System and method for advanced process control

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory data storage medium that includes program instructions executable by a processor to enable said processor to execute a method of managing and diagnosing an advanced process control (APC) system having an APC management computer, said APC management computer communicatively coupled by a first communication device to at least one APC control computer, said computer program product comprising:
• code for retrieving operating process data from said APC control computer and a plurality of APC history data from an APC history file;
• code for performing an iterative step test on said APC system, wherein said iterative step test modifies at least one test parameter of said operating process data and identifies changes to a set of remaining parameters of said operating process data resulting from modification of said test parameter;
• code for determining at least one process variable from said iterative step test;
• code for generating at least one process model based on said process variable;
• code for transmitting said process model to said APC control computer;
• code for performing a diagnostic testing on said APC history data;
• code for generating at least one new process model setting based on said diagnostic testing;
• code for displaying said new process model setting;
• code for determining if said new process model setting has been approved;
• in response to determining that said new process model setting has been approved, code for transmitting said new process model setting to said APC control computer;
• and
• code for triggering said APC control computer to install said new process model setting.

A system for performing management and diagnostic functions in an advanced process control (APC) environment, the system comprising:

• an APC management computer communicatively coupled by a first communication device to at least one APC control computer;
• said APC management computer including a first processor connected to a first storage device having a first non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing a data collection module, an APC diagnostics module and a step testing module, wherein said APC management computer is programmed to implement said data collection module, said APC diagnostics module and said step testing module causing said APC management computer to:
• retrieve operating process data from said APC control computer including a plurality of APC history data from an APC history file;
• perform an iterative step test on said APC environment, wherein said iterative step test modifies at least one test parameter of said operating process data and identifies changes to a set of remaining parameters of said operating process data resulting from modification of said test parameter;
• determine at least one process variable from said iterative step test;
• generate at least one process model based on said process variable;
• transmit said process model to said APC control computer;
• wherein said first storage device further stores an APC diagnostics module and said APC diagnostics module further causes said APC management computer to:
• perform a diagnostic testing on said APC history data;
• generate at least one new model setting based on said diagnostic testing;
• display said at least one new model setting;
• determine if said at least one new model setting has been approved;
• in response to determining that said at least one new model setting has been approved, transmit said at least one new model setting to said APC control computer, and
• trigger said APC control computer to install said at least one new model setting.