A Database for Automated Instrumentation Plans

In the process industry an Piping and instrumentation diagram (PI&D) is a detailed diagram wich shows the piping and vessels in a process flow together with the instrumentation and control devices. This section is dedicated to an database tool, so is no question to obtain a flow diagram with, such as with other tools. The database goal is to return the measurement points required for the commissioning method without redundancy and in accordance with description of the building.

The database is a standalone tool created with Microsoft Access (Required a Microsoft Office license). We don't have found an easy way to share an Access file but the database still available by email.

How to use the Database

1. Building description

When the user open Database, he is faced to a form. The form is the only thing to fullfill in order to obtain the instrumentation plan. The first thing to do is to give a name to the building. This name is mandatory or the database would be not able to differenciate the systems of this buildings with the systems of the others already defined. A name must must be also given to each system that the user want to instrument for the same reasons. But when a system name is given, the details of its composition (ie the components of the system, in accordance with our hierarchical structure) is done by selecting from a drop-down list of components already registered in our database. For each component already mentioned in the same building, a window appears in order to ask if this component is the same. Thus the instrumentation is limited to its strict minimum. The user have also to select a service for each system in a drop-down list.

2. Choice of the indicators

When the building is descripted the form give all the indicators available in accordance with the components/systems/service indicated. The indicators are grouped by hierarchical level for easy reading. Each indicator can be selected with a check box. Thanks to that the user indicate that the database should return all measurement point required for this specific indicator.

3. Result and Instrumentation plan

The database returns the measurement points required by the indicators selection. It indicates the component where the sensors should be installed, the kind of sensor, the accuracy of the sensor and the bibliographic reference for its installation