Method and device for controlling an essentially continuous process

US6597959B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• ABB AB · SE

Inventors

• Stefan Backa · Visby, SE
• Erik Dahlquist
• Thomas Liljenberg · Hagfors, SE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 25, 2000
• Grant date: Jul 22, 2003
• Expiry date: Apr 25, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B13/048
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and a device for controlling a process (10), having at least two sub-processes (20, 30), by tracking, processing and correcting variables for the product, the production means and/or any process media throughout the process line. The process flow for the first sub-process (20) is divided into slices, each slice representing a specific volume of process flow. At least some of the measured and sampled variable values are related to its specific slice volume. Any variable value obtained is processed using a control and processing, unit (60) with means for receiving, information on variable values on-line, means for presenting (70) the process flow through the production units, means for dividing the process flow into slices, means for processing a variable value obtained, including means for relating, the variable value to is specific slice volume, means to develop one or more multivariate models based on variable values for a multiple of slice volumes and means to combine the multivariate model with a processed variable value for a specific slice volume to predict a variable value and/or a quality variable for subsequent second sub-process (30). Corrective actions are execut…