Time Lag Detector for Plant Timer Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety systems for plants erroneously detect communication abnormalities due to time synchronization issues between timers, leading to unnecessary plant shutdowns, as time synchronization between timers is not assured, causing potential false detection of transmission delays.
Innovation Solution
A detector and method that compares the transmitting time attached to data with the receiving time measured at the second device to detect time lag, using a communication abnormality detecting section with a narrower threshold value for time lag detection than for communication abnormality detection, allowing for pre-alarm notifications before plant shutdown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If time synchronization between timers is not assured, then communication abnormality detection can be performed, but erroneous detection of transmission delay occurs due to time lag between timers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a time lag detecting section that acts as an intermediary to measure and compensate for time differences between transmitting and receiving timers. By detecting the time lag and adjusting the threshold value accordingly, the system eliminates erroneous communication abnormality detections while maintaining reliable monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes the threshold value for communication abnormality detection based on the detected time lag between timers. By adjusting this parameter adaptively, the system accounts for timer synchronization differences and prevents false positives while maintaining sensitive detection of actual communication failures
2Ease of operation
If a single threshold value is used for both time lag detection and communication abnormality detection, then detection simplicity is maintained, but time lag causes erroneous communication abnormality detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the threshold value into two distinct components: a fixed base threshold for communication abnormality detection and a dynamic time lag compensation value. This segmentation allows the system to maintain operational simplicity while improving reliability by separately addressing time synchronization issues
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary detection of time lag between timers and pre-calculates the appropriate threshold adjustment before conducting communication abnormality detection. This preliminary action ensures that the threshold is already optimized to account for timer synchronization differences, preventing erroneous detections
Data Source
AI summary
A transmitting and receiving section transmits data to which a time measured in a first device is attached, from the first device through a communication line, and receives the data in a second device. A communication abnormality detecting section detects an abnormality in a communication between the first device and the second device on the basis of the received data. A time lag detecting section detects a time lag between the first device and the second device by comparing the time attached to the data with a time measured in the second device at the time of receiving the data.