JPH0810403B2 - Engineering method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an engineering method for engineering a sequence, particularly a batch process, and more specifically, a plant for designing a process and an engineering work for displaying means such as CRT. And an engineering method that can be efficiently performed using a data input means such as a keyboard.

<Prior Art> Generally, a batch process for high-mix low-volume production has features such as complicated rearrangement of processes and change of product, so a batch control system having a brand management function is required. Along with this, the engineering work of the batch process must be able to flexibly and easily follow changes in the batch plant and the batch process.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a conventional engineering method of this type.

Conventionally, a system constant is first defined, and then a unit (equipment, instrument) to be used is determined. Here, in many cases, the tag names of the devices / instruments associated with the batch process device / equipment are not yet determined at the initial stage, so the devices and instruments to be used are provisionally determined. Then, the batch sequences 1, 2, ... Are sequentially created, and after debugging, the equipment / instrument and the unit are changed based on the results, and the steps 2 to 5 are repeated again.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> However, this kind of engineering work is
Even if you slightly change the instruments and equipment used,
There is the annoyance of having to build separate sequence logics.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a method capable of performing engineering of a batch sequence from an initial stage and performing efficient engineering by minimizing the number of backtracking steps. is there.

<Means for Solving the Problems> FIG. 1 is a basic flowchart showing the method of the present invention.

In the present invention, engineering work is performed by the following steps. That is, the process
The similar devices existing in the plant are grouped (step 1). Then, a virtual unit model including devices and instruments that may be added in the future is created and general names are given to these devices and instruments (step 2).

Next, a sequence logic (unit sequence or process control sequence) is created based on this virtual unit model (step 3).

Next, debugging is performed (step 4), a real unit is defined (step 5), and the created sequence logic is assigned to the real unit (step 6).

<Operation> By introducing the unit model, coding / debugging can be performed with the generic name of the device / instrument even if the unit on which the sequence is executed and the device / instrument associated with that unit and its tag number are not determined. Becomes

Examples Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a structural conceptual diagram of a system for performing batch control engineered by the method of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an operator station, which comprises a display means 11 such as a CRT and a data input means 12 such as a keyboard. An engineering station 2 performs engineering work for batch control according to the method of the present invention, and is provided with a display means and a data input means, where a sequence logic suitable for a production facility or a production plan is created. A control station 3 is connected to the process 4, and the sequence logic (program) created in the engineering station 2 is downloaded.

The production equipment considered in the engineering work can be disassembled into the basic operating elements such as equipment and instruments, and these are integrated into a unit according to the operation mode of operation and monitoring (this is called a unit instrument). ).

As a result, in the control station 3, one or a plurality of switch instruments, electric instrument instruments, and other internal instruments correspond to the devices and instruments, and the above-mentioned unit instrument corresponds to the device.

The unit instrument serves as an interface with the process control and the operator and is the basis of batch control, and is composed of a procedure (program) for controlling the apparatus, its parameters, data indicating the state of the unit, and the like. Then, each unit instrument is identified using a unit name which is a general name (generic name).

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of batch control, and here illustrates a case where the reaction vessel is controlled. The control function of the unit instrument described above is made up of a hierarchical structure of a unit sequence and a process control sequence, as shown in FIG.

In the control of the reaction kettle shown in FIG. 3, a series of basic operations performed in the unit, for example, the sequence control of heating or charging is defined as a unit sequence. The process management sequence controls the sequence execution sequence.

That is, the charge A and the charge B define the sequence control for injecting the raw material to a certain level by the valves V1 and V2. Further, the mixing defines a sequence for stirring the raw materials for a certain period of time, and the discharge defines a sequence for discharging all the stirred semi-finished products.

The process control sequence starts these unit sequences in the order of charge A, charge B, mixing, and discharge to define the sequence for the entire unit.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing data related to a unit instrument.

The data such as the charge set value and the heating temperature gradient are batch data defined corresponding to the unit sequence, and process data unique to the equipment such as the temperature inside the kettle and the jacket temperature, and are defined corresponding to the unit. There is unit instrument data and batch management information for managing products such as product types and lots to be produced, and each of these data can be referenced and changed using the setting screen of the engineering station. You can

In an actual process, if the controlled object is decomposed into a plurality of units, they can be divided into similar device groups and similar control can be performed.

In the engineering method of the present invention, first, similar devices (units) existing in a process plant are grouped and grouped to define (design) one virtual unit model.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a definition screen for designing a virtual unit model.

The unit model is a model that absorbs / includes differences between units having the same function and spare devices / instruments, and the names of the devices / instruments associated with the units should be defined as general-purpose names instead of actual Doug numbers. It has become.

Therefore, the engineer can create the sequence logic by using the general name of this unit model even if the tag number that constitutes the actual unit is not determined.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a unit model defined from an assumed actual unit.

The defined unit model includes several possible real units (including real units U1 to U3 as shown in the figure), including equipment and instruments that are associated with individual units or may be added in the future. )) Is included. The names of equipment (valves, stirrers) and instruments (level meters) used here are generic names such as VALVE1 to VALVE3 for valves and MOTOR for stirrers. The unit sequence is created by referring to the unit model using this name.

As a result, it becomes possible to reuse the program of the process control sequence and the unit sequence and to create the sequence logic before the actual device is determined.

Figure 8 shows the engineering station
It is a figure which shows an example of the creation screen of a unit sequence logic.

The unit sequences such as "preparation", "mixing", and "heating" are procedural language SEBOL (Sequence and Batch Orie).
nted Language).

SEBOL editor is prepared as this description environment. The SEBOL editor is a subset of the vi editor (a screen editor for UNIX, which is an operating system developed by AT & T Corporation in the United States), which is popular in the world, and is adapted to be used immediately.

In this figure, "mixing" (mixi
ng) sequence control is specified.

Figure 9 shows the engineering station
The example of the creation screen of process management sequence logic is shown.

The process control sequence logic activates the unit sequence in any order and regulates the sequence control of the entire unit. Currently, the SFC (Sequential) is being standardized by IEC (SC65A / WG6). Function Char
t) The editor is described as a tool.

This SFC editor uses each unit sequence (INIT, CHARG
E, HEAT, MIXING, etc.) are combined by the conditions T1, T2, T3, etc. to describe the entire sequence.

In this way, the unit sequence (described in SEBOL) and the process control sequence (described in SFC) are all created by using the generic name of the unit model for the equipment / instrument to be referenced, and debug is performed Since it is independent of data such as existing tag numbers, sequence logic can be created from the time when these tag numbers are not determined.

Further, even if the tag numbers are different, if the units depend on the same model, the control logic can be shared, and the development man-hours and the memory can be reduced.

Further, there is an effect that it is not necessary to change the control logic when changing the tag number.

After the debug is completed, it is necessary to associate the tag number of the device / instrument used in each actual unit with the generic name. This work is performed at the final stage of engineering when the names of equipment and instruments are decided to be completed, and is called unit definition.

Figure 10 shows the engineering station
It is a figure which shows an example of the unit definition builder screen for performing this unit definition.

For example, the instrument name PFLOW that indicates the current flow rate, which is described by a general-purpose name, is the instrument name "BSETU" according to the actual unit.
Tag numbers are defined sequentially, such as "FIC-512J".

Figure 11 shows the relationship between the actual unit and the unit model.
FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram of unit allocation when related as shown in FIG.

RMODEL as a model of existing units R200-R800
When is defined, any one of R200 to 800 is associated with the process control sequence and unit sequence created by referring to the model RMODEL by unit allocation.

That is, in the unit R200, V1 indicating the universal name valve is assigned to the tag number V201, V2 is assigned to the tag number V202, and the program if (V1 ...) described by the generic name is if (V201 ...). It is associated with a form using the tag number of an existing model such as.

<Effects of the Invention> Conventionally, a batch sequence could not be coded or programmed unless the unit in which the sequence was executed and the equipment / instrument associated with that unit and its tag number were determined.

However, the units, equipment, and instruments may not be decided until just before the actual operation, and are often changed during the trial operation. When the change occurred, there was a backtracking effort that coding and programming had to be redone.

According to the present invention, the coding / debugging can be performed with the general name of the device / instrument, and the engineering work can be performed before the device / instrument associated with the unit is determined.

In addition, it is possible to minimize the number of man-hours required to return to the equipment or instrument due to unit allocation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a basic flow chart showing the method of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the configuration of a system for performing batch control engineered by the method of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of reactor control which is one of batch control, and FIG. 4 is a control function of a unit instrument. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing data related to a unit instrument, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a definition screen for designing a virtual unit model, and FIG. 7 is an assumed actual unit. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a unit model defined from the above, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a unit sequence logic creation screen in the engineering station, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a process management sequence logic creation screen in the engineering station. Figure 10 shows an example of the Unit Definition Builder screen for defining this unit at the engineering station. Figure 11 is a conceptual view of the unit allocation when related to relationships between the actual unit and the unit model, as shown in FIG. 12, FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a conventional engineering techniques. 1 ... Operator station, 11 ... Display means, 12 ...
… Data input means 2 …… Engineering station 3 …… Control station 4 …… Process

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An engineering method performed through the following steps (a) to (f). (A) Group similar equipment present in a process plant. (B) Create a virtual unit model in which devices and instruments that may be added in the future are included and generic names are given to these devices and instruments. (C) Sequence logic (unit sequence or process control sequence) is created based on this virtual unit model. (D) Perform debugging. (E) Define the actual unit. (F) Allocate the created sequence logic to the actual unit.