To provide a trusted, secure, and immutable record of transactions within a process plant, techniques are described for utilizing a distributed ledger in process control systems. The distributed ledger may be maintained by nodes which receive transactions broadcasted from field devices, controllers, operator workstations, or other devices operating within the process plant. The transactions may include process plant data, such as process parameter data, product parameter data, configuration data, user interaction data, maintenance data, commissioning data, plant network data, and product tracking data. The distributed ledgers may also be utilized to execute smart contracts to allow machines such as field devices to transact by themselves without human intervention. In this manner, recorded process parameter values and product parameter values may be retrieved to verify the quality of products. Moreover, regulatory data may be recorded in response to triggering events so that regulatory agencies can review the data.

Control systems and methods for controlling an engine. The control system includes a computation module and an input/output (I/O) module attached to the engine. The computation module is located in an area of the engine, or off-engine, that provides a more benign environment than the environment that the I/O module is subject to during operation of the engine. The I/O module includes a first processor and a first network interface device. The computation module includes a second processor with higher processing power than the first processor, and a second network interface device. The control system also includes a sensor configured to provide sensor readings to the first processor. The first processor transmits data based on the sensor readings to the second processor. The control system also includes an actuator operably coupled to the I/O module and that is controlled by the first processor based on commands from the second processor.

An industrial control system may receive data associated with at least one component within an industrial automation system. The industrial control system may then determine whether the data is associated with at least one of a plurality of data tags, such that the at least one of the plurality of data tags describes at least one characteristic of the data. The industrial control system may then broadcast the data and the at least one of the plurality of data tags in a data feed channel when the data is associated with the at least one of the plurality of data tags.

Systems and methods of configuring process control systems for operating process plants including multi-variable devices are disclosed herein. Multi-variable devices generate data associated with primary parameters and subsequent parameters. To facilitate configuration and use of subsequent parameters within process control systems, new device objects may be generated to represent the subsequent parameters. The new device objects may be generated as child device objects of parent device objects representing the multi-variable devices. Each child device object may also have a unique tag to identify the new device object within the process control system. The subsequent parameters of the multi-variable devices may thus be used within the process control system by reference to the tags of the corresponding child device objects.

A method applied in an electronic device for remote control of facilities in a first group includes generating control data according to component information taken from facilities in a second group used as a model for the facilities in the first group. The component information is stored in a storage device of the electronic device ready for when the facilities in the first group are remotely controlled. The control data is transmitted to a first device for remotely controlling operation of the facilities in the first group and the first device is controlled to acquire feedback generated by each of the facilities in the first group during the operation, the feedback data transmitted by the first device being received by the electronic device.

A plant control device of the present invention includes a register configured to register a simulated dangerous condition which is a simulated representation of an operation condition under which a plant is dangerous, a first acquirer configured to acquire an operation condition of the plant, a learner configured to learn the operation condition acquired and the simulated dangerous condition registered and produce an operation model of the plant, a determiner configured to determine an operation parameter of the plant on the basis of the operation condition acquired and the operation model produced, and an instructor configured to instruct an operation of the plant on the basis of the operation parameter determined.

Control systems and methods for controlling an engine. The control system includes a computation module and an input/output (I/O) module attached to the engine. The computation module is located in an area of the engine, or off-engine, that provides a more benign environment than the environment that the I/O module is subject to during operation of the engine. The I/O module includes a first processor and a first network interface device. The computation module includes a second processor with higher processing power than the first processor, and a second network interface device. The control system also includes a sensor configured to provide sensor readings to the first processor. The first processor transmits data based on the sensor readings to the second processor. The control system also includes an actuator operably coupled to the I/O module and that is controlled by the first processor based on commands from the second processor.

Targeted distributing of reports containing historical process control information to particular user devices via a communications network. A curating service permits assigning a score to each report based on an interest level value of the historical process control information to a user associated with each user device and/or an urgency value of the historical process control information. Routing reports to user devices based on the score raises visibility of the historical process control information without overburdening the communications network.

Systems and methods of configuring process control systems for operating process plants including multi-variable devices are disclosed herein. Multi-variable devices generate data associated with primary parameters and subsequent parameters. To facilitate configuration and use of subsequent parameters within process control systems, new device objects may be generated to represent the subsequent parameters. The new device objects may be generated as child device objects of parent device objects representing the multi-variable devices. Each child device object may also have a unique tag to identify the new device object within the process control system. The subsequent parameters of the multi-variable devices may thus be used within the process control system by reference to the tags of the corresponding child device objects.

A method for creating a virtual deployment of a distributed control system (DCS) for a given industrial process, comprising: providing a topology of the assets executing the industrial process, as well as control logic for controlling these assets; providing at least one I/O simulator that is configured to supply data; determining a topology of devices that form part of the DCS; establishing based at least in part on this topology of devices, at least one declarative and/or imperative description of the DCS that characterizes multiple devices of the DCS, their placement, and their connections; creating virtual instances of the devices of the DCS and their connections in a chosen environment.