Woodward MicroNet Plus: High reliability redundant control system for prime mover control

Woodward MicroNet Plus: High reliability redundant control system for prime mover control

Introduction

In the fields of industrial automation and power generation control, the requirements for system reliability, real-time performance, and flexibility are extremely strict. MicroNet launched by Woodward Corporation ™  The Plus control system is an advanced digital control system based on the VME architecture, designed specifically for the control applications of prime movers such as gas turbines, steam turbines, water turbines, and diesel/gas engines. It provides an ideal solution for key markets such as power production, process industry, oil and gas exploration, and ship transportation through redundant or single-mode CPU configuration, modular I/O, high-precision time synchronization, and powerful software environment. This article will comprehensively analyze the technical architecture, core features, application scenarios, and system advantages of MicroNet Plus.

Product Overview and Market Positioning

MicroNet Plus is a flexible, modular, and scalable digital control system designed to meet the extreme requirements for performance, reliability, and long-term support in prime mover control.

The target applications include:

Gas turbine control: including complex dry low emission combustion control algorithms.

Steam turbine and water turbine control: achieving precise speed and load regulation.

Diesel and gas engine control: suitable for ship propulsion and backup power generation.

System sequence and auxiliary equipment control: Manage the entire power pack and related auxiliary systems.

Anti surge and temperature process control: Ensure the safe and stable operation of rotating equipment such as compressors.

The target market covers:

Power generation industry: used for combined cycle power plants, simple cycle power plants, and islanded power grids.

Process industry: fields that require continuous and stable power, such as petrochemicals, papermaking, metallurgy, etc.

Oil and gas exploration: providing reliable power control for offshore platforms, compression stations, etc.

Ship transportation: Meet the long-term and high reliability requirements of naval and commercial vessels for propulsion and power generation systems.

The flexibility of MicroNet Plus enables it to adapt from simple applications with only a small amount of I/O to the most complex processes and systems with a large number of I/O points.

Detailed explanation of core technical characteristics

1. High reliability hardware architecture

VME based bus system: Provides robust industrial grade backplane and high-speed data exchange capabilities.

Redundant or single-mode configuration:

CPU: Single CPU or redundant (primary/backup) CPU configuration can be selected according to customer needs. A single system can be easily upgraded to a redundant system by adding a second CPU and making simple software changes.

Power supply: Supports single power supply or redundant power supply configuration, with flexible input voltage selection (18-36 Vdc, 100-150 Vdc, 88-264 Vac).

I/O module: Can be configured as single, double, or triple redundant, supports online hot plugging, and can replace modules without cutting off control power, greatly improving system availability.

Two types of chassis sizes:

Full size chassis: Provides 14 VME slots, suitable for I/O-intensive large systems.

Narrow size chassis: Provides 8 VME slots, suitable for space limited or small-scale applications.

Powerful CPU options:

CPU 5200: Based on 400 MHz Motorola ™  MPC5200 microprocessor, supporting up to 8 expansion cases, with redundant Ethernet and CAN communication capabilities, suitable for compute intensive and I/O-intensive applications.

CPU 5200L: Supports single chassis, provides single Ethernet and CAN communication, moderate processing capacity, suitable for simplified applications with limited critical I/O points.

2. Deterministic real-time operating systems and software environments

Real time multitasking operating system: using Wind River Systems' VxWorks ®， Ensure a high degree of certainty and reliability in system response.

Unique rate group structure: implemented through Woodward's graphical application programming tool. Control engineers can define different execution rate groups (up to 5 milliseconds), assigning critical control loops (such as speed control) to high rate groups and non critical tasks (such as sequential logic) to low rate groups. This structure ensures that the dynamic performance of the system is deterministic and predictable in all situations, unaffected by program load or code modifications.

Powerful programming tools:

Graphic Application Programmer: Provides multiple programming languages such as functional block diagrams, sequential functional diagrams, ladder diagrams, etc., allowing control engineers to focus on control logic rather than programming details.

NetSim ™ Simulation environment: allows comprehensive process model testing of GAP applications before leaving the factory, significantly reducing system debugging time and facilitating future on-site upgrades.

Comprehensive services and diagnostic tools: