Modular Plant Control Configuration for Controller-Agnostic Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modular plants, the current approach requires plant owners to design and calibrate modules individually, leading to high investment costs and vendor dependency due to binding with specific control systems, which limits software reuse and increases development efforts.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating a controller-agnostic control software configuration for modular plant modules during the module engineering phase, allowing for the creation of a configuration file that is not specific to any target system, enabling flexible binding to hardware controllers during plant engineering and promoting software reusability and reduced vendor dependency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control software is specifically bound to hardware controllers during module design, then the module can operate reliably with dedicated control, but investment costs increase and vendor dependency arises
Solution Approach 1:
The control software configuration is segmented into module-specific parameters and controller-specific parameters. The module-specific parameters are defined independently of any particular controller, allowing the control logic to be separated from hardware dependencies. This enables the same control software to be adapted to different controller platforms without redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The control software is designed with universal interfaces that can bind to multiple types of hardware controllers. By defining controller-agnostic configuration parameters, the software gains multi-functionality and can operate across different vendor platforms, eliminating vendor lock-in while maintaining reliable control operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If control software is customized for each target system, then specific system requirements are met, but development efforts and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Controller-agnostic configuration parameters are defined in advance during module design, before the target system is known. This preliminary definition of universal parameters allows the control software to be prepared and validated early, reducing later customization efforts and accelerating deployment to different target systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameterization to handle different target systems. Instead of customizing software code for each system, only configuration parameters need to be changed. This allows the same control software to adapt to different target systems by simply modifying parameters rather than rewriting logic, significantly improving development efficiency.
3Reliability
If modules are designed with dedicated control systems, then each module operates independently and reliably, but vendor dependency increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary configuration layer is introduced between the control software and hardware controllers. This controller-agnostic configuration acts as a mediator that preserves independent module operation and reliability while enabling flexible binding to different controller types. The intermediary layer decouples the software from specific hardware vendors, providing flexibility without sacrificing operational independence.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of providing a control software configuration for a module of a modular plant, the method including, in a module engineering phase: receiving a user definition for the module; and automatically generating the control software configuration for the module based on the user definition, the automatically generating including: specifying parameters for the module that are not specific to any target system; and providing the control software configuration as a controller-agnostic configuration file for subsequent binding of controller software instantiated according to the controller-agnostic configuration file to a hardware controller of the module when the module is integrated into a target system during a plant engineering phase.