Digital Safety Locking for Remote Field Device Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedures in industrial process plants are inconvenient and dangerous, especially when accessing equipment located in hard-to-reach areas, and do not adequately protect field devices due to the lack of a one-to-one correspondence between physical communication links and owners, leading to potential unsafe isolation during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a digital safety lock system that uses software control to secure field devices, allowing secure, isolated access and control through digital safety locks, which include an identification of the locking party, a digital safety lock key, and a mode or state indication, enabling communication and coordination without physical presence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional physical lockout-tagout procedures are used to secure field devices, then safety isolation is achieved, but physical access to hard-to-reach equipment is required which is inconvenient and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical physical lockout-tagout system with a digital/software-based safety lock system. The digital safety lock uses software control and digital keys instead of physical locks and tags, allowing maintenance personnel to secure field devices remotely without physical access to the equipment location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a digital safety lock system as an intermediary between the control system and field devices. This digital lock acts as a mediator that manages access control and safety isolation through digital means, eliminating the need for direct physical interaction with the equipment.
2Reliability
If traditional physical lockout procedures are used, then equipment isolation is achieved, but the lack of one-to-one correspondence between physical communication links and owners leads to inadequate protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the digital safety lock system continuously tracks and communicates the status of field devices and their associated owners. The system provides real-time information about which digital key corresponds to which field device, ensuring accurate ownership correspondence and preventing unauthorized access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy or representation of the physical lockout system where each field device has a corresponding digital identifier and owner information is digitally linked. This digital copying ensures that ownership information is accurately maintained and can be easily tracked without the ambiguities of physical systems.
3Reliability
If physical locks are used for lockout-tagout, then safety isolation is provided, but the complexity of managing multiple physical locks and keys increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple physical lock management functions into a single digital safety lock system. Instead of managing separate physical locks and keys for each field device, the system consolidates access control into a unified digital platform that can manage multiple devices and users through software, significantly reducing management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal digital safety lock system that can be applied to multiple field devices across different locations and types. The digital key system provides multi-functionality, allowing a single digital key management platform to control access to various devices without requiring device-specific physical lock management procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A digital safety lock of a field device or other process plant equipment activates in response to receiving a request from a locking party, thereby placing the device into a locked mode. While the device is in the locked mode, only the locking party may perform maintenance activities on, or otherwise functionally control, the device. While locked, the device may provide an indication of the locking party to any other device or application attempting to access or control the locked device. Other devices, applications, and users may communicate with the locking party or locking party device to request that the device be unlocked and/or to request the corresponding digital safety lock key. Upon the device receiving the correct digital safety lock key, the digital safety lock may be deactivated, and the device may enter into an unlocked state if no other digital safety locks remain activated for the device.