Process Plant Flow Diagram for Automated Secondary Technology Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for planning secondary technologies in process engineering systems, such as automation and electrification, require extensive manual effort and cannot automatically generate project planning solutions due to the complexity of higher-level automation functions and operational requirements, which are not directly linked to individual system components but rather to the system's structure and operation.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a system planning tool to create a flow diagram with configuration data for both primary and secondary technologies, allowing for automatic generation of project planning solutions by evaluating the flow diagram and accessing standard configuration data from an archive, enabling the creation of multidimensional automation software structures and control logic without relying on pre-defined standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual methods are used to plan secondary technologies (automation, electrification), then flexibility and adaptability to specific operational requirements can be achieved, but the planning effort and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically generating draft configurations for secondary technologies based on the process engineering plant planning data. Standard configurations are pre-prepared and can be automatically applied, eliminating the need for manual creation of each configuration from scratch while still allowing later customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copying by creating standardized configuration templates that can be reused across different projects. These standard configurations are copied and adapted to specific requirements, reducing repetitive manual work while maintaining adaptability through customization of the copied templates.
2Productivity
If automatic generation methods are used for secondary technology planning, then planning time is reduced, but the ability to handle complex higher-level automation functions and operational requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamics by providing a two-stage approach: automatic generation of initial configurations followed by manual customization. The system adapts its level of automation based on the complexity of requirements, allowing users to intervene and modify configurations for complex automation functions while maintaining automatic generation for standard cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary between automatic generation and manual planning by providing draft configurations that serve as a foundation. These intermediate configurations can be automatically generated for standard cases and then manually adjusted for complex requirements, bridging the gap between full automation and complete manual planning.
3Ease of manufacture
If standardized configurations are used for secondary technologies, then planning effort is reduced through reuse, but flexibility for system-specific customizations is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing configurations into standardized modules that can be independently selected and combined. This allows standard configurations to be reused for common requirements while enabling customization of specific segments for system-specific needs, maintaining both ease of configuration and adaptability.
4Reliability
If different specialists (automation engineers, project engineers) design automation and electrification separately, then expertise-specific solutions can be created, but integration effort and data consistency become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the planning processes for process engineering, automation, and electrification into a single integrated system. Data from process engineering plant planning automatically flows into secondary technology configuration, eliminating the need for separate planning processes and reducing integration complexity while maintaining solution quality through automated data consistency.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method and to a device for planning a specific process system. In the planning of a specific process system, which consists of a primary technology in the form of components of the system which are connected to each other with respect to process and at least one secondary technology, which depends on the primary technology and enables operation of the system together with the primary technology, the primary technology is planned in the form of a flow diagram (4) of the system by means of a system planning tool (3). Configuration data (5) in the form of requirements for and/or guidelines for the operation of the system, system-specific basic conditions and/or specifications are added to the flow diagram (4). A data-processing device (7) evaluates the flow diagram (4) to which the configuration data (5) have been added and automatically creates, optionally by accessing an archive (11) having standard planning solutions (12), a specific planning solution (9, 9', 9") for a secondary technology, which secondary technology meets the various requirements together with the planned primary technology.