Abstract: A safety or protection system includes a plurality of divisions of first signals; a plurality of safety or protection subsystems each of which receives a corresponding one of the divisions of first signals and produces a corresponding plurality of second signals therefrom; and a reflective memory subsystem for communicating the second signals between the safety or protection subsystems.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence software shell for plant operation simulation includes a blackboard module including a database having objects representing plant elements and concepts. A rule-based knowledge source module and a case-based knowledge source module, in communication with the blackboard module, operate on specific predefined blackboard objects. A user interface module, in communication with the blackboard module, enables a user to view blackboard status information. A control module, in communication with the blackboard module and the knowledge source modules, receives input data and controls operation of the knowledge source modules in accordance with a predetermined knowledge source priority scheme.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence software shell for plant operation simulation includes a blackboard module including a database having objects representing plant elements and concepts. A rule-based knowledge source module and a case-based knowledge source module, in communication with the blackboard module, operate on specific predefined blackboard objects. The case-based knowledge source module includes cases having past data points on a time scale. Present data is compared with the past data in the cases both on a time scale and on a magnitude scale for determining levels of closeness in time and magnitude. An input data module, in communication with the blackboard module, enables a user to input data to the shell. A control module, in communication with the knowledge source modules and the input data module, receives all input data and controls operation of the knowledge source modules in accordance with a predetermined knowledge source priority scheme.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence software shell for plant operation simulation includes a blackboard module including a database having objects representing plant elements and concepts. A rule-based knowledge source module and a case-based knowledge source module, in communication with the blackboard module, operate on specific predefined blackboard objects. An input data module, in communication with the blackboard module, enables a user to input data to the shell. A control module, in communication with the knowledge source modules and the input data module, receives all input data and controls operation of the knowledge source modules in accordance with a predetermined knowledge source interruptibility/priority scheme. The control module including an event detector module having a hash table defined by a chaining algorithm.

Abstract: An artificial intelligence software shell for plant operation simulation includes a blackboard module including a database having objects representing plant elements and concepts. A rule-based knowledge source module or a case-based knowledge source module, in communication with the blackboard module, operate on specific predefined blackboard objects. An input data module, in communication with the blackboard module, enables a user to input data to the shell. A control module, in communication with the knowledge source modules and the input data module, receives all input data and controls operation of the knowledge source modules in accordance with a predetermined knowledge source priority scheme. The control module including an event detector module having a message evaluator that checks messages for syntax errors before searching a hash table structure in the event detector.

Abstract: Sensor based diagnostic apparatus for performing on-line realtime monitoring of an industrial or other operating system. The diagnostic apparatus has a rule network for propagation of belief leading to one or more possible malfunctions of equipment in the operating system. The propagation of belief is dynamically altered as a function of the operating conditions of the sensors themselves.