Industry trends
2026.05.14
In the centralized control center of the power plant, the intelligent disk monitoring system conducts real-time monitoring of unit operation via big data, with steady parameter curves displayed on the screens. Inside the densely equipped plant area, intelligent inspection robots travel freely along preset tracks, completing infrared temperature measurement and abnormal alarm in one go, greatly reducing the workload of operating personnel. Meanwhile, the intelligent combustion optimization system dynamically optimizes the combustion process leveraging big data and artificial intelligence algorithms, achieving simultaneous improvement in operational safety and economic efficiency.
Amid the national goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as well as the wave of new industrialization, traditional factories are undergoing a remarkable intelligent transformation. Luculent takes industrial AI as the core driver, covering the entire process from factory infrastructure construction to operational management. It promotes in-depth integration of full businesses including production, safety, equipment management, maintenance and operation, featuring in-depth AI application, considerable return on investment and comprehensive handover capabilities, thus accelerating the digital and intelligent transformation and upgrading.
Enter the intelligent exhibition hall of the factory, and a real-time operational command map that enables direct production scheduling and operation & maintenance coordination comes into view, presenting the operational status of all production areas across the plant at a glance.
On the large screen, the overall plant layout as well as core equipment such as coal mills and steam turbines are all presented in 3D models. Key operating parameters including unit load, medium temperature and equipment pressure change in real time, with linkage and synchronization of equipment operating conditions, on-site operations and safety prevention & control monitoring images.
The first step of intelligent transformation is to break down data silos from the source, realizing real-time data aggregation, interconnection and unified management. It eliminates cumbersome traditional paper reports, endowing management with a global panoramic perspective and providing scientific and accurate decision support.
Relying on the digital twin base, the factory carries out full-scenario virtual emergency drills. Without shutting down production, it can simulate the response process of emergencies such as fire, medium leakage and equipment failure, polishing the emergency response capabilities of operation and maintenance personnel in a simulated scenario.
The penetrating safety management and control system of one screen overseeing the whole domain, one network managing the entire plant enables the factory to perceive, think and warn independently, achieving comprehensive upgrading and thorough renewal.
High-definition cameras act as 24/7 all-seeing eyes. Combined with the AI visual recognition system, it accurately identifies more than 20 types of violations including open fire hazards, unhelmeted entry and equipment leakage with a recognition accuracy rate as high as 98%. Electronic fences realize second-level early warning and precise positioning of unauthorized personnel access, truly achieving early hazard detection, early warning push and early disposal initiation.
On-site operation management is also upgraded synchronously. The system automatically generates risk lists and implements hierarchical management and control for all areas marked with red, orange, yellow and blue risk levels for clear visibility. High-risk operations require cloud approval, high-risk areas are equipped with electronic double locks, and the entire maintenance process is video-recorded for traceability. The safety management and control system features both rigid regulation and humanized care.
As a new digital coworker, the intelligent inspection robot replaces manual work in high-temperature, high-pressure and high-noise hazardous areas. It conducts all-weather automatic inspection and transmits real-time data and images, solving the pain points of manual inspection such as unreachable locations, incomplete coverage and inaccurate judgment.
The number of safety accidents has dropped by more than 30% year-on-year, and management efficiency has increased by over 20%. This cloud-edge-end collaborative all-round prevention and control network drives the factory to shift from passive human-based supervision to active AI-powered defense, building a solid digital barrier for the safe operation of power units.
"Static-dynamic friction detected on 1B air preheater with current exceeding 11A. It is recommended to check the inlet temperature and take timely regulation measures such as soot blowing and load reduction."
An early warning pop-up window is triggered immediately with supporting disposal solutions pushed synchronously. Operators conduct rapid inspection and confirmation, and an unplanned shutdown that may cause millions of economic losses is prevented in advance by AI.
The capability of preventive maintenance against potential faults stems from the plant-wide intelligent disk monitoring and fault early warning diagnosis system.
Restricted by energy concentration, traditional manual disk monitoring is prone to negligence and missed judgment. In contrast, AI intelligent duty can not only predict potential hidden dangers in advance, but also accurately locate root causes of faults and match optimal disposal strategies simultaneously. Leveraging AI algorithms, it monitors key operating characteristics of equipment such as vibration, voiceprint and current in real time. Through collaborative intelligent diagnosis of large and small models, it predicts maintenance nodes and service cycles to implement predictive maintenance. After upgrading, the equipment early warning accuracy rate exceeds 97%, the fault shutdown rate drops by 40%, production and operational efficiency rises by 20%, and the annual maintenance cost is saved by over 2 million yuan.
The platform also transforms the professional expertise of senior factory experts into an exclusive operation and maintenance knowledge system: an abnormality database recording equipment medical records, a risk database mapping hazard distribution, a hidden danger database archiving safety records, and a knowledge base inheriting professional experience. Regular modeling competitions are held to accelerate the precipitation of professional experience, technical inheritance and improvement of staff competency.
Intelligent development is inherently aligned with the development philosophy of green and low-carbon transformation.
Traditional boiler combustion relies on manual adjustment based on veteran workers’ experience. Nowadays, AI takes over energy efficiency optimization, acting as a professional intelligent combustion manager.
AI algorithms calculate the optimal air-coal ratio in real time and precisely match the optimal ammonia injection volume to realize dynamic closed-loop regulation. Remarkable energy-saving and carbon reduction effects have been achieved: boiler operating efficiency increases by 0.4%, nitrogen oxide emissions decrease by 13.3%, and the annual cost saved on fuel and environmental protection exceeds 5 million yuan. The power units always operate under optimal working conditions, boosting boiler thermal efficiency and reducing pollutant emissions simultaneously.
In addition, relying on the intelligent analysis agent for power trading, it integrates multi-dimensional data including station power generation, time-of-use electricity prices, historical trading strategies and market supply-demand trends. It analyzes the bidding deviation between spot power trading and medium & long-term transactions, intelligently generates optimal declaration plans, and efficiently captures revenue growth opportunities in the market-oriented power trading market.
In terms of management efficiency improvement, the intelligent shift handover system boosts work efficiency by 50%, and intelligent production reports streamline office and production processes to reduce workload. Enterprise managers can view core data such as unit coal consumption and environmental emission indicators anytime via mobile terminals even on business trips, and participate remotely in production optimization decision-making, enabling anytime, anywhere low-carbon management and full-time online control.
Full-domain perception, intelligent early warning, scientific decision-making and autonomous optimization are the distinctive features of smart factories. Relying on the low-code development platform, factories can conduct independent secondary development and flexible operation & maintenance iteration according to their own needs, firmly grasping the independent and controllable core capabilities of digital transformation.
From traditional manual on-duty to digital-intelligent operation and maintenance, and from experience-driven operation to AI autonomous optimization, Luculent will continue to delve into the R&D and scenario implementation of industrial AI technology. It improves efficiency through innovation, consolidates foundation via intelligence, and empowers development with green initiatives, helping more factories embark on a high-quality development path featuring safety, high efficiency, low carbon, environmental friendliness, intelligence and controllability.
