Method And Device For The Diagnosis Of Technical Devices Disposed Within An Industrial Installation

• US 20080167745A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Merte, Rolf, Riegler, Peter, Plotzki, Harry, Keese, Dieter, Rackebrandt, Karl-Heinz, Herwig, Jorg, Buhl, Frank, Thone, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for diagnosing technical devices, especially pumps and valves, which are arranged within an installation used in the processing industry. According to said method, disturbance variables that affect the devices and influence the service life thereof are detected by means of sensory technology while the data of said disturbance variables is processed in a simulative manner in order to determine the expected service life of each device. Various maintenance instructions which are output along with the expected remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation when a lower service life threshold value of one or several devices has been reached are stored in an expert unit.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing technical devices, especially pumps and valves, that are disposed within an industrial installation used in the processing industry, with disturbance variables that affect the devices and influence the service life thereof being detected by means of sensory technology, with the data of said disturbance variables being processed in a simulative manner in order to determine the expected service life of each device wherein in an expert unit various maintenance instructions are stored, with said maintenance instructions being output together with the expected remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation when a lower service life limit of one or more devices is reached.

2. The method of diagnosis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maintenance instruction contains, as information, a complete replacement of at least one of the devices or a replacement of parts of a device requiring maintenance, with the device or parts thereof to be replaced being given within the maintenance instruction.

3. The method of diagnosis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the expert unit, after maintenance consisting of the replacement of devices and/or replacement of parts of devices determines the new remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation, in order to give expression to the success of the maintenance by its achievement of a relatively higher remaining trouble-free operating time.

4. A device for diagnosis of technical devices, especially of pumps and valves, that are disposed within an industrial installation used in the processing industry with sensors for detecting disturbance variables that affect the devices and influence the service life thereof, with the data of said disturbance variables being processed by a simulation unit containing a stored device model in order to determine the expected service life of each device, wherein furthermore an expert unit containing stored servicing instructions is provided that outputs an associated maintenance instruction together with the expected remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation via a central display unit when a lower service life limit of one or more devices is reached.

5. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least the expert unit and the display unit connected to it are centrally arranged in a control point of the industrial installation.

6. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 4, wherein the maintenance instruction contains a complete replacement of at least one of the devices or a replacement of parts of a device requiring maintenance, with the device or part thereof to be replaced being given within the maintenance instruction.

7. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 4, wherein the expert unit, after maintenance consisting of the replacement of devices and/or replacement of parts of devices, determines the new remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation, in order to give expression to the success of the maintenance by its achievement of a relatively higher remaining trouble-free operating time.

8. The device for diagnosis, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the communication between the individual decentralized devices of the industrial installation and the central control point with at least the expert unit and the display unit takes place via a databus system.

9. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 5, wherein the expert unit, after maintenance consisting of the replacement of devices and/or replacement of parts of devices, determines the new remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation, in order to give expression to the success of the maintenance by its achievement of a relatively higher remaining trouble-free operating time.

10. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 6, wherein the expert unit, after maintenance consisting of the replacement of devices and/or replacement of parts of devices, determines the new remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation, in order to give expression to the success of the maintenance by its achievement of a relatively higher remaining trouble-free operating time.

11. The device for diagnosis, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the communication between the individual decentralized devices of the industrial installation and the central control point with at least the expert unit and the display unit takes place via a databus system.

12. The device for diagnosis, as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication between the individual decentralized devices of the industrial installation and the central control point with at least the expert unit and the display unit takes place via a databus system.

13. The device for diagnosis, as claimed in claim 7, wherein the communication between the individual decentralized devices of the industrial installation and the central control point with at least the expert unit and the display unit takes place via a databus system.