Apparatus and method for monitoring and maintaining plant equipment

A method for analyzing a failure in a piece of equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

• accessing a database comprising failure mode data accessible to provide data representative of possible failure modes of said piece of equipment;
• providing to a user, for comparison with symptoms of said failure, data representative of a plurality of possible failure modes of said piece of equipment, said data comprising visual images of physical features of equipment failures
• receiving from the user data based on observation of symptoms of said failure, including data identifying at least one of said plurality of possible failure modes based on said observation;
• accessing said database, with use of data received in the step of receiving from the user and matching data received from the user with failure mode data accessible in said database;
• and
• selecting data indicative of a root cause of said failure, to determine a cause of said failure.

An apparatus, for analyzing a failure in a piece of failed equipment, comprising:

• a failure mode database (106) comprising data on equipment failure modes accessible to provide failure mode data representative of a plurality of possible failure modes of said failed equipment for comparison by a user to symptoms of said failure;
• an equipment database (224) comprising data on characteristics of equipment, to provide at least one of access to stored data on said failed equipment prior to said failure and storage of data relating to said failure;
• and
• a system failure analyzer (900) coupled to the failure mode and equipment databases and responsive to
• (i) first data representative of a failure mode as selected by the user based on observation of the failed equipment in comparison to failure mode data provided to the user from the failure mode database, and
• (ii) second data received from the user based on observation of the failed equipment and identifying at least one symptom of said failure,
• the system failure analyzer arranged to process the first data and second data to provide output data representative of a cause of said failure.

An apparatus, for analyzing a failure in a piece of failed equipment, comprising:

• a failure mode database (106) comprising data on equipment failure modes accessible to provide failure mode data representative of a plurality of possible failure modes of said failed equipment for comparison by a user to symptoms of said failure;
• and
• a system failure analyzer (900) coupled to the failure mode database and responsive to
• (i) first data representative of at least one failure mode as selected by the user based on observation of the failed equipment in comparison to failure mode data provided to the user from the failure mode database, and
• (ii) second data received from the user based on observation of the failed equipment and relating to at least one symptom of said failure,
• the system failure analyzer arranged to process the first and second data to provide output data representative of a cause of said failure.

A plant performance method, utilizing data corresponding to a piece of equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing equipment data indicative of at least one characteristic of a piece of equipment;
• storing operating data representative of at least one of the installation, operation and maintenance of the piece of equipment;
• storing action data representative of at least one of any failure, modification or corrective action on the piece of equipment;
• accessing and analyzing at least a portion of the stored equipment, operating and action data for plant performance purposes comprising one or more of failure analysis, corrective action, reliability analysis, design analysis, and replacement proposal generation relating to the piece of equipment;
• and
• providing output data based on said analysis, storing data representative of a plurality of failure modes potentially affecting the piece of equipment, wherein the data representative of failure modes includes visual images of physical features of equipment failures.