Method for Improving Process/Equipment Fault Diagnosis

A method for adapting a process model in real time, the method comprising:

• obtaining a process model for each of a plurality of industrial assets;
• synchronously executing a process using the plurality of industrial assets and the process model for each of the plurality of industrial assets;
• for a particular industrial asset, determining an error value from a difference between an actual output of the particular asset and a predicted output of the particular asset produced using the process model for the particular asset;
• based on the error value, determining whether an input value of the particular asset is similar to input values of the plurality of industrial assets and whether an output value of the particular asset is similar to output values of the plurality of industrial assets;
• wherein if the input value of the particular asset is similar to the input values of the plurality of industrial assets, adapting the process model for the particular asset.

An error detection system comprising:

• a plurality of industrial assets;
• a control unit communicatively connected to the plurality of industrial assets to control operation of the plurality of industrial assets such that the plurality of industrial assets operate in parallel to each other;
• and
• an error detection unit adapted to detect a discrepancy in the operation of a particular industrial asset;
• wherein upon detecting the discrepancy in the operation of the particular industrial asset, the error detection unit determines whether an input value of the particular industrial asset is similar to input values of the plurality of industrial assets and whether an output value of the particular industrial asset is similar to output values of the plurality of industrial assets, wherein if the input value of the particular industrial asset is similar to the input values of the plurality of industrial assets and the output value of the particular industrial asset is not similar to the output values of the plurality of industrial assets, the error detection unit generates an alarm indicating an error in the particular industrial asset.

A process model adaptation system comprising:

• a plurality of industrial assets;
• a control unit communicatively connected to the plurality of industrial assets to control operation of the plurality of industrial assets such that the plurality of industrial assets operate in parallel to each other;
• and
• an error detection unit adapted to detect a discrepancy in a particular industrial asset;
• wherein upon detecting the discrepancy in the particular industrial asset, the error detection unit determines whether an input value of the particular industrial asset is similar to input values of the plurality of industrial assets and whether an output value of the particular industrial asset is similar to output values of the plurality of industrial assets, wherein if the input value of the particular industrial asset is similar to the input values of the plurality of industrial assets, the error detection unit adapts a process model for the particular industrial asset.