Formal Specification and Synthesis of Procedural Controllers for Process Systems

The operation of process plants involves a large number of event-driven activities, such as the start-up and shut-down of the plant, the execution of emergency procedures and equipment interlocking. These activities are normally carried out by procedural control systems (such as PLCs or DCSs). Despite the extent to which these control systems are used in practice, limited theoretical frameworks exist to support their analysis and design. This is particularly relevant in flexible production environments which are characterised by frequent changes in the product recipes, production modes and equipment configuration. The book outlines a formal framework for the synthesis of control systems employed in the automation of event-driven process operations. The approach used builds on other theories initially proposed in computing and control disciplines.