GBE defines into-disciplinary language, the hierarchical context and scope of EDM specific for water treatment and desalination projects and plants. The uniqueness of GBE lies in understanding physical parameters like pressure or flow and differentiating between primary information and derived (secondary) one. The last feature is pervasive and cuts in half the information volume required for project execution.
GBE introduces a REGRA framework for ED originally represented as graphs of curves. REGRA stores in digital and digitized formats the equipment performance curves and handles the curve math: adds, subtracts and multiplies the curves, integrates and scales them and finds derivatives. The core of the REGRA database is pump operation data (about 80 pumps) from leading pump manufacturers, already used in SWRO projects.

P&ID management

The roadmap of EDM is Piping & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) – network of linked symbols denoting pieces of equipment. Each of them has class-specific geometry, design and construction, materials, control and electrical data, related product information, etc...
Implemented in GBE multilayered approach to ED storage and retrieval turns every P&ID symbol into navigation shortcut. This drastically simplifies P&ID graphics (by a factor of 10) and makes GBE insensitive to differences in and deficiencies of the international and local standards for the P&ID graphical symbols – ISO14617, IEC 60617, ANSI ASA Y32.11, E 04-202(France), BS 1192, DIN 2429-2 and others.
GBE finally solves the eternal problem of legacy P&ID diagrams: they are processed no different from new ones. In that respect GBE is indispensable for small companies having no sufficient resources for maintaining high graphics standards; any diagrams from very sophisticated to simplified ones may be used.
GBE paves the way to the next P&ID generation - truly non-dimensional and reusable in all projects – the dream of all process engineers.
Every P&ID item has its own identification tag offering quick tip on the item service or design. GBE generates smart tag together with barcode according to the selected algorithm, reuses it if the item is deleted, reorders and redefines tags according to the designer preferences, navigates the user from tag to item and from item (of the equipment list) to its location on P&ID.
GBE smart algorithms finally solved such problems of ED –P&ID linking as recurring item patterns, symbol overriding and symbol overloading, item similarity, item aggregation and phantom items.
GBE saves the engineer time by offering a library of standard P&ID drawings.

Functional requirements management (FRM)

GBE is the first to introduce framework for processing and documenting Project Functional Requirements. Actually FRM is a primary context in which all other flavors of ED shall be handled to attain robust control, requested operation flexibility and reliability of the Plant.
Developed by author Functional Requirements Specification for Water Treatment and Desalination Plants is covered by the FRM implementation pivoted around Discrete Event Patterns (DEP). Every P&ID item or group of items has its own pattern described by a list of Faults, Actions, Interlocks, States and Allowable Transitions. From FRM viewpoint, Process Flow Diagram (PFD) is a declaration of the plant functionality targets to be implemented in P&ID. FRM requirements dominate in the process of splitting the Plant on a number of P&ID sheets. Functionality script is added to P&ID with the item tag automatic update.
FRM auto-transforms P&ID into Control Flow Diagram (CFD) describing in the control terms the plant control hierarchy and recipes. Important part of FRM is control data management going as far as the PID controller settings. Next planned step is HMI and SCADA auto-generation.
FRM allows the instruments to be ordered only after the functional requirements have been set and found to be consistent. More information about FRM may be found in the author’s paper Control resolved.

Control and power wiring data management (CPW)

GBE is the first to formalize the automation tasks of wiring data management and offers the framework tremendously boosting the engineer productivity (by a factor of 100). This framework is in fact the networks math library and it links P&ID to another second-in-importance diagram – the Plant Layout.
Using pre-built templates and the user-defined preferences GBE auto-generates wiring diagrams for each instrument, specification and commissioning datasheets, and the instrument hookup drawing. Currently only typical one-line electrical diagram is in the electrical package.

ED auto-generation

ED auto-generation refers to the derived information and includes the P&ID items auto- creation, “copy & paste”, bulk updates and scaling. Auto-creation means auto-sizing and auto-connecting the primary item and the secondary one in a way established by a good engineering practice. GBE actually designs parts of P&ID without single direction from the user. For instance, it specifies the suction and discharge piping with drainage valves for pump, sizes motors and variable speed drives, valves and instrumentation. User may “copy & paste” equipment unit with all pertinent data, control structures, documents and drawings from one project to another. After that the unit may be filled with another fluid at different pressure and temperature through bulk update. Finally GBE can scale up or down the unit capacity by automatically resizing its equipment.