Piping and Instrumentation Diagram Analysis for Interconnection Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the process industry, large facilities face challenges in maintaining compatible piping and instrumentation systems due to changes in equipment, leading to potential catastrophic failures, as the complexity and expertise required to identify incompatibilities can be overwhelming, especially when experienced personnel leave or the infrastructure evolves.
Innovation Solution
A piping and instrumentation planning and maintenance system that includes an input/output interface, a processor, and non-transitory computer-readable media to classify entities and properties within a target piping and instrumentation diagram (PID) and compare them to a knowledge base, generating reports to identify and correct interconnection issues, facilitating proactive replacement or rearrangement of assets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual review of PIDs by process experts is used to identify incompatibilities, then expertise and industry knowledge can be applied, but the system becomes vulnerable to personnel loss and cannot keep pace with evolving facility complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical review process by process experts with an automated computer-based system that uses machine learning models and natural language processing to analyze PIDs and identify incompatibilities, eliminating dependency on human expertise while scaling to handle increasing facility complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary automated analysis system that acts as a bridge between the complex facility infrastructure and the need for incompatibility identification, using trained models and knowledge bases to mediate the analysis process without requiring direct human expert intervention
2Reliability
If comprehensive analysis of all facility changes is performed to ensure compatibility, then catastrophic failures can be prevented, but the time and resources required become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by training machine learning models and building knowledge bases in advance using historical data and expert knowledge, enabling the system to quickly analyze facility changes and identify incompatibilities without requiring time-consuming manual review when changes occur
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by focusing the automated analysis system on specific critical incompatibility patterns and high-risk areas identified through preliminary model training, rather than performing exhaustive manual analysis of all facility components, thus achieving sufficient reliability with reduced time investment
3Measurement precision
If detailed classification and comparison of PID entities is performed to ensure correct interconnections, then compatibility issues can be identified, but the complexity of the analysis process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex PID analysis task into distinct components: entity classification, property extraction, interconnection validation, and incompatibility detection, with each handled by specialized machine learning models that can be independently trained and maintained, reducing overall system complexity while improving measurement precision
Data Source
AI summary
A piping and instrumentation planning and maintenance system includes an input/output (I/O) interface for receiving a target piping and instrumentation diagram (PID) from a document source system; a processor in communication with the I/O interface; and non-transitory computer readable media in communication with the processor. The non-transitory computer readable media store instruction code, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to classify entities and properties thereof within the target PID. The entities include one or more assets and interconnections therebetween specified in the PID. The processor compares the classified entities to a knowledge base that represents relationships between a plurality of assets and interconnections between the assets. The processor then determines, based on the comparison, whether the assets in the target PID are interconnected correctly. When the assets are not interconnected correctly, the processor generates a report to identify the assets that are not interconnected correctly. The report facilitates proactive replacement or rearrangement of assets in a facility associated with the target PID.