TUD

Institut für Automatisierungstechnik
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Integration of Functions and Information Research Group

The goal of the Research Group is the development of integrated engineering concepts, methods and tools for the process industry. The solutions should allow a shorter time to market while quality and safety have to stay unchanged or get improved.

The research group has the following main themes:

  • Automatic Generation of communication structures by analyzing requirements of technical processes
  • Modularization of technical process plants including the automation system
  • Case Based Reasoning (CBR) for selection and parameterization of modules
  • Reliability, safety and availability of modular process plants

We have scientific co-operations with the Chair of "Thermische Verfahrenstechnik und Umwelttechnik", TU Dresden (Prof. Mollekopf), the Institute for Heat- and Fuel-Technology, TU Braunschweig (Prof. Scholl),  the Chair for Industrial Communications, TU Dresden (Prof. Wollschlaeger) and Chair of "Dynamik und Betrieb technischer Anlagen", TU Berlin (Prof. Wozny).

Industrial partners are Linde Dresden, Siemens Automation Cooperates with Education, Siemens Karlsruhe and Wacker Chemie AG.

We are also engaged in various standardization comittees and task forces such as GMA FA 5.16 Middleware in der AT (Spokesman), NAMUR AK 1.12 Modularisierung in der AT (Active member) and the ProcessNet Division Process and Plant Engineering (elected member of the board).

All courses & seminars can be found on the chair's teachings page (currently available in German only).
Go to the projects section to see what we are currently working on.

NetGen:X


NetGenX:Approach

Decision and Design Support for process signal communication

Despite the known and approved technological predominance of Fieldbus utilizations towards conventional wiring, such as fast and easy configuration and diagnostics and predictive maintenance, there were no comprehensive displacement of the conventional wiring. Causes are e.g. the comparatively high engineering and operation complexity, the high diversity of Fieldbus systems and only a rudimentary support for the cost estimating and planning in Computer Aided Engineering systems. Decision and engineering for the process signal communication of a new plant should be based on well-founded criteria like cost-benefit, availability, expandability, experience.

Objectives:

With the use of basic data of the process design and instrumentation there should be a system available which converts the requirements of the engineer into a proposal for the structure of communication, applies that to the existing quantity structure of the instruments and provides a quantity structure for communication equipment.

Our approach:

  • formal description of the technological constraints
  • formal definition of planning rules
  • use of routing algorithms

Contact person: DI Falk Doherr


CBR for modular engineering


according to [AK08]

Knowledge-based support systems for modular plant design

The Process from design up to operation of a typical chemical plant takes about 5 to 10 years with state-of the-art technology. Recurring problems should be solved by using standardized modules to reduce the engineering time, become more efficient and to reduce the costs.

Objectives:

The case-based reasoning follows the approach of comparing the actual case with similar cases from past experiences to achieve the solution faster. The system is self-learning due to the concluding storage of the established solution.

Our approach:

  • module configuration
  • formal description of modules
  • similarity metrics for process engineering

Literature:

[AK08] Avramenko, Y. ; Kraslawski, A.: Studies in Computational Inteligence. Bd. 87: Case based design : applications in process engineering. Berlin : Springer, 2008
 

Contact person: DI Michael Obst


Reliability, safety and availability in modular process plants


Integration of reliability calculation

Automatic calculation of reliability for modular process plants

Future process plants will be planned and build modular to be early at market. Despite this, the plant has to guarantee for safety to protect the environment.  Current standards for safety have quantitative requirements for the reliability. By integrating the reliability in the engineering process the results of structure changes or replacements of components to improve the reliability can be calculated automatically anytime.

Objectives:

The aim of this work is integrating the quantitative reliability analysis in the modular process systems engineering to enable an automatic calculation of reliability characteristics for the entire process plant.

Our approach:

This is achieved by

  • formal description of requirements (safety/availability)
  • formal description of the reliability (for modules)
  • reliability model for modular plants

Contact person: DI Annett Krause


Stand: 08.10.2012 13:53
Autor: Webmaster PLT