Method and apparatus for detecting faults in steam generator system components and other continuous processes
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting a fault in a component of a continuous process, comprising:
- developing a model of said continuous process;
generating predicted values for a predetermined number of operating parameters of said continuous process using said model;
comparing the value predicted by said model for each of said predetermined number of operating parameters to a corresponding actual measured value for said operating parameter; and
determining whether differences between said predicted and actual measured values for one or more of said predetermined number of operating parameters exceeds a configured statistical limit using Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods;
wherein said predetermined number of operating parameters of said continuous process depends on said continuous process; and
wherein said continuous process is the water/steam side of a boiler/turbine power cycle and said predetermined number of parameters include make-up flow, feedwater flow and condensate flow.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus and for detecting faults in components of a continuous process such as a steam generator. A model of the process is developed using a modeling technique such as advanced pattern recognition and the model is used to generate predicted values for a predetermined number of the operating parameters of the process. Statistical process control methods are used to determine if the difference between the predicted and actual measured values for one or more of the parameters exceeds a configured statistical limit. A rule set is used to indicate an actual or probable fault in a component of the continuous process.
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14 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a fault in a component of a continuous process, comprising:
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developing a model of said continuous process; generating predicted values for a predetermined number of operating parameters of said continuous process using said model; comparing the value predicted by said model for each of said predetermined number of operating parameters to a corresponding actual measured value for said operating parameter; and determining whether differences between said predicted and actual measured values for one or more of said predetermined number of operating parameters exceeds a configured statistical limit using Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods; wherein said predetermined number of operating parameters of said continuous process depends on said continuous process; and wherein said continuous process is the water/steam side of a boiler/turbine power cycle and said predetermined number of parameters include make-up flow, feedwater flow and condensate flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A process plant comprising:
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a computing device for detecting a fault in a component of a continuous process operating in said plant, said computing device for; developing a model of said continuous process; generating predicted values for a predetermined number of operating parameters of said continuous process using said model; comparing the value predicted by said model for each of said predetermined number of operating parameters to a corresponding actual measured value for said operating parameter; and determining whether differences between said predicted and actual measured values for one or more of said predetermined number of operating parameters exceeds a configured statistical limit using Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods; wherein said computing device is also for determining for each of said predetermined number of operating parameters a difference between said predicted values for said operating parameter and said actual measured value for said operating parameter; wherein said computing device is also for comparing said difference for selected ones of said predetermined operating parameters to an associated three sigma limit; and wherein said continuous process is the water/steam side of a boiler/turbine power cycle and said predetermined number of operating parameters include make-up flow, feedwater flow and condensate flow and said computing device is also for determining a deviation for each of said differences for said make-up flow, feedwater flow and condensate flow operating parameters to a three sigma limit associated with each of said operating parameters. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification