Plant Design Data Version Management for Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial plant management, engineers face challenges in synchronizing design data with actual plant devices, leading to data conflicts and inconsistencies during analysis, as well as difficulties in identifying which design data has been changed but not yet applied to the plant.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing and analyzing plant design data that includes a configuration item manager for automatic configuration item management, utilizing a design data version management system to acquire and manage synchronized design data, preventing analysis of unsynchronized data, and allowing engineers to change design data while ensuring accurate analysis based on synchronized data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If engineers change design data during analysis by the design data analyzer, then design data can be updated to reflect current plant configuration, but data conflicts and inconsistencies occur during analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments design data into multiple versions (original version and changed version) and separates the analysis process into distinct stages. The design data analyzer is configured to select and analyze specific versions based on synchronization status, preventing analysis of unsynchronized changed data while allowing synchronized data to be analyzed, thus resolving the contradiction between data update capability and data consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a version management mechanism as an intermediary between design data modification and analysis. This mechanism tracks synchronization status and controls which version of design data is analyzed, acting as a mediator that prevents direct analysis of unsynchronized data while enabling analysis of synchronized data, thereby maintaining both adaptability and reliability.
2Loss of time
If design data analyzer analyzes changed design data that has not been applied to the plant, then analysis can reflect latest engineering changes, but the analyzed data is not synchronized with actual plant configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary version management and synchronization status tracking before analysis occurs. The system pre-identifies which design data versions are synchronized with the plant and which are not, allowing the design data analyzer to selectively analyze only synchronized data. This preliminary classification ensures that analysis timeliness is maintained while guaranteeing synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where the design data analyzer receives synchronization status information from the version management system. This feedback loop ensures that the analyzer always knows which data versions are synchronized with the actual plant configuration, preventing analysis of unsynchronized data while enabling timely analysis of synchronized updates.
3Ease of operation
If manual configuration management is used, then engineers have full control over design data changes, but automatic configuration item management is inefficient and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service automated configuration management system that automatically tracks design data versions, determines synchronization status, and manages data selection for analysis. The system serves itself by autonomously performing version control and synchronization verification without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving productivity while maintaining operational control through the automated process.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for managing and analyzing plant design data includes a configuration item manager allows automatic configuration item management, intend of manual configuration item management, by automatically acquiring the design data which is synchronized with the actual plant, while preventing the design data analyzer from analyzing the design data in work status which has been changed but has not yet been applied to the plant, not synchronized with the actual plant.