Plant Operating Analysis Engine for Ideal Condition Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing the performance of industrial plants, such as chemical and petrochemical plants, is challenging due to the complexity and interrelatedness of performance variables, which makes it difficult to determine ideal operating conditions and implement improvements, especially when different aspects are handled by different individuals and devices, leading to communication deficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses an analysis engine to aggregate and analyze operational data from various sources, including sensors and actuators, to model ideal plant operations and compare them with actual operations, generating recommendations for improving plant performance by adjusting parameters like temperature or pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple different aspects of plant performance are assigned to different individuals and computing devices, then specialization and division of labor are improved, but communication deficiencies and difficulty in determining complete plant performance understanding worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple specialized computing devices into a centralized analysis engine that consolidates all plant performance data. This centralization allows the system to maintain the benefits of specialized analysis for different plant aspects while eliminating communication gaps by providing a unified view of complete plant performance to all users.
Solution Approach 2:
The analysis engine is designed as a universal system that handles multiple types of plant performance data simultaneously - production process performance, processing equipment performance, workforce performance, automation system performance, safety systems performance, and cybersecurity asset state. This multi-functional approach ensures complete plant performance understanding without requiring separate specialized systems.
2Loss of information
If complete plant performance data is centralized in one system, then complete understanding of plant performance is improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The analysis engine segments plant performance data into distinct categories (production process, processing equipment, workforce, automation system, safety systems, cybersecurity assets) while maintaining centralized processing. This segmentation allows the complex system to organize and manage diverse data types systematically, reducing the perceived complexity through structured data organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The analysis engine acts as an intermediary between raw plant performance data and users. It receives data from multiple sources, processes and analyzes it centrally to determine complete plant performance, then presents simplified insights to users. This intermediary role manages system complexity by handling data processing internally while presenting simplified information externally.
3Productivity
If ideal plant operating conditions are determined through complex analysis, then plant efficiency and profitability are improved, but the difficulty of implementation and communication of strategies worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The analysis engine provides feedback to users about ideal plant operating conditions based on complete plant performance analysis. It compares current operating conditions with ideal conditions and communicates the differences, enabling users to understand and implement improvement strategies more easily by showing them what changes are needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines ideal plant operating conditions by analyzing multiple performance parameters simultaneously (production output, equipment status, workforce performance, automation system performance, safety metrics, cybersecurity state). It identifies which parameters need to be changed and by how much, making implementation easier by providing specific parameter adjustment guidance rather than vague strategic recommendations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for analyzing operational data associated with a plant that has processing equipment configured and controlled to run a process involving at least one tangible material. Actual operational data corresponding to plant operations is received by a computing device that may relate to production, equipment, workforce, automation systems, safety, and/or cybersecurity of the plant. A model of the plant is generated based on the actual operational data, where the model indicates ideal plant operations including model operational data. The actual plant operational data and the model operational data are compared. Based on the operational data and the comparison of the operational data to model operational data, at least one recommendation for an action associated with the plant is determined.