Support method, support device, and support program

Abstract

Provided is a method for supporting implementation of a model related to operation of plant equipment. The method is executed by a processor, and includes: acquiring equipment identification information of plant equipment or process identification information of a process executed in the plant equipment; acquiring parameter identification information of a parameter acquired in operation of the plant equipment; acquiring time-series data of the parameter; selecting a model recommended to be implemented from among a plurality of models related to operation of the plant equipment on the basis of the equipment identification information or the process identification information, the parameter identification information, and the time-series data of the parameter; and outputting information of the selected model.

Description

Support method, support device, and support program

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, a support device, and a support program for supporting the development of a model relating to the operation of a plant facility.

[0002] Various models are used to design, construct, operate, and manage plants. Models are developed for each plant, tailored to its type, size, location, etc.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-016369

[0004] Since plant managers do not have specialized knowledge about models, it is difficult for them to know what kind of model they should implement in order to operate the plant they manage appropriately. The present inventors recognized that a technology is needed to accurately select a model that is recommended to be implemented in accordance with the plant and to propose it to the plant manager or the like.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a technique for supporting the development of a model relating to the operation of plant equipment.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a method of one aspect of the present invention is a method for supporting implementation of a model related to operation of plant equipment, the method being executed by a processor and including: acquiring equipment identification information of the plant equipment or process identification information of a process performed on the plant equipment; acquiring parameter identification information of parameters acquired in operation of the plant equipment; acquiring time series data of the parameters; selecting a model recommended for implementation from among a plurality of models related to operation of the plant equipment based on the equipment identification information or the process identification information, the parameter identification information, and the time series data of the parameters; and outputting information of the selected model.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a support device that includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires equipment identification information of plant equipment or process identification information of a process executed in the plant equipment, parameter identification information of parameters acquired during operation of the plant equipment, and time-series data of the parameters; a selection unit that selects a model recommended for implementation from among a plurality of models related to the operation of the plant equipment based on the equipment identification information or the process identification information, the parameter identification information, and the time-series data of the parameters; and an output unit that outputs information on the selected model.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for supporting the development of a model relating to the operation of a plant facility.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a method for developing a model related to the operation of plant equipment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a development support system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a construction support device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the support method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a processing element storage unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a processing element storage unit. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a development support device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the support method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display device of the development support device. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display device of the development support device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a development support system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure of the support method according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of internal data of a recommendation level storage unit. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing example time-series data of parameters. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen presented from the development support device to an administrator terminal.

[0011] First, as a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a technology for providing a processing element list including processing elements that should constitute the development process of a model related to the operation of a plant facility when the model is developed will be described. Next, as a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a technology for proposing a model that is recommended to be implemented for optimal operation of the plant facility based on information related to the plant facility will be described.

[0012] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a method for developing a model related to the operation of a plant facility. The diagram illustrates the steps of a method for developing an AI (artificial intelligence) that optimizes the operation of the plant facility as an example of a model related to the operation of the plant facility.

[0013] In step (1), operational data collected and accumulated in existing plant facilities owned by a customer is stored in a database server.

[0014] In step (2), preprocessing is performed on the driving data stored in the database server. The preprocessing may include, for example, assigning the same tag to identical or similar driving data when different tags are assigned to the driving data, aligning the units of the driving data, adjusting the offset of the driving data, processing outliers in the driving data, normalizing the driving data, complementing missing driving data, and calculating other data representing physical properties, states, etc. from the driving data using a predetermined formula, algorithm, simulation, etc. The preprocessing may be performed by referring to a tag correspondence table that defines the correspondence between tags assigned to the driving data. The content of the preprocessing may be determined by a data scientist with specialized knowledge for organizing and analyzing data.

[0015] In step (3), the data scientist visualizes the preprocessed data with reference to design information such as a process flow diagram (PFD) and heat and material balance (H&MB). The data scientist visualizes the preprocessed data in a manner that matches the plant design information, such as a time series plot, a histogram, or a box plot. The visualized data may be referenced by a data scientist or a process engineer in a subsequent step, or may be provided to a customer. The visualized data may be used, for example, to understand the plant's operating status (product production volume, whether operation has been stopped, equipment efficiency, etc.), and to select operating data (data type, extraction period) and to confirm the validity of the preprocessing of the operating data.

[0016] In step (4), a process engineer with expertise in the design and operation of plant equipment constructs a process simulation to simulate the operation of the plant equipment based on design information such as a process flow diagram (PFD), heat and material balance (H&MB), equipment performance, etc. If an existing process simulator exists, this step (4) is omitted.

[0017] In step (5), the data scientist simulates the operation of the plant equipment using the preprocessed data in the stable region as input values ​​for the process simulation, and obtains simulation results such as the thermal efficiency of the plant.

[0018] In step (6), the data scientist constructs a surrogate model (substitute model) to replace the process simulation. The surrogate model inputs preprocessed stable region data and outputs simulation results without simulating the operation of the plant equipment. The surrogate model may be constructed using a neural network or the like. The data scientist trains the surrogate model using the preprocessed data and simulation results from the process simulation as training data. For example, when preprocessed data is input to the input layer of the neural network, the middle layer of the neural network may be adjusted so that actual data corresponding to the preprocessed data or simulation results output when the preprocessed data is input to the process simulation are output from the output layer of the neural network. Note that the surrogate model may be an emulation model constructed based on operational data or a physical model constructed using first principles.

[0019] In step (7), the process engineer defines constraints for optimizing the operation of the plant equipment. The constraints may be upper and lower limits of various parameters. The process engineer may define the constraints based on information obtained through interviews with customers, equipment design information, instrumentation alarm information, etc.

[0020] In step (8), the operation optimization AI searches for values ​​of operation parameters that optimize the operation of the plant equipment under the defined constraints. The operation optimization AI inputs a large amount of preprocessed data into a surrogate model and searches for input data values ​​that will optimize predetermined data values ​​among the output data according to a predetermined optimization algorithm. Because the surrogate model can instantaneously calculate output data from input data, it can be used to search for optimal solutions from among combinations of vast amounts of input data, even for complex processes that require days or weeks of simulation calculations.

[0021] The above-described workflow is similar when developing AI for optimizing the operation of other plant equipment. Therefore, if information about the workflow used when developing a model is accumulated, the next time a similar model is developed, it is possible to smoothly develop the model using a similar workflow by referring to past performance. This makes it easier to formulate a workflow plan for developing a model and manage the workflow, thereby reducing the cost, time, and effort required for model development.

[0022] Some of the work steps involved in the development of operation optimization AI are also performed in the development of operation optimization AI for other plant equipment and other models. For example, operation data is time-series data collected during the operation of plant equipment. Given that values ​​are typically expected to be continuous and that it is unlikely for the data to suddenly change to a completely different value without context, preprocessing the operation data involves removing outliers that have increased or decreased by more than a specified rate from the previous value. This preprocessing is a common task that should be performed in the development of operation optimization AI for other plant equipment and other models. If such common tasks are packaged in advance, existing packages can be used when developing new models, significantly reducing the cost, time, and effort required for model development.

[0023] 2 shows the configuration of a development support system according to the first embodiment. The development support system 1 includes a development device 3, a design device 4, an operation control device 5, a construction support device 100, a development support device 200, and a communication network 2 for connecting these devices so that they can communicate with each other.

[0024] The plant facility 10 includes facilities, equipment, devices, piping, etc. for carrying out processes in the plant. For example, in a chemical plant, the plant facility 10 includes a reactor, a separation device, a drying device, piping, etc.

[0025] The development device 3 develops a model related to the operation of the plant equipment 10. The model may be a simulation model that simulates the operating state or fluid state of the plant equipment 10, a reaction model that simulates a chemical reaction in the plant equipment 10, a substitute model that replaces the simulation model or reaction model, AI for verifying scale-up or scale-down in the design of the plant equipment 10, AI for optimizing the operation of the plant equipment 10, AI for detecting or predicting abnormalities during the operation of the plant equipment 10, or the like.

[0026] The design device 4 designs the plant equipment 10 using the model developed by the development device 3 .

[0027] The operation control device 5 controls the operation of the plant equipment 10 using the model developed by the development device 3 .

[0028] The development support device 200 supports the development of a model in the development device 3. The development support device 200 acquires equipment identification information of the plant equipment 10 or process identification information of a process executed in the plant equipment 10, and target output information of the model, and outputs a processing element list including processing elements that should constitute the development process of the model, based on the acquired equipment identification information or process identification information and target output information. This allows the developer to develop a model using the processing element list of a model developed in the past, thereby significantly reducing development costs, time, labor, etc.

[0029] The target output information of a model is information that the model outputs ultimately or intermediately according to the purpose of the model. For example, the target output information of a simulation model is a simulation result, and the target output information of an operation optimization AI is an operation parameter for optimizing the operation of the plant equipment 10.

[0030] The construction support device 100 accumulates past performance information that the development support device 200 references to output a processing element list, and supports the construction of a development support environment. The construction support device 100 acquires equipment identification information of the plant equipment 10 that is the target of the developed model or process identification information of the process executed in the plant equipment 10, and target output information of the developed model, acquires processing elements that make up the development process of the developed model, and stores the processing elements in association with the equipment identification information or the process identification information and / or the target output information.

[0031] 3 shows the configuration of a construction support device 100 according to the first embodiment. The construction support device 100 includes a communication device 101, a display device 102, an input device 103, a processing device 120, and a storage device 130.

[0032] The communication device 101 controls wireless or wired communication. The display device 102 displays a screen generated by the processing device 120. The display device 102 may be a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like. The input device 103 transmits instructions input by a user of the construction support device 100 to the processing device 120. The input device 103 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad, or the like. The display device 102 and the input device 103 may be implemented as a touch panel.

[0033] The storage device 130 stores data and computer programs used by the processing device 120. The storage device 130 includes a processing element holding unit 131.

[0034] The processing element holding unit 131 holds processing elements that constitute a development process of a model related to the operation of the plant equipment 10, in association with equipment identification information or process identification information of the plant equipment 10 and / or target output information of the model. The processing element holding unit 131 may hold source code of modules that constitute the development process of the model and models. Furthermore, the processing element holding unit 131 may hold variables, constants, parameters, etc. included in the source code.

[0035] The processing device 120 includes an information acquisition unit 121, a processing acquisition unit 122, a processing division unit 123, and a processing element registration unit 124. These components are realized by hardware components such as any circuit, a computer CPU, memory, and programs loaded into memory, but the functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these components are depicted here. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms using only hardware, only software, or a combination of these.

[0036] 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the support method according to the first embodiment. The procedure for supporting the construction of a development support environment by the construction support device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The model that has already been developed is referred to as the "first model," and the model to be newly developed is referred to as the "second model."

[0037] The information acquisition unit 121 acquires equipment identification information of plant equipment that is the target of the developed first model, or process identification information of a process executed in the plant equipment (S10). The equipment identification information may include information such as the type, scale, size, and performance of the plant equipment. The process identification information may include information such as the type, time, and conditions of raw materials, final products, intermediate products, reactions, and processing. The information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the equipment identification information or the process identification information from the development device 3, the design device 4, the development support device 200, etc. The information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the equipment identification information or the process identification information from a developer, etc. via the input device 103.

[0038] The information acquisition unit 121 acquires target output information of the developed first model (S12). The target output information is information that the model outputs ultimately or intermediately, and for example, in the above-mentioned plant optimization model, includes conditions such as values ​​of controlled variables for optimizing plant operation. The information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the target output information from the development device 3, the design device 4, the development support device 200, etc. The information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the target output information from a developer or the like via the input device 103. The information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the target output information by analyzing the source code, system design diagram, etc. of the first model.

[0039] The process acquisition unit 122 acquires the processes that constitute the developed first model (S14). The processes may include work steps for developing the first model and components (modules) that constitute the first model. The process acquisition unit 122 may acquire source code, variables, constants, parameters, etc. of the modules that constitute the first model. The process acquisition unit 122 may acquire the processes from the development device 3, the design device 4, the development support device 200, etc. The process acquisition unit 122 may acquire the processes from a developer, etc. via the input device 103.

[0040] When the process acquisition unit 122 has acquired the entire first model, the process division unit 123 divides the acquired process into multiple process elements as necessary (S16). The process division unit 123 may divide the process into units of work steps. The process division unit 123 may divide the process into process elements that are common to the development of multiple models and process elements that differ individually depending on the type of plant, the target output information of the model, etc. Note that when the process acquisition unit 122 can acquire the process of the first model for each process element, the process division unit 123 does not have to divide the process.

[0041] The processing element registration unit 124 stores the processing elements in the processing element holding unit 131 in association with the equipment identification information or process identification information and / or target output information.

[0042] 5 shows an example of the data structure of the processing element storage unit 131. In this example, processing elements are stored for each target plant equipment, process, and problem (target output information). In addition, processing elements that are commonly included in the model regardless of the target plant equipment, process, or problem are stored.

[0043] 6 shows an example of the data structure of the processing element storage unit 131. In this example, a processing element storage unit 131 is provided for each work process. The processing element storage unit 131 for each work process stores processing elements in a matrix of target plant equipment and processes and target tasks (target output information). Note that the processing element storage unit 131 is not limited to a relational database such as those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , and may be configured as a graph database in which, for example, individual processing elements are linked by edges to target plant equipment and processes and / or target tasks.

[0044] 7 shows the configuration of a development support device 200 according to the first embodiment. The development support device 200 includes a communication device 201, a display device 202, an input device 203, a processing device 220, and a storage device 230.

[0045] The communication device 201 controls wireless or wired communication. The display device 202 displays a screen generated by the processing device 220. The display device 202 may be a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like. The input device 203 transmits instructions input by a user of the development support device 200 to the processing device 220. The input device 203 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad, or the like. The display device 202 and the input device 203 may be implemented as a touch panel.

[0046] The storage device 230 stores data and computer programs used by the processing device 220. The storage device 230 includes a processing element holding unit 231.

[0047] The processing element holding unit 231 holds processing elements that are to constitute the development process of a model related to the operation of the plant equipment 10, in association with equipment identification information or process identification information of the plant equipment 10 and / or target output information of the model. The processing element holding unit 231 may be the same as the processing element holding unit 131. The processing element holding unit 231 may be acquired from the system construction support device 100 and stored in the storage device 230. When the development support device 200 accesses the processing element holding unit 131 of the system construction support device 100, the processing element holding unit 231 does not need to be provided.

[0048] The processing device 220 includes an information acquisition unit 221, a processing element list acquisition unit 222, an output unit 223, a processing element determination unit 224, a processing parameter acceptance unit 225, a processing order determination unit 226, a connection element acceptance unit 227, a processing element connection unit 228, and a processing element registration unit 229. These components are realized by hardware components such as arbitrary circuits, a computer CPU, memory, and programs loaded into memory, but the functional blocks shown here are realized by the cooperation of these components. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms using only hardware, only software, or a combination of these.

[0049] 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the support method according to the first embodiment. The procedure for supporting model development using development support device 200 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires equipment identification information of the plant equipment to be developed or process identification information of the process executed in the plant equipment (S20). The information acquisition unit 221 may acquire the equipment identification information or the process identification information from the development device 3, the design device 4, or the like. The information acquisition unit 221 may acquire the equipment identification information or the process identification information from the developer or the like via the input device 203.

[0051] The information acquisition unit 221 acquires target output information of the model (S22). The information acquisition unit 221 may acquire the target output information from the development device 3, the design device 4, etc. The information acquisition unit 221 may acquire the target output information from a developer, etc. via the input device 203.

[0052] The processing element list acquisition unit 222 acquires a processing element list including processing elements that should constitute the model development process based on the equipment identification information or process identification information and the target output information (S24). The processing element list acquisition unit 222 may acquire the processing element list by referencing the processing element holding unit 231 or the processing element holding unit 131. If the processing element holding unit 231 or the processing element holding unit 131 has the data structure shown in FIG. 5, the processing element list acquisition unit 222 acquires the processing element list by extracting processing elements whose target equipment, target process, and target task match the equipment identification information, process identification information, and target output information, respectively, and common processing elements. If the processing element holding unit 231 or the processing element holding unit 131 has the data structure shown in FIG. 6, the processing element list acquisition unit 222 acquires the processing element list by extracting processing elements whose target equipment, target process, and target task match the equipment identification information, process identification information, and target output information, respectively, and common processing elements, for each work process.

[0053] The output unit 223 outputs the acquired processing element list to the developer as a candidate list of processing elements that should constitute the development process of the model (S25). The output unit 223 may display the candidate list on the display device 202. The output unit 223 may also transmit the candidate list to a terminal device used by the developer.

[0054] The processing element determination unit 224 accepts a selection of processing elements to be included in the model development process from the candidate list (S26), and determines the selected processing elements as processing elements that will be included in the model development process (S28). The processing element determination unit 224 may accept the selection of processing elements from the developer via the input device 203. The processing element determination unit 224 may also accept the selection of processing elements from a terminal device used by the developer. The processing element determination unit 224 may automatically determine processing elements listed in the processing element list as processing elements that will be included in the model development process. The processing element determination unit 224 may automatically select processing elements based on predetermined selection criteria and determine the selected processing elements as processing elements that will be included in the model development process. When processing elements are automatically selected, the selection of processing elements may be performed by a machine learning model. In this case, the machine learning model may be a model that learns the relationship between the equipment identification information and / or process identification information of previously constructed AI, the target output information, and the processing elements included in the development process of that AI, as well as general AI construction flows that are not limited to the plant field, and determines the processing elements of the second model by inputting the equipment identification information, process identification information, or target output information of the second model.

[0055] The processing parameter receiving unit 225 receives input of processing parameters for the determined processing element (S30). The processing parameters may include parameters used when executing the processing element. The processing parameter receiving unit 225 sets the received processing parameters to the processing element. The processing parameter receiving unit 225 may receive processing parameters from the developer via the input device 203. The processing parameter receiving unit 225 may also receive processing parameters from a terminal device used by the developer. For example, if the processing element relates to outlier removal processing in preprocessing of driving data, the processing parameter receiving unit 225 receives input of parameters that serve as criteria for removing outliers. The parameters that serve as criteria for removing outliers may be, for example, based on the interquartile range (IQR) of the acquired data: a lower limit: (first quartile) - 1.5 x IQR; and an upper limit: (third quartile) + 1.5 x IQR. Note that the processing parameters may be set without requiring input by the developer. In this case, the processing element may store initial setting parameters, such as the setting parameters in the first model, and may be further configured to allow a developer to review and edit the initial setting parameters as necessary.

[0056] The processing order determination unit 226 determines the processing order in which the processing elements are to be executed (S32). The processing order determination unit 226 may receive the processing order from the developer via the input device 203. The processing order determination unit 226 may receive the processing order from a terminal device used by the developer. The processing order determination unit 226 may automatically determine the processing order based on a predetermined criterion. The predetermined criterion may be, for example, the processing order in the first model, a criterion based on the processing order in AI related to the operation of multiple plants previously constructed, such as the first model, or a criterion based on the order in AI development in other fields, not limited to plant operation. Such processing order criterion may refer to the criterion stored in the processing element storage unit 231, or may be learned based on the processing order of AI previously constructed.

[0057] The combined element receiving unit 227 receives processing elements necessary for combining the determined processing elements (S34). In cases where the information output from the preceding processing element does not match the information to be input to the subsequent processing element, a processing element that generates input information for the subsequent processing element from the output information of the preceding processing element may be added as a combined element. The combined element receiving unit 227 may receive source code, parameters, etc. of the combined element from the developer via the input device 203. The combined element receiving unit 227 may receive source code, parameters, etc. of the combined element from a terminal device used by the developer. The combined element receiving unit 227 may automatically generate a combined element based on the output information of the preceding processing element and the input information of the subsequent processing element.

[0058] The processing element combining unit 228 combines the determined processing elements (S36). The processing element combining unit 228 combines the determined processing elements and the combined elements in the determined processing order. In this way, a second model is generated.

[0059] The processing element registration unit 229 stores the equipment identification information or process identification information, the target output information, and the determined processing elements in the processing element holding unit 231 (S38). This allows the processing elements that make up the development process of the developed model to be used in the development of subsequent models.

[0060] When a developed model is changed or added, the contents of the processing element holding unit 131 and the processing element holding unit 231 may be updated accordingly.

[0061] 9 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display device 202 of the development support device 200. In this figure, a user interface screen is displayed for the developer to select the type of equipment to be developed and the type of model or problem. When the developer selects the type of equipment and the type of model or problem, the information acquisition unit 221 acquires the equipment identification information of the plant equipment to be developed and the target output information of the model.

[0062] 10 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display device 202 of the development support device 200. In this figure, the output unit 223 displays a list of processing elements that should constitute the model development process, which is acquired by the processing element list acquisition unit 222 in accordance with the type of device selected by the developer and the type of model or problem.

[0063] According to the development support system of this embodiment, knowledge and resources gained from previous model development are utilized, thereby improving the efficiency of model development, which has traditionally been carried out individually, and significantly reducing the cost, time, and labor required to develop a new model. Furthermore, because it is possible to divide the work involved in model development, process engineers, data scientists, AI developers, and the like can each focus on their essential tasks.

[0064] Second Embodiment Fig. 11 shows the configuration of a development support system 1 according to a second embodiment. The development support system 1 according to the second embodiment includes an administrator terminal 300 in addition to the configuration of the development support system 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1. The development support system 1 according to the second embodiment supports the development of a model that is recommended to be implemented in order to operate the plant facility 10 favorably. The following mainly describes the configuration and operation that are different from the development support system 1 according to the first embodiment, and omits descriptions of the configuration and operation that are the same as those of the first embodiment as appropriate.

[0065] The manager terminal 300 is a terminal used by a manager of the plant facility 10. The manager terminal 300 may be a terminal used by an owner, designer, developer, maintainer, engineer, or the like of the plant facility 10. The manager terminal 300 may be any terminal device such as a computer, a smartphone, or a mobile phone.

[0066] 12 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure of the support method according to the second embodiment. The manager terminal 300 transmits equipment identification information of the plant equipment 10 or process identification information of a process executed in the plant equipment 10 to the development support device 200 (S10). The manager terminal 300 transmits parameter identification information of parameters acquired during operation of the plant equipment 10 to the development support device 200 (S12). Here, the parameter identification information includes information on the type of parameter acquired during operation of the plant equipment 10, such as temperature, pressure, or concentration. The parameter identification information may also include information on the acquisition location, indicating where in the plant equipment 10 the parameter was acquired, such as the entrance, interior, or exit of the equipment. The manager terminal 300 transmits time-series data of the parameters acquired during operation of the plant equipment 10 to the development support device 200 (S14).

[0067] The development support device 200 calculates a recommendation level for a plurality of models related to the operation of the plant equipment 10, indicating the degree to which implementation of the model should be recommended for optimal operation of the plant equipment 10, based on the equipment identification information or process identification information, parameter identification information, and time-series parameter data acquired from the administrator terminal 300 (S16). The recommendation level is determined in advance based on, for example, past recommendation performance, past implementation performance, evaluations of models previously implemented, and the quality of operation of the plant equipment 10 in which the model was previously implemented, and is stored in the development support device 200. The development support device 200 selects a model recommended for implementation from among the plurality of models related to the operation of the plant equipment 10, referring to the calculated recommendation level (S18). The development support device 200 outputs information on the selected model to the administrator terminal 300 (S20).

[0068] The development support device 200 presents information on the data set required to implement the selected model to the administrator terminal 300 (S22). The development support device 200 presents output information output from the model when the selected model is tested by inputting time-series data of the parameters to the model to the administrator terminal 300 (S24).

[0069] The administrator refers to the information presented by the development support device 200, determines the model to be implemented, and requests the development support device 200 to develop the model from the administrator terminal 300 (S26).

[0070] As explained in the first embodiment, the development support device 200 acquires a processing element list including processing elements that should constitute the development process of the model for which development has been requested (S28), and outputs the acquired processing element list to the administrator terminal 300 (S30). The subsequent procedures are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0071] 13 shows the configuration of a development support device according to the second embodiment. The development support device 200 includes a communication device 201, a display device 202, an input device 203, a processing device 220, and a storage device 230. The development support device 200 according to the second embodiment may further include the configuration of the development support device 200 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0072] The storage device 230 stores data and computer programs used by the processing device 220. The storage device 230 includes a model information holding unit 261 and a recommendation level holding unit 262.

[0073] The model information holding unit 261 holds information on a plurality of models related to the operation of the plant facility 10. The model information holding unit 261 holds information such as the target output information of the model, input information, a dataset required to implement the model, a processing element list including processing elements that should constitute the model development process, the time, cost, and manpower required to develop the model, past performance of recommending the model, and past performance of implementing the model, as well as the model itself.

[0074] The recommendation level holding unit 252 holds a recommendation level indicating the degree to which implementation of a model should be recommended for each of the equipment identification information or process identification information, parameter identification information, and characteristics of time-series data of parameters of the plant equipment 10. FIGS. 14 and 15 show examples of internal data of the recommendation level holding unit 262. FIG. 14 shows a table storing the correspondence between the temperature and pressure when the plant equipment 10 is operating and the recommendation level of a model. FIG. 15 shows a table storing the correspondence between the characteristics of time-series data of parameters acquired when the plant equipment 10 is operating and the recommendation level of a model. The table shown in FIG. 15 may be held for each type of parameter. The recommendation level holding unit 252 may hold a table storing the correspondence between the type of parameters acquired when the plant equipment 10 is operating and the recommendation level of a model.

[0075] The processing device 220 includes an information acquisition unit 241, a time-series data analysis unit 242, a selection unit 243, an output unit 244, a recommendation performance recording unit 245, an implementation performance recording unit 246, an evaluation acquisition unit 247, a recommendation level setting unit 248, and a trial unit 249. These components are realized by hardware components such as any circuit, a computer CPU, memory, or a program loaded into memory, but the functional blocks illustrated here are realized by the cooperation of these components. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms using only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof.

[0076] The information acquisition unit 241 acquires, from the manager terminal 300, equipment identification information of the plant equipment 10 or process identification information of a process executed in the plant equipment 10, parameter identification information of parameters acquired during operation of the plant equipment 10, and time-series data of the parameters. The information acquisition unit 241 may acquire information about the plant equipment 10 that is already in operation from the manager terminal 300, or may acquire information about the plant equipment 10 that is not yet in operation from the manager terminal 300. The information acquisition unit 241 may acquire, from the manager terminal 300, parameter identification information and time-series data of parameters acquired when the plant equipment 10 is operated, or may acquire, from the manager terminal 300, parameter identification information and time-series data of parameters acquired from a simulator that simulates the operation of the plant equipment 10. The information acquisition unit 241 may acquire this information from the development device 3, the design device 4, the operation control device 5, the plant equipment 10, etc. The information acquisition unit 241 may acquire the equipment identification information or process identification information from a developer, etc. via the input device 203.

[0077] The time-series data analyzer 242 analyzes the time-series data of the parameters acquired by the information acquisition unit 241. The time-series data analyzer 242 may calculate statistical values ​​of the time-series data, such as the maximum value, minimum value, average value, variance, standard deviation, and median. The time-series data analyzer 242 may calculate the rate of change, rate of change of rate of change, maximum value, minimum value, inflection point, amplitude, frequency, and the like of the time-series data. The time-series data analyzer 242 may analyze the characteristics, aspects, and trends of the time-series data over a predetermined period. The characteristics of the time-series data may include whether the time-series data is stable, constantly fluctuating, gradually increasing, gradually decreasing, or whether outliers exist. For example, the time-series data analyzer 242 may determine that the time-series data is stable if the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the time-series data over a predetermined period is equal to or less than a predetermined value, if the variance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, or if the average absolute value of the rate of change is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The time series data analysis unit 242 may determine that the time series data is constantly fluctuating if, for example, the variance of the time series data over a specified period is greater than or equal to a specified value, or if the average absolute value of the rate of change is greater than or equal to a specified value.

[0078] The selection unit 243 selects a model recommended for implementation from among multiple models related to the operation of the plant equipment 10, based on the equipment identification information or process identification information, parameter identification information, and time-series data of the parameters acquired by the information acquisition unit 241. The selection unit 243 calculates a recommendation level for each of the multiple models by referring to the recommendation level storage unit. For example, the selection unit 243 may acquire a recommendation level corresponding to the equipment identification information or process identification information from the table shown in FIG. 14 , acquire a recommendation level corresponding to the aspect of the time-series data of the parameters from the table shown in FIG. 15 , and calculate the product of these recommendation levels to obtain the recommendation level for the model. If a table storing the correspondence between parameter identification information and recommendation levels is stored in the recommendation level storage unit 252, the selection unit 243 may further acquire a recommendation level corresponding to the parameter identification information, and calculate the product of the recommendation level corresponding to the equipment identification information or process identification information, the recommendation level corresponding to the parameter identification information, and the recommendation level corresponding to the aspect of the time-series data of the parameters to obtain the recommendation level for the model. The selection unit 243 selects a model with a large calculated recommendation level as a model recommended for implementation. The selection unit 243 may select a model based on further conditions related to the facility identification information or process identification information, parameter identification information, time-series data of parameters, the location, climate, years of operation, etc. of the plant facility 10, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the selection unit 243 may select a model recommended for implementation based on a recommendation level output by a nonlinear model or machine learning model that outputs a recommendation level for each model corresponding to input including facility identification information or process identification information, parameter identification information, and the aspect of the time-series data of parameters. In this case, a machine learning model may be used in which the facility identification information or process identification information, the parameter identification information, and information related to the aspect of the time-series data of parameters are used as explanatory variables, and the target output information is used as a response variable. Here, the information related to the aspect of the time-series data of parameters may be represented by a feature obtained by dimensionally compressing the raw data of the time-series data of parameters.In addition, the machine learning model may be trained using the recommended performance recorded in the recommended performance recording unit 245 described later, the model implementation performance, or the evaluation of a previously implemented model acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 247 described later, or the quality of operation of the plant equipment 10 in which the model was previously implemented, as learning data.

[0079] The output unit 244 reads information about the model selected by the selection unit 243 from the model information storage unit 261 and outputs the information to the administrator terminal 300. The output unit 244 reads information about the dataset required to implement the model selected by the selection unit 243 from the model information storage unit 261 and outputs the information to the administrator terminal 300.

[0080] The trial unit 249 inputs the time-series data of the parameters acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 into the model selected by the selection unit 243, and trials the model. The output unit 244 outputs output information of the model trialed by the trial unit 249 to the administrator terminal 300.

[0081] The recommended performance record unit 245 records information about the recommended performance of a model recommended from the development support device 200 to the manager terminal 300 in the model information holding unit 261. The implementation performance record unit 246 records information about the implementation performance of a model adopted by the manager and implemented in the operation control device 5 in the model information holding unit 261.

[0082] The evaluation acquisition unit 247 acquires an evaluation of a model that was previously implemented in the operation control device 5. The evaluation acquisition unit 247 may acquire an evaluation of a model by an administrator from the administrator terminal 300. The evaluation acquisition unit 247 may evaluate a model based on the quality of operation of the plant equipment 10 in which the model was previously implemented. For example, the evaluation acquisition unit 247 may evaluate the quality of operation of the plant equipment 10 in which the model was implemented based on time-series data of parameters acquired during the operation of the plant equipment 10 in which the model was previously implemented, and determine an evaluation of the model.

[0083] The recommendation level setting unit 248 sets a recommendation level for a model and stores it in the recommendation level holding unit 252. The recommendation level setting unit 248 may set the recommendation level for a model based on the recommendation history or implementation history of the model held in the model information holding unit 261. For example, the more times a model has been recommended or implemented, the higher the recommendation level may be. Furthermore, the higher the probability that the recommended model has been implemented, the higher the recommendation level may be. The recommendation level setting unit 248 may set the recommendation level for a model based on the evaluation of the model acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 247. For example, the higher the evaluation of the model, the higher the recommendation level of the model may be.

[0084] Immediately after the start of operation of the development support device 200, the model's recommendation track record, implementation track record, model evaluation, etc. have not yet been accumulated, so the model's recommendation level may be set manually. As the development support device 200 continues to operate, the recommendation level setting unit 248 updates the model's recommendation level in accordance with the model's recommendation track record, implementation track record, model evaluation, etc. The model's recommendation level is updated by linking it to the equipment identification information of the plant equipment for which the model is recommended, implemented, or evaluated, or the process identification information of the process executed in the plant equipment, the parameter identification information acquired when the model is recommended, or the characteristics of the parameter time-series data. This allows the model's recommendation level to be set more in line with reality, thereby improving the accuracy of model recommendation.

[0085] 16 shows an example of time-series data of parameters. The information acquisition unit 241 may acquire time-series data of multiple parameters. The time-series data analysis unit 242 analyzes the acquired time-series data of the parameters and determines the state and trend of the time-series data.

[0086] 17 shows an example of a screen presented by the development support device 200 to the manager terminal 300. The output unit 244 outputs to the manager terminal 300 a screen displaying the equipment identification information acquired by the information acquisition unit 241, the time-series data of the parameters, information on the model selected by the selection unit 243, and the effects of implementing the model. When a button for trying out the model is pressed, the trial unit 249 inputs the time-series data of the parameters acquired by the information acquisition unit 241 into the model and tries out the model.

[0087] 18 shows an example of a screen presented by the development support device 200 to the administrator terminal 300. The output unit 244 outputs to the administrator terminal 300 a screen displaying a configuration diagram of the model selected by the selection unit 243 and the trial results by the trial unit 249. When a button for requesting implementation of the model is pressed, the output unit 244 reads out a processing element list including the processing elements that should constitute the development process of the model requested to be implemented from the model information storage unit 261 and outputs the list to the administrator terminal 300.

[0088] According to the technology of this embodiment, a model is selected and recommended based on information related to the operation of the plant facility 10, and therefore it is possible to accurately recommend a model for optimally operating the plant facility 10. This makes it possible to improve the operating efficiency of the plant facility 10. In addition, it is possible to significantly reduce the cost and labor required for model development.

[0089] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the components and treatment processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0090] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which processing elements constituting a previously developed model are stored in advance in the processing element storage unit 131. In another example, information about previously developed models may be collected when the processing element list acquisition unit 222 acquires a list of processing elements. In this case, the processing element storage unit 131 may also be temporarily generated.

[0091] The present invention can be used in a method, a support device, and a support program for supporting the development of a model relating to the operation of a plant facility.

[0092] 1 Development support system, 2 Communication network, 3 Development device, 4 Design device, 5 Operation control device, 10 Plant equipment, 100 Construction support device, 101 Communication device, 102 Display device, 103 Input device, 120 Processing device, 121 Information acquisition unit, 122 Processing acquisition unit, 123 Processing division unit, 124 Processing element registration unit, 130 Storage device, 131 Processing element holding unit, 200 Development support device, 201 Communication device, 202 Display device, 203 Input device, 220 Processing device, 221 Information acquisition unit, 222 Processing element list acquisition unit, 223 Output unit, 224 Processing element determination unit, 225 Processing parameter reception unit, 226 Processing order determination unit, 227 Connection element reception unit, 228 Processing element connection unit, 229 Processing element registration unit, 230 Storage device, 231 Processing element holding unit, 241 Information acquisition unit, 242 time series data analysis unit, 243 selection unit, 244 output unit, 245 recommendation performance recording unit, 246 implementation performance recording unit, 247 evaluation acquisition unit, 248 recommendation level setting unit, 249 trial unit, 252 recommendation level holding unit, 261 model information holding unit, 262 recommendation level holding unit, 300 administrator terminal.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in implementing models related to the operation of plant facilities, the method being executed by a processor, the method including: obtaining facility identification information of the plant facilities or process identification information of a process executed by the plant facilities; obtaining parameter identification information of parameters obtained in the operation of the plant facilities; obtaining time-series data of the parameters; selecting, based on the facility identification information or the process identification information, the parameter identification information, and the time-series data of the parameters, a model for which implementation is recommended from among a plurality of models related to the operation of the plant facilities; and outputting information on the selected model.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when selecting a model for which implementation is recommended, a degree of recommendation indicating the degree to which implementation of the model should be recommended, which is held in advance for each feature of the facility identification information or the process identification information, the parameter identification information, or the time-series data of the parameters, is referred to, and a model for which implementation is recommended is selected.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the degree of recommendation is determined based on past recommendation results.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the degree of recommendation is determined based on past implementation results.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the degree of recommendation is determined based on an evaluation of a model implemented in the past.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the evaluation is determined based on the quality of the operation of plant facilities in which the model was implemented in the past.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the evaluation is determined based on time-series data of parameters obtained in the operation of plant facilities in which the model was implemented in the past.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including presenting information on a data set necessary for implementing the selected model.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including presenting output information from the selected model when the time-series data of the parameters is input to the selected model.

10. The method according to claim 1, further including outputting a list of processing elements including processing elements that should constitute a development process of the selected model.

11. An assistance device comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires equipment identification information of plant equipment or process identification information of a process executed by the plant equipment, parameter identification information of parameters acquired during operation of the plant equipment, and time-series data of the parameters; a selection unit that selects, from among a plurality of models related to the operation of the plant equipment, a model for which implementation is recommended, based on the equipment identification information or the process identification information, the parameter identification information, and the time-series data of the parameters; and an output unit that outputs information on the selected model.

12. An assistance program for causing a computer to function as: an information acquisition unit that acquires equipment identification information of plant equipment or process identification information of a process executed by the plant equipment, parameter identification information of parameters acquired during operation of the plant equipment, and time-series data of the parameters; a selection unit that selects, from among a plurality of models related to the operation of the plant equipment, a model for which implementation is recommended, based on the equipment identification information or the process identification information, the parameter identification information, and the time-series data of the parameters; and an output unit that outputs information on the selected model.

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