A probabilistic framework for real-time performance assessment of inferential sensors

A definition for the reliability of inferential sensor predictions is provided. A data-driven Bayesian framework for real-time performance assessment of inferential sensors is proposed. The main focus is on characterizing the effect of operating space on the reliability of inferential sensor predictions. A holistic, quantitative measure of the reliability of the inferential sensor predictions is introduced. A methodology is provided to define objective prior probabilities over plausible classes of reliability based on the total misclassification cost. The real-time performance assessment of multi-model inferential sensors is also discussed. The application of the method does not depend on the identification techniques employed for model development. Furthermore, on-line implementation of the method is computationally efficient. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated through simulation and industrial case studies.