Method and apparatus for monitoring and performing corrective measures in a process plant using monitoring data with corrective measures data

• US 20060229848A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Armstrong, Stephen, Di Giovanni, Augustine, Hokeness, Scott N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0286 Modifications to the monitored process, e.g. stopping operation or adapting control

Abstract

A method and system of monitoring corrective measures within a process plant includes receiving equipment data pertaining to the status of equipment within the process plant, receiving corrective measure data pertaining to the status of a corrective measure associated with the equipment, and using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function pertaining to the corrective measure associated with the equipment.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring corrective measures within a process plant comprising:

receiving equipment data pertaining to the status of equipment within the process plant;

receiving corrective measure data pertaining to the status of a corrective measure associated with the equipment; and

using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function pertaining to the corrective measure associated with the equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving criticality data pertaining to the importance of the equipment within the process plant; and

using the criticality data with the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform the further function pertaining to the corrective measure associated with the equipment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the equipment is one of a plurality of equipment comprising an entity within the process plant, and wherein the criticality data pertains to the importance of the equipment among the plurality of equipment within the entity.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the further function is a corrective measure prioritization function and using the criticality data with the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform the further function comprises changing the priority of the corrective measure among a plurality of corrective measures.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving equipment data comprises receiving equipment data from one or more equipment monitoring devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving equipment data comprises receiving on-line monitoring data pertaining to the equipment.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving equipment data comprises receiving a use index representative of the status of the equipment.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the use index pertains to one or more of the following:

health of the equipment, performance of the equipment, utilization of the equipment and variability of the equipment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving data pertaining to an order for taking the corrective measure to solve a problem with the equipment.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving a request for an order for taking the corrective measure to solve a problem with the equipment.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving a maintenance request to service the equipment.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving a notification of a predicted future problem with the equipment.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving maintenance procedures pertaining to solving a problem with the equipment.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving data pertaining to a work order for performing maintenance related to solving a problem with the equipment.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving data pertaining to a part order related to solving a problem with the equipment.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the further function comprises an order generation function and wherein using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function comprises generating an order in response to a detected problem with the equipment, wherein the detected problem is based on the data pertaining the status of the equipment and the order relates to taking one or more corrective measures to solve the problem.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the order comprises a part order ordering one or more parts needed for the process plant, the method further comprising communicating the part order to a supplier of the part.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the order comprises a work order ordering work to be performed within the process plant, the method further comprising communicating the work order to one or more maintenance personnel capable of performing the maintenance.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein generating an order comprises determining the corrective measure.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the further function comprises an order generation function and wherein using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function comprises modifying an existing order for taking the corrective measure to solve a problem with the equipment.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the further function comprises a viewing function and wherein using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function comprises creating a display screen using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to view a representation of the corrective measure.

34. The system of claim 1 wherein the further function comprises a viewing function, the system further comprising a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to create a display screen using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to view a representation of the corrective measure.

22. A system to be used in a process control environment for monitoring corrective measures within a process plant comprising:

a computer readable memory;

a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to receive equipment data pertaining to the status of equipment within the process plant;

a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to receive corrective measure data pertaining to one or more corrective measures associated with the equipment; and

a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to receive to use the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function within the process plant.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising process equipment monitoring devices operatively coupled to the computer readable memory that collect the equipment data pertaining to the status of equipment within the process plant.

24. The system of claim 22 further comprising on-line monitoring devices operatively coupled to the computer readable memory that collect on-line monitoring data pertaining to the equipment within the process plant.

25. The system of claim 22 further comprising a maintenance monitoring system operatively coupled to the computer readable memory that collects the corrective measure data pertaining to one or more corrective measures associated with the equipment

26. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

a database operatively coupled to the computer system, the database adapted to store criticality data pertaining to the importance of the equipment within the process plant; and

a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to use the criticality data with the equipment data and the corrective measure data to perform the further function within the process plant.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the equipment is one of a plurality of equipment comprising an entity within the process plant, and wherein the criticality data pertains to the importance of the equipment among the plurality of equipment within the entity.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the further function is a corrective measure prioritization function, the system further comprising a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to use the criticality data with the equipment data and the corrective measure data to change a priority of the corrective measure among a plurality of corrective measures.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the further function comprises an order generation function, the system further comprising a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to use the equipment data and the corrective measure data to generate an order in response to a detected problem with the equipment, wherein the detected problem is based on the data pertaining the status of the equipment and the order relates to taking one or more corrective measures to solve the problem.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the order comprises a part order ordering one or more parts needed for the process plant, the system further comprising a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to communicate the part order to a supplier of the part.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the order comprises a work order ordering work to be performed within the process plant, the system further comprising a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to communicate the work order to one or more maintenance personnel capable of performing the maintenance.

32. The system of claim 29 further comprising a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to determine the corrective measure.

33. The system of claim 22 wherein the further function comprises an order generation function, the system further comprising a routine stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed by a processor to modify an existing order for taking the corrective measure to solve a problem with the equipment.

35. A method of monitoring corrective measures within a process plant including an entity having a plurality of lower level entities, the method comprising:

receiving status data pertaining to the status of the entity;

receiving corrective measure data pertaining to the status of a corrective measure associated with the entity; and

using the status data and the corrective measure to perform a further function pertaining to the corrective measure associated with the entity.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving status data pertaining to the status of the entity comprises receiving status data pertaining to the status of at least one of the plurality of lower level entities.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving corrective measure data pertaining to the status of a corrective measure associated with the entity comprises corrective measure data pertaining to the status of a corrective measure associated with at least one of the lower level entities.

38. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

receiving criticality data pertaining to the importance of one or more of the lower level entities among the plurality of lower level entities within the entity; and

using the criticality data with the status data and the corrective measure data to perform the further function pertaining to the corrective measure associated with the entity.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the further function is a corrective measure prioritization function and using the criticality data with the status data and the corrective measure data to perform the further function comprises changing the priority of the corrective measure among a plurality of corrective measures.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving data pertaining to an order for taking the corrective measure to solve a problem with the entity.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprises receiving data pertaining to a work order for performing maintenance related to solving a problem with the entity.

42. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving corrective measure data comprise receiving data pertaining to a part order related to solving a problem with the entity.

43. The method of claim 35 wherein the further function comprises an order generation function and wherein using the status data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function comprises generating an order in response to a detected problem with the entity, wherein the detected problem is based on the status data and the order relates to taking one or more corrective measures to solve the problem.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the order comprises a part order ordering one or more parts needed for the process plant, the method further comprising communicating the part order to a supplier of the part.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the order comprises a work order ordering work to be performed within the process plant, the method further comprising communicating the work order to one or more maintenance personnel capable of performing the maintenance.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein generating an order comprises determining the corrective measure.

47. The method of claim 35 wherein the further function comprises an order generation function and wherein using the status data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function comprises modifying an existing order for taking the corrective measure to solve a problem with the equipment.

48. The method of claim 35 wherein the further function comprises a viewing function and wherein using the status data and the corrective measure data to perform a further function comprises creating a display screen using the equipment data and the corrective measure data to view a representation of the corrective measure.

49. A system for displaying corrective measure status for an entity within a process plant having a plurality of entities, the system comprising:

a processor;

a display;

a database adapted to store status data for each of the plurality of entities and to store corrective measure status data for at least one of the plurality of entities;

a routine adapted to be executed by the processor which stores a representation of each of the plurality of entities; and

a routine adapted to be executed by the processor which displays a set of the representations, which displays the status data proximately to each corresponding representation in the set and which displays the corrective measure data of at least one corresponding representation in the set.

50. The system of claim 49 further comprising a routine adapted to be executed by the processor which uses the status data and the corrective measure data to generate an order related to one or more corrective actions to generate an order in response to a detected problem with the at least one of the plurality of entities, wherein the detected problem is based on the status data and the order related to taking one or more corrective measures to solve the problem.

51. The system of claim 49 further comprising a routine adapted to be executed by the processor which uses the status data and the corrective measure data to modify an existing order for taking the corrective measure to solve a problem with the at least one of the plurality of entities.

52. The system of claim 49 wherein the database is further adapted to store criticality data pertaining to the importance of each of the plurality of entities among the plurality of entities, the system further comprising a routine adapted to be executed by the processor which displays the criticality data proximately to each corresponding representation in the set.

53. The system of claim 52 further comprising a routine adapted to be executed by the processor which uses the criticality data, the status data and the corrective measure data to change the priority of the corrective measure among a plurality of corrective measures.

54. The system of claim 49 wherein the status data comprises use indices for each of the plurality of entities, the system further comprising a routine adapted to be executed by the processor which display use indices proximately to each corresponding representation in the set.