Manuscript of the paper given in Finnish Artificial Intelligence Conference, August 20-23, 1996
Learning Environment for a Process Automation System Using Computer Networks Juha Lindfors, Leena Yliniemi and Kauko Leiviskä Control Engineering Laboratory University of Oulu PL 444 90571 Oulu, Finland Phone: +358 81 553 2462 Fax: +358 81 553 2466 Email:
[email protected]
The paper and presentation will describe a learning environment to be developed in the Control Engineering Laboratory at the University of Oulu. The environment consists of a pilot scale rotary dryer, relating process automation system, and the network connections to local network and Internet. The following chapters will give a brief review to the subject. Introduction Until recent years, process automation systems have been closed, vendor-defined systems. At the present, development progresses towards more open systems where data is transfered through different kind of nets. Sincerity and nets make it possible to integrate different types of systems together. According to the results of an other research project /1/, conducted in our laboratory, the level of education of process operators in industry varies significantly. The lack of knowledge can influence the ability of operators to cope with their tasks at the optimum level. On the other hand, the automation system itself can reduce the operators skills and knowledge, because it is taking care of the normal control actions and the operators need to intervene to the control more seldom. One aim of an ongoing research in our laboratory, is to integrate hypermedia based training material into a process automation and control system so that learning is brought right there where the operators work. The integration of hypermedia material can give the operators the possibility to get information for their acute needs. Furthermore, they can study the process through simulations and animations at a quiet time. The hypermedia material The hypermedia material was made initially in the COMETT II project during years 1990 - 1993. The target of the project was to develop training material for process automation so that the material can be used in continuing education in different fields of process industry, in universities, and in different technical institutes /2/. The training material developed /3/ was modularly grouped into series of courses that could be used at different levels of education and in different fields of industry. The basic idea behind the system was that it would be possible to pick a tailor-made module with the main "textbook"-part, examples, problems, demonstrations, and audio visual material for some main topics of process automation.
A rotary dryer module The material obtained in COMETT -project includes also a module for learning the basic theory of modelling and control of a rotary dryer.The module includes also a model of the rotary dryer programmed with Matlab and Simulink. Using this model some control examples have been made. These examples concern PID, fuzzy, neural and, hybrid of neuro-fuzzy controls. The automation system The system located in the laboratory consist of a pilot plant rotary dryer and a Damatic XD automation system. The automation system has already a possibility to study new methods on the dryer control, such as adaptive and fuzzy control has allready been applied. These controls are in the HP computer under the Matlab program and data from the dryer is transfered to the controllers through a database. The automation system is connected to our laboratory network that has also a bridge to the Internet. Because of the connection, it is possible to use also WWW servers for providing information and learning material for operators. Figure 1 shows the configuration of the local network. ETHERNET
BRIDGE CONVERTER
O P E R A T IO N T E R M IN A L DIGITAL AUTOMATION SYSTEM DAMATIC XD PROCESS STATION OPERATION STATION ALARM STATION BACKUP STATION ETC.
Figure 1: Net connections of the pilot process
The system to be built At the moment, WWW services are available on the operation terminal. In the beginning, the text part of the hypermedia material can be accessed through the local network. In the future, an ATM server will be put into use, enabling the full capacity of hypermedia. After integrating the material into the automation system it can be studied on the operation terminal. In addition, a hypremedia workstation will be available for the operators and moreover operations and video picture from the rotary dryer can be transfered to the classroom. The clasroom is equipped with a workstation that is
connected to the ATM network. Figure 2 shows an earlier built simulation environment that will be a basis for the project. Figure 3 presents possible network connections. DAMATICXD X-Version
PCS
X-OPS HP9000/300
Damatic Systembus
BU
XIS-environment Mosaic XD-Link XV,mpeg,etc,...
GTW Workstation WWW-server
RS232
DAMATICXD EWS
Internet
PC/486 ACSL-simulator XD-link
Figure 2. a prototype environment
LAN FUNET
Media switch 155 Mbps
Classroom workstation Workstation
Novell server Figure 3. Network connections
References 1. Leiviskä K., (1995) Hypermedia in Simulation and Control. Presentation in SiE/WG Workshop. Brussels, Belgium. 2. Leiviskä K., Yliniemi L., Lindfors J. (1991) Training Materials for Process Automation: Demonstration of Teaching Process Measurements. In: Proceedings of Nordic Conference on Computer Aided Higher Education, August 21-23, Espoo, pp. 73-77. 3. Lindfors J., (1993) Training Materials for Process Automation in Hypermedia Environment. Licentiate thesis, University of Oulu. p. 70.
