Industrial Process Control Architecture With Unidirectional Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for operating critical industrial processes lack the capability to handle large volumes of information and commands efficiently, making them unsuitable for large, critical industrial processes that require high availability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising two distinct sub-systems separated by a unidirectional separating device, where the first sub-system handles operational features cyclically and the second sub-system handles assistance features in an event-driven manner, ensuring high availability and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single integrated system is used to handle both operational control and assistance functions, then the system can manage large volumes of information and commands, but the system complexity and difficulty of meeting safety requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent subsystems: a first subsystem for operational control functions and a second subsystem for assistance functions. Each subsystem has its own processing modules and can operate independently, allowing the system to handle large volumes of information while maintaining manageable complexity in each individual subsystem.
Solution Approach 2:
A unidirectional separating device acts as an intermediary between the first subsystem and the second subsystem. This separating device allows information to flow from the first subsystem to the second subsystem while preventing feedback loops, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture and making it easier to meet safety requirements.
2Reliability
If high availability and reliability are achieved through redundancy, then the system can meet safety requirements, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Redundancy is implemented separately in each subsystem rather than requiring full system-wide redundancy. The first subsystem has its own redundant processing modules for operational control, and the second subsystem has its own redundant modules for assistance functions, simplifying the overall redundancy architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The unidirectional separating device prevents complex feedback mechanisms that would be required to maintain consistency across redundant systems. By allowing only forward information flow from the first subsystem to the second subsystem, the system achieves reliability without requiring complex inter-subsystem redundancy management.
3Loss of information
If all information is processed and displayed at operator stations, then complete operational awareness is achieved, but the information processing time and system response time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Information processing is segmented between two subsystems: the first subsystem processes critical operational control information in real-time, while the second subsystem processes assistance information in an event-driven manner. This segmentation allows critical information to be processed quickly while non-critical information is processed only when events occur, reducing overall processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The first subsystem operates on a cyclic basis, systematically acquiring and computing essential information at regular intervals. This periodic processing ensures that critical operational information is updated consistently without requiring continuous processing of all information, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining information completeness.
Data Source
AI summary
A system with a plurality of operator stations, a first sub-system for operating an industrial process, a second sub-system for assisting with the operation, a first duplicated communication network that manages exchanges in the first sub-system, a second duplicated communication network that manages exchanges in the second sub-system, and a separating device that manages exchanges between the first and the second sub-systems. The first sub-system includes an interface module that collects data items each associated with one acquisition time; a first processing module that sorts the data and computes first information items; a first module that manages operator stations and sends each first information item to the operator stations. The sub-system includes a second processing module that computes second information items from the data items and from the first information items; a second module that manages operating stations and sends each second information item to the operator stations.