An expert system for reliability centered maintenance in the chemical industry

A new framework for the implementation of reliability centered maintenance (RCM) in the initial design phases of industrial chemical processes was developed and implemented. Fuzzy reasoning algorithms were designed to evaluate and assess the likelihood of equipment failure mode precipitation and aggravation. Furthermore, an approximate reasoning scheme which considers local, product, and adjacent machinery effects was constructed to prioritize the equipment failure modes likely to precipitate in the process. The new RCM approach was implemented through an expert system. The computer system reads the process flowsheet generated by ASPEN Plus and, based on relevant machine operating data, it provides the user with the final process RCM availability structure diagram. This availability diagram consists of a listing of all critical machine failure modes likely to precipitate, prioritized according to their overall negative impact on the process, as well as important information on their corresponding local and system effects, and suggested controls for their detection. q 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.