Microgrid HMI Modular Templates for Adaptive Asset Grouping

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increased complexity of microgrids in terms of assets, asset types, and connections leads to human errors during configuration, difficulty in tracing data input, and challenges in diagnosing health issues and monitoring faults due to lack of adaptive priority-based visualization and user-based groupings on human-machine interfaces (HMIs).

Innovation Solution

A scalable modular configuration for the HMI that includes pre-defined templates, user-defined templates, and user-defined modular blocks for site-specific parameters, enabling adaptive GUIs for easy visualization and diagnostics, with features like copying and pasting configurations, modifying replica devices, and grouping assets based on type, bus, geo-location, and user-defined criteria.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If microgrid complexity increases in terms of assets, asset types, and connections, then the system functionality and capability are improved, but human errors during configuration and difficulty in tracing data input increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicrogrid system functionalityVSAvoidconfiguration accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The HMI configuration is segmented into hierarchical levels (site-level, asset-level, component-level) allowing complex microgrid systems to be managed through divided, manageable sections. Each level can be configured and traced independently, reducing configuration errors while maintaining system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Template-based configuration allows replication of proven asset and component settings across multiple instances. Once a configuration is validated at one location, it can be copied and adapted to similar assets, ensuring consistency and reducing human error in configuration while handling diverse asset types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If microgrid complexity increases, then the system functionality is improved, but difficulty in diagnosing health issues and tracing error locations increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicrogrid system capabilityVSAvoiderror tracing difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system adds a hierarchical dimension to error tracing by organizing assets and components across multiple levels (site, asset, component). This hierarchical structure provides a systematic path for tracing errors from system-level down to component-level, making diagnosis manageable even in complex multi-asset microgrids.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The HMI provides feedback mechanisms that trace error locations back through the hierarchical structure, showing the path from component-level errors to asset-level and site-level impacts. This feedback enables operators to quickly identify and address issues in complex systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If microgrid complexity increases, then the system capability is improved, but monitoring errors and providing corrective actions becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicrogrid system capabilityVSAvoidmonitoring and corrective action ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The HMI employs universal templates and standardized interfaces that work across diverse asset types and complexity levels. This universality allows operators to monitor and take corrective actions using the same procedures regardless of the specific asset or system complexity, improving ease of operation while maintaining high capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Ease of manufacture

If traditional HMI configuration methods are used without automated grouping, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but time-consuming manual configuration and lack of adaptive visualization occur

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveHMI configuration simplicityVSAvoidconfiguration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary automated grouping of assets based on attributes before the operator needs to view or configure them. This preliminary action organizes complex asset data into logical groups and generates adaptive visualizations in advance, reducing the time operators spend on manual configuration while maintaining interface simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260064442A1Scalable modular configuration for human-machine interface

Publication Date: 2026.03.05 CATERPILLAR INC

AI summary

A microgrid human-machine interface (HMI) associated with a microgrid includes one or more memories configured to store energy resource information corresponding to a plurality of energy resource systems, wherein the energy resource information defines a respective plurality of attributes for each energy resource system; a display unit; one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to: evaluate the respective plurality of attributes for each energy resource system, automatically group the plurality of energy resource systems into a plurality of groups based on the respective plurality of attributes for each energy resource system, and cause the display unit to display an adaptive graphical user interface (GUI) based on the plurality of groups; and an input interface configured to receive user input for manipulating the adaptive GUI. The adaptive GUI is configured to selectively display the plurality of energy resource systems according to the plurality of groups.