System and method for supporting a fault cause analysis
First Claim
1. A system for supporting a fault cause analysis of a fault event in an industrial plant having plant components and plant systems, comprising:
- an operating and display device for receiving input data and displaying output data;
a fault cause navigator;
a data processing device having a fault model memory storing at least one hierarchically structured cause/effect model in XML files, said at least one cause/effect model having;
an industry-specific process model divided into process steps, respective ones of said process steps and defined fault events for said process steps being associated with one of the plant components and the plant systems;
fault trees associated with said fault events having fault hypotheses; and
a checklist with symptoms for verification of each of said fault hypotheses associated with a respective one of said fault hypotheses;
said operating and display device and said fault cause navigator connected to said fault model memory and accessing said at least one cause/effect model; and
said operating and display device, said fault cause navigator, and said data processing device programmed;
a) to enable user navigation to a relevant one of said process steps in said at least one cause/effect model through said operating and display device and said fault cause navigator, and to present to a user a fault event list;
b) after selection of a fault event in said fault event list by the user, to find and display critical ones of said plant components and said plant systems corresponding to said selected fault event;
c) after selection of at least one of said critical plant components and said critical plant systems, to generate possible symptoms and display said symptoms in a checklist; and
d) after selection of at least one of said symptoms as a probable symptom, to find and display hypotheses of possible fault causes contained in said fault trees.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for supporting a fault cause analysis in a fault event in a plant includes a data processor with memory storing a fault model of XML files accessed by a fault cause navigator and an operating/display device. Each fault model contains an industry-specific process model divided into process steps, with steps and defined fault events needed therefor assigned to plant components/systems, and fault trees assigned to fault events and having fault hypotheses. A checklist with symptoms for verification of the fault hypothesis is assigned to the fault hypotheses. The system enables navigation to the relevant step in the process model by the display and navigator, and presents a fault event list. Following fault event selection, critical components/systems corresponding thereto are found and displayed. Possible symptoms are generated and displayed in a checklist and hypotheses of possible fault causes, contained in the fault trees, are found and displayed.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A system for supporting a fault cause analysis of a fault event in an industrial plant having plant components and plant systems, comprising:
-
an operating and display device for receiving input data and displaying output data;
a fault cause navigator;
a data processing device having a fault model memory storing at least one hierarchically structured cause/effect model in XML files, said at least one cause/effect model having;
an industry-specific process model divided into process steps, respective ones of said process steps and defined fault events for said process steps being associated with one of the plant components and the plant systems;
fault trees associated with said fault events having fault hypotheses; and
a checklist with symptoms for verification of each of said fault hypotheses associated with a respective one of said fault hypotheses;
said operating and display device and said fault cause navigator connected to said fault model memory and accessing said at least one cause/effect model; and
said operating and display device, said fault cause navigator, and said data processing device programmed;
a) to enable user navigation to a relevant one of said process steps in said at least one cause/effect model through said operating and display device and said fault cause navigator, and to present to a user a fault event list;
b) after selection of a fault event in said fault event list by the user, to find and display critical ones of said plant components and said plant systems corresponding to said selected fault event;
c) after selection of at least one of said critical plant components and said critical plant systems, to generate possible symptoms and display said symptoms in a checklist; and
d) after selection of at least one of said symptoms as a probable symptom, to find and display hypotheses of possible fault causes contained in said fault trees. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5)
-
-
4. A method for supporting a fault cause analysis of a fault event in an industrial plant having plant components and plant systems, which comprises:
-
providing a data processing device with a fault model memory;
storing in the fault model memory at least one hierarchically structured cause/effect model in the form of XML files, the at least one cause/effect model having;
an industry-specific process model divided into process steps, respective ones of the process steps and defined fault events for the process steps being associated with one of the plant components and the plant systems;
fault trees associated with the fault events, the fault trees having fault hypotheses; and
a checklist with symptoms for verification of each of the fault hypotheses associated with a respective one of the fault hypotheses;
accessing the at least one cause/effect model through a fault cause navigator and an operating and display device;
navigating, by a user, to a relevant one of the process steps in the at least one cause/effect model in a first search step through the operating and display device and the fault cause navigator, and presenting the user with a fault event list;
in a second search step following selection of a fault event in the fault event list by the user, finding and displaying critical ones of the plant components and the plant systems corresponding to the selected fault event;
in a third search step following selection of at least one of the critical plant components and plant systems, generating possible symptoms and displaying the possible symptoms in a checklist; and
in a fourth step following selection of at least one of the symptoms as a probable symptom, finding and displaying hypotheses of possible fault causes, the hypotheses contained in the fault trees. - View Dependent Claims (6)
-
-
7. A method for supporting a fault cause analysis of a fault event in an industrial plant having plant components and plant systems, which comprises:
-
providing a data processing device with a fault model memory;
storing in the fault model memory at least one hierarchically structured cause/effect model in the form of XML files, the at least one cause/effect model having;
an industry-specific process model divided into process steps, respective ones of the process steps and defined fault events for the process steps being associated with one of the plant components and the plant systems;
fault trees associated with the fault events, the fault trees having fault hypotheses; and
a checklist with symptoms for verification of each of the fault hypotheses associated with a respective one of the fault hypotheses;
accessing the at least one cause/effect model through a fault cause navigator and an operating and display device;
navigating, by a user, to a relevant one of the process steps in the at least one cause/effect model through the operating and display device and the fault cause navigator, and presenting the user with a fault event list;
finding and displaying critical ones of the plant components and the plant systems corresponding to the selected fault event;
generating possible symptoms and displaying the possible symptoms in a checklist; and
finding and displaying hypotheses of possible fault causes, the hypotheses contained in the fault trees. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
-
Specification