Reliability tools for complex systems

Abstract

Tools for the maintenance of complex plants or systems are provided. A master equipment list of components included in a complex plant are organized according to systems. Those components that are critical to the function of the associated system are identified. A template modeling aspects of each critical component is prepared. Information included in applied templates can be reused in association with common or similar components. Particular information included in applied templates may include information related to critical parts within the component, and information regarding maintenance requirements and procedures associated with the component or parts included in the component.

1 . A computer implemented method for organizing maintenance procedures for plants, comprising:
 obtaining a master equipment list, wherein said master equipment list includes an identification of a number of components included in a plant;   for a first component included in said number of components, identifying a first library template as describing at least some aspects of said first component, wherein said first library template is a model of said first component;   modifying said first library template to create a first application template, wherein said first application template is a better model of said first component than said first library template;   storing an association between said first application template and said first component;   for a second component included in said number of components, identifying said first application template as describing at least some aspects of said first component, wherein said first application template is a better model of said second component than said first library template;   storing an association between said first application template and said second component.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 associating each of said number of components with at least one of a first system and a second system.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said first component is associated with said first system, said second component is associated with said second system, and wherein said first and second components perform like functions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 associating said first system with a first context;   associating said second system with a second context;   modifying said first application template for association with said second component to create a second application template;   storing an association between said second application template and said second component.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 in response to detecting a first failure of said first component, providing an output specifying a first response;   in response to detecting a first failure of said second component, providing an output specifying a second response.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said first system is associated with a first failure mode, and wherein said second system is associated with a second failure mode. 
     
     
         7 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A system for organizing plant maintenance, comprising:
 data storage, including:
 a user output; 
 a master equipment list including a number of components, wherein each of said components is associated with a system; 
 a template library, wherein templates describing at least some aspects of at least some of said number of components are stored; 
 application records, wherein each of said records comprises: an application template describing aspects of one of said number of components identified as a critical component, and an association of said component with a system; 
   application programming, wherein an application record applied to a first component can be copied or modified for application to a second component, wherein a maintenance operation to be performed in response to detection of a failure of first and second of said number of critical components can be presented to an operator through said user output, wherein in response to said first component being associated with a first system and said second component being associated with a second system, and wherein said first system is ranked more critical than said second system, said maintenance operation for said first component is scheduled to be performed prior to said maintenance operation for said second component.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said data storage further includes a risk/symmetry table. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said application records include templates for less than all of said components included in said master equipment list. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a user output device, wherein a maintenance operation related to a critical component is displayed to a user. 
     
     
         16 . A computer implemented method for maintaining a plant, comprising:
 identifying a plurality of components included within a plant to be maintained;   identifying a plurality of systems within said plant, wherein said systems each comprise one or more of said identified components, and wherein each of said systems performs a function;   for each of said systems, determining a criticality of said system to the overall plant from said function of said system;   determining an association between each of said identified components and at least one of said identified systems;   for each of said systems, identifying at least a first critical component;   storing information related to each of said critical components, wherein said information includes an indication that a related component is critical to an associated system.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 ranking a criticality of each of said plurality of systems included in said plant.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a first one of said systems has a higher rank than a second one of said systems, said method further comprising:
 in response to detecting a failure of a first component included in said first one of said systems and in response to detecting a failure of a second component included in said second one of said systems, scheduling servicing of said first and second components, wherein said first component is scheduled to be serviced before said second component.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said determining a criticality of each system comprises determining at least one of safety, production operations or cost effects of a failure of said system. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a first of said systems that is critical to safety is ranked more critical than a second of said systems that is critical to production operations, and wherein said second of said systems that is critical to production operations is ranked more critical than a third of said systems that is critical to cost effective operations. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a component is identified as critical if a failure of said component prevents said associated system from performing a function. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said storing information related to each of said critical components comprises storing a template comprising a model of said component for each of said critical components containing information describing said critical component, wherein a template is not stored for a component that is not identified as critical to any one of said systems.