Integration of process modules and expert systems in process plants

• US 7,647,126 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Samson, J. Dashene Aren, Blevins, Terrence L., Nixon, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman; Sean P
• Application Number:
  US10/590,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/17, 700/49, 700/79, 700/80, 700108-110, 700/50, 700/51, 707/104.1, 706/47, 706/60, 702182-185, 715/965, 703/6
• US Class Current: 700/49
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23424 Select construction element from function library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31467 Display of operating conditions of machines, workcells, selected programs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31469 Graphical display of process as function of detected alarm signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31474 Icon display for quick access of detailed information
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32342 Real time simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/14 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/12 characterised by design entry means specially adapted for CAD, e.g. graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 : Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 : Animation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 : Bus for use in automation systems
• 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 67/289 : Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/40 : Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/40 : Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
• 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: Y02P 90/30 : Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 : Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 : for process control and configuration

Abstract

A process control system element for use in a process plant includes a process module, which represents a logical unit in the process plant, integrated with an expert module capable of detecting and/or mitigating abnormal situations associated with the logical unit. The process module may include a plurality of process objects, each process object representing a corresponding physical entity in the process plant. At least some of the process objects may include simulation capabilities to simulate the corresponding physical entities. The expert module may be adapted to detect at least one abnormal situation associated with the logical unit, and may be communicatively coupled to the process module to receive data from the process module during operation of the process module. Because the expert module is integrated with the process module, a user can more easily configure the expert module to detect and/or mitigate abnormal situations associated with the logical unit.

Claims

1. A configuration system for configuring a process control system of a process plant, the configuration system comprising:

a configuration database stored in a computer readable memory to store a configuration of the process control system;

a process module stored in the configuration database, the process module comprising a plurality of process objects, each process object representing a corresponding physical entity in the process plant and providing data associated with the corresponding physical entity, the process module representing a logical unit in the process plant; and

a set of expert rules stored in the configuration database, the set of expert rules associated with the process module and adapted to be applied by an expert engine to detect at least one abnormal situation associated with the logical unit, the set of expert rules referencing the data provided by the plurality of processes objects of the process module.

2. A configuration system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the process objects of the process module include simulation capabilities to simulate the corresponding physical entities.

3. A configuration system according to claim 1, further comprising an execution engine communicatively coupled to the configuration database, the execution engine configured to execute the process module and to apply the set of expert rules during operation of the process plant.

4. A configuration system according to claim 3, further comprising a workstation having a processor with the computer readable memory being communicatively coupled to the workstation,

wherein the computer readable memory has stored therein programming instructions to configure the processor to implement the execution engine.

5. A configuration system according to claim 1, wherein the expert rules are configured to cause at least some alerts of the process module to be disabled if a set of facts are detected by an expert engine.

6. A configuration system according to claim 1, wherein the expert rules are configured to cause at least one alert to be generated if a set of facts are detected by an expert engine.

7. A configuration system according to claim 1, further comprising a process graphic stored in the configuration database, the process graphic comprising a graphical representation depicting the logical unit and adapted to be displayed on a display device during execution of the process module, wherein the process graphic is configured to depict information provided by an expert engine applying the set of expert rules during operation of a process.

8. A configuration system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration database includes a library of expert rule templates.

9. A configuration system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration database is adapted to keep track of versions of the set of expert rules.

10. A configuration system for configuring a process control system of a process plant, the configuration system comprising:

a configuration database stored in a computer readable memory to store a configuration of the process control system; and

a process module stored in the configuration database, the process module comprising;

a plurality of process objects, each process object representing a corresponding physical entity in the process plant, the process module representing a logical unit in the process plant; and

a set of expert rules associated with the process module and adapted to be applied by an expert engine to detect at least one abnormal situation associated with the logical unit, the set of expert rules referencing information exposed by the process module.

11. A system for monitoring a process control system of a process plant, the system comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable memory;

a process module stored in the computer readable memory, the process module comprising a plurality of interconnected process objects, each process object representing a corresponding physical entity in the process plant, the process module representing a logical unit in the process plant, each process object having a parameter memory storage to store parameter data corresponding to the physical entity represented by the process object, wherein at least some of the process objects of the process module include simulation capabilities to simulate the corresponding physical entities;

an expert module stored in the computer readable memory, the expert module including a set of expert rules associated with the process module and adapted to be applied by an expert engine to detect at least one abnormal situation associated with the logical unit, the set of expert rules referencing parameter data of the process module, the expert module including expert module parameters associated with evaluation of the expert rules;

a process graphic stored in the computer readable memory, the process graphic adapted to provide on a user interface a graphical depiction of the logical unit, parameter data of the process module, and parameter data of the expert module;

an execution engine stored in the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processor, the execution engine to execute the process module during operation of the process plant and to display on the user interface the graphical depiction of the logical unit, the parameter data of the process module, and the parameter data of the expert module; and

an expert engine stored in the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processor, the expert engine to apply the set of expert rules of the expert module.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the execution engine comprises the expert engine.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the execution engine is adapted to permit a user, during operation of the process, to select parameters of the expert module for display.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein the expert engine is adapted to permit a user, during operation of the process, to modify the set of expert rules.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein the expert rules are configured to cause at least some alerts of the process module to be disabled if a set of facts are detected by the expert engine.

16. A system according to claim 11, wherein the expert rules are configured to cause at least one alert to be generated if a set of facts are detected by the expert engine.

17. A method to facilitate monitoring a process control system of a process plant, the method comprising:

configuring a process module, the process module comprising a plurality of interconnected process objects, each process object representing a corresponding physical entity in the process plant, the process module representing a logical unit in the process plant;

configuring an expert module, the expert module including a set of expert rules associated with the process module and adapted to be applied by an expert engine to detect at least one abnormal situation associated with the logical unit, the set of expert rules referencing parameter data of the process module, the expert module including expert module parameters associated with evaluation of the expert rules;

configuring a process graphic, the process graphic adapted to provide on a user interface a graphical depiction of the logical unit, parameter data of the process module, and parameter data of the expert module;

storing the configured process module, the configured expert module, and the configured process graphic to a configuration database, the configuration database to store a configuration of the process control system; and

downloading the configured process module, the configured expert module, and the configured process graphic to a workstation in the process plant, the workstation adapted to implement an execution engine to execute the process module, to display the process graphic on a user interface, and to implement the expert engine during operation of the process.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising generating an alert in an alert system of the process control system using the expert engine during operation of the process.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising disabling a group of alarms associated with at least one of the process module or the expert module using the expert engine during operation of the process.

20. A method according to claim 17, further comprising permitting an operator to modify the set of expert rules via the workstation during operation of the process.