Abstract:
Techniques for streaming big data in a process plant are disclosed. Generally, these techniques facilitate storage or communication of process control data, including alarms, parameters, events, and the like, in near real-time. Receivers of big data, such as big data historians or devices requesting specific data, are configured via an initial set of metadata, and thereafter receive updated metadata upon requesting it from the transmitting device, such as when the receiving device encounters an identifier in the data, which identifier was not defined in the metadata previously received.
Abstract:
Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.
Abstract:
Techniques for automatically or autonomously performing signal processing-based learning in a process plant are disclosed. Generally, said techniques automatically or autonomously perform signal processing on a real-time signal that is generated based on the process plant controlling a process. Typically, the signal corresponds to a parameter value that varies over time, and the signal is processed as it is generated in real-time during on-line plant operations. Results of the signal processing may indicate characteristics of the signal, and one or more analytics functions may determine the sources of the characteristics, which may include a process element or device, a piece of equipment, and/or an asset of the process plant that is upstream, within the process, of the source of the signal. An autonomous signal processor may be integrated with or included in a process control device and/or a big data node of the process plant.
Abstract:
Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.
Abstract:
Flexible configuration of process control systems or plants allows draft changes or modifications to be made to parent process objects, e.g., in a configuration environment, without automatically triggering corresponding instantiations and/or downloads of the parent process objects and/or their derived children objects into a run-time system. Parent objects to which draft changes are allowed may include class objects, instance objects, and/or library objects. One or more modifications to a process object may be saved as a draft, and multiple drafts for a same process object may be saved as different versions. Children objects may indicate the particular version of a parent object draft from which they are derived. A user may indicate that a particular draft or version is to be published or approved. Unpublished or unapproved drafts are prevented from being instantiated in the run-time system, whereas published or approved drafts are allowed to be instantiated.
Abstract:
A regional big data node oversees or services, during real-time operations of a process plant or process control system, a respective region of a plurality of regions of the plant/system, where at least some of the regions each includes one or more process control devices that operate to control a process executed in the plant/system. The regional big data node is configured to receive and store, as big data, streamed data and learned knowledge that is generated, received, or observed by its respective region, and to perform one or more learning analyses on at least some of the stored data. As a result of the learning analyses, the regional big data node creates new learned knowledge which the regional big data node may use to modify operations in its respective region, and/or which the regional big data node may transmit to other big data nodes of the plant/system.
Abstract:
Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.
Abstract:
A regional big data node oversees or services, during real-time operations of a process plant or process control system, a respective region of a plurality of regions of the plant/system, where at least some of the regions each includes one or more process control devices that operate to control a process executed in the plant/system. The regional big data node is configured to receive and store, as big data, streamed data and learned knowledge that is generated, received, or observed by its respective region, and to perform one or more learning analyses on at least some of the stored data. As a result of the learning analyses, the regional big data node creates new learned knowledge which the regional big data node may use to modify operations in its respective region, and/or which the regional big data node may transmit to other big data nodes of the plant/system.
Abstract:
Techniques for automatically or autonomously performing signal processing-based learning in a process plant are disclosed. Generally, said techniques automatically or autonomously perform signal processing on a real-time signal that is generated based on the process plant controlling a process. Typically, the signal corresponds to a parameter value that varies over time, and the signal is processed as it is generated in real-time during on-line plant operations. Results of the signal processing may indicate characteristics of the signal, and one or more analytics functions may determine the sources of the characteristics, which may include a process element or device, a piece of equipment, and/or an asset of the process plant that is upstream, within the process, of the source of the signal. An autonomous signal processor may be integrated with or included in a process control device and/or a big data node of the process plant.
Abstract:
Techniques for streaming big data in a process plant are disclosed. Generally, these techniques facilitate storage or communication of process control data, including alarms, parameters, events, and the like, in near real-time. Receivers of big data, such as big data historians or devices requesting specific data, are configured via an initial set of metadata, and thereafter receive updated metadata upon requesting it from the transmitting device, such as when the receiving device encounters an identifier in the data, which identifier was not defined in the metadata previously received.