Unified Power-Process Controller for Low-Latency Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional combined controllers experience excessive control latency and require direct parallel hardwiring or the use of gateways and intersystem cabling for process and electrical control schemes, which is costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
A high availability controller that unifies process and electrical control domains within a single embedded controller, using a unified namespace that maps source device names from the power domain to unique process control names, enabling simultaneous process control and electrical signaling without altering existing protocols, and supports multiple protocols like IEC 61850 and Modbus TCP on common Ethernet controllers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct parallel hardwiring and interlocks are used to combine process and electrical control schemes, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges process control and electrical control into a single unified controller that hosts both IEC 61850 and Modbus TCP protocols simultaneously. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate controllers and their associated hardwiring, reducing device complexity while maintaining control reliability through integrated architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified controller performs multiple functions by supporting both IEC 61850 for electrical control and Modbus TCP for process control within the same device. This multi-functionality allows a single controller to replace multiple specialized controllers, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining reliable control across different domains.
2Adaptability or versatility
If gateways and intersystem cabling with marshalling cubicles are used to convert namespaces, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple protocol support (IEC 61850 and Modbus TCP) directly within a single controller, eliminating the need for separate gateway devices and marshalling cubicles. This integration maintains adaptability to different protocols while significantly reducing system architecture complexity by removing intermediate conversion components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional combined controllers are used, then functionality is improved, but control latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments control operations into separate asynchronous logical engines that handle IEC 61850 and Modbus TCP protocols independently. This segmentation allows each protocol to be processed without blocking the other, reducing control latency while maintaining full functionality for both electrical and process control operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller employs dynamic asynchronous processing where multiple logical engines operate independently based on protocol-specific requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to respond to electrical control events and process control commands without the rigid timing constraints of conventional combined controllers, thereby reducing overall control latency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A high availability controller for combining and unifying aspects of a process controller and an electrical controller. A unified namespace combines a process domain namespace and a power domain namespace in a common database of the controller without altering either. The unified namespace maps source device names of the power domain and unique process control names of the process domain. A common record set of sequence of events (SOEs) for the process domain and the power domain is generated and SOEs arising from the power domain are incorporated into the common record set. The controller performs process control and monitoring along with electrical control signaling and monitoring within a single control strategy directly from the controller.