Navigation within a graphical depiction of a process control plant

Abstract

A method of process control monitoring that uses a navigation pane to navigate within a graphical depiction of a process control plant. The navigation pane includes a unit selection area and a device selection area, wherein (i) the unit selection area includes one or more unit selectors corresponding to one or more units in the graphical depiction of the process control plant icons, (ii) the device selection area includes one or more device selector icons corresponding to one or more devices in the graphical depiction of the process control plant, (iii) each device in the process control plant each unit includes one or more devices in the process control plant, and (iv) based on the one or more devices contained in the process control plant associated with the unit corresponding to the unit selector icon, each A unit selector icon is associated with one or more device selector icons. In response to receiving a selection of a first unit selector icon, displaying one or more unit selector icons in the equipment region associated with a first unit in a process control plant that The first cell corresponds to the selected first cell selector icon, wherein (i) one or more device selector icons associated with the selected first cell selector icon are displayed in the device selection area, and (ii) One or more unselected unit selector icons are kept displayed in the unit selection area. Additionally, one or more devices in the graphical depiction of the process control plant corresponding to the first unit selector icon are displayed.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to process control systems and, more particularly, to monitoring trends of process variables and hierarchical, graphical navigation of process control plants. Background technique [0002] Process plants such as those used in the chemical, petroleum, or other industries typically include one or more centralized or decentralized process controllers communicatively coupled via an analog, digital, or combined analog / digital bus to at least one A host or operator workstation and one or more process control and instrumentation devices, such as field devices. Field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches, transmitters, and sensors (eg, temperature, pressure, and flow rate sensors) perform functions such as increasing or decreasing fluid flow and measuring process parameters in a process. The process controller receives signals indicative of process measurements or process variables mad...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

At too high a level of detail, the operator may only have very little process control information when viewing the P&ID

Alternatively, the operator may have too much detail looking at multiple process variable trend graphs, trying to compare current process variable values ​​to set point information, etc.

Additionally, detailed information sources may not be integrated with the P&ID, and may require controlling operators to view information at various levels of detail distributed across multiple separate windows or screens

Having too little or too much detail can lead to incomplete or slow decision-making by control operators respectively, with serious consequences during critical events or periods

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