Autonomous Process Modules With Administration Shell Service Orchestration
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the process industry, particularly in chemistry and food production, fluctuating product demands and shortening product life cycles pose challenges for existing production facilities, which are often not designed to handle variable production quantities efficiently, requiring complex reconfiguration and inadequate documentation of control software, leading to inefficiencies and difficulties in integrating modular facility concepts.
Innovation Solution
A modular technical facility system where each module has autonomous local control and an external interface with an administration shell that publishes and requests services via a network, allowing modules to communicate and assemble processes autonomously, minimizing control effort and enabling efficient PFE-engineering without a higher-ranked process management level.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuously-operating facilities are optimized to a certain product quantity per time unit, then production efficiency is improved, but the facility cannot handle fluctuating product demands
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is divided into multiple independently controllable modules, each capable of operating autonomously. This segmentation allows the facility to adjust production capacity by activating or deactivating specific modules based on demand fluctuations, while maintaining optimized operation of active modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The facility configuration is made dynamic through modular design, allowing reconfiguration of production capacity. Modules can be added, removed, or repositioned based on current production requirements, enabling the system to adapt its structure and capacity in real-time while maintaining operational optimization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If batch-operation facilities are used to handle fluctuating demands, then adaptability is improved, but unproductive times such as cleaning and changeover increase
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is divided into standardized modular units that can be quickly configured for different production scenarios. Each module is self-contained with standardized interfaces, enabling rapid reconfiguration between different products or production volumes without extensive cleaning or changeover procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
Modules are designed with universal functionality and standardized interfaces, allowing the same module to be used for different products or production modes. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated cleaning or changeover procedures between different production runs.
3Productivity
If facility extension or changeover is performed, then production capacity is improved, but control reconfiguration and reprogramming are required which is elaborate and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Each module contains autonomous control capabilities that enable self-configuration and self-integration into the overall facility control system. When modules are added or reconfigured, they automatically register themselves with the central control system and configure their parameters based on predefined protocols, eliminating manual reconfiguration and reprogramming.
Solution Approach 2:
Module control software and configuration parameters are stored as reusable templates or copies. When new modules are added to the facility, the control system automatically copies the appropriate configuration templates to the new modules, significantly reducing setup time and eliminating manual reprogramming.
4Adaptability or versatility
If modular facility concepts are implemented, then adaptability and ease of expansion are improved, but control integration between modules becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
All modules use standardized universal interfaces and communication protocols, allowing any module to be integrated with any other module without custom integration work. The standardized interfaces handle data exchange, control signals, and status reporting uniformly across all module types, simplifying control integration despite system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A standardized interface layer or communication bus acts as an intermediary between individual module controls and the central facility control system. This intermediary handles protocol conversion, data normalization, and coordination, allowing modules to communicate efficiently without direct complex point-to-point integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A module for a technical facility including a technical hardware for the execution of a technical sub-process, a control for a local control of the technical hardware, in which the control is adapted to control the technical hardware autarkical, and an external interface of the control, wherein the external interface comprises an administration shell, wherein the administration shell publishes at least one service relating to an output product of the module via a network, and wherein the external interface is adapted to request at least one service relating to an input product of the module via the network. Furthermore, a corresponding system for the execution of a process by means of a technical facility as well as a corresponding method for the execution of a technical process by means of a technical facility is claimed.