Process model generation independent of application mode

• US 6,442,515 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1998
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Software, LLC (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Tanartkit, Purt, Varma, Gadiraju
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Hugh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broda, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US09/195,420
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 700/28, 700/95, 703/1, 703/2, 703/5, 703/6, 703/22
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31342 Design of process control system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A software plant process modeling system operates in multiple modes. The software system uses process unit models. A process unit model includes at least one equation and at least one variable. The software system sets a status of a variable in the unit model to a first state. The first state is associated with a first mode of operation. The software system then sets the status of the same variable in the unit model to a second state. The second state is associated with a second mode of operation. The software system generates an open-equation model in operating in multiple modes. The software system receives a modification to at least one process unit model. Thus, a user may create a single plant process model for operation in multiple modes.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a process unit model in multiple operating modes of a process modeling system, wherein said process unit model includes at least one modeling equation and at least one variable, said method comprising the acts of:

arranging a plurality of process unit models to create a flowsheet, where the flowsheet corresponds to a modeled process of a processing plant and the process unit models correspond to items of hardware in the processing plant;

generating a plurality of class macros, where a class macro from the plurality of class macros corresponds to an operating mode of the process modeling system, where the class macro includes status for variables in the plurality of process unit models of the flowsheet;

changing a mode of the process modeling system from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation termed a selected mode, where at least one of the first mode and the second mode is a mode that controls the processing plant with the process unit model;

selecting the class macro from the plurality of class macros corresponding to the selected mode; and

automatically setting a status of a variable associated with said process unit model of the plurality of process unit models corresponding to the flowsheet from a first state to a second state to configure the process model for the selected mode of operation.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the multiple modes further include a third mode of operation, further comprising the acts of:

changing a mode of the process modeling system from the second mode of operation to the third mode of operation;

retrieving a class macro from the plurality of class macros corresponding to the third mode of operation; and

changing the status of said variable from said second state to a third state in accordance with the third mode of operation.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein said first mode of operation is a simulation mode, said second mode of operation is a data reconciliation mode, and said third mode of operation is an optimization mode.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said first state is a fixed state and said second state is a free state.

5. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein said third state is a fixed state.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the act of visually displaying a symbolic representation of said process unit model to a user.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein said symbolic representation is substantially the same in said first and said second modes of operation.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the unit model equations are substantially the same in said first and said second modes of operation.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said process unit model includes a plurality of equations having a corresponding plurality of associated variables.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the class macro is customizable by the user.

11. A modeling system for analyzing a process model, said modeling system comprising:

a simulator configured to use at least a first set of equations to simulate the process model in a first calculation mode;

a simulation module configured to use at least the first set of equations of the process model to simulate a corresponding process in a first calculation mode;

a data reconciliation module configured to use at least the first set of equations to perform data reconciliation for said process model in a second calculation mode;

an optimization module adapted to perform optimization on said process model using at least said first set of equations in a third calculation mode;

an addressable storage medium adapted to store the process model, where the process model includes at least the first set of equations, wherein said process model appears substantially the same in said first, second, and third calculation modes; and

a macro module adapted to retrieve a class macro and to set a status of variables in the process model in response to a change in calculation mode.

12. The modeling system as defined in claim 11, wherein the macro module changes the state of at least one variable associated with said first set of equations in response to a change in the mode of calculation.

13. The modeling system as defined in claim 11, wherein said first set of equations includes a set of only one equation.

14. The modeling system as defined in claim 11, wherein said first set of equations is customizable by a user.

15. The modeling system as defined in claim 12, wherein the state of said at least one variable can be set to at least one state selected from a group of states, including at least an independent state and a free state.

16. A process modeling system configured to reuse a unit model in multiple operating modes of a process modeling system, wherein said unit model includes at least one equation set, said process modeling system comprising:

a means for receiving a user modification of said at least one equation set;

a means for storing a plurality of status states of a variables associated with said modified equation set, where the plurality of status states are related to the multiple operating modes;

a means for receiving an indication of a change in operating mode;

a means for selecting the status states from the plurality of status states that correspond to change in the mode of operation;

a means for setting said variable status to a new set of states in response to the change in the mode of operation.

17. A user-accessible design module configured to analyze process models, said module stored in a computer readable memory, said module comprising:

a plurality of unit models corresponding to the process models, where a unit model from the plurality of unit models has a first set of equations;

at least a first calculation system that simulates a process corresponding to the said unit model using at least said first set of equations;

a second calculation system configured to perform data reconciliation for said unit model using at least said first set of equations;

a third calculation system configured to perform optimization on said process model using at least said first set of equations; and

a control system adapted to provide the first calculation system, the second calculation system, and the third calculation system with status of variables of the first set. of equations in response to the activation of the respective first calculation system, the second calculation system, and the third calculation system.

18. A system for analyzing a process model that controls a plant, where the process model includes a set of equations and a set of variables, said system comprising:

a storage medium adapted to store the process model and a corresponding class macro, where the class macro includes instructions to set the variables in the process model for the analysis mode of the system;

a computer adapted to simulate, to reconcile, and to optimize the process model, where the computer is configured to simulate a process corresponding to the process model with said set of process model equations and the set of variables, where the computer is also configured to reconcile data of the set of variables with said set of process model equations and the set of variables, where the computer is further configured to optimize said set of process model equations and the set of variables, where the computer is further configured to automatically reconfigure the process model in response to a change in analysis mode by interpretation of the instructions in the class macro; and

a plurality of interfaces between the computer and the process units corresponding to the equations in the process model.

19. A system for analyzing a plant operation, said system comprising:

a computer system adapted to execute process calculation routines including a first calculation routine configured to be executed by said computer system, said first calculation routine configured to simulate a process model, said process model including a set of equations and a set of variables, a second calculation mode configured to be executed by said computer system, said second calculation mode configured to perform data reconciliation using said set of process model equations, a third calculation mode configured to be executed by said computer system, said third calculation mode configured to perform optimization on said process model using said set of process model equations, where the computer system is configured to select calculation mode and to select a corresponding portion of a class macro in response to the selected calculation mode, where the portion of the class macro includes instructions that automatically set variables in the set of process model equations based on the selected calculation mode;

a storage system adapted to store process modeling information and to store the class macro, said storage system coupled to said computer system to provide access to said modeling information to said process calculation routines; and

a plant coupled to said computer, said plant providing plant operating data to said computer system for use in at least one of said calculation modes.