Infrastructure and tool support for MDE in the petrochemical industry automation

Carlos E. Xavier Correia; Leandro Buss Becker; Fabio Paulo Basso

doi:10.5753/jbcs.2025.4547

Authors

Carlos E. Xavier Correia Federal University of Santa Catarina https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7714-6251
Leandro Buss Becker Federal University of Santa Catarina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1872-4771
Fabio Paulo Basso Federal University of Pampa https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4275-0638

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5753/jbcs.2025.4547

Keywords:

Model-Driven Engineering, Graphical Domain-Specific Language, M4PIA, MPA, EMSO

Abstract

Automation is essential for productivity and safety in the oil industry, but designing control systems often requires multiple software tools, leading to redundant plant modeling (costing time and money) and creating possible inconsistencies. The Model-Driven Engineering for Petrochemical Industry Automation (M4PIA) approach streamlines automation design by enabling the interoperability of models between different tools. Currently, M4PIA integrates EMSO for process simulations and MPA for deploying real plant applications. Besides, it supports high-level, graphical automation models design, also providing a component library. This paper aims to detail M4PIA, positioning it within the state-of-the-art, and illustrate its application through the deployment of an oil and gas automation system. This case study highlights M4PIA’s ability to handle complex, real-world systems, demonstrating the platform’s capability to optimize modeling stages through domain-specific languages (DSLs) and automated transformations. The results show that M4PIA not only reduces development time but also enhances system reliability and maintainability. By bridging simulation and deployment tools, M4PIA establishes a solid foundation for efficient and robust application development in the oil and gas sector. This platform represents a significant step forward in advancing model-driven engineering for industrial automation.

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