Portable Edge Detection for Plant Field Device Transients

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional process control systems in plants struggle to easily detect physical phenomena like cavitation and water hammer due to smoothed data blunting time variations, making it difficult to implement measures that handle larger time variations without disrupting stable operation.

Innovation Solution

An edge device attached to field devices acquires and estimates non-smoothed output data, detects physical phenomena through analysis, and transmits detection results to external devices, enabling real-time monitoring and control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If damping processing is performed on output data from field devices to stabilize process control, then process stability is improved, but detection precision of physical phenomena deteriorates due to smoothed data blunting time variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess stabilityVSAvoiddetection precision of physical phenomena
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the data processing function into two independent parts: the controller continues to use smoothed data for stable process control, while the portable information processing device separately analyzes the same data for physical phenomenon detection. This segmentation allows each part to optimize for its specific purpose without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The portable information processing device acts as an intermediary between the controller and the physical phenomenon detection process. It receives smoothed output data from the controller, performs additional analysis to detect physical phenomena, and provides detection results without requiring the controller itself to change its damping processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the damping coefficient is increased to enhance physical phenomenon detection capability, then detection precision is improved, but process control stability deteriorates due to tracking failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection precision of physical phenomenaVSAvoidprocess control stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the analysis approach based on the data characteristics. The portable information processing device applies differential processing or other enhancement techniques selectively to detect physical phenomena in the smoothed data, rather than uniformly increasing the damping coefficient which would disrupt controller tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If the system design is changed to enable the controller to handle data with larger time variation for better physical phenomenon detection, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity and operational disruption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection precision of physical phenomenaVSAvoidsystem design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The portable information processing device serves as an intermediary that adds detection functionality without requiring changes to the existing controller design. It independently processes the controller's output data to detect physical phenomena, avoiding the need to modify the controller's data handling capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The portable information processing device creates a copy of the output data processing function, performing parallel analysis on the smoothed data to detect physical phenomena. This copying approach allows detection enhancement without altering the original controller's operation or data processing pipeline.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4671890A1Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP4671890A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4671890A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4671890A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A portable edge device (50) provided in a manner of being attachable to a field device (2) of a plant acquires smoothed or non-smoothed output data output from the field device (2), estimates the non-smoothed output data in a case where the output data is smoothed, detects a physical phenomenon generated in the field device (2) by analyzing the non-smoothed output data, and transmits a detection result of the physical phenomenon to an external device.