Control system simulation, testing, and operator training

• US 20040064253A1
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluor Enterprises Incorporated (Fluor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fluor Enterprises Incorporated (Fluor Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Eric D., Ghormley, Christopher S., Dallas, Mark, Addleman, Shane R., Scharold, Paul G., Brayton, D. Dwight, Romero, Stephen G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,823,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13174 Pc, computer connected to plc to simulate machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24058 Remote testing, monitoring independent from normal control by pc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24061 Simulator, generates input signals, shows output signals of logic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/02 of industrial processes; of machinery

Abstract

A requirements database and test generator generates tests for functional and field testing and generates requirements documentation. user manuals, operational procedures, instrument data sheets, instrument indices, instrument loop diagrams, validation reports, and test reports, including exception and passing reports. A portable process control simulator (120) system which provides control system (900) users with scenarios that mirror field operation as defined.

Claims

1. A test system for testing a control system comprising:

a configurator having a set of tags, each tag being a label which corresponds to a component of the control system to be tested; and

a set of requirements wherein each requirement comprises at least one tag and at least one Boolean operator.

2. The test system of claim 1 further comprising an I/O simulator, a mechanism for automatically generating at least one set of instructions for the I/O simulator from each requirement, and a mechanism for transmitting the at least one set of instructions for the I/O simulator to the I/O simulator.

3. The test system of claim 2 wherein each tag has a corresponding component type, and the configurator includes a set of parameter values wherein each parameter value corresponds to a component type and at least some of the parameter values are used in generating the at least one set of instructions for the I/O simulator.

4. The test system of claim 3 further comprising a set of questions with the test system prompting an operator for responses to the questions and recording any operator response to the questions.

5. The test system of claim 4 further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) providing a mechanism for an authorized operator to maintain the set of tags, the set of requirements, the set of subsets of parameter values, and/or the set of questions.

6. A method for training an operator to operate a plant control system comprising:

simulating the HMI portion of the plant control system;

simulating the control portion of the plant control system;

simulating the plant itself;

coupling the simulated HMI, simulated control system, and simulated plant components together such that operator interaction with the simulated HMI results in the HMI being updated as if the operator was interacting with the HMI portion of a live control system; and

causing the operator to interact with the simulated HMI.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the HMI portion of the plant control system comprises a computer display screen, and simulating the HMI portion of the plant control system includes obtaining images of the display screen during operation of the HMI, and utilizing the obtained images in simulating the HMI portion of the plant control system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the simulated HMI, simulated control system, and simulated plant are each software based and stored on a removable storage medium.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the storage medium is a CDROM or DVD disk.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of simulating the plant is accomplished via a hardware simulator.

11. A method of testing and training comprising:

providing a control system to be tested;

providing an operator to be trained;

coupling a test and training system to the control system;

causing the operator to interact with the control system;

causing the test and training system to report the quality of the operator'"'"'s performance and the quality of the control system'"'"'s performance during the period when the operator was interacting with the control system.

12. A system for testing a control system comprising an HMI, a PLC, and an I/O interface wherein the system can test each of the HMI, PLC, and I/O interface either individually or in combination with each other.

13. The system of claim 13 wherein testing each of the HMI, PLC, and I/O interface is accomplished by directly manipulating the inputs and monitoring the outputs of the HMI, PLC, and the I/O interface.