Information processing program, information processing device, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing program that allows operators to easily understand what intervention operations were performed by the operators and under what operating conditions. [Solution] The information processing program acquires process value time-series data, which records process values ​​detected by sensors installed in the plant in a time series, and intervention operation data, which records the date and time of intervention operations and the content of intervention operations performed at the operating end of the plant. Based on the intervention operation data, it calculates an intervention operation display value, generates intervention operation time-series data, which changes the intervention operation display value at the time the intervention operation was performed, and generates image data that displays the process value time-series data and the intervention operation time-series data on the same screen.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing program, an information processing device, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, automatic control systems have been used to control the operation of plants such as incinerators. These systems acquire process values ​​from various sensors in the plant and transmit control signals to various control terminals according to these values, thereby automatically controlling the plant. In addition to the automatic control of the plant's control terminals by the automatic control system, operators may also manually intervene in the control by operating the control terminals.

[0003] To improve plant efficiency and reduce operating costs, it is desirable to increase the proportion of automated control. In order to incorporate operator interventions into automated control, it is desirable to be able to easily understand what interventions were performed and under what operating conditions during plant operation.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a method in which, when an alarm element is dragged and dropped onto a trend graph of monitoring items set by the user, the date and time of the abnormal occurrence or the date and time of recovery included in the alarm element are highlighted. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-182564 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] While the technology described in Patent Document 1 allows for easy identification of the date and time of an anomaly or recovery, it does not reveal the details of the operator's intervention. Furthermore, this technology requires viewing the alarm screen and trend graph on separate screens and performing drag-and-drop operations, which is cumbersome.

[0007] In some plants, operator interventions can occur dozens to hundreds of times a day, making it a time-consuming process to refer to the history of these interventions before retrieving the corresponding process values.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an information processing program, an information processing device, and an information processing method that allow operators to easily understand what intervention operations were performed under what operating conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, an information processing program according to one aspect of the present invention acquires process value time-series data, which is a record of process values ​​detected by sensors installed in the plant in a time series, and intervention operation data, which is a record of the date and time of the intervention operation and the content of the intervention operation performed at the operating end of the plant. Based on the intervention operation data, it calculates an intervention operation display value, generates intervention operation time-series data, which is a record of the intervention operation display value changing at the time the intervention operation was performed, and generates image data, which displays the process value time-series data and the intervention operation time-series data on the same screen.

[0010] Furthermore, an information processing program according to one aspect of the present invention uses the state in which no intervention operation is performed on the control terminal as the default value, calculates the amount of change according to the content of the intervention operation, and calculates the intervention operation display value by adding the default value and the amount of change.

[0011] Furthermore, in an information processing program according to one aspect of the present invention, the default value and the amount of change are set according to the range of variation of the process value.

[0012] Furthermore, in one aspect of the present invention, the information processing program sets the change amount to a positive value when the control amount for the operation end increases in the intervention operation content, and sets the change amount to a negative value when the control amount for the operation end decreases in the intervention operation content.

[0013] Furthermore, in an information processing program according to one aspect of the present invention, the image data is image data in which the process value time series data and the intervention operation time series data are displayed on the same time axis within the same graph.

[0014] Furthermore, in an information processing program according to one aspect of the present invention, the image data highlights the time periods in which the intervention operation display value of the intervention operation time series data deviates from the default value.

[0015] Furthermore, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a data acquisition unit that acquires process value time series data, which records process values ​​detected by sensors installed in the plant in a time series, and intervention operation data, which records the date and time of intervention operation and the content of the intervention operation when an intervention operation is performed at the operating end of the plant; a data generation unit that calculates an intervention operation display value based on the intervention operation data and generates intervention operation time series data, in which the intervention operation display value changes at the time the intervention operation is performed; and an image generation unit that generates image data, which displays the process value time series data and the intervention operation time series data on the same time axis and in the same graph.

[0016] Furthermore, an information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention acquires process value time series data, which is a record of process values ​​detected by sensors installed in the plant in a time series, and intervention operation data, which is a record of the date and time of the intervention operation and the content of the intervention operation performed at the operating end of the plant. Based on the intervention operation data, it calculates an intervention operation display value, generates intervention operation time series data, which is a record of the intervention operation display value changing at the time the intervention operation was performed, and generates image data, which displays the process value time series data and the intervention operation time series data on the same time axis and in the same graph.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, and an information processing method that can easily grasp what intervention operation was performed by a driver in what operating situation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a plant, a plant control apparatus, and an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of processing executed by the information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of process value time series data. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of intervention operation data. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of intervention operation time series data. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of image data. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a method for calculating an intervention operation display value. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing image data generated by the information processing apparatus according to Modification 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing intervention aggregation data obtained by aggregating the number of intervention operations generated by the information processing apparatus according to Modification 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing intervention aggregation data obtained by aggregating the time of intervention operations generated by the information processing apparatus according to Modification 3.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Embodiments of the information processing program, information processing apparatus, and information processing method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention can be applied in general to information processing programs, information processing apparatuses, and information processing methods for processing plant data.

[0020] Furthermore, in the drawings, identical or corresponding elements are appropriately denoted by the same reference numeral. It should also be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationships and proportions of each element may differ from reality. Even between drawings, there may be differences in dimensional relationships and proportions.

[0021] (Embodiment) [Configuration of the plant, plant control system, and information processing system] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a plant, plant control device, and information processing device according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the plant 1 is equipped with an operating terminal 12 for controlling the plant equipment 10 to a predetermined state, and the operating terminal 12 is automatically controlled by the plant control device 2. In addition, manual intervention operations are performed by the operator to change the amount of operation of the operating terminal 12 as needed.

[0022] Plant 1 is, for example, a waste incineration plant (incinerator), but the type and use of the plant are not particularly limited. Plant 1 comprises a plurality of sensors 11 and a plurality of operating terminals 12.

[0023] Sensor 11 measures various data used to control Plant 1. Sensor 11 includes, for example, a flow sensor that measures the flow rate of air supplied from below the grate, a speed sensor that measures the speed of the grate that transports waste, and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the gas after the waste has been burned at the outlet of the incinerator. Sensor 11 can be any sensor that measures various process values, and its type and the object being measured are not particularly limited.

[0024] The operating terminal 12 is a device that receives control signals output by the plant control device 2 and modifies the controlled quantity. Examples of operating terminals 12 include an air flow rate control device that controls the flow rate of air supplied from below the grate, a grate speed control device that controls the speed of the grate that transports waste, and a dust supply speed control device that controls the speed of the dust supply device that supplies waste. The operating terminal 12 only needs to operate based on control signals output by the plant control device 2, and its type and operating method are not particularly limited.

[0025] The plant control device 2 comprises a communication unit 21, a data acquisition unit 22, a data generation unit 23, a control unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a display unit 26.

[0026] The communication unit 21 communicates with the sensor 11 installed in the plant 1 to receive data. It also communicates with the operating terminal 12 to transmit control signals.

[0027] The data acquisition unit 22 acquires the process value detected by the sensor 11 via the communication unit 21.

[0028] The data generation unit 23 generates plant time-series data, which records process values ​​and the control quantities of the operating end 12 in a time-series format. Specifically, the plant time-series data includes process value time-series data. The data generation unit 23 also generates intervention operation data, which records the date and time of the intervention operation performed by the operating end 12 and the details of the intervention operation.

[0029] The control unit 24 specifically includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), as well as a main memory unit such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) (none of which are shown). The control unit 24 loads a control program stored in the storage unit 25 into the working area of ​​the main memory unit and executes it. By controlling each component through the execution of the control program, the control unit 24 can realize a function that matches a predetermined purpose. For example, it calculates an operation amount based on the process time-series data and the control algorithm of the control program, and instructs the operation amount to the operation terminal 12 via the communication unit 21.

[0030] The memory unit 25 is composed of a storage medium selected from EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and removable media. Removable media include, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or disk recording media such as CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or BD (Blu-ray® Disc). The memory unit 25 can store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, and so on. For example, the memory unit 25 can store plant time-series data, intervention operation data, and so on.

[0031] The display unit 26 is a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display that shows information related to the settings of the communication unit 21 and the control unit 24, as well as plant time-series data and intervention operation data generated by the data generation unit 23.

[0032] The information processing device 3 comprises a communication unit 31, a data acquisition unit 32, a data generation unit 33, an image generation unit 34, a storage unit 35, and a display unit 36.

[0033] The communication unit 31 communicates with the storage unit 25 of the plant control device 2 to send and receive data.

[0034] The data acquisition unit 32 acquires data such as process value time series data (or plant time series data) and intervention operation data recorded in the storage unit 25 of the plant control device 2 via the communication unit 31.

[0035] The data generation unit 33 determines the time and content of the intervention operation based on the intervention operation data acquired by the data acquisition unit 32, calculates the intervention operation display value, and generates intervention operation time-series data in which the intervention operation display value changes at the time the intervention operation was performed.

[0036] The image generation unit 34 generates image data that displays process value time series data and intervention operation time series data on the same time axis within the same graph. The image generation unit 34 only needs to display the process value time series data and intervention operation time series data on the same screen, as long as the correspondence between the process value time series data and intervention operation time series data can be understood.

[0037] The memory unit 35 has the same configuration as the memory unit 25. For example, the memory unit 35 stores time-series data of intervention operations.

[0038] The display unit 36 ​​has the same configuration as the display unit 26 and displays images and the like generated by the image generation unit 34.

[0039] [Information processing method using information processing equipment] Figure 2 is a flowchart outlining the process performed by the information processing device according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, first, the data acquisition unit 32 acquires process value time-series data from the storage unit 25 of the plant control device 2 (step S1).

[0040] Figure 3 shows an example of process value time series data. As shown in Figure 3, the process value time series data includes process values ​​measured by each sensor 11, such as the air flow rate below the grate, the grate speed, and the furnace outlet gas temperature. The air flow rate below the grate is the flow rate of air supplied from below the grate, measured by sensor 11, which is a flow sensor. The grate speed is the speed of the grate that transports the waste, measured by sensor 11, which is a speed sensor. The furnace outlet gas temperature is the temperature of the gas at the incinerator outlet after the waste has been burned, measured by sensor 11, which is a temperature sensor. Figure 3 shows data for the period from 20:00:00 to 20:10:00 on 2024 / 6 / 21, but the data acquisition unit 22 continuously acquires various data while the plant 1 is in operation, including before and after this period.

[0041] Furthermore, the data acquisition unit 32 acquires intervention operation data from the storage unit 25 of the plant control device 2 (step S2).

[0042] Figure 4 shows an example of intervention operation data. As shown in Figure 4, the intervention operation data includes operations input to each operation terminal 12, such as operations to temporarily stop and resume the grate, and operations to change the control value of the air flow rate below the grate. The intervention operation data includes the date and time of the intervention operation and the content of the intervention operation. Furthermore, the intervention operation data may also include the control values ​​before and after the change.

[0043] Next, the data generation unit 33 determines the time and content of the intervention operation based on the intervention operation data, and calculates the intervention operation display value (step S3). The method for calculating the intervention operation display value will be described later.

[0044] Subsequently, the data generation unit 23 generates intervention operation time-series data, which records the intervention operation display values ​​in a time series (step S4).

[0045] Figure 5 shows an example of intervention operation time series data. As shown in Figure 5, the data generation unit 23 generates intervention operation time series data, which records the intervention operation display values ​​in a time series. In this example, the default values ​​for the intervention operation display values ​​when the grate air flow rate, grate stop operation, and grate speed operation are not performed are set to 5.0, 0.0, and 0.0, respectively.

[0046] The data generation unit 23 calculates 5.5 by adding 0.5 to the intervention operation display value at 20:17:00, since an operation to increase the airflow rate under the grate was performed at 20:16:47. Similarly, the data generation unit 23 calculates 5.5 by adding 0.5 to the intervention operation display value at 20:18:00, since an operation to increase the airflow rate under the grate was performed at 20:17:15. Furthermore, the data generation unit 23 calculates 4.5 by subtracting 0.5 from the intervention operation display value at 20:21:00, since an operation to decrease the airflow rate under the grate was performed at 20:20:24.

[0047] Furthermore, the data generation unit 23 increments the intervention operation display value from 23:28:00 onward by 1.0 because the grate stop operation was performed at 23:27:07. Subsequently, the data generation unit 23 resets the intervention operation display value from 23:32:00 onward to the default value of 0.0 because the grate return operation was performed at 23:31:10.

[0048] Furthermore, when displaying the intervention operation time series data on the display unit 36, the intervention operation display values ​​that deviate from the default values ​​may be highlighted, as shown by the hatching in Figure 5.

[0049] The image generation unit 34 then generates image data in which the process value time series data and the intervention operation time series data are displayed on the same time axis within the same graph.

[0050] Figure 6 shows an example of image data. As shown in Figure 6, the image generation unit 34 generates image data in which line L1, which represents the air flow rate under the grate and is process value time series data, and line L2, which represents the air operation under the grate and is intervention operation time series data, are displayed on the same time axis within the same graph, and the image data is displayed on the display unit 36.

[0051] From line L2 in Figure 6, it is easily visually apparent that the operation of increasing and decreasing the airflow rate supplied from below the grate was performed once around 20:20. Furthermore, from line L1 in Figure 6, it is easily visually apparent how much the airflow rate below the grate increased or decreased when these operations were performed.

[0052] [Method for calculating intervention operation display values] Next, the calculation method used by the data generation unit 33 to calculate the intervention operation display value will be explained. For example, the data generation unit 33 uses the state where no intervention operation is performed on the operation end 12 as the default value, calculates the amount of change according to the content of the intervention operation, and calculates the intervention operation display value by adding the default value and the amount of change.

[0053] In Figure 5, the default value for the grate air operation intervention is set to 5.0, and the change is set to 0.5. When the control amount for the control end 12 increases during the intervention, the change is set to a positive value; when the control amount for the control end 12 decreases during the intervention, the change is set to a negative value. Specifically, when increasing the air supply to the grate, the change is set to +0.5; when decreasing the air supply to the grate, the change is set to -0.5. Adding these values ​​to the default value of 5.0, the grate air operation intervention value for the time period during which the intervention was performed is calculated to be either 5.5 or 4.5.

[0054] Furthermore, in the case of operations where increase or decrease cannot be defined, such as the grate stop operation in Figure 5, the change amount is limited to positive values ​​only. In the example in Figure 5, the default value of 0.0 is used for no operation, and the change amount is set to 1.0. When an operation is performed, the change amount is added to the default value to calculate the intervention operation display value of the grate stop operation during the time period in which the intervention operation was performed as 1.0.

[0055] Next, we will explain the specific calculation method for the default value and the amount of change. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the calculation method for the intervention operation display value. As shown in Figure 7, the data generation unit 33 sets the upper limit value Y of the process value (air flow rate under the grate). maxand the lower limit value Y min From the difference with, the fluctuation range ΔY = Y max - Y min is calculated. Subsequently, a value obtained by multiplying the fluctuation range ΔY by a predetermined ratio X offset is calculated, and this is taken as the offset value ΔY offset . Further, from the lower limit value Y min the offset value ΔY offset is subtracted, and the default value Y def of the intervention operation display value is obtained.

[0056] And, a value obtained by multiplying the offset value ΔY offset by a predetermined ratio X diff is calculated, and this is taken as the change amount ΔY diff . In FIG. 7, an example in the case where the predetermined ratio X offset = 0.5, X diff = 0.1 is shown, but the predetermined ratio is not particularly limited. The predetermined ratio can be arbitrarily set so that, for example, the line indicating the process value time series data and the line indicating the intervention operation time series data do not intersect. Thus, the default value and the change amount may be set according to the fluctuation range of the process value.

[0057] According to the embodiment described above, based on the image data in which the process value time series data and the intervention operation time series data are displayed within the same screen, the driver can easily grasp what kind of intervention operation was performed under what kind of operating conditions.

[0058] (Modification 1) FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the image data generated by the information processing apparatus according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the image generation unit 34 displays, within the same graph on the same time axis, a line L11 indicating the under-fire air flow rate which is the process value time series data, a line L12 indicating the intervention operation display value of the under-fire air operation which is the intervention operation time series data, a line L13 indicating the furnace outlet gas temperature which is the process value time series data, a line L14 indicating the grate speed which is the process value time series data, and a line L15 indicating the intervention operation display value of the grate speed operation which is the intervention operation time series data, and generates the image data to be displayed on the display unit 36.

[0059] From line L12 in Figure 8, it is easily visually apparent that the operation of increasing and decreasing the airflow rate supplied from below the grate was performed once around 20:20. Furthermore, from line L11 in Figure 8, it is easily visually apparent how much the airflow rate below the grate changed when these operations were performed.

[0060] Furthermore, line L13 in Figure 8 indicates that the operation to increase the airflow under the grate was performed at a time when the temperature of the gas after waste combustion at the incinerator outlet was tending to decrease. As a result, it can be inferred that the operators of Plant 1 performed this operation to prevent the gas temperature from dropping.

[0061] Furthermore, lines L14 and L15 in Figure 8 confirm that no operations were performed to change the grate speed during this time period.

[0062] By displaying multiple process value time series data and intervention operation time series data side by side in this way, it is easy to understand how process values ​​changed with each intervention operation. Furthermore, by analyzing the intervention operations performed by operators, the timing and intent of the intervention operations can be inferred and used to improve the automatic control of Plant 1 by the Plant Control Device 2.

[0063] Furthermore, the image data generated by the image generation unit 34 may highlight time periods in the intervention operation time series data where the intervention operation display value deviates from the default value, as shown by hatching in Figure 8. This makes it easy to recognize the time periods in which the intervention operation was performed.

[0064] (Modification 2) Figure 9 shows the total number of intervention operations generated by the information processing device related to Modification 2. Figure 9 shows the number of operations to increase the amount of air under the grate, the number of operations to decrease the amount of air under the grate, and the number of operations to change the amount of air under the grate. Note that the number of operations to change the amount of air under the grate is the total number of operations that increase and decrease the amount of air under the grate.

[0065] In this way, by displaying the intervention summary data, which is the number of intervention operations per day (operations / day), on the display unit 36, it is possible to easily recognize what kind of intervention operations are being performed and how frequently. Furthermore, by analyzing the intervention operations performed by the operators using the intervention summary data, it can be used to improve the automatic control of the plant 1 by the plant control device 2.

[0066] (Variation 3) Figure 10 shows the total intervention data generated by the information processing device according to Modification 3, which aggregates the time spent on intervention operations. Figure 10 shows the total time spent on operations that increase the amount of air under the grate, the total time spent on operations that decrease the amount of air under the grate, and the total time spent on operations that change the amount of air under the grate. Note that the total time spent on operations that change the amount of air under the grate includes the total time spent on operations that increase the amount of air under the grate and operations that decrease it.

[0067] In this way, by displaying the intervention summary data, which is the total time (minutes / day) spent on intervention operations per day, on the display unit 36, it is easy to recognize what kind of intervention operations are being performed and for how long. Furthermore, by analyzing the intervention operations performed by the operators using the intervention summary data, it can be used to improve the automatic control of the plant 1 by the plant control device 2.

[0068] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1 Plant 2. Plant control system 3. Information Processing Device 10. Plant Equipment 11 sensors 12 Control end 21 Communications Department 22 Data Acquisition Unit 23 Data Generation Unit 24 Control Unit 25 Memory section 26 Display section 31 Communications Department 32 Data Acquisition Unit 33 Data Generation Unit 34 Image generation unit 35 Storage section 36 Display section

Claims

1. The system acquires process value time-series data, which records process values ​​detected by sensors installed in the plant in a time-series format, and intervention operation data, which records the date and time of intervention operations performed at the operating end of the plant and the details of those intervention operations. Based on the intervention operation data, the intervention operation display value is calculated. Time-series data of intervention operations is generated, in which the intervention operation display value changes at the time the intervention operation is performed. An information processing program that generates image data displaying the aforementioned process value time series data and the aforementioned intervention operation time series data on the same screen.

2. The information processing program according to claim 1, wherein the state in which no intervention operation is performed at the control terminal is set as the default value, the amount of change is calculated according to the content of the intervention operation, and the intervention operation display value is calculated by adding the default value and the amount of change.

3. The information processing program according to claim 2, wherein the default value and the amount of change are set according to the range of variation of the process value.

4. In the intervention operation described above, if the control amount for the control terminal increases, the amount of change is set to a positive value. The information processing program according to claim 2, wherein, in the intervention operation, if the control amount for the operation end decreases, the amount of change is set to a negative value.

5. The information processing program according to claim 1, wherein the image data is image data in which the process value time series data and the intervention operation time series data are displayed on the same time axis in the same graph.

6. The information processing program according to claim 2, wherein the image data highlights the time period in which the intervention operation display value of the intervention operation time series data deviates from the default value.

7. A data acquisition unit acquires process value time-series data, which records process values ​​detected by sensors installed in the plant in a time-series format, and intervention operation data, which records the date and time of intervention operations performed at the operating end of the plant and the details of those intervention operations. A data generation unit calculates an intervention operation display value based on the intervention operation data and generates intervention operation time-series data in which the intervention operation display value changes at the time the intervention operation is performed. An image generation unit generates image data that displays the aforementioned process value time series data and the aforementioned intervention operation time series data on the same time axis within the same graph. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

8. The system acquires process value time-series data, which records process values ​​detected by sensors installed in the plant in a time-series format, and intervention operation data, which records the date and time of intervention operations performed at the operating end of the plant and the details of those intervention operations. Based on the intervention operation data, the intervention operation display value is calculated. Time-series data of intervention operations is generated, in which the intervention operation display value changes at the time the intervention operation is performed. An information processing method that generates image data in which the aforementioned process value time series data and the aforementioned intervention operation time series data are displayed on the same time axis within the same graph.

Images