SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FIELD DEVICE FEEDBACK

• US 20140236318A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Petzen, John Alexander, Kostadinov, Vladimir Dimitrov, Esposito, Sandro
• Granted Patent: US 9,389,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include a system and a method. In one embodiment, a system includes an industrial controller configured to control a first field device. The first field device includes an actuator and a positioner coupled to the actuator. The positioner is configured to position the actuator. The first field device is configured to detect an undesired condition and to communicate the undesired condition to the industrial controller by using a ReadBack facility of the first field device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an industrial controller configured to control a first field device;

the first field device comprising;

an actuator;

a positioner coupled to the actuator and configured to position the actuator, wherein the first field device is configured to detect an undesired condition and to communicate the undesired condition to the industrial controller by using a ReadBack facility of the first field device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first field device comprises a Foundation Fieldbus first field device configured to communicate with the industrial controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the Fieldbus Foundation first field device comprises a Foundation Fieldbus digital output (DO) function block, a Foundation Fieldbus analog output (AO), or a combination thereof, having the ReadBack facility.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the ReadBack facility comprises a Fault State Active sub-status code/category configured to indicate the undesired condition.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the Fault State Active sub-status code/category is configured to be transmitted by publish/subscribe protocol from the BKCAL_OUT parameter of the Foundation Fieldbus digital output (DO) function block, the Foundation Fieldbus analog output (AO), or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the first field device is configured to set the Foundation Fieldbus digital output (DO) function block, the Foundation Fieldbus analog output (AO), or a combination thereof to a Manual, Out of Service, or Local Override mode.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first field device comprises a valve having an inlet and an outlet, and wherein the actuator is configured to enable a flow between the inlet and the outlet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the positioner comprises a linear positioner configured to transform linear motion into an actuator position, a rotary positioner configured to transform rotary motion into the actuator position, or a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the industrial controller is configured to control a second field device based on the undesired condition, and the second field device is configured to provide redundant operations for the first field device.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising a commissioning system having a placeholder representative of the first field device, wherein the commissioning system is configured to use the placeholder to commission the first field device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an industrial control system comprising a gas turbine system, a gasification system, a steam turbine system, a wind turbine system, a water turbine system, a power generation system, or any combination thereof.

12. A method, comprising:

determining a state of a field device;

deriving a first indication of an undesired condition if the state includes an undesired condition, then;

adding the first indication of the undesired condition to a ReadBack facility; and

communicating the first indication to a control block.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein communicating the indication comprises using a Foundation Fieldbus communications protocol.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising placing the field device in Manual, Out of Servicer, or Local Override mode.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the ReadBack facility comprises a Fault State Active sub-status code/category configured to include an indication of the undesired condition.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising:

deriving a second indication of a recovered condition if the state includes a recovered condition, then;

adding the second indication of the recovered condition to the ReadBack facility; and

communicating the second indication to a control block.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the field device is included in an industrial control system comprising a gas turbine system, a gasification system, a steam turbine system, a wind turbine system, a water turbine system, a power generation system, or any combination thereof.

18. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions executable by a processor of an electronic device, the instructions comprising:

instructions to determine a state of a field device;

instructions to derive an indication of an undesired condition if the state includes an undesired condition, then;

instructions to add the indication of the undesired condition to a ReadBack facility; and

instructions to communicate the indication to a control block.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein communicating the indication comprises using a Foundation Fieldbus communications protocol.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the ReadBack facility comprises a Fault State Active sub-status code/category configured to include an indication of the undesired condition.