Method and device for the diagnosis of technical devices disposed within an industrial installation

• US 7,818,146 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Riegler, Peter, Plotzki, Harry, Rackebrandt, Karl-Heinz, Buhl, Frank, Thone, Andreas, Merte, Rolf, Keese, Dieter, Herwig, Jorg
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US11/663,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 702/34, 702/42, 702/47, 702 56- 59, 702/90, 702/91, 702/104, 702183-185, 702/188, 702/189, 738/659, 137/15.01
• US Class Current: 702/184
• 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 device for diagnosis of a plurality of processing devices that are disposed within an industrial installation used in a processing industry with sensors for detecting disturbance variables that affect the plurality of processing devices and influence the service life thereof, with 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 said processing device, comprising an expert unit containing stored servicing instructions that outputs an associated maintenance instruction for at least two processing devices 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 of said processing devices is reached;

and

wherein the maintenance instructions contain a complete replacement of at least two of the processing devices and a replacement of parts of a processing devices requiring maintenance, with the processing device or part thereof to be replaced being given within the maintenance instruction.

2. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the expert unit and the display unit are connected to be centrally arranged in a control point of the industrial installation.

3. The device for diagnosis, as claimed in claim 2, including a databus system for communication between individual decentralized processing devices of the industrial installation and the central control point with at least the expert unit and the display unit.

4. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the expert unit, after maintenance including the replacement of said processing devices and/or replacement of parts of said processing devices, determines a 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 higher remaining trouble-free operating time.

5. The device for diagnosis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the expert unit, after maintenance including the replacement of said processing devices and/or replacement of parts of said processing devices, determines a 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 higher remaining trouble-free operating time.

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

7. The device for diagnosis, as claimed in claim 1, including a databus system for communication between individual decentralized processing devices of the industrial installation and the central control point with at least the expert unit and the display unit.

8. The device for diagnosis of claim 1, wherein the processing devices are at least one of pumps and valves.

9. The device for diagnosis of claim 1, wherein the sensors detect disturbance variables that influence service life, said disturbance variables being processed in a simulative manner in order to determined the expected service life of at least one part of the processing device.

10. A method for diagnosing a plurality of processing devices that are disposed within an industrial installation used in a processing industry, with disturbance variables that affect the plurality of processing devices and influence the service life thereof being detected by sensors, with data of said disturbance variables being processed in a simulative manner in order to determine the expected service life of each said processing device, said method comprising:

monitoring a service life limit for each of the plurality of processing devices, said service life limit being reached before the processing devices fail;

storing various maintenance instructions in an expert unit, and outputting maintenance instructions for at least two processing devices together with an expected remaining trouble-free operating time of the industrial installation when a lower service life limit of one of said processing devices is reached; and

wherein the maintenance instructions contain, as information, a complete replacement of at least two of the processing devices and a replacement of parts of a processing device requiring maintenance, with the processing devices or parts thereof to be replaced being given within the maintenance instruction.

11. The method of diagnosis as claimed in claim 10, comprising:

the expert unit, after maintenance including the replacement of processing devices and/or replacement of parts of processing devices, determining a 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 higher remaining trouble-free operating time.

12. The method of diagnosis of claim 10, wherein the processing devices are at least one of pumps and valves.

13. The method of diagnosis of claim 10, wherein the sensors detect disturbance variables that influence service life, said disturbance variables being processed in a simulative manner in order to determined the expected service life of at least one part of the processing device.