Coordinated Facility Control Across Diverse Controllers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control systems for production facilities struggle to implement common action plans across multiple controllers from different manufacturers or with different functionalities, leading to coordination issues in facility control.
Innovation Solution
A control coordination system comprising a control coordination apparatus and an action plan generation apparatus, which generates control data from an action plan file and transmits it to controllers, allowing them to perform coordinated control of facilities without requiring each controller to have the function of executing the common action plan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a function of controlling the production facility in accordance with a common action plan is given to the controllers, then the controllers can execute the action plan, but it becomes impossible to commonalize the functions when controllers are from different makers or for different uses
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the action plan execution function from the controllers by introducing a dedicated action plan execution device. The controller's role is segmented to only handle basic control operations, while the execution device handles the complex action plan interpretation and coordination, thus avoiding increasing controller complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The action plan execution device acts as an intermediary between the controllers and the common action plan. It receives the action plan, interprets it, and generates appropriate control commands for each controller, enabling common action plan execution without modifying the controllers themselves.
2Adaptability or versatility
If controllers from different makers or for different uses are used, then system flexibility is improved, but coordination control becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The action plan execution device provides a universal interface that can interpret and execute the same action plan format regardless of which controller is being controlled. This universal execution layer enables coordination across diverse controllers from different makers while maintaining reliable coordinated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The execution device serves as a mediator that translates the common action plan into controller-specific commands. This intermediary layer isolates the controllers from each other, allowing them to remain diverse while still achieving reliable coordination through the standardized execution device interface.
3Reliability
If the action plan execution function is integrated into the control coordination apparatus, then coordination control is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the control architecture into distinct functional components: the control coordination apparatus that manages overall coordination, the action plan execution device that interprets plans, and the controllers that execute specific commands. This segmentation achieves reliable coordination control while keeping each component's complexity manageable and well-defined.
Data Source
AI summary
Control of a facility is performed in accordance with a common action plan. Further, a plurality of controllers provided in the facility are caused to control the facility in coordination. A control coordination apparatus includes a control information generation unit and a control information transmission unit. The control information generation unit generates control data which include information for specifying a control content of the facility to be controlled by the plurality of controllers and are received by each of the controllers, from an action plan file which includes an action plan made by an action plan generation apparatus and is generated by the action plan generation apparatus. The control information transmission unit transmits the control data to each of the controllers on the basis of facility design information including information on connection with the facility.