Alarm KB
The Alarm KB is within LogMate®’s ACE module and is a central database of alarm configurations, limits, priorities, change management, and audit features.
Alarm KB allows users to:
- Design, manage and monitor your master alarm configuration
- Automatically identify configuration changes in a DCS
- Document and rationalize alarm settings
- Create an online operating procedure and document center
As a container for a “master” alarm configuration, the Alarm KB is equipped with automated rationalization tools such as a prioritization calculator and an integrated Management of Change workflow. Operators can rely on the Alarm KB for immediate access to procedural advice as a standalone form or through a tightly integrated interface with netView and ACE. Engineers can utilize the Alarm KB to ensure consistent alarm design and change management.
✔ Provides a process knowledge database pertaining to alarm configuration settings, alarm removal/addition rationale
✔ Calculates alarm limits (set points) for process variables using a patented processing algorithm
✔ Calculates recommended alarm priorities based on severity matrix
✔ Analyzes the priority distribution of configured alarms, for comparison to design targets or benchmarks
✔ Enforces design stability and best practices by comparing active settings to the master control system configuration
✔ Improves the efficiency and speed of alarm design with integrated copy and paste functionality
✔ Automated import of alarm configuration data to master alarm database
✔ Links configuration data to operator documentation for immediate electronic recall, assisting in upset resolution
✔ Provides an audit trail for all changes approved or rejected during the management of change process
✔ Recalls a drop-down list of previously entered rationalization information for easy and consistent entry
✔ Copy function to provide update of rationalization based on saved user query
The basic settings in the Alarm KB can be automatically imported or manually added. The Alarm KB contains a list of “Tags” or “Points”, and each “Tag” is associated with a list of alarms. The fields are customizable to provide the exact information operators need to see. Each alarm entry is associated with a number of attributes, including:
- Type of Alarm
- Alarm Limit (Set Point)
- Alarm Priority
- Level of Impact
- Cause Consequence and Corrective Action
- Control Room Response Time
These attributes can be customized and expanded to adapt to individual methodology and requirements.
The Alarm KB also allows other tables and attributes to be added as a repository for other process data such as associated interlocks and bypasses of each point.
The Alarm KB includes a number of features that align with widely-accepted alarm rationalization best practices including:
- Assess current alarm performance
- Develop and implement alarm philosophy documentation and prioritization
- Review and calculate alarm limits (alarm setpoints)
- Includes tools to copy rationalization and documentation to multiple tags and alarms by using the same KB Criteria to query the database.
The Alarm KB includes an analysis engine to provide a bar chart presentation of configured alarm system settings of the associated control system. Once the configuration data is entered into the Alarm KB database, several analyses can be performed that clearly identify how well the system is configured and allow an existing configuration to be compared to organizational expectations.
The KB Analysis allows the user to perform a frequency (count) of up to two fields in the KB. The analysis is created specific to a KB table (Tag or Alarm).
The Alarm KB Analysis interface is designed for ease of use and to make configuration analysis “point and click” easy. Every element needed to run and interpret an analysis is available on a single screen.