Software Services
MODELLING AND SIMULATION FOR CONTROL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
"At the core of our control project successes is the
skillful modelling and simulation of the behaviour of the underlying systems
to fit a specific purpose, based on first principles or plant data."
What We Provide
We can provide nonlinear dynamic models and simulations of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, combustion, process, and chemical systems for many industrial applications in various modelling and simulation tools, including MATLAB/Simulink, LabVIEW and Control Design and Simulation (CD&SIM) module, HYSYS, MATRIXx, and ADAMS.
Why Use Modelling and Simulation
Systems of every type and their operating conditions are subject to variations, such as changes in products (new operating points etc.) and raw material sources, plant modifications, wear and tear of actuators (e.g. valves and drives), and degradation of measurement sensors.
It is impossible to test the control systems for every possible condition prior to deployment. Dynamic modelling and simulation thus play an important role in control systems development:
- Design - Modelling and simulation are an essential tool in the design stage especially where an advanced model-based control method is considered. In addition to aiding control design and tuning, they are valuable as a de-risking tool, ahead of the commissioning, to check for potential operational scenarios and issues and, where applicable, to assess the appropriate solutions so that modifications can be made before Factory Acceptance Testing and delivery to the customer.
- Testing and Commissioning - The model and simulation of a system can be used by the commissioning engineer to test the effect of varying controller settings before actual implementation, thus reducing the commissioning and control tuning time and lowering costs. This can be extremely valuable for large or high value systems where commissioning time is even more at a premium, particularly since software is usually the last thing installed. once the system is in-service, bug fixing and future software revisions are also easier to prove and test with simulation models.
- Training - Dynamic simulations can be used to help engineers and train operators in understanding the effect of control settings and actions on the actual process. These are therefore highly valuable for the operation of the installed control systems and for future upgrades.
Why Use Us
One vital aspect of using models and simulations is that their usefulness depends greatly on the quality of the models which should be neither too simple nor too complex but fit for purpose. The judgement on this however comes from the experience of those who build the models.
For 25 years, we have modelled and simulated a diversity of systems and processes to aid the troubleshooting of existing control systems and the development of effective control strategies and shortening of the design to deployment cycle.
Our engineers have amassed rich experience in building well validated nonlinear dynamic models of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, combustion, process, and chemical systems for applications from marine, power generation, automotive, to oil and gas and other process industries.
More Information
- Watch Professor Mike Grimble and Dr Andy Clegg present at IET, September 2015 about Use of dynamic simulation in the development of control systems.
- Using Simulations for Virtual Commission and HIL
- Turbine Access System Software Presentation Slides
- 70-Ton Gripper Arm Software Presentation Slides
- Watch the presentation at NI Days 2013 about Gripper Arm Control Software
