System and method for computer simulations

• US 8,793,292 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Mannepalli, Rao Y., Albertelli, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, James E
• Application Number:
  US12/604,501
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 707/821, 707/828, 707/912, 707/940, 703/18
• US Class Current: 707/828
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31419 Select file from a list, directory
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system and computer-implemented method for tracking and displaying computer files used in computer simulations of engineered or industrial process plants. The system includes a computer processor, computer readable medium, and control logic stored on the computer readable medium and executed by the processor. The processor is operative to run the computer simulation of the plant and automatically compiles a list of all files used and/or created during the simulation. In one embodiment, the list includes information about the location/path of each file on the system and its associated software program required to open and view the file contents. The list may further be displayed to a system user and allows the selection of one or more files to be viewed. The processor retrieves, opens, and displays the selected files from the system to the user.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and displaying computer files usable in computer simulations of an engineered process plant, comprising:

a computer processor and computer readable medium accessible to the processor;

a plurality of grid computers, each grid computer configured to receive instructions from said computer processor;

control logic stored on the computer readable medium and executed by the processor, the processor when executing the control logic being operative to;

implement a data object that tracks, stores, retrieves and displays all simulation-related files used or created during the computer simulations, said data object configured to receive data and instructions from one or more grid computers of said plurality of grid computers performing the computer simulations, in real time during the computer simulations, wherein each grid computer is configured to run at least one of a plurality of different modeling calculations;

run the simulations of the process plant, compile a list of all simulation-related files used or created during the simulations by storing information identifying each simulation-related file in the data object;

display the list; and

automatically associate, in real-time during the simulations, each simulation-related file with a software program required to open and display the contents of each simulation-related file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to store a full path name of each simulation-related file on the list by storing information identifying each simulation-related file from the data object, and recording the information identifying each said file in a tracking-review file created by the processor and stored on the computer readable medium.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the full path name of each simulation-related file is added to the tracking-review file in real time as the simulation is run by the processor for retrieving each simulation-related file.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further operative to:

receive a selection request by a user to view at least one of the displayed simulation-related files;

retrieve each requested file using the full path name of each requested file; and

automatically open and display the contents of each requested file on a graphic display device to the user using the software program associated with each requested file.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operative to sort the simulation-related files according to file type and display the list of simulation-related files grouped by file types.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further operative to retrieve a tracking-review file from a previously run simulation based on receiving a request input into the system by a user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the list of simulation-related files includes files selected from the group consisting of design details files, data files, and results files.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulation-related files contain information used in running a computer simulation of a solar thermal energy power generation plant.

9. A method performed by a computer processor executing program instructions for tracking and displaying computer files used in running computer simulations of an engineered process plant, the method comprising:

running a computer simulation of the process plant on a computer system including a computer processor and computer readable medium operably accessible to the processor and containing program instructions executed by the processor, wherein the computer simulation is run on a plurality of grid computers, each grid computer configured to receive instructions from the computer processor;

the processor implementing a data object that tracks, stores, retrieves and displays all simulation-related files used or created during the computer simulations, said data object configured to receive data and instructions from one or more grid computers of said plurality of grid computers performing the computer simulations in real time during the computer simulation, wherein each grid computer is configured to run at least one of a plurality of different modeling calculations;

compiling a list, during the simulation, of all simulation-related files used or created during the simulation by storing information identifying each simulation-related file in the data object;

automatically associating, in real-time during the simulation, each simulation-related file with a respective software program required to open and display the contents of each simulation-related file; and

the processor displaying the list of simulation-related files in the data object to a user on a graphic display device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the processor sorting the simulation-related files according to file type and displaying the simulation-related files grouped by file types.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the processor receiving a selection request by the user to display one or more of the simulation-related files, retrieving the selected file or files, and displaying the contents of the selected file or files.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the processor automatically opens and displays the contents of the selected file or files with the software program without the user specifying the program.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the processor storing the simulation-related files in one or more databases accessible to the system.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the processor assigning a name to the tracking-review file and storing the tracking-review file on the computer readable medium.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein before the step of running a simulation, the processor retrieves and displays contents of a stored tracking-review file from a previously run simulation based on an input request from the user.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the processor displaying a choice to the user to retrieve and view some or all of simulation-related files in the tracking-review file.

17. A system for identifying and displaying electronic files in a distributed computer system accessed or created during a computer process, the system comprising:

a computer having a processor and in communication with the distributed computer system;

a memory in communication with said processor;

wherein said processor is adapted to execute machine readable instructions stored on said memory, said instruction operable to cause the processor to;

implement a data object that tracks, stores, retrieves and displays all files used or created during the computer process, said data object configured to receive data and instructions from one or more grid computers performing the computer process in real time during the computer process, wherein each grid computer is configured to run at least one of a plurality of different modeling calculations;

use said data object to track all files accessed and/or created during the computer process, wherein said tracking includes determining a software program that accessed and/or created each file and automatically associating, in real-time during the computer process, each file used or created with a respective software program required to open and display the contents of each file used or created during the computer process;

store in the data object information relating to each file accessed and/or created during the computer process, wherein the file information includes at least the software program that accessed and/or created an associated file, a full path name of the associated file, and a type of the associated file wherein the type of the associated file is one of;

a design/details file, a data file, and a results file;

retrieve the information relating to each file from the data object and record the information relating to each file in a tracking-review file;

retrieve said file information for at least some of the files accessed and/or created during the computer process from the tracking review file; and

display on a graphical display device, said retrieved file information.