Virtual DCS Deployment for Realistic Control Logic Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Testing control logic for distributed control systems in industrial plants is laborious, costly, and prone to errors, leading to production delays and increased costs due to the need for manual setup and hardware installations, which are not cost-effective for smaller installations.
Innovation Solution
A method for creating a virtual deployment of a distributed control system using declarative and/or imperative descriptions to automate the setup and testing process, incorporating an I/O simulator to provide realistic data, allowing for reproducible and optimized testing environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate hardware and software installation for simulation environment is set up, then control logic testing can be performed, but labor and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the target control system environment using virtual machines. Instead of setting up separate physical hardware for simulation, the invention replicates the control system's software environment on virtualized hardware platforms, allowing realistic testing without duplicating physical equipment. This resolves the contradiction by providing testing capability through virtual copying rather than physical duplication.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical/physical setup of separate hardware installations with a software-based virtualization approach. By substituting physical hardware configuration with virtual machine deployment, the system eliminates the need for manual hardware setup, operating system installation, and network configuration, thereby reducing labor and complexity while maintaining testing reliability.
2Reliability
If simulation environment is set up manually, then control logic can be tested, but time and cost increase due to tedious setup procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs automated deployment scripts and templates that pre-configure the virtual machine environment with necessary software components, control system simulations, and test frameworks. This preliminary automation of setup procedures eliminates manual configuration steps, significantly reducing the time required to establish a simulation environment while ensuring consistent and reliable testing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtualization platform automatically provisions and configures the simulation environment without requiring manual intervention. The system self-configures network settings, deploys control software, and sets up test scenarios automatically, transforming a labor-intensive manual process into an automated self-service operation that reduces both time and human error.
3Reliability
If simulation environment is configured manually, then control logic testing is possible, but human errors increase and quality decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By using virtual machine templates that replicate the exact target environment configuration, the invention ensures that the simulation setup precisely matches the production environment. This copying approach eliminates manual configuration errors and ensures high fidelity in testing, as the virtual environment is an exact replica rather than a manually recreated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated deployment system incorporates validation checks and configuration verification that provide feedback on setup accuracy. The system automatically verifies that virtual machines are configured correctly, network connections are proper, and software components are deployed as intended, preventing human errors from compromising testing quality.
4Reliability
If simulation systems are set up for each project, then control logic can be tested, but costs pile up for each commissioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal virtualization platform that can be reused across multiple projects and commissioning activities. Instead of setting up separate simulation environments for each project, the invention develops a multi-functional virtual infrastructure that can host different control system simulations, allowing the same hardware and software platform to serve multiple testing purposes and reduce per-project costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual simulation environments can be easily decommissioned after testing and their resources recovered for reuse. The virtualization platform allows rapid teardown of test environments and reallocation of computational resources to new projects, preventing the accumulation of idle hardware and reducing ongoing maintenance costs associated with permanent simulation installations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-implemented method (100) for creating a virtual deployment (10*) of a distributed control system, DCS (10), for a given industrial process (1), comprising the steps of: • providing (110) a topology (2) of the assets executing the industrial process (1), as well as control logic (3) for controlling these assets; • providing (120) at least one I/O simulator (4) that is configured to supply, to the DCS (10), sensor and/or actor data that is realistic in the context of the given industrial process (1); • determining (130), based at least in part on said topology (2) of the assets and on the control logic (3), a topology (11a) of devices (11) that form part of the DCS (10); • establishing (140), based at least in part on this topology (11a) of devices (11), at least one declarative and/or imperative description (12) of the DCS (10) that characterizes multiple devices (11) of the DCS (10), their placement, and their connections; • creating (150), based at least in part on the declarative and/or imperative description (12), virtual instances (11*) of the devices (11) of the DCS (10) and their connections in a chosen environment, wherein at least one device (11) of the DCS (10) is connected to at least one I/O simulator (4), so that the sought virtual deployment (10*) of the DCS (10) results.