Method for generating and executing complex operating procedures

A method for monitoring an operation of a power plant facility, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) inputting parameters including representations of operating conditions in the facility;
• generating entry condition equations, procedure step equations and parallel information equations from the parameters;
• and producing a program stack on-line from the equations which have a dynamic relationship based upon the parameters;
• wherein said parameters including representations of operating conditions in the facility are stored in a relational database;
• wherein the dynamic relationship is defined when the equations are generated;
• and wherein the equations represent conditions in the operation of the facility;
• (b) executing the program stack in order to evaluate the entry condition equations and determine if an initial violation has occurred, wherein the initial violation is an abnormal condition in the operation of the facility;
• (c) monitoring the entry condition equations to automatically determine a procedure of a plurality of procedures which will correct the initial violation;
• (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until the initial violation occurs;
• (e) determining a step of steps of the procedure which should be executed to correct the initial violation;
• (f) executing the program stack in order to evaluate all equations of all of the steps of the procedure;
• (g) monitoring a result of the procedure step equations corresponding to the step;
• (h) determining whether a procedure step violation occurred, wherein the procedure step violation is an abnormal condition in the operation of the facility;
• (i) providing a procedure step message if the procedure step violation occurred;
• (j) executing the program stack in order to evaluate all of the parallel information equations simultaneously with executing steps (e)-(i);
• (k) monitoring the parallel information equations associated with the step and the parallel information equations;
• (l) determining whether a parallel information violation of the facility occurs from a result of the monitoring in step (k), wherein the parallel information violation is an abnormal condition in the operation of the facility;
• and
• (m) providing a parallel information violation message if the parallel information violation occurs.

A system for monitoring and controlling operation of a facility, the system comprising:

• relational database means for storing parameters including representations of operating conditions in the facility;
• means for inputting the parameters from the relational database means;
• means for generating a composite equation from the parameters and for compiling a program stack on-line from the composite equation which has a dynamic relationship based upon the parameters;
• wherein the dynamic relationship is defined when the composite equation is generated;
• and wherein the composite equation represents a condition in the operation of the facility;
• and
• means for executing the program stack to determine whether a determined violation exists in the operation of the facility;
• wherein the determined violation is an abnormal condition in the operation of the facility.