Why Real-Time Process Measurement Has Become a Safety Requirement in Modern Energy Systems

In many industrial sectors, measurement has traditionally been treated as a supporting function—important, but secondary to process design and operation. That assumption is no longer holding. As energy systems become more dynamic and more tightly regulated, the ability to measure process conditions continuously and accurately has become central to both safety and operational reliability.

This shift is particularly visible in hydrogen safety and refining, where gas composition can change rapidly and the consequences of delayed feedback are significant.

The limits of delayed analysis

For decades, industrial plants relied on extractive sampling and laboratory analysis to confirm process conditions. Samples were withdrawn, conditioned, transported, and analysed away from the process. While this approach provided high analytical accuracy, it often came with substantial time delays.

In stable operations, that delay was acceptable. In modern energy systems, it is not.

Hydrogen production units, for example, operate under variable electrical loads, fluctuating temperatures, and changing pressure regimes. In such environments, a hydrogen analyzer that reports conditions minutes after a disturbance may still be accurate, but it no longer serves a protective role. The same limitation applies in refineries, where crude slates vary more widely than in the past and operating margins are narrower.

Oxygen measurement as a safety function

One of the most critical measurements in hydrogen systems is oxygen concentration. Even trace oxygen in hydrogen streams increases explosion risk and accelerates degradation of downstream equipment. Oxygen ingress can occur through membrane crossover in electrolysers, leaks, maintenance activities, or upstream disturbances.

Continuous oxygen analyzers allow operators to detect these conditions early, under actual process pressure and temperature. This is particularly important because extractive sampling systems can themselves introduce measurement uncertainty through condensation, adsorption, or transport delay.

As hydrogen infrastructure scales, oxygen measurement is increasingly treated as a safety function rather than a quality check.

Measurement challenges in refining

Refining operations face a different, but related, set of challenges. Crude quality variability has increased as refineries process heavier, opportunity, or blended feedstocks. Laboratory testing remains essential, but it cannot provide the immediacy required for real-time control.

On-line crude oil analyzers enable refiners to characterise feedstock properties continuously, supporting better distillation control, energy efficiency, and blending accuracy. When integrated into control systems, these measurements help reduce off-spec production and unnecessary reprocessing.

In this context, the value of a crude oil analyzer lies not only in accuracy, but in timing. Knowing the crude properties as they enter the unit allows operators to respond proactively rather than reactively.

From verification to control

Across both hydrogen and hydrocarbon operations, the role of measurement is changing. Analyzers are no longer used solely to verify that a process meets specification after the fact. Instead, they increasingly shape how the process is operated in real time.

This transition places new demands on analyzer reliability, diagnostics, and integration. Continuous measurement is only useful if operators trust the data and understand its limitations. As a result, attention has shifted toward analyzer designs that minimise sample handling, operate closer to the process, and provide clear indicators of measurement health.

Implications for future energy systems

As energy systems become more interconnected and dynamic, the distinction between safety instrumentation and process optimisation continues to blur. Reliable measurement under real operating conditions underpins both objectives.

Whether monitoring oxygen in hydrogen production, purity in gas networks, or feedstock properties in refineries, analyzers now play a direct role in maintaining safe and efficient operation. The success of large-scale hydrogen deployment and advanced refining strategies will depend, in part, on how effectively these measurement challenges are addressed