Integration of graphic display elements, process modules and control modules in process plants

• US 7,110,835 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Webb, Arthur, Lucas, Michael, Nixon, Mark, Beoughter, Ken, Blevins, Terrence
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US10/625,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 700 17- 21, 700/65, 700/83, 700/96, 700/112, 700/113, 700/174, 700/175, 700/177, 700/282, 700/285, 703/3, 703/6, 703/7, 703/9, 702/188, 714/100, 714/1, 714/2, 714/25, 714/37, 714/40, 714 46- 48
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23255 Object oriented programming, OOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23261 Use control template library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Graphic displays, which display information about process elements and the manner in which these elements are connected within a process, process modules, which simulate the operation of the elements depicted within the graphic displays and control modules, which perform on-line control activities within a process, may be communicatively connected together to provide a combined control, simulation and display environment that enables enhanced control, simulation and display activities. Smart process objects, which have both graphical and simulation elements, may used to create one or more graphic displays and one or more process simulation modules, each having elements which may communicate with one another to share data between the graphic displays and the process modules. Additionally, function blocks within control modules executed in the process plant may reference the elements within the graphic displays and the process modules (and vice versa) so that control modules may use simulated data developed by the process modules to perform better control, so that process modules may perform better simulation using actual pant data from the control modules, and so that the graphic displays may be used to illustrate actual process data and/or simulated process data as developed by the control modules and the process modules.

Claims

1. A process control system element for use in a process plant having a user interface and one or more process controllers, the process control system element comprising:

a control module adapted to execute on the one or more process controllers to implement process control activities within the process plant;

a graphic display module adapted to produce a graphical depiction of a least a portion of the process plant on the user interface; and

a process simulation module adapted to simulate the operation of one or more physical devices within the process plant being controlled by the control module and depicted in the graphical depiction associated with the graphic display module, wherein the process simulation module is communicatively connected to the control module to communicate data between the process simulation module and the control module during operation of the control module.

2. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the graphic display module includes a connection element indicating a type of a connection device disposed between physical devices within the process plant.

3. The process control system element of claim 2, wherein the connection element indicates a pipe type connection device.

4. The process control system element of claim 2, wherein the connection element indicates a duct type connection device.

5. The process control system element of claim 2, wherein the connection element indicates a conveyor type connection device.

6. The process control system element of claim 2, wherein the connection element includes a connection status parameter indicting a status of the connection device disposed between the physical devices within the process plant.

7. The process control system element of claim 6, wherein the connection status parameter includes a state indicting that the connection device disposed between the physical devices within the process plant is operationally connected or not connected between the physical devices within the process plant.

8. The process control system element of claim 6, wherein the connection status parameter includes a state indicting that the connection device disposed between the physical devices within the process plant is running or is not running.

9. The process control system element of claim 6, wherein the graphic display module is communicatively coupled to the process simulation module to receive one or more simulated parameters from the process simulation module and wherein the connection element is adapted to receive a simulated connection status as one of the one or more simulated parameters and to display the simulated connection status as the connection status parameter.

10. The process control system element of claim 9, wherein the simulated connection status is adapted to indicate that the connection device disposed between the physical devices is at a limit, is good or is bad.

11. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module includes a simulation algorithm adapted to simulate process dynamics within the process plant.

12. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module includes a simulation algorithm adapted to simulate a cost associated with running the process plant.

13. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module includes a simulation algorithm adapted to simulate an efficiency of one or more elements within the process plant.

14. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the graphic display module is communicatively coupled to the process simulation module to receive one or more simulated parameters from the process simulation module and wherein the graphic display module is adapted to produce an animation within the graphical depiction based on the one or more simulated parameters.

15. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module includes a first portion stored in and adapted to be executed in a first computing device within the process plant and a second portion stored in and adapted to be executed in a second computing device within the process plant.

16. The process control system element of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the process simulation module is communicatively connected to the second portion of the process simulation module through an external reference.

17. The process control system element of claim 16, wherein the external reference is a stream element associated with a flow of material within the process plant.

18. The process control system element of claim 17, wherein the stream element includes multiple parameters identifying the nature of the flow of material within the process plant.

19. The process control system element of claim 18, wherein the multiple parameters include two or more of a name parameter, a pressure parameter, a density parameter, a temperature parameter, a composition parameter, and a flow rate parameter.

20. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the control module is adapted to receive a simulated measurement from the process simulation module and an actual measurement from a device within the process plant.

21. The process control system element of claim 20, wherein the control module is further adapted to use the simulated measurement from the process simulation module to perform the control activities within the process plant.

22. The process control system element of claim 21, wherein the control module is adapted to automatically use the simulated measurement from the process simulation module instead of the actual measurement when a status associated with the actual measurement is bad.

23. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the control module is adapted to receive a simulated parameter from the process simulation module and to use the simulated parameter to perform the control activities within the process plant.

24. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module is adapted to receive an output from the control module and to use the output from the control module to perform a simulation operation to simulate the operation of a portion of the process plant.

25. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module includes a stream element that represents a flow of material within the process plant and a simulation element that simulates the effect of a physical device within the process plant on the stream element.

26. The process control system element of claim 25, wherein the simulation element includes a simulation algorithm that models the operation of the physical device within the process plant.

27. The process control system element of claim 26, wherein the simulation algorithm is selectable as one of a number of predefined simulation algorithms.

28. The process control system element of claim 27, further including a library of predefined simulation algorithms for use in the simulation element.

29. The process control system element of claim 26, wherein the simulation algorithm is user definable.

30. The process control system element of claim 29, further including a graphic editor adapted to assist a user in defining the simulation algorithm to use in the simulation element.

31. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module includes a plurality of interconnected simulation elements, wherein two or more of the simulation elements simulate the operation of different devices within the process plant.

32. The process control system element of claim 31, wherein the process simulation module further includes a stream element that represents a material within the process plant, wherein the steam element is connected to one or more of the simulation elements within the process simulation module.

33. The process control system element of claim 31, wherein each of the simulation elements includes a simulation algorithm that models the operation of an associated device within the process plant.

34. The process control system element of claim 33, wherein the simulation algorithm for one of the simulation elements is selectable as one of a number of predefined algorithms.

35. The process control system element of claim 34, further including a library of predefined simulation algorithms for use in the one of the simulation elements.

36. The process control system element of claim 33, wherein the simulation algorithm for one of the simulation elements is user definable.

37. The process control system element of claim 36, further including a graphic editor adapted to assist a user in defining the simulation algorithm for the one of the simulation elements.

38. The process control system element of claim 33, further including a high fidelity simulation having portions thereof communicatively connected to the simulation elements of the process simulation module to provide high fidelity simulation parameters to the simulation elements.

39. The process control system element of claim 38, wherein the process simulation module includes a user operable switch adapted to cause the process simulation module to switch between the use of one or more of the simulation algorithms and the high fidelity simulation.

40. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module is adapted to produce a simulated parameter indicative of an operation of the process plant and to generate an alarm for display to a user based on the value of the simulated parameter.

41. The process control system element of claim 40, wherein the simulated parameter is an efficiency parameter.

42. The process control system element of claim 40, wherein the simulated parameter is a mass balance parameter.

43. The process control system element of claim 40, wherein the simulated parameter is a cost parameter.

44. The process control system element of claim 40, wherein the simulated parameter is a vapor state parameter.

45. The process control system element of claim 1, wherein the process simulation module is adapted to produce a simulated parameter indicative of an operation of the process plant, to receive an output parameter from the control module pertaining to an operation of the process plant, to compare the output parameter from the control module with the simulated parameter and to generate an alarm for display to a user based on the comparison between the output parameter from the control module and the simulated parameter.