WO2012052214A1

WO2012052214A1 - System and method for operating an automation installation

Info

Publication number: WO2012052214A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/064987
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Buchdunger; Axel PÖSCHMANN; Emilio Schiavi; Eugenio Ferreira Da Silva Neto; Peter Zaretzke; Thomas Weinschenk; Yuliana Sejati
Original assignee: Endress+Hauser Process Solutions Ag
Priority date: 2010-10-20
Filing date: 2011-08-31
Publication date: 2012-04-26
Also published as: DE102010042716A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for operating an automation installation having a plurality of field devices (F1, F2, F3), which are arranged distributed in the plane of the field and are connected to one another via at least one data bus (DB) on which a bus protocol runs, wherein the access to the field devices (F1, F2, F3) is made via a field access unit (PAP) which is connected to at least one automation/integration platform and at least one web server (OPC-UA server) of a service provider, wherein the business-related logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) is stored at least partially in at least one of the field devices (F1, F2, F3) and/or in the field access unit (PAP), wherein the business-related logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) conditions the corresponding business-related information (KPI, ROA) in a compressed form, and wherein the automation/integration platform (OPC-UA server) makes available the business-related information (KPI, ROA), conditioned by the business-related logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4), to an authorized user directly or via the Internet, and wherein the business-related information (KPI, ROA), conditioned by the business-related logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4), is displayed on a display unit (D; PC; D') which is coupled to a data bus (DB).

Description

System and method for operating an automation system

The invention relates to a system for operating an automation system.

In automation technology, in particular in process automation technology, field devices are often used which serve to detect and / or influence process variables. For the detection of process variables are sensors, such as

Level gauges, flowmeters, pressure and pressure gauges

Temperature measuring instruments, pH redox potential measuring devices,

Conductivity meters, etc., which record the corresponding process variables level, flow, pressure, temperature, pH or conductivity. To influence process variables are actuators, such as valves or pumps, via which the flow of a liquid in a pipe section or the level in a container can be changed. In principle, field devices are all devices that are used close to the process and that provide or process process-relevant information. In connection with the invention are under

Field devices also understood as remote I / Os, radio adapters or general devices that are located on the field level. A variety of such field devices is manufactured and sold by the company Endress + Hauser. The term field devices are used in conjunction with the present

Invention to understand at least the aforementioned components.

In modern industrial plants, the communication between at least one higher-level control unit and the field devices in the field level usually takes place via a bus system, such as Profibus® PA, Foundation Fieldbus® or HART®. The bus systems can be designed both wired and wireless. The higher-level control unit, which is arranged in the system level, is used for process control, process visualization, process monitoring and commissioning, and Operation of the field devices and is also referred to as a configuration / management system. Programs that run independently on higher-level units include, for example, the FieldCare operating group from Endress + Hauser, the Pactware operating tool, the Fisher-Rosemount AMS operating tool or the Siemens PDM operating tool. Operating tools in

Integrated control system applications are the PCS7 from Siemens, the Symphony from ABB and the Delta V from Emerson. Under the term

'Operating field devices' is especially the configuring and

Parameterizing field devices, but also understood the diagnosis for the early detection of errors on one of the field devices or in the process.

Today, device and / or system manufacturers provide a variety of additional services to the operators of automation systems. It is therefore important for the correct functioning of an automation system and for the optimized measuring performance of the field devices that the field devices integrated in the system are calibrated at certain intervals. Likewise, in modern process plants, e.g. Information about it provided when expected with the failure of one

Measuring device is to be expected. This information provides the opportunity to replace a field device before its failure, whereby a standstill of the automation system can be proactively prevented.

Often the plant operators close with the field device and / or

System manufacturers service contracts. These have the goal of managing the instrumentation of the plant in such a way that a high degree

Device integrity and device availability is achieved at the lowest possible cost. In addition, great care is taken to ensure that the availability of the system and thus the availability of the

Production process and the corresponding products

continuous improvement process. The continuous one

Improvement process includes in particular the following services: - carrying out all planned activities related to online or offline instrumentation;

- support of the plant operator in case of plant failure;

- repair and repair management of defective process components;

- Development and management of so-called maintenance systems for the field devices. An example of this is the Asset Management System W @ M, which is offered and distributed by the Endress + Hauser Group.

- spare parts management;

- Continuous improvement of process flows.

The quality of the measures carried out by so-called. KPIs (Key

Performance Indicators). For this particular sizes are to be expected, the quality or the quality of the instrumentation in one

Describe the automation system. Important KPIs are in this

context

- the percentage of field devices used in the installation that are extensively monitored by the service provider;

- the percentage of field devices that are actually calibrated with respect to the calibration plan;

the number of critical failures of a field device or a

Field device type during its lifetime in the plant.

Other important KPIs for the plant operator are also the costs of the services provided, eg. B. are the

Services essentially fixed costs or variable costs, it is partial or total costs. Also of interest is the frequency of measures taken with a view to predictive maintenance. Beyond that, to provide the aforementioned services and KPIs to improve business processes are beyond

Computer programs are required that incorporate business logic and provide business-relevant information. For these programs to run correctly, a robust IT infrastructure is needed. Computer programs known today are designed either as stand-alone solutions running on a computer or as so-called ERP solutions that run globally on servers. ERP is the abbreviation for enterprise resource planning, ie the planning of the use or the use of the enterprise resources. ERP refers to the entrepreneurial task of using the resources available in a company, such as capital, operating resources or personnel, as efficiently as possible for operational processes and thus optimizing the control of business processes. An ERP system is a complex application software that supports the resource planning of an entire enterprise.

A large number of ERP systems or IT platforms are available on the market today, such as SAP ERP, which includes the Xcelsius software, which is suitable for designing, mapping and visualizing a system to be evaluated. These days in process automation technology for the

Instrumentation of a plant used intelligent field devices are able to provide readings and diagnostic information and information about

Provide process variables related to process control. For example, a Fieldbus Foundation (FF) field device is able to handle function blocks that support control tasks. The keyword "Control in the field" is also used in this context.

The disadvantage of the known solution is the fact that the

business-relevant information about the IT platform or about the IT

Infrastructure of the plant operator must be calculated and generated. For this purpose, the information available at the field level and, if necessary, collected further information for the determination of the KPIs and transferred them to the server. This provides the business-relevant information for the purpose of improving business processes. The well-known

Procedures are associated with high costs related to the required IT infrastructure. In particular, high administration costs, software licenses, etc. are incurred in this context. It also causes a relatively high effort, since further manual provision of the required information is necessary. The consequence of this is that the business-relevant information provided by the IT platforms, such as the manufacturing costs of a product or its sales price, are already obsolete at the time of the provision. A provision of the business-relevant information in real time, so highly up to date, is not possible with the known systems.

Rather, it is common in process automation to build business-relevant computation and forecasting information on reports that are at least a day old. Often, the reports that build the KPIs are also much older than one day. So it is quite common, the reports only once a week or even once a month to create. The calculations and predictions are based on variables that are subject to high dynamics, is the well-known

Procedure unsatisfactory.

Another disadvantage of the known solutions is the fact that often important specific and strategic information on the

Field level are not available. In particular, the outside of the

Field level does not transmit existing information in a sufficiently correct way to the field level.

The invention has for its object to propose a system and a method that the performance of an automation system

improved. The problem is solved with respect to the system as follows: The system has a plurality of field devices distributed in the field level, which are connected to one another via at least one data bus on which a bus protocol is running. The field devices are accessed via a field access unit which is connected to at least one automation / integration platform and at least one web server of a service provider.

At least one business-relevant logic, which processes the corresponding business-relevant information in a compressed form, is stored in at least one of the field devices and / or in the field access unit. The business-relevant information processed by the business-relevant logic is provided by the automation / integration platform to an authorized user directly or via the Internet. Alternatively, the business-relevant information prepared by the business-relevant logic is displayed on a display unit which is coupled to a data bus. The inventive system, as well as the inventive method described in more detail below serve to include additional information about the business process preferably in real time in the automation system and thus the

Business process optimally adapted to the prevailing conditions. Since the business-relevant logic is distributed in the automation system and thus arranged decentrally, the business-relevant information can be made available to a user much faster than was the case with the known solutions.

Additional information about an embodiment of the field access unit, which is used in connection with the invention, can be found in the unpublished on 06.10.2009 by the applicant under the

Application number DE 10 2009 045 386.5 filed with the German Patent Office patent application. Often the field access unit is also referred to as PAP (Plant Access Point). In the aforementioned German patent application, an arrangement is described in which the Field access unit or the fieldbus interface is designed so that it continuously monitors the data traffic on the fieldbus. The

Field access unit thus has a listener functionality. Therefore, the fieldbus interface, without itself actively communicating, can collect a variety of information, such as the

Network management of the automation system relate.

According to the invention, the listener collects business-relevant information in prepared, compressed form in the described system. If one of the field bus protocols mentioned above is used for communication at the field level, while a different protocol is used at the system level, then the field access unit with listener functionality also assumes the function of a so-called gateway. The purpose of the gateway is to implement a translation between the different protocols at field and system level. Thus, at the field level, communication usually takes place via one of the

Automation technology used common safe and relatively slow field bus, while for the communication at the system level, a data bus is used, which is characterized by high data transfer rates. The communication preferably takes place at the system or company level via

Internet or intranet. Well-known buses are High Speed Internet (HSE) or Profibus DP.

The invention is based on a field access unit which has at least the listener functionality. This functionality is sufficient if the field device is designed to be directly connected via a bus protocol, e.g. the Internet Protocol, the field device is accessed. If at the field level and the system level the communication is different

In addition, the field access unit takes over the functionality of the protocol conversion. According to an advantageous embodiment of the system according to the invention, the business-relevant logic is stored in the field devices and / or in the field access unit in the form of function blocks or in the form of computer programs with input / output functions.

Moreover, the field access unit is preferably configured such that it cyclically or acyclically queries the business-relevant information prepared in the field devices as a function of predetermined time intervals and makes them available via the automation / integration platform via the Internet or directly via the display unit.

Alternatively, it is provided that the field access unit is configured in such a way that it queries the business-relevant information prepared in the field devices as a function of predetermined events and via the

Automation / integration platform or the display unit for

Provides.

An advantageous embodiment provides that at least the

Field access unit and the automation / integration platform are designed as a unit. Furthermore, the web server can also be integrated into the unit.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the display unit is connected to the data bus and forwards the processed business-relevant information via a radio link to the field access unit. In the simplest case, a handheld (PDA, I-pod ...) or other mobile device or mobile phone can be used to listen to the business-relevant information and forward it to the field access unit.

An advantageous development of the system according to the invention proposes that the field access unit provides the current information made available by the web server that the respective business-relevant logic for

Preparation of business-relevant information needed, via Internet request and download into the appropriate field device or in the field access unit. By means of this embodiment, the system has up-to-date information. It is considered particularly advantageous if the system can access the following business-relevant information. It is understood that the following information is examples; the list is by no means exhaustive: - information about the return on the automation system;

- information on financial, economic and strategic aspects related to the automation equipment;

- information about the quality of the measurements provided by the field devices;

- Information about the productivity of the field devices or the

Automation equipment;

- information about the remaining life of the field devices and / or the availability of the field devices;

- Information about the optimal repair times, the

Maintenance costs and / or the failure costs of

Automation system.

The method according to the invention for operating an automation system having a plurality of field devices distributed in the field level, which are connected to one another via at least one data bus on which a bus protocol is running, the field devices being accessed via a field access unit having at least one automation / Integrates integration platform and at least one web server of a service provider, as well as the system solves the underlying object of the invention: At least one business-relevant logic, the business information in the field device and / or processed in the field access unit in compressed form is in at least one of the field devices and / or stored in the field access unit. The prepared business-relevant information is made available to an authorized user via the Internet or directly on a display unit. The display unit can in this case be assigned to the field access unit or to the data bus.

It is considered particularly advantageous in connection with the method according to the invention that the processed business-relevant information is made available to the user in real time.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. It shows:

1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of

erfindungsgmäßen system and

2 is a flowchart illustrating the method according to the invention

clarified.

In Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of

to see system according to the invention. Field devices F1, F2, F3 are connected to each other via a data bus in the field level. Examples of field devices and suitable data buses are already mentioned above. About the same or a different data bus are the

Field device connected to a higher-level control unit CONTROL. A separate access to the field devices F1, F2, F3 is via the

Field access unit PAP possible. In the case shown is as

Automation / integration platform with a field access unit

Web server provided. The Web server is preferably an OPC UA server. The OPC UA server is equipped with a server

Service providers connected. It is possible to use the OPC-UA server the plant operator the information on a commercial

Arithmetic unit, in particular a PC, is provided.

According to the invention, the business-relevant logic Bl is not on an IT

Centralized platform, but the business logic BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4 is at least partially in the field devices F1, F2, F3 and / or in the

Field access unit PAP stored. Thus, it is possible resources such as computer capacity, storage space, etc., at the field level in the

Field devices are available to use for the calculation of business-related information. In addition to the decentralized solution according to the invention, it is also possible that a hybrid solution is used. Here, the business-relevant logic Bl can be found partly in the field level and partly outside the field level in an IT structure accessible via the Internet. For example, the cloud-based services provide strategically important up-to-the-minute information to the field devices that are used in the automation system in a defined application. The field devices F and / or the

Field access units PAP use this strategic information and business logic to calculate the business-relevant information such as KPIs, ROA, etc. In particular, efficiency, performance, productivity, quality, reliability, and performance

Cost of the plant to be determined. Examples of other business-related information that in real time or at least very up to date

Plant operator is provided, have been previously mentioned in detail.

The business-relevant logic Bl is preferably such that it prepares the corresponding business-relevant information in a compressed form. The field access unit collects the business relevant

Information, if necessary, further prepares it and makes it available via the OPC-UA server an authorized user, such as the plant operator or the operating personnel, directly or via the Internet. As a result, the information is available up-to-the-minute at any desired location. The of the business-relevant information processed in a logically relevant manner is displayed in a suitable form on a display unit, wherein the

Display unit is coupled in any way with the data bus. In Fig. 1, several variants are shown: Thus, the information Beispeilsweise be available on a display that directly to the data bus DB

connected. In the case shown, the communication between the field access unit PAP and the display D takes place by radio. Additively or alternatively, the field access unit PAP can be assigned a display D ', so that the information is available directly at the field access unit PAP. As already mentioned, the information is also available at any computing unit PC connected to the field access unit PAP via the Internet or intranet.

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart illustrating the method according to the invention. According to step 1, applications that are able to design and generate business-relevant information Bl and that are available as cloud-based applications are stored distributed on at least part of the field devices F and / or the field access units PAP. The applications which are available centrally in known solutions via cloud computing web services are therefore distributed according to the invention in the field level. Cloud computing is a term used in information technology and primarily refers to the approach, abstracted IT infrastructures, ready-to-use program packages and programming environments dynamically adapted to the needs via a network, e.g. Internet, to provide.

As indicated in step 2, the business relevant

Applications, in particular the respective algorithms and / or

Function blocks via web services of a provider in the field devices F and / or in the field access unit PAP loaded. Furthermore, the business-relevant information, in particular the key performance indicators KPI and the required return on assets ROA on the Web services are loaded into the field devices F and / or the field access units PAP.

Step 3 describes the properties that make the OPC-UA server suitable for automation technology: It provides

Data security and thus the best prerequisites for IT integration via existing web services. Thus, it is possible to use the IT infrastructure to download the business-relevant applications via the Internet "from the cloud". The OPC-UA information model or pattern is configured via the cloud and determines which set of parameters and data is provided by the field devices.

Under step 4, the business-relevant algorithms or

Function blocks executed. For this purpose, the configured parameters are used to store business-relevant information, such as KPIs to determine. The data provided by the field devices are real-time data. The algorithms run on a real-time and logical machine.

As illustrated in step 5, the fieldbus communication stack provides the required interface and serves to connect and exchange information with the field devices F.

The business-relevant information processed by the field devices and / or the field access units is forwarded to the OPC-UA server. Subsequently, the information is e.g. can be displayed on the screen of the computing unit PC and is therefore available to the plant operator (step 6).

Under step 7, the alternative is described that the business-relevant information is displayed on a display unit D ', which is assigned to the Web server. Step 8 illustrates that the business-relevant information KPIs are being retransmitted via the web services and stored, for example, in a database that is hosted within the IT center. For example, this database shows the cost of services on a monthly or cumulative basis. It goes without saying that the information stored in the database can also be displayed in the form of meaningful graphics.

Step 9 illustrates that the business-relevant information continues to be used in the IT Data Center.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a concrete example. The automation system is a relatively small system with a few containers. It is made from intermediates and a final product. The plant operator receives at least one of the following business-relevant information:

When is the cheapest time of day to sell-based on the current trading price-the end product or an intermediate?

When is the best time within a month to buy needed starting products from a dealer? In particular, prices are relatively low when there is overcapacity or when demand is low.

Which is the best time to do maintenance

to have carried out? For example, the

Service costs, or the demand is currently very high or needed spare parts are no longer available or the

Field devices F are no longer supplied.

When is the best time to initiate a planned plant shutdown, as, for example, maintenance work in the plant is necessary or because the demand for the final product is currently low? What can the current system components do to deliver performance when improvements are made

Business processes are carried out? Business processes can be strategic, financial and qualitative

Parameter to be triggered; or they may be determined by parameters pertaining to production, logistics, sales, marketing and accounting.

What is the optimal speed of a batch process to best suit market forecasts, demand, warehousing or logistics?

Which is the cheapest time of day to increase the energy demand, since the energy costs at this time of day on the

are lowest?

What is the consumption of resources (products, energy, ...) in terms of current energy, labor and logistics costs, or in terms of the cost of raw materials?

What are the costs for an unplanned plant shutdown in relation to the current production plan or the market price? What are the costs to remedy the technical defects? What are the follow-up costs incurred through penalties for late delivery?

Based on the aforementioned information, the plant operator can decide whether to move the next batch process to another time of day or another day due to the high cost of the raw materials; or because of the low price for the

Starting product larger quantities are purchased and stored; or maintenance is preferred because the cost is currently low due to low demand.

Claims

claims

1 . System for operating an automation system with a plurality of field devices distributed in the field level (F1, F2, F3), which are connected to each other via at least one data bus (DB) on which a bus protocol is running, wherein the access to the field devices (F1, F2 , F3) via a field access unit (PAP), which is connected to at least one automation / integration platform and at least one web server (OPC-UA server) of a service provider, wherein the business-relevant logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) is at least partially stored in at least one of the field devices (F1, F2, F3) and / or in the field access unit (PAP), wherein the business-relevant logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) the corresponding

business information (KPI, ROA) prepared in a compressed form and wherein the automation / integration platform (OPC-UA server) prepared by the business logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) business-relevant information (KPI, ROA) a Authorized user makes available directly or via the Internet, or where the business-relevant information (KPI, ROA) prepared by the business-relevant logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) is displayed on a display unit (D; PC; a data bus (DB) is coupled.

2. System according to claim 1,

whereby the business-relevant logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) in the form of

Function blocks or in the form of computer programs with input / output functions in the field devices (F1, F2, F3) and / or in the

Field Access Unit (PAP) is stored.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the field access unit (PAP) is configured such that it cyclically or acyclically polls the business information in the field devices (F1, F2, F3) as a function of predetermined time intervals and via the automation / integration platform (OPC-UA Server) via the Internet or directly via the display unit (D; D ', PC) provides.

4. System according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the field access unit (PAP) is configured such that it interrogates the business-relevant information (KPI, ROA) prepared in the field devices (F1, F2, F3) in dependence on predetermined events and via the automation / integration platform (OPC-UA Server) or the

Display unit (D; D '; PC) provides.

5. System according to one of claims 1 -4,

wherein at least the field access unit (PAP) and the automation / integration platform (OPC-UA server) are configured as a unit.

6. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the display unit (D; PC) is connected to the data bus (DB) and the processed business-relevant information via a radio link between the field access unit (PAP) and display unit (D; PC) is communicated.

7. System according to one or more of claims 1 -6,

wherein the display unit (D; PC) is designed as a mobile platform, in particular as a mobile telephone.

8. System according to any one of claims 1-7,

wherein the field access unit (PAP) provided by the Web server current information (KPI, ROA), the respective business logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) for the preparation of business relevant

Information required, requests via Internet and downloads into the corresponding field device (F1, F2, F3) or into the field access unit (PAP).

9. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, whereby the business-relevant information (KPI, ROA)

For example, the following information is:

- Information about the return of the automation system;

- information about the quality of the measured values provided by the field devices (F1, F2, F3);

- Information about the productivity of the field devices (F1, F2, F3) or the automation system;

Information about the remaining service life of the field devices (F1, F2, F3) and / or the availability of the field devices;

- Information about the optimal maintenance times,

Maintenance costs and / or the failure costs of

Automation system.

10. A method for operating an automation system with a plurality of field devices distributed in the field level (F1, F2, F3), which are connected to each other via at least one data bus (DB) on which a bus protocol is running, wherein the access to the field devices (F1 , F2, F3) via a field access unit (PAP), which is connected to at least one automation / integration platform and at least one web server of a service provider (OPC-UA server), wherein at least one

business-relevant logic (BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4) in at least one of the

Field devices (F1, F2, F3) and / or stored in the field access unit (PAP), wherein the business information (KPI, ROA) in the field device (F1, F2, F3) and / or in the field access unit (PAP) in compressed Form is prepared and the prepared business-relevant information (KPI, ROA) is made available to an authorized user via the Internet or directly on a display unit (D; D '; PC).

1 1. Method according to claim 10, whereby the prepared business-relevant information (KPI, ROA) is made available to the user in real time.