3D Plant Design Workspace for Cross-Department Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plant design methods, such as the waterfall approach, lead to vertical division of design departments, hindering cooperation and making it difficult to integrate downstream construction information into upstream designs, resulting in unreasonable designs and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A design support system and device that creates a three-dimensional virtual space for plant design, allowing multiple users to collaborate concurrently by simulating the site, creating and modifying objects, and sharing information through a communication network, with features like cable route calculation and object arrangement determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If waterfall type design method is used, then role division of design departments is clarified, but cooperation between design departments is hindered and information feedback from downstream to upstream is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the design processes of multiple departments (system design, construction design, site construction planning) into a single integrated three-dimensional virtual space. All departments can simultaneously access and contribute to the same design environment, enabling real-time information exchange and collaboration while maintaining clear role divisions through specialized functions within the unified space.
Solution Approach 2:
The three-dimensional virtual space acts as an intermediary platform that mediates between different design departments. It enables bidirectional information flow between upstream (system design) and downstream (site construction planning) departments, allowing construction information to be fed back to system design and vice versa, thus resolving the information blocking issue.
2Loss of time
If system design is started prior to other design work, then upstream design can be initiated early, but construction design and field information cannot be reflected in system design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous bidirectional information flow between upstream system design and downstream construction design through the three-dimensional virtual space. While system design can be initiated early, the system continuously receives construction information and field data from downstream departments, allowing real-time updates and adjustments without interrupting the overall design progression.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where construction design information and field data automatically flow back to system design through the shared three-dimensional virtual space. This allows upstream design to be continuously refined based on downstream inputs, ensuring construction feasibility is integrated throughout the design process.
3Productivity
If downstream design department does not grasp upstream design content, then independence of design departments is maintained, but time and effort are wasted collecting upstream design information
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional virtual space serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a shared workspace for collaboration, an information repository for all design content, and a communication platform for real-time updates. Each department maintains its specialized functions while having universal access to all design information, eliminating the need for separate information collection processes.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A design support device includes: a virtual space creation unit configured to create image data of a three-dimensional virtual space simulating a site to be designed; and an object control unit having a function of creating an object simulating equipment to be designed in the virtual space, in a case where information on a creation operation of a predetermined object performed by a predetermined user included in the plurality of users in the virtual space is input via the communication unit, configured to create image data of the predetermined object and create attribute information of the predetermined object that can be referred to by other users to output the image data and the attribute information of the predetermined object to the plurality of external devices used by each of a plurality of users.