How to write a good process operation description document | Control Engineering 4

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How to write a good process operation description document

Back to Basics: Describe your process to preserve the process engineer knowledge for the future. To program the process
controller, programmable logic controller (PLC), or distributed control system (DCS), follow these steps and methodology,
starting with understanding the requirements and documenting in a requirements document, also called a BPO, CFE, an FS,
or URS. Online, see five tables and detailed examples.
Oren Yulevitch
08/06/2014
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Describe a process in such a way as to preserve the process

engineering knowledge for the future. To program the process
controller, programmable logic controller (PLC), or distributed
control system (DCS), a few steps must always be followed.
Sometimes these steps are done orally, and in other cases, where
a controlled environment exists, these are done with written
documents following strict procedures. Whatever methodology is
used, the first step is always "understand the requirements." When
control systems' programmers are asked to write/modify a program
to control the process, the first thing they should request is a written
document that describes the requirements.

Names vary for requirements documents

This requirements document has different names in various

industries. Under good automated manufacturing practice (GAMP),
common in the FDA regulated industries, it is called user
requirement specification (URS). In batch industries it is called
basic process operations (BPO), and in continuous plants it is
usually called conceptual functional specifications (CFS) or simply functional specifications (FS).

A BPO document is a first step in creating a control system for controlling the (production) process. The BPO document is a
generic document independent of the platform upon which it will be implemented. The BPO document should be written with
enough details so a (process) control engineer / programmer would be able to use it to write a detailed functional specification
(DFS) document. The DFS is a translation of the BPO document into a specific type/product of control system. Reading the
DFS enables the control engineer/programmer to write/build the control software/application for controlling process operation.
[subhead]

Two BPO answers

The BPO document should answer two basic questions: 1) How should the
process behave under normal operations? and 2) What actions should be taken
in case of unforeseen events?

The BPO document is a process state/operations description, and it is mostly

implemented in the process controller and not in the operator interface (HMI).
One of the most important features is that it documents the process operation as
designed and seen through the eyes of the process engineer and maintains the
process knowledge in it for future readers and users of the operational unit.

ONLINE EXTRA

Definitions

A process operation is a detailed description of multiple transitions between

states.

A state is a specific condition of the equipment, usually at rest or steady state condition, and a transition is a shift of the
equipment between two states.

For simplification, the following basic states of the equipment will be described:

IDLE (initial state)

RUN
HOLD
ABORT

For further details on the use of these states in the batch industry, the reader is referred to the S88 standard.

Each process operation has four operational stages: 1) IDLE, 2) Before the execution, 3) Execution, and 4) Termination. The
possible transition between these states is described in Drawing 1 and Table 1.

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How to write a good process operation description document | Control Engineering 4

BPO Chapters

The BPO document should contain the following chapters:

1. The unit
1.1. P&ID / process sketch
1.2. List of main/relevant equipment and all instruments

2. The process
2.1. General process description (in words)
2.2. Process parameters
2.3. General interlocks and alarms

3. The operation
3.1. Preliminary conditions
3.2. Detailed process description
3.3. Hold execution
3.4. Abort execution

1 The unit

1.1 P&ID / Process sketch

The first thing that we need to do when defining a process is to

define its physical limits/boundaries. In this example, refer to the
simplified equipment units' arrangement (Drawing 2). It contains a
clean water source tank (T-8), a pump (P-160), 1 circulation valve,
3 valves manifold, and 1 recipient tank (T-9). The operation under
control will be the transfer of water from T-8 to T-9.

1.2 List of main/relevant equipment and all instruments

As it is our main goal to preserve our knowledge and explain why

we are asking for a specific action to be performed, we must be as
clear as possible. We need to make sure that we identify all the
relevant equipment and instruments that are involved with our
process operation. Later in the document, we will be referring to
items ONLY from this list.

If the process operation is generic, the tag names that will appear in
the table will be generic and there will be a table to convert
between the generic name and specific name for each piece of equipment in the following format. See Table 2.

Table 3 lists the equipment for the current process operation.

2 The process

2.1 General process description (in words)

Tank T-8 contains clean water main storage. To keep the water
clean, storage tanks are circulated constantly through a filter F-8.
Occasionally, as process operations require, we need to transfer
clean water to other locations at the site. During a transfer we
should not circulate as we want the water to be sent at the shortest
time possible to the operational area. When transferring water, only
one of the manifold valves can be opened at a time in order to
prevent backflow and possible contamination of the manifold and
water in the main tank T-8. During the transfer, water does not enter
into the clean water main tank T-8.

This BPO will deal with water transfer from T-8 to T-9.

2.2 Process parameters

All parameters that are relevant for the current process operations
are listed in this chapter. There are three kinds of parameters.

1. The first is an external parameter. It is related to the process operation's functionality and serves as the interface between
the equipment and the entity that manages it, whether it is an operator or a higher-level automated process operation. Each
external parameter has two values that should be kept in historical records. The target value (SP) and the current value (PV),
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2. The second is an internal parameter that is related only to the process operation setup. It contains information about the
equipment itself.

3. The third parameter is an internal parameter that is used only during the process execution and is not saved or monitored
after the execution.

A parameter is not changeable after the process operation has started its execution.

The parameters for our process are detailed in Table 4.

2.3 General interlocks and alarms

This section lists the interlocks and alarms that are active all the time. An interlock/alarm is being activated after an issue
related to the core operation of the process operation had been identified. Every interlock that is being activated during the
execution of a specific phase/step indicates a process operation problem, and it will automatically cause the process execution
to switch to a HOLD state. Every alarm being generated indicates a possible problem developing, and therefore, in each case,
we must define if the alarm should automatically switch the process operation execution to a HOLD state.

Each interlock/alarm must be defined using the following items:

1. Purpose of the interlock/alarm

2. How this state is identified
3. Corrective action.

The methodology of defining an interlock or alarm is as follows:

[Level ] Verbal interlock/alarm title

Alarm — corrective action by a person

[1] To prevent (Describe the situation that may happen), [2] which is identified by (describe the measurement), (Tagname), in
state (PV) (for a duration longer than xx seconds), [3] generate alarm at [level]. [4] Define operator action. ([5] Switch to a
HOLD state.)

Interlock - corrective action by an automated control system

[1] To prevent (Describe the situation that may happen), [2] which is identified by (describe the measurement), (Tagname), in
state (PV) (for a duration longer than xx seconds), [3] set (description of equipment), (Tagname), to SP.

2.3.1 Interlocks

2.3.1.1[Level 2 - Medium] Empty water tank T-8

[1] To prevent a mechanical failure of the water transfer and circulation pump P-160, [2] when the water level in T-8 tank,
identified by LI-81, is below 10%, [3] Set the command to the Water Transfer and Circulation pump P-160 to STOP.

2.3.1.2 [Level 2 - Medium] Clogged clean water filter F-8

[1] To prevent a mechanical failure of the water transfer and circulation pump P-160, [2] when the pressure drop on F-8 filter,
identified by PDI-85 is above 2.5Bar for more than 60 seconds, [3] Set the command to the water transfer and circulation pump
P-160 to STOP.

2.3.1.3 [Level 2 - Medium] All valves closed

[1] To prevent a mechanical failure of the water transfer and circulation pump P-160, [2] when all exit valves are closed,
identified by XV-800, XV-900, XV-901, and XV-902 states are all CLOSED for more than 60 seconds, [3] Set the command to
the water transfer and circulation pump P-160 to STOP.

2.3.1.4 [Level 3 - Low] Receipt tank, T-9, full

[1] To prevent an overfill of the receipt tank T-9, [2] when the tank level is high, identified by LI-91 is above 90%, for more than
10 seconds, [3] Set the command to the water filling valve, XV-902, to CLOSE.

2.3.2 Alarms

2.3.2.1 [Level 2 - Medium] Clogged clean water filter F-8

[1] To prevent a dirt accumulation in the clean water main tank, T-8, [2] when the pressure drop on F-8 filter, identified by PDI-
85 is above 1.5Bar for more than 60 seconds, [3] generate an alarm level 2. [4] Operator action: The operator should verify why
the filter is clogging and monitor its operation in the next 3 hours to verify that there is no problem with dirt arriving and
accumulating in the T-8 tank.

2.3.2.1 [Level 2 - Medium] Receipt tank, T-9, is nearly empty

[1] To prevent the operation from being stuck without water, [2] when the water level in T-9, identified by LI-91 is below 50%, [3]
Generate an alarm level 2. [4]Operator action: The operator should verify that there is enough water in the clean water main
tank, T-8, and that the process is ready to perform a transfer of the water to the clean water operational tank T-9 within the next
30 minutes.

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