Causal Analysis of an Anomaly Based on Simulated Symptoms

A method for determining a cause of an anomaly during operation of a technical plant, the method comprising:

• a) simulating an error-free operation of the technical plant via a computer-implemented simulation tool;
• b) simulating a plurality of individual causes of an anomaly occurring during operation of the technical plant;
• c) comparing the simulated error-free operating state for each of the plurality of individually occurring causes of an anomaly with the simulated operating state when one of the occurring causes of an anomaly is present, each qualitative symptom being derived from the comparison which describes a qualitative deviation of the simulated operating state from the error-free operating state;
• d) operating the technical plant;
• e) determining a qualitative symptom of the anomaly if an anomaly occurs during real operation of the technical plant;
• f) comparing the symptom determined during real operation of the technical plant with each symptom previously derived during simulations of the operating states when one of the occurring causes of an anomaly is present;
• and
• g) identifying those derived symptoms having a determined degree of similarity to the symptom determined during real operation of the technical plant, and at least one of storing causes of the anomaly associated with the identified symptoms in a data memory of the technical plant and displaying the causes of the anomaly associated with the identified symptoms.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer executable computer program which, when executed by a computer, causes determination of a cause of an anomaly during operation of a technical plant, the computer program comprising:

• a) program code for simulating an error-free operation of the technical plant via a computer-implemented simulation tool;
• b) program code for simulating a plurality of individual causes of an anomaly occurring during operation of the technical plant;
• c) program code for comparing the simulated error-free operating state for each of the plurality of individually occurring causes of an anomaly with the simulated operating state when one of the occurring causes of an anomaly is present, each qualitative symptom being derived from the comparison which describes a qualitative deviation of the simulated operating state from the error-free operating state;
• d) program code for operating the technical plant;
• e) program code for determining a qualitative symptom of the anomaly if an anomaly occurs during real operation of the technical plant;
• f) program code for comparing the symptom determined during real operation of the technical plant with each symptom previously derived during simulations of the operating states when one of the occurring causes of an anomaly is present;
• and
• g) program code for identifying those derived symptoms having a determined degree of similarity to the symptom determined during real operation of the technical plant, and at least one of storing causes of the anomaly associated with the identified symptoms in a data memory of the technical plant and displaying the causes of the anomaly associated with the identified symptoms.

A server for a technical plant, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory;
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• a) simulate an error-free operation of the technical plant via a computer-implemented simulation tool;
• b) simulate a plurality of individual causes of an anomaly occurring during operation of the technical plant;
• c) compare the simulated error-free operating state for each of the plurality of individually occurring causes of an anomaly with the simulated operating state when one of the occurring causes of an anomaly is present, each qualitative symptom being derived from the comparison which describes a qualitative deviation of the simulated operating state from the error-free operating state;
• d) determine a qualitative symptom of the anomaly if an anomaly occurs during real operation of the technical plant;
• e) compare the symptom determined during real operation of the technical plant with each symptom previously derived during simulations of the operating states when one of the occurring causes of an anomaly is present;
• and
• g) identify those derived symptoms having a determined degree of similarity to the symptom determined during real operation of the technical plant, and at least one of store causes of the anomaly associated with the identified symptoms in a data memory of the technical plant and display the causes of the anomaly associated with the identified symptoms.