Master's Thesis: Model-based Orchestration of Automation Logic in a Network-Centric Control Architecture

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Master’s Thesis at ABB Automation

Background

This role sits within ABB’s Automation business area, which is world-leading in the industrial automation industry through their Distributed Control System (DCS) offering.

Recent years have seen an increasing technology shift in the world of automation where ABB is at forefront of research and development. One of the most significant changes is the introduction of network-centric architectures where distributed controllers, I/O modules and process equipment across large networks can share data securely and robustly and thereby act as a single organism.

These developments have brought about possibilities of flexibly distributing workloads and control logic in ways that were not possible historically.

Thesis Description

The possibilities a network-centric architecture opens up begs the question of how should control execution and communication ideally be orchestrated and according to which criteria. Today, it is mainly a manual effort to find suitable solutions. For larger and more complex solutions, however, this might not be straightforward given various requirements and constraints.

How to analytically compute such solutions is the main focus of this Master’s thesis. Given requirements of robustness, latency, computational resources, network capacity/topology, redundancy, uncertainty and more, a model and optimization-based approach on controller and network resources together with control logic and communication load is proposed.

The aim is thus to implement a proof-of-concept solution using modeling and mathematical optimization concepts, implementing these in software. It is suggested that Python and the pyomo framework could be a suitable toolset for this.

Before going into implementation, a literature study of suitable tools, methods and prior work is to be done. This can draw ideas from other fields where resource orchestration and optimization is of relevance, such as computing (data centers) or manufacturing. Additionally, studies into how control execution logic defined in IEC 61131-3 and the emerging IEC 61149 standards can be leveraged or architected such that it can be made suitable for flexible orchestration.

In the end it may be possible to set up a live example based on real hardware to validate the modeling approaches with.

Qualifications

We are looking for two candidates that can collaborate on the described Master’s thesis topics and may complement each other in the following areas:

• Mathematical modeling
• Mathematical optimization (linear/non-linear programming, robust optimization)
• Programming skills in e.g. Python
• Mathematical statistics and data analysis
• Control theory – basic understanding
• Networks and communication – basic understanding

Furthermore, we value personal skills such as openness and ability to collaborate - being able to present findings, discuss different approaches and take self-leadership on focus and direction of the work.

Proficiency in English is required.

Details

• Period: 1H 2027
• Number of credits:  Master thesis - 30 ECTS/högskolepoäng (hp)
• Number of students for this thesis work: One or Two
• Location: You will be offered a desk at our office at Boplatsgatan 6, 213 76  Malmö. It will also be possible to spend large amount of the time remotely, although we prefer someone who is based within commuting distance from Malmö.

More about us

At ABB, we have the clear goal of driving diversity and inclusion across all dimensions: gender, LGBTQ+, abilities, ethnicity and generations. Together, we are embarking on a journey where each and every one of us, individually and collectively, welcomes and celebrates individual differences.

You will be part of Process Control Platform (PCP), which is a unit within ABB business area Automation. PCP develops automation products - hardware and software - for monitoring, process control and optimization. We have automation products for all kinds of industries all over the world.

You will be sitting at our R&D department office in Malmö with access to our R&D experts and engineers and will get a general feeling of how it is to work on large-scale development projects.

Contact

Recruiting Manager Oliver Ehlorsson Lindberg, +46 730 67 69 23, will answer your questions.

Positions are filled continuously. Please apply with your CV, academic transcripts, and a cover letter in English.

We look forward to receiving your application!

A future opportunity

This role is part of our talent pipeline, which means it’s not currently open, but we’re always looking for curious minds, bold thinkers, and people who want to make an impact.

Click Apply to express your interest and be considered for future opportunities that match your experience and aspirations.

At ABB, we welcome people from all backgrounds and believe that diverse perspectives help us build a cleaner, smarter future.

Apply today or visit https://www.abb.com to learn more about how we help run what runs the world.