Patent ID: 8135481
Filing Date: 2012-03-13
Classification: G05B,G06F,G06N,G06Q,H04L,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for on-line monitoring of operation of a process in a process plant having a process control system to control the process in connection with process measurements indicative of the operation of the process, the method comprising the steps of: executing a control routine via the process control system to generate an on-line process parameter based on the process measurements; executing contemporaneously with the control routine a simulation of the process to generate a simulated process parameter corresponding to the on-line process parameter, the simulation of the process implementing a simulation element modeling one of a plurality of physical devices within the process plant and using as input the process measurements; implementing a multivariate statistical analysis of the operation of the process to generate statistical data, the multivariate statistical analysis using as inputs at least the on-line process parameter, the simulated process parameter, and one or more of the process measurements; evaluating the statistical data from the multivariate statistical analysis during the operation of the process for a determination of whether a fault condition exists; and generating a user interface display of a process graphic to enable the on-line monitoring of the process by depicting the fault condition determination in connection with a plurality of physical devices within the process plant.