Model Redundancy and Diversity

for
Signal Validation by
Genetic Algorithms-based Signal
Grouping
Davide Roverso, Mario Hoffmann
contact: davide.roverso@hrp.no
IFE - Institute for Energy Technology
OECD Halden Reactor Project, Norway

Giulio Gola, Piero Baraldi, Enrico Zio

Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Presented by: Bjørn Axel Gran, IFE-OECD Halden Reactor Project

 Redundancy & Diversity in
Condition Monitoring
• Can we trust Condition Monitoring systems?

• These are normally based on models that are

either analytical (i.e. first principles) or empirical
(i.e. data-driven)
• A Condition Monitoring system is however
commonly based on a single model built with a
single modelling technology

• How can the concepts of Redundancy and

Diversity be applied to Condition Monitoring to
enhance their reliability and applicability to safety
critical systems?

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 Condition Monitoring for
Signal Validation
• Within the nuclear sector, Signal Validation
(including on-line calibration monitoring) is among
the most researched and tested condition
monitoring applications

• The Halden Reactor Project has a long experience

in the development of Signal Validation techniques
and tools (PEANO, TEMPO)

• Signal Validation is here used as a test case for

investigating Redundancy and Diversity issues in
Condition Monitoring

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Objective of Signal Validation
• The objective of Signal Validation is to identify instrumentation
problems at an early stage. Typical problems are:

• Sensor Drifts & Offsets

• Sensor Span Drifts

• Increased Signal Noise

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Relevance of Signal Validation

• Automation systems and operators rely on accurate

process measurements
• The validation of signals is therefore an important
factor in supporting accurate plant monitoring and
optimal operation

• Faulty measurements can also be the source of

“common cause malfunctions” of automation
systems (e.g. control systems, alarm systems, ...)

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 Techniques for Signal
Validation
• Signal validation of redundant sensors is commonly
performed using averaging techniques

• Signal validation of non-redundant sensors is

performed using models that assess the mutual
consistency between the observed measurements

• Signal Validation systems can also include a signal

reconstruction functionality
• Produce an estimated (expected) signal value to replace
the faulty measurement

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 PEANO – The HRP Signal
Validation System
• On-line Calibration Monitoring and Sensor Validation
system, based on Fuzzy-Neural Network models
Process PEANO Model

Measurements Signal estimation

!
Early indication of calibration problem

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 PEANO – Signal Validation
Technology
• Auto-Associative Neural Networks
Used to calculate the measurement estimate for
each sensor and developed with a robust training

• Fuzzy Clustering Techniques

Used to make the system applicable over the whole
process range and follow process transients

• Possibilistic Pattern Recognition 1

Used to obtain a reliability estimate that indicates if 0

.
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the current process state is within the model limits
0
5 1
0 1
5 2
0

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 Signal Grouping for PEANO
• Need for signal grouping
• Signal Validation models handle a limited number of sensors
• Preferred number is around 30-50 sensors
• Industrial applications require plant wide implementations with
large numbers of signals (typically thousands)
Model Group 1

Model Group 2 Result

Group
definitions compilatio
n

Model Group ...

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Signal Grouping, Model Redundancy
& Diversity
• The need for signal grouping leads to the development of
multiple, simpler models
• This links to, and opens the possibility for introducing
model redundancy and diversity concepts into the system

Model Group 1

Group Model Group 2 Result

definition compilati
s on

Model Group ...

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Signal Grouping, Model Redundancy
& Diversity
• A signal grouping algorithm can be designed to generate:
• A partition of disjointed groups (no redundancy)

• A set of overlapping groups (variable degree of redundancy)

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Signal Grouping, Model Redundancy
& Diversity
• Using a set of overlapping groups one can enforce that:

• Each signal should appear in at least N groups

• implementing a form of model redundancy

• The set of groups to which a signal belongs should have minimal

overlap
• implementing a form of model diversity

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 Signal Grouping with Genetic
Algorithms

• Genetic Algorithms are global search algorithms based

on a population of solutions that evolve through
successive generations created through mating of the
fittest and mutation

• The search is based on a definition of a fitness function

and a genetic codification of viable solutions

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 Signal Grouping with Genetic
Algorithms
• The definition of an appropriate fitness function enables
the search algorithm to optimize at the same time
different explicit objectives
• Examples of relevant objectives are:
• High Mutual Information Content for good validation accuracy
• Feasible Model Size
• High Coverage
• High Redundancy
• High Diversity

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 Signal Grouping with Genetic
Algorithms
• The Genetic Algorithm (GA) based search for signal groups can be
built around either a filter approach or a wrapper approach

• In a filter approach the algorithm uses a fitness function

independent from the actual modelling technique to be used
• E.g. Signal Correlation, Mutual Information Content, Group Size, ...

• In a wrapper approach the algorithm uses the actual signal

validation technique as the fitness function to evaluate candidate
solutions
• PCA
• Auto-Associative Kernel Regression
• Auto-Associative Neural Network (PEANO)

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 Filter Approach
Genetic Algorithm (GA)
Groups
Generate groups
All Signals by recombination
of sensors Evaluation Engine
(Candidate (Filter)
and mutation
solutions)

Iterate

Optimal
Grouping

During the search the evaluation engine analyses group

properties to select “good” signal groups

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 Wrapper Approach
Genetic Algorithm (GA)
Groups
Generate groups Signal Validation
All Signals by recombination
of sensors
(Candidate Performance
and mutation
solutions)

Iterate

Optimal
Grouping

During the search the evaluation engine analyses the

performance
of Signal Validation models to select “good” signal groups

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 Current Developments
• Implemented a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA)
• Standard GA use a single fitness (objective) function
• MOGA allows simultaneous optimisation of multiple fitness functions
• Test application (demonstration)
• Oskarshamn Unit 3, 1198 MWe BWR
• 84 signals, 7.5 months of data, 10min sampling interval
• MOGA with 2 objective functions (correlation, size)
• Filter approach
• Found 74 optimal groups of highly correlated signals
• Group sizes between 14 and 84 signals

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 Future Developments

• Implement more objective functions in MOGA

• Mutual Information Content instead of Correlation
• Optimal Model Size
• High Coverage
• High Redundancy
• High Diversity

• Implement a wrapper approach

• Implement redundancy and diversity in the used signal

validation model types (not only diversity in signal groups)

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 Conclusions
• Redundancy and Diversity in Condition Monitoring applications
has largely been an unexplored area
• The pragmatic need for signal grouping to make signal
validation with PEANO practical in large scale applications has
pointed at ways of implementing Redundancy and Diversity
concepts in Condition Monitoring
• Redundancy was here implemented by having the same signal
validated by a large number of models
• Diversity was here implemented by having the same signal
validated by models built around diverse signal groups
• Redundancy and Diversity of Signal Validation (or more
generally Condition Monitoring) models is the next step in the
development

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