37

Compatibility with other Numbering

Systems
6.1 Code Conversion
KKS, DEP and ISO 3511 are so worked in world wide, that it may be impossible to change these numbering
systems - even to a better and more general-purpose alternative. However, a few simple rules make it possible
to make an automatic and unambiguous conversion from these systems to PNS.

6.2 KKS Compatibility

KKS is based on alternating alphabetical letters - A - (English Latin capital letters other than I and O) and
numerical digits - N - and is structured in plants, systems and equipment. KKS do not have a function code, but
uses XYZ-signals instead as shown below:

Plant System Equipment

Component/
XYZ-signals
N or A AAA NN AA NNN (A) - AA NN

Fig. 6.1

The Plant specification of KKS can easily fit into the Site and area specification of PNS. The number ranges for
the KKS system specification is exactly the same as the PNS production Line specification, so KKS fit directly
into PNS.
KKS has an extremely bad utilization of the two-letter equipment codes, which in practice has made it necessary
to use the most significant digit of the equipment number as a part of the equipment code like for example
AA0xx for control valves, AA1xx for shut-off valves, AA2xx for hand operated valves, AA3xx for safety relief
valves etc. This is not necessary with PNS, which has shorter and much more intuitive codes for this like for
example CV for control valve and HV for hand operated valve. In many cases, the two-letter KKS equipment
codes contain less information than the second letter alone of PNS! For example, the KKS letter code AT just
means any cleaning, drying, filtering and separating equipment. It is not defined whether this is a filter, a
screener, a cyclone, a magnet or any other possibility. As a comparison, PNS has 3x26 codes for these types of
equipment! In the same way, the KKS code CE just means any electrical measurement. It is not possible to tell
whether this is a current, a voltage, a power, a frequency etc.
Both KKS and PNS has a suffix letter code for parallel items, but to be able to squeeze the number into a 32-bit
value, PNS only has three suffix letters where KKS has a full A-Z letter range. However, because the most
significant digit of the PNS equipment numbers are not going to be used as extra equipment codes, this digit
may instead be used as a line specification if four parallel lines are not enough.
The KKS component code contains a lot of redundant information and is therefore not used very much. Most of
the information is also included in the equipment code as for example 3GCK10AP001-KP01 where AP001 is
pump 1 and KP01 is pump motor 1. It is primary in case of nested equipments like a pump within a pump or a
lubrication pump on equipment that the original KKS component codes are important, but in this case, the most
significant digit of the equipment number may be used instead to group various equipments together. This also
makes it possible to address functions in both the main equipment and the auxiliary equipments and in this way
for example measure the lubrication pressure.
PNS has two letters and three digits (20 bit) for its component or spare part code, so all KKS component codes
(17 bit) may also be used in PNS.
In many power stations, a two-letter, two-digits XYZ signal description code is used as a supplement to the KKS
component code (KKS do not use X, Y and Z for the first letter). In this code, the letters - X, Y or Z - specifies
the direction and type of the signal, and the second letter specifies the equipment type as in the KKS
component code like for example G for a limit switch. However, as in the KKS component code this is usually
redundant information since the equipment code already specifies this - except for nested equipment. The real
signal information is in the two-digit number. For example, the XYZ code XG03 means greater than low-2, XG01