An Approach for Improving Alarm Prioritization Analysis

Abstract

A new function-based approach for alarm prioritization is proposed that has significant advantages over the traditional annunciation methods. In this new approach, alarms are considered to be health indicators of a plant function. Instead of individually prioritizing each alarm, the function-based approach identifies the importance, to the plant, of the loss of each plant function. Alarms associated with each function then inherit the function's priority in the plant's operation. This paper outlines the opportunity for enhancements to current alarm prioritization approaches, discusses the basis for organization of plant functions, describes the proposed prioritization approach, and summarizes advantages and our initial experience. In addition, the application of common off-the-shelf database technology, used to provide a design environment for supporting this approach, is described.