Method of predictive maintenance of a process control system having fluid movement

In a pipeline system of a process facility, the pipeline system having a plurality of equipments, the equipments including at least one pipeline for providing a channel for a fluid of a process to flow, the process of the process facility being controlled by a process control system, and at least one device for measuring a process variable of the fluid, the device comprising:

• a) sensor element for sensing the process variable being measured and containing information about the fluid flowing in the pipeline, said sensor element arranged to process said process variable being measured and to output an information signal containing information about the process variable being measured and a noise signal containing information about the fluid flowing in the pipeline;
• b) first processor for processing the information signal to output the process variable to the process control system to control the process;
• and
• c) second processor for processing the noise signal in a flow model of the pipeline system to output advisory information indicating imminent failure of the equipment when detected by said processing of the noise component by the second processor.

In a pipeline system of a process facility, the pipeline system having a plurality of equipments, the equipments including at least one pipeline for providing a channel for a fluid of a process to flow, the process of the process facility being controlled by a process control system, and at least one device for measuring a process variable of the fluid, a method for predicting imminent failures of the equipments of the pipeline system, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) capturing a signal by the device, the signal having an information component and a noise component, the information component including information about the process variable of the fluid being measured by the device, and the noise component including information about the flow of the fluid;
• b) passing the noise component of the signal through a model of the pipeline system to characterize the noise component of the signal by characterization parameters;
• c) if this is the first pass through the method,
• i) saving these initial characterization parameters;
• and
• ii) proceeding to step (a);
• otherwise
• d) comparing the characterization parameters of the current pass with the initial characterization parameters;
• e) analyzing differences in the characterization parameters to indicate the cause of the differences, the causes being indicative of an imminent failure of an equipment of the pipeline system;
• and
• f) transmitting information to the process control system of the imminent failure of the pipeline system in order that corrective action can be taken timely.