Smart Process Modules and Objects in Process Plants

Abstract

An operator interface within a process plant includes an execution engine that implements process flow modules made up of interconnected smart process objects that are aware of devices and other entities within the plant and that can perform methods to detect conditions within the plant, especially on a system-level basis. The smart process objects include a display element to be displayed to the operator, data storage for storing data pertaining to and/or received from an associated entity within a plant, inputs and outputs for communicating with other smart process objects and methods that may be executed on the data to detect plant conditions, including system-level conditions, such as leaks, errors and other conditions. Process flow modules, which may be made up of numerous interconnected smart process objects, may also include flow algorithms associated therewith to calculate mass balances, flows, etc. for the process elements within the process flow modules.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An object entity within an object oriented programming environment for use in viewing and providing functionality in a process plant, the object entity comprising:
 a computer readable memory;   an object stored on the computer readable memory and executable on a processor, the object representing a process entity within the process plant and including:
 a data storage which stores (i) parameter data for the process entity corresponding to the object and (ii) one or more data inputs or outputs which communicate with other objects representing other process plant entities within the process plant; 
 a graphic representation of a process entity corresponding to the object; and 
 a method memory storage that stores one or more methods, which when executed on the processor, perform functions related to the process entity using at least one of the parameter data and the one or more data inputs or outputs for the process entity corresponding to the object.