Virtualized Process Control for Seamless Controller Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Process control systems in industrial plants have shorter lifetimes than the plants themselves due to the limited lifespan of electronic components, necessitating frequent replacements and posing challenges in ensuring controllability and functionality during transitions, which is costly and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A process control system that utilizes a hypervisor to virtualize hardware, allowing existing and new controllers to coexist and evaluate controllability seamlessly, enabling safer and more efficient replacement by maintaining similar interfaces and operations across hardware changes, thus extending system lifespan and reducing evaluation time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the process control system is replaced with a new system to extend its lifetime, then the system lifespan is improved, but the controllability evaluation time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the original control system using software emulation. The virtual controller replicates the I/O characteristics, communication protocols, and control logic of the legacy system, enabling parallel operation and controllability evaluation without requiring physical hardware duplication. This reduces evaluation time while maintaining system lifespan extension.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer as an intermediary between the physical hardware and control software. This virtual controller acts as a mediator that can interface with both the old and new control systems, facilitating seamless transition and evaluation while reducing the time required for controllability assessment.
2Device complexity
If the I/O card is removed to extend controller lifetime, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to new functions decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal virtual controller that can emulate multiple I/O card types and support various communication protocols through software configuration. This virtualization approach provides multi-functionality without requiring physical I/O cards, maintaining reduced hardware complexity while enabling adaptability to new functions and protocols through software updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables adaptability by changing software parameters and configuration settings in the virtual controller rather than modifying physical hardware. This allows the system to adapt to new functions, protocols, and device types by updating virtual I/O parameters, maintaining low device complexity while achieving high versatility.
3Reliability
If the existing and new systems coexist for evaluation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple tag names
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the control system that maintains identical I/O tag names and communication interfaces. This virtual replica allows parallel operation of existing and new systems with unified naming conventions, improving reliability through comparison while avoiding the complexity of managing multiple different tag name systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If versatile electronic components are used in the controller, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the controller lifetime is limited to approximately 10 years
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical electronic components with virtual software implementations. By substituting hardware I/O cards with virtual I/O layers, the system eliminates the 10-year hardware lifetime limitation while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized virtualized architectures that can run on various hardware platforms.
Data Source
AI summary
A process control device (20, 20a, 20b) according to one aspect of the present invention is configured to control an industrial process implemented in a plant. The process control device includes: a virtualizer (22) configured to run over a hardware (21) in lieu of the hardware; and first and second controllers (23a, 24a, 23b, 24b) configured to run over the virtualizer and control operations of a plurality of field apparatuses configured to perform at least one of measurement and operation which are required to control the industrial process; an input distributor (41) included in the virtualizer, the input distributor being configured to distribute a signal output from the filed apparatus to the first and second controllers; and an output acquirer (42, 43) included in the virtualizer, and the output acquirer being configured to acquire outputs of the first and second controllers, and output any one of the outputs to at least one of the field apparatuses.