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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 1 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

Rev. Revised Page Nos.

A
0
1 Generally Revised
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Distribution
Managing Director
Deputy Manager Director(s)
Management Representative
Relevant Division Directors
QM Coordinators
Relevant Quality Manager(s)

M.Yousefi
1 25.04.2005 Issued For Implementation P.Khomarloo S.Hosseini M.Tavassoli
S.Rahimi Mofrad
0 21.07.2002 Issued For Implementation P.Khomarloo S.Hosseini M.Tavassoli K.Payvar
A 08.03.2002 Issued For Approval J.Ovaici S.Hosseini M.Tavassoli -
Rev. Date Description Prepared Checked Approved Authorized

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 2 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

Table of Contents
1. Purpose ................................................................................................................3
2. Applicable Documents ..........................................................................................3
3. Definition ...............................................................................................................4
4. Overview ...............................................................................................................4
5. General Requirements ..........................................................................................5
6. Procedure .............................................................................................................6
6.1. Level Instrument ........................................................................................................... 6
6.1.1. Atmospheric Storage Tank (Also Can Be Used For Spherical Tank) ................... 6
6.1.2. Tower: (Distillation, Absorption and Extraction) .................................................... 7
6.1.3. Surge Drum (Horizontal) ....................................................................................... 7
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6.1.4. Reflux Drum (Horizontal) ...................................................................................... 7

6.1.5. Flash Drum ........................................................................................................... 8
6.1.6. Vent drum ............................................................................................................. 8
6.1.7. Knock out Drum .................................................................................................... 8
6.1.8. Sump Pit (Sump Oil / Sewer Water / Underground Pit) ........................................ 9
6.2. Pressure Instrument ..................................................................................................... 9
6.2.1. Fuel Gas to Heater................................................................................................ 9
6.2.2. Strainer / Filter on Suction of Compressors on Pipeline ..................................... 10
6.2.3. Compressor Outlet.............................................................................................. 10
6.2.4. Tower .................................................................................................................. 10
6.2.5. Steam Drum........................................................................................................ 11
6.2.6. Reflux Drum of Tower ......................................................................................... 11
6.2.7. Steam Turbine .................................................................................................... 12
6.2.8. Utility Headers..................................................................................................... 12
6.3. Temperature Instruments ........................................................................................... 13
6.3.1. Heater ................................................................................................................. 13
6.3.2. Reactor ............................................................................................................... 13
6.3.3. Tower .................................................................................................................. 13
6.3.4. Utility ................................................................................................................... 14
6.3.5. Steam condensate .............................................................................................. 14
6.3.6. Motor of Pump, Compressor............................................................................... 15
6.3.7. Compressor ........................................................................................................ 15
6.4. Flow Instrument .......................................................................................................... 16
6.4.1. Tower (Distillation) .............................................................................................. 16
6.4.2. Heater ................................................................................................................. 16
6.4.3. Compressor (Centrifugal).................................................................................... 17
6.4.4. Pump................................................................................................................... 17
6.5. Miscellaneous: ............................................................................................................ 18
6.5.1. Oxygen analyzer ................................................................................................. 18
6.5.2. Pump and Compressor Speed............................................................................ 18
6.6. Reference ................................................................................................................... 18
7. Attachments ........................................................................................................18
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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 3 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

1. Purpose
This working instruction represents the method for determination of set point of Alarm &
Switch / Interlock for some instruments, which used in gas and oil refinery and
petrochemical plants and is prepared for using in process department. Determination of
setting of Alarm and Switch is very important for plant safety, Because Alarm and
Switching/ Interlock instrument system protects plant form probable accidents. These data
will be used in operating manual and also, in latter for adjusting alarm and switch in
instrument control panel.
Process and system alarms are intended to assure efficient process-plant operations and
even, occasionally, save lives. But in too many plants, the alarm system has paradoxically
evolved into a nuisance.
This working instruction does not consider special instrument alarm and switch in package
units and also in licensed equipments.
Any information/data given in this work instruction is to be considered only as a guide. The
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user could manipulate the given information according to the project specification outlined.
How many alarms are currently configured in the system or process you manage or that
you are designing? 25? 100? 1,000? How many of those alarms would go off in the first
minute of a process disruption or system shutdown? Would your facilitys operators know
which alarms to address first?
Now consider the finding that a typical operator can effectively deal with only one alarm
per minute during an upset. In light of this fact-of-life, it becomes easier to recognize the
value of alarm management in strengthening operational efficiency and averting costly
disruptions and incidents, often referred to as abnormal situations.
On the one hand, high alarm rates can promote a culture of operate by alarm, whereby
the alarm system drives the operators and, therefore, the plant. But there is also a
converse risk: when alarms proliferate, their collective value as a tool for diagnosing and
preventing problems declines. The alarms become a nuisance to operators, who
eventually will ignore or turn them off if the chattering (repeated activation) continues.
During normal operation, it is not uncommon to have one alarm activated every one to two
minutes, with some alarms chattering throughout a shift. When incidents occur, there can
easily be 30 to 50 alarms per minute 600 alarms per minute in extreme cases.

2. Applicable Documents
Reference documents are as follows:
- PFD
- Instrument Data Sheet
- P&ID
- Heat and Material Balance Table

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 4 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

3. Definition
LAHH: Level Alarm High High: Shut - Down / One Switch Operates
LAH: Level Alarm High: Only Alarm
LALL: Level Alarm Low Low: Shut Down / One Switch Operates
LAL: Level Alarm Low: Only Alarm
D: Inside Diameter of Drum
L: Length of Drum
OP: Operating Pressure
OT: Operating Temperature
OFR: Operating Flow Rate
PDAH: Pressure Differential Alarm High
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PAL: Pressure Alarm Low

PALL: Pressure Alarm Low Low
PAL: Pressure Alarm Low
PALL: Pressure Alarm Low Low
SAH: Speed Alarm High
SAHH: Speed Alarm High High
P Normal: Normal Differential Pressure

4. Overview
Alarm improvement projects are most successful when operators and engineers work
together. Start by forming a cross-functional team that will be the steering committee for
the project in pre-commissioning and commissioning duration. Sites that have
successfully implemented alarm improvement projects typically have included
representatives from the operations, process engineering, and safety departments, as well
as control engineering and instrumentation personnel, on their teams.
To determine the content of the alarm philosophy, the cross-functional team must
collectively answer the following questions:

What is the purpose of our alarm system?

Under what circumstances an alarm should be used?
How is an alarm priority set?
How are critical alarms handled?
How should individual alarms be configured?
Who is responsible for our alarm system?
What are the criteria to suppress an alarm, and what tools or procedures will be used
to do so?

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 5 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

How will nuisance alarms be controlled?

How will ongoing performance of the alarming system be monitored and improved?
How should changes to that system be controlled?

It is likely that in answering these questions, the team will grapple with some basic
philosophical and operational issues. But once the philosophy has been completed, it will
lay the groundwork for more-consistent and more-relevant alarming practices.
Although these ideas are captured in an official site document, that document should not
be regarded as immutable. A correctly prepared alarm philosophy is a living document
that needs to be refreshed, updated and changed as processes, technologies and
business objectives evolve.
Once the team reaches consensus on an alarm philosophy, its time to measure how well
the alarm system already in place is functioning.
In pre-commissioning and commissioning duration, the sequence of activities during this
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measurement phase is as follows:

Assemble the alarm-activation data typically available in the plants DCS

(distributed control system) alarm and event journals.
Applying diagnostic tools to the assembled data, calculate alarm-performance
statistics on dynamic alarm activity or events, and summarize the alarm
configuration in order to uncover any anomalies.
Review the history of plant upsets, and annotates any significant events for future
reference
Gather design and implementation documents, procedure and practice documents,
and any HAZOP information available.

Operator manipulations during normal operation shall be restricted to adjustment of set

points, change control modes (auto, manual, cascade,) activate remote commands
(open, close, run, stop, ....), acknowledge alarms.
While operating the units, the operator shall be informed on safety matters. Sufficient
means such as trend functions, indicators, and alarms shall be provided on DCS console
in the CCR to enable the detection of abnormal situation: abnormal operating conditions,
equipment failure, gas leaks, fire, and automatic shut-down.

5. General Requirements
The process engineer is responsible for determination of set points reflected on the Alarm
and set point List. Also any change in the data is responsibility of lead process engineer
and process department manager

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 6 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6. Procedure
The set point determination of alarm and switch for the following instruments types will be
considered:

- Level instrument
- Pressure instrument
- Temperature instrument
- Flow instrument
- Miscellaneous

6.1. Level Instrument

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Level alarm and switch / interlock set point for tanks, drums and towers shall be specified
based on the relevant sizing procedures, but generally the following guidelines can be
used.

6.1.1. Atmospheric Storage Tank (Also Can Be Used For Spherical Tank)

H= Height of tank

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 7 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.1.2. Tower: (Distillation, Absorption and Extraction)

H = Height of liquid stored in bottom of tower / height of transmitter top nozzle to tower
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bottom tangent line

6.1.3. Surge Drum (Horizontal)

6.1.4. Reflux Drum (Horizontal)

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 8 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.1.5. Flash Drum

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H = Height of Drum

6.1.6. Vent drum

6.1.7. Knock out Drum

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Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.1.8. Sump Pit (Sump Oil / Sewer Water / Underground Pit)

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H = Height of Pit

6.2. Pressure Instrument

6.2.1. Fuel Gas to Heater

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 10 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.2.2. Strainer / Filter on Suction of Compressors on Pipeline

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6.2.3. Compressor Outlet

PAHH Open, Surge Line

6.2.4. Tower

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6.2.5. Steam Drum

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6.2.6. Reflux Drum of Tower

PAHH Close Steam / Hot Oil to Reboiler

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 12 of 18

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6.2.7. Steam Turbine

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6.2.8. Utility Headers

Utility Items:
- Cooling Water
- Sea water
- Steam
- Nitrogen
- Inst. & Plant Air
- Hot oil

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 13 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.3. Temperature Instruments

6.3.1. Heater
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6.3.2. Reactor

TAH = 1.05 OP. Temperature

TAL = 95% of OP. Temperature

6.3.3. Tower

TB = Temperature of Bottom of Tower

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 14 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.3.4. Utility

Utility items:
- Cooling water return
- Hot oil supply
- Sea water return
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6.3.5. Steam condensate

Tank D.T. = Design temperature of Tank

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 15 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.3.6. Motor of Pump, Compressor

TAH = 80-90C

6.3.7. Compressor
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TAHH Trip of Compressor driver

TAH (MAX) = 120C
TAHH (MAX) = 150 C

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 16 of 18

Document No.: PCD-FS-046 Rev.: 1

6.4. Flow Instrument

6.4.1. Tower (Distillation)

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6.4.2. Heater

FALL = Flow Alarm Low Low Trip of Inlet Gas to Heater

X = 90% If Heater Operates as Reboiler
X= 75% heater Operates as Charge Heater

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6.4.3. Compressor (Centrifugal)

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FALL Trip of Unit

6.4.4. Pump

FALL Open Spill-back Line

Rated Flow = Rated Flow of Pump

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Title: Alarm and Set Point Page 18 of 18

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6.5. Miscellaneous:

6.5.1. Oxygen analyzer

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% O2 in flue gas: MAX = 10%

NORMAL = 4%

6.5.2. Pump and Compressor Speed

SAH = 1.06 Normal Continuous Speed
SAHH = 1.10 Normal Continuous Speed
SAHH Trip of Pump or Compressor

6.6. Reference

1) Alarm Management ,Management, Peter Jofriet , Honeywell Company

2) Alarm and Switch / Interlock Set Point Determination Procedure, Petrochemical
industries Design and engineering Co.

7. Attachments
None

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