Plant Model Creation Using Clustering and Principal Component Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Creating an accurate plant model for energy and cost savings is challenging due to the need for specialized knowledge and the complexity of defining characteristic formulas and restriction conditions, requiring extensive man-hours, especially with increased plant size and complexity from fossil fuel reuse strategies.

Innovation Solution

A plant model creating device and method that uses operating data to automatically extract characteristic formulas and restriction conditions through outlier removal, clustering, principal component analysis, and parameter adjustment, allowing for the creation of an accurate plant model with minimal man-hours and without specialized knowledge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If a model of the plant is created to achieve energy and cost savings, then energy efficiency is improved, but the time and expertise required for model creation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidmodel creation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically extracts characteristic formulas and restriction conditions from operating data without requiring manual intervention by engineers. The model creation process serves itself by using the plant's own operational data to generate the model, eliminating the need for external expertise and reducing creation time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of model creation (requiring engineer expertise in physics, thermodynamics, and optimization) with an automated information processing system that uses computer algorithms to extract patterns from operating data and generate models automatically

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If the plant model is made more precise by comprehensively defining characteristic formulas and restriction conditions, then model accuracy is improved, but the complexity of model creation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodel accuracyVSAvoidmodel creation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically extracts comprehensive characteristic formulas and restriction conditions from operating data without requiring manual definition by engineers. The model creation process self-generates all necessary components including objective functions, constraint conditions, and characteristic formulas through automated analysis of plant operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a virtual copy of the plant's operational characteristics by extracting patterns from actual operating data. This copied representation in the form of characteristic formulas and restriction conditions accurately reflects the real plant behavior without requiring manual modeling of each physical principle

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of energy

If the plant model size is increased to accommodate supply-demand bidirectional cooperation and fossil fuel reuse, then energy saving capability is improved, but the man-hours required for model creation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy saving capabilityVSAvoidmodel creation man-hours
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically handles the increased complexity of large-scale plant models by self-generating characteristic formulas and restriction conditions from operating data. This automation eliminates the need for additional manual effort even when the model size increases to accommodate complex energy recovery and fossil fuel reuse scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system adapts to different plant configurations and complexities by automatically adjusting the extracted parameters and formulas based on the actual operating data. Whether the plant model is simple or complex, the automated extraction process scales accordingly without requiring proportional increases in manual creation time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3166057B1Plant model creating device, plant model creating method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium
Publication Date: 2022.11.30 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3166057B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3166057B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3166057B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A plant model creating device includes a cluster analyzer configured to divide operating data into clusters, a principal component list generator configured to calculate a principal component and a contribution rate for every cluster and generate a principal component list, a cumulative contribution rate calculator configured to calculate a cumulative contribution rate based on the principal component list, a principal component remover configured to remove, from the principal component list, a principal component corresponding to a contribution rate added to the cumulative contribution rate, if the cumulative contribution rate is less than a first threshold value, a characteristic formula calculator configured to calculate a characteristic formula whose normal vector is the principal component included in the principal component list, and a model creator configured to create a model of the plant based on the characteristic formula.