Maintenance systems for degradation of plant component parts

• US 5,648,919 A
• Filed: 02/14/1994
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Babcock-Hitachi Kabushiki Kaisha (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Babcock-Hitachi Kabushiki Kaisha (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hattori, Shigeo, Shindo, Takenori, Yamauchi, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/195,021
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 364/578, 364/492, 364/184, 395/912, 395/68, 395/500
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/912 Manufacturing or machine, e.g. agricultural machinery, machine tool

Abstract

A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts correlates parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of degradation phenomena, selects an arbitrary influencing factor with respect to each of various influencing factors of the degradation phenomena, selects one of the parameters for the transition probability distribution as a first function, and sets the transition probability distribution when the variables of various influencing factors are reference degree values of a reference system. The system computes a ratio between the first function and the parameter value in the reference system to give a function of the subdivided index of degradation of the influencing factor, multiplies the subdivided index of degradation of various influencing factors by a unit conversion and a coefficient for reliability.

Claims

1. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts, which are maintained by controlling the degrees of various influencing factors on degradation at the positions thereof, comprising the steps of:

making a position of each of said plant component parts an evaluation system;

obtaining a correlation between the parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of degradation phenomena;

making the degree of influencing factor constant by aiming at an arbitrary influencing factor with respect to each of various influencing factors of said degradation phenomena;

giving the aimed arbitrary influencing factor as a variable, selecting one of the parameters for said transition probability distribution, and representing the selected parameter as a first function;

determining reference degrees of various influencing factors and setting the transition probability distribution of said degradation phenomena when the variables of various influencing factors are said reference degrees as a reference system;

knowing a value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the reference system;

computing a ratio between said first function and the value of said selected parameter in the reference system to give a function of the subdivided index of degradation of the aimed influencing factor;

multiplying a product of said subdivided index of degradation of various influencing factors by a unit conversion and a coefficient for reliability to define the product as an index of degradation for expressing a possibility for the generation of said phenomena;

using the correlation between the index of degradation and said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in many systems of said degradation phenomena;

determining the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the variables of the degrees of the influencing factors on the degradation phenomena in an evaluation system;

using said correlation between the parameters for determining the transition probability of said degradation phenomena;

determining the value of the other parameter in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system;

estimating the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system; and

predicting by a computational equation the possibilities of the degradation phenomena at the positions of said plant component parts to be the evaluation system.

2. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts according to claim 1, further comprising the steps:

making the position of the similar plant component parts to each plant component an evaluation system;

obtaining the data for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena at said positions of the plant component parts and/or the data of the influencing factors from the inspection or field incident information of the plant component, while arranging the availability of no degradation every a specific plant component, part or position;

using together a correlation between the parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the case of carrying out analysis by a hazard function, in order to determine the parameters in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena;

estimating the values of the parameters in transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena;

knowing one selected parameter in the parameters of the transition probability distribution;

using the variables of the degrees of the influencing factor on the degradation at said positions of the plant component and estimating said index of degradation;

using the value of this index of degradation and said estimated parameter;

comparing the index of degradation with a correlation showing the relation between said index of degradation and said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in many systems of the degradation phenomena and confirming or improving the predicted precision in this correlation;

using the correlation for confirming or improving this precision;

determining the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the variables of the degrees of the influencing factors on the degradation phenomena in an evaluation system;

using said correlation between the parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena;

determining the value of the other parameter in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system;

estimating the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system; and

predicting the possibilities of the degradation phenomena at the positions of said plant component parts to be an evaluation system.

3. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts according to claim 2, further comprising the steps:

defining an index computed from the both of the hazard function of the transition probability distribution in said evaluation system and the function of the transition probability distribution of total cost of preventive maintenance as a cost index; and

determining whether or not the preparation for preventive maintenance is necessary and the number of the required years of the preparation for preventive maintenance of in combination with said index of degradation and cost index.

4. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts according to claim 1, further comprising the steps:

making positions of said parts in a specific plant component an evaluation system;

obtaining the degrees of variable of at least one or more influencing factors on the degradation at the positions of said plant component parts by monitoring or periodically measuring;

obtaining said index of degradation by using the resulting degrees of variable;

determining the value of said selected parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the variables of the degrees of the influencing factors on the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system;

using the correlation between the parameters in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena;

determining the value of the other parameter in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system;

estimating the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system; and

predicting the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena at the positions of said plant component parts to be an evaluation system.

5. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts according to claim 1, further comprising the steps:

arranging at least one or more data to be a basis for the analysis of the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena and the data on the degrees of valuable of the influencing factors from the field incident information or inspection information of the degradation at the positions of said plant components in a specific plant component;

obtaining the index of degradation by knowing the value of a variable in degrees of variable of each influencing factor of the degradation phenomena;

comparing the index of degradation with a correlation between said selected parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in many systems of the degradation phenomena and confirming the prediction of this correlation to improve the precision in this correlation;

determining the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the variables of the degrees of the influencing factors on the degradation phenomena in an evaluation system;

using said correlation between the parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena;

determining the value of the other parameter in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system;

estimating the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system; and

predicting the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena at the positions of said plant component parts to be the evaluation system.

6. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts according to claim 1, further comprising the steps:

Obtaining a variable having each degrees of variable of various influencing factors of the degradation phenomena as a function of time from specific operation records of degradation maintenance of specific plant component parts having specific operation histories and periodical records of the operation conditions;

obtaining said index of degradation as a function of time;

displaying on a correlation of the between said index of degradation and said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in many systems of the degradation phenomena;

determining the value of said selected parameters for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the variables of the degrees of the influencing factors on the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system;

using said correlation between the parameters in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena;

determining the value of the other parameter in the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena from the value of said selected parameter for determining the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system;

estimating the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena in the evaluation system; and

computing the transition probability distribution of the degradation phenomena at the positions of said plant component parts to be the evaluation system.

7. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts according to claim 1, further comprising the steps:

subdividing a technology of present application into each influencing factor on degradation with respect to each position of the plant component parts and inputting the value of said technology of present application and the value of a reference technology into each influencing factor thus subdivided;

obtaining the subdivided index of each influencing factor in the technology of present application on the basis of the value of the input reference technology;

computing individually the life index value of degradation due to a product of the subdivided index with respect to each position;

comparing the life index value of degradation at each position of the plant component with a predetermined value and extracting and outputting each position of the plant components showing the smaller value of the index of degradation than the predetermined value;

Inputting each technology subdivided into each influencing factor with respect to each extracted position of the plant component parts, said each influencing factor in various technologies being used for obtaining each subdivided index, obtaining the life index value of degradation at each position of the plant component by the product of said subdivided index, said life index value of degradation at each position of the plant component being compared with a predetermined value, and selecting a technology of improvement for adopting the life index value of degradation exceeding the predetermined value; and

obtaining an optimal technology to output taking the selected technology test of improvement into consideration.

8. A system of preventive maintenance for plant component parts according to in claim 1, comprising the following means:

an analytical means of technology for subdividing a technology of present application into each influencing factor on degradation with respect to each position of said plant component;

an input means for inputting the values of said technology of present application and the values of a reference technology with respect to each subdivided influencing factor;

a computational means of life index of degradation for calculating the subdivided index with respect to each influencing factor of the technology of present application on the basis of the value of the reference technology by said input means and determining the life index of degradation by a product of said subdivided index with respect to each position of said plant component;

a discrimination means of present technology for comparing the life index value at each position of said plant component from said computational means of life index of degradation with a predetermined value and extracting the position of said plant component showing a smaller life index value of degradation than the predetermined value;

a discrimination means of technology of improvement for inputting various subdivided technologies into each influencing factor by said input means with respect to each position of the plant component extracted by said discrimination means of present technology, calculating a subdivided index using each influencing factor of said various technologies, determining the life index of degradation of each position of the plant component by a product of said subdivided index, comparing said life index value at each position of said plant component with a predetermined value, and selecting a technology of improvement for taking the life index value exceeding the predetermined value;

an evaluation means of optimal technology for obtaining an optimal technology taking cost to the selected technology of improvement by said discrimination means of technology of improvement into consideration; and

an output means for outputting the results of said discrimination means of present technology and the results of said evaluation means of optimal technology.

9. A plant operation control method for preventing the corrosion degradation of plant component parts, which uses said index of degradation determined in claim 1, comprising the steps:

obtaining a no-degradation zone from a correlation between the life index of degradation and the environmental assisted cracking life as follows;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F≧

h(t, r) (1)

wherein,

F;

the life index of degradation

t;

time

r;

level of reliability and

b;

function;

expressing a variable X_j in dimensions of an influencing factor as a function of operation time or service time of the plant, in the case of marking at least one or more influencing factors in a relation of representing the state of process of the index of said positions of plant component parts;

expressing a subdivided index F_j of said influencing factor j as a function of X_j (t) thereof;

representing total index by the following Equation (2) to compute the resulting index;

##EQU8## wherein the index characteristic of the position of a plant component which is based on intrinsic static data of said control object is defined as an intrinsic index of the plant component, and the subdivided intrinsic index of the plant component is defined as a F_zi ; and

running an environmental control operation such that each factor in the matrix of the index satisfies Equation (1).