Plant Semantic Model Update for Cross-Domain Asset Matching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current infrastructure models for industrial plants lack a consistent approach across engineering domains, leading to duplicated data, high engineering costs, and ineffective maintenance due to siloed information and reliance on human expertise, especially in brown field plants where documentation is often obsolete or unavailable.
Innovation Solution
A method for updating a semantic model of a plant infrastructure by determining logical attributes and values from metadata across different engineering domains, using pattern-matching rules to create semantic assets and identifying common attributes, which allows for a unified asset-centric view and digitalization of plant assets, enabling cross-domain interoperability and efficient maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If dedicated models and tools are used for each engineering domain, then domain-specific engineering precision is improved, but data duplication and engineering cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple domain-specific data models (Process, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation) into a unified semantic model that represents the same physical assets across domains. This consolidation eliminates data duplication while preserving domain-specific engineering precision through semantic relationships and cross-domain asset representations.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified semantic model serves multiple engineering domains simultaneously through a single asset representation. The model provides universal functionality by enabling different domains (Process, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation) to access and interact with the same asset data through standardized semantic relationships, eliminating the need for separate dedicated models.
2Measurement precision
If domain-specific data models are maintained separately, then domain expertise and measurement precision are improved, but information silos and loss of cross-domain information occur
Solution Approach 1:
The unified semantic model acts as an intermediary layer between domain-specific applications and the underlying asset data. It enables cross-domain information flow by providing standardized semantic relationships that allow different domains to access and share information about the same physical assets without losing domain-specific precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a semantic dimension to traditional domain-specific models by introducing semantic assets and relationships. This dimensional enhancement allows the system to represent the same physical asset from multiple domain perspectives simultaneously, preserving domain expertise while enabling cross-domain information access through semantic relationships.
3Reliability
If traditional plant documentation and maintenance methods are used, then historical experience is preserved, but maintenance efficiency and reliability are reduced due to obsolete or unavailable documentation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital copy of physical plant assets and their documentation in the form of semantic assets within the unified model. This digital representation captures asset information, relationships, and historical data, making it accessible and up-to-date without relying on physical documentation that may be obsolete or unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified semantic model pre-structures asset information and relationships in a machine-readable format, enabling automated maintenance processes, analytics, and decision-making. This preliminary organization of data allows maintenance activities to proceed more efficiently without manual information gathering or interpretation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dedicated applications are used for different engineering domains, then domain-specific functionality is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple domain-specific applications into a unified system that accesses the same semantic model. This merging reduces the number of separate applications users must interact with while preserving domain-specific functionality through the semantic relationships in the unified model, thereby simplifying system operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified semantic model provides universal access points for different engineering domains through a single system interface. Users can access domain-specific functionality through the unified model without needing to switch between multiple dedicated applications, improving ease of operation while maintaining adaptability to different domains.
Data Source
AI summary
An application server (AS) for updating a semantic model of a plant infrastructure comprising physical assets that belong to different engineering domains, wherein applications are dedicated to the engineering domains, wherein physical assets are represented respectively by first logical assets in updated applications and respectively by second logical assets in outdated applications, configured to: determine, for at least one updated application, first logical attributes and corresponding first logical values of a first logical asset from first metadata associated with the first logical asset; determine, for at least one outdated application, second logical attributes and corresponding second logical values of a second logical asset from second metadata associated with the second logical asset; determine a first semantic asset with first semantic attributes and corresponding first semantic values using pattern-matching rules related to the semantic model on the first logical attributes and corresponding first logical values, and determining a second semantic asset with second semantic attributes and corresponding second semantic values using pattern-matching rules related to the semantic model on the second logical attributes and corresponding second logical values; determine common attributes between the first semantic attributes and the second semantic attributes; determine a physical asset associated with the first semantic asset and the second semantic asset, if the common attributes have similar values based on semantic and/or similarity comparisons; create an identifier for the determined physical asset associated with the common attributes and values for the common attributes in the semantic model, and update the semantic model with the physical asset and with relationship between the physical asset, the first semantic asset and the second semantic asset.