Abstract: Methods and apparatus to implement safety applications associated with process control systems are disclosed. An apparatus includes a configuration controller to: provide a plurality of available safety applications for implementation by a safety trip device to a user for selection, a first one of the safety applications associated with a first set of I/O signals, a second one of the safety applications associated with a second set of I/O signals, the first safety application implemented based on first pre-programmed instructions stored in memory of the safety trip device, the second safety application implemented based on second pre-programmed instructions stored in the memory; and, in response to a user selection of the first safety application, prompt the user to specify values for configuration settings associated with the first safety application. The apparatus also includes an I/O analyzer to implement the first safety application.

Abstract: Process control system and methods are disclosed. An example method includes operating a first cluster including first virtual machines and first servers and operating a second cluster including second virtual machines and second servers. The example method also includes storing first data from the first virtual machines at a first data store of the first cluster and storing a replica of the first data at a second data store of the second cluster. The example method also includes storing second data from the second virtual machines at the second data store and storing a replica of the second data at the first data store and identifying a failure of the first cluster. The method also includes, in response to the failure, restarting the first virtual machines using the second servers and the replica of the first data at the second data store.

Abstract: A wireless field maintenance adapter includes a power source, a controller, a low-power radio-frequency communication module, and a wireless process communication protocol module. The controller is coupled to the power source. The low-power radio-frequency communication module is also coupled to the controller. The wireless process communication protocol module is coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to communicate through the wireless process communication protocol module based on information received from the low-power radio-frequency communication module.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting abnormal situations associated with a stirred vessel in a process plant receives statistical data associated with a pressure within a stirred vessel. A pressure signal associated with the pressure in the vessel is filtered by a digital filter to isolate a frequency component corresponding to pressure changes caused by the movement of a blade of an agitator through a fluid. For example, a pressure sensor device disposed at least partially within the stirred vessel may generate the statistical data based on a pressure signal. The statistical data is analyzed to detect whether one or more abnormal situations associated with an agitator of the stirred vessel exist. For example, the statistical data may be analyzed to detect whether the agitator is broken/unbalanced, corroded, missing a blade or multiple blades, etc. If an abnormal situation is detected, an indicator of the abnormal situation may be generated.

Abstract: In a method for configuring delivery of notifications related to process plants, at least one person is selected to receive a notification from a process entity in a process plant. Additionally, a delivery method for delivering the notification to the at least one person is selected. The selected person and the selected delivery method may be stored in a memory.

Abstract: A diagnostic tool automatically collects and stores data indicative of a variability parameter, a mode parameter, a status parameter and a limit parameter for a multi-variable function block associated with one or more devices or loops within a process control system, processes the collected data to determine which devices, loops or function blocks have problems that result in reduced performance of the process control system, displays a list of detected problems to an operator and then suggests the use of other, more specific diagnostic tools to further pinpoint or correct the problems. When the diagnostic tool recommends and executes a data intensive application as the further diagnostic tool, it automatically configures a controller of the process control network to collect the data needed for such a tool.

Abstract: A recursive on-line wavelet data compression technique which may be used in, for example, a process control network, compresses a stream of data points on-line or in real-time (e.g., as the data arrives or is generated) without requiring the storage of a large amount of uncompressed data. The data compression system includes a data receiver that receives the data points in a sequential manner and a compression tree computation device that determines approximation coefficients and detail coefficients of a multi-layer wavelet compression tree from the received data points. The compression tree computation device determines all of the coefficients of the higher level layers of the compression tree that can be determined after the data receiver receives each of the data points to thereby perform on-line or real-time data compression.

Abstract: A digital control system automatically senses when a new controller is attached to a network and determines the number and types of I/O Ports that are attached to the new controller. The digital control system formats and displays the I/O Port information upon request by a user. The digital control system program also includes an automatic configuration program that responds to sensing of a new controller by automatically configuring the input/output (I/O) subsystem. The user adds a new controller without setting any physical switches or nodes. A user optionally supplies configuration information for a device into a database, prior to connection of a device. Upon connection of the device, the device is automatically sensed and configured using the database configuration information, without setting of physical switches or node address information on the devices.

Abstract: A configuration assistant system is disclosed which guides a user through configuring a process control environment via a sequence of screen presentations. The configuration assistant system advantageously enables a process control designer or user to quickly and easily configure a process control environment. The screen presentations may be contained within a plurality of instructional sections to further assist the process control designer in configuring the process control environment.

Abstract: A control studio object system is disclosed which allows a process control environment to be easily and quickly configured or modified. The control studio object system includes a stencil portion having stencil items conforming to algorithms and a diagram portion to which the stencil items may be copied via a drag and drop operation. Because the stencil items are objects which contain all of the information required by a diagram portion to create an object that contains all of the information necessary to program the process control environment, the completed diagram portion reflects the actual configuration of the process control environment. Additionally, providing the stencil items as objects allows the diagrammed environment to be installed directly to nodes without requiring the diagram to be compiled or rewritten in a language conforming to the node.

Abstract: A non-linear process controller drives a process variable to be substantially equivalent to a set point based on the expected load disturbances within the process and on a measurement of the actual magnitude of set point changes. The controller uses control parameters developed in an optimal manner to control the process in response to expected load disturbances when no set point change has occurred. Whenever a set point change is detected, the controller derives a set of set point change control parameters and uses these set point change control parameters in responding to the set point change. Each of the set point change control parameters may be developed as a function of the magnitude of the actual change in the set point and according to a set of process characteristics which may include the time delay and the dominant time constant of the process.