Smart Process Objects for Unified Plant Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current process control systems in chemical and petroleum plants face difficulties in integrating system-level error detection and simulation, particularly in animating material flows and modeling conditions such as flow and mass balances across diverse plant locations, with operator displays lacking the capability to present system-level information effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of smart process objects that combine graphical and simulation elements, allowing for the creation of process modules and graphic displays that model and simulate the behavior of plant entities, enabling system-level condition detection and integration with control modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate simulation and control activities are used, then simulation functionality can be provided, but system integration and unified control are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate simulation and control systems into a unified process control system where simulation objects and control objects share common data structures and communication protocols. This merging eliminates the need for separate simulation activities while maintaining both simulation and control functionalities within a single integrated architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The process control system is designed with universal objects that can perform multiple functions - serving both as simulation models and control targets. The same process objects used for control can simultaneously provide simulation capabilities, eliminating the need for dedicated separate simulation systems and reducing overall system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If operator displays show only local device information, then display simplicity is maintained, but system-level condition detection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into hierarchical levels - local device displays maintain simplicity while system-wide displays aggregate data from multiple sources. The segmentation allows operators to view detailed local information when needed while automatically receiving system-level condition summaries, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and comprehensive detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary processing objects that aggregate and analyze data from multiple field devices before presenting it to operators. These intermediaries detect system-level conditions by combining information from various sources and present processed information that maintains display simplicity while enabling comprehensive system monitoring.
3Measurement precision
If material flow animation is implemented across diverse plant locations, then visualization accuracy improves, but computational complexity and data requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital twin technology where virtual copies of physical process objects are created and maintained in the control system. These digital twins replicate the behavior and state of physical devices, enabling accurate material flow animation without requiring complex real-time calculations at each physical location. The computational complexity is transferred to the control system where data can be processed more efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
Smart process objects, which have both graphical and simulation elements, may be used to create one or more graphic displays and one or more process simulation modules, each having elements which may communicate with one another and with devices within a process plant to model and depict the operation of a process plant. The smart process objects may include one or more device objects, which represent physical devices within the process plant, and may include one or more smart connection objects which represent and model the flow of a material, such as a gas, a liquid, a composition of solid, electricity, etc., through a connection between entities within the process plant. The smart process objects may also include one or more smart stream objects, which also may represent and model the flow of a material at a particular point in the process plant. The smart device, connection, and stream objects may be interconnected to model the flow of material through the actual physical devices within the process plant thereby enabling enhanced simulation and modeling capabilities with the smart connection and stream objects providing a convenient manner of enabling different entities and sections of a process model to be tied to one another.