Subsidiary interaction of controllers

A decentralized control system with adjustable operations, said decentralized control system comprising:

• control devices arranged sequentially at a system undertaking operations, each comprising a sensor and an energy application element, wherein each of the control devices is configured to:
• determine a measurement of a control parameter at a respective one of the control devices based, at least in part, on data received from the sensor of the respective one of the control devices;
• apply a predetermined level of energy or refrain from applying the energy to the system by way of the energy application element of the respective one of the control devices based, at least on part, on the measurement relative to an operational setpoint of the respective one of the control devices;
• electronically transmit the measurement to at least two other ones of the control devices in the sequential arrangement such that each of the control devices receive measurements of the control parameter exclusively from a different combination of the control devices, including at least one upstream one of the control devices and at least one downstream one of the control devices;
• and
• upon receipt of an out-of-tolerance measurement from any other of the control devices at the respective one of the control devices, adjust the operational setpoint of said respective one of the control devices and send a signal to a same and/or different other non-originating one or ones of the at least two other ones of the control devices to adjust the operational setpoint of such one or ones of the control devices;
• and
• control the predetermined level of energy applied to the system by way of the energy application element of the respective one of the control devices based, at least on part, on a same or subsequent measurement relative to the adjusted operational setpoint of the respective one of the control devices.

A method of providing decentralized control and adjustable operations for a system, said method comprising:

• determining a measurement of a control parameter at a respective one of a plurality of control devices arranged sequentially at a system undertaking operations, where each of the control devices comprises a sensor and an energy application element, where the measurement is determined based, at least in part, on data received from the sensor of the respective one of the control devices;
• applying a predetermined level of energy or refraining from applying the energy to the system by way of the energy application element of the respective one of the control devices based, at least on part, on the measurement relative to an operational setpoint of the respective one of the control devices;
• electronically transmitting the measurement to other one or ones of the control devices in the sequential arrangement such that each of the control devices receive measurements of the control parameter exclusively from a different one or combination of the control devices, including at least one upstream one of the control devices and at least one downstream one of the control devices;
• and
• receiving of an out-of-tolerance measurement from a same or different an originating other one of the other control devices at the respective one of the control devices, and in response, perform one or both of:
• adjust the operational setpoint of said respective one of the control devices;
• and
• adjust the predetermined level of energy applied to the system by way of the energy application element of the respective one of the control devices based, at least on part, on the measurement relative to the adjusted operational setpoint of the respective one of the control devices;
• electronically transmit a signal to a same and/or different other one or ones of the other control devices to adjust the operational setpoint of such one or ones of the other control devices;
• receive the out-of-tolerance measurement from the respective one of the control devices at the receiving control devices, and in response:
• adjust an operational setpoint of said receiving control devices;
• and
• control an adjusted predetermined level of energy applied to the system by way of the energy application element of the receiving control devices based, at least on part, on a measurement of a control parameter at the receiving control devices relative to the adjusted operational setpoint.