A private machine-cloud architecture and self-reliant controllers for operational technology systems

Abstract

A private machine-cloud architecture and the associated Self-reliant Control System (SCS) for industrial applications are presented in this paper. The machine-to-machine (M2M) IP-based local area network creates a backbone for the proposed architecture, in which the traditional analogue input and output (I/O) or field-bus subsystems of a traditional process control system are not required. The proposed architecture is not only applicable to a large processing plant, but can also be deployed to the generic feedback control installations, including micro-grids in a power system. The quantitative reliability of the new system is achieved by the fault-tolerant structure of multiple processors via the M2M connectivity. Each processor is a computational platform for multiple feedback control algorithms, functioning in a self-reliant manner. As a result, the amount of data required to be exchanged between processors is kept to minimal. The congregation of these processors and the private M2M local area network form a ‘private machine cloud’ for the SCSs.