Automated Field Device Commissioning via Linearization Parameter Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current field device commissioning process in industrial plants is manual, time-consuming, and prone to human errors, requiring significant manpower and coordination, especially when dealing with hazardous areas and multiple check functions, which can lead to inaccurate test results and increased risks.
Innovation Solution
A field device commissioning system that includes a commissioning tool configured to communicate with field devices and a repository, automating check functions such as connection, range comparison, linearization, and loop checks by retrieving and comparing configuration parameters, reducing the need for manual intervention and enabling automated task generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual commissioning process is used, then flexibility in performing check functions is maintained, but time consumption and human errors increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The commissioning system performs self-service by automatically executing check functions without requiring continuous human intervention. The system autonomously navigates through commissioning steps, retrieves device parameters, performs comparisons, and generates reports, thereby reducing manual labor while maintaining operational flexibility through programmable task sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with automated electronic systems. The commissioning tool automatically performs tasks that previously required manual navigation through device menus, parameter retrieval, and data comparison, substituting human operators with software-driven automation that executes predefined commissioning sequences.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual commissioning is performed, then adaptability to different field devices is maintained, but human errors and inconsistency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The commissioning system achieves universality by designing a multi-functional platform that can handle various field device types and protocols through a single automated interface. The system adapts to different devices by retrieving their specific parameters and applying appropriate check functions automatically, ensuring consistent and reliable results across diverse device landscapes without manual intervention variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by automatically comparing retrieved device parameters against expected values and generating detailed commissioning reports. This closed-loop approach ensures that each commissioning step is verified and documented, providing consistent and reliable results that can be audited and reproduced, thereby eliminating human error in result interpretation.
3Productivity
If automated commissioning system is implemented, then time and manpower are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The commissioning tool serves as an intermediary between the field device and the commissioning operator. It automates complex interactions by translating high-level commissioning requirements into device-specific commands, managing communication protocols, and handling parameter retrieval automatically. This intermediary layer simplifies the user interface while maintaining comprehensive automation capabilities, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
4Reliability
If multiple persons are required for commissioning, then coordination and verification are improved, but communication overhead and time loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated commissioning system performs self-verification by automatically executing check functions and comparing results against predefined criteria. The system independently validates commissioning outcomes without requiring continuous human-to-human verification, thereby maintaining reliability through automated checking while eliminating the time loss associated with inter-personal communication and coordination.
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A field device commissioning system, may include, a commissioning tool configured to communicate with a field device and a repository. The commissioning tool is configured to: determine, from a control system loop information file in the repository, if the field device is configured as an input or output device; determine, from a protocol device registration file in the repository, if the field device is a pressure transmitter; determine, from a control system loop information file in the repository, if the field device is configured in the control system to measure flow; determine, from the control system loop information file, a linearization type in the control system associated to the field device; retrieve a linearization type of the field device from the field device; and determine, using the retrieved linearization type of the field device and the determined linearization type in the control system associated to the field device, a linearization check result.