Managing Alarms at Gladstone Power Station

A Case History ISA Safety Symposium Houston May 23-24 2006

Standards Certification Education & Training Publishing Conferences & Exhibits

Presented by Alan Armour

OVERVIEW OF GLADSTONE POWER STATION

6 X 280MW COALFIRED BOILER/TURBINES

1st UNIT ON LINE IN 1976 RAPID LOAD CHANGE SEAWATER COOLED CONDENSERS

CHRONICLE OF ALARM MANAGEMENT AT GPS 1976-1994

Insert picture of old control ACQUISITION SYSTEM panel and text from page7

ALARMS PROVIDED BY SEPARATE DATA 2216 ALARM POINTS PER UNIT

HARD COPY TO PRINTERS ARCHIVED AS PRINTOUTS

OTHER FEATURES
MANUAL ALARM ANALYSIS UNIT TRIPS PROVIDED HUNDREDS OF PAGES HEAVY ALARM TRAFFIC NO PRIORITY SYSTEM STANDARD NOMENCLATURE MANAGEMENT BASIC SUPPRESSION OF OUT OF SERVICE PLANT ELEMENTARY INHIBITED ALARM PROCEDURES

CONTROL SYSTEMS OVERVIEW FOXBORO I/A DCS (SINCE 1994)

8 CONTROL DESKS

OVER 30,000 I/O, 3600 ALARMS/UNIT

CENTRALISED CONTROL ROOM

1994 - PRESENT
ALARMS INTEGRATED WITH DCS
HISTORIAN
EXTENSIVE

ALARM REVIEW

3600 ALARM POINTS PER UNIT INTRODUCTION OF THREE ALARM PRIORITIES

SOME ALARMS SENT TO PAGERS

INITIAL TRAFFIC OVER 2500 ALARMS PER DAY PER UNIT
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ISSUES WITH ALARMS SINCE UPGRADE MASSIVE ALARM FLOODS

IMPORTANT ALARMS MISSED

MISMANAGED

INHIBITED ALARMS

UNNECESSARY DAMAGE TO PLANT FRUSTRATED OPERATION STAFF

AUDIBLE ALARM SYSTEM VANDALISED

LOW OPERATOR PRODUCTIVITY

 ALARM DESTINATION REVIEW

BEGINNING OF ALARM TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

BENCH MARKS ESTABLISHED

ADDRESSED TRAFFIC ISSUES USING THE SQUEAKING WHEEL PRIORITY METHOD

SET UP SPECIAL PLANT MODIFICATION DOCUMENT FOR ALARMS

1000

1200

200

400

600

800

0
01/08/2001 13/08/2001 25/08/2001 06/09/2001 18/09/2001 30/09/2001 12/10/2001 24/10/2001 06/11/2001 18/11/2001 30/11/2001 12/12/2001 24/12/2001 05/01/2002 17/01/2002 29/01/2002 10/02/2002 22/02/2002 06/03/2002 18/03/2002 30/03/2002 11/04/2002 23/04/2002 06/05/2002 18/05/2002 30/05/2002 11/06/2002 23/06/2002 05/07/2002 17/07/2002 29/07/2002

2001/2 ANALYSIS-DAILY COUNT

TOTAL P3 ALARMS

TOTAL P2 ALARMS

TOTAL P1 ALARMS

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2001/2 ANALYSIS - ALARMS BY PRIORTY

8%

48%

TOTAL P1 ALARMS

TOTAL P2 ALARMS

TOTAL P3 ALARMS 44%

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CONTINUING PRESSURE FROM PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT TO FURTHER REDUCE TRAFFIC PURCHASED ALARM MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE TASK FORCE FORMED

INTRODUCTION OF INHIBITED ALARM MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION OF STANDING ALARM MANAGEMENT

INCORPORATED EEMUA GUIDELINES

RISK ANALYSIS
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ALARM MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

DCS FOXBORO I/A

LOGMATE (TIPS)

ALARM
MANAGER

ANNUNCIATOR
LIGHTS,AUDIBLE

PROCESSGUARD
(MATRIKON)

HISTORIAN

I/A SYSTEM REPORTS

INHIBITED ALARMS REPORTS

STANDING ALARMS > 2 DAYS

ALARMS BY TAG (TOP 20)

ALARMS BY PRIORITYINTERVAL

HISTORIAN REPORTS

DCS SYSTEMS ENGINEER

ALARM MANAGEMENT TEAM (1 CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN, 2 OPERATORS, 1 PROCESS ENGINEER, ALL PART TIME)

MAINTENANCE

ENGINEERING

OPERATIONS

MANAGEMENT 13

2003
OPERATION STAFF REDUCED BY 18 (3 OFF EACH SHIFT, AND 3 OFF DAY SHIFT)
ALARM MANAGEMENT NOW A KEY ELEMENT IN PLANT OPERATIONS

ALARMS SCREENS FOR UNITS NOW DUPLICATED AND MONITORED FROM 1 CENTRAL CONTROL DESK

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16

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STANDING ALARMS

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SMART ALARM EXAMPLE

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Gladstone Power Station Unit 4 Alarm Count By Tag 09/08/04

3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0

Alarm Count

Tag 4_SH_TEMP:STM_OTMP_ALM 4_A_PASS_FF:5RM_2_ALM 4_AIR_HTR:AH_GO_ALM 4_CW_TW:BACKFLUSH_2 4_RH_TEMP:RH_DEV_ALM1 4_AIR_AUX:AIRINJ_1_ALM 4_AIR_FLOW:A_O2_ALM_H1 4_AIR_HTR:AH_DEV 4_D_PULV:PA_DMP_ALM 4_D_PULV:PLV_STR_ALM 4_D_PULV:SD_FLT_ALM 4_E_PULV:PA_DMP_ALM 4_E_PULV:SD_FLT_ALM 4_F_PULV:PA_DMP_ALM 4_F_PULV:PLV_STR_ALM 4_F_PULV:SD_FLT_ALM 4_FW_FLOW:DL_ALM_H1 4_RH_TEMP:PSS_MST_ALM1 4_TURB_WSE:VTMIN_1_ALM Total:

4_ SH _ 4_ TE A_ M P 4_ PA :S A S T 4_ IR S_ M_ CW _H FF OT T : . 4_ _T R:A 5R .. RH W H M_ :B _ .. 4_ _ G . AI TE AC O_ K 4_ R_A MP FL AL AI U :R US M R_ X: H_ H FL AIR D _ 2 O I EV 4_ 4_ W: N J_ ... D_ AI A_ 1 _ 4_ PU R_H O2 AL D_ LV T _A M .. P : R 4_ UL PA :AH . D_ V: _D _D 4_ P PL M E E_ UL V_ P_ V P V S A 4_ U L :SD TR LM E_ V: _ _A 4_ P PA FL L F_ U _ T_ M 4_ PU LV: DM AL F_ LV SD P_ M P :P _F A 4_ U L A_ L T LM F_ V:P D _A 4_ P L M L FW U L V_ P_ M A 4_ _F V:S ST LM RH LO D_ R_ 4_ _ T W FL ALM TU E :D T_ RB MP L_A AL _W :PS LM M SE S_ _H :V MS 1 TM ... IN _. ..
Tag Name
Alarm Count 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 25 Tag Description BLR STM OUT TEMP H2 A5 ROT MANIFOLD SPEED TRIP AIR HTR GAS OUT TEMP L1 BACKFLUSH REQUIRED RH STM TEMP DEV HI AIR INJECTION SUBLOOP OFF A FLUE GAS O2 H1 A-B AIR HT AIR IN TC DEV HI D PULV PA DAMP AUTO OFF D PULV START SEQ FLT D PULV SLEEVE DAMP FLT E PULV PA DAMP AUTO OFF E PULV SLEEVE DAMP FLT F PULV PA DAMP AUTO OFF F PULV START SEQ FLT F PULV SLEEVE DAMP FLT DRUM LEVEL ALARM H1 REAR PASS DAMP MAST AUTO OFF TURB STRESS MARGIN L1

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100% 90% 80% 70%

Gladstone Power Station Unit 4 Alarm Distribution by Priority per Hour

9 8 7 6 5

Distribution

60% 50% 4 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 8/9/04 1:00 8/9/04 2:00 8/9/04 3:00 8/9/04 5:00 8/9/04 6:00 8/9/04 7:00 8/9/04 8:00 8/9/04 15:00 8/9/04 16:00 8/9/04 18:00 8/9/04 20:00 8/9/04 23:00 3 2 1 0

Total Count

Condition Data
1 2 Percent Count 1 1 13% 4 1 1 1 2 1 Percent 100% 1 50% 50% 100% 33% 67% 100% 1 1 2 1 100% 100% 100% 100% 2 1 67% 33% 3 1 100% 38% 50% Count 3 Percent Total Count Total Percent

Timestamp
8/9/04 1:00 8/9/04 2:00 8/9/04 3:00 8/9/04 5:00 8/9/04 6:00 8/9/04 7:00 8/9/04 8:00 8/9/04 15:00 8/9/04 16:00 8/9/04 18:00 8/9/04 20:00 8/9/04 23:00

Count

1 1 8 2 1 3 3 1 1 1 2 1

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Total Count

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Alarm Performance Metrics

Benchmark & Assessment

Alarm Performance Metrics (EEMUA Guidelines)

(1) Average number of alarms per hourLevel of interruption (2) Maximum number of alarms per hourWorst case loading (3) % of hours when there were >30 alarms per hour% time system is upset

Alarm System Performance

Average # Alarms per Hr

1 -Overloaded 600

Impossible
2 - Reactive 4 - Robust 3 - Stable

60

5 - Predictive

+ X
60 600 Maximum # Alarms per Hr 6000
MATRIKON

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OTHER BENEFITS OF ALARM MANAGEMENT

FASTER START UP AND SHUT DOWN TIMES. REDUCED SICK LEAVE FROM OPERATION STAFF. (BETTER WORK SATISFACTION, LESS STRESS) MAINTENANCE CAN BETTER PLAN WORK. BETTER RECOVERY FROM ABNORMAL SITUATIONS (REDUCED TRIPS, LESS DAMAGE TO PLANT ETC). REDUCED LOSSES. OPERATORS ARE LESS ALARM DRIVEN IN THEIR WORK. EASIER TO IDENTIFY AND RESOLVE PROCESS PROBLEMS REQUESTS FROM OPERATIONS FOR MORE ALARMS!

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GLADSTONE POWER STATION UNIT TRIPS 1996-2006

14

12

10

8 Series1 6

0 TIME

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FUTURE WORK
REDUCE ALARM FLOODS DURING ABNORMAL SITUATIONS

CHANGES TO AUDIBLE ALARM PHILOSOPHY REDUCE CONSEQUENTIAL ALARM TRAFFIC

MORE WORK ON STANDING ALARMS INCLUDE ALARM TRAFFIC DATA IN KPI CALCULATIONS FURTHER DEVELOP PACKAGE TO REDUCE ADMINISTRATION
COSTS

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NRG GLADSTONE POWER STATION MATRIKON SIT EEMUA INVENSYS

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QUESTION TIME

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