Process system capable of emergency power supply

Abstract

A process system capable of emergency power supply is disclosed. The system comprises a drive unit for driving a process line, a first power supply unit for supplying power supplied from an external source to the drive unit, a second power supply unit including at least one supercapacitor and supplying power charged in the supercapacitor to the drive unit, and a control unit for selecting at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as a power source and controlling to supply power to the drive unit. The control unit controls to select at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as a power source and supply power to the drive unit based on the power that the first power supply unit can supply to the drive unit.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a process system, and more specifically, to a process system capable of emergency power supply. Background Technology

[0002] Process automation is being utilized in various manufacturing and production fields, including not only automobiles and electronics but also food and pharmaceuticals. While this enables increased manufacturing and production efficiency and consistent quality maintenance, there is a risk that issues such as process line shutdowns, production delays, and quality problems may arise if the power supply is not stable.

[0003] In particular, even if power supply to a semiconductor process line is interrupted for just one minute, the resulting damages amount to billions of won, and since it takes a long time to restore the process to an optimized state, even a momentary power outage causes significant losses, so a stable power supply must be performed.

[0004] There is a need to control the power supply to ensure that energy is continuously and uninterruptedly supplied to process lines for various products, including semiconductors, through means such as Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) and emergency generators. Prior art literature

[0005] Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1977165 The problem to be solved

[0006] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a process system capable of emergency power supply.

[0007] The purposes of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other purposes and advantages of the present disclosure not mentioned may be understood from the following description and will be more clearly understood from the embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the purposes and advantages of the present disclosure can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims. means of solving the problem

[0008] A process system capable of emergency power supply according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a drive unit for driving a process line, a first power supply unit for supplying power supplied from an external source to the drive unit, a power supply unit including at least one supercapacitor and a second power supply unit for supplying power charged in the supercapacitor to the drive unit, and a control unit for selecting at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as a power source and controlling to supply power to the drive unit, wherein the control unit controls to select at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as a power source and supply power to the drive unit based on the power that the first power supply unit can supply to the drive unit.

[0009] At this time, the control unit may select one of a plurality of operation modes for setting the driving speed of the process line, and select at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as the power supply source according to the required power supplied to the driving unit to perform the operation mode.

[0010] In this case, the control unit identifies the required power according to the selected operation mode, and if the power supply of the first power unit is cut off, selects the second power unit as the power source, and if it is identified that the maximum output of the first power unit is less than the required power, selects the first power unit and the second power unit as the power sources, and if it is identified that the maximum output of the first power unit is greater than or equal to the required power, selects the first power unit as the power source.

[0011] At this time, the control unit identifies a supply time during which power necessary for the driving unit to operate in the selected operating mode can be supplied by the selected power source, and if the identified supply time is less than a threshold time, it can change to an operating mode with a lower speed than the previously selected operating mode among the plurality of operating modes.

[0012] At this time, the control unit includes a memory storing an artificial intelligence model that predicts the time when the power supply of the first power supply unit is cut off, and a processor connected to the memory. The processor trains the artificial intelligence model to predict the time when the power supplied from the outside is cut off based on the history of the power supplied from the outside being cut off, and inputs the history of the power supplied from the outside being cut off and a plurality of maximum output values ​​of the first power supply unit identified at regular time intervals into the artificial intelligence model to predict the time when the power supply of the first power supply unit is cut off.

[0013] Meanwhile, the driving unit includes a plurality of unit driving modules for driving each of the plurality of process steps constituting the process line, and the control unit sets the priority of each of the plurality of unit driving modules based on the importance of each process step that is pre-set based on the risk or damage that occurs when each of the plurality of process steps is interrupted, and can control the second power supply unit to supply power preferentially to the unit driving module with the higher priority among the plurality of unit driving modules when the power supply of the first power supply unit is cut off.

[0014] In addition, the control unit includes a communication module that receives disaster information from the outside, and when a disaster is identified or predicted based on the disaster information received from the communication module, the second power supply unit can be controlled to supply power preferentially to a unit driving module with a higher priority among the plurality of unit driving modules.

[0015] At this time, the control unit can select one of a plurality of operation modes for setting the driving speed of the process line, identify the required power for performing the operation mode for each of the plurality of unit driving modules, and set the power supplied to the unit driving module with a higher priority based on the required power for each of the plurality of unit driving modules.

[0016] Meanwhile, the second power supply unit includes a harvesting module installed in the drive line and collecting energy generated while the drive unit operates and converting it into electrical energy, and the control unit can charge at least one supercapacitor included in the second power supply unit using the electrical energy converted from the harvesting module. Effects of the invention

[0017] The emergency control system according to the present disclosure can ensure a continuous supply of energy to the process line by applying a supercapacitor to the automated process line.

[0018] The emergency control system according to the present disclosure can efficiently manage energy by harvesting energy generated by the operation of an automated process line and charging a supercapacitor. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the system selects an operation mode and drives. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a process system changing an operation mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control unit of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a driving unit of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a power supply unit of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0020] Before specifically describing the present disclosure, the method of description in the specification and drawings is described.

[0021] First, the terms used in this specification and claims have been selected based on general terms considering their functions in the various embodiments of this disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, legal or technical interpretations, and the emergence of new technologies. Additionally, some terms have been arbitrarily selected by the applicant. Such terms may be interpreted according to the meanings defined in this specification; in the absence of specific definitions, they may be interpreted based on the overall content of this specification and common technical knowledge in the relevant field.

[0022] In addition, the same reference numbers or symbols described in each drawing attached to this specification represent parts or components that perform substantially the same function. For convenience of explanation and understanding, the same reference numbers or symbols are used to describe different embodiments. That is, even if components having the same reference number are all depicted in multiple drawings, the multiple drawings do not imply a single embodiment.

[0023] Additionally, in this specification and claims, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to distinguish between components. These ordinal numbers are used to distinguish identical or similar components from one another, and the meaning of the terms should not be limited by the use of such ordinal numbers. For example, the order of use or arrangement of components combined with such ordinal numbers should not be restricted by the number. If necessary, each ordinal number may be used interchangeably.

[0024] In this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "consisting of" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0025] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as "module," "unit," "part," etc. are used to refer to a component that performs at least one function or operation, and such component may be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, a plurality of "modules," "units," "parts," etc. may be integrated into at least one module or chip and implemented as at least one processor, except where each needs to be implemented in specific individual hardware.

[0026] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, when a part is described as being connected to another part, this includes not only a direct connection but also an indirect connection through another medium. Additionally, the meaning that a part includes a certain component implies that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, the process system (100) includes a driving unit (110), a power supply unit (120), and a control unit (130), and the power supply unit (120) may include a first power supply unit (121) and a second power supply unit (122).

[0029] The drive unit (110) is configured to drive the process line.

[0030] The drive unit (110) can drive the process line by including various devices such as a robot arm, a processing device, an assembly device, a conveying device, a conveyor belt, a motor, and an engine. At this time, the process line includes a line in which multiple process steps are continuously performed to carry out various processes such as manufacturing, inspection, packaging, and sorting of products, and the operations and steps performed may differ depending on the product manufactured / produced in the process line.

[0031] For example, a process line for manufacturing semiconductors may include a wafer manufacturing line, a wafer processing line, a thin film formation line, an assembly line, etc., and various devices may be used for each process line.

[0032] The power supply unit (120) is configured to supply power to each component of the process system (100).

[0033] In one embodiment, the power supply unit (120) may include a first power supply unit (121) that supplies power supplied from the outside to the driving unit (110), and a second power supply unit (122) that includes at least one supercapacitor and supplies power charged in the supercapacitor to the driving unit (110).

[0034] Specifically, the first power supply unit (121) is configured to supply power supplied from the outside to each component of the process system (100).

[0035] In one embodiment, the first power supply unit (121) may include a power input module for acquiring power supplied from the outside and a power output module for supplying power supplied from the outside to a driving unit (110). The power input module may be connected to power infrastructure, a generator, an energy storage device, etc., and the output unit may be connected to the driving unit (110). Meanwhile, the first power supply unit (121) may also be connected to the power output module and the control unit (130) to supply power to the control unit (130) to be described later.

[0036] The second power supply unit (122) is configured to provide preliminary power supply to each component of the process system (100).

[0037] In one embodiment, the second power supply unit (122) includes at least one supercapacitor, and when the power supplied from the first power supply unit (121) is insufficient, the power charged in the supercapacitor can be supplied to the driving unit (110).

[0038] Supercapacitors may include electric double layer capacitors that perform charging and discharging through the process of ion adsorption and desorption on an electric double layer formed at the boundary between the electrode and the electrolyte, and pseudocapacitors that perform charging and discharging through redox reactions. Supercapacitors have the advantages of being able to output high power instantaneously, enabling high-speed charging, having a higher number of charge-discharge cycles compared to lithium secondary batteries, and not affecting lifespan even when completely discharged.

[0039] The control unit (130) is configured to control the process system (100) overall.

[0040] In one embodiment, the control unit (130) can select at least one of the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) as a power source and control it to supply power to the driving unit (110).

[0041] At this time, the control unit (130) can control the power supply to the drive unit (110) by selecting at least one of the first power unit (121) and the second power unit (122) as a power source based on the power that the first power unit (121) can supply to the drive unit (110).

[0042] Meanwhile, the control unit (130) may be implemented as an electronic device or system composed of at least one computer. Alternatively, the control unit (130) may include at least one control circuit or one or more processors. The processor may be composed of various units such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), AP (Application Processor), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), VPU (Vision Processing Unit), NPU (Neural Processing Unit), etc.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure in selecting and driving an operation mode.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit (130) can select the operation mode of the driving unit (110) (S210).

[0045] Specifically, the control unit (130) can select one of a plurality of operation modes for setting the driving speed of the process line driven by the driving unit (110).

[0046] At this time, the driving speed for each operating mode may be a preset value. For example, the driving speed at which the manufacturing / production volume of the process line is highest relative to the power used to drive the process line is set as the reference speed, and the multiple operating modes may be classified into a reference operating mode having a reference speed, at least one speed-increasing operating mode having a speed higher than the reference speed, and at least one speed-decrease operating mode having a speed lower than the reference speed.

[0047] In one embodiment, the control unit (130) can select an operation mode by receiving a signal from the outside containing information about a target time and a target manufacturing / production quantity according to the target time.

[0048] For example, the control unit (130) can calculate a driving speed that can reach a target manufacturing / production amount within a received target time and select an operation mode that includes a driving speed greater than or equal to the calculated driving speed.

[0049] At this time, the first power and the second power may be preset values, or may be values ​​set by the control unit (130) based on the average value of the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) identified over a certain period.

[0050] Meanwhile, the method by which the control unit (130) selects an operation mode is not limited to this.

[0051] The control unit (130) can select a power source according to the power required to perform the selected operation mode (S220).

[0052] In one embodiment, the control unit (130) can select at least one of the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) as a power source according to the required power supplied to the driving unit (110) to perform the operation mode of the driving unit (110).

[0053] Specifically, the control unit (130) can select the second power supply unit (122) as a power source when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off.

[0054] When the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off, the control unit (130) can determine this by measuring the power supplied from the outside to the first power supply unit (121) through the power input module of the first power supply unit (121), and for this purpose, the control unit (130) may be connected to one end of the power input module of the first power supply unit (121).

[0055] Additionally, the control unit (130) can select the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) as power sources when it is identified that the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) is less than the required power.

[0056] At this time, the second power supply unit (122) can supply power equal to the difference between the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) and the required power.

[0057] Meanwhile, the control unit (130) can select the first power supply unit (121) as a power source if it is identified that the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) is greater than the required power.

[0058] Through this, when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is unstable, the second power supply unit (122) supplies power to the driving unit (110), thereby enabling the process system (100) to be operated stably.

[0059] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a process system changing an operation mode according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 3, the control unit (130) can identify the supply time during which the power source can supply power (S310).

[0061] Specifically, the control unit (130) can identify the supply time during which the power source selected through the above-described embodiment (step S220) can supply power to the drive unit (110).

[0062] The supply availability time includes the time during which the power source continuously supplies power to the drive unit (110), and the supply availability time of the first power unit (121) can be identified by predicting the time when the power supply of the first power unit (121) is cut off through an artificial intelligence model to be described later, and the supply availability time of the second power unit (122) can be calculated based on the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor and the required power of the drive unit (110) (: power supplied from the power source to the drive unit (110) to perform the selected operation mode).

[0063] Specifically, when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off and the second power supply unit (122) is selected as the power source, the control unit (130) can identify the supply time of the second power supply unit, calculated based on the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor and the required power of the driving unit (110), as the supply time of the power source.

[0064] In addition, when the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) is identified as being less than the required power, and the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) are selected as power sources, if the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off while the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) are performing the operation of supplying power to the driving unit (110) together, the control unit (130) selects the second power supply unit (122) as a power source. Therefore, the supplyable time when the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) are simultaneously selected as power sources can be identified as the supplyable time of the power source by predicting the time when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off through an artificial intelligence model to be described later, and by predicting the time until the predicted time when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off.

[0065] Meanwhile, if the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) is identified as being greater than the required power and the first power supply unit (121) is selected as the power source, the identified supply time can be identified as the supply time of the power source by predicting the time when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off through an artificial intelligence model to be described later.

[0066] At this time, if the time during which the power source can supply power (: supplyable time) is less than the threshold time, the control unit (130) can change the operation mode (S320).

[0067] In one embodiment, if the supply time is less than the threshold time, the control unit (130) can change to an operation mode with a lower speed than the operation mode selected among a plurality of operation modes.

[0068] Specifically, when the control unit (130) identifies multiple operating modes with a speed lower than a preset operating mode among multiple operating modes, it selects the operating mode with the highest speed among the operating modes with a speed lower than the preset operating mode, and by repeatedly performing steps S310 and S320, the control unit (130) can increase production efficiency relative to available power by selecting the operating mode with the highest driving speed among the operating modes for which the supplyable time is greater than or equal to the critical time and driving the process line.

[0069] In this case, the threshold time may be a value set according to a setting signal received from the outside, or a pre-set value.

[0070] While driving the process line at a high speed can enable rapid manufacturing / production of products, the operation of the process line may be interrupted as the supply time of the power source is shortened due to high power consumption. Therefore, by setting a critical time and controlling the control unit (130) to select an operation mode in a direction that lowers the driving speed of the process line, the power consumption is reduced, thereby preventing the risk of the process line being interrupted. Furthermore, if the supply time is less than the critical time even when the process line is driven at a speed lower than the reference speed, the supply time can be increased by changing to an operation mode with a speed that consumes less power.

[0071] Meanwhile, when the control unit (130) selects the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) as power sources, if the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor is less than the amount of power required to supply to the driving unit (110) by the difference between the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) and the required power during the supply time, the control unit (130) can control the operation so that the operation of the second power supply unit (122) supplying power to the driving unit (110) is not interrupted during the supply time by reducing the required power of the driving unit (110) by changing to an operation mode with a lower speed than the previously selected operation mode among a plurality of operation modes.

[0072] Additionally, when the control unit (130) selects the second power supply unit (122) as the power source, since the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off, it can be controlled to supply power to the driving unit (110) for the longest possible time through the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor by changing to the lowest speed operating mode among the multiple operating modes.

[0073] As a result, the control unit (130) can control the process line by reducing the driving speed when there is insufficient power supplied to the driving unit (110) so that the driving line is not interrupted.

[0074] As the maximum output of the first power supply unit (121) and the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor included in the second power supply unit (122) change in real time, the selected power supply source and the supply time also change, and accordingly, by changing the operation mode of the driving unit (110) by the control unit (130), the process system (100) can drive the process line at an optimal speed for the power supplied to the driving unit (110).

[0075] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control unit of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 4, the control unit (130) may include a memory (131), a processor (132), and a communication module (133).

[0077] The memory (131) is configured to store at least one instruction or data related to an operating system (OS) for controlling the overall operation of the components of the control unit (130) and the components of the control unit (130).

[0078] The memory (131) may include non-volatile memory such as ROM or flash memory, and may include volatile memory such as DRAM. Additionally, the memory (131) may include a hard disk, an SSD (Solid state drive), etc.

[0079] In one embodiment, the memory (131) may store an artificial intelligence model that predicts when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off.

[0080] The processor (132) is configured to control the control unit (130) overall.

[0081] The processor (132) may include a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), AP, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a graphics-dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphic Processor Unit) or VPU (Vision Processing Unit), or an artificial intelligence-dedicated processor such as an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). An artificial intelligence-dedicated processor may be designed with a hardware structure specialized for training or utilizing a specific artificial intelligence model.

[0082] In one embodiment, the processor (132) can train an artificial intelligence model to predict when external power is cut off based on the history of external power being cut off.

[0083] To this end, the processor (132) can collect information about cases where externally supplied power was cut off in the past, and can generate training data based on the collected information.

[0084] The communication module (133) is configured to receive information from the outside.

[0085] In one embodiment, the control unit (130) may receive disaster information (e.g., power outage, fire, earthquake, war) from the outside through the communication module (133). The disaster information may include information on at least one of the disasters that have occurred or are predicted to occur.

[0086] Meanwhile, the communication module (133) may include circuits, modules, chips, etc. for performing communication using various wired and wireless communication methods. The communication module (133) may also be connected to multiple external devices through various networks.

[0087] Depending on the area or scale, a network may be a Personal Area Network (PAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), etc., and depending on the openness of the network, it may be an Intranet, Extranet, or Internet, etc.

[0088] The communication module (133) can be connected to multiple external devices through various wireless communication methods such as LTE (long-term evolution), LTE-A (LTE Advance), 5G (5th Generation) mobile communication, CDMA (code division multiple access), WCDMA (wideband CDMA), UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), DMA (Time Division Multiple Access), WiFi (Wi-Fi), WiFi Direct, Bluetooth, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), NFC (near field communication), Zigbee, LoRa, etc.

[0089] Additionally, the communication module (133) may be connected to multiple external devices via wired communication methods such as Ethernet, an optical network, USB (Universal Serial Bus), and Thunderbolt.

[0090] In addition, the communication module (133) may be configured to utilize various communication methods / technologies that are newly devised in the future.

[0091] In one embodiment, the control unit (130) can predict the time when the power supply of the first power unit (121) is cut off by inputting the history of power cutoff from the outside and a plurality of maximum output values ​​of the first power unit (121) identified at regular time intervals into an artificial intelligence model.

[0092] At this time, the artificial intelligence model is a model for predicting the time when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off according to a plurality of maximum output values ​​of the first power supply unit (121) identified at regular time intervals. To this end, the artificial intelligence model can be trained based on training data that includes a history of externally supplied power being cut off.

[0093] In this case, the control unit (130) can record the maximum output value of the first power supply unit (121) identified in real time in chronological order and generate training data including the recorded maximum output value of the first power supply unit (121) and the history of the power of the first power supply unit (121) being cut off.

[0094] Additionally, the control unit (130) can record the maximum output value of the first power supply unit (121) identified in real time in chronological order, and classify the maximum output values ​​recorded in chronological order by time zone (e.g., 0:00 to 3:00, 3:00 to 6:00) for the recorded date. In this case, the control unit (130) may calculate the average value of the maximum output values ​​included in the same time zone of the same date and input it into the artificial intelligence model. At this time, the maximum output value input into the artificial intelligence model may include data recorded during the period from a certain period prior to the time of input into the artificial intelligence model.

[0095] Artificial intelligence models may include, but are not limited to, models of various learning algorithms for prediction such as RNNs (Recurrent Neural Networks), CNNs (Convolutional Neural Networks), Support Vector Machines, and Random Forests.

[0096] Meanwhile, the control unit (130) can identify the supply time of the first power supply unit (121) (time during which power required for the driving unit (110) to operate in a selected operation mode can be supplied) according to the predicted value of the artificial intelligence model.

[0097] Specifically, the control unit (130) can identify the time from when the predicted value of the artificial intelligence model is output until when the power supply of the first power unit (121) predicted by the artificial intelligence model is cut off as the supplyable time of the first power unit (121), and perform the above-described step S320.

[0098] In an additional embodiment, the control unit (130) can charge a supercapacitor using power supplied from the first power unit (121) before the point in time when the power supply of the first power unit (121) predicted by the artificial intelligence model is cut off, and thereby the control unit (130) can prepare for the cutoff of the power supply of the first power unit (121).

[0099] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a driving unit of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 5, the driving unit (110) may include a plurality of unit driving modules (111) (e.g., a first unit driving module (111-1), a second unit driving module (111-2), a third unit driving module (111-3)).

[0101] A plurality of unit drive modules (111) are configured to drive each of a plurality of process steps.

[0102] In one embodiment, a plurality of unit drive modules (111) can control the process steps that match each unit drive module (111) overall. For example, the unit drive module (111) can drive various devices (e.g., robot arm, processing device, assembly device, transport device, conveyor belt) based on detailed operations (e.g., product movement, part assembly) performed for each process step.

[0103] At this time, the control unit (130) can set the priority of each of the plurality of unit drive modules (111) based on the importance of each process step that is pre-set based on the risk or damage that occurs when each of the plurality of process steps is interrupted.

[0104] Specifically, the importance of each process step may be a preset value based on the amount of damage incurred when each process step is interrupted, the time required for restart, etc., and the importance of each process step may be a value received from the outside by the control unit (130) or a value stored in the control unit (130).

[0105] At this time, the control unit (130) can set the priority of each of the multiple unit drive modules (111) such that the higher the importance of the process step, the higher the priority of the unit drive module (111) driving the process step.

[0106] For example, when the power supply of the first power supply unit (121) is cut off, the control unit (130) can select the second power supply unit (122) as a power source and control the second power supply unit (122) to supply power preferentially to the unit driving module (111) with a higher priority among the plurality of unit driving modules (111).

[0107] Meanwhile, the control unit (130) receives disaster information from the outside through the communication module (133), and when a disaster is identified according to the received disaster information, it can select the second power supply unit (122) as a power source and control the second power supply unit (122) to supply power preferentially to the unit driving module (111) with a higher priority among the plurality of unit driving modules (111), and when a disaster is predicted according to the received disaster information, it can select at least one of the first power supply unit (121) and the second power supply unit (122) as a power source and control the power source to supply power preferentially to the unit driving module (111) with a higher priority among the plurality of unit driving modules (111).

[0108] At this time, the power supplied to the unit drive module (111) with a high priority can be explained through step S630, which will be described later.

[0109] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 6, the control unit (130) can select the operation mode of the driving unit (110) (S610).

[0111] Specifically, the control unit (130) can select one of a plurality of operation modes for setting the driving speed of the process line.

[0112] In this case, the operation mode may include different process speeds for each of the multiple process steps, and accordingly, when the process speed and process step execution time are the same, the productivity of the entire process line can be increased by setting a higher process speed for the process step with lower production output.

[0113] The control unit (130) can identify the required power required to perform an operation mode for each of the plurality of unit drive modules (111) (S620).

[0114] Specifically, depending on the driving speed of each of the multiple process steps, the required power can be identified for each unit driving module (111) that drives each of the multiple process steps.

[0115] At this time, the required power can be calculated according to the detailed operation performed at each of the multiple process steps and the device used, and accordingly, the required power of each unit drive module (111) may be different.

[0116] The control unit (130) can set the power supplied to the unit drive module (111) with a higher priority based on the power required by each unit drive module (111) (S630).

[0117] In one embodiment, the control unit (130) can supply power such that the higher the priority, the closer the power supplied to the unit drive module (111) is to the required power.

[0118] As a result, the process step driven by the high-priority unit drive module (111) is a process step that causes significant damage or loss if interrupted, whereas the process step driven by the low-priority unit drive module (111) is a process step that causes relatively small damage or loss if interrupted. Therefore, by reducing the power supplied to the low-priority unit drive module (111), the reserve of power supplied by the power source to the high-priority unit drive module (111) can be increased.

[0119] Additionally, the control unit (130) can calculate the average value of the required power of each of the plurality of unit drive modules (111) and identify the unit drive module (111) whose required power is greater than or equal to a threshold value than the average value as the target drive module.

[0120] At this time, when the second power supply unit (122) is selected as the power supply, if the priority of the target driving module is higher than a certain rank, the control unit (130) can change the operation mode so that the driving speed of the target driving module is lowered.

[0121] As a result, the control unit (130) can increase the time for supplying power to the entire process line by reducing the power consumed by the unit drive module (111) which has a high power requirement and high priority, and accordingly, can prevent the process line from being interrupted before normal power supply by the first power supply unit (121) is performed.

[0122] Meanwhile, the control unit (130) can assign a priority to each of the plurality of unit driving modules (111) by selecting one of a first operation that assigns the same priority and a second operation that assigns a different priority for each of the plurality of unit driving modules (111) that drive each of the plurality of process steps having the same importance.

[0123] Specifically, the control unit (130) can identify the power required by each of the unit driving modules (111) for a plurality of process steps having the same importance to drive the process steps in a selected operation mode, and select one of the first operation and the second operation based on the identified power required.

[0124] In one embodiment, when a first power supply unit (121) is selected as a power source or when a first power supply unit (121) and a second power supply unit (122) are selected as power sources, the control unit (130) may select a first operation to give equal priority to the multiple unit driving modules (111) when the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the required power identified for each of the multiple unit driving modules (111) is less than a certain value, and select a second operation to give higher priority to the unit driving module (111) with a smaller required power identified when the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​is greater than or equal to a certain value.

[0125] In an additional embodiment, when a second power supply unit (122) is selected as the power source, the control unit (130) can identify the ratio of the sum of the required power identified for each of the plurality of unit drive modules (111) of equal importance to the power required for the drive unit (110) to drive the process line in the selected operation mode (: the sum of the power required for each of the entire unit drive modules (111) to drive the process step in the selected operation mode). Here, if the identified ratio is less than a threshold ratio, the control unit (130) can select a first operation to give equal priority to the plurality of unit drive modules (111) of equal importance, and if the identified ratio is greater than or equal to the threshold ratio, it can select a second operation to give higher priority to the unit drive module (111) with a smaller identified required power.

[0126] At this time, the control unit (130) can dynamically set the threshold ratio based on the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor. For example, the control unit (130) can set the threshold ratio to correspond to a preset maximum value when the supercapacitor is fully charged, but as the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor decreases, the threshold ratio can be set to decrease by a certain amount relative to the amount of power reduction from the maximum value of the threshold ratio.

[0127] Here, the control unit (130) may change the maximum value described above according to the importance of the process step driven by the unit drive module (111). Specifically, the control unit (130) may set the maximum value of the threshold ratio to increase as the importance of the process step driven by the unit drive module (111) increases.

[0128] As a result, as the importance of the process step increases, the maximum value of the critical ratio is larger, so the likelihood of the control unit (130) selecting the first operation increases. Consequently, the control unit (130) can assign the same priority to multiple unit drive modules (111) of the same importance, thereby increasing the likelihood that all multiple unit drive modules (111) of the same importance can receive power. Additionally, the control unit (130) sets the critical ratio to decrease as the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor decreases. Since the likelihood of the control unit (130) selecting the second operation increases when the amount of power charged in the supercapacitor is small, the priority of the unit drive module (111) with low power requirements can be set high. Accordingly, the control unit (130) can control the power supply so that power supply to the unit drive module (111) with low power requirements and high importance is performed preferentially.

[0129] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a power supply unit of a process system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 7, the power supply unit (120) includes a first power supply unit (121) and a second power supply unit (122), and the second power supply unit (122) may include a harvesting module (122a).

[0131] The harvesting module (122a) is configured to collect energy generated while the driving unit (110) is operating and convert it into electrical energy.

[0132] The harvesting module (122a) is installed in a process line and may include at least one sensor (e.g., piezoelectric sensor, photoelectric sensor, thermoelectric sensor) for converting at least one of kinetic energy, light energy, and thermal energy generated as the process line is driven into electrical energy, and the control unit (130) may charge a supercapacitor using the converted electrical energy.

[0133] For example, a piezoelectric sensor is a sensor that converts mechanical force into electrical energy through the piezoelectric effect; when pressure is applied to the piezoelectric sensor, the crystal structure of the piezoelectric material deforms, and electrical energy can be generated through the resulting charge imbalance.

[0134] In addition, a photoelectric sensor is a sensor that converts light energy into electrical energy through the photoelectric effect, and when a light-sensing part including a photodiode, phototransistor, etc., detects light, electrons are emitted from the light-sensing part, thereby generating electrical energy.

[0135] In addition, the thermoelectric sensor is a sensor that converts thermal energy into electrical energy through the Seebeck effect, which is a thermoelectric effect occurring between heat and a conductor, and can generate electrical energy through the potential difference generated in a closed circuit by the temperature difference detected by the temperature sensing unit.

[0136] At this time, the second power supply unit (122) may include at least one charging terminal / port for charging the supercapacitor, and the control unit (130) may charge the supercapacitor using power supplied through the first power supply unit (121) or electrical energy converted through the harvesting module.

[0137] For example, the supercapacitor can be charged using power supplied through the first power supply (121) by connecting the charging terminal / port of the second power supply (122) and the cable of the power output module of the first power supply (121).

[0138] Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or a similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0139] According to hardware implementation, the embodiments described in this disclosure may be implemented using at least one of ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), DSPDs (digital signal processing devices), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, and other electrical units for performing functions.

[0140] In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as the processor itself. In a software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the aforementioned software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

[0141] Meanwhile, computer instructions for performing processing operations in electronic devices, etc., according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. When computer instructions stored in such a non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by a processor of a specific device, they cause the specific device described above to perform processing operations according to the various embodiments described above.

[0142] A non-transient computer-readable medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device, unlike media that store data for a short period of time such as registers, caches, and memory. Specific examples of non-transient computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, and ROMs.

[0143] Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. It is understood that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essence of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical spirit or perspective of the present disclosure. Explanation of the symbols

[0144] 100: Process System 110: Drive unit 111: Unit drive module 111-1: First unit drive module 111-2: Second unit drive module 111-3: Third unit drive module 120: Power supply 121: 1st power supply unit 122: Second power supply 122a: Harvesting Module 130: Control unit 131: Memory 132: Processor 133: Communication Module

Claims

Claim 1 In a process system capable of emergency power supply, a drive unit for driving a process line; a power supply unit comprising a first power supply unit for supplying power supplied from an external source to the drive unit, and a second power supply unit comprising at least one supercapacitor and supplying power charged in the supercapacitor to the drive unit; and a control unit that controls to supply power to the driving unit by selecting at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as a power source; wherein the control unit controls to supply power to the driving unit by selecting at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as a power source based on the power that the first power supply unit can supply to the driving unit, and the control unit selects one of a plurality of operating modes for setting the driving speed of the process line, and selects at least one of the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as a power source according to the required power supplied to the driving unit to perform the operating mode, and the control unit identifies the required power according to the selected operating mode, and if the power supply of the first power supply unit is cut off, selects the second power supply unit as the power source, and if it is identified that the maximum output of the first power supply unit is less than the required power, selects the first power supply unit and the second power supply unit as power sources, and if it is identified that the maximum output of the first power supply unit is greater than or equal to the required power, selects the first power supply unit as the power source, and A process system in which a control unit identifies a supplyable time during which power required for the driving unit to operate in the selected operating mode can be supplied by the selected power source, and if the identified supplyable time is less than a threshold time, changes to an operating mode with a lower speed than the previously selected operating mode among the plurality of operating modes. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A process system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises: a memory in which an artificial intelligence model is stored that predicts the time when the power supply of the first power supply unit is cut off; and a processor connected to the memory; wherein the processor trains the artificial intelligence model to predict the time when the power supplied from the outside is cut off based on the history of the power supplied from the outside being cut off, and inputs the history of the power supplied from the outside being cut off and a plurality of maximum output values ​​of the first power supply unit identified at regular time intervals into the artificial intelligence model to predict the time when the power supply of the first power supply unit is cut off. Claim 6 A process system according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit comprises a plurality of unit driving modules for driving each of a plurality of process steps constituting the process line; and the control unit sets the priority of each of the plurality of unit driving modules based on a predetermined importance of each process step based on the risk or damage that occurs when each of the plurality of process steps is interrupted, and controls the second power supply unit to preferentially supply power to the unit driving module with the higher priority among the plurality of unit driving modules when the power supply of the first power supply unit is cut off. Claim 7 A process system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit comprises a communication module that receives disaster information from the outside; and, when a disaster is identified or predicted based on the disaster information received from the communication module, controls the second power supply unit to preferentially supply power to a unit driving module with a higher priority among the plurality of unit driving modules. Claim 8 A process system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit selects one of a plurality of operation modes for setting the driving speed of the process line, identifies the required power for performing the operation mode for each of the plurality of unit driving modules, and sets the power supplied to the unit driving module with a higher priority based on the required power for each of the plurality of unit driving modules. Claim 9 A process system according to claim 1, wherein the second power supply unit comprises a harvesting module installed in the process line and collecting energy generated by the driving unit and converting it into electrical energy, and the control unit charges the at least one supercapacitor included in the second power supply unit using the electrical energy converted from the harvesting module.

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