball valves

Pressure transmitters

API 6D quarter turn/spring-return actuators

Pressure sensors

Safety Instrumented Systems

A Safety Instrumented System (SIS) is designed to prevent or reduce hazardous events by taking a
process to a safe state when predetermined conditions are violated. A SIS can typically be an emergency
shutdown system (ESD), safety interlock system, or safety shutdown system. Each SIS will have one or
more Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF).
Each SIF loop will be a combination of logic solvers, sensors, solenoids, and final control elements, such
as an automated valve. Every SIF within a SIS will have a Safety Integrity Level (SIL), which is essentially
a measure of the system performance in terms of Probability of failure on Demand (PFD). These SIL levels
may be the same, or they may differ, depending on the process. Its a common misconception that an
entire system must have the same SIL level for each safety function.
Probability of Failure on Demand
Safety integrity level
SIL 4
SIL 3
SIL 2
SIL 4

Risk reduction factor

100,000 to 10,000
10,000 to 1,000
1,000 to 100
100 to 10

Probability of failure on demand

10-5 to 10-4
10-4 to 10-3
10-3 to 10-2
10-2 to 10-1

Refer to 61508-1 in the IEC Standards

High Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS)

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