Multivariate monitoring and diagnostics of process variable data

A method of monitoring and diagnosing on-line multivariate process variable data in a process plant, wherein the multivariate process data comprises a plurality of process variables each having a plurality of observations, the method comprising:

• collecting on-line process data from a process control system within the process plant when the process is on-line, wherein the collected on-line process data comprises a plurality of observations of a plurality of process variables;
• performing a multivariate statistical analysis to represent the operation of the process based on a set of collected on-line process data comprising, a measure of the operation of the process when the process is on-line, wherein the representation of the operation of the process is adapted to be executed to generate a result;
• storing the representation of the operation of the process and the set of collected on-line process data;
• and
• generating an output based on a parameter of the representation of the operation of the process, wherein the parameter of the representation of the operation of the process comprises one or more of a result generated by the representation of the operation of the process, a process variable used to generate the representation of the operation of the process and the set of collected on-line process data.

A system for monitoring and diagnosing, on-line multivariate process variable data in a process plant, wherein the multivariate process data comprises a plurality of process variables each having a plurality of observations, the system comprising:

• a data collection tool adapted to collect on-line process data from a process control system within the process plant when the process is on-line, wherein the collected on-line process data comprises a plurality of observations of a plurality of process variables;
• a multivariate statistical analysis engine adapted to represent the operation of the process based on a set of collected on-line process data comprising a measure of the operation of the process when the process is on-line;
• a normalization toot adapted to normalize two or more of the plurality of process variables;
• and
• a monitoring tool adapted to determine a process variable limit based on the normalized process variables and to monitor one or more of the process variables in relation to the process variable limit.

A system for monitoring and diagnosing, on-line multivariate process variable data in a process plant, wherein the multivariate process data comprises a plurality of process variables each having a plurality of observations, the system comprising:

• a data collection tool adapted to collect on-line process data from a process control system within the process plant when the process is on-line, wherein the collected on-line process data comprises a plurality of observations of a plurality of process variables in a first data space having a plurality of dimensions;
• a multivariate statistical analysis engine adapted to represent the operation of the process within a second data space based on a set of collected on-line process data comprising a measure of the operation of the process when the process is on-line, wherein the second data space comprises fewer dimensions than the first data space;
• an index tool adapted to determine a process variable index based on the set of collected on-line process data and based on a component of the second data space, wherein the process variable index indicates an amount of deviation of one or more of the plurality of process variables;
• and
• a monitoring tool adapted to verify the representation of the operation of the process based on the process variable index.