Extension for abnormality research
15 Jan 2000
A US government-funded research effort to develop technologies that improve the handling of abnormal situations in process plants has completed its first phase and is to be extended for a further three years. According to consortium leader Honeywell, the research has developed software that can determine the state of a process plant, identify problems and as they develop, identify appropriate responses and, with the operator's compliance, implement and monitor corrective actions. Mathematical and statistical techniques `show promise of idenitifying faults hours and in some cases days before traditional alarms would be triggered.' claims Honeywell.
The first phase cost some $16.6million, with 49 per cent of the funds supplied by the US National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) and the rest from the consortium members. The consortium will foot the entire bill for the next three years' research. Led by Honeywell's Hi-Spec Solutions division, the consortium also includes BP AMoco, Celanese, Exxon, Mobil, Union Carbide, and Ohio State, Purdue and Toronto Universities.
