Emergency measures for DCS screen blackout

In this article, Changhui Instruments introduces the concept of DCS black-screen operation, shares the conditions under which such operations are carried out, and provides emergency response plans for DCS black-screen incidents. Operating the DCS with a black screen allows for the evaluation of various indicators such as the quality of daily operation of the system, the degree of automation, the performance of the instrumentation system, the level of routine maintenance of the control system, the configuration and settings of the DCS, as well as the design and configuration of the Safety Instrumented System (SIS). The DCS black-screen operation is an emergency procedure used when specific failures occur in the DCS system, and it is not a requirement for normal production. However, this operation allows for the assessment of various aspects such as the quality of daily operations of the equipment, the level of automation, the performance of the instrumentation system, the standard of routine maintenance of the control system, the configuration and settings of the DCS, as well as the design and configuration of the Safety Instrumented System (SIS). Adjusting PID parameters and improving the automatic control level of the unit are among the key methods for enabling operation in DCS with a black screen; they represent very effective basic safeguards to ensure the unit operates safely, stably, for a long time, at full capacity, and optimally, while also providing time for emergency response to failures. Conditions for operating with a DCS screen going black: ① The DCS system has a rigorous and comprehensive control logic. ②All of the automatic control circuits of the device are in operation, and the control status is good. ③All device interlocks are in operation and functioning properly. ④All possible scenarios should be taken into account as thoroughly as possible, and plans should be developed to achieve a high degree of automation with minimal human intervention. However, in the event of an abnormality that causes the DCS screen to go black, manual intervention is still required; there cannot be no operators present. Emergency Response Plan for DCS Blackout incidents: yunrun.com.cn/tech/1858.html. Production facilities in various industries generally have corresponding \"Emergency Response Plans for DCS Blackout incidents\". The general elements of such plans can be summarized as follows: ① Incident symptoms – Part or all of the DCS operating system goes black. ②Causes of the incident include server failures, power outages at the operation station, DCS display failures, and KVM (multi-computer switch) module failures. In the event of serious faults in the DCS control system, such as problems with the DCS controllers or the DCS communication network, it becomes impossible to carry out operations due to the black screen. ③Emergency information reporting procedure: Report in accordance with the established procedure to the on-duty shift leader, workshop managers, dispatchers, and plant-level management, and contact the DCS instrumentation staff for inspection and handling. ④Emergency procedures: If at least one DCS operator station is still functional, each position shall use the functional DCS operator station to continue operations and production ； If all DCS operator stations go black, but the engineer stations or application stations (OPC Server) remain unaffected, it is possible to monitor the key parameters of the equipment temporarily through normal stations or external monitoring systems.