Apparatus and method for projecting field devices of a technical system

A device and a method for projecting field devices of a technical system, in particular a power plant system, into a control system of the technical system are provided. The device includes means for a computer-implemented display of two field devices as two data objects and means for a computer-implemented display of a connection between the two data objects of the two field devices.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the US National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2009/052098 filed Feb. 23, 2009, and claims the benefit thereof. The International Application claims the benefits of European Application No. 08003818.5 EP filed Feb. 29, 2008. All of the applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for projecting field devices of a technical system, especially a power plant system for energy generation, such as a steam turbine or gas turbine system for example.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

With known power plant systems all functions of the individual components of the power plant system are under the overall control of a control system. In such cases it is necessary to operationally connect to the control system what are known as field devices, with which monitoring and safety functions for the individual components of the power plant are implemented in particular.

These types of field devices are for example the measuring devices of a transformer controller, a device protecting a transformer against overvoltage or maybe a motor protection against overvoltage.

To functionally connect such field devices to the control system tools or programming facilities are now available which are generally provided by the suppliers of the individual field devices and make it possible in a tabular user interface to plan the functional connection of the field device to the control system and the connections between the field devices into a project. The manner in which such tools are operated is however greatly dependent on the respective tool provided, on the type of field device and also on its supplier.

The functional linkage of field devices into such technical plants is thus comparatively costly and demands intensive training. Furthermore a connection created in such a way is always designed very individually and as a rule is not able to be linked into the actual control system of the power plant. Instead the field device planned into the project in this way represents a self-contained control and regulation module which is located functionally outside the control system and can accordingly not be fully monitored, evaluated and checked for errors by the latter.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for planning field devices of a technical system, especially a power plant, into a project, in which the above-mentioned disadvantages can be overcome and especially in which a simple and cost-effective functional inclusion of the field devices into the associated technical system is possible.

The object is achieved with an apparatus and a method according to the independent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

In accordance with the invention an apparatus and a method for projecting field devices of a technical system, especially of a power plant, into a control system of the technical system are provided, in which a means is used for computer-implemented display of at least two field devices as at least one data object in each case and furthermore a means is used for computer-implemented display of at least one connection between the two field devices.

The inventive solution thus provides a fundamental system by means of which the almost arbitrary field devices can be functionally linked into a technical system in a structurally-identical manner and therefore in a manner which is easy to learn for any user of the inventive apparatus.

The means for computer-implemented display of at least two field devices as at least one data object in each case is especially preferably a graphical display device on which, by means of a corresponding (advantageously likewise graphical) operating device, a computer-implemented display of the individual field device is shown as a graphical object or as a symbol. The connections which are inventively provided as a computer-implemented display between the data objects and/or also the control system are preferably visualized on this type of graphical display device by means of a connecting line.

Preferably the means for computer-implemented display of at least two field devices as at least one data object in each case, as well as the corresponding inventive method step, are adapted for computer-implemented display of the individual field device as at least one logical node of a standardized field bus protocol, especially in accordance with IEC61850. Through the logical nodes predetermined in this type of field bus protocol, function modules (such as a measurement device for example) of the respective field device are shown in a computer-implemented display as logical nodes. In such cases the individual function modules are especially mapped by corresponding inputs and/or outputs. Communication between the individual function modules and/or between different field devices is preferably also planned into the project as a connection in the form of a connecting line.

Inventively preferably a number of field devices can also be grouped (especially by means of a graphical operating device) to form a logical device and/or a number of functional modules can be grouped to form a field device. These types of groupings (which are also referred to here as macro technique) inventively enable almost any given types and forms of field device and logical device to be shown in a computer-implemented display and accordingly linked into a control system of a power plant. Accordingly computer-implemented display of almost any given actually existing field devices or physical devices is possible in this manner.

For further simplification of the inventively-created projecting of field devices of a technical plant into its control system, it is further preferred that raw data objects be provided from a memory, especially a memory of the plant control system, which represent individual function modules and/or field devices and/or logical devices and can be subsequently expanded in the actual project planning of the field devices by filling out and expanding the raw data object with real values (which are present in specific cases) into a fully projected field device. This type of the expansion is simpler and more cost-effective than a completely new generation of a field device.

Computer-implemented display of the above-mentioned connections between the data object and the control system, and also between the individual data objects of the explained macro technique, is inventively preferably shown as a computer-implemented display as a different connection type from the actual control system. In this way an inventively connected “external” field device can be identified by the control system as such and accordingly monitored and/or addressed specifically if required. Alternately connections between field devices can be differentiated by interpretation from those within the control system or to and from the control system.

The inventively projected field devices can preferably be loaded directly by the control system of the technical system or can be provided by a file export (especially defined in standardized field bus protocols). So-called XML files are preferably used as the data format for such file export. These types of files can currently already be imported into known field devices to functionally link the latter in their turn to a control system. The computer-implemented display of field devices or their functional modules as at least one data object can also be stored together with the inventively computer-implemented display of connections between the data objects as a file and accordingly be provided in almost any way to technical systems.

The inventive solution especially makes possible a uniform projecting of even the most diverse field devices and also advantageously makes available a uniform configuration option, especially in the form of a graphical user interface. The integration of inventively projected field devices into a control system is especially simple and cost-effective. It can additionally also be completely executed such that in the control system almost all functions of the field device are also actually mapped and are recognizable for a user of the control system. The macro technique explained above allows computer-implemented display of field devices of almost any constitution and at the same time allows the user to inspect them in an easy-to-understand way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

FIG. 1illustrates an apparatus10for planning field devices12into a project in the shape of transformer protection in each case of a technical system14in the form of a power plant. The apparatus10is implemented in a control system16of the technical system14.

The apparatus10in this case comprises a graphical user interface with a device macro18which is made up of a physical device20(PhysDev) and three logical devices22(LD1, LD2, LD3). The physical device20is functionally coupled via connections24to the logical devices22.

At two of the logical devices22coupling to logical nodes26(LN1, LN2, LN3, LN5, LN7) is established via connections24, of which individual nodes are grouped into function macros (28) (one function macro in each case).

The individual logical nodes26in this case are projected based on a raw data object (not shown in any greater detail), in that the respective raw data object previously stored in the control system16has been assigned real values of the technical system14. The data objects shown in this way in a computer-implemented display in the form of logical nodes26have subsequently undergone computer-implemented functional coupling with the aid of the apparatus10by means of connections24. In this way the functionalities of the field devices12and their communication between their inputs and/or outputs have been mapped. Thus for example a measurement device30at the field device12in the form of a voltage meter has been functionally mapped with a logical node26.

The computer-implemented mapping or display of the individual said macros occurs in this case within the control system16at the graphical user interface, especially in the form of a screen mask, with graphical symbols. In this case an XML file is generated for the device macro18which presents a structured overview of the individual data objects of the computer-implemented display of field devices12and the computer-implemented display of the connections between said devices.

FIG. 2illustrates how field devices12planned into a project in this way are operated within the technical system14and the associated control system16during operation of the technical system14and are illustrated for the system operator.

FIG. 2shows the device macro18stored in the control system16in the form of the said XML file, which will be processed by the control system16. Assigned to the device macro18in this case via connections24are an interface32(MOT) to the actual field device12and also a graphical display and adjustment device34(SPADJ—Setpoint Adjuster).

The setpoint adjuster34includes graphical displays and also numerical displays of individual physical variables at the associated field device12as well as input fields, especially for limit values at the field device12. The setpoint adjuster34can be presented for display to an operator of the technical system at the control system16and especially at an operating computer of this control system16. In this case the operator can also change individual values of the said variables at the setpoint adjuster34.

Planning field devices12into a project with the aid of the apparatus10and the logical structure used in such planning by means of the elements18,20,22,24,26and28is thus undertaken solely through a graphical, symbol-oriented projecting apparatus, as is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2. The projecting uses the symbols and standards as described in the field bus protocol in accordance with IEC61850. This creates an inherently consistent projecting structure which also simplifies the linking-in of the data objects connected in this way into the overall control system16during projecting. Furthermore a specific connection type is assigned to the individual connections24during projecting where necessary, so that the control system16can distinguish these connections24from internal connections of the control system. The said XML file can either be loaded directly into the control system16or can be imported into the associated field device12. This loading and/or the actual operation of the field devices12can especially preferably be remotely controlled by the control system16.

The structuring illustrated inFIG. 1of the of the field devices12planned into the project macros in particular makes for improved clarity and simplified projecting. This is possible in an especially simple manner by functional modules of the field devices12(such as the measurement device30for example) being mapped by corresponding inputs and/or outputs by the logical node26predetermined by the standard or the field bus protocol IEC61850. Furthermore the communication between different field devices12is planned into the project by the said connections24or the connecting lines shown in accordance with the field bus protocol IEC61850. By using the said macro technique the individual logical nodes26can then be grouped again to the said physical device20, so that the operator has a good overview within the control system16of the linking-in of the field devices12into the control system16. In this technique a uniform configuration interface is used with the apparatus10which is especially integrated into the control system16.

Projecting is undertaken solely by means of function modules which are connected to each other with their inputs or outputs as individual data objects. No device-specific programming knowledge is required in such cases.

The apparatus10also ensures comprehensive documentation of the technical systems14and of the field devices12coupled to them.