Method for the automated generation of a fault tree structure

• US 20030028823A1
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Szoke, Szaniszlo, Vollmar, Gerhard, Kallela, Jari
• Granted Patent: US 7,013,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/26
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0248 Causal models, e.g. fault tree; digraphs; qualitative physics
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0278 Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA

Abstract

A method for automated generation of an extended fault tree structure adapted to a production installation or a specific installation is used within a system determining the effectiveness and analyzing causes of faults. Generation takes place using a data processor and stored programs for carrying out functions of a hypothesis verifier, a fault data classifier, and a hypothesis configurer, and also based upon a prescribed general hierarchical fault tree structure produced by accessing data of a data server with the verifier, from which it derives fault events according to execution requirements of the verification script and stores these fault events, possibly together with previously entered fault events, in a fault database. At prescribable time intervals, the classifier carries out classification of the fault events by accessing the database, maps them as weighted causes of faults onto the tree structure, and displays or outputs the tree structure so extended.

Claims

1. A method for automatic generation of an extended fault tree structure adapted to one of a production installation type and a specific production installation, which comprises:

providing a data processor having stored programs and data stores including a fault database, a fault tree memory, and a verification script memory;

entering fault events in the fault database one of through a data input and determined from data called up from a data server;

storing, with the data stores;

fault events in the fault database;

a prescribed general hierarchical fault tree structure and the extended fault tree structure in the fault tree memory; and

verification scripts for a verification of fault hypotheses in the verification script memory;

generating, based upon the prescribed general hierarchical fault tree structure, the extended fault tree structure by carrying out functions of a hypothesis verifier, a fault data classifier, and a hypothesis configurer with the data processor and the stored programs;

entering and altering fault hypotheses with a hypothesis editor; and

producing the extended fault tree structure by;

the hypothesis verifier accessing data from the data server;

the hypothesis verifier deriving, from the accessed data, fault events according to execution requirements of the verification scripts;

the hypothesis verifier storing these fault events in the fault database;

at prescribable time intervals, the fault data classifier;

classifying the fault events by accessing the fault database;

mapping the fault events as weighted causes of faults onto the fault tree structure; and

at least one of;

displaying the extended fault tree structure through a display device; and

feeding the extended fault tree structure to an output device.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises applying all steps of the method in a system for determining effectiveness and for analyzing of causes of faults for the production installation type.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises applying all steps of the method in a system for determining effectiveness and for analyzing of causes of faults for the specific production installation.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises storing the fault events together with previously entered fault events in the fault database with the hypothesis verifier.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

automatically checking a frequency of occurrence of given causes of faults at prescribable time intervals with the fault data classifier; and

altering the fault tree structure and the verification scripts dependent upon a relevance of the given causes of faults so determined.

6. The method according to claim 4, which further comprises:

automatically checking a frequency of occurrence of given causes of faults at prescribable time intervals with the fault data classifier; and

altering the fault tree structure and the verification scripts dependent upon a relevance of the given causes of faults so determined.

10. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises:

automatically checking a frequency of occurrence of given causes of faults at prescribable time intervals with the fault data classifier; and

altering the fault tree structure and the verification scripts dependent upon a relevance of the given causes of faults so determined.

7. A method for automatic generation of an extended fault tree structure adapted to one of a production installation type and a specific production installation, which comprises:

providing a data processor having stored programs and data stores including a fault database, a fault tree memory, and a verification script memory;

entering fault events in the fault database one of through a data input and determined from data called up from a data server;

storing, with the data stores;

fault events in the fault database;

a prescribed general hierarchical fault tree structure and the extended fault tree structure in the fault tree memory; and

verification scripts for a verification of fault hypotheses in the verification script memory;

generating, based upon the prescribed general hierarchical fault tree structure, the extended fault tree structure by carrying out functions of a hypothesis verifier, a fault data classifier, and a hypothesis configurer with the data processor and the stored programs;

entering and altering fault hypotheses with a hypothesis editor; and

producing the extended fault tree structure by;

the hypothesis verifier accessing data from the data server;

the hypothesis verifier deriving, from the accessed data, fault events according to execution requirements of the verification scripts;

the hypothesis verifier storing these fault events in the fault database together with previously entered fault events;

at prescribable time intervals, the fault data classifier;

classifying the fault events by accessing the fault database;

mapping the fault events as weighted causes of faults onto the fault tree structure; and

at least one of;

displaying the extended fault tree structure through a display device; and

feeding the extended fault tree structure to an output device.

8. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises

applying all steps of the method in a system for determining effectiveness and for analyzing of causes of faults for the production installation type.

9. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises

applying all steps of the method in a system for determining effectiveness and for analyzing of causes of faults for the specific production installation.

11. In a system for determining effectiveness and for analyzing causes of faults, a method for automatically generating an extended fault tree structure adapted to one of a production installation type and a specific production installation, which comprises:

providing a data processor having stored programs and data stores including a fault database, a fault tree memory, and a verification script memory;

entering fault events in the fault database one of through a data input and determined from data called up from a data server;

storing, with the data stores;

fault events in the fault database;

a prescribed general hierarchical fault tree structure and the extended fault tree structure in the fault tree memory; and

verification scripts for a verification of fault hypotheses in the verification script memory;

generating, based upon the prescribed general hierarchical fault tree structure, the extended fault tree structure by carrying out functions of a hypothesis verifier, a fault data classifier, and a hypothesis configurer with the data processor and the stored programs;

entering and altering fault hypotheses with a hypothesis editor; and

producing the extended fault tree structure by;

the hypothesis verifier accessing data from the data server;

the hypothesis verifier deriving, from the accessed data, fault events according to execution requirements of the verification scripts;

the hypothesis verifier storing these fault events in the fault database;

at prescribable time intervals, the fault data classifier;

classifying the fault events by accessing the fault database;

mapping the fault events as weighted causes of faults onto the fault tree structure; and

at least one of;

displaying the extended fault tree structure through a display device; and

feeding the extended fault tree structure to an output device.

12. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises storing the fault events together with previously entered fault events in the fault database with the hypothesis verifier.

13. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises:

automatically checking a frequency of occurrence of given causes of faults at prescribable time intervals with the fault data classifier; and

altering the fault tree structure and the verification scripts dependent upon a relevance of the given causes of faults so determined.

14. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises:

automatically checking a frequency of occurrence of given causes of faults at prescribable time intervals with the fault data classifier; and

altering the fault tree structure and the verification scripts dependent upon a relevance of the given causes of faults so determined.