Fisher-rosemount Systems, Inc

Christopher J Worek

Mark J Nixon

Terrence L Blevins

Wilhelm K Wojsznis

Ling Zhou

Neil J Peterson

Bruce Hubert Campney

William George Irwin

David L Deitz

Grant Wilson

Christopher John Felts

Ebtesam S Tanyous

Robert Burke Havekost

Paul Richard Muston

Dirk Thiele

Paul Kenneth Daly

Randolf Reiss

An on-line data analytics device can be installed in a process control system as a standalone device that operates in parallel with, but non-intrusively with respect to, the on-line control system to perform on-line analytics for a process without requiring the process control system to be reconfigured or recertified. The data analytics device includes a data analytics engine coupled to a logic engine that receives process data collected from the process control system in a non-intrusive manner. The logic engine operates to determine further process variable values not generated within the process control system and provides the collected process variable data and the further process variable values to the data analytics engine. The data analytics engine executes statistically based process models, such as batch models, stage models, and phase models, to produce a predicted process variable, such as an end of stage or end of batch quality variable for use in analyzing the operation of the on-line process.

Non-intrusive data analytics in a process control system

A web services-based communication system and technique uses an information server to facilitate the communication of process control data and analysis results between a plurality of web services coupled to a communication network. A graphical user interface coupled to the network enables users to store user profile information and configuration information in a database within the information server. The information server uses the configuration information and the profile information to control the operations of a scheduler and a router within the information server to enable users to selectively view process control information via the graphical user interface and to route process control information to appropriate ones of the web services.

Web services-based communications for use with process control systems

Example methods, apparatuses and systems to correlate candidate factors to a predicted fault in a process control system are disclosed. Techniques may include obtaining a value associated with a particular factor corresponding to a process, and predicting a fault based on the value. A set of candidate factors corresponding to the predicted fault may be determined, and a correlation between the predicted fault and at least one factor from the set may be displayed. Different sections of the display may respectively correspond to the predicted fault and to the at least one factor, and the correlation may be indicated by time aligning the different sections. Modifications to one displayed section may result in automatic modification of other sections to maintain the correlation. A user may select one or more candidate factors to be displayed, and may indicate a particular point of a particular section to obtain additional details.

Predicted fault analysis

In a batch process control system employing storage tanks without mixers, properties of the storage tank pump out feedstock may be modeled to more accurately control the quality of a process. This model may not require the measurement of input or pump out flow or assume perfect blending. Rather, the developed model may assume that feedstock input into a storage tank may remain layered with some mixing due to continuous convection, turbulence during loading, or other factors. The model may include a projection of the properties describing a storage tank layer of input material into the model. For each new load of storage tank input feedstock, model zones may be shifted and the zone from which the feedstock is drawn may be updated with the properties from the new load.

Method and system for multi-zone modeling to determine material properties in storage tanks

A process is modeled by resolving the process into a plurality of process stages, including at least a first process stage and a second process stage, and developing a plurality of models, each model corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of process stages, wherein the model corresponding to each process stage is developed using data from one or more runs of that process stage and output quality data relating to the one or more runs of that process stage and wherein the model corresponding to each process stage is adapted to produce an output quality prediction associated with that process stage, and wherein the output quality prediction produced by the model of a first one of the process stages is used to develop the model of a second one of the process stages.

Multi-stage process modeling method

A data collection and viewing application associated with a batch process control system used within a process plant provides a user interface that allows a user to quickly and easily examine a particular batch process or a batch run, to compare separate batch runs and/or to determine whether the particular batch run deviates from a norm, without having to perform a lot of manual data manipulation. To this end, the user interface provides or creates a compact graphical representation of a batch, illustrating a number of different types of batch-related data in relation to one another in a manner that enables a user to easily view or understand the operation of the batch run, either alone or as compared with one or more other batch runs. Generally speaking, the compact batch view includes a number of graphical layers which are juxtaposed or interleaved on a display, with each of the layers providing different types of information about the operation of the batch, time synchronized with one another. A base layer of the compact batch view may describe or indicate the duration of the batch from an activate time to a deactivate time, while different aspects of the procedural elements, steps or stages of the batch process, such as those identified by the S88 standard, may be illustrated in one or more additional layers. Moreover, process alarms, alerts, events, etc. as well as other information may be placed in one or more additional layers, and the various layers may be shown together to provide a compact graphical view of the batch.

Compact batch viewing techniques for use in batch processes

Example methods and apparatus to predict process quality in a process control system are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving process control information relating to a process at a first time including a first value associated with a first measured variable and a second value associated with a second measured variable, determining if a variation based on the received process control information associated with the process exceeds a threshold, if the variation exceeds the threshold, calculating a first contribution value based on a contribution of the first measured variable to the variation and a second contribution value based on a contribution of the second measured variable to the variation, determining at least one corrective action based on the first contribution value, the second contribution value, the first value, or the second value, and calculating a predicted process quality based on the at least one corrective action at a time after the first time.

Methods and apparatus to predict process quality in a process control system

A data collection and viewing application provides a user interface that allows a user to quickly and easily examine a particular batch process or a batch run, to compare separate batch runs and/or to determine whether the particular batch run deviates from a norm, without having to perform a lot of manual data manipulation. To this end, the user interface provides or creates a compact graphical representation of a batch, illustrating a number of different types of batch-related data in relation to one another in a manner that enables a user to easily view or understand the operation of the batch run, either alone or as compared with one or more other batch runs. Moreover, process alarms, alerts, events, as well as other information may be placed in one or more additional layers, and the various layers may be shown together to provide a compact graphical view of the batch.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Christopher J Worek