Systems and software

Software and systems are usually seen as one and the same, as most systems are software-based. In any automation system, software is inevitable. It appears in almost every system or product. Field instruments use software for enhanced diagnostics, increased accuracy and linearity. Control systems use software to optimise quality and yield and reduce off-spec production. Operators are supported by software providing functions like process visualisation, alarm management, and process optimisation. Maintenance managers are supported by dashboards displaying software-based diagnostic information. There are numerous other software systems for production management, scheduling, forecasting, accounting, and reporting. Without software, any pipeline operation would not be profitable, or even possible.

Within the automation and control system, integrity must feature – particularly in the context of the instrumented safety system.

Compliance to industry standards

Most markets nowadays are heavily regulated, and the (petro)chemical market is no exception.

Pipelines carry potentially polluting, poisonous and/or flammable media across long distances – often through sensitive nature or rivers and seas. Leakage or rupture will likely have disastrous or catastrophic results to people, assets, and the environment, resulting in considerable direct and indirect financial loss, including stock market value. It could also result in fines, or even the loss of a license to operate.

To protect the owner against these potential losses, strict compliance with relevant regulations is required, alongside evidence of compliance.

When delivering systems that require compliance to standards like functional safety or industrial cyber-security, careful planning and execution are required, including validation and verification. Verification requires the services of notified bodies, and lifecycle planning should be predetermined and strictly followed by all parties involved in any part of that lifecycle.

Integrity

One of the core values at Yokogawa is integrity. Integrity can mean many things, but one simple and accurate way to describe it is incorruptibility – doing the right thing even when faced with internal or external stress to do otherwise.

We must consider integrity when looking at systems and software, because these can be compromised in several ways, such as:

• Hardware failures (random).
• Cyber-attacks.
• Human errors, also called systematic failures. Errors related to the design.
  • Errors related to the project execution and manufacturing.
  • Operator mistakes.
  • Maintenance failures or lack of maintenance.
  • Insufficient separation and independence from other protection layers, allowing failures of one system to propagate to other systems.

To access the full version of this article and get a free trial subscription to World Pipelines, sign up here!

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/special-reports/10022026/systems-and-software/