Multi-level multi-variable control process program execution scheme for distributed process control systems

A method for operating a control processor, in an industrial process control environment, to establish operating values including a set of setpoint values and a set of process control variables associated with control elements in a controlled industrial process based upon a set of input variables including process variables provided to the control processor and representing the present state of the controlled industrial process, the method comprising the steps of:

• executing, by the control processor, an embedded multivariable control application including computer instructions facilitating computing a setpoint value corresponding to a process control variable;
• and
• executing, by the control processor, a set of control blocks including regulatory control blocks for receiving and storing a set of process variables representing the present state of a controlled process, wherein the embedded multivariable control application executes at a lower execution priority than an execution priority of the set of control blocks.

An industrial process control computer having multiple operating levels including:

• a background control program execution level wherein the process control computer executes an embedded multivariable process control application, the embedded control application including instructions for executing a multivariable linear program to generate a set of values corresponding to process control variable setpoints;
• and
• a foreground control block execution level wherein the process control computer executes a set of control blocks, at a higher execution priority level than the background control program execution level, the set of control blocks including program instructions that, when executed, receive and store a set of process variable values representing the state of a controlled process.