Industry and engineering education interacting in an interregional project: a Flanders' perspective

The Interreg-IVa 2-Seas project i-MOCCA (“interregional MObility and Competence Centers in Automation”) concentrates on two fast evolving topics in industrial automation: industrial data communication and embedded control [1]. Both require high-end training of practicing engineers in industry and demonstrators illustrating proof-of-principle of emerging technologies. The i-MOCCA project aims to develop competence centers in different universities in the coastal regions of the UK, France and Flanders, Belgium. The project started in July 2011 and ends in September 2014

An Approach to remote process monitoring and control

The purpose of this thesis is to present an approach to remote monitoring and operation of distributed real time process control systems. Conventional monitoring of process control systems currently requires a great deal of close supervision from trained personnel located on-site. In many cases, researchers, developers or maintenance personnel cannot be at every location where such a system is installed. Currently, a standardized architecture for remote access to such systems is not available. In addition, most of these systems are very expensive and under-utilized. Researchers would benefit by having access to different parts of a system concurrently The benefits of a layered architecture for remote process monitoring and control will be analyzed through the use of a demonstration system that was realized to examine the real time performance of the interconnection mechanisms between the process controller(s) and the system monitoring interfaces. Low level, real-time process control is achieved by using specialized networking schemes called fieldbusses to interconnect all control devices. In this system, fieldbus controllers will also assume the role of servers connected to the Internet, in order to make device information available to any local or remote clients. In the proposed architecture, remote clients are user interfaces, implemented as JAVA applets, which can be accessed with a web browser. The proposed system architecture allows for client interfaces to gain remote access to various types of fieldbusses transparently

A Diagnostics Model for Industrial Communications Networks

Over the past twenty years industrial communications networks have become common place in most industrial plants. The high availability of these networks is crucial in smooth plant operations. Therefore local and remote diagnostics of these networks is of primary importance in solving any existing or emerging network problems. Users for most part consider the “plant networks” as black boxes, and often not sure of the actual health of the networks. The major part of the work outlined in this research concentrates on the proposed “Network Diagnostics Model” for local and remote monitoring. The main objective of the research is to aid the establishment of tools and techniques for diagnosis of the industrial networks, with particular emphasis on PROFIBUS and PROFINET. Additionally this research has resulted in development of a number of devices to aid in network diagnostics. The work outlined in this submission contributes to the developments in the area of online diagnostics systems. The development work was conducted in the following phases: 1. Development of Function Block (FB) for diagnosing PROFIBUS network for implementation on PLC. 2. Development of OPC server for diagnosing PROFIBUS network for implementation on PC. 3. Development of a web based diagnostic software for multiple fieldbuses for implementation on imbedded XP platform. 4. Development of OPC server for diagnosing PROFINET network for implementation on PC 5. Conformance testing of masters (PLC) in PROFIBUS network to increase the health of the network. 6. Use of diagnostics tools for performance analysis of fieldbuses networks for high performance applications. The research work outlined in this submission has made a significant and coherent contribution to online diagnostics of fieldbus communications networks, and has paved the way for the introduction of the online diagnostics devices to the market place. It has shown that the proposed model provides a uniform framework for research and development of diagnostics tools and techniques for fieldbus networks. Organizations that use fieldbus should consider installing advanced online diagnostic systems to boost maintenance efficiency and reduce operating costs, and maintain the availability of plant resources. Based on the experience gained over a number of years a multilayer model is proposed for future development of diagnostics tools

A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (Scada) for Water Distribution System of Gaza City

Gaza has scarce water resources. At present, there are 40 wells that are supposed to supply adequate water from the aquifer to the public through the water distribution network. However, the pumping stations at these wells along with the distribution network are managed manually by operators in a primitive manner. During peak consumption periods, which may last for weeks, water is not delivered to wide areas and resources are not distributed evenly to public. Operators try hardly to achieve fairness by manually controlling gate valves along with pumping stations. The aim of this research is to design a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for managing the water pumping stations in Gaza. This system is expected to increase customer satisfaction, reduce water distribution cost and provide an accurate overview of the plants’ operations. Moreover, SCADA stores valuable information about the water system performance. This data is necessary for efficient development of the existent distribution system in a way that meets population growth

Edge and Big Data technologies for Industry 4.0 to create an integrated pre-sale and after-sale environment

The fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, has rapidly gained traction in businesses across Europe and the world, becoming a central theme in small, medium, and large enterprises alike. This new paradigm shifts the focus from locally-based and barely automated firms to a globally interconnected industrial sector, stimulating economic growth and productivity, and supporting the upskilling and reskilling of employees. However, despite the maturity and scalability of information and cloud technologies, the support systems already present in the machine field are often outdated and lack the necessary security, access control, and advanced communication capabilities. This dissertation proposes architectures and technologies designed to bridge the gap between Operational and Information Technology, in a manner that is non-disruptive, efficient, and scalable. The proposal presents cloud-enabled data-gathering architectures that make use of the newest IT and networking technologies to achieve the desired quality of service and non-functional properties. By harnessing industrial and business data, processes can be optimized even before product sale, while the integrated environment enhances data exchange for post-sale support. The architectures have been tested and have shown encouraging performance results, providing a promising solution for companies looking to embrace Industry 4.0, enhance their operational capabilities, and prepare themselves for the upcoming fifth human-centric revolution

Linear IFMIF prototype accelerator (LIPAc) control system: design and development

Distributed real time control systems in scientific instruments, such as particle accelerators or telescopes, have emerged as a solution to control multiple interconnected devices, which required constant attention and observation, along with a complete integration of each of its parts. This enhancement is provided by the intense technological development that control devices have suffered in recent years. With respect to the control software, libraries and applications have also emerged in recent times. These sets of tools have been developed collaboratively in various laboratories and research centers worldwide. Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS), a set of open source tools capable of controlling most of the devices necessary to operate a particle accelerator, can be pointed as a prime example of this progress. This thesis presents the design and development of the EPICS based control system for Linear IFMIF1 Prototype Accelerator (LIPAc), which construction involves several countries and it is currently being carried out in Rokkasho, Japan. LIPAc comprises a succession of devices and systems that focus and accelerate deuteron beam to an energy of 9 MeV with a current of 125mA, developing a previously unobtainable power of 1.125MW for that given energy. Therefore, due to the spatial charge issues associated with those beam properties, the operational requirements of such magnitudes make a complex control system but fundamental to proper operation of the prototype accelerator. LIPAc should serve as a key to demonstrate the feasibility in the construction of the IFMIF, an indispensable tool on the way to the conquest of nuclear fusion as an alternative energy source, capable of evaluating possible materials that can be used in the first nuclear fusion reactor, to be erected in the near future. The paradigm of distributed control systems has been established within the engineering community control as a set of software and hardware technologies that provide the necessary elements for seamless integration of system components, in our case, a particle accelerator. This work presents the development of a distributed control system based on EPICS, using architectures, tools and applications that present the operation of the device as a robust set of data and variables, both accessible and understandable by engineers and operators. The first part of this document is dedicated to review the need for nuclear fusion, framing the work presented as one of the previous steps to achieve this complex milestone. Next, a review in control systems architectures for particle accelerators is exposed. Then, it is provided an overview of current control systems with special emphasis on installations whose control is based on EPICS. Due to the large extension of the existing works, this section is not intended to be a comprehensive review, but rather a framework for establishing the context of this work and a way to highlight the most outstanding ones. The second part provides a description of the proposal made, which involves the design and development of a distributed control system based on EPICS. Among all kinds of control architectures, the distributed multilayer has been chosen, wherein the control system is presented as a set of hierarchical layers ranging from the resource layer, closest to the devices, until the presentation layer, closest to the operator, through the application layer. The main contribution of this proposal is the use of technology-based distributed control system over an EPICS framework, giving specific solutions to each part of the accelerator but maintaining the multi-tiered architecture. Specifically, it proposes several solutions based on the same technology software for different local control systems with the advantage of achieving a complete integration of the system and a complete understanding between all components, highlighting the development of the low level radiofrequency control system, one of the most delicate and important parts of the accelerator. Some elements of the developed system have been tested experimentally, first instance at Ciemat facilities, using the necessary devices to simulate input data. On the other hand, the radio frequency system and its control have been tested also at high energy.Los sistemas de control distribuidos en tiempo real para grandes instrumentos científicos, tales como aceleradores de partículas o telescopios, han surgido como solución al problema de control de múltiples dispositivos interconectados que requerían una atención y observación constante, además de una integración absoluta de cada una de sus partes. Esta mejora viene proporcionada por el intenso desarrollo tecnológico que han sufrido en los últimos años los dispositivos destinados al control de sistemas. Con respecto al software de control, han aparecido en los últimos tiempos conjuntos de herramientas, librerías y aplicaciones, desarrolladas de manera colaborativa en diversos laboratorios y centros de investigación de todo el mundo. Como máximo exponente de este progreso está EPICS, un conjunto de herramientas Open Source, capaz de controlar la mayoría de los dispositivos necesarios para hacer funcionar un acelerador de partículas. En esta tesis se presenta el diseño y desarrollo del sistema de control, basado en EPICS, del acelerador lineal prototipo IFMIF, LIPAc en inglés, en cuya construcción participan varios países, llevándose a cabo en Rokkasho, Japón. LIPAc está compuesto por una sucesión de sistemas y dispositivos que focalizan y aceleran un haz de deuterones hasta una energía de 9 MeV con una corriente de 125mA, desarrollando una potencia nunca antes conseguida, con dicha energía, de 1.125MW. Por tanto, los requisitos operacionales derivados de tales magnitudes y de la carga espacial asociada, hacen del sistema de control un elemento complejo pero fundamental para el correcto funcionamiento del acelerador prototipo. LIPAc debe servir como elemento clave para demostrar la viabilidad de la construcción de IFMIF, una herramienta indispensable en el camino hacia la conquista de la fusión nuclear como fuente alternativa de energía, capaz de evaluar posibles materiales que puedan ser utilizados dentro del primer reactor nuclear de fusión, que se erigirá en un futuro próximo. El paradigma de los sistemas de control distribuidos se ha establecido dentro de la comunidad de la ingeniería de control, como el conjunto de tecnologías tanto software como hardware que pretenden proporcionar los elementos necesarios para conseguir una total integración de los sistemas que componen en este, nuestro caso, un acelerador de partículas. En el presente trabajo se propone el desarrollo de un sistema de control distribuido basado en EPICS que utilice arquitecturas, herramientas y aplicaciones que muestren el funcionamiento del artefacto como un conjunto robusto de datos y variables, accesibles y entendibles tanto por los ingenieros como por los operadores. La primera parte del documento se dedica a revisar, en primer lugar, la necesidad de la energía nuclear de fusión, enmarcando el trabajo presentado como una de los pasos previos para conseguir este complejo hito. Seguidamente, se ofrece una visión general de arquitecturas de sistemas de control actuales en aceleradores de partículas, haciendo especial hincapié en aquellas instalaciones cuyo control está basado en EPICS. Debido a la gran extensión de los trabajos existentes, esta sección no pretende ser una revisión exhaustiva, sino un marco para establecer el contexto de esta tesis y una forma de resaltar los trabajos más destacados. La segunda parte proporciona una descripción de la propuesta realizada, que consiste en el diseño y desarrollo de un sistema de control basado en EPICS. Entre todos los tipos de arquitecturas de control se ha optado por seguir el modelo distribuido multicapa, en el cual el sistema de control se presenta como un conjunto de estratos jerarquizados que van desde la capa de recursos, la más cercana a los dispositivos, hasta la capa de presentación, la más cercana al operador, pasando por la de aplicación. La principal aportación de la propuesta es el uso de la tecnología de sistemas de control distribuidos basados en EPICS que da solución específica a cada parte o subsistema del acelerador, manteniendo siempre la arquitectura multicapa. En concreto se proponen diversas soluciones basadas en la misma tecnología software para los diferentes sistemas de control locales del acelerador, con la ventaja de conseguir una integración absoluta del sistema y un entendimiento completo entre todas las partes que lo componen; destacando en esta segunda parte, el desarrollo del control del sistema de radiofrecuencia a bajo nivel, una de las partes más delicadas e importantes del acelerador. El sistema desarrollado se ha probado en primera instancia de forma experimental en los bancos de pruebas de las instalaciones del Ciemat, utilizando los dispositivos necesarios para simular datos de entrada. Por otro lado, el sistema de radiofrecuencia y su control han sido además evaluados en tests a altas energías.Este trabajo ha sido realizado en su mayor parte dentro de las instalaciones del Centro de Investigaciones Medioambientales, Energéticas y Tecnológicas (Ciemat), gracias a sus medios técnicos y a su personal, financiado por el MINECO a través de los proyectos AIC-2010-A-000441 y AIC-A-2011-0654.Programa en Ciencia y Tecnología InformáticaPresidente: Joaquín Sánchez Sanz; Vocal: Luis Correia; Secretario: José Manuel Molina Lópe

Hierarchical Control of the ATLAS Experiment

Control systems at High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments are becoming increasingly complex mainly due to the size, complexity and data volume associated to the front-end instrumentation. In particular, this becomes visible for the ATLAS experiment at the LHC accelerator at CERN. ATLAS will be the largest particle detector ever built, result of an international collaboration of more than 150 institutes. The experiment is composed of 9 different specialized sub-detectors that perform different tasks and have different requirements for operation. The system in charge of the safe and coherent operation of the whole experiment is called Detector Control System (DCS). This thesis presents the integration of the ATLAS DCS into a global control tree following the natural segmentation of the experiment into sub-detectors and smaller sub-systems. The integration of the many different systems composing the DCS includes issues such as: back-end organization, process model identification, fault detection, synchronization with external systems, automation of processes and supervisory control. Distributed control modeling is applied to the widely distributed devices that coexist in ATLAS. Thus, control is achieved by means of many distributed, autonomous and co-operative entities that are hierarchically organized and follow a finite-state machine logic. The key to integration of these systems lies in the so called Finite State Machine tool (FSM), which is based on two main enabling technologies: a SCADA product, and the State Manager Interface (SMI++) toolkit. The SMI++ toolkit has been already used with success in two previous HEP experiments providing functionality such as: an object-oriented language, a finite-state machine logic, an interface to develop expert systems, and a platform-independent communication protocol. This functionality is then used at all levels of the experiment operation process, ranging from the overall supervision down to device integration, enabling the overall sequencing and automation of the experiment. Although the experience gained in the past is an important input for the design of the detector's control hierarchy, further requirements arose due to the complexity and size of ATLAS. In total, around 200.000 channels will be supervised by the DCS and the final control tree will be hundreds of times bigger than any of the antecedents. Thus, in order to apply a hierarchical control model to the ATLAS DCS, a common approach has been proposed to ensure homogeneity between the large-scale distributed software ensembles of sub-detectors. A standard architecture and a human interface have been defined with emphasis on the early detection, monitoring and diagnosis of faults based on a dynamic fault-data mechanism. This mechanism relies on two parallel communication paths that manage the faults while providing a clear description of the detector conditions. The DCS information is split and handled by different types of SMI++ objects; whilst one path of objects manages the operational mode of the system, the other is to handle eventual faults. The proposed strategy has been validated through many different tests with positive results in both functionality and performance. This strategy has been successfully implemented and constitutes the ATLAS standard to build the global control tree. During the operation of the experiment, the DCS, responsible for the detector operation, must be synchronized with the data acquisition system which is in charge of the physics data taking process. The interaction between both systems has so far been limited, but becomes increasingly important as the detector nears completion. A prototype implementation, ready to be used during the sub-detector integration, has achieved data reconciliation by mapping the different segments of the data acquisition system into the DCS control tree. The adopted solution allows the data acquisition control applications to command different DCS sections independently and prevents incorrect physics data taking caused by a failure in a detector part. Finally, the human-machine interface presents and controls the DCS data in the ATLAS control room. The main challenges faced during the design and development phases were: how to support the operator in controlling this large system, how to maintain integration across many displays, and how to provide an effective navigation. These issues have been solved by combining the functionalities provided by both, the SCADA product and the FSM tool. The control hierarchy provides an intuitive structure for the organization of many different displays that are needed for the visualization of the experiment conditions. Each node in the tree represents a workspace that contains the functional information associated with its abstraction level within the hierarchy. By means of an effective navigation, any workspace of the control tree is accessible by the operator or detector expert within a common human interface layout. The interface is modular and flexible enough to be accommodated to new operational scenarios, fulfil the necessities of the different kind of users and facilitate the maintenance during the long lifetime of the detector of up to 20 years. The interface is in use since several months, and the sub-detector's control hierarchies, together with their associated displays, are currently being integrated into the common human-machine interface