How Can Technology Help?

01.14.2021

In today’s technology world, I wanted to talk about the five things that CII discusses as having the biggest impact on Commissioning and Startup (CSU) activities.

1. Smart P&IDS – One of the big project success stories is in the planning of CSU activities using integrated systems. These Smart P&IDs allow automated analysis and manipulation of the CSU activities around systems, sub-systems, and components associated with these groupings. It also can allow a highly interactive visualization between the disciplines and different documentation associated with every aspect of the project. These visuals provide a better understanding of the system integrations and relationships to the team and to those that will be involved in the CSU. The implementation of this technology is best used during the FEL and early stage design.
2. BIM Design Models / 3D Models – In case you are not familiar with BIM (Building Information Modeling) it is an intelligent 3D model-based process that equips architecture, engineering, and construction professionals with the insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct and manage buildings and project infrastructures. The overall objective for this type of technology is providing asset data management in spatial models, component system membership, and component functionality characteristics. This integrated information provides assists for tracking every aspect of the project from conception, through design, into construction and completion, and coming to completion with putting the project into service. This piece of technology truly starts during FEL and can be used to transition the project into initial operations.
3. Asset Data Management / Wireless Instrumentation – This type of technology helps provide teams with persistent and useful process data while reducing the overall installation, commissioning, and startup burdens. This can be applied to both wired and wireless.
4. Simulation-based Virtual Commissioning & Operator Training – These type “Test Bed” systems pay huge dividends when implemented during the Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) of the projects. The ability to simulate the client’s process and integrated all the pieces (e.g. DCS, PLC, SCADA, Power Monitoring, etc…), which takes so much time during CSU, reduces the unknown of these activities. These types of systems transition to Operator Training platforms, which enable a controlled learning environment and great hands on experience for operations.
5. Completion Management Systems – These type software packages enable the CSU team to track systems and equipment for more efficient performance during this phase of the project. This allows the team to have and understand a current status of the progress of the CSU system completions. These updated database based systems make the documentation during this phase of the project manageable, reliable and consistent. This also allows the CSU team to track, report and ultimately reduce errors on documentation. This can reduce the startup, handover and improve efficiencies. The Completion Management Systems should be engaged in the early stage design in order to fully be utilized.

Again, these are the top five technologies that have been seen to benefit the CSU team and the overall project success.

What types of technology are your teams using to support a better CSU experience?

Does your team need help to realize their goals of a successful project? Do you have questions about how to plan and execute a successful project startup? Reach out to the experts at Hargrove by contacting us at startup@hargrove-epc.com.

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