Tracerco, a global industrial technology company, has launched DrumVision, a next generation non contact interface measurement system engineered to give refinery operators real time visibility inside critical and challenging process vessels. The system is being positioned as a direct response to one of the most persistent operational difficulties in the downstream refining sector, which is the tendency of conventional instrumentation to degrade or fail under the extreme conditions present inside delayed coking coke drums and similar process equipment. Following successful trials in Europe, the system will make its global debut at RefComm Galveston 2026, a leading international technical conference scheduled to run from 27 April to 1 May in Texas.

The announcement is relevant not only for the specific technical problem it addresses but also for what it signals about the direction of sustainability oriented innovation in traditional energy infrastructure. Refining and petrochemical operators are under pressure to reduce chemical use, minimise unplanned downtime and lower waste streams across their sites. Measurement technology sits at the foundation of these objectives because operators cannot optimise what they cannot reliably see. Improvements in non contact measurement systems therefore have knock on effects that extend well beyond the specific process unit in which they are deployed.

 

The Operational Problem That DrumVision Is Designed to Solve

 

Delayed coking is one of the most demanding processes in a refinery, used to convert heavy residual oils into lighter product streams and solid petroleum coke. The coke drums at the centre of this process operate under fluctuating conditions of temperature, pressure and fluid composition, with foaming and rapid phase changes complicating accurate measurement. Conventional level instruments, which typically require penetration of the vessel wall and rely on properties such as density or dielectric constant, are poorly suited to these conditions. They can foul, drift or fail outright, leaving operators with limited real time visibility of what is happening inside the drum.

The consequences of this visibility gap are significant. In the absence of reliable data, operators typically adopt conservative operating practices, which translate into excessive use of anti foam chemicals, suboptimal separation performance and a higher frequency of unplanned process delays. These outcomes carry direct economic and environmental costs. Anti foam chemicals are expensive and their overuse contributes to waste streams that must be managed. Unplanned delays increase energy consumption per unit of product and can cascade into downstream equipment damage, which adds maintenance cost and carbon impact to the overall footprint of the refinery.

 

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How the Non Contact Measurement Technology Works

 

DrumVision uses neutron backscatter technology to measure the hydrogen content near the vessel wall, which enables the system to detect and track interfaces from outside the vessel. This architecture is fundamentally different from traditional approaches because it does not require penetration of the vessel or direct contact with the process fluid. The system is mounted externally, which means that installation does not require vessel modification and that sensor performance is not affected by the fouling, foam or changing process chemistry that typically degrades internal instruments.

A distinguishing feature of the system is its ability to provide true three phase visibility, distinguishing between vapour, foam and coke inside the drum. This capability is particularly valuable in delayed coking operations, where uncontrolled foaming can result in overuse of anti foam chemicals, product carryover into downstream units and damage to condenser and fractionator equipment. By providing early warning of foam growth and quantitative feedback on foam collapse and liquid recovery, the system enables operators to adopt data driven anti foam strategies. This in turn supports more efficient chemical consumption, tighter process control and improved product quality across the overall operation.

 

Engineering Design Choices That Support Long Term Reliability

 

The design of the system reflects a set of decisions intended to maximise operational practicality and long term reliability. Because the system is mounted externally and requires no vessel penetration, it can be installed as a retrofit on existing process units, including sites that currently operate legacy neutron backscatter instrumentation. This retrofit compatibility is commercially important because it reduces the capital expenditure required to upgrade measurement capability and shortens the payback period for operators considering the investment.

The system also uses solid state detector technology, which eliminates the need for periodic re gassing that is typically required with earlier generations of neutron based instruments. The removal of re gassing reduces maintenance workload, lowers the handling of specialised gases on site and supports greater long term stability of measurement performance. Although the system has initially been proven in the demanding environment of delayed coking, Tracerco has indicated that the technology is suitable for a broader range of applications that require precise discrimination between solid, liquid, foam and vapour phases, which suggests that the addressable market extends well beyond a single process unit.

 

Commercial Positioning and the Broader Significance of Improved Measurement

 

Paul Hartley, Managing Director of Measurement Instruments at Tracerco, framed the commercial case in terms of the direct financial consequences of poor visibility. In high value processing environments, limitations in measurement translate directly into operating cost, chemical consumption and product quality. The argument made by the company is that operators in delayed coking and comparable applications have historically been forced to rely on instruments that struggle in precisely the conditions where accurate measurement is most valuable. By providing stable real time data from outside the vessel, the new system is intended to close that gap and deliver operational improvements that cannot be achieved with current generation internal instruments.

The broader significance of this product launch lies in how it connects industrial measurement innovation to sustainability performance. Accurate measurement of interface position is the foundation for improvements in separation efficiency, chemical usage and product quality. Each of these metrics has an environmental dimension. Lower chemical usage reduces waste and the embedded emissions associated with chemical manufacturing and transport. Better separation efficiency improves energy utilisation per unit of product. Reduced unplanned delays cut the frequency of start up and shut down cycles, which are typically the most emissions intensive moments in a refinery's operating cycle. Technology that enables operators to see inside their process equipment more accurately therefore has environmental relevance even when it is not explicitly marketed as a sustainability product.

 

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The Role of RefComm Galveston 2026 in the Market Rollout

 

The choice of RefComm Galveston as the global launch venue reflects the specialised commercial audience that Tracerco is targeting. RefComm is one of the leading technical conferences for delayed coking, fluid catalytic cracking and sulphur recovery professionals, bringing together refinery operators, engineering contractors, technology providers and process engineers. Launching a product at this event provides direct access to the decision makers who operate delayed coking units and to the consultants who advise on capital upgrades in refining facilities.

Tracerco specialists will be present at Stand 122 throughout the event to discuss the capabilities of the system and to explore deployment opportunities with refinery operators and engineers. In practice, this kind of direct technical engagement is typically how specialised industrial measurement products move from initial launch into active deployment. Operators require detailed process specific discussions to evaluate compatibility with their existing configurations, which makes conference presence at specialist events one of the most effective routes to market for this category of technology.

 

A Data Point for the Industrial Sustainability Debate

 

The launch fits into a wider conversation about how existing industrial infrastructure can be made more efficient and less wasteful in the period during which the energy transition continues to unfold. Even as refining capacity is expected to evolve in response to electrification and alternative fuels, existing refineries will continue to operate for decades and will need to reduce the environmental intensity of their production. Measurement, automation and digital visibility technologies are among the highest leverage investments available for this purpose because they compound across every batch and every operating cycle.

For the wider industrial technology sector, the launch is another example of how specialist engineering firms are able to address specific, high value problems that large general technology providers tend not to serve. For the refining industry, it is a reminder that meaningful improvements in operational and environmental performance are often obtained not from new process units but from improved measurement, monitoring and control of existing ones. The commercial success of the system over the coming years will be determined by the pace of adoption at operating refineries and by the extent to which the promised reductions in chemical consumption, downtime and product variability are delivered in field conditions.

 

Source: Tracerco