System and method for optimizing plant operations

1. A system comprising:

a risk calculation system programmed to calculate a risk based on a static input and a dynamic input; and

a decision support system programmed to use the risk to derive a decision; and

a plant control system programmed to update operations of a plant based on the decision, to observe a plant system, and to store plant system observations as historical data, wherein the decision predicts future plant conditions, wherein the static input comprises a business environment data, wherein the dynamic input comprises a signal representative of an unexpected maintenance event, and wherein the plant control system is configured to analyze the signal representative of the unexpected maintenance event and the historical data to credit the unexpected maintenance event in lieu of performing an equipment test event related to the plant system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the static input comprises a design data, a manufacturing data, a plant configuration, a failure mode analysis, a regulation, a margin for unknown factors, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic input comprises a plant instrumentation input, a plant equipment input, a plant external independent systems data, a business environment input, an external systems input, a replacement of unknown factors input, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising a data highway communicatively coupled to the plant, the plant control system, the risk calculation system, the decision support system, and wherein the data highway is configured to enable communication among the plant, the plant control system, the risk calculation system, and the decision support system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decision support system is configured to communicate the decision to the plant control system, and wherein the plant control system is configured to execute an action based on the decision.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decision support system is configured to use an event rule, a mitigation action algorithm, a recommended action algorithm, a risk calculation algorithm, a failure prediction algorithm, a model updating algorithm, an action scheduling algorithm, or a combination thereof, to derive the decision.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the decision comprises a test equipment protection decision, a test valve operation decision, an instrument calibration decision, an instrument replacement decision, an equipment inspection decision, an equipment maintenance decision, a risk of failure decision, a maintenance of compliance decision, a maintenance of reliability decision, a timing decision, an identification of beneficial upgrades decision, a prioritization of relative values decision, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plant control system comprises a distributed control system (DCS), a manufacturing execution system (MES), a supervisor control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, a human machine interface (HMI) system, or a combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises a power plant, a chemical plant, a refinery, a manufacturing plant, or a combination thereof.

10. A method, comprising:

observing a plant system via a plant control system;

storing plant system observations as historical data via the plant control system;

determining, via the plant control system, an occurrence of an event based on an event rule and a dynamic input associated with at least one component of a plant wherein the event comprises an unexpected maintenance event; and

responding, via the plant control system, to the occurrence of the event, if the event occurs, wherein responding comprises:

updating a risk projection based on at least one dynamic input;

updating a risk threshold based on at least one static input;

determining whether the risk projection exceeds the risk threshold;

determining a first action if the risk projection exceeds the risk threshold, wherein determining the first action comprises selecting a mitigation action as the first action if one or more mitigation actions are available, or determining a recommended action as the first action if no mitigation actions are available;

determining a second action if the risk projection does not exceed the risk threshold, wherein determining the second action comprises calculating a next scheduled action as the second action, wherein the mitigation action comprises using a backup component configured to operate as a backup to the at least one component; and

analyzing, via the plant control system, the unexpected maintenance event and the historical data to credit the unexpected maintenance event in lieu of performing an equipment test event related to the plant system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the event comprises an equipment protection system test event, and updating the risk projection comprises updating a risk of rescheduling an equipment testing interval.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the event comprises an instrumentation event, and updating the risk projection comprises at least one of updating a risk of using an uncalibrated instrument or updating a risk of using an instrument having a lower performance.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the event comprises at least one of an equipment operation event, an equipment inspection event, or an equipment maintenance event, wherein updating the risk projection comprises updating a risk of equipment failure.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the event comprises an instrumentation event, and updating the risk projection comprises at least one of updating a risk of rescheduling a calibration for an instrument or updating a risk of rescheduling a replacement for the instrument.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the event comprises at least one of an equipment operation event, an equipment inspection event, an instrumentation event or an equipment maintenance event, wherein updating the risk projection comprises at least one of updating a risk of rescheduling an equipment maintenance or updating a risk of rescheduling an equipment inspection.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the event comprises at least one of an equipment protection system test event, an instrumentation event, an equipment operation event, an equipment inspection event, or an equipment maintenance event, wherein updating the risk projection comprises updating a risk of upgrading a system configuration.

17. The method of claim 10 , comprising maintaining, via the plant control system, a plant reliability level, wherein the static inputs comprise at least one of a reliability model, a failure mode analysis, a design life prediction, an industry failure rate, or an operating configuration.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein updating the risk projection comprises at least one of updating a risk of performing an equipment operation to maintain the plant reliability level, updating a risk of performing an equipment maintenance to maintain the plant reliability level, or updating a risk of performing an equipment replacement to maintain the plant reliability level.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first action comprises an automatic action, a manual action, or a combination thereof.

20. A system comprising:

a power plant controller programmed to receive dynamic inputs and static inputs related to a power plant, to observe a plant system, and to store plant system observations as historical data, wherein the power plant controller is programmed to derive a decision impacting power plant operations, the power plant controller is programmed to determine when a test of a component of the power plant is recommended based on monitoring the dynamic and static inputs and the historical data, the power plant controller is programmed to identify an occurrence of an unexpected maintenance event related to the test, the plant controller is programmed to analyze the unexpected maintenance event and the historical data to credit the unexpected maintenance event in lieu of performing an equipment test, and the power plant controller is programmed to adjust a test schedule based on the credit.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the component comprises a turbine system configured to provide electrical power, mechanical power, or a combination thereof.

22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the test comprises a proof test configured to test a suitability of the component in performing plant operations.