Converged Controller App Building for Industrial Field Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for developing applications for industrial equipment, such as oil and gas extraction stations, are inefficient and limited in processing capabilities, data storage, and timely analysis, particularly in devices like RTUs, which hinder effective monitoring and control of hydrocarbon sites.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a converged controller with a computing platform that includes a controller portion and compute portion, enabling the selection and creation of application templates, appending code blocks, validation in a quality-controlled environment, wrapping, and deploying applications on the controller or cloud computing system for enhanced processing and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional systems are used for developing applications for industrial equipment, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and development speed are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides application development into modular components including templates, code blocks, and configurable parameters. The converged controller separates control portion and compute portion functions, enabling independent development and deployment of specific application modules without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides pre-configured application templates and code blocks that are prepared in advance. Users can select from predefined templates and append pre-written code blocks to rapidly generate applications, eliminating the need to create applications from scratch and significantly reducing development time.
2Power
If RTUs are used for monitoring and control, then device simplicity is maintained, but processing capabilities and data storage are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges traditional control portion functionality with enhanced compute portion capabilities in a single converged controller. This integration allows the device to perform both real-time control operations and complex data processing, data storage, and analysis functions that were previously handled by separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The converged controller is designed as a multi-functional device capable of executing diverse application types including monitoring, control, data processing, and analysis. The system supports multiple application templates and code blocks that can be deployed to handle various industrial operations, making the controller universally applicable to different functions.
3Reliability
If applications are deployed directly without validation, then deployment time is reduced, but reliability and quality control are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs validation simulations in a quality-controlled environment before actual deployment. Application templates and code blocks are pre-tested and verified for correctness and compatibility, allowing potential issues to be identified and resolved prior to deployment, thereby ensuring reliability without requiring extensive post-deployment debugging.
4Productivity
If comprehensive validation simulations are performed, then application quality is improved, but development time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Validation simulations are conducted in advance using pre-configured test environments and templates. The quality-controlled environment includes pre-prepared test cases and simulation scenarios that can be executed automatically, reducing the time needed for manual validation while ensuring thorough testing of application functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a converged controller including a controller portion and a compute portion and a computing platform, the converged controller coupled to at least one field equipment. The computing platform including one or more processors configured to perform operations including providing, based on a user input, an application template, the application template selected from a template library, selecting, based on the user input, a code block from a plurality of code blocks and appending the code block the application template to create an application, installing the application on the converged controller, and executing the application on at least one of the controller portion or the compute portion.