A Computer-Aided DSS for Observability Analysis

PONZONI, IGNACIO; VAZQUEZ, GUSTAVO E.; SÁNCHEZ, MABEL C.; BRIGNOLE, NÉLIDA B.

Vouliagmeni, Atenas, Grecia

Conferencia; 4th World Multiconference on Circuits, Systems, Communications & Computers; 2000

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) y WSES (World Scientific and Engineering Society)

A.n eftective decision support system (DSS) for observability analysis was designed and developed. This DSS constitutes an efficient technological application for instrumentation design of large-scale industrial plants. The software provides user-friendly facilities for the interactive specification of process topology and measurements, structural algorithms for the classification of the unmeasured variables and analysis tools to guide the engineer in the selection of the most convenient amount and location of plant sensors. This tool has a strong practical impact because it leads to significant time savings in instrumentation design activities. By way of illustration, the decision making procedure was described for a medium-size case study that corresponds to an existing ethane plant. The observability analysis itself was carried out using the GS-FLCN technique, which allows the rigorous treatment of models that involve strongly nonlinear equations.