Plant Control Certification Through Automated Compliance Testing

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Solution Overview

Problem

The industry faces challenges in efficiently certifying plant control systems for compliance with standards, leading to vendor lock-in and increased operating costs, as existing methods require manual testing by standards organization workers, making it difficult to automate certification in multi-vendor systems.

Innovation Solution

A certification system that includes a control device and a certification device, which executes device unit tests, standard application operation tests, software load tests, and other tests to determine compliance with predetermined standards, and issues certifications based on test results, allowing for automated compliance verification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual testing by standards organization workers is used, then certification accuracy is ensured, but certification efficiency and productivity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecertification accuracyVSAvoidcertification efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device automatically executes test programs and performs self-certification without requiring manual intervention from standards organization workers. The device autonomously runs device unit tests, standard application operation tests, and software load tests, then automatically determines compliance and generates certification results, enabling the system to certify itself while maintaining accuracy through predefined test criteria.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical testing processes are replaced with automated software-based testing systems. The certification device executes automated test programs that substitute human operators, using computational methods to perform measurements, evaluate results, and determine compliance, thereby dramatically improving certification efficiency while maintaining measurement precision through standardized automated test procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If comprehensive testing is performed to ensure compliance, then certification reliability is improved, but testing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecertification reliabilityVSAvoidtesting time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Test programs are pre-configured with all necessary test cases, parameters, and evaluation criteria before certification begins. The device unit tests, standard application operation tests, and software load tests are prepared in advance with predetermined conditions, allowing the certification process to execute comprehensively without requiring time-consuming setup during actual testing, thus maintaining high reliability while reducing total testing time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The certification process executes multiple test types continuously in an automated sequence without interruption. The control device runs device unit tests, followed by standard application operation tests, and then software load tests in continuous operation, eliminating idle time between test phases and maintaining high productivity while ensuring comprehensive coverage for reliable certification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If multiple test types are executed, then compliance verification thoroughness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompliance verification thoroughnessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The certification device is designed as a universal platform capable of executing multiple types of tests including device unit tests, standard application operation tests, and software load tests through a single integrated system. This multi-functional device eliminates the need for separate specialized testing equipment for each test type, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining thorough compliance verification through comprehensive test coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250103037A1Certification system, certification method, and computer-readable recording medium

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP

AI summary

A certification system includes a control device that constitutes a plant control system and a server device that executes certification of the control device. The server device executes a device unit test to determine whether a function set in the control device satisfies a predetermined condition specified by a standards organization and works normally; executes a standard application operation test to determine whether the control device satisfies a predetermined condition specified by the standards organization and can install and operate a standard application specified by the standards organization; executes a software load test to determine whether software of the control device satisfies a predetermined condition specified by the standards organization and can withstand a predetermined load; determines whether each of the test results of the device unit test, the standard application operation test, and the software load test satisfies a predetermined condition; and certifies that the control device is compliant with standards of the standards organization, based on the determination result.