METHODS AND RECONFIGURABLE SYSTEMS TO OPTIMIZE THE PERFORMANCE OF A CONDITION BASED HEALTH MAINTENANCE SYSTEM

• US 20120198220A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Felke, Tim, Vanderzweep, Jeff, Bell, Douglas Allen, Bishop, Douglas, Aljanabi, Issa
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols

Abstract

Methods and reconfigurable systems are provided for monitoring the health of a complex system. The reconfigurable system comprises a plurality of standardized executable application modules containing instructions to perform one of a plurality of different standardized functions. The system further comprises a plurality of computing nodes arranged in a hierarchical structure comprising one or more layers of computing nodes. Each computing node of the plurality runs a host application and a workflow service module, each computing node thereby being configured by a configuration file that directs the execution of any of the standardized executable application modules in a cooperative fashion by the host application via the workflow service module. The system also comprises a loading means for populating each computing node with one or more standardized executable application modules of the plurality, a communication means, and a configuration means for programming the populated standardized executable application modules.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable system for monitoring the health of a complex system comprising:

a plurality of standardized executable application modules, each standardized executable application module containing instructions to perform one of a plurality of different standardized functions;

a plurality of computing nodes arranged in a hierarchical structure comprising one or more layers of the computing nodes, wherein each computing node is configured to execute one or more selected standardized executable applications of the plurality of standardized executable application modules, and wherein each computing node includes a workflow service module and a loaded configuration file, each workflow service module configured to control execution of the selected standardized executable applications as directed by the loaded configuration file to perform a specialized function for health monitoring.

2. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the loaded configuration file includes a plurality of logic sequences that are accessed by the workflow service module to control execution of the selected standardized executable applications.

3. The reconfigurable system of claim 2, wherein the loaded configuration file specifies data acted on for each of the plurality of logic sequences.

4. The reconfigurable system of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of logic sequences is implemented as a state machine.

5. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the loaded configuration file for each of the plurality of computing nodes specifies interactions between the plurality of computing nodes.

6. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the loaded configuration file specifies a health monitoring algorithm performed by the selected standardized executable application modules.

7. The reconfigurable system of claim 6, wherein the loaded configuration file specifies how to respond to determinations by the health monitoring algorithm.

8. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the loaded configuration file is generated from a model of the complex system.

9. The reconfigurable system of claim 8, wherein the loaded configuration file is generated from a model of complex system using a model based configuration means.

10. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface integrated into each computing node, each communication interface is configured to symmetrically connect its associated computing node to every other computing node and to a model based configuration means via a communication system.

11. The reconfigurable system of claim 10, wherein the communication interface comprises a customized adapter.

12. The reconfigurable system of claim 10, wherein each workflow service module directs intra-nodal communication between directed executable application modules and between a directed executable application module and another node via the communication interface.

13. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the loaded configuration file activates and deactivates any of the directed executable application modules residing in any of the computing nodes of the plurality.

14. The reconfigurable system of claim 1, wherein the loaded configuration files control a relocation of any specific functionality residing in one computing node to another computing node.

15. A method for configuring a system monitoring the health of a complex system, comprising:

establishing a plurality of computing nodes arranged in a hierarchical structure that comprises at least one layer of computing nodes, each computing node is associated with a component of the complex system;

establishing a library containing a plurality of standardized executable applications;

establishing one or more executable application configuration files within a database, each executable application configuration file is associated with one of the plurality of computing nodes of the hierarchical structure;

populating each computing node of the hierarchical structure with one or more selected standardized executable applications from the library;

modifying each executable application configuration file with data that directs specific functionality into the one or more standardized executable applications populating its associated computing node in the hierarchical structure; and

installing each of the executable application configuration files into its associated computing node thereby directing specific functionality to each of the one or more standardized executable applications.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one computing node is in direct operable communication with at least one data source and each computing node is in operable communication with a database via a communications system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each standardized executable application in the library is configured to support a standardized functionality.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising, populating each computing node with a workflow service module, the workflow service module is configured to coordinate the specific functionality of each executable application within a computing node with a specific functionality of another executable application resident within the same computing node.

19. A method for reconfiguring a system monitoring the health of a complex system, comprising:

uploading an installation file to each computing node of a plurality of computing nodes of a hierarchical structure, each installation file comprising at least one standardized executable application module and a workflow service module;

creating a configuration file associated with each computing node, wherein each configuration file contains data that when received directs each standardized executable application module to become a special purpose executable application module that is configured to cooperatively function with other special purpose executable application modules resident within the same computing node via the workflow service module; and

loading each configuration file into its associated computing node.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the installation file is loaded locally via a data loader.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the installation file is loaded via a communications network.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein each configuration file is transferred to a computing node via a communication network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the communication network includes a customized adapter in communication with each computing node, each customized adaptor is configured for symmetrical communication.