OIL FIELD PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20140269744A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: FLANDERS, Patrick S., DARAISEH, Abdelghani, ABEEDIAH, Saeed, HARTMAN, Ralph, AL-NUFAII, Abdullah
• Granted Patent: US 9,219,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/445 with switching in a hub, e.g. ETHERNET switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An oil field process control system including a field versatile control gateway component that interfaces with a plurality of field devices using a broad range of hardwired and wireless protocols, offering in-the-field monitoring and control of each of the field devices and communicates with a remote central control room, exchanging data between the control room and the field using a multiplexed protocol that offers high data speeds and bandwidth, enabling a significant reduction of the amount of wiring, and conduits and other infrastructure expenses that would otherwise be incurred for such a highly reliable communications system.

Claims

1. A field versatile control gateway (FVCG) operable to communicate with control equipment within a remote CCR and/or PIB and adapted to interface with a plurality of field devices that constitute a process control system, the FVCG comprising a microprocessor, memory, routing database, routing module, protocol translator, wireless interface card and antenna;

wherein the FVCG provides for control-in-the-field capabilities, and

wherein the FVCG communicates with field devices using one or more protocols selected from the group consisting of 4-20 mA, Fieldbus Foundation H1, on/off interface, wireless, serial, and EI, and

wherein the FVCG provides for multiplexed communication of data between the FVCGs and a central control location via one or more of a hardwired HSL protocol, a wireless connection, or a hardwired HSL protocol and wireless connection, and

wherein the routing database and routing module routes data between the field devices and the FVCG microprocessor and between the FVCG microprocessor and a remote CCR and/or PIB,

wherein the protocol translator converts field device data from 4-20 mA, Fieldbus Foundation H1, serial, EI and on/off interface protocols into HSL protocol for communication with the remote CCR and/or PIB

wherein the FVCG monitors smart field device self-diagnostics and applies the monitored diagnostics to the FVCG control-in-the-field capabilities, and

wherein the control equipment within the CCR and/or PIB monitors the FVCG status and determines whether to allow the FVCG to continue control-in-the-field, or whether to transfer control functions back to the control equipment within the CCR and/or PIB.

13. The FVCG of claim 1, wherein power for the operation of the FVCG is supplied by a plurality of power distribution nodes,

the power distribution nodes are supplied by power from a power conditioning unit with uninterruptible power supply (UPS) backup, and

the power conditioning unit is supplied by power from a utility power source with a backup from an onsite electrical generator.

15. The field versatile control gateway (FVCG) of claim 1, wherein the FVCG provides the ability to configure user-defined safety system degradation states used within the safety system voting, based upon the smart field device self-diagnostics and the risk associated with the specific safety instrument function (SIF).

16. The field versatile control gateway (FVCG) of claim 1,

wherein the FVCG provides a time stamp of each smart field device self-diagnostic fault with a clock synchronized with the plant-wide ESD system,

wherein the FVCG communicates the presence of detected faults to the central ESD system, to the DCS and/or to a local control panel, and

wherein the FVCG collects the elapsed time when device faults are present and wherein the FVCG may be configured to take the related process to a safe state after a defined length of time during which a device (or combination of devices) is in the degraded or fault state.

2. A process control system, comprising:

a. a plurality of field versatile control gateways (FVCGs) that interface with field devices, each of the plurality of FVCGs comprising a microprocessor, memory, routing database, routing module, protocol translator, wireless interface card and antenna,

wherein the FVCGs provide for control-in-the-field capabilities, and

wherein the FVCGs communicate with field devices using one or more protocols selected from the group 4-20 mA, Fieldbus Foundation H1, on/off interface, wireless, and serial, EI, and

wherein the FVCGs provide for multiplexed communication of data between the FVCGs and a central control location via one or more of a hardwired HSL protocol, a wireless connection, or a hardwired HSL protocol and wireless connection, and

wherein the routing database and routing module provide for routing of data between the field devices and the FVCG microprocessor and between the FVCG microprocessor and a central control location, and

wherein the protocol translator provides for conversion of field device data from 4-20 mA, Fieldbus Foundation H1, serial, EI, and on/off interface protocols into HSL protocol for communication with the central control location;

b) a plurality of versatile control interfaces, located in the central control location, that collect data that is transmitted to and from the FVCGs;

c) a central versatile control switch, located in the central control location, that collects data transmitted to and from the versatile control interfaces and that interfaces with a distributed control system; and

d) a plant routing controller, located in the central control location, that provides supervisory control of the routing of data within the process control network; and

e) and an interface with a distributed control system (DCS) and an emergency shutdown (ESD) controller.

3. The process control network of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of FVCGs communicate with one or more other FVCGs via HSL or a wireless protocol.

4. The process control network of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of FVCGs includes an alarm module that monitors the health of the communications channel between the FVCG and each field device, and between the FVCG and associated versatile control interface, and reports any faults detected to the CCR and/or PIB and assigns an alternative available healthy communication path for data transfer.

5. The process control network of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of FVCGs that is communicating with an associated FVCG includes an alarm module that monitors the health of the communications channel or channels between the FVCGs, reports any faults to the CCR and/or PIB and assigns an available healthy communication path between the FVCGs for data transfer, and assigns an alternative healthy communication path between the FVCGs for data transfer if the main assigned communication path health quality degrades.

6. The process control network of claim 2, wherein the central versatile control switch accesses and shares emergency shutdown and DCS data via a mapped Intelligent Safety and Control Integrator (ISCI) interface.

7. The process control network of claim 2, wherein the logic-in-the-field capabilities includes the use of an FVCG to perform local control functions, including a local emergency shutdown function.

8. The process control network of claim 2 in which the DCS is the primary control system and the FVCG is activated as the primary control system in the event of DCS failure or malfunction, or in the event of failed or degraded communications on the DCS.

9. The process control network of claim 2 in which the FVCG is the primary control system and the DCS is activated as the primary control system in the event of a failure or degraded communications on the FVCG.

10. The process control network of claim 2 in which a central logic solver is the primary emergency shutdown control system and the FVCG is activated as the primary emergency shutdown control system in the event of a failure of the central logic solver or degraded communications between the central logic solver and the FVCG.

11. The process control network of claim 2 in which the FVCG is the primary emergency shutdown control system and a central logic solver provides for secondary emergency shutdown control in the event of failure of the FVCG or degraded communications between the central logic solver and the FVCG.

12. The process control network of claim 2, wherein the central versatile control switch supports double or triple redundancy.

17. The process control system of claim 2, wherein the ESD controller performs an emergency shutdown function upon demand, and wherein one or more of the plurality of FVCGs performs logic-in-the-field functions for equipment that is geographically remote from the plant control room.

18. The process control system of claim 2, wherein the ESD controller performs an emergency shutdown function upon demand, and wherein one or more of the plurality of FVCGs performs logic-in-the-field functions to provide redundancy in the event the ESD controller emergency shutdown function is not performed because of communications failure or degradation.

19. The process control system of claim 2, wherein the DCS includes an alarm module that monitors the health of the FVCG, reports any faults to the CCR and/or PIB, and transfers the FVCG'"'"'s control-in-the-field functions back to the DCS if the FVCG health quality degrades.

20. The process control system of claim 2, wherein the ESD controller includes an alarm module that monitors the health of the FVCG, reports any faults to the CCR and/or PIB, and transfers the FVCG'"'"'s logic-in-the-field functions back to the ESD controller if the FVCG health quality degrades.

21. The process control system of claim 2, wherein the logic-in-the-field capabilities includes a plurality of FVCGs to perform a sequential local emergency shutdown function for multiple pieces of equipment.

14. A method of transferring responsibility for control functions from a field versatile control gateway (FVCG) to a distributed control system (DCS), the method comprising:

transmitting a “

request control transfer”

message from the DCS to the FVCG, specifying the devices for which responsibility is to be transferred and the time that the transfer is to take effect,

setting a countdown clock within the DCS to reflect the anticipated time of transfer,

receiving the “

request control transfer”

message at the FVCG, and setting a countdown clock within the FVCG to reflect the anticipated time of transfer,

transmitting acknowledgement messages from the FVCG to the DCS that acknowledge the receipt of the “

request control transfer”

message and the requested time of transfer,

transmitting a “

system parameter status”

message from the FVCG to the DCS, including the parameters of the devices for which responsibility is to be transferred and the local time recognized at the FVCG,

receiving the “

system parameter status”

message at the DCS, and adjusting the countdown clock in the DCS to reflect any deviation between the local time recognized at the FVCG and the local time recognized at the DCS,

transmitting an acknowledgment message from the DCS to the FVCG that acknowledges the receipt of the “

system parameter status”

message,

transmitting an “

update before transfer”

message from the FVCG to the DCS;

transmitting an acknowledgment message from the FVCG to the DCS that acknowledges the receipt of the “

update before transfer”

message;

transmitting a “

control to be dropped”

message from the FVCG to the DCS;

at the designated time control of the specified devices is transferred to the DCS and the DCS transmits a “

control taken”

message to the FVCG;

the FVCG transmits a “

control dropped”

message to the DCS after transfer of control is completed; and

an acknowledgment message is sent from the DCS to the FVCG, acknowledging receipt of the message that the FVCG has transferred control of the specified devices.