Targeted Equipment Monitoring System and Method for Optimizing Equipment Reliability

Abstract

An operating strategy for effectively operating a system is provided in a computer-implemented method of quantifying operation of the system based on failure characteristics modeled in a computer having data storage coupled to a processor. One computer-implemented method comprises identifying precursors of damage associated with damage mechanisms and storing the identified precursors in the data storage of the computer. An inherent damage impact from the precursors is characterized for determining operational consequences. Instruments are provided for measuring physical characteristics of the identified precursors and the physical characteristics of the identified precursors are communicated to the processor by the instruments for monitoring the damage mechanisms. The damage mechanisms are diagnosed for determining the inherent damage impact and evaluated by the computer for managing operation of the system.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of quantifying operation of a system based on failure characteristics of the system modeled in a computer having data storage coupled to a processor for effectively operating the system, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 identifying precursors of damage associated with damage mechanisms;   storing the identified precursors in the data storage of the computer;   characterizing an inherent damage impact from the precursors for determining operational consequences;   providing instruments for measuring physical characteristics of the identified precursors;   communicating the physical characteristics of the identified precursors with the processor by the instruments for monitoring the damage mechanisms resulting from the precursors;   diagnosing the damage mechanisms for determining the inherent damage impact; and   evaluating the damage mechanisms by the computer for managing operation of the system.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) by the processor to forecast the damage mechanisms from operational parameters of the system. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising classifying each of the damage mechanisms as one of active, incipient, incidental and passive and developing service monitoring plans therefrom. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 3 , wherein the service monitoring plans developing comprises developing in-service and out-of-service condition monitoring plans developing using a consolidated targeted system management template to serve as a system inspection guideline. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 3 , wherein the damage mechanisms classifying comprises at least one of:
 defining current active damage mechanisms and mitigation plans;   collecting site-specific engineer and inspector knowledge for a task benchmarking, reliability risk ranking, and prioritization (TB&RP) processing;   establishing a baseline for at least one of mean time to repair (MTTR), mean time to inspect (MTTI) and mean time between failures (MTBF) from event timelines for mapping failures;   examining existing system failure root-cause analysis results to extract, map, validate and document failure causes, mechanisms, modes and locations;   incorporating operational consequences and map vulnerable areas resulting from the determining operational consequences determining step through use of the processor; and   mapping the instruments identified in the instruments enabling step to physical boiler locations.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , wherein the damage mechanisms diagnosing by the processor for the inherent damage impact from the precursors comprises at least one of:
 identifying at least one failure mode of the system;   determining a cause for the at least one failure mode resulting from at least one precursor and establishing a failure mechanism;   determining the precursor for the failure mechanism by characterizing damaging influences;   determining operating conditions of the system for measuring the precursor;   measuring the precursor through the monitoring step; and   determining whether the precursor measuring is appropriate for in-service or out-of service monitoring.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining the operational consequences comprises at least one of:
 determining detrimental properties of impurities in a material operable with the system;   extracting a number of operating hours for each major component for determining a remaining useful life for the major component;   extracting a number of hot and cold starts in thermal cycles per major component for determining a for thermal fatigue of the system;   extracting and mapping a mode of operation over time for determining a for cyclic fatigue; and   determining detrimental damage from upsets in cycle water treatment.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising forming a graphic component map using an alpha-numeric character string to enable electronic linking to data management software applications comprising at least one of a computerized maintenance management system, an out-of-service periodic inspection data management system, and an in-service continuous data management system. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising ranking risks and prioritizing tasks associated with the inherent damage impact from the precursors. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 9 , wherein the processor calculates risk parameters including repair time, cost and availability consequence for each identified failure, the processor combining condition monitoring outputs for failure probabilities for quantifying the risk to support decision-making, the processor further determining criticality for economic/budgetary prioritization of recommended protection schemes for all the identified failure scenarios based on benefit-to-cost.