Abstract: Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.

Abstract: A method includes the steps of determining a first concept from a text of a medical record from an electronic health record system, the first concept relating to a patient, identifying a match to the first concept in a first list of concepts, wherein the first list of concepts is not a predetermined authority, referencing the first concept with an entity in a database of related concepts, identifying a match to a second concept in a second list of concepts, the second list of concepts not directly linked to the first list of concepts except by a relationship to the entity, wherein the second list of concepts is the predetermined authority, and providing the second concept as an identifier of the patient's medical record.

Abstract: Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.

Abstract: Techniques for automatically or autonomously performing signal processing-based learning in a process plant are disclosed. Generally, said techniques automatically or autonomously perform signal processing on a real-time signal that is generated based on the process plant controlling a process. Typically, the signal corresponds to a parameter value that varies over time, and the signal is processed as it is generated in real-time during on-line plant operations. Results of the signal processing may indicate characteristics of the signal, and one or more analytics functions may determine the sources of the characteristics, which may include a process element or device, a piece of equipment, and/or an asset of the process plant that is upstream, within the process, of the source of the signal. An autonomous signal processor may be integrated with or included in a process control device and/or a big data node of the process plant.

Abstract: A stator assembly comprising: a stator having an inner diameter; a plurality of coils wrapped around the stator; and a seal plate positioned on the lower surface of the stator and spanning the inner diameter of the stator, the seal plate having at least one welded edge to form a hermetic seal along the stator.

Abstract: Smart process objects, which have both graphical and simulation elements, may be used to create one or more graphic displays and one or more process simulation modules, each having elements which may communicate with one another and with devices within a process plant to model and depict the operation of a process plant. The smart process objects may include one or more device objects, which represent physical devices within the process plant, and may include one or more smart connection objects which represent and model the flow of a material, such as a gas, a liquid, a composition of solid, electricity, etc., through a connection between entities within the process plant. The smart process objects may also include one or more smart stream objects, which also may represent and model the flow of a material at a particular point in the process plant.

Abstract: Aircraft, vibration isolation assemblies, and methods of assembling vibration isolation assemblies are provided. An aircraft includes a vibration isolation assembly. The vibration isolation assembly includes a mounting track, a plate, a clamp block, a vibration isolator, and a support fitting. The mounting track defines a cavity and includes flanges that define an opening to the cavity. The plate is configured to be positioned on the flanges outside of the cavity. The clamp block is configured to be fastened to the plate under the flanges of the mounting track within the cavity. The vibration isolator is configured to be laterally constrained by the clamp block within the cavity. The support fitting is configured to be secured to the vibration isolator outside of the cavity.

Abstract: A user interface system for a process plant includes a graphic display editor to configure a process graphic display having a graphic display element representative of a process plant element of the process plant. The process graphic display is specified via configuration information set forth in a declarative language. A graphics rendering engine generates a depiction of the process graphic display during runtime based on commands derived from the configuration information set forth in the declarative language. The configuration information for the process graphic display may be stored as an object, which, for instance, may include first and second portions to define a graphical parameter and identify a data source, respectively. The graphical parameter may be directed to defining a graphical depiction of the process plant element and, to this end, may be set forth in a formal in accordance with the declarative language.

Abstract: Process control systems for operating process plants are disclosed herein. The process control systems include control modules that are decoupled from the I/O architecture of the process plants using signal objects or generic shadow blocks. This decoupling is effected by using the signal objects or generic shadow blocks to manage at least part of the communication between the control modules and the field devices. Signal objects may convert between protocols used by control modules and field devices, thus decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture. Generic shadow blocks may be automatically configured to mimic the operation of field devices within a controller executing the control modules, thus partially decoupling the control modules from the I/O architecture by using the shadow blocks to manage communication between the control modules and the field devices.

Abstract: Aircraft, aircraft exterior speaker systems, and methods of projecting sound waves from an exterior of an aircraft are provided. An aircraft includes an outer skin membrane, a vibration actuator, and a controller. The outer skin membrane has an exterior surface that defines an exterior boundary of the aircraft. The vibration actuator is coupled for common vibration with the outer skin membrane. The controller is operatively coupled with the vibration actuator and is configured to generate a command for the vibration actuator based on audible content to be projected from the exterior surface. The controller is further configured to transmit the command to the vibration actuator. The vibration actuator is configured to vibrate in response to receiving the command.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for refining a feed oil having contaminants therein. In the method, the feed oil is exposed to reducing conditions at elevated temperature and pressure so as to reduce at least some of said contaminants. The resulting oil is then degassed under reduced pressure under non-oxidizing conditions and the resulting oil extracted with water so as to produce a refined oil.

Abstract: A regional big data node oversees or services, during real-time operations of a process plant or process control system, a respective region of a plurality of regions of the plant/system, where at least some of the regions each includes one or more process control devices that operate to control a process executed in the plant/system. The regional big data node is configured to receive and store, as big data, streamed data and learned knowledge that is generated, received, or observed by its respective region, and to perform one or more learning analyses on at least some of the stored data. As a result of the learning analyses, the regional big data node creates new learned knowledge which the regional big data node may use to modify operations in its respective region, and/or which the regional big data node may transmit to other big data nodes of the plant/system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to configure process control systems based on generic process system libraries are disclosed. An example method includes instantiating an instance of a generic process system library. The instance is associated with items of equipment and corresponding process signals of a process control system. The generic process system library comprises at least one of generic process graphic data or generic control strategy data corresponding to the items of equipment and the corresponding process signals of the process control system. The example method further includes configuring the instance of the generic process system library by incorporating process-specific data associated with the operation of the process control system with the at least one of the generic process graphic data or the generic control strategy data.

Abstract: Aspects extend to methods, systems, and computer program products for using declarative configuration data to resolve errors in cloud operation. A tool (e.g., a maintenance module) and a design model can be used for bootstrapping a cloud stack that enables an external media based deployment model. The deployment model allows provisioning of an entire cloud stack as well as reset of or recovery from a failure of an existing cloud deployment instance. In one aspect, a bootstrap command for a cloud, a recovery command for the cloud, and a reset command for the cloud are consolidated within declarative configuration data. The tool (e.g., the maintenance module) can refer to the declarative configuration data to implement any of the bootstrap command, the recovery command, or the reset command.

Abstract: Aspects extend to methods, systems, and computer program products for using declarative configuration data to manage cloud lifecycle. A declarative language can be used to declare physical and logical topology as well as lifecycle management commands at multiple topology hierarchies. Developers of different cloud components can declare roles and cloud operations in compliance with a declaration model. Compliance with the declaration model allows aggregation and cross-referencing among commands and topology elements declared by different developers. As such, dependencies between components can be efficiently identified and accounted for when implementing lifecycle management commands Declarative configuration data can also be used to onboard additional components to a cloud without code changes to an underlying lifecycle state manager.

Abstract: Aspects extend to methods, systems, and computer program products for configuring a cloud from aggregate declarative configuration data. A declarative language can be used to declare physical and logical topology as well as cloud operations commands at multiple topology hierarchies. Developers of different cloud components can declare roles and cloud operations in compliance with a declaration model. Compliance with the declaration model allows aggregation and cross-referencing among commands and topology elements declared by different developers. As such, dependencies between components can be efficiently identified and accounted for when implementing cloud operation commands. Declarative configuration data can also be used to onboard additional components to a cloud without code changes to an underlying configuration engine.

Abstract: Flexible configuration of process control systems or plants allows draft changes or modifications to be made to parent process objects, e.g., in a configuration environment, without automatically triggering corresponding instantiations and/or downloads of the parent process objects and/or their derived children objects into a run-time system. Parent objects to which draft changes are allowed may include class objects, instance objects, and/or library objects. One or more modifications to a process object may be saved as a draft, and multiple drafts for a same process object may be saved as different versions. Children objects may indicate the particular version of a parent object draft from which they are derived. A user may indicate that a particular draft or version is to be published or approved. Unpublished or unapproved drafts are prevented from being instantiated in the run-time system, whereas published or approved drafts are allowed to be instantiated.

Abstract: A parking brake system for a vehicle includes a parking brake wire configured to be routed along the vehicle to a wheel assembly and a mounting bracket coupled to the parking brake wire. The mounting bracket is configured to mount the parking brake wire to an undercarriage of the vehicle. The mounting bracket has an edge configured to face a fuel tank of the vehicle. A crash protection sleeve is coupled to the parking brake wire near the mounting bracket. The crash protection sleeve is positioned to engage the fuel tank prior to the edge of the mounting bracket engaging the fuel tank in an event of a vehicle crash. The crash protection sleeve may surround the parking brake wire and may prevent contact of the mounting bracket with the fuel tank.

Abstract: Aircraft, aircraft exterior speaker systems, and methods of projecting sound waves from an exterior of an aircraft are provided. An aircraft includes an outer skin membrane, a vibration actuator, and a controller. The outer skin membrane has an exterior surface that defines an exterior boundary of the aircraft. The vibration actuator is coupled for common vibration with the outer skin membrane. The controller is operatively coupled with the vibration actuator and is configured to generate a command for the vibration actuator based on audible content to be projected from the exterior surface. The controller is further configured to transmit the command to the vibration actuator. The vibration actuator is configured to vibrate in response to receiving the command.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for refining a feed oil having contaminants therein. In the method, the feed oil is exposed to reducing conditions at elevated temperature and pressure so as to reduce at least some of said contaminants. The resulting oil is then degassed under reduced pressure under non-oxidising conditions and the resulting oil extracted with water so as to produce a refined oil.