How to manage alarm handling related to device shutdowns
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We are using ABB’s systems, and there is a problem: the manufacturer claims it cannot be resolved. To illustrate this issue, take one of the pumps on site as an example. When such a pump is in operation, the outlet pressure should have a lower limit alarm set at 0.2 MPa; however, when it stops operating, the pressure drops to 0, resulting in continuous alarm signals that interfere with normal operations. Is there any solution? Do you want to add more money?
Do you have the permission? If available, it’s possible to set the low value to 0, and then adjust it to 0.2 MPa while driving; that’s exactly what our device is designed to do
The pump’s operation feedback can be used as a condition for triggering the low-level alarm
It can be achieved through alarm suppression, with the pump stopping serving as the condition for suppressing the pressure alarm.
I feel the same way, but it’s not a field related to self-control; if the manufacturer says no, there’s nothing we can do. I’m so frustrated right now. Is it the company Allen-Bradley’s technology that’s poor, or is it its service?
Since I have not used such a system before, but given the long history of the DCS industry in China, I am sure that such a function must exist; it would allow direct communication with project managers or technical supervisors. After all, there are differences in the technical skills and work attitudes of field service engineers. Additionally, your problem cannot be solved by using alarm suppression; to be precise, alarm suppression is a function used during equipment maintenance, and it requires manual intervention from the operator or controller. To prevent alarms from being triggered due to low pressure when the pump is stopped, the method used on the 2nd and 3rd floors should be adopted. Alarm management is based on priorities, and this varies from one manufacturer to another. For example, there are levels such as HH, HI, LO, LL, Journal, and none; meanwhile, some manufacturers use numerical values to determine priorities, with 0-15 corresponding to different priority levels. When configuring the DCS, it is necessary to set the priority to NONE when the pump stops, so that no alarm will be generated.
I haven’t used Allen-Bradley, so my description isn’t very detailed. Is it a problem if there is no pressure alarm when the machine is shut down? If the alarm is confirmed, it won’t keep popping up anymore, so then there’s no problem. If it keeps popping up even after the alarm has been confirmed, then there’s an issue with the program
Use the pump’s operation signal as one of the conditions for triggering an alarm; no alarm is issued if the pump is not operating
Another idea is: for each alarm (HH/H/L/LL) generated by the AI, there can be an enabling function, with the pump’s operation signal used to trigger this enabling
A small program can be created within the system to serve as an alarm point, through which actions related to pump operation can be triggered