System and method for protection system design support

• US 8,090,460 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Inventors: Kolenc, Josh, Hoover, H. James, Olekshy, Antony G., Saunders, Paulette Meaux
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/486,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 700/97, 700109-111, 700/188, 700/182, 700/13, 702/182, 707/102, 710/36, 717/106, 717/162, 717/110, 701/99
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities

Abstract

A method and system for examining, auditing, and safely evaluating process systems, including fluid pressure systems, to aid overpressure design and/or sizing of overpressure equipment. The system includes a server subsystem, a storage subsystem, an assessment subsystem, and optionally a report generation subsystem, including computer hardware and application software for supporting these subsystems.

Claims

1. A method performed using a computerized system comprising a database and a processor executing software for supporting auditing of a process system, said process system comprising a plurality of process equipment and one or more protection devices for protecting the process system, said method comprising the steps of:

storing equipment description information in the database, said equipment information describing said plurality of process equipment and also describing said one or more protection devices, wherein said equipment description information includes information identifying a source of each one of the protection devices, and wherein said equipment information includes information about changes that have been made to the process system;

storing physical properties data in the database, said physical properties data pertaining to said process equipment and also pertaining to said one or more protection devices;

automatically determining compliance of the one or more protection devices for protecting the process system by using the physical properties data pertaining to the equipment information to determine said compliance with respect to auditing requirements, wherein determining said compliance includes automatically evaluating impacts of said changes made in the process system; and

automatically generating an auditing report indicating said compliance with respect to said auditing requirements for the process system, wherein said auditing report includes information about the impacts of said changes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of tracking a plurality of changes that have been made to the process system, and wherein said auditing report includes a description of said changes for supporting said auditing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said report meets OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 documentation guidelines.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said description of said changes includes an impact assessment as to whether any of said plurality of changes impact the protection of said process system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said impact assessment includes an assessment of safety compliance with respect to said process system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said auditing requirements are based on one or more of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119, ASME, and/or API standards.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said auditing requirements are based on all of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119, ASME, and API standards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said report meets OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 documentation guidelines.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said report includes a certification of one or more of said plurality of process equipment and/or one or more of said protection devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein information on the compliance status of one or more of said plurality of process equipment and/or one or more of said protection devices is stored in said database.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing one or more worksheets in said database, wherein said one or more worksheets are utilized for determining said compliance; and

allowing a user to update one or more of said one or more worksheets with said computerized system tracking said update, wherein

said auditing report includes an impact assessment for evaluating the consequences of said update.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said update of one or more of said one or more worksheets is performed in response to a change in industry standards.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing one or more worksheets in said database, wherein said one or more worksheets are utilized for determining said compliance; and

allowing a user to test a proposed update to one or more of said one or more worksheets with said computerized system tracking said update, wherein

said auditing report includes an impact assessment for evaluating the potential consequences of said proposed update.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said proposed update of one or more of said one or more worksheets is tested in response to a change in industry standards.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of said computerized system providing instructions to an auditor to guide the auditor through workflow required to perform said auditing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said instructions are provided to the auditor over the Internet.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said software is adapted for execution on said processor for performing said method.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of linking said physical properties data with said equipment description information in said database, wherein said automatically determining the compliance of the one or more protection devices for protecting the process system utilizes the physical properties data linked to the equipment information.

19. A method performed using a computerized system comprising a processor executing software for supporting auditing of a process system, said process system comprising a plurality of process equipment and one or more protection devices for protecting the process system, said method comprising the steps of:

storing equipment description information in the database, said equipment information describing said plurality of process equipment and also describing said one or more protection devices, wherein said equipment description information includes information identifying a source of at least one of the protection devices and/or the plurality of process equipment;

storing physical properties data in the database, said physical properties data pertaining to said process equipment and also pertaining to said one or more protection devices;

linking said physical properties data with said equipment description information in said database;

tracking a plurality of changes that have been made to the process system;

storing one or more worksheets in said database,; and

allowing a user to update, or provide a proposed update, to one or more of said one or more worksheets;

automatically determining compliance of the one or more protection devices for protecting the process system by using the physical properties data linked to the equipment information and using one or more of said one or more worksheets for determining said compliance to determine said compliance of said changes and/or said update or said proposed update, with respect to auditing requirements; and

automatically generating an auditing report indicating said compliance with respect to said auditing requirements for the process system, wherein

said auditing report includes a description of said changes for supporting said auditing requirements, and wherein

said auditing report also includes an impact assessment for evaluating the potential consequences of said update or proposed update.

20. The computerized system performing the method of claim 19, wherein said software is adapted for execution on said processor for performing said method.

21. A computerized system for supporting auditing of a process system, said process system comprising a plurality of process equipment and one or more protection devices for protecting the process system, said system comprising:

a database adapted for storing equipment description information describing said plurality of process equipment and also describing said one or more protection devices, wherein said equipment description information includes information identifying a source of at least one of the protection devices and/or the plurality of process equipment;

said database also being adapted for storing physical properties data pertaining to said process equipment and also for storing data pertaining to said one or more protection devices;

said database also being adapted for storing one or more updates to said process system and/or updates to the protection devices;

a processor executing software adapted for automatically determining compliance of the one or more protection devices for protecting the process system with respect to said update(s) by using the physical properties data pertaining to the equipment information to determine said compliance with respect to auditing requirements; and

said processor executing additional software adapted for automatically generating an auditing report indicating said compliance with respect to said auditing requirements for the process system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said system is adapted to track a plurality of changes that have been made to the process system in said database, and wherein said auditing report includes a description of said changes for supporting said auditing.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said description of said changes includes an impact assessment as to whether any of said plurality of changes impact the protection of said process system.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said impact assessment includes an assessment of safety compliance with respect to said process system.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said auditing requirements are based on one or more of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119, ASME, and/or API standards.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said report includes a certification of one or more of said plurality of process equipment and/or one or more of said protection devices.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein information on the compliance status of one or more of said plurality of process equipment and/or one or more of said protection devices is stored in said database.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

said database being adapted for storing one or more worksheets, wherein said one or more worksheets are utilized for determining said compliance; and

means for allowing a user to update one or more of said one or more worksheets with said computerized system being adapted for tracking said update, wherein

said auditing report includes an impact assessment for evaluating the consequences of said update.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said update of one or more of said one or more worksheets is based on a change in industry standards.

30. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

said database being adapted for storing one or more worksheets, wherein said one or more worksheets are utilized for determining said compliance; and

means for allowing a user to test a proposed update to one or more of said one or more worksheets with said computerized system tracking said update, wherein

said auditing report includes an impact assessment for evaluating the potential consequences of said proposed update.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein said computerized system is adapted for providing instructions to an auditor to guide the auditor through workflow required to perform said auditing.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said instructions are provided to the auditor over the Internet.

33. A computer readable storage medium for storing software for execution on a computer for performing a method for supporting auditing of a process system, said process system comprising a plurality of process equipment and one or more protection devices for protecting the process system, said software comprising instructions for performing the method comprising the steps of:

storing equipment description information in a database, said equipment information describing said plurality of process equipment and also describing said one or more protection devices, wherein said equipment description information includes information identifying a source of at least one of the protection devices and/or process equipment;

storing physical properties data in the database, said physical properties data pertaining to said process equipment and also pertaining to said one or more protection devices;

tracking a plurality of changes that have been made to the process system;

storing one or more worksheets in said database,; and

allowing a user to update, or provide a proposed update, to one or more of said one or more worksheets;

automatically determining compliance of the one or more protection devices for protecting the process system by using the physical properties data pertaining to the equipment information and using one or more of said one or more worksheets for determining said compliance to determine said compliance with respect to auditing requirements wherein determining said compliance includes automatically evaluating impacts of said changes made in the process system; and

automatically generating an auditing report indicating said compliance with respect to said auditing requirements for the process system, wherein

said auditing report includes a description of said changes for supporting said auditing requirements, and wherein

said auditing report also includes an impact assessment for evaluating the potential consequences of said update or proposed update.

34. A method performed using a computerized system comprising a database and a processor executing software for supporting auditing of a process system, said process system comprising a plurality of process equipment and one or more protection devices for protecting the process system, said method comprising the steps of:

storing equipment description information in the database, said equipment information describing said plurality of process equipment and also describing said one or more protection devices, wherein said equipment description information includes information identifying a source of each one of the protection devices;

storing physical properties data in the database, said physical properties data pertaining to said process equipment and also pertaining to said one or more protection devices;

providing access to said system to an auditor that is auditing the process system for determining whether said process system is in compliance with auditing requirements;

determining compliance of the one or more protection devices for protecting the process system by using the physical properties data pertaining to the equipment information to determine said compliance with respect to said auditing requirements for providing a compliance indication of said process system to said auditor.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said method further includes the step of tracking a plurality of changes that have been made to the process system, and wherein said auditing report includes a description of said changes for supporting said auditing.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said report meets OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 documentation guidelines.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said description of said changes includes an impact assessment as to whether any of said plurality of changes impact the protection of said process system.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said impact assessment includes an assessment of safety compliance with respect to said process system.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein said report includes a certification of one or more of said plurality of process equipment and/or one or more of said protection devices.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein information on the compliance status of one or more of said plurality of process equipment and/or one or more of said protection devices is stored in said database.

41. The method of claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

storing one or more worksheets in said database, wherein said one or more worksheets are utilized for determining said compliance; and

allowing a user to update one or more of said one or more worksheets with said computerized system tracking said update, wherein

said auditing report includes an impact assessment for evaluating the consequences of said update.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said update of one or more of said one or more worksheets is performed in response to a change in industry standards.

43. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of said computerized system providing instructions to an auditor to guide the auditor through workflow required to perform said auditing.

44. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of linking said physical properties data with said equipment description information in said database, wherein said automatically determining the compliance of the one or more protection devices for protecting the process system utilizes the physical properties data linked to the equipment information.