Modular process plants, built from Process Equipment Assembly (PEA), promise a higher flexibility compared to monolithic plants. Digital documentation is a key requirement for a seamless orchestration of a modular plant using PEAs from different vendors. From a process engineering functional view the Module Type Package (MTP) documents the capabilities realized by a PEA. From a automation perspective the documentation and specification can be optimized by utilizing a standard called System Control Diagrams (SCDs). There is up to now no connection of the individual standards. This connection could enable an integrated engineering approach to raise consistency and reduce engineering effort. This work presents an approach to map SCD based automation planning to the MTP. Therefore, both standards are introduced and a mapping from SCD to MTP is realized. It is shown, that most of the functions from SCD have a representation in the MTP, enabling the linking of basic automation functions to capabilities. This enables engineers which are using SCD as a planning tool to efficiently provide an MTP for PEAs or modular plants.

Modular process plants require a new interaction of process engineering and automation engineering. During the engineering of Process Equipment Assemblies (PEA) the automation functions are encapsulated in services which represent process operations. In this work an approach is presented, where System Control Diagrams (SCD) are utilized to create a transition from process operations to automation functions to services all on the basis of the Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID). Using this method, a comprehensible graphical and machine-readable link between both sides is created. In combination with existing tools, it is shown that part of the automation could already be prepared during the design of the P&ID. The proposed concept is evaluated using a water deionization PEA.

The scale up of hydrogen production to large scale production systems demands a structured approach to control these systems. With suitable control principles, optimization for operation can be achieved whilst maintaining flexibility. In this paper, existing control strategies are analyzed and compared for large scale electrolysis systems. It is argued, how modularization can enable the optimal distribution of set-points and enables the systems for capacity extension. An initial implementation in MATLAB is presented, showing the feasibility of the proposed power distribution concept.

Modularization and the Module Type Package (MTP) technology are proven concepts to ensure flexible plants and shorter time-to-market. Since the concepts are generic, they can potentially be applied to other domains. While the MTP approach has so far been used mainly in the specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries, other sectors such as shipbuilding, logistics and hydrogen production show potential for adoption of this approach. In this article, such domains will be briefly examined, and the characteristics of the specific application are assigned to the requirements from modularization. The resulting analysis is transferred to the electrolyzer domain in hydrogen production in order to explain how the MTP technology can be applied there and how the hydrogen industry can benefit from the MTP approach. Furthermore, it motivates to transfer this approach to other industrial sectors that might not be considered in this contribution.

Plug&Operate shall enable process industry to adapt more quickly to varying production situations. While the definition of process equipment assemblies as units with specific capabilities and uniform automation interface is already under standardization, the process control layer is gaining importance as it realizes a variety of tasks required for plant operation. This paper presents an overview of requirements on the research process control layer Polaris collected from an initial implementation and literature. The results of these findings are used for an assessment of suitable architectures from which the presented concept emerges. Special focus is on microFrontends, as these are considered a suitable solution to support task specific frontends during plant engineering and operation with simultaneous high flexibility due to modular design and loose coupling.

This paper considers an implementation of the predictive maintenance for rotating equipment in a chemical process plant by means of the NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA). Various methods and challenges for monitoring of rotating equipment are described and compared. An approach based on the motor current measurement for the use case at a BASF plant was selected due to construction limitations. The focus is on connectivity aspects as well as details of implementation of the NOA concept. Use of the NOA concept made it possible to deploy the developed monitoring system into a real plant within one day during a planned maintenance window without any permanent alterations to the existing plant. The monitoring system works in parallel and affects neither the process nor the process control directly. Discussion of the first data gathered by the installed monitoring system showed that additional context information about the process are of great importance for the comprehensive analysis. At the end of the paper, improvements with regards to the connectivity and integration of additional sensors as well as further activities such as coupling of context information about the process and development of a decision making system are discussed.