FR2812483A1 - Industrial process data transmission system uses 'Pager' type portable unit for collection and display of data, infrared signals are used for short range data transfer and radio signals for long range communication - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic process data transmission module (5) has infra red and radio transmitters is fixed on a part of industrial equipment forming part of the process. A data receiver is contained in a portable module (6) which collects and displays the data from the fixed unit. The module (5) is connected to a process control unit (1) associated with equipment (2). The portable module includes a low power consumption liquid crystal diode or plasma type display (9). The receiver module contains circuits for emitting a warning signal either in the form of a series of modulated bips as a function of the received signal or as a series of discrete vibrations or as a series of light signals from electro-luminescent diodes. The transmission module includes a controller for initializing control an operation cycle of the industrial equipment. The alarm in the portable module is triggered at the end of the operating cycle whose control is initialized by the transmission module. The infrared receiver is useable over a limited range and the radio receiver has a range compatible with a large production site.

Description

The present invention relates to collection and display devices

  information relating to an industrial process and relates more particularly to portable devices of this type commonly called

"Pagers".

  Today's cryogenic equipment increasingly uses automation functions to ensure the smooth running of industrial processes, optimize fluid consumption and manage user safety. For this purpose, it is necessary to set up a chain of

  control / command consisting of a PLC and a human interface

HMI machine.

  Such a chain can consist of separate organs or

strongly integrated.

  The human-machine interface HMI is generally composed of a display monitor carrying either alphanumeric indications of values of adequate operating parameters such as temperatures at various points of the equipment, product flows, fluid flows, positions of valves, interlocking of controls or others, or a graphical supervision diagram reproducing the entire process of the

production.

  This visualization can sometimes be postponed simultaneously

  in one or more offices of manufacturing managers.

  However, it is always absolutely necessary to stand in front of the screen of a monitor receiving the above information to take

  knowledge of equipment operating variables.

  The invention aims to remedy this drawback by creating an information transmission device which allows a manager on the premises of a factory to remotely control the progress

  of the industrial process for which he is responsible without returning to his office.

  It therefore relates to a device for transmitting information relating to an industrial process, characterized in that it comprises an automated process data transmission module installed at a fixed station on at least one industrial equipment participating in the progress of the process and coupled to a transmitter, a module for receiving data from the transmission module, said reception module being contained in a portable and autonomous information collection and display device. According to other characteristics: - the automated process data transmission module is connected to an industrial process control automaton associated with said equipment; - the process data transmission module includes an infrared transmitter; - The process data transmission module comprises an antenna radio wave transmitter; the reception module comprises a display module type of low consumption liquid crystal diode panel for continuous display; the reception module comprises a plasma type display module for display on demand; - the reception module includes an infrared receiver usable in a limited perimeter; the reception module includes a radio wave receiver

  range compatible with the surface of a large production site.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description which will

  follow, given only by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, on which: - Fig.1 is a schematic view of an information transmission device according to the invention; - Fig.2 is a diagram showing the application of the portable device for collecting and displaying information according to the invention; and - Figs. 3a and 3b are diagrams showing another application of the portable device for collecting and displaying information

according to the invention.

  In Figure 1, there is shown by way of nonlimiting example, an installation for controlling and monitoring an industrial process comprising the device for transmitting process information

industrial according to the invention.

  The installation includes a PLC 1 for controlling an industrial process, for example a PEP Smart IO PLC associated with equipment.

  industrial 2 to order and with which a human interface is associated

  machine 3 comprising a fixed monitor, a device 4 for transmitting data, for example of the applicant's Teleflo type being interposed

  between PLC 1 and the human-machine interface 3.

  According to the invention, the installation further comprises an information transmission device comprising a transmitter 5 provided with an antenna connected to the PLC by an RS232C link using the protocol

Modbus for example.

  With the transmitter 5 of the infrared type or of the radio wave type with antenna is associated a portable and autonomous module 6 for collecting and

  Display of industrial process data.

  The module 6 comprises a receiver 7 for infrared signals or radio waves depending on the range which the transmission device must have.

  information. The receiver 7 is provided with an antenna 7a.

  To the receiver 7 is connected a circuit 8 for selecting the information to be displayed connected to a liquid crystal display module 9

low consumption.

  Alternatively, the liquid crystal module for permanent display can be replaced by a display device with

  plasma in case of display on demand.

  According to a particular embodiment represented in FIG. 2, the information transmission device according to the invention is applied to an installation comprising several pieces of equipment, namely: - an appliance 10 for pressurizing packaging, - a module 11 for crusting P, - a crusting module 12 by vibration,

- a cryogenic tunnel 13.

  All these pieces of equipment 10 to 13 each include an associated automaton, similar to the automaton 1 of the installation of FIG. 1 as well

  that transmitter similar to transmitter 5 (not shown).

  The modules 10 to 13 are thus in connection with portable devices for collecting and displaying information such as the device 6 described with reference to FIG. I which receive alternately or on request,

  information concerning the operation of these modules.

  The following information is displayed on screen 9 of module 6.

  - product flow = 752 Kg / h - residence time = 15 min - LN2 consumption = 1.23 IUkg This is information concerning the operation of the tunnel

cryogenic 13.

  We will now describe an embodiment of the device of the invention applied to an automated cryogenic tunnel as it is proposed to

  the present time on the market by the plaintiff.

  The control-command chain includes a PLC 1 of Smart-10 EuroPEP type coupled to a monitor 3 with an HMI touch screen integrating a compact industrial PC via a communication device 4 of TELEFLO CLASSIC type which allows remote maintenance and remote management of

  industrial process from an AL region of the monitor 3.

  The system has two operating possibilities:

  a) Control of the transmitter 5 by the monitor 3.

  We add within the supervision software written for example in Visual Basic language, the additional sending of data to the collection and display device or pager 6 through the serial port of the monitor or human-machine interface 3 to the device radio transmission 5 on an authorized frequency, in the 2.4 MHz range for example. The pager 6 captures this data within a perimeter of several kilometers around a central antenna such as the antenna 5a which can be

  located on the cryogenic equipment itself.

  b) Control of the transmitter by the EURO PEP automaton such as the automaton 1 of the installation of FIG. 1 or else the automata associated with the

  different modules of the installation in Figure 2.

  In this case, an additional function is added to the ISAGRAF task which manages PLC 1 in order to generate the sending of data on its

  RS232C serial port through which it is connected to the transmitter 5.

  In the case of an installation of an installation according to the invention on a cryogenic tunnel, the messages that can pass between the industrial process to be monitored and the device 6 for collecting and displaying information or paging are for example of the type : "Requested residence time: 460 seconds >>" <Measured residence time: 459 seconds >> * "<Regulation temperature: - 109 C >>" <Instant product flow: 502 kg / h >> "Total quantity of frozen products over 5 hours: 2561 kg>> "Instantaneous fluid consumption 1.12 L / kg >> The maximum limited display capacity on a pager which is 4 to 6 lines of 40 characters for example, can easily be increased by the fact that one can call on several successive pages of signals on the

  same display screen by action on a local scroll button.

  It is also conceivable to think of a complementary phenomenon of interactive reaction, by emission of control signals by the pager 6 towards the industrial process provided that the area of the factory equipped with the installation according to the invention is equipped with '' a sufficient network of beacons used to relay the relatively weak signal from the pager in order to compensate or modify, to a certain extent, the parameters of

  operation of the freezing chain.

  This system for sending real-time process data can be applied to any type of equipment with numerical values circulating in the control-command chain and capable of accommodating a

  radio or infrared transmission module.

  The illustration of such a multiple application is given by

  the installation described with reference to Figure 2.

  FIG. 3 shows a simplified device which can be

  applied to equipment that does not have a control chain-

numerical control.

  Indeed, it is sometimes necessary to be warned, in real time, of the appearance of a very precise end of sequence while the personnel in charge of the operation cannot remain near the machine where the

production cycle.

  In this case, a simplified radio or infrared wave emission module is connected to one or two separate all-or-nothing signals of a process managed by a control unit which can be picked up by autonomous portable pagers which include means emission of warning signals, in the form either of a series of beeps modulated according to the received signal, or of a series of discrete vibrations, or of a

  series of light flashes delivered by light-emitting diodes.

  The installation of FIG. 3a comprises a cryogenic processing module 20 equipped with a transmitter 21 connected to the control member (not shown) of the processing module 20 so as to receive from this module, information on the progress of the cycle processing and information

cycle time.

  Associated with the transmitter 21 are devices 22 for collecting and displaying information relating to the progress of the treatment cycle in the module 20. The transmitter comprises an initialization button 24 which allows the wearer of the collection device and display or pager 22, resetting the transmitter 21 at the same time as resetting the displayed data

on screen 25 of pager 22.

  The display on the screen 25 evolves at the same time as the operating cycle of the module 20 evolves whose transmitter 21 transmits the information

cycle time at pager 22.

  When the cycle of the module 20 ends, the indication of end of cycle appears on the screen 25 of the pager 22 as shown in FIG. 3b and the wearer of the device is informed of the end of the cycle by the transmission by pager 22 of a series of vibrations or modulated sound beeps or of lightning flashes. The signals from the transmitter reach the collection and display device or pager 22 even when the carrier of the device is in another room than that occupied by the module 20 and it is

  separated from the module by one or more walls such as wall 26.

Claims (10)

  1. Device for transmitting information relating to an industrial process, characterized in that it comprises an automated process data transmission module installed at a fixed station on at least one industrial equipment (2; 10,11,12, 13; 20) participating in the process and at least one module for receiving data from the transmission module (5; 21), said reception module being contained in a device (6; 22)   portable and autonomous collection and display of information.   2. Transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that the module (5; 21) for transmitting data of automated process is connected to a body (1) for controlling the industrial process associated with said equipment (2).   3. Transmission device according to one of claims 1 and 2,   characterized in that the process data transmission module (5; 21) includes an infrared transmitter.   4. Transmission device according to one of claims 1 and 2,   characterized in that the process data transmission module (5; 21)   includes a radio wave transmitter.   5. Transmission device according to one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that the reception module (6; 22) comprises a display module (9; 25) of the panel type of low liquid crystal diodes   consumption for continuous display.   6. Transmission device according to one of claims 1 to 4,   characterized in that the receiving module (6; 22) comprises a module   plasma type display (9; 25) for on demand display.   7. Transmission device according to one of claims there 6,   characterized in that the reception module (22) comprises means for transmitting warning signals either in the form of a series of beeps modulated as a function of the signal received, or of a series of discrete vibrations, or of '' a series of light flashes delivered by light-emitting diodes. 8. Transmission device according to claim 7, characterized in that the transmission module comprises means (24) for initializing the control of an operating cycle of an equipment (20) and in that the means d transmission of the warning signals from the reception module (22) are triggered by the end of the operating cycle, the control of which is   initialized by said initialization means.   9. Transmission device according to one of claims 3 and 5   to 8, characterized in that the receiving module (6; 22) comprises a   infrared receiver usable in a limited area.   10. Transmission device according to claims 4 to 8,   characterized in that the reception module (6; 22) comprises a range radio receiver compatible with the surface of a large production site.