Statistical Monitoring of Complex Multivariate Processes: With Applications in Industrial Process Control

Preface

This book provides a timely reference text for academics, undergraduate and graduate students, and practitioners alike in the area of process monitoring and safety, as well as product quality assurance using multivariate statistics. The rapid evolution of this research area over the past 20 years is mainly driven by significant advances in computer horsepower and the ever growing demand from industry to effectively and efficiently monitor production processes. As an example, Nimmo (1995) outlined that the US-based petrochemical industry could save an estimated $10 bn annually if abnormal conditions could be detected, diagnosed and appropriately dealt with. Moreover, the demand from the oil and gas industry, other chemical engineering and general manufacturing industries is also a result of ever tighter government legislation on emissions and increased safety standards of their products.

The wide range of applications of multivariate statistics for process monitoring, safety and product quality is of considerable interest to the readership in chemical, mechanical, manufacturing, electrical and electronic, industrial and other related engineering and science disciplines. This research text serves as a reference for introductory and advanced courses on process safety, process monitoring and product quality assurance, total quality management of complex technical systems and is a supplementary text for courses on applied statistics and process systems engineering. As a textbook ...