Patent ID: 9256846
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: G06F,G06Q

Claim Text:
1. A method comprising: obtaining a database stored on a storage device containing information on multiple assets across multiple geographic locations, wherein the assets include heat exchangers, the information including measurements taken from devices monitoring each asset while each asset is operating including a flow rate of hot and cold streams flowing through the heat exchanger, two temperature measurements of the hot stream and two temperature measurements of the cold stream, calculated performance measures including a heat transfer coefficient calculated based on the flow rate of the hot and cold streams, the two temperature measurements of the hot stream and the two temperature measurements of the cold stream and a fouling resistance, operation problems, solutions to operation problems, and context information corresponding to the environment the assets are subjected to during operation of the asset which affects operation of the assets including a time from last cleaning of the heat exchanger and a rate of change of the measurements determined based on the calculated performance measures; grouping assets via a computer system into a homogenous group as a function of selected context information such that the homogenous group is formed of assets having similar environmental contexts and includes assets from multiple geographic locations, wherein the grouping is based on one or more of a construction type of the heat exchangers, a range of flow rates based on the measurements, a fouling rate based on the calculated fouling resistance, and a time from last cleaning of the heat exchanger; and performing analytics via the computer system on the grouped assets to manage the assets based on a comparison to the assets in the homogenous group, wherein managing the assets includes troubleshooting an operation problem with an asset by comparing the context information of the asset with other assets in the homogenous group to identify a solution to the operation problem that worked on other assets in the homogenous group operating under similar conditions, wherein the assets correspond to industrial process control equipment or commercial heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems.