Redundant SCADA Data Processing for Chronologically Coherent Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing SCADA architectures for industrial processes are non-redundant and cannot manage multiple high-availability controller models, leading to issues with chronological coherence and uniqueness of data, which is critical for ensuring reliability and availability over extended periods.
Innovation Solution
A high-availability control system with fully redundant controller models, featuring asynchronous and active redundancy in data collection and processing, along with a dual communication network and redundancy module to ensure chronological coherence and uniqueness of data, meeting availability requirements greater than ten years.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing SCADA architectures are used, then the system structure is simple, but the system cannot ensure high availability and chronological coherence of data over extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into multiple independent functional modules including interface modules for different controller models, a central processing module, operator stations, and communication modules. Each module operates semi-independently with defined interfaces, allowing the system to achieve high availability through modular redundancy without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements active-standby redundancy where the standby processing module continuously monitors the active module and automatically switches upon detecting failures. This parameter change from single-point operation to redundant operation ensures high availability while maintaining manageable system structure through automated failure management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple controller models are managed, then the system versatility is improved, but data chronological coherence and uniqueness become difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
Interface modules serve as intermediaries between diverse controller models and the central processing module. Each interface module translates and standardizes data from its specific controller model, ensuring that the central processing module receives uniform, chronologically coherent data regardless of the source controller model, thus maintaining data uniqueness and temporal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The central processing module implements a universal data processing mechanism that handles standardized inputs from multiple controller models uniformly. By establishing a common data representation and processing framework, the system maintains chronological coherence across diverse data sources while supporting multiple controller models.
3Reliability
If redundant architecture is implemented, then system reliability is improved, but data duplicate elimination and synchronization become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The standby processing module continuously monitors the active module's operation status and data processing state. This feedback mechanism enables automatic detection of failures and triggers seamless switching to the standby module, maintaining high availability while simplifying data management through automated failure response rather than manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The standby processing module is pre-configured and continuously ready to assume the active role. By maintaining the standby module in a prepared state with pre-established data synchronization mechanisms, the system ensures rapid failover without complex real-time coordination during failures, reducing data management complexity while ensuring high availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A high-availability control system for an industrial process including operator stations displaying information, and an interface including a pair of computers for each model, each collecting each item of data received by each controller having the model and eliminating the duplicates, wherein the computers operate in asynchronous redundancy. The system also includes a processor including a pair of computers that each receive the collected data, sort the data received as a function of their acquisition time, eliminate the duplicates and calculate an information group by acquisition time, wherein the computers operate in active redundancy. The system also includes managing the operator stations including one computer per operator station, each receiving each calculated information group and sending to the operator station each information group corresponding to the subset of information. The system also includes a duplicate communication network comprising a distributed redundancy module that manages the message exchanges between the computers.