Updating and utilizing dynamic process simulation in an operating process environment

摘要

A simulation system that includes interconnected simulation blocks which use process models to perform simulation activities for a process plant is integrated into a process control environment for the process plant in a manner that makes the simulation system easy to use and easily updated for on-line process simulation. The disclosed simulation system enables future predicted values as well as the current predicted values of process parameters produced by the simulation system to be made available for performance evaluation as well as to guide plant operations. Additionally, the simulation system is connected to the operating process plant to receive various on-line process plant measurements, and uses these measurements to automatically update the process models used in the simulation system, to thereby keep the simulation system coordinated with the actual operating conditions of the process plant.

主权项

1. A simulation system for use in simulating the operation of a portion of an operating process plant communicatively coupled to the simulation system, the operating process plant including one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices processing physical materials to produce a product, the simulation system stored as instructions on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the simulation system comprising:
one or more simulation blocks configured to perform simulation of one or more pieces of equipment within the operating process plant, each simulation block including:
a process model that models a portion of the operating process plant; anda simulation unit that uses the process model to simulate the operation of the portion of the operating process plant to produce a simulated output for an on-line process element associated with the portion of the operating process plant, the simulated output including one or more predicted future values for the on-line process element; and a control module communicatively coupled to the one or more simulation blocks and configured to control an online activity of the operating process plant using an actual value of the on-line process element; wherein at least one of the simulation blocks includes an input from the operating process plant configured to accept an indication, transmitted from the operating process plant, of the actual value of the on-line process element measured in a control loop of the operating process plant and corresponding to the simulated output for the on-line process element, wherein the actual value of the on-line process element and the simulated output for the on-line process element are compared to calculate a compensation factor to be applied to an output of the process model to produce a modified simulated output reflecting a non-modeled change in the operating process plant and wherein the control module is configured to automatically replace the actual value with the simulated output for the on-line process element when the actual value is known to be faulty or has a bad status, the simulated output being generated by the simulation system.