The document details the control and HMI emulation project for Exelon's Quad Cities Plant, focusing on the transition from outdated systems to a new simulator model that addresses compatibility and operational issues. It outlines the project roles of GSE Systems, Exelon, and Nhance Technologies in managing and executing the project, including hardware and software solution development. Key challenges included hardware obsolescence, software incompatibility with newer operating systems, and the need for effective configuration management across multiple testing sites.

1. info@gses.com
Control & HMI Emulation Project

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Part 1
The Project
Rick Baker – Exelon - Quad Cities

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Plant ABB Advant System
(Generic diagram, newer equipment)

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Advant Controller AC450

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AS500 OS HP Visualize B2000
• Unix running HP-UX
10.20 OS
• Limerick had newer
B2600

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ABB Advant Keyboard

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PCI-Based RTA Card

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FW HMI Screen

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RCS HMI Screen

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Simulator Needed to Emulate AC450 and
Stimulate AS500OS HMI
• Plant code and database received from plant
• Code and DB transformed into RTA card compatible version
• AS500OS HMI slightly modified for simulator use
–ATS link software installed
• Four main components installed on simulator model
computer(s)
–developed for WindowsNT
• PCI-based RTA card installed
• ATS Link setup to communicate with AS500OS HMI

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Upgrade Requirements Last 15+ Years
• Simulator model PC refreshes
– required large PCI slot
• Microsoft OS upgrades to Windows 2000, Windows XP
– Windows XP version started to become unstable
– Needed to get to Windows 7
• RTA card driver not compatible with W7 or newer OS’s
• No practical solution from ABB/Westinghouse
– Rumors of a USB version

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Additional Issues and Needs
• AS500OS HMI B2000 and B2600 are obsolete
• Repurposed HP C3600
– Acquired from retired plant system
• Preference was for non-hardware solution
– Allow for better use of glass simulators and V-panels
– Eliminate PC hardware platform requirements – PCI slot
• RTA Card replacement cost was very high
– Were able to acquire RTA cards from OEM vendor
– Future availability uncertain

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Part 2
The Team
Scott Zepplin – GSE Systems, Inc.

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Contract
• Overall Contract awarded to GSE
• Sub-contract awarded by GSE to nHance Technologies

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Project Roles: GSE Systems, Inc.
• Overall project management
• Configuration Control
• Interfacing between nHance solution and Exelon loads
• Factory acceptance testing
• Site integration

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Project Roles: Exelon
• Data collection
• Provide operational systems for nHance
• Site acceptance testing
• Configuration control
–Fleet-wide project management
–Fleet-wide design decisions

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• Control System Translation
• HMI Emulation
• Configuration Control
• Alarm Manager Solution
• Keyboard Solution
• Site Integration
Project Roles: nHance Technologies

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Fleet Solution Advantages
• Testing was done for each site individually
• Each site took a slightly different approach to the testing
• As issues were identified at each site, the resolution was
rolled out to all 3 sites
• Resulted in better overall product

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Part 3
The Solution
Todd Sneed – nHance Technologies

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nHance Technologies Solution Details
• Configuration Management
• DCS Emulation
• Control System Emulation
• DB Elements
• PC Elements
• HMI Emulation
• Custom Screens
• Standard Screens
• Keyboard Solution

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Configuration Management
• Ensure model and HMI updates synchronized across 3+ locations
– nHance Office
– GSE St Marys and/or Sykesville Office
– Site
• Required Distributed Version Control System
– Does not restrict/preclude using server based VCS eg SVN
– Secure HTTPS / SSH Transmission protocol
• ‘git’ hosted on nHance private servers
– Required 2 repositories, one for Model, one for Program / project files
• Workflow
– nHance Review/Make Changes … Push up to nHance Cloud Server
– GSE Pull Down latest rev for testing pre-FAT
– Site Pull Down for install at site

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Control System Overview
ABB Advant Control System Overview
– PC Program – Main Control Logic Program
• Complex Cycle Logic 3 “Interpreters”
• PC Elements – Individual Function Blocks (eg. AND/OR/PID, etc.)
• PC Elements can be Scheduled in any Interpreter / Rate group/ Order
within rate group
• Entire blocks of logic and be dynamically bypassed
– “Database” or DB Elements
• Typical “Tags”
• Interface between PC Program and external world
• Some “logic” eg. Block functionality/ Limit Checks
• I/O interface / Modbus / Profibus interface

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Control System Emulation
Translation Approach
– C++ Program developed to read in DB and PC Element configuration files
– Automatically links function blocks and DB Element names
– Automatically creates Simulator database .ADD files
– Automatically creates Simulator I/O list
– Optionally match I/O tag names to Process model variable list (if
provided) to link I/O points to process model variables
– Generates Fortran Source code with comments
– Maintains left-over time to cycle control exact number of times required
(eg. 20ms rate group cycled correctly with 50ms time step size).
– Separate schedule for DB point processing and PC Cycle time execution
– Completely automatic, no human intervention required

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Control Cycle Overview

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Control System Emulation – Alarm Manager
Alarm Manager
– Maintains list of points in alarm and alarm acknowledgement
state
– ABB Advant System Extremely flexible in alarms/events
– Alarm/event configuration files not available on simulator RTA
card workstations
– Point can be have an alarm and an event at same time
– All three sites used different approaches to alarms and events

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HMI Emulation
Translator Approach
– Automatically read in HMI Configuration files and generate
visual basic source code to create HMI executable
– HMI Graphics files a derivation of Sherrill-Lubinski Graphical
Modeling System (SL-GMS) – static graphics only
• References system objects and custom objects with scripting
functionality
– Each HMI screen required both graphic files and scripting files
to tie point names/scripts to dynamic objects
– VB classes created by hand for system objects (eg. Dialogs)

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• Alarm Screens
– Alarm List
– Event List
– Last unacknowledged Alarm in
Header
• Trend Screen
– Unique Trend Control scrolling
– Rich Feature Set (not all
supported)
• Dialog Boxes
– Navigation
– Unique per Point Type
• Display Menu
HMI Emulation Standard Screens

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• ABB Advant Keyboard Overview
– Complex device with normal
keyboard + several custom keys
– External power supply
– Typical USB connection to HP unix
workstation
– Mouse attached to keyboard
• Sort of worked on PC
– Normal PC keys worked
– Custom keys mapped to existing PC
keys, some did nothing
– Mouse just worked
• USB Sniffing tools revealed
– Keyboard was USB hub + 3 HID
devices, 2 keyboards one mouse
• WireShark USB Pcap used to
inspect HID USB keys
– Keyboard hook used to “consume”
the key from that specific USB
device
– Device ID’s changed when
computer reboot
Keyboard Interface Solution

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• Keyboard
– Solution not perfect, but
adequate
• Alarms/Events
– Point can be in Alarm and Event
at same time
– Several instances of same
Alarms on Alarm List
– Event Treatment pointers
configuration could not be
found
• Trend Control
– Unique trend scrolling and several
different features could be
supported
• SL-GMS
– Some commands not easily
handled in VB (eg. Gradients
fills)
– Transforms
Project Challenges

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• Stimulated System was not “gospel”
– Plant Control logic manipulated before installed on RTA
– AI points converted to AIC
– ERR Flags for some AIC points were Set by ???
– Caused translator to set error flags for AIC points which proved incorrect
– Caused translator to set error flags for AI Points which proved incorrect
– Model AI Deadband Logic
– Removed as part of removing stimulated interface
– Contributed to differences and repeatability issues on RTA load
• Sometimes the “simple” blocks aren’t so simple
– MAJ-R Majority Selector
• All-In-One design of HMI
– Avoided need screen-to-screen communication
– Proved to be sluggish on loading screens especially on Windows 7
Solution Lessons Learned

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Project Results - Lessons Learned
• Relieved hardware platform requirements
– PCI slot for RTA card
• HMI runs on standard Windows 7 PC
– Needs to be fast to prevent delays when Operator switches
displays
• Relieved OS requirements
• VB6 required for displays
– Newer version would have been preferable

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Project Results - Lessons Learned (cont.)
• Relieved frequent issues where the RTA cards would not
function correctly
– (loss of comm., locked up, misc.)
• Original simulator version didn’t exactly match plant
implementation
– Discovered issue with analog inputs range treatment
– Error flags being set that would not in the plant
• causes a different response on some transients

33. Thank you.
For more information, go to:
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info@gses.com
Or call 800-638-7912