Software Diagnoses All Aspects of Control System Health

For years, ExperTune’s patented “Control Loop Health” approach has accurately identified problem control loops, based on technical and economic factors. Several new tools provide more specific performance metrics and diagnostics for each control loop component: the instrument, the valve, and the controller.

The Valve Health measurement, for example, combines information about control valve sizing, application, and mechanical performance, to give an overall picture of the valve’s health.

PlantTriage’s “context-sensitive drill-down” also provides the next level of detail, including measures of each specific aspect of performance, such as “% valve stiction”.

Likewise, Sensor Health uses real-time data to look at common symptoms of instrumentation problems. The Controller Health tools focus on aspects of actual control performance, including variability, inability to hold setpoint, and dynamic response.

John Gerry, President and Founder of ExperTune, was recently inducted into the Process Automation Hall of Fame. Asked about the new metrics, Gerry says “The team at ExperTune is always focused on blending engineering expertise with real-time information. The goal is to provide accurate, actionable, real-time advice. This new approach provides a straightforward way to diagnose specific control loop issues – from high-level performance metrics, straight down to root cause.”