Cause-and-Effect Matrix Blocks for Safer Process Control Logic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current process control systems face challenges in managing large and complex cause and effect matrices (CEMs) due to their limited size and inability to handle sophisticated relationships, leading to tedious and error-prone implementation, which is critical for safety systems where inaccuracies can result in severe consequences.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that configures CEMs as separated monitor and effect blocks, allowing for pattern identification, grouping, and interactive functionality, along with tools for reordering and reverse engineering to simplify and validate the logic implementation, and provide interactive documentation and graphical representations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional cause and effect matrices are used to manage process control systems, then the implementation is straightforward with unified structure, but the system cannot handle large and complex relationships leading to errors and tedious configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the traditional cause and effect matrix into separate monitor blocks and effect blocks. Monitor blocks evaluate cause conditions and generate monitor outputs, while effect blocks receive these outputs and implement effects. This segmentation allows the system to handle complex relationships by distributing logic across multiple specialized blocks rather than requiring a single large matrix, thereby improving adaptability while managing complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If the CEM size is increased to handle more relationships, then more conditions can be monitored, but the configuration becomes more error-prone and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements validation mechanisms that automatically check the consistency and correctness of CEM logic during configuration. The system provides feedback to operators about potential errors, conflicts, or incomplete configurations, allowing immediate correction before deployment. This feedback loop significantly reduces configuration errors even when handling large numbers of cause and effect relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically generates documentation, validates logic consistency, and performs self-checks on the configured CEM relationships. This self-service capability reduces reliance on manual verification and minimizes human error in configuring and maintaining large numbers of cause and effect relationships, thereby improving reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration of CEM logic is performed, then flexibility in customization is achieved, but the process is tedious and prone to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides pre-configured monitor and effect block templates with common logic patterns already established. These templates can be selected and customized for specific applications, eliminating the need to build logic from scratch. This preliminary preparation maintains full customization capability while dramatically reducing configuration time and the potential for errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows operators to copy existing monitor and effect blocks and their associated logic configurations. Once a working configuration is established, it can be replicated and modified for similar applications, reducing repetitive manual configuration work while maintaining the ability to customize each instance as needed.
4Productivity
If separated monitor and effect blocks are implemented, then the system can handle complex relationships more efficiently, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs monitor blocks and effect blocks as universal, standardized components with consistent interfaces and configuration methods. Despite the separation into multiple blocks, they all follow the same structural patterns and can be configured using uniform procedures. This universality allows the system to efficiently handle complex relationships through modular separation while presenting a simplified, consistent interface to operators, effectively masking the structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of configuring monitor blocks and effect blocks associated with a process control system for a process plant includes causing a display device to display a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface indicating a first monitor block, a second monitor block, and an effect block. The system and method further includes enabling a user to input configuration data via the input device, including: (i) configuring one of the outputs of the first monitor block to serve as one of the inputs of the second monitor block, (ii) configuring an additional one of the outputs of the first monitor block and one of the outputs of the second monitor block to serve as inputs to the effect block, and (iii) designating at least one of the plurality of cells of each of the first monitor block, the second monitor block, and the effect block as a trigger associated with the respective input/output pair for the respective cell and corresponding to a condition in the process plant.