Cloud Control Twin for Remote Process Equipment Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial process control systems face challenges in validating control configurations for equipment from multiple manufacturers, which is costly and time-consuming, especially when equipment needs to be transported and installed at a site, requiring on-site testing and potential repeated validation procedures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a remote control system that acts as a 'twin' of a local control system, allowing for remote interfacing and validation of process equipment before transportation, using cloud architecture and communication protocols like PROFINET or ETHERNET/IP, enabling validation at the OEM's facility and eliminating the need for further on-site validation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If equipment from multiple manufacturers is brought together on the plant site and connected to controllers for validation, then control configurations can be validated using actual equipment, but equipment transportation costs, setup costs, and validation time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy (digital twin) of the control system that replicates the functionality of the physical control system. This virtual control system allows validation of control configurations remotely without requiring physical equipment to be transported to the plant site. The digital twin maintains the same control logic, I/O configurations, and processing capabilities, enabling accurate validation while eliminating transportation and on-site setup requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a communication interface and data exchange mechanism as an intermediary between the remote equipment and the virtual control system. This intermediary layer enables bidirectional communication of control signals, process data, and configuration information, allowing the virtual control system to interact with physical equipment remotely through networks such as PROFINET or ETHERNET/IP, thus validating control configurations without physical co-location.
2Reliability
If equipment is transported and installed at the site for validation, then on-site testing can be performed, but transportation costs and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual control system serves as a digital replica of the physical control system, allowing all validation and testing operations to be performed remotely. This eliminates the need to physically transport and install equipment at the plant site for validation purposes. The digital twin maintains fidelity to the original system's behavior, ensuring that validation results are reliable without requiring physical equipment movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of physically transporting and installing equipment with a communication-based system. Instead of moving physical equipment through transportation and installation processes, the system uses network communications (PROFINET, ETHERNET/IP) to establish remote connections between equipment and the virtual control system, substituting mechanical operations with electronic data exchange.
3Reliability
If on-site testing and validation are performed repeatedly, then regulatory requirements are met, but time and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual control system enables all necessary validation and testing to be performed in advance before equipment is deployed to the plant site. Control configurations, I/O mappings, and system integrations can be thoroughly validated remotely using the digital twin, ensuring regulatory compliance is achieved beforehand. This preliminary validation eliminates the need for repeated on-site testing and re-validation activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital twin accurately replicates the physical control system's behavior, allowing regulatory-compliant validation to be performed in the virtual environment. Since the copy maintains fidelity to the original system, validation results obtained from the virtual control system are acceptable for regulatory purposes, eliminating the need for repeated physical testing while maintaining compliance standards.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method (200) in an industrial process control and remote engineering system (100) comprises receiving (202), by a remote control system (115), a control configuration, interfacing (204), by the remote control system, via a network (116), with at least one process equipment, and remotely controlling (206), by the remote control system, the at least one process equipment according to the control configuration. In some embodiments of the method, the remote control system is a twin of a local control system.