Pressure Transmitter Diagnostic Filtering for False Alarm Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pressure transmitter diagnostic techniques often result in false detections of abnormal conditions due to sudden, momentary fluctuations in pressure, which can lead to unnecessary process shutdowns and increased operational complexity.

Innovation Solution

The pressure transmitter employs advanced algorithms to filter out momentary pressure changes, preserving only the effects of prolonged process dynamics by discarding outlier measurements or using a bucket-based approach to calculate standard deviation, thereby reducing false alarms and improving diagnostic accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If standard diagnostic techniques are used to detect abnormal conditions, then abnormal conditions can be detected, but false detections occur due to momentary pressure fluctuations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoiddetection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining exclusion criteria and thresholds for pressure changes before diagnostic evaluation. Momentary pressure fluctuations above certain thresholds are pre-identified and excluded from the diagnostic calculation, preventing false detections before they occur. This proactive filtering approach improves reliability by ensuring that only significant, sustained pressure changes contribute to abnormal condition detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If momentary pressure changes are filtered out, then false detections are reduced, but sensitivity to prolonged changes may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereduction of false alarmsVSAvoidsensitivity to process changes
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamics by using time-weighted evaluation where the diagnostic algorithm adapts its sensitivity based on the duration and persistence of pressure changes. Short-term fluctuations are dampened while sustained changes maintain full sensitivity. The system dynamically adjusts the weight given to different pressure measurements based on their temporal characteristics, ensuring both false alarm reduction and maintained sensitivity to genuine abnormalities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If diagnostic algorithms are made more complex to filter momentary changes, then false detections are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidalgorithm complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the pressure signal evaluation into distinct stages: initial threshold screening, exclusion criteria evaluation, and final diagnostic calculation. This segmented approach breaks down the complex filtering task into manageable segments with clear decision points, reducing overall algorithmic complexity while maintaining high diagnostic accuracy through systematic multi-stage processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2761382B1Method and system for detecting abnormal operation
Publication Date: 2018.11.07 ROSEMOUNT INC
  • EP2761382B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2761382B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2761382B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A pressure transmitter (102) for use in measuring a pressure of a process fluid in an industrial process. The pressure transmitter (102) includes a pressure sensor (106) having a pressure output related to the pressure of the process fluid. Measurement circuitry (250) is configured to calculate a process variable of the process fluid based upon the pressure output. Diagnostic circuitry (252) diagnoses operation of the industrial process based upon a process parameter of the pressure output. Process parameter calculation circuitry (252) calculates the process parameter based upon pressure output and reduces the effect of an abrupt change in the pressure output on the calculated process parameter.