Question

If a process variable is hovering exactly at the alarm setpoint and causing the alarm to trip repeatedly, what specific configuration change prevents the alarm from cycling on and off?

Accepted Answer

To stop an alarm from flickering on and off, you use something called deadband. Think of deadband as a safety gap. Instead of the alarm turning off the exact moment the value drops below the limit, the alarm stays on until the value drops a little bit further past that limit. Imagine you are trying to keep a room at a specific temperature. If the heater turned off at exactly 70 degrees and back on at 69.9 degrees, it would click on and off constantly. By using a deadband, you tell the system to wait until the temperature drops to 68 degrees before turning the heater back on. This extra space keeps the signal steady and prevents the rapid switching, which is known as chattering.

If a process variable is hovering exactly at the alarm setpoint and causing the alarm to trip repeatedly, what specific configuration change prevents the alarm from cycling on and off?

To stop an alarm from flickering on and off, you use something called deadband. Think of deadband as a safety gap. Instead of the alarm turning off the exact moment the value drops below the limit, the ala....

Community Answers

Home → All Courses → Engineering and Technology Courses → Strategic Alarm Management → Flashcard

If a process variable is hovering exactly at the alarm setpoint and causing the alarm to trip repeatedly, what specific configuration change prevents the alarm from cycling on and off?

To stop an alarm from flickering on and off, you use something called deadband. Think of deadband as a safety gap. Instead of the alarm turning off the exact moment the value drops below the limit, the ala....

Community Answers