Method for managing a process engineering facility

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and to a graphical user interface for managing a process engineering facility comprising at least one heat exchanger, wherein each of these heat exchangers is designed as a plate heat exchanger and each comprises a plurality of heat exchanger blocks, the method comprising: receiving sensor values from sensors which are arranged on or in the at least one heat exchanger; determining parameters which characterize an operation of the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the received sensor values, wherein a temperature difference between heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger is determined as a parameter; processing the sensor values and/or the parameters for a graphical display of a state of the at least one heat exchanger.

1 . A method for managing a process engineering facility having at least one heat exchanger, wherein each of these heat exchangers is designed as a plate heat exchanger and each comprises a plurality of heat exchanger blocks, comprising:
 receiving sensor values from sensors which are arranged on or in the at least one heat exchanger;   determining parameters wherein an operation of the at least one heat exchanger, on the basis of the received sensor values, wherein a temperature difference between heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger is determined as a parameter;   processing the sensor values and/or the parameters for a graphical display of a state of the at least one heat exchanger, wherein a service life of the at least one heat exchanger is determined as the state on the basis of the determined temperature difference between the heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger, and a graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is determined;   outputting the processed sensor values and/or parameters in a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is output in the graphical user interface;   managing the operation of the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the output, processed sensor values and/or parameters in the graphical user interface, wherein the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is monitored.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein further a change in the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is determined as the state of the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the determined temperature difference between the heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger, wherein a graphical display of the change in the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is determined, and wherein the graphical display of the change in the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is output in the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to either  claim 1 , or wherein managing the operation of the at least one heat exchanger further comprises one or more of the following steps:
 determining a maintenance interval of the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger output in the graphical user interface;   determining a maintenance work task to be performed on the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger output in the graphical user interface;   determining hazards for an operation of the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger output in the graphical user interface;   determining control values of the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger output in the graphical user interface, in order to avoid critical states which lead to a shortening of service life.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein further the performance of the at least one heat exchanger and/or a history of the at least one heat exchanger is determined as the state of the at least one heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensors arranged on or in the at least one heat exchanger are each designed as a temperature sensor and/or pressure sensor and/or flow sensor and/or sound sensor and/or vibration sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, furthermore, one or more of the following variables is determined as parameters:
 a temperature difference within the at least one heat exchanger;   a temperature difference between fluid flows of the at least one heat exchanger;   a temperature difference between fluid flows and heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger;   a rate of cooling processes and/or warming processes of the at least one heat exchanger;   a local temperature profile within the at least one heat exchanger;   a temporal temperature profile within the at least one heat exchanger;   a mechanical stress level of the at least one heat exchanger;   a thermal stress level of the at least one heat exchanger;   a deviation from a guideline for the operation of the at least one heat exchanger;   a deviation from a specification for the at least one heat exchanger.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing of the sensor values and/or the parameters further comprises one or more of the following steps:
 determining a graphical display of a temporal profile of individual sensor values and/or individual parameters on the basis of the points in time at which the particular sensor values were determined;   determining a graphical display of a local profile of individual sensor values and/or individual parameters within the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of positions within the at least one heat exchanger, at which the particular sensor values were determined;   determining a graphical display of a multi-dimensional profile of individual sensor values and/or individual parameters on the basis of points in time at which the particular sensor values were determined and on the basis of positions within the at least one heat exchanger at which the particular sensor values were determined;   determining a graphical display of the performance of the at least one heat exchanger;   determining a graphical display of a hazard analysis of the at least one heat exchanger;   determining a graphical display of cooling processes and/or warming processes of the at least one heat exchanger;   determining a graphical display of a thermal expansion of heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein managing the operation of the at least one heat exchanger further comprises one or more of the following steps:
 monitoring a current state of the at least one heat exchanger;   monitoring a future state of the at least one heat exchanger;   monitoring a past state of the at least one heat exchanger;   determining control values of the at least one heat exchanger in order to increase the performance of the at least one heat exchanger.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , furthermore comprising:
 receiving input in the user interface;   controlling the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the inputs received.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each heat exchanger block comprises structural sheets and/or sidebars and/or separating sheets and/or cover sheets interconnected. 
     
     
         11 . A graphical user interface for managing a process engineering facility having at least one heat exchanger, wherein each of these heat exchangers is designed as a plate heat exchanger and each comprises a plurality of heat exchanger blocks,
 wherein the graphical user interface comprises at least one display surface which is configured to output sensor values received and processed, and/or parameters determined and processed according to  claim 1 ,   wherein the display surface is configured to output the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger.   
     
     
         12 . The graphical user interface according to  claim 11 , further comprising at least one control surface which is configured to receive inputs, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to control the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of these received inputs. 
     
     
         13 . A computing system that is configured to perform all method steps of a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . The computing system according to  claim 13 , comprising a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program that causes a computing system, in particular the computing system according to  claim 13  to perform all the steps of the method for managing the process engineering facility having at least one heat exchanger, wherein each of these heat exchangers is designed as the plate heat exchanger and each comprises the plurality of heat exchanger blocks, comprising:
 receiving sensor values from sensors which are arranged on or in the at least one heat exchanger; 
 determining parameters wherein the operation of the at least one heat exchanger, on the basis of the received sensor values, wherein the temperature difference between heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger is determined as the parameter; 
 processing the sensor values and/or the parameters for the graphical display of the state of the at least one heat exchanger, wherein the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is determined as the state on the basis of the determined temperature difference between the heat exchanger blocks of the at least one heat exchanger, and the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is determined; 
 outputting the processed sensor values and/or parameters in the graphical user interface, wherein the graphical display of the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is output in the graphical user interface; 
 managing the operation of the at least one heat exchanger on the basis of the output, processed sensor values and/or parameters in the graphical user interface, wherein the service life of the at least one heat exchanger is monitored. 
 
     
     
         16 . A machine-readable storage medium having a computer program according to  claim 15  stored thereon.