EP0170516A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Diagnostic apparatus
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1985-07-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-07-30
Abstract
Abstract Diagnostic apparatus to monitor a steam turbine-generator power plant. Sensors located around the plant provide data to the diagnostic apparatus including a digital computer to evaluate actual or impending malfunctions in the plant components. The computer utilizes system diagnosis which establishes sybsystems which are generic and can be applied to any sensor to obtain indications of a) sensor output movement, b) validated sensor readings and c) malfunction indications.
Inventors
- 👤 James C. Bellows
- 👤 Chris T. Kemper
- 👤 Pamela J. Kleinosky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 02:45
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; G; G05; G05B; G05B23/00; G05B23/02; G05B23/0205; G05B23/0259; G05B23/0275; G05B23/0278; Y; Y04; Y04S; Y04S10/00; Y04S10/50; Y04S10/52; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/902; Y10S706/911; Y10S706/914; Y10S706/915
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
Diagnostic apparatus for monitoring an operating system subject to malfunctions and having a plurality of sensors providing signals indicative of predetermined system parameters comprising control means . operable to establish a first subsystem for each of a selected number of said sensors and including means to periodically obtain readings of sensor output signals for providing particular indications of sensor output reading changes, if any, said control means operable to establish a second subsystem responsive to selected sensor readings as well as selected ones of said change indications provided by said first subsystem to provide validated conclusions relative to a sensor signal with each having a certain confidence factor in the validity of the conclusion, and said control means operable to establish at least a third subsystem responsive to sensor signals as well as said validated conclusions relative to the sensor signals to provide indications of possible malfunctions in said operating system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
151 words
Diagnostic apparatus for monitoring an operating system subject to malfunctions and having a plurality of sensors providing signals indicative of predetermined system parameters comprising control means . operable to establish a first subsystem for each of a selected number of said sensors and including means to periodically obtain readings of sensor output signals for providing particular indications of sensor output reading changes, if any, said control means operable to establish a second subsystem responsive to selected sensor readings as well as selected ones of said change indications provided by said first subsystem to provide validated conclusions relative to a sensor signal with each having a certain confidence factor in the validity of the conclusion, and said control means operable to establish at least a third subsystem responsive to sensor signals as well as said validated conclusions relative to the sensor signals to provide indications of possible malfunctions in said operating system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indications include whether or not said sensor readings have sharply increased or decreased in a past first period of time, have slowly increased or decreased in a past second and greater period of time, or are relatively steady during said time periods.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 2 ' wherein said first subsystem additionally provides an indication of the average of a predetermined number of sequential readings of a sensor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein at least one type of said sensors includes means for changing the sensor scale, and said first subsystem additionally provides an indication of whether a scale change has been made during said second period of time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 2, 3, or 4 wherein said first subsystem is operable to obtain an indication of the difference between two sequential readings of a sensor and to use successive difference indications in determining whether the sensor output signal is relatively steady.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein said second period of time is at least six times greater than said first period of time.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein selected sensors have a respective detection limit past which the sensor output signal may be questionable, said first subsystem is operable to determine operation of a sensor near its detection limit and modify its indications provided with respect to increasing or decreasing sensor signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said operating system includes a plurality of identical sensors disposed throughout the system; and said second subsystem is operable to determine whether one of said identical sensors is malfunctioning in response to the sensor signal itself, predetermined indications provided by said first subsystem, and the average signal of all of said identical sensors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second subsystem is operable to provide a validated sensor signal indication, in the absence of said sensor malfunction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
79 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said operating system includes a steam turbine, a steam supply for supplying steam to said turbine, a condenser for receiving exhaust steam for return of condensate to said steam supply and water treatment means in the return path, said system includes a plurality of sensor arrays disposed about said system for monitoring various chemical parameters in the steam path and condensate path of said operating system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
110 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein at least two of said arrays each include an acid cation exchanged conductivity sensor having a cation resin bed which removes cations present in a sample and replaces them with hydrogen ions, and a conductivity cell responsive to the cation exchanged sample to provide an output signal indicative of anion concentration in the sample, said second subsystem is operable to provide validated indications of high anion concentration as well as increasing anion concentration, said second subsystem is operable to determine whether said cation resin bed is exhausted and to reduce the confidence in said validated indications if said resin bed is exhausted.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said .second subsystem is operable to determine whether said conductivity cell is malfunctioning and to reduce the confidence in said validated indications if it is malfunctioning.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein said second subsystem is operable to determine whether said sensor is in an incorrect operating condition and to reduce the confidence in said validated indications if it is in said incorrect operating condition.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said incorrect operating condition includes a sensor in a test condition.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 13 or 14 wherein said incorrect operating condition includes a sensor whose output reading is on an incorrect scale.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
141 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15 wherein at least two of said arrays each include a sodium sensor of the type which includes a first path for conduction of a sample and having tubing immersed in a controlled ammonia environment which diffuses into said tubing and sample, a polisher path for removal, of sodium in the sample before introduction into said tubing, and output electrodes responsive to the sample emanating from said tubing to provide an output signal indicative of sodium concentration in the sample, said second subsystem is operable to provide validated indications of high sodium concentration as well as increasing sodium concentration, said second subsystem is operable to determine whether said tubing is ruptured and to reduce the confidence in said validated high or increasing sodium concentration indications if said tubing is ruptured.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said second subsystem is operable to determine whether said sample is being directed through said polisher path and to reduce the confidence in said validated high or increasing sodium concentration indications if said sample is being directed through said polisher path.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or 17 wherein said second subsystem is operable to accumulate successive sodium sensor readings over a period of at least several hours to make said determination of tubing rupture.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
131 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 18 in which at least first and second sensor arrays each including an acid cation exchanged conductivity sensor for providing an indication of anion concentration in a sample, and a sodium sensor for providing an indication of sodium concentration in said sample, said first sensor array being operable to sample the influent of a component of said operating system, said second sensor array being operable to sample the effluent of said component, said third subsystem being responsive to influent anion and sodium concentration signals from said sensors, effluent anion and sodium concentration signals from said sensors, and validated anion and sodium concentration indications provided by said second subsystems associated with said sensors, to determine a possible malfunction in said component.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein said component is said condenser.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 19 or 20 wherein said component is part of said water treatment means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21 wherein display means are provided for displaying said indications of possible malfunctions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein said possible malfunctions are displayed on a scale of -1 to +1 corresponding to definitely not present to definitely present.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
129 words
Dagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23 including a plurality of sensors providing signals related to system parameters comprising means for inputting said sensor signals to a computer, means for storing within the computer's memory a rule base pertinent to the particular operating system being diagnosed, said rule base including a first set of rules applicable to any sensor for determining sensor output signal changes, if any, said rule base including a second set of rules applicable to any sensor for determining sensor malfunction and for validating sensor indications in the absence of a sensor malfunction, said rule base including a third set of rules for determining malfunctions of an operating system based on conclusions reached by said first and second sets of rules.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
77 words
25 . Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 2 4 wherein said operating system includes the steam turbine, a steam supply for supplying steam to said turbine, a condenser for receiving exhaust steam for return of condensate to said steam supply and water treatment means in the return path, said system includes a plurality of sensor arrays disposed about said system for monitoring various chemical parameters in the steam path and condensate path of said operating system.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
114 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein at least two of said arrays each include an acid cation exchanged conductivity sensor having a cation resin bed which removes cations present in a sample and replaces them with hydrogen ions, and a conductivity cell responsive to the cation exchanged sample to provide an output signal indicative of anion concentration in the sample, said second set of rules is operable to provide validated indications of high anion concentration as well as increasing anion concentration, said second set of rules is operable to determine whether said cation resin bed is exhausted and to reduce the confidence in said validated indications if said resin bed is exhausted.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said second set of rules is operable to determine whether said conductivity cell is malfunctioning and to reduce the confidence in said validated indications if it is malfunctioning.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
143 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 27 wherein at least two of said arrays each include a sodium sensor of the type which includes a first path for a sample and having tubing immersed in a controlled ammonia environment which diffuses into said tubing and sample, a polisher path for removal of sodium in the sample before introduction into said tubing, and output electrodes responsive to the sample emanating from said tubing to provide an output signal indicative of sodium concentration in the sample, said second set of rules is operable to provide validated indications of high sodium concentration as well as increasing sodium concentration, said second set of rules is operable to determine whether said tubing is ruptured and to reduce the confidence in said validated high or increasing sodium concentration indications if said tubing is ruptured.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
51 words
Diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 31 wherein said second set of rules is operable to determine whether said sample is being directed through said polisher path and to reduce the confidence in said validated high or increasing sodium concentration indications if said sample is being directed through said polisher path.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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