Methods and apparatus for safety controls in industrial processes

• US 7,149,655 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ge-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sheikman, Boris Leonid, Frederick, Stanley Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S.
• Application Number:
  US10/880,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 702/182, 702/81, 700/174
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21109 Field programmable gate array, fpga as I-O module
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24125 Watchdog, check at timed intervals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25197 Optical, glass fiber

Abstract

A safety instrument suitable for use in an industrial application includes a logic card having a microcontroller configured to perform self-test of the instrument and surveillance functions of an external system that is monitored and/or controlled by the instrument. The logic card also includes at least one complex programmable logic device (CPLD) configured to execute logic functions relating to human safety requirements of the external system independently of the microcontroller and to provide address decoding, input/output addressing, and/or registers for the microcontroller. The instrument further includes one or more I/O modules that are operatively coupled to the logic card to communicate monitor signals and/or control signals from the logic card to the external system.

Claims

1. A safety instrument suitable for use in an industrial application, said instrument comprising:

a logic card including a microcontroller configured to perform self-test of said instrument and surveillance functions of an external system at least one of monitored or controlled by the instrument, and at least one complex programmable logic device (CPLD) configured to execute logic functions relating to human safety requirements of said external system independently of said microcontroller and to provide at least one of address decoding, input/output addressing, or registers for said microcontroller;

one or more I/O modules operatively coupled to said logic card to communicate at least one of monitor signals or control signals from the logic card to the external system; and

non-volatile RAM, and said microcontroller configured to store time-stamped error data in said non-volatile RAM.

2. An instrument in accordance with claim 1 further comprising redundant power supplies configured to provide power to said logic card and I/O modules.

3. An instrument in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a front panel having indicators controlled by said logic card, said indicators configured to provide a user of said safety instrument with information relating to said external system.

4. An instrument in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a rear panel wherein power supply voltages are provided for measurement.

5. An instrument in accordance with claim 1 wherein said time-stamped error data is related to said self-test and surveillance functions.

6. An instrument in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a plurality of relays including latching relays.

7. An instrument in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one fiber optic interface card configured to communicate signals between said external system and at least one of said microcontroller or said CPLD and to provide electrical isolation therebetween.

8. A safety instrument in accordance with claim 1

wherein said safety instrument is installed in a nuclear power plant.

9. An instrument in accordance with claim 8 configured as a diverse high pressure core flooder logic unit.

10. A method for providing safety features for an industrial plant, said method comprising:

operating a microprocessor on a logic card to at least one of monitor or surveil an external system;

operating a complex programmable logic device on the logic card independently of the microcontroller to execute logic functions relating to human safety requirements of the external system and to provide at least one of address decoding, input/output addressing, or registers for said microcontroller;

using the microcontroller to store time-stamped error data in a non-volatile RAM on the logic board; and

communicating at least one of monitor signals or control signals to the external system via one or more I/O modules.

11. An method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising power to said logic card and I/O modules using redundant power supplies.

12. An method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising controlling front panel indicators using the logic card, said indicators configured to provide a user of said safety instrument with information relating to said external system.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising providing power supply voltages at a rear panel for measurement.

14. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said time-stamped error data is related to said self-test and surveillance functions.

15. A method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising operating a plurality of relays including latching relays to communicating at least one of monitor signals or control signals to the external system.

16. A method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising communicating signals between said external system and at least one of said microcontroller or said CPLD via at least one fiber optic interface card configured to provide electrical isolation therebetween.

17. A method in accordance with claim 10 performed in a nuclear power plant.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein said logic functions relating to human safety comprise operations relating to flooding a core of the nuclear power plant.