Plant Maintenance Data Standardization for Calibration Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional maintenance systems for industrial plants struggle to effectively utilize work information from calibration and adjustment processes, as this information is not readily analyzable or diagnosable due to its format, limiting its usefulness for plant and instrument analysis.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method that extracts and processes work information from various maintenance apparatuses, converting it into a standardized format for analysis and diagnosis, including worker information and working time, and displays it in a format suitable for analysis and diagnosis, allowing for better utilization of the collected data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If work information is collected from multiple maintenance apparatuses in various formats, then the quantity of available data increases, but the complexity of processing and analyzing this data increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequantity of work informationVSAvoidcomplexity of data processing
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments work information into standardized data elements with defined structures and formats. Each maintenance apparatus outputs data in a standardized format that can be independently processed, allowing the system to handle multiple data sources without proportional increases in processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms work information from various formats into a standardized parameter structure. By changing the format parameters of incoming data to match a predefined standard, the system enables consistent analysis across different maintenance apparatuses while simplifying processing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If work information is stored in original formats from different maintenance apparatuses, then the authenticity of the data is preserved, but the ease of analysis and diagnosis deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthenticity of work informationVSAvoidease of analysis and diagnosis
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a standardized data structure as an intermediary between the original maintenance apparatus formats and the analysis/diagnosis processes. This intermediary format preserves the authenticity of source data while making it readily analyzable through consistent structure and standardized parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If work information is converted to a standardized format, then the ease of analysis and diagnosis improves, but the complexity of the data processing system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of analysis and diagnosisVSAvoidcomplexity of data processing system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal standardized data format that serves multiple functions: data collection, storage, analysis, and diagnosis. This single standardized structure replaces the need for multiple specialized processing systems, reducing overall system complexity while improving analytical capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Loss of information

If detailed work information including worker information and working time is collected, then the usefulness for performance analysis improves, but the quantity of data to be processed increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveusefulness of work informationVSAvoidquantity of data to be processed
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential data elements needed for analysis and diagnosis from the complete work information, including worker information and working time. By selecting and standardizing only the relevant parameters, the system maintains high analytical usefulness while reducing the total quantity of data that requires processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3617662B1Apparatus, program, computer-readable recording medium, and method
Publication Date: 2022.10.26 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3617662B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3617662B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3617662B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To effectively utilize work information acquired by maintenance of an instrument in a plant, an apparatus is provided, which includes an acquisition unit that acquires work information about at least one of a calibration or an adjustment performed on the instrument in a plant; an extraction unit that extracts a plurality of data elements to be included in output information having a predetermined output format from the work information; and a generation unit that generates the output information from the plurality of data elements. The device may include a storage processing unit that performs a process of storing, to a storage device, the output information generated by a generation unit.