Process Control Data Streaming With Metadata for Real-Time Analytics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current process control systems face limitations in real-time data availability and analysis due to limited controller and device memory, communications bandwidth, and processor capability, leading to cumbersome workflows and incomplete troubleshooting results.
Innovation Solution
The system facilitates near real-time data streaming by formatting data into a predefined stream structure and communicating metadata separately, reducing network overhead and increasing throughput, allowing for real-time analysis and learning within the process control system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If data is transmitted using traditional communication protocols with extensive headers and handshaking, then communication reliability is maintained, but network bandwidth is consumed and real-time streaming capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary communication protocol overhead (headers, handshaking, error checking) from the data stream, transmitting only essential information. This allows high-speed data transmission while minimizing network bandwidth consumption, resolving the contradiction between transmission speed and bandwidth usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of data formatting from traditional protocol-based structures to a streamlined stream structure with metadata. This parameter change enables faster transmission speeds while reducing the amount of data that consumes network bandwidth, simultaneously improving both metrics.
2Productivity
If controller memory and processing capability are increased to handle more data, then real-time analysis capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data handling function into two parts: lightweight streaming at the controller level and intensive analysis at the cloud/platform level. The controller only formats and transmits data with minimal metadata, while the receiving system performs the complex analysis. This segmentation improves real-time analysis capability without increasing controller complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a metadata layer as an intermediary that carries essential information about the data stream. This metadata enables the receiving system to efficiently process and analyze data without requiring the controller to perform complex operations, thereby improving analysis capability while keeping the controller simple.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive data collection is implemented for complete troubleshooting, then troubleshooting accuracy is improved, but data transmission time and network overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by attaching metadata to data streams in advance, describing the data format, source, and characteristics. This preliminary structuring allows the receiving system to efficiently process comprehensive data without requiring additional transmission time, as the data is already organized for optimal analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of data structure from traditional protocol-based formatting to a metadata-driven stream format. This parameter change enables comprehensive data collection with complete troubleshooting information while minimizing transmission time, as the streamlined format reduces overhead compared to traditional protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for streaming big data in a process plant are disclosed. Generally, these techniques facilitate storage or communication of process control data, including alarms, parameters, events, and the like, in near real-time. Receivers of big data, such as big data historians or devices requesting specific data, are configured via an initial set of metadata, and thereafter receive updated metadata upon requesting it from the transmitting device, such as when the receiving device encounters an identifier in the data, which identifier was not defined in the metadata previously received.