Smart process modules and objects in process plants
First Claim
1. An object entity for use in viewing and providing functionality in a process plant having a processor, the object entity comprising:
- a computer readable memory;
an object stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor, the object including;
a parameter memory storage adapted to store entity parameter data pertaining to an associated process entity during execution of the object on the processor;
a graphic representation depicting the associated process entity and adapted to be displayed to an operator on a display device during execution of the object on the processor;
one or more parameter data inputs or outputs; and
a method adapted to be executed on the processor to perform a function using the entity parameter data to produce an output related to operation of the associated process entity.
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Abstract
An operator interface within a process plant includes an execution engine that implements process flow modules made up of interconnected smart process objects that are aware of devices and other entities within the plant and that can perform methods to detect conditions within the plant, especially on a system-level basis. The smart process objects include a display element to be displayed to the operator, data storage for storing data pertaining to and/or received from an associated entity within a plant, inputs and outputs for communicating with other smart process objects and methods that may be executed on the stored and received data to detect plant conditions, including system-level conditions, such as leaks, errors and other conditions. Process flow modules, which may be made up of numerous interconnected smart process objects, may also include flow algorithms associated therewith to calculate mass balances, flows, etc. for the process elements within the process flow modules.
241 Citations
61 Claims
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1. An object entity for use in viewing and providing functionality in a process plant having a processor, the object entity comprising:
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a computer readable memory;
an object stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor, the object including;
a parameter memory storage adapted to store entity parameter data pertaining to an associated process entity during execution of the object on the processor;
a graphic representation depicting the associated process entity and adapted to be displayed to an operator on a display device during execution of the object on the processor;
one or more parameter data inputs or outputs; and
a method adapted to be executed on the processor to perform a function using the entity parameter data to produce an output related to operation of the associated process entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A process flow module system for use in a process plant having a processor and having a control system that performs process control activities within the process plant, the process flow module system comprising:
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a computer readable memory;
a configuration application stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to create a process flow module as one or more interconnected smart process objects, each smart process object including a parameter memory storage adapted to store entity parameter data pertaining to an associated process entity, a graphic representation depicting the associated process entity adapted to be displayed to an operator on a display device, and one or more inputs or outputs, at least one of the smart process objects including a method adapted to perform a function using the entity parameter data to produce an output related to process operation; and
an execution engine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor which executes the process flow module during operation of the process plant to provide a graphic associated with the process flow module and adapted execute the method to perform the function. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A process flow tracking system for use in a process plant having a process control system embedded in one or more controllers and further having a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more controllers, the process flow tracking system comprising:
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a computer readable memory;
a process flow module stored on the computer readable memory including a plurality of interconnected objects representing different entities within the process plant and adapted to receive data pertaining to the different entities within the process plant and to display to a user a representation of the different entities within the process plant as interconnected within the process flow module; and
one or more flow algorithms stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to interact with the process flow module to perform flow analysis for the different entities within the process plant as interconnected within the process flow module. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A connector object entity for use in viewing and providing functionality in a process plant having a processor, the connector object entity comprising:
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a computer readable memory;
an object stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor, the object including;
a parameter memory storage adapted to store entity parameter data pertaining to a connector entity within the process plant;
a graphic representation depicting the associated connector entity and adapted to be displayed to an operator on a display device during execution of the object on the processor; and
one or more inputs and one or more outputs adapted to be connected to other objects representing devices within the process plant to receive or send data pertaining to the flow through the connector entity within the process plant. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A process flow database for use in a process plant having a processor and having a control system that performs process control activities within the process plant;
- the process flow database comprising;
a plurality of smart process objects, each smart process object including a parameter memory storage adapted to store entity parameter data pertaining to an associated process entity, a graphic representation depicting the associated process entity adapted to be displayed to an operator on a display device, and one or more inputs or outputs, and at least one of the smart process objects including a method adapted to perform a function using the entity parameter data to produce an output related to process operation; and
one or more process flow modules defining an interconnected set of the smart process objects, each process flow module having an associated graphical view to be depicted on a user interface defined in accordance with the graphic representations of the smart process objects. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61)
- the process flow database comprising;
Specification