Safety Data Concentrator for Long-Haul Process Plant Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety instrumented systems in process plants face challenges in efficiently and cost-effectively communicating safety messages over long distances, particularly using high-bandwidth links which are expensive and unsuitable for lower-rate messages, while lower-bandwidth links struggle with fidelity and timeliness in maintaining safe operations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a safety data concentrator (SDC) and safety data de-concentrator (SDD) pair, which compresses and consolidates multiple safety messages into a single, concentrated message for transmission over a lower-bandwidth long-haul link, ensuring efficient and effective communication between remotely located portions of a process plant without requiring reconfiguration of existing safety system components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If high-bandwidth links are used for long-haul safety message communication, then communication speed and message fidelity are improved, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments safety messages into different priority levels and transmits them through different communication paths. Critical safety messages are transmitted immediately over high-bandwidth links, while non-critical messages are buffered and transmitted over lower-bandwidth links, thereby reducing overall bandwidth utilization and cost while maintaining communication speed for critical messages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic transmission of safety messages by buffering non-critical messages and transmitting them at scheduled intervals over lower-bandwidth links. This periodic action reduces the demand for continuous high-bandwidth communication while ensuring that safety information is delivered within acceptable timeframes.
2Loss of energy
If lower-bandwidth links are used for long-haul communication, then system cost is reduced, but message fidelity and timeliness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality levels of communication to different types of safety messages. Critical messages requiring high fidelity are transmitted over high-bandwidth links with guaranteed delivery, while non-critical messages are transmitted over lower-bandwidth links with acceptable fidelity. This local quality differentiation maintains message fidelity for critical communications while reducing system cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary message buffer and priority classification mechanism between the safety message source and the communication link. This intermediary sorts messages by priority, transmits critical messages immediately over high-bandwidth links, and buffers non-critical messages for later transmission over lower-bandwidth links, thereby maintaining overall message fidelity while reducing communication costs.
3Loss of time
If multiple individual safety messages are transmitted separately over long-haul links, then message timeliness is improved, but bandwidth utilization increases and costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple non-critical safety messages into a single consolidated transmission over lower-bandwidth long-haul links. By combining these messages and transmitting them together at scheduled intervals, the system reduces bandwidth utilization and transmission costs while maintaining acceptable timeliness for non-critical safety information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic batch transmission of non-critical safety messages over lower-bandwidth links. Instead of transmitting each message individually in real-time, messages are accumulated and transmitted periodically, thereby reducing bandwidth utilization and cost while maintaining sufficient timeliness for non-critical safety communications.
Data Source
AI summary
A long-haul process control plant includes a process control system which controls industrial processes running within the plant, and a safety instrumented system, servicing the process control system, which detects safety-related problems within the plant and communicates safety messages within and between portions of the process plant, e.g., to effect a trip or other mitigating action. To transmit safety messages between remotely located portions of the process plant via a low-bandwidth long-haul link, a safety data concentrator combines individual safety messages generated by the safety logic solvers disposed at one portion of the plant into a concentrated safety message, and transmits the concentrated safety message to a safety data de-concentrator in the remote portion of the plant. The safety data de-concentrator recovers the individual safety messages from the concentrated safety message and communicates the recovered safety messages to recipient safety logic solvers disposed at the remote portion of the plant.