Custom logic engineering of an industrial modular plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11650574-B2
Application number	US-202117559014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2021
Priority date	Dec 23, 2020
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

Abstract

A method for custom logic engineering in an industrial modular plant executing a production process includes receiving process data for the production process using at least one physical process module; determining a custom process topology by selecting, based on the received process data, at least one module type package, MTP; correlating to the at least one respective physical process module from a database, wherein the module type package is a digital representation of the respective physical process module; selecting at least one extender unit from the database based on the received process data; representing a logical function of the production process; determining connections between the extender unit(s) and the at least one MTP; setting properties of the extender unit(s) based on the received process data; and determining an extended control scheme for controlling dynamic behavior of the production process using the determined custom process topology.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for custom logic engineering in an industrial modular plant executing a production process, comprising the steps:
receiving process data for the production process using at least one physical process module;
determining a custom process topology, by
selecting, based on the received process data, at least one module type package, MTP, correlating to the at least one respective physical process module from a database, wherein the module type package is a digital representation of the respective physical process module;
selecting at least one extender unit from the database based on the received process data, representing an extended control of the production process;
determining connections between the at least one extender unit and the at least one MTP;
setting properties of the at least one extender unit based on the received process data; and

determining an extended control scheme for controlling dynamic behavior of the production process using the determined custom process topology, wherein the at least one extender unit comprises at least one virtual module type package, vMTP, modelling dynamic properties of multi-point material flow through passive equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one extender unit comprises at least one dedicated logic function.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one logic function comprises logical gate functions and/or unit conversion.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one extender unit comprises at least one smart connector, modelling dynamic properties of material flow, and wherein the at least one smart connector is used for the connections between the at least one vMTP and the at least one MTP.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one extender unit is visualized and represented like the at least one MTP when determining the extended control scheme.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extended control scheme is determined in a process orchestration layer, POL, making the extended control of the production process visible.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of implementing the control scheme on the POL using a sequential flow chart, SFC.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of operating the modular plant using the control scheme.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the at least one extender unit comprises loading the at least one extender unit from a library and/or deriving the at least one extender unit from model data, in particular CAD-data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the at least one extender unit comprises extracting the at least one extender unit from a process flow diagram, in particular a pipe and instrumentation diagram.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by one or more processors, facilitate:
receiving process data for the production process using at least one physical process module;
determining a custom process topology, by
selecting, based on the received process data, at least one module type package, MTP, correlating to the at least one respective physical process module from a database, wherein the module type package is a digital representation of the respective physical process module;
selecting at least one extender unit from the database based on the received process data, representing an extended control of the production process;
determining connections between the at least one extender unit and the at least one MTP;
setting properties of the at least one extender unit based on the received process data; and

determining an extended control scheme for controlling dynamic behavior of the production process using the determined custom process topology, wherein the at least one extender unit comprises at least one virtual module type package, vMTP, modelling dynamic properties of multi-point material flow through passive equipment.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one extender unit comprises at least one dedicated logic function.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one logic function comprises logical gate functions and/or unit conversion.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one extender unit comprises at least one smart connector, modelling dynamic properties of material flow, and wherein the at least one smart connector is used for the connections between the at least one vMTP and the at least one MTP.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the at least one extender unit is visualized and represented like the at least one MTP when determining the extended control scheme.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the extended control scheme is determined in a process orchestration layer, POL, making the extended control of the production process visible.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, facilitate at least one of:
implementing the control scheme on the POL using a sequential flow chart, SFC; and
operating the modular plant using the control scheme.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein selecting the at least one extender unit comprises at least one of:
loading the at least one extender unit from a library and/or derive the at least one extender unit from model data, in particular CAD-data; and
extracting the at least one extender unit from a process flow diagram, in particular a pipe and instrumentation diagram.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Schulz Dirk
• Stark Katharina
• Hoernicke Mario

Classifications

• Y02P90/30

  Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing · CPC title

• G05B2219/31334

  Database with devices, configuration, of plant · CPC title

• G06Q10/06315

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• G05B19/4155 Primary

  characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program · CPC title

• G05B2219/32252

  Scheduling production, machining, job shop · CPC title