OptiRamp Technology

Our Technology

OptiRamp solutions and software focus on process and power real-time, predictive analytics to optimize processes and provide the highest value to customers, including reducing costs and increasing stability and reliability.

The OptiRamp suite is made of four primary components, all of which combine to create a state-of-the-art Decision Support Center:

Data Foundation
Modeling & Simulation
Optimization & Forecasting
Visualization

OptiRamp Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Solutions

Data Foundation

The OptiRamp Data Foundation builds the sophisticated data layer used throughout the entire suite.

The OptiRamp Virtual Tag Server (VTS) collects data from multiple sources—including Microsoft Excel, CSV files, Rational SCADA, Aspen HYSYS, Oracle databases, Microsoft SQL Server, and OSI PI—using standard OPC and ODBC protocols
OptiRamp Tag Advanced Functions (TAF) allows users to create advanced calculations that transform VTS tags & data into actionable key performance indicators (KPIs) and key operating parameters (KOPs)
OptiRamp VTS and TAF tags are used in the OptiRamp Simulator and Unit Analytics to simulate and optimize your operation as well as predict future conditions
These tags are also visualized in OptiRamp Web Analytics, Alerts, and Reports as various trends, charts, tables, text, and other analytical objects

Virtual Tag Server (VTS)

OptiRamp VTS is a central information hub to share, map, and bridge data between two or more data sources. VTS integrates existing customer databases and software tools as well as virtual, real-time models as inputs to the decision-making process (when the OptiRamp Simulator and OptiRamp Unit Analytics are used). VTS has the following features:

Merge data from multiple sources into a common data set
Connect two or more data sources to share data in real time
Support standard OPC, OPC UA, and ODBC interfaces
Provide high-performance, bi-directional (if desired) data exchange between different systems
Administer data connections via the web interface in real time
Provide data to both local and remote OPC clients
Store and retrieve large volumes of data at high speed with the OptiRamp proprietary binary historian
Transform data into valuable dynamic key performance indicators (KPIs)

Tag Advanced Functions (TAF)

OptiRamp TAF is a high-speed, multithreaded calculator used in conjunction with the OptiRamp VTS to quickly and easily create meaningful and actionable key performance indicators (KPIs) and key operating parameters (KOPs). TAF, via VTS, connects to a variety of data sources, including PLCs, DCSs, SCADA, and OptiRamp Runtime Applications, through OPC and ODBC. Using these collected data, TAF allows for numerous calculations, including

Math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
Algebraic operations
Power
Modulus
Logarithmic functions
Square root
Trigonometric functions (sine, cosine)
Boolean operations (or, and, not, selector)
Maintenance analysis
Decline analysis
Statistical computations
Totalizing
Averaging

These calculated TAF tags may be visualized in OptiRamp Web Analytics graphically (e.g., with trends, meters, charts, and plots), connected to OptiRamp Notifications, and added to OptiRamp Reports. TAF tags allow our customers to monitor by exception (anomaly), quickly assess current operating conditions, and provide actionable information that assists customers make better operating decisions.

Model & Simulate

OptiRamp accurately models your total value stream and dynamically simulates your operation in real time. The OptiRamp real-time simulation continuously updates via auto-tuning to reflect current conditions.

Auto-tuning compares model coefficients with real-time data and automatically updates the model to become highly accurate, reducing the level of errors in the final model/simulation results. Auto-tuning is also how we automatically update the offline and training model.

Developer

The OptiRamp Developer is the model-building tool used to generate the process model used by the OptiRamp Runtime Applications (Runtime and Offline Simulators, Unit Analytics, Tag Advanced Functions, and Scheduling) and in the Operator Training Simulator solution. The Developer has the following features:

Configure project engineering units
Add all elements in your value stream with our extensive library
Build a graphical representation of your total value stream
Easy-to-use graphical user interface to configure parameters
Connect elements to VTS data
Configure TAF

Simulator

S&C provides online and offline simulation with the OptiRamp Runtime and Offline Simulators, respectively. The OptiRamp Simulators have the following features:

Auto-tune and automatically adjust model coefficients to become highly accurate
Scalable for future expansion
Simulate process characteristics for coal, natural gas, oil, steam, and other fuel sources to calculate steady and transient states as well as flow, pressure, and temperature changes across the entire value stream
Simulate both hydraulic and electrical processes
Accurately emulate all regulatory control functions
Forecast system behavior
Optimize the current operating mode

Optimize & Forecast

OptiRamp has integrated optimization, predictive analytics, and forecasting algorithms to improve performance of your value stream from the unit level up.

Unit Analytics

OptiRamp Unit Analytics provides a high fidelity, accurate virtual model of units, such as centrifugal compressors, turbines, generators, pumps, furnaces, heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), reciprocating engines, reciprocating compressors, boilers, etc. OptiRamp Unit Analytics provides the following benefits:

Track, assess, and predict process equipment degradation based on key performance indicators (KPIs) and key operating parameters (KOPs)
Monitor performance in the OptiRamp Web Applications
Develop maintenance schedules based on equipment state and current operating conditions to sustain optimal performance and balance costs with lost revenue and extra fuel costs
Provide operations, engineering, and maintenance as many analytics tools as possible to diagnose unit-level performance issues (Mollier diagrams, decline curves, performance curves, generator capability curves, etc.)
Works with mixed-mode operations

Visualize

OptiRamp provides decision support across the customer's network (intranet) through a series of interconnected web applications: OptiRamp Web Analytics, Alerts, Reports, Knowledge Base, Security Manager, Database Manager, and Planning & Scheduling

KPIs and KOPs are displayed in a manner that allows decisions about operations to be efficiently made

Web Analytics

OptiRamp Web Analytics visually represents the total value stream operation in real time, provides real-time and historical information about the system in a highly customizable and visual framework, and includes rich graphics, dynamic KPIs, statistical analysis, and informative trending.

OptiRamp Web Analytics creates an HTML5 web-based dashboard that displays data as values and meaningful graphics:

Static, dynamic, and updateable text
Bar charts (historical and real-time data, single and multiple variables)
Pie chart
Trend chart
Spider plot chart
Gauges (progress, speedometer)
Sparklines
Meters
Tables (historical and real-time data)
Normal distribution plots (normal and compliance)
Box-and-whisker plots (normal and target compliance)
XY plot
Powerline profile
Treemap
Optimization plot (pump, powerline)
Equipment diagnostics (boiler diagrams, turbine performance curves, pump curves, emission plots, heat maps)

Web Analytics screens are built following a logical hierarchy, starting at the enterprise level and working down to the unit level.

Reports

OptiRamp Reports dynamically displays customized reports for customer operations and different user groups; features include the following:

Monitor by exception
Customize reports in the Report Designer with different types of data, for different audience, and for different types of reports
Design in a web browser for "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) designing
Customize header and footer
Secure reports using group- and permission-based security
Viewable in multiple formats, including PDF and in the tablet-enabled OptiRamp Report Viewer
Drag-and-drop objects and data tags to quickly add and resize report elements and to build dynamic reports

Analytics objects (Plots, Profiles, Optimization)
Charts (Bar, Column, Line, Pie, Other)
Meters
GIS maps
Tables (Alarms, Historical, Snashot, Shift)
Images (Static, Dynamic, Runtime)
Text
Shapes

Alerts

OptiRamp Notifications displays a variety notification messages of varying severity and categories as well as from different sources. Additional functions include the following:

Monitor by exception (anomaly)
Customize notifications and messages in the OptiRamp Developer
Securely display notifications via a web browser to users with appropriate permissions
Quickly understand messages and suggested course of action through connection to the OptiRamp Knowledge Base