Updating and utilizing dynamic process simulation in an operating process environment
First Claim
1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor to implement a system for use in simulating the operation of a portion of an operating process plant, the operating process plant including one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices processing physical materials to produce a product, the instructions comprising code executable to implement:
- a simulation system communicatively coupled to the operating process plant and including a plurality of simulation blocks and one or more communication links that communicatively couple the simulation blocks together, the simulation system configured to perform simulation of one or more pieces of equipment within the portion of the operating process plant, wherein each of the simulation blocks includes;
a process model that models the portion of the operating process plant;
a simulation routine that uses the process model to simulate the operation of the portion of the operating process plant to produce a simulated output value for an on-line process element;
an input to accept from the operating process plant an actual output value of the on-line process element corresponding to the simulated output value for the on-line process element;
a model regeneration routine that compares the actual output value of the on-line process element with the simulated output value of the on-line process element to develop an updated process model based on the comparison of the actual output value and simulated output value and that updates at least one simulation block by replacing the process model with the updated process model; and
a process control system having one or more control blocks connected to elements within the operating process plant to perform on-line control of a process,wherein one of the control blocks used by the process control system includes a process model to perform an on-line process control activity, and wherein the simulation system provides the updated process model developed by the model regeneration routine for one of the simulation blocks to the one of the control blocks for use by the one of the control blocks to perform the on-line process control activity.
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Abstract
A simulation system that includes interconnected simulation blocks which use process models to perform simulation activities for a process plant is integrated into a process control environment for the process plant in a manner that makes the simulation system easy to use and easily updated for on-line process simulation. The disclosed simulation system enables future predicted values as well as the current predicted values of process parameters produced by the simulation system to be made available for performance evaluation as well as to guide plant operations. Additionally, the simulation system is connected to the operating process plant to receive various on-line process plant measurements, and uses these measurements to automatically update the process models used in the simulation system, to thereby keep the simulation system coordinated with the actual operating conditions of the process plant.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor to implement a system for use in simulating the operation of a portion of an operating process plant, the operating process plant including one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices processing physical materials to produce a product, the instructions comprising code executable to implement:
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a simulation system communicatively coupled to the operating process plant and including a plurality of simulation blocks and one or more communication links that communicatively couple the simulation blocks together, the simulation system configured to perform simulation of one or more pieces of equipment within the portion of the operating process plant, wherein each of the simulation blocks includes; a process model that models the portion of the operating process plant; a simulation routine that uses the process model to simulate the operation of the portion of the operating process plant to produce a simulated output value for an on-line process element; an input to accept from the operating process plant an actual output value of the on-line process element corresponding to the simulated output value for the on-line process element; a model regeneration routine that compares the actual output value of the on-line process element with the simulated output value of the on-line process element to develop an updated process model based on the comparison of the actual output value and simulated output value and that updates at least one simulation block by replacing the process model with the updated process model; and a process control system having one or more control blocks connected to elements within the operating process plant to perform on-line control of a process, wherein one of the control blocks used by the process control system includes a process model to perform an on-line process control activity, and wherein the simulation system provides the updated process model developed by the model regeneration routine for one of the simulation blocks to the one of the control blocks for use by the one of the control blocks to perform the on-line process control activity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of simulating the operation of a process plant, the process plant including one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices processing physical materials to produce a product, comprising:
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storing a plurality of simulation objects in a computer readable memory, wherein each of the plurality of simulation objects is associated with a different physical entity within the process plant, each of the simulation objects including; a process model that models a portion of the process plant; and a simulation routine that uses the process model to simulate the operation of the portion of the process plant to produce a simulated output value for a process element within the process plant; enabling a user to communicatively connect the simulation objects together to develop a simulation system; executing the simulation system on one or more processors to produce one of the simulated output values for one of the process elements during on-line operation of the portion of the process plant; providing a means for the process model of one of the simulation objects to receive data from the process plant; regenerating the process model of the one of the simulation objects during on-line operation of a process based on a comparison between an actual output value of the one of the process elements and the simulated output value for the one of the process elements; updating at least one simulation object by replacing the process model with the regenerated process model; executing a process control system in conjunction with the simulation system to control the on-line operation of the process, wherein executing the process control system includes using a further process model to perform an on-line process control activity within the process; and providing the regenerated process model of the one of the simulation objects to the process control system to be used as the further process model to perform the on-line process control activity. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification