JP7619141B2 - Supply control system, supply control device, and supply control program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a supply control system, a supply control device, and a supply control program that control the supply of gas from a branch pipe branching off from a main pipe.

For example, in business establishments such as factories, there is a demand for a system that supplies gas for purposes such as air blowing at multiple locations within the establishment. The supply of gas is controlled by starting and stopping a compressor installed in the piping, opening and closing a valve, and other operations. However, when workers start and stop the compressor and open and close the valve, there is a risk of problems such as forgetting to operate the compressor or making operational mistakes. Therefore, there is a demand for automation of gas supply control. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a constant pressure air supply system that automatically supplies constant pressure air from a blower to a loop piping via a mother pipe.

JP 2011-157916 A

However, there is a demand for a system that supplies gas using various piping configurations in addition to the loop piping disclosed in Patent Document 1.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a supply control system that can be applied to various piping configurations and automatically controls the supply of gas.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a supply control device for use in the supply control system of the present invention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a supply support program that realizes the supply control device according to the present invention.

In order to solve the above problems, the supply control system disclosed in the present application includes a piping from which multiple branch pipes branch off from a main pipe, multiple compressors that supply gas to the main pipe, and multiple valves that open and close the main pipe. Each branch pipe is arranged to supply gas to one of multiple divided areas, and the supply control system controls the supply of gas from the branch pipe according to the process operating in each area. The supply control system includes a pattern master that records a predicted value of the flow rate of gas supplied from each branch pipe in association with a control pattern that indicates the operating state of each compressor and the open/close state of each valve, an acquisition means that acquires the state of the process operating in each area, a calculation means that calculates the required flow rate for each area based on the acquired state of the process operating in each area, a selection means that selects from the pattern master a control pattern in which the predicted value of the flow rate of gas in all areas exceeds the calculated required flow rate for each area, and a means for controlling each compressor and each valve based on the selected control pattern.

In addition, in the supply control system, the pattern master records control costs in association with the control patterns, and the selection means, when multiple control patterns in which the predicted values of the flow rates in all areas exceed the required flow rate are recorded in the pattern master, selects a control pattern based on the control cost from among the control patterns in which the predicted values exceed the required flow rate.

The supply control system further includes a flow rate detection unit that detects the flow rate of the piping, and if there is a piping where the flow rate detected by the flow rate detection unit is lower than the required flow rate, the supply control system includes a means for controlling each of the compressors and each of the valves using a preset emergency control control pattern.

The supply control system is also characterized in that, when the state of the process acquired by the acquisition means changes and there is an area where a paused process is to start operating, the compressors and valves are controlled with a start control control pattern that is preset to increase the flow rate in the main pipe that supplies gas to the area where the process is to start operating to the required flow rate, and then transitions to control based on the pattern master selected by the selection means.

Furthermore, the supply control device disclosed in the present application is a supply control device that controls the supply of gas from the branch pipes in accordance with the process operating in each region to a supply control system that is arranged so that each branch pipe supplies gas to one of a plurality of divided regions, and that includes a means for accessing a pattern master that records the predicted flow rate of gas supplied from each branch pipe in association with a control pattern that indicates the operating state of each compressor and the open/close state of each valve, a means for acquiring the state of the process operating in each region, a means for calculating the required flow rate for each region based on the acquired state of the process operating in each region, a means for selecting from the pattern master a control pattern in which the predicted value of the gas flow rate in all regions exceeds the calculated required flow rate for each region, and a means for controlling each compressor and each valve based on the selected control pattern.

Furthermore, the supply control program disclosed in the present application is a supply control program that causes a computer to control the supply of gas from the branch pipes in accordance with a process operating in each region to control the supply of gas from the branch pipes in a supply control system in which a main pipe is branched off from a branch pipe, a plurality of compressors that supply gas to the main pipe, and a plurality of valves that open and close the main pipe are arranged, and the computer is caused to execute the steps of accessing a pattern master that records the predicted values of the flow rate of gas supplied from each branch pipe in association with a control pattern that indicates the operating state of each compressor and the open/close state of each valve, acquiring the state of the process operating in each region, calculating the required flow rate for each region based on the acquired state of the process operating in each region, selecting from the pattern master a control pattern in which the predicted value of the gas flow rate in all regions exceeds the calculated required flow rate for each region, and controlling each compressor and each valve based on the selected control pattern.

The supply control system, supply control device, and supply control program of the present invention have excellent effects, such as being able to automatically control the supply of gas from branch pipes branching off from a main pipe in various piping configurations.

1 is a schematic explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a hardware configuration used in the supply control system disclosed herein; 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a piping system installed in a business establishment to which the supply control system disclosed herein is applied; 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply control device and a recording device used in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the recorded contents of a pattern master provided in a recording device used in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a supply control process of a supply control device used in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. 1 is a graph showing the relationship over time between the required flow rate and the supply amount based on the control pattern in the supply control system disclosed herein. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an abnormality response process of a supply control device used in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process start process of a supply control device used in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. 1 is a model conceptually illustrating an example of a process start process in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. 1 is a model conceptually illustrating an example of a process start process in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. 1 is a model conceptually illustrating an example of a process start process in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. 1 is a model conceptually illustrating an example of a process start process in the supply control system disclosed in the present application.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the following embodiment is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

<Application Examples>
The supply control system disclosed in the present application is applied to a system in a business establishment, for example, a factory, that supplies gases such as air and nitrogen from piping installed in the business establishment to various areas in the factory. The piping installed in the factory includes a main pipe and branch pipes branching off from the main pipe. The main pipe is formed of a rigid pipe. The branch pipes are made of pipes such as rigid pipes and flexible pipes. The factory is divided into a number of areas, and various processes are operated in each area, with gas being supplied from the piping to the area in which the process is operated. The gas is supplied from the branch pipe to the area through the main pipe.

1 is a schematic diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a hardware configuration used in the supply control system disclosed herein. The supply control system disclosed herein is controlled by a supply control device 1 using a computer such as a server computer. A recording device 2 using a computer such as a data server computer is connected to the supply control device 1. The recording device 2 records a pattern master 210 showing a control pattern used for gas supply control. A main pipe Pm and a branch pipe Ps branching from the main pipe Pm are installed in the factory. The main pipe Pm is equipped with controlled devices such as a compressor C that supplies gas and a valve V that opens and closes the main pipe Pm. Furthermore, the main pipe Pm is equipped with measuring devices such as a pressure gauge PG (flow rate detector) that measures the flow rate of the gas as pressure. In addition, measuring devices such as a thermometer and hygrometer that measure temperature and humidity are installed in various places within the area. The controlled devices and measuring devices are connected to an equipment control device PLC such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), and the equipment control device PLC is connected to the supply control device 1. The equipment control device PLC controls the controlled devices according to commands from the supply control device 1, and transmits measurement data obtained by the measuring devices to the supply control device 1. The equipment control device PLC controls various devices operating within the area, not limited to the controlled devices and measuring devices, and detects the operating status of the processes within the area and transmits it to the supply control device 1. The various devices such as the supply control device 1, the recording device 2, and the equipment control device PLC are connected via a communication network NW such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a dedicated line.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which one supply control device 1 and one recording device 2 are connected, but the supply control system disclosed herein can be modified into various forms. For example, the supply control system disclosed herein can be realized in various configurations, such as a configuration in which multiple computers are linked to form the supply control device 1, or a configuration in which the supply control device 1 and the recording device 2 are formed into a single device. In addition, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which one device control device PLC is used, but it can be expanded into various forms, such as using a main device control device that manages the entire system and multiple secondary device control devices installed for each area.

2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a piping system arranged in a business establishment to which the supply control system disclosed in the present application is applied. In FIG. 2, a schematic piping system diagram is superimposed on a schematic floor plan of the business establishment, i.e., a factory, so that the arrangement position can be understood. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the factory is divided into six areas from area A to area F. In FIG. 2, the double lines passing through each area indicate the main pipe Pm among the piping. In FIG. 2, the branch pipes Ps branching from the main pipe Pm are indicated by the symbol "○". As illustrated in FIG. 2, the main pipe Pm is equipped with a plurality of controlled devices such as a compressor C and a valve V, and a plurality of measuring devices such as a pressure gauge PG. The areas are set in consideration of various conditions such as the operation pattern of the process, the operation rate, the position of the valve V, and the position of the compressor C. Specifically, areas in which equipment that operates at the same time is arranged are divided so as to be in the same area. Therefore, for example, in an area in which equipment that operates at different times is arranged in a large number of areas compared to equipment installed in other areas, even if the area does not have a compressor C arranged therein, it may be set as an independent area. In Figure 2, some of the piping is shown in a loop, but the piping connections can be expanded into various configurations.

<Configuration of supply control device 1 and recording device 2>
Next, the configuration of the supply control device 1 and the recording device 2 configured using a computer will be described. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply control device 1 and the recording device 2 used in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. The supply control device 1 configured using a computer such as a server computer includes various components such as a control unit 10, a recording unit 11, and a communication unit 12. In the present embodiment, an embodiment in which the supply control device 1 is configured using one computer will be described, but the supply control device 1 may be configured by linking multiple computers.

The control unit 10 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that includes various circuits such as an information processing circuit, a timer circuit, and a register circuit, and executes processes to control the entire device.

The recording unit 11 is a recording device configured using non-volatile memory such as a hard disk, SSD (Solid State Drive), RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks), flash memory, and various types of volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The recording unit 11 records programs such as a basic program (OS: Operating System) and application programs (application programs) that run on the basic program. The recording unit 11 records the supply control program 110 disclosed in the present application as an application program.

The communication unit 12 is a communication device such as a communication adapter and a control circuit that connects to the communication network NW and communicates with other devices via the communication network NW.

The supply control device 1 is connected to a terminal device via the communication network NW, and the terminal device has a display unit such as a monitor and an input unit such as a keyboard as a user interface, but it is also possible to configure the supply control device 1 to have a display unit and an input unit.

A computer such as a server computer configured as described above reads the supply control program 110 recorded in the recording unit 11 and executes the various procedures included in the supply control program 110 under the control of the control unit 10, thereby functioning as the supply control device 1 disclosed in the present application.

The recording device 2, which is configured using a computer such as a data server computer, has various components such as a control unit 20, a recording unit 21, and a communication unit 22. The components of the control unit 20, the recording unit 21, and the communication unit 22 have substantially the same functions as the components of the same name in the supply control device 1. A part of the recording area of the recording unit 21 is used as various databases such as a pattern master 210 used to control the supply control system.

4 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the recorded contents of the pattern master 210 provided in the recording device 2 used in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. The pattern master 210 is a database in the form of a table that records the predicted flow rate and cost of the gas supplied from each branch pipe Ps in association with the control pattern indicating the operating state of each compressor C and the open/closed state of each valve V. The pattern master 210 illustrated in FIG. 4 records the operating state of each compressor C indicated by the compressor ID and the open/closed state of each valve V in association with the control pattern ID that identifies the control pattern. The operating state of each compressor C is indicated by "ON" indicating an activated state or "OFF" indicating a suspended state in association with the compressor ID such as CMP1, CMP2, CMP3 that identifies the compressor C. The open/closed state of each valve V is indicated by "open" indicating an open state or "closed" indicating a closed state in association with the valve ID such as VAL1, VAL2, VAL3 that identifies the valve V. The pattern master 210 also records the predicted gas flow rate for each region in association with the control pattern ID. Furthermore, the pattern master 210 records the control cost (expense) in association with the control pattern ID. By referring to the pattern master 210, the flow rate of gas to be supplied to each region and the required cost can be predicted from the combination of the operating state of each compressor C and the open/closed state of each valve V.

The recording area of the recording unit 21 stores not only the pattern master 210 but also a database that records various settings such as the settings for each pipe, the settings for compressor C, the settings for valve control, the settings for areas, the settings for processes, and the settings for process communications.

<Control of supply control system>
Next, the control by various devices performed in the supply control system disclosed herein will be described. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of a supply control process of the supply control device 1 used in the supply control system disclosed herein. The control unit 10 of the supply control device 1 executes the supply control process under the control of the control unit 10 executing a supply control program 110 recorded in the recording unit 11.

The control unit 10 of the supply control device 1 acquires the status of the process operating in each area (S101). In step S101, the operating status of the equipment is acquired from the equipment control device PLC, and the status of the process operating in each area is acquired based on the process settings recorded in the recording unit 21 of the recording device 2. If it is determined that a process is switching in any area based on the process status acquired in step S101, the processing from step S102 onwards is executed. For example, the operating status of various devices installed in the process, such as power on/off, and whether the device is stopped, paused, starting up, not operating, etc., is acquired, and the process status is acquired taking into account the process settings.

The control unit 10 calculates the required flow rate for each region based on the state of the process operating in each region acquired in step S101 (S102). The required flow rate is calculated based on a reference amount previously set in association with the state of the process. For example, the required flow rate is set by setting a reference flow rate based on the average flow rate during operation based on past performance, and when the system is stopped or paused, half of the reference flow rate during operation is calculated as the required flow rate. Furthermore, the required flow rate is calculated by correcting the temperature measured by a measuring device against the previously set reference flow rate. For temperature correction, the minimum value of multiple temperatures measured by multiple measuring devices in the region or building is adopted, and the required flow rate is calculated by multiplying by a coefficient based on the minimum temperature adopted. The lower the temperature in the region or building, the higher the flow rate to be supplied to the process, so the lower the temperature, the larger the coefficient to be adopted.

The control unit 10 extracts all control patterns in which the predicted gas flow rate in all regions exceeds the required flow rate for each region calculated in step S102 (S103). The control patterns in step S103 are extracted by accessing the pattern master 210 provided in the recording device 2, referring to the predicted gas values in each region, and extracting records of control patterns in which the predicted gas flow rate in all regions exceeds the required flow rate.

The control unit 10 determines whether there are multiple control patterns extracted in step S103 (S104).

If it is determined in step 104 that multiple control patterns have been extracted (S104: YES), the control unit 10 selects one control pattern from the multiple control patterns extracted in step S103 based on the control cost (S105). In step S105, the control pattern with the lowest control cost is selected from the multiple control patterns. By selecting the control pattern with the lowest control cost, unnecessary startup of the compressor C can be suppressed, and manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

If it is determined in step S104 that there are not multiple extracted control patterns (S104: NO), the control unit 10 selects one of the control patterns extracted in step S103 (S106).

The control unit 10 controls each compressor C and each valve V based on the control pattern selected in step S105 or step S106 (S107). The control in step S107 is performed by transmitting control signals that control the start-up state of each compressor C and the open/close state of each valve V, which are shown as the control pattern, to each compressor C and each valve V via the equipment control device PLC.

Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship over time between the required flow rate and the supply amount based on the control pattern in the supply control system disclosed herein. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time, and the vertical axis shows the pressure indicating the supply amount. In Figure 6, the solid line shows the change over time in the required flow rate calculated based on the state of the operating process, and the dashed line shows the change over time in the predicted value of the flow rate according to the selected control pattern. As illustrated in Figure 6, the required flow rate changes over time due to changes in the process. The predicted value of the flow rate according to the control pattern exceeds the required flow rate, but because the control pattern with the lowest control cost is selected, it does not significantly exceed the required flow rate, and changes to follow the change in the required flow rate.

In this manner, the supply control process in the supply control system disclosed in the present application is executed.

Next, a process to be performed when an abnormality such as a decrease in flow rate occurs in the supply control system disclosed herein will be described. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of an abnormality response process of the supply control device 1 used in the supply control system disclosed herein. The control unit 10 of the supply control device 1 executes the abnormality response process under the control of the control unit 10 which executes the supply control program 110 recorded in the recording unit 11.

The control unit 10 of the supply control device 1 monitors the measurement data sent from the measuring equipment via the equipment control device PLC while the process is operating in each area. For example, the control unit 10 monitors the flow rate of the gas flowing through the main pipe Pm from the pressure of the main pipe Pm indicated in the measurement data. The control unit 10 determines whether the flow rate of the gas being monitored is below the required flow rate that is set for each area (S201).

If it is determined in step S201 that there is a location where the monitored gas flow rate is below the required flow rate (S201: YES), the control unit 10 controls each compressor C and each valve V based on a preset emergency control control pattern (S202). The emergency control control pattern in step S202 is, for example, a control pattern in which all compressors C are started and all valves V are opened. By starting all compressors C and opening all valves V, the required gas flow rate can be supplied to all areas and the operation of the process can be maintained. The emergency control control pattern can be set as appropriate.

If it is determined in step S201 that there is no location where the flow rate of the monitored gas is below the required flow rate (S201: NO), the control unit 10 repeats the process of step S201.

The control unit 10, which is controlling with the control pattern of emergency control, determines whether or not the steady state has been restored (S203), and if it is determined that the steady state has been restored (S203: YES), returns to step S201 and repeats the subsequent processes. In step S203, the control unit 10 determines that the steady state has been restored when, for example, it detects that the operator has performed an input operation indicating that the steady state has been restored, or when it acquires a change in the situation such as when all flow rates based on the measurement data satisfy a preset restoration condition.

If it is determined in step S203 that the steady state has not been restored (S203: NO), the control unit 10 repeats the process of step S203.

In this manner, abnormality response processing is performed in the supply control system disclosed in the present application. When returning from an abnormal state to a steady state, manual steps or semi-automatic steps requiring confirmation are provided as appropriate to control the system while checking the state and safety.

Next, a process start process performed when starting operation of a process in an area in a paused state in the supply control system disclosed herein will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the process start process of the supply control device 1 used in the supply control system disclosed herein. The control unit 10 of the supply control device 1 executes the process start process under the control of the control unit 10 which executes the supply control program 110 recorded in the recording unit 11.

The control unit 10 of the supply control device 1 acquires the status of the process operating in each area and determines whether there is an area in which a process that has been paused will start operating (S301). The processing of step S301 is executed when the status of the process operating in each area is acquired in step S101 of the supply control processing described with reference to FIG. 5.

If it is determined in step S301 that there is an area where a process that has been in a paused state will start operating (S301: YES), the control unit 10 calculates the required flow rate for each area (S302) and controls each compressor C and each valve V with a preset control pattern for start control (S303). The process for calculating the required flow rate in step S302 is substantially similar to the process in step S102 of the supply control process described using FIG. 5. The control pattern for start control in step S303 is a control pattern for increasing the flow rate in the main pipe Pm that supplies gas to the area where the process starts operating to the required flow rate after operation starts. The flow rate in the main pipe Pm is determined from the pressure in the main pipe Pm.

If it is determined in step S301 that there is no area in which a process that was in a paused state will start operating (S301: NO), the control unit 10 performs the processing from step S102 onwards of the supply control processing described using FIG. 5.

The control unit 10, which is controlling using the start control control pattern, determines whether the measured flow rate in the main pipe Pm of the area where operation is to start has increased to the required flow rate after operation starts (S304).

If it is determined in step S304 that the flow rate has increased to the required flow rate (S304: YES), the control unit 10 performs the processing from step S103 onwards of the supply control processing described using FIG. 5.

If it is determined in step S304 that the flow rate has not increased to the required flow rate (S304: NO), the control unit 10 repeats the process of step S304.

9 to 12 are models conceptually illustrating an example of a process start process in the supply control system disclosed herein. FIGS. 9 to 12 show a model of the start of operation of a process in area C in a business facility divided into areas A, B, and C. In the model illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12, a main pipe Pm passes through areas A, B, and C in that order. In the illustrated model, a first valve V1 is installed at the end of area A, a second valve V2 is installed between areas A and B, a third valve V3 is installed between areas B and C, and a fourth valve V4 is installed at the end of area C. In the illustrated model, two compressors C, a first compressor C1 and a second compressor C2, are installed in area A.

Figure 9 shows a starting state in which only area A is in operation, all valves V are closed, and only the first compressor C1 of the two compressors C in area A is operating. In the state illustrated in Figure 9, when the process in area C is operated, there are no compressors C in areas B and C, so it is necessary to supply gas to area C using the two compressors C in area A. In this case, if the control to open the second valve V2 and the third valve V3 and the control to start the second compressor C2 are performed simultaneously, there is a risk that the pressure of the gas supplied to area C will decrease. Therefore, a process start process is required.

Figure 10 shows the state in which the second compressor C2 is started from the state illustrated in Figure 9. By starting the second compressor C2 while keeping the second valve V2 closed, the pressure in the main pipe Pm in area A increases.

Figure 11 shows a state in which, from the state illustrated in Figure 10, an increase in pressure in the main pipe Pm in area A is detected, and the second valve V2 is opened as the required flow rate has been reached. By opening the second valve V2, gas is supplied to the main pipe Pm in area B, and the pressure in the main pipe Pm in area B increases.

Figure 12 shows a state in which, from the state illustrated in Figure 11, an increase in pressure in the main pipe Pm in area B is detected, and the required flow rate is reached, and the third valve V3 is opened. By opening the third valve V3, gas is supplied to the main pipe Pm in area C, and the pressure in the main pipe Pm in area C increases. When the pressure in area C increases, the process in area C is operated and a supply control process is performed, making it possible to supply gas without reducing the pressure. By recording in advance the control of each compressor C and each valve V shown as a model in Figures 9 to 12 as a control pattern for start control, it becomes possible to start a process in an area that has been paused, without reducing the supply pressure.

In this manner, the process start processing is executed in the supply control system disclosed in the present application.

The supply control system disclosed in the present application operates in the various states described above, and accumulates various information during operation in the recording unit 21 of the recording device 2. The accumulated information is used for processes such as creating new control patterns and updating control patterns. This allows the supply control system disclosed in the present application to improve the accuracy of the control patterns.

As described above in detail, the supply control system disclosed in the present application controls each compressor C and each valve V based on a control pattern that indicates the operating state of each compressor C and the open/closed state of each valve V. As a result, the supply system disclosed in the present application has excellent effects, such as being able to automatically control the supply of gas. Therefore, the supply control system disclosed in the present application has excellent effects, such as being able to reduce operational errors and improve workability, such as making work more efficient.

Furthermore, if a pressure drop occurs, the supply control system disclosed in the present application performs abnormality processing by starting all compressors C and opening all valves V. This allows the supply control system disclosed in the present application to automatically respond even if the amount of gas supply drops temporarily.

Furthermore, when starting a process in an area where the process is paused, the supply control system disclosed in the present application executes a process start process that sufficiently increases the gas flow rate before controlling the supply. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the gas supply rate when starting operation.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be implemented in various other forms. Therefore, such embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and is not bound by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, a control pattern for controlling compressor C and valve V when pressure drops is exemplified as an abnormality process, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to learn control patterns that can handle various abnormality processes. For example, the supply control system disclosed in the present application can be deployed to various processes, such as stopping the related compressor C when pressure rises above a predetermined upper limit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Supply control device 10 Control unit 11 Recording unit 110 Supply control program 2 Recording device 20 Control unit 21 Recording unit 210 Pattern master Pm Main pipe Ps Branch pipe C Compressor C1 First compressor C2 Second compressor V Valve V1 First valve V2 Second valve V3 Third valve V4 Fourth valve PG Pressure gauge (flow rate detection unit)
PLC Equipment control device NW Communication network

Claims (5)

A supply control system comprising: a piping system having a main pipe from which a plurality of branch pipes branch out; a plurality of compressors for supplying gas to the main pipe; and a plurality of valves for opening and closing the main pipe, each of the branch pipes being arranged to supply gas to one of a plurality of divided regions; and the supply control system controls the supply of gas from the branch pipes in accordance with a process operating in each region,
a pattern master that records a predicted value of a flow rate of the gas supplied from each of the branch pipes in association with a control pattern that indicates an operating state of each compressor and an open/close state of each valve;
An acquisition means for acquiring the status of a process operating in each area;
A calculation means for calculating a required flow rate for each region based on the acquired state of a process operating in each region;
a selection means for selecting, from the pattern master, a control pattern in which the predicted value of the gas flow rate in all regions exceeds the calculated required flow rate for each region;
and a means for controlling each of the compressors and each of the valves based on a selected control pattern ;
When the state of the process acquired by the acquisition means changes and there is an area where the operation of a process that has been suspended is to be started, the compressors and the valves are controlled with a control pattern of start control that is preset so as to increase the flow rate in the main pipe that supplies gas to the area where the operation of the process is to be started to a required flow rate, and then the control transitions to a control based on the pattern master selected by the selection means.
A supply control system comprising: 2. The supply control system of claim 1,
In the pattern master, a control cost is recorded in association with a control pattern,
The selection means selects a control pattern based on a control cost from among the control patterns whose predicted values exceed the required flow rate in all areas when a plurality of control patterns whose predicted values exceed the required flow rate are recorded in the pattern master. The supply control system according to claim 1 or 2,
Further comprising a flow rate detector for detecting a flow rate of the piping,
A supply control system comprising: a means for controlling each of the compressors and each of the valves in a preset emergency control pattern when the flow rate detected by the flow rate detection unit is lower than the required flow rate in any of the pipes. A supply control device for controlling the supply of gas from the branch pipes in accordance with a process operating for each of a plurality of regions, for a supply control system including a main pipe from which a plurality of branch pipes branch out, a plurality of compressors for supplying gas to the main pipe, and a plurality of valves for opening and closing the main pipe, the branch pipes being arranged to supply gas to any of a plurality of regions divided into a plurality of regions, the supply control device comprising:
a means for accessing a pattern master that records a predicted value of a flow rate of the gas supplied from each of the branch pipes in association with a control pattern that indicates an operating state of each compressor and an open/close state of each valve;
An acquisition means for acquiring the status of a process operating in each area;
A calculation means for calculating a required flow rate for each region based on the acquired state of a process operating in each region;
a selection means for selecting, from the pattern master, a control pattern in which the predicted value of the gas flow rate in all regions exceeds the calculated required flow rate for each region;
and a means for controlling each of the compressors and each of the valves based on a selected control pattern ;
When the state of the process acquired by the acquisition means changes and there is an area where the operation of a process that has been suspended is to be started, the compressors and the valves are controlled with a control pattern of start control that is preset so as to increase the flow rate in the main pipe that supplies gas to the area where the operation of the process is to be started to a required flow rate, and then the control transitions to a control based on the pattern master selected by the selection means.
A supply control device characterized by: A supply control program for causing a computer to control the supply of gas from the branch pipes in accordance with a process operating for each of a plurality of regions, the supply control program including a supply control system including a main pipe having a plurality of branch pipes branching out from the main pipe, a plurality of compressors for supplying gas to the main pipe, and a plurality of valves for opening and closing the main pipe, the branch pipes being arranged to supply gas to one of a plurality of regions divided into a plurality of regions, the supply control program comprising:
On the computer,
a step of accessing a pattern master in which a predicted value of a flow rate of the gas supplied from each of the branch pipes is recorded in association with a control pattern indicating an operating state of each compressor and an open/close state of each valve;
Acquisition procedures for acquiring the status of processes operating in each area;
a calculation procedure for calculating a required flow rate for each area based on the acquired state of a process operating in each area;
a selection step of selecting, from the pattern master, a control pattern in which the predicted value of the gas flow rate in all regions exceeds the calculated required flow rate for each region;
and a procedure for controlling each of the compressors and each of the valves based on the selected control pattern.
When the state of the process acquired by the acquisition procedure changes and there is an area where the operation of the process that has been suspended is to be started, the compressors and the valves are controlled with a control pattern of start control that is preset to increase the flow rate in the main pipe that supplies gas to the area where the operation of the process is to be started to a required flow rate, and then the control transitions to a control based on the pattern master selected in the selection procedure.
A supply control program comprising:

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