Process plant instrumentation design system

• US 4,862,345 A
• Filed: 11/16/1987
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Engineers & Constructors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Litwin Engineers & Constructors, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lekron, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US07/120,609
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 364/513, 364/512, 364/188, 364/189, 364/200, 364/900, 364/500, 364/578, 364/191-193, 364/138, 364/139
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An improved process plant instrumentation design system is disclosed in which the amount of data that must be input is greatly reduced by using default information whenever possible. The system also automatically generates the instrumentation loop drawing using the imputted and default information and a program to create the loops. The loop is automatically drawn using a computer-aided design (CAD) program.

Claims

1. A method of creating a database of instrumentation information for use in designing a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information;

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation;

inputting additional instrumentation information; and

editing said additional instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said default instrumentation information.

2. A method of creating a database of instrumentation information for use in designing a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information;

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation;

inputting additional instrumentation information; and

editing said default instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said additional instrumentation information.

3. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, said loop containing particular instrumentation, comprising;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

assembling, into a loop database, at least some of said inputted instrumentation information relating to the particular instrumentation that is contained in said particular instrument loop; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least some of said inputted instrumentation information contained in said loop database; and

including the steps of

translating at least some of the instrumentation information contained in said loop database into a computer code,

placing said translated computer code information into one or more drawing files,

reading said drawing file,

interfacing a computer-aided design program with said drawing file, and

using said computer-aided design program to draw said particular instrument loop.

4. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information and storing said information in a first database;

building a particular instrument loop containing particular instrumentation, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

assembling, into a loop database, at least some of the information from said first computer database relating to said particular instrumentation that is contained in said particular instrument loop; and

drawing the particular instrument loop using at least a portion of the information contained in said loop database, including the steps of

translating at least some of the instrumentation information contained in said loop database into a computer code,

placing said translated computer code information into one or more drawing files,

reading said drawing file,

interfacing a computer-aided design program with said drawing file, and

using said computer-aided design program to draw said particular instrument loop.

5. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information;

creating at least one program module adapted to assemble inputted instrumentation information relating to the instrumentation that may be contained in an instrument loop;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

running said program module to assemble at least some of said inputted instrumentation information relating to the particular instrumentation contained in said particular loop including calling one or more databases containing instrumentation information; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least a portion of said assembled instrumentation information.

6. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information;

creating a plurality of program modules, each of said modules being adapted to assemble the inputted instrumentation information relating to one or more loop type-process type combinations;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

selecting and running a particular program module adapted to assemble at least some of the inputted instrumentation information relating to said particular instrument loop including calling one or more databases containing instrumentation information; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least a portion of said assembled instrumentation information.

7. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information, and including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said default instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said additional instrumentation information;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, said loop containing particular instrumentation, comprising;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

assembling, into a loop database, at least some of said inputted instrumentation information relating to the particular instrumentation that is contained in said particular instrument loop; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least some of said inputted instrumentation information contained in said loop database.

8. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information and storing said information in a first database, including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said default instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said additional instrumentation information;

building a particular instrument loop containing particular instrumentation, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

assembling, into a loop database, at least some of the information from said first computer database relating to said particular instrumentation that is contained in said particular instrument loop; and

drawing the particular instrument loop using at least a portion of the information contained in said loop database.

9. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information, including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said default instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said additional instrumentation information;

creating at least one program module adapted to assemble inputted instrumentation information relating to the instrumentation that may be contained in an instrument loop;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

running said program module to assemble at least some of said inputted instrumentation information relating to the particular instrumentation contained in said particular loop; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least a portion of said assembled instrumentation information.

10. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information, including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said default instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said additional instrumentation information;

creating a plurality of program modules, each of said modules being adapted to assemble the inputted instrumentation information relating to one or more loop type-process type combinations;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

selecting and running a particular program module adapted to assemble at least some of the inputted instrumentation information relating to said particular instrument loop; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least a portion of said assembled instrumentation information.

11. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information, including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said additional instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said default instrumentation information;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, said loop containing particular instrumentation, comprising;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

assembling, into a loop database, at least some of said inputted instrumentation information relating to the particular instrumentation that is contained in said particular instrument loop; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least some of said inputted instrumentation information contained in said loop database.

12. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information and storing said information in a first database, including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said additional instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said default instrumentation information;

building a particular instrument loop containing particular instrumentation, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

assembling, into a loop database, at least some of the information from said first computer database relating to said particular instrumentation that is contained in said particular instrument loop; and

drawing the particular instrument loop using at least a portion of the information contained in said loop database.

13. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information, including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said additional instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said default instrumentation information;

creating at least one program module adapted to assemble inputted instrumentation information relating to the instrumentation that may be contained in an instrument loop;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

running said program module to assemble at least some of said inputted instrumentation information relating to the particular instrumentation contained in said particular loop; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least a portion of said assembled instrumentation information.

14. A method of creating and drawing an instrument loop for a process plant instrumentation system, comprising:

inputting instrumentation information, including the steps of

setting up at least one default database adapted to contain default instrumentation information,

inputting at least one piece of default instrumentation information that is applicable to more than one piece of instrumentation,

inputting additional instrumentation information, and

editing said additional instrumentation information by supplementing or revising it with said default instrumentation information;

creating a plurality of program modules, each of said modules being adapted to assemble the inputted instrumentation information relating to one or more loop type-process type combinations;

selecting a particular instrument loop to be built, including;

choosing the type of loop to be built;

choosing the type of process to be controlled;

selecting and running a particular program module adapted to assemble at least some of the inputted instrumentation information relating to said particular instrument loop; and

drawing said particular instrument loop using at least a portion of said assembled instrumentation information.