Systems and methods to monitor an asset in an operating process unit

• US 9,405,291 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Sharpe, Joseph Hiserodt Jr., White, Douglas Cecil, Hawkins, Gary Thomas, Olsen, Timothy Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US13/563,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 an equipment parameter associated with an asset in an operating process unit;

calculating an equipment health value associated with the equipment parameter, the equipment health value based on a relationship of a value of the equipment parameter to a range between baseline data and a corresponding limit;

monitoring a process parameter associated with the asset;

calculating an alarm health value when a value of the process parameter triggers an associated alarm, the alarm health value corresponding to a fixed value based on an assigned weight of the alarm relative to different alarms associated with different process parameters; and

determining an asset health value corresponding to the asset based on the equipment health value and the alarm health value, the asset health value indicative of an overall health of the asset; and

implementing a remedial action associated with the asset to improve the overall health of the asset when the asset health value fails to satisfy a threshold.

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

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the weight for the alarm associated with the process parameter from an operator.

4. 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.

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

6. 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.

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

8. 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.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment parameter corresponds to a parameter associated with at least one of a condition, a health, an integrity, or a performance of the asset, and wherein the process parameter corresponds to a parameter associated with control and operation of the operating process unit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the alarm health value by subtracting the assigned weight for the alarm associated with the process parameter from a maximum weight; and

normalizing the equipment health value and the alarm health value to a common scale.

11. 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, wherein determining the asset health value includes;

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; and

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

implementing a remedial action associated with the asset to increase at least one of the alarm health value or the one or more equipment health values when the alarm health value is below a threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, 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 including at least one of the alarm health value or the one or more equipment health values.

13. A system comprising:

sensors to monitor an equipment parameter and a process parameter associated with an asset in an operating process unit; and

a processor to;

receive data collected via the sensors;

calculate an equipment health value associated with the equipment parameter, the equipment health value based on a relationship of a value of the equipment parameter to a range between baseline data and a corresponding limit;

calculate an alarm health value when a value of the process parameter triggers an associated alarm, the alarm health value corresponding to a fixed value based on an assigned weight of the alarm relative to different alarms associated with different process parameters; and

calculate an asset health value of the asset based on the equipment health value and the alarm health value, the asset health value indicative of an overall health of the asset, an operator to take remedial action associated with the asset to improve the overall health of the asset when the asset health value fails to meet a threshold.

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

15. The system of claim 13, 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.

16. 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, 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, an operator to take remedial action associated with the asset to increase the asset health value when the asset health value falls below a threshold.

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

monitor an equipment parameter associated with an asset in an operating process unit;

calculate an equipment health value associated with the equipment parameter, the equipment health value based on a relationship of a value of the equipment parameter to a range between baseline data and a corresponding limit;

monitor a process parameter associated with the asset;

calculate an alarm health value when a value of the process parameter triggers an associated alarm, the alarm health value corresponding to a fixed value based on an assigned weight of the alarm relative to different alarms associated with different process parameters; and

determine an asset health value corresponding to the asset based on the equipment health value and the alarm health value, an operator to take action associated with the asset to increase at least one of the equipment health value or the alarm health value when the asset health value is below a threshold.

18. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the equipment parameter corresponds to a parameter associated with at least one of a condition, a health, an integrity, or a performance of the asset, and wherein the process parameter corresponds to a parameter associated with control and operation of the operating process unit.

19. 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.

20. 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 on the one or more monitored equipment, the one or more process parameters, and baseline data associated with the one or more equipment parameters, wherein calculating the asset health value of the asset includes;

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; and

determining a lowest health value among the alarm health value and the one or more equipment health values based on a common scale, an operator to take action associated with the asset to increase an overall health of the asset when the asset health value is below a threshold.