Method for monitoring performance of a heat transfer device

A method, comprising:

• providing data representing a measurable process parameter or a change in a measurable process parameter in a heat transfer device to an analysis module to compute a performance indicator or to an efficiency correction unit to calculate an initial efficiency;
• detecting an anomaly condition in the heat transfer device via a trend detection module based upon the a performance indicator;
• generating one or more prediction models based on an anomaly condition, and the prediction model provides one or more probable causes of failure;
• detecting incipient failure of the heat transfer device via the one or more prediction models;
• and
• providing an anomaly reduction medium to the heat transfer device based on the initial efficiency or on the incipient failure detection to reduce the effects of at least one of the anomaly conditions and thereby to defeat the failure mode.