SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO MONITOR AN ASSET IN AN OPERATING PROCESS UNIT

• US 20140039833A1
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Joseph Hiserodt Jr. Sharpe
• Inventors: Sharpe, Joseph Hiserodt Jr., White, Douglas Cecil, Hawkins, Gary Thomas, Olsen, Timothy Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 9,405,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4065 Monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31465 Determine which variables of the system to be monitored
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31474 Icon display for quick access of detailed information
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Systems and methods to monitor an asset in an operating process unit are disclosed. An example method includes monitoring one or more equipment parameters associated with an asset in an operating process unit, monitoring one or more process parameters associated with the asset, and determining an asset health value corresponding to the asset based on the one or more monitored equipment parameters, process parameters, and baseline data associated with the one or more equipment parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring one or more equipment parameters associated with an asset in an operating process unit;

monitoring one or more process parameters associated with the asset; and

determining an asset health value corresponding to the asset based on the one or more monitored equipment parameters, process parameters, and baseline data associated with the one or more equipment parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseline data corresponds to at least one of values of the one or more equipment parameters measured when the asset is operating in a normal condition or a signature of values of the one or more equipment parameters measured across an operating range of one or more corresponding variable state parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a weight for an alarm associated with any of the one or more equipment or process parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the asset health value comprises:

calculating an alarm health value based on a highest weighted active alarm;

calculating one or more equipment health values associated with each of the one or more equipment parameters, the equipment health values to be based on the one or more equipment parameters relative to the baseline data and corresponding limits;

determining a lowest health value among the alarm health value and the one or more equipment health values.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

rendering an asset overview page of a graphical user interface corresponding to the asset; and

displaying at least one of the lowest health value, a tag or name associated with the equipment or process parameter corresponding to the lowest health value, or a list comprising at least one of the alarm health value or the one or more equipment health values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset health value is indicative of at least one of a performance of the asset, or a likelihood of failure of the asset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the equipment and process parameters comprises monitoring via a wireless communication protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset is a pump, a heat exchanger, an air cooled exchanger, a furnace, a fired heater, a blower, a fin fan, a cooling tower, a distillation column, a compressor, a pipe, a valve, a vessel, a well head, a tank, a boiler, a steam trap, dryer, kiln, reactor, oil fractionator, separator, desalter, crusher, smelter, cyclone, or a centrifuge.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the equipment and process parameters comprises online monitoring to enable substantially continuous calculation of the asset health value of the asset.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising

rendering an area view of a graphical user interface, the area view corresponding to any of a process plant, an area of the operating process unit, or an asset type;

rendering, in the area view, a first graphic corresponding to the asset, wherein the asset is associated with the area;

rendering, in the area view, one or more second graphics corresponding to one or more second assets associated with the area; and

modifying at least one of the first graphic or the one or more second graphics in the view to indicate the asset health value and one or more second asset health values corresponding to the one or more second assets.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment parameters correspond to parameters associated with any of the condition, health, integrity, or performance of the asset, and wherein the process parameters correspond to parameters associated with the control and operation of the operating process unit

12. A system comprising:

sensors to monitor one or more equipment parameters and one or more process parameters associated with an asset in an operating process unit; and

a processor to receive data collected via the sensors and to calculate an asset health value of the asset based on the one or more equipment parameters and the one or more process parameters.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the processor is to receive the data via a wireless communication protocol.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the asset is a pump, a heat exchanger, an air cooled exchanger, a furnace, a fired heater, a blower, a fin fan, a cooling tower, a distillation column, a compressor, a pipe, a valve, a vessel, a well head, a tank, a boiler, a steam trap, dryer, kiln, reactor, oil fractionator, separator, desalter, crusher, smelter, cyclone, or a centrifuge.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the processor is to calculate the asset health value of the asset by:

calculating an alarm health value based on a highest weighted active alarm associated with one of the one or more process parameters;

calculating one or more equipment health values corresponding to the one or more equipment parameters; and

determining a lowest health value among the alarm health value and the one or more equipment health values.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising a display to render a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface to contain a graphic indicative of the asset health value of the asset.

17. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

monitor one or more equipment parameters associated with an asset in an operating process unit;

monitor one or more process parameters associated with the asset; and

determine an asset health value corresponding to the asset based the one or more monitored equipment, process parameters, and baseline data associated with the one or more equipment parameters.

18. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the equipment parameters correspond to parameters associated with any of the condition, health, integrity, or performance of the asset, and wherein the process parameters correspond to parameters associated with the control and operation of the operating process unit

19. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein calculating the asset health value of the asset comprises:

calculating an alarm health value based on a highest weighted active alarm;

calculating one or more equipment health values associated with each of the one or more equipment parameters, the equipment health values to be based on the one or more equipment parameters relative to the baseline data and corresponding limits;

determining a lowest health value among the alarm health value and the one or more equipment health values based on a common scale

20. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the asset health value of the asset is indicative of at least one of a performance of the asset, or a likelihood of failure of the asset.