Control-Independent Process Data API for Food Production Plants
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Solution Overview
Problem
The food processing industry faces high engineering costs and time-consuming data retrieval processes due to the need for customized data models for each plant, which are often dependent on specific control systems, leading to increased risks of errors and inefficiencies in accessing process data.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to dynamically generate an API that is control system type-independent by transforming properties from the food production plant into data model properties, combining them with plant design data to create a comprehensive API that can be used across different control systems, allowing for direct access to process data from sensors, thereby reducing engineering costs and errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If customized data models are created for each plant to accommodate different control systems and equipment setups, then the system can accurately represent specific plant configurations, but engineering costs and setup time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the data model into a standardized core structure that handles common control system properties and plant-specific customizations. This allows the base data model to remain simple while accommodating various plant configurations through modular extensions rather than creating entirely customized models for each plant.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal data model framework that can represent multiple control system types and plant configurations through a common structure. The standardized data model properties and automatic API generation capability allow the same framework to serve diverse plant setups without requiring separate customization efforts for each installation.
2Ease of operation
If manual scripts are written to retrieve data from customized database models, then specific plant data can be accessed, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service data retrieval by automatically generating APIs from the standardized data model. This eliminates the need for engineers to manually write scripts for data access, as the system itself generates the necessary interface code, reducing both time consumption and error risks associated with manual script writing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-generating APIs and data access interfaces during the system setup phase based on the standardized data model. This preparation work is done once rather than repeatedly for each data retrieval task, significantly reducing the time required for subsequent data access operations while maintaining ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If control system adaptations are made for each different control system type, then the system can interface with various control systems, but engineering costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a standardized data model as an intermediary layer between different control systems and the plant-specific applications. This mediator translates various control system types into a common data representation, allowing the system to interface with multiple control systems without requiring separate adaptation work for each type, thereby reducing engineering costs while maintaining broad compatibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method (200) for enabling access to process data (130) of a food production plant (100) controlled by a control system (108) is provided. The method comprises receiving (202), by a central server (112), properties (110) of the food production plant (100) from the control system (108), generating (204) a data model (114) based on the properties (110), said data model (114) comprising data model properties (116), wherein the data model (114) is control system type independent, transmitting (206) the data model properties (116) to an application programming interface (API) tool (118), receiving (208) adapted data model properties (122) from the API tool (118), updating (210) the data model (114) based on the adapted data model properties (122), receiving (212), by the central server (112), plant design data (123) from a plant design tool (124), generating (214) an API (125) based on the data model (114) and the plant design data (123), and transmitting (216) the API (125) to a monitoring device (128), thereby providing for that the monitoring device (128) is enabled to receive the process data (130) from the food production plant (100).