System and Method for Creating a Graphical Control Programming Environment

• US 20120253479A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radl, Brad
• Original Assignee: Radl, Brad
• Inventors: Radl, Brad
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A system and method for generating modeling software for processing control, such as power plant control, cement plant or other industrial control application, using models such as expert systems, fuzzy logic, genetic optimization algorithms, and neural networks to convert sensor data into actionable data, information and/or diagnostics. The present invention includes a graphical programming environment, graphical programming tools, graphical user interface (GUI), visual feedback, real-time refresh, run-time object swap, logic standby (safety recovery), modeling and optimization to allows a user to create a control system for an industrial process, and that allows the user to change the process without any manual compile, assemble or load steps other than a save and refresh pushbutton.

Claims

1. A method of generating a modeling system and supervisory control system for an industrial control process comprising:

providing capability to define inputs from said industrial process;

providing capability to define control points into said industrial process;

providing capability to define a plurality of program threads in a modeling application driving said industrial process;

providing capability to define a plurality of models usable by said application;

providing capability which after a user modifies and saves a file, said user can press a refresh button which then causes updates to all logic and calculated values relating to that file on the next scheduled execution cycle, with resulting changes in control parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said industrial process is a power plant or cement plant.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a snapshot feature that records all variables in memory creating a snapshot system state, wherein pushing a restore button restores all variables to said snapshot system state on the next scheduled execution cycle.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing data links which permit any number and type of data links to be defined and used with said application.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing a plurality of applications to run simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing capability to independently start or stop each of said applications.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling equipment at a cement mixing facility based on actual gas flow near the process including controlling gas flow through raw mills, controlling tertiary air or primary air in coal pipes, bypass ducts, kiln exits or ball mills.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameters such as temperatures and pressures for controlling NOx generated by a combustion process.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameters such as temperatures and pressures for controlling LOI (Loss of Ignition) or CIA (Carbon in Ash) generated by a combustion process.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameters such as temperatures and pressures for controlling generated CO.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameters such as temperatures and pressures for controlling emitted Hg species.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameters such as temperatures and pressures for controlling heat loss and efficiency of a combustion process.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameters such as temperatures and pressures to control distribution or amount of parameters of O2, NOx, CO, LOI, CIA and heat generated by the combustion process affecting performance of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system or a Non-Catalytic Reduction System.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the ability to control equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameters such as temperatures and pressures for purposes of controlling distribution and amount of one or more parameters of O2, NOx, CO, LOI, CIA and heat generated by a combustion process as it interacts with SO2 injection to affect performance of a precipitator.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the ability to control equipment at a power plant facility based on air, fuel and other process parameter for purposes of controlling the distribution and amount of one or more parameters of O2, NOx, CO, LOI, CIA and heat (temperature and pressure distribution) generated by the combustion process as it impacts the effectiveness of dust/ash collection of a baghouse and the aging/deterioration rate of material in the baghouse collectors.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the ability to control equipment at a power plant facility based on time between blowing events and duration of blowing events of water and/or steam injection and/or air injection from sootblowers including water injection temperature, air injection temperature, water injection pressure, air injection pressure for purposes of cleaning a boiler surface along with the path or surface designated to be cleaned with resulting impact on combustion products such as NOx, CO, LOI, CIA and heat. distribution).

17. The method of claim 1 comprising the ability to control equipment at a power plant facility that permits blending of fuel to optimize resulting emission profiles for NOx, CO, LOI or CIA.

18. A method of generating a modeling system and supervisory control system for a power plant with a combustion process comprising:

providing capability to define inputs from said power plant including temperatures and pressures as well as NOx;

providing capability to define control points into said combustion process;

providing capability to define a plurality of program threads in a modeling application driving said combustion process;

providing capability to define a plurality of models usable by said application;

providing capability which after a user modifies and saves a file relating to said combustion process, said user can press a refresh button which then causes updates to all logic and calculated values relating to that file on the next scheduled execution cycle, with resulting changes in control parameters to said combustion process.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said inputs also include O2, CO, LOI, CIA and heat.