DEVELOPMENT OF A REAL-TIME FAULT DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM FOR INDUSTRIAL

PROCESSES USING ADVANCED PLC ALGORITHMS

INTRODUCTION

Industrial processes rely heavily on reliable equipment operation to ensure product quality, safety, and
efficiency. However, unforeseen equipment faults can lead to production downtime, product defects,
and safety hazards. Traditional maintenance approaches often rely on scheduled inspections or failure-
based repairs, which can be inefficient and costly.

This dissertation proposes the development of a real-time fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) system
using advanced PLC algorithms for industrial processes. This system will leverage the processing power
of modern PLCs to analyze sensor data in real-time, identifying potential faults as they occur. Early fault
detection enables prompt corrective actions, minimizing downtime, improving process efficiency, and
enhancing overall production safety.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review will comprehensively analyze existing fault detection and diagnosis techniques in
industrial automation. Key areas of focus will include:

Conventional fault detection methods like limit switches and threshold-based monitoring.

Advanced fault detection techniques using statistical process control, model-based diagnostics, and
machine learning.

Existing research on PLC-based fault detection and diagnosis systems, exploring their functionalities and
limitations.

The role of sensor data analysis and feature engineering in effective fault detection.

Research Objectives

The primary objective of this research is to develop a real-time FDD system using advanced PLC
algorithms for a specific industrial process (to be chosen based on available resources and supervisor's
expertise). The system will aim to achieve the following:

Real-time analysis of sensor data from the chosen industrial process.

Implementation of advanced algorithms within the PLC environment for fault detection.

Development of a diagnosis strategy to identify the root cause of detected faults.

Evaluation of the system's performance in terms of accuracy, response time, and downtime reduction.
METHODOLOGY

The research will follow a systematic approach consisting of the following stages:

INDUSTRIAL PROCESS SELECTION

Collaborate with a relevant industry partner or research group to select a specific industrial process for
system development and implementation.

Analyze the process dynamics, sensor data availability, and potential fault scenarios.

Data Acquisition and Preprocessing:

Design a data acquisition strategy to collect sensor data from the chosen industrial process.

Develop data preprocessing techniques to handle noise, outliers, and inconsistencies in the raw sensor
data.

Extract relevant features from the preprocessed data that can be effectively used for fault detection
algorithms.

ADVANCED PLC ALGORITHM DEVELOPMENT

Research and select appropriate fault detection algorithms suitable for implementation within the PLC
environment. This may involve:

Statistical process control techniques for anomaly detection.

Machine learning algorithms for pattern recognition in sensor data (e.g., decision trees, support vector
machines).

Fuzzy logic for handling uncertain sensor readings or process variations.

Develop efficient implementations of these algorithms within the chosen PLC platform, considering
processing power, memory limitations, and programming language constraints.

REAL-TIME FAULT DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS

Design algorithms within the PLC to continuously analyze extracted features from sensor data and
identify potential faults in real-time.

Develop a diagnosis strategy to not only detect faults but also diagnose the root cause. This may involve:

Implementing rule-based systems based on expert knowledge of the process.

Integrating with external diagnostic tools for advanced fault analysis.

Design an HMI that allows operators to visualize detected faults, their root cause, and recommended
corrective actions.
SYSTEM EVALUATION AND VALIDATION

Develop a comprehensive methodology to evaluate the performance of the FDD system. This may
involve:

Testing the system in a simulated environment replicating the chosen industrial process.

Implementing the system on a real industrial process with close monitoring and data collection.

Evaluating the system's accuracy in fault detection, false alarm rate, diagnosis effectiveness, and impact
on downtime reduction.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

This research is expected to deliver a real-time FDD system implemented using advanced PLC
algorithms, demonstrating the following benefits:

Improved process efficiency through early fault detection and corrective actions.

Reduced downtime and associated production losses.

Enhanced safety by preventing potential equipment failures.

A valuable contribution to the field of industrial automation and predictive maintenance strategies.

TIMELINE

A detailed timeline will be developed outlining the research stages, milestones, and expected
completion dates. This timeline will consider factors like data acquisition setup, system development,
testing, and evaluation phases.