Process Simulation Development with IEC 61499 for Runtime Execution

This paper proposes a method to build plant simulation models by means of IEC 61499 to execute them directly within PLC concurrently with control. This addresses the problems of cost, time, and incompatibility associated with developing plant simulation models using separate software. The proposed approach improves testing and troubleshooting and provides advanced data processing within the control system. It is inspired by Model-View-Control design pattern and was demonstrated with a conveyor system use case. The plant simulation model can function as a real-time monitor or operate in simulation mode.