PDVSA

ENGINEERING DESIGN MANUAL

VOLUME 9–II

ENGINEERING GUIDELINE

PDVSA N° TITULO

90620.1.115 ALARM SYSTEM GUIDELINES

0 JAN.02 APPROVED 5 Y.K. A.A. E.C.

REV. FECHA DESCRIPCION PAG. REV. APPD. APPD.

APPD. Alexis Arévalo DATE JAN.02 APPD. Enrique Carmona DATE JAN.02

E PDVSA, 1983 SPECIALIST

 ENGINEERING GUIDELINE PDVSA 90620.1.115
REVISION DATE
PDVSA ALARM SYSTEM GUIDELINES 0 JAN.02
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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
These guidelines provide recommendations on alarm management fundamentals
and alarm management implementation. It also addresses alarm classification,
signal handling considerations and test procedures. It is the intention of this
document to provide guidance on alarming philosophy, alarm rationalization and
enhancing screen displays.
PDVSA has decided to adopt the API Recommended Practice 554–95, Section 3,
as an integral part of the Engineering Design Manual (MID), the requirements
within this document shall be considered as additions or modifications. The
paragraph numbers and associated headings used in this document correspond
to API 554–95, Section 3, which covers alarms and protective devices. As this
document covers only alarms, “Delete” shall be read as “Not applicable to these
guidelines”.

3.2 References (modification)

3.2.1 Petróleos de Venezuela Specifications (PDVSA) (Addition)
PDVSA K–343 Alarm Systems Criteria.
PDVSA K–336 Safety Instrumented Systems.
3.2.2 Local Standards (Addition)
Covenin – Código Eléctrico Nacional.
3.2.3 International Standards (Modification)
ANSI/ISA–S18.1 Annunciator Sequences and Specifications.
ANSI/ISA–S67.04 Setpoints for Nuclear Safety–Related Instrumentation,
Part I.
ANSI/ISA–TR67.04.08 Setpoints for Sequenced Actions.
ISA–RP67.04 –Part II Methodologies for the Determination of Setpoints for
Nuclear Safety–Related Instrumentation.
ISA–TR 77.60.04 Fossil Fuel Power Plant Human–Machine Interface –
CRT Displays.
PIP PCSPS001 Packaged Equipment Instrumentation Specification.
PIP PCESS001 Safety Instrumented Systems Guidelines.

3.3 General
On first paragraph Replace:
“Petroleum refineries” with ”petroleum and petrochemical processes”.
 ENGINEERING GUIDELINE PDVSA 90620.1.115
REVISION DATE
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On second paragraph Delete:

“Protective systems rather than”.
On third paragraph Replace:
“Refinery” with ”process”.
On one before last paragraph Modify:
“DCS” with ”DCS, Alarm Annunciator Panel and other Alarm Managing Systems”.
On last paragraph Modify:
“DCS” with ”DCS and others Microprocessor based Alarm Managing Systems”.

3.4 Alarm Systems

3.4.2 Integrated Alarm Systems
On Figure 3 Modify:
“Redundant Operator Station” box with the following:

Redundant operator stations

– Process Alarms
– Shutdown Alarms
– Preshutdown Alarms

“Annunciator Panels Control Room” box with the following:

Annunciator Panels
Control Room

– Critical Alarms
 ENGINEERING GUIDELINE PDVSA 90620.1.115
REVISION DATE
PDVSA ALARM SYSTEM GUIDELINES 0 JAN.02
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3.5 Protective Systems

Delete this section.
3.5.1 Type of Protection Systems
Delete this section.
3.5.2 Sensor Considerations
Delete this section.
3.5.3 Shutdown Alarms Replace
“Annunciated” with “annunciated (displayed, audibly indicated and recorded)”.
“In many cases, a different audible signal is used to” with ”A different audible signal
is recommended to”.
3.5.5 Final Control Elements
Delete this section.
3.5.6 Logic
Delete this section.
3.5.7 Testing
Delete first paragraph.
Delete second paragraph.
Replace third paragraph with:
“When Bypass facilities for testing of Protective Systems is in effect it should be
annunciated in the control room. This alarm could be colored or flashing to alert
the operator.
The bypass system should be designed to keep the alarms circuits functional (as
much as possible) during the testing period.”
Delete fourth paragraph.
Delete fifth paragraph.
Delete sixth paragraph.
3.5.8 Enhancing Reliability of Protective Systems
Delete this section.
3.5.9 Documentation
Delete this section.
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3.6 Engineering Considerations

3.6.1 General Requirements Replace with
“The following practices are recommended for implementing alarm systems.”
3.6.1.2 Addition
Add to end of paragraph: “(Normally, preshutdown alarms and the process alarm
devices are the same.)”
3.6.1.5 Delete this Section

3.6.1.6 Modify
Replace “protective system logic” with “alarm setting”.
3.6.1.8 Modify
Replace “trip” with “alarm”.
3.6.2 Electrical Requirements (Addition)
Add at the end of first paragraph:
“Exception: common wires for field sensor powering may be used on fieldbus
networks”.

3.7 Alarm Management (New)

3.7.1 Alarm Display Capabilities
Process alarm functions should be provided. These functions should include (a)
out–of–service, (b) out–of–range (high, low, open–circuit, and certain
user–configuration contact statuses), (c) absolute high and low with deadband, (d)
rate–of–change with deadband, (e) output high and low with deadband, and (f)
contact input and output status alarms. The adjustment of any alarm
value/deadband/time/disabling should be protected by security access level.
3.7.2 Alarm Annunciation
The control system should continuosly monitor all process variables for alarm
conditions. Alarms refer to any system diagnostic alarms or process alarms
including the failure or disconnection of any device in the control system.
The colors used for alarming should be exclusive on displays for consistency and
visibility within a system.
There should be common alarm acknowledge capability within a console . Critical
alarms may be individually acknowledged or cleared in order to silence the audible
signal.
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3.7.3 Critical Alarm Displays

A dedicated critical alarm display should be provided. The critical alarm display
should indicate the status (active or clear) of each and every critical alarm and
must be updated in real–time. This may be a hardwired annunciator.
3.7.4 Alarm Identification
Loops in alarms should be identified on displays by a user–specified color change.
Unacknowledged alarms shall be indicated on displays by a flashing color change.
The type of alarm (absolute, deviation, etc.) may be shown on the loop faceplates
or groups displays.
3.7.5 Alarm Priorities
A minimum of four levels of process alarm priorities should be provided, such as
critical, important, abnormal, and information/status. Each priority level shall have
a unique visual and audible annunciation.