Redundancy Manager for PLC Communication Reliability

Solution Overview

Problem

Modern petroleum exploration and drilling systems face high costs and downtime due to communication failures with remote tools, as existing redundant systems are expensive and not highly reliable.

Innovation Solution

A redundancy manager system that selectively forwards data streams from multiple master devices to a slave device based on prioritization factors, ensuring optimal communication and switching between valid data streams to maintain continuous operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple redundant PLCs are implemented to ensure communication reliability, then the system reliability improves, but the system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple PLC functions into a single PLC by integrating a redundancy manager module that handles multiple data streams from multiple master devices. This consolidation maintains communication reliability through redundancy while reducing the number of physical PLC units required, thereby lowering system cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The redundancy manager implemented within the PLC provides multi-functional capability by managing communication from multiple master devices through a single unit. This universal approach allows one PLC to perform the work of multiple traditional PLCs, improving reliability without proportionally increasing system cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple redundant PLCs are implemented to ensure communication reliability, then the system reliability improves, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple PLC functions into a single PLC by integrating a redundancy manager module that handles multiple data streams from multiple master devices. This consolidation maintains communication reliability through redundancy while reducing the number of physical PLC units required, thereby lowering system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The redundancy manager acts as an intermediary component within the PLC that mediates between multiple master devices and the slave device. It manages data stream prioritization and switching, simplifying the overall system architecture by centralizing control logic rather than requiring complex inter-PLC coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If data communication reliability is improved through redundant systems, then downtime is reduced, but the operational cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata communication availabilityVSAvoidoperational cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple PLC functions into a single PLC by integrating a redundancy manager module that handles multiple data streams from multiple master devices. This consolidation maintains communication reliability through redundancy while reducing the number of physical PLC units required, thereby lowering operational cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS7768908B2Systems and methods of providing redundant communication to an electronic device

Publication Date: 2010.08.03 SCHLUMBERGER TECH CORP

AI summary

In at least some embodiments a system may comprise a first master device, a second master device, a redundancy manager coupled to the first and second master devices, and a slave device coupled to the redundancy manager. The redundancy manager is operable to receive a first data stream from the first master device and a second data stream from the second master device. The redundancy manager is further operable to selectively forward one of the first and second data streams to the slave device according to a prioritization of factors calculated to optimize an amount of valid communication to the slave device.