"Things aren't quite ready when we need them." Invensys' David James (pictured) and Greg McKim discussed how the company's new Engineering Toolbox can help shorten the time required to develop an operator simulator.Every project begins with the award of the contract, explained David James, principal engineer, Invensys Operations Management. "Because of the nature of the projects, they're complex," he said. "Things aren't quite ready when we need them. The information we're working on continues to change. And if we're introducing a training simulator, then that adds more problems, because it's supposed to be based on what actually is there at the end."
The Invensys team developed a set of tools called the Engineering Workbench that uses a series of rules to auto-generate the application. "Once we understand the requirements and standards, we can take multiple data deliveries," said McKim.
The Workbench tools address requirements definition, design, configure/build, test, install/commission and operate/maintain phases of the system life cycle.
"We've designed tools to use the data in the form you have it, rather than put the burden on the user to convert it," said James. "To capture design in a data-centric format and collaboration in design, there's integrated design data. To capture Invensys and client engineering decisions, there are automation rules and libraries. And for pre-tested and documented modular engineering standards, there are engineering standards and best practices."
Engineering Workbench, which sits above the tools, takes the templates developed during the non-critical phase. "It takes rules from the client's head," explained James. "Using those templates and rules, it automatically generates the complete control module database and safety module database."
Having addressed the pinch, McKim then addressed the lever, specifically as it pertains to tieback simulation.
"A virtual control system eliminates the need for hardware," he said. "Traditional tieback gets its name from looping I/O modules back. We replace the hardware with FSIM, and we have a tool for automating the tieback simulation. This tool has a rulebook with search-and-paste criteria."
Because P&IDs have become smarter, the group was able to develop an auto-model-generator. "It takes about one second per P&ID to make a model," said McKim. "There's a big time savings in terms of building the model. It picks up all the equipment and all the transfers, so it allows you to automatically tie it to the control system."
McKim also differentiated verification from validation. "Verification says, ‘We built one loop, and it works,'" he said. "Validation is a semi-representation of the process, and you can go through and make sure the application works. And debugging it virtually, instead of on the live unit, is much faster."
