Diagnostics in process control and monitoring systems

• US 20070270982A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Motion Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Foss, Scot, Cureton, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/26
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32226 Computer assisted repair, maintenance of system components
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32234 Maintenance planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0232 based on qualitative trend analysis, e.g. system evolution
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A condition of an industrial process is diagnosed based upon process variable information related to a value of a measured process variable. Histogram information is calculated based upon the determined process variable information and time information related to a duration of time the measured process variable has the value. Condition of the industrial process is diagnosed based upon the calculated histogram information.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing condition of an industrial process, comprising;

obtaining a measured process variable;

determining process variable information related to a value of the measured process variable;

calculating histogram information based upon the determined process variable information and time information related to a duration of time the measured process variable has the value; and

diagnosing condition of the industrial process based upon the calculated histogram information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating histogram information is further based upon information related to a duration of time the measured process variable has the value.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein diagnosing condition of the industrial process is further based upon a wear scaling factor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the wear scaling factor is a function of the process variable value.

5. The method of claim 1 including providing an alarm based upon the calculated histogram information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the calculated histogram information comprises discreet ranges.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the calculated histogram information is continuous.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the measured process variable comprises flow rate and the diagnostic condition is indicative of wear.

9. The method of claim 1 including displaying the calculated histogram information.

10. The method of claim 1 including resetting the histogram information when a component is replaced.

11. A field device configured to implement the method of claim 1.

12. A process device for use in an industrial process control or monitoring system comprising:

a process variable input configured to obtain a process variable;

a digital controller configured to;

calculate histogram information based upon the process variable; and

diagnose condition of the industrial process based upon the calculated histogram information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the histogram information is further based upon information related to a duration of time the measured process variable has a value.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein diagnosed condition of the industrial process is further based upon a wear scaling factor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the wear scaling factor is a function of the process variable value.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the digital controller provides an alarm based upon the calculated histogram information.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the calculated histogram information comprises discreet ranges.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the calculated histogram information is continuous.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the measured process variable comprises flow rate and the diagnostic condition is indicative of wear.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 including a display to display the calculated histogram information.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the histogram information is reset when a component is replaced.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the measured process variable is selected from the group of process variables consisting of pressure, temperature, pH, density, level, turbidity, and component concentration.