Specialty Metering System Coupling to Multiple Control Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
General distributed process control systems are inadequate for niche markets such as hydrocarbon custody transfer, turbine control, and hydrocarbon quality monitoring due to insufficient accuracy and non-compliance with regulatory requirements, necessitating separate physical systems.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a specialty metering system with the control system via a shared backbone communication network, allowing data exchange and compliance with metrological audit requirements, while enabling the control system to participate as a processing unit within the control system framework, thus reducing duplicated engineering efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If general distributed process control systems are used for hydrocarbon custody transfer, then system versatility is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a general distributed process control system and a specialized metering system, each performing distinct functions. The specialized metering system handles precise flow measurement for custody transfer while the general control system manages overall process control, resolving the contradiction by separating versatility and precision functions into different system components.
Solution Approach 2:
A communication interface module acts as an intermediary between the general distributed process control system and the specialized metering system. This intermediary enables data exchange and coordination while allowing each system to maintain its specialized capabilities, thus achieving both versatility and measurement precision simultaneously.
2Measurement precision
If separate physical systems are used for specialty functions, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface module serves as a standardized intermediary that simplifies integration between separate physical systems. By providing a uniform interface for data exchange, it reduces the complexity of connecting specialized metering systems to general control systems while maintaining the precision benefits of separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication interface module is designed with universal functionality to work with multiple types of control systems and metering systems. This multi-functionality reduces integration complexity by providing a standardized connection method that can be applied across different system configurations and manufacturers.
3Measurement precision
If separate physical systems are used for specialty functions, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of information worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface module acts as an information intermediary that ensures complete and accurate data exchange between separate metering and control systems. It handles data formatting, validation, and transmission to prevent information loss while maintaining the measurement precision of specialized systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms through the communication interface where measurement data from the specialized metering system is continuously transmitted to the control system. This feedback loop ensures that precise measurement information is preserved and utilized for control decisions, preventing information loss between separate systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A metering system configured to couple to multiple specialty systems, such as a control system. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are processing units comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a communication port configured to coupled to a backbone communication network of a control system. The memory stores a program that causes the processor to selectively participate (over the communication port) as a processing unit of a control system of a first manufacturer (the control system implements a first proprietary communication protocol between processing units), and to participate (over the communication port) as a processing unit of a control system of a second manufacturer different than the first manufacturer (the control system of the second manufacturer implements a second proprietary communication protocol between the processing units).