GB2275813A — Method of data processing and plant operation

Claim 1

Independent Claim 368 words

A method of data processing to display monitoring information about critical plant functions in a power plant having a steam supply system including a multiplicity of components which operate together to perform critical plant functions; means for measuring plant operating variables and for generating operating parameter signals from said measured variables; a control room including data processing means responsive to the operating parameter signals for displaying monitoring information including parameter values and parameter alarms to the operator; means responsive to the operating parameter signals for automatically initiating operation of safety related components upon the occurrence of certain abnormal events, means by which the operator can control safety related components, and means by which the operator can control components relating to power generation in the plant; the method comprising: storing a hierarchy of display pages including an apex page containing a matrix of a plurality of descriptors indicative of a respective plurality of plant critical functions including safety related critical functions which must be accomplished to keep the plant in a safe, stable condition whereby the health and safety of the public is preserved, and critical mission functions which must be accomplished in order to ensure uninterrupted power generation in the plant, a first level display page containing a hierarchical directory of each critical function descriptor and a plurality of critical function success path descriptors associated with each critical function, wherein each success path descriptor represents a configuration of plant components that can perform the associated critical function, a plurality of second level display pages, corresponding respectively to each critical function and containing information on the current operating state, availability, and current performance of the component configurations for each success path, and a plurality of thid level display pages containing detailed diagnostic information for the success path components; continuously determining the status of the critical functions by comparing parameter signals against plant critical function acceptance criteria; highlighting a particular critical function descriptor on the apex page when the acceptance criteria for the particular critical function is not satisfied; and presenting to the operator means for accessing the first, second, and third level display pages whereby the operator can diagnose the success paths relating to the highlighted critical function descriptor.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 368 words

A method of data processing to display monitoring information about critical plant functions in a power plant having a steam supply system including a multiplicity of components which operate together to perform critical plant functions; means for measuring plant operating variables and for generating operating parameter signals from said measured variables; a control room including data processing means responsive to the operating parameter signals for displaying monitoring information including parameter values and parameter alarms to the operator; means responsive to the operating parameter signals for automatically initiating operation of safety related components upon the occurrence of certain abnormal events, means by which the operator can control safety related components, and means by which the operator can control components relating to power generation in the plant; the method comprising: storing a hierarchy of display pages including an apex page containing a matrix of a plurality of descriptors indicative of a respective plurality of plant critical functions including safety related critical functions which must be accomplished to keep the plant in a safe, stable condition whereby the health and safety of the public is preserved, and critical mission functions which must be accomplished in order to ensure uninterrupted power generation in the plant, a first level display page containing a hierarchical directory of each critical function descriptor and a plurality of critical function success path descriptors associated with each critical function, wherein each success path descriptor represents a configuration of plant components that can perform the associated critical function, a plurality of second level display pages, corresponding respectively to each critical function and containing information on the current operating state, availability, and current performance of the component configurations for each success path, and a plurality of thid level display pages containing detailed diagnostic information for the success path components; continuously determining the status of the critical functions by comparing parameter signals against plant critical function acceptance criteria; highlighting a particular critical function descriptor on the apex page when the acceptance criteria for the particular critical function is not satisfied; and presenting to the operator means for accessing the first, second, and third level display pages whereby the operator can diagnose the success paths relating to the highlighted critical function descriptor.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 79 words

A method as claimed in claim 1 including displaying on the apex page at least one key parameter representing each critical function and an alarm descriptor with the key parameter display when a parameter alarm associated with the key parameter arises, and the status of at least one success path for each critical function, including the state and controllability of the associated component configuration, and an alarm descriptor with the status when the success path is unavailable or underperforming.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the status display of each success path on the apex page comprises a geometric figure with shape, texture, and colour coding.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 40 words

A method as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the shape coding is hollow/solid to indicate active/inactive status, and the colour coding is green/red to indicate (closed or off/open or on) and yellow to indicate a parameter alarm.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 48 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein each success path descriptor on the directory is touch sensitive such that by touching any one of such descriptors, the operator can retrieve the second level display page associated with said touched success path descriptor.

Claim 7

Independent Claim 45 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the plant can be operated in any of a plurality of modes and the critical function acceptance criteria is dependent on the plant operating mode including power production and post trip modes.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 32 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein each of the second level displays includes a time trend of the key parameter of the associated critical function.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 34 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein each of the second level displays includes a high level mimic diagram of the success paths for the associated critical function.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 49 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 including continuously displaying said apex display, on a large, centrally located display screen visible throughout the control room, and accessing said first, second and third level displays on at least one operator's panel including another display screen.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the status, availability and performance information is displayed on the apex display, and the display screen on the operator's panel can display the apex display.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 91 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 including continuously determining the status of the critical function success paths including the availability, current operating state, and current performance of critical function success paths and delivering the results for storage in said means for storing; generating a success path unavailability alarm if a success path cannot be actuated to achieve minimum acceptable performance criteria; and generating a success path performance alarm if a success path is actuated but the quality of performance is below a minimum acceptance criteria.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 774 words

An operating method for a power plant having a steam supply system including a multiplicity of components which operate together to perform critical plant process functions in a plurality of plant operating modes; means for measuring plant process and component operating variables and for generating parameter signals from said measured variables; a control room including data processing means responsive to the parameter signals for displaying monitoring information including parameter values and parameter alarms in response to abnormal parameter signals, to the operator on at least one display screen, protection means responsive to the operating parameter signals for automatically initiating operation of safety related components upon the occurrence of certain abnormal events, means by which the operator can control safety related components, and means by which the operator can control components relating to power generation in the plant, the method enabling the operator to use the data processing means to diagnose plant disturbances that challenge the ability of the plant to perform the critical functions and comprising: displaying on one of said screens, an apex page containing, a matrix of a plurality of descriptors indicative of a respective plurality of plant critical functions including safety related critical functions which must be accomplished to keep the plant in a safe, stable condition whereby the health and safety of the public is preserved, and critical mission functions which must be accomplished in order to ensure uninterrupted power generation in the plant, a plurality of descriptors indicative of a plurality of critical function success paths associated with each critical function, wherein each success path descriptor represents a configuration of plant components that can perform the associated critical function; automatically monitoring the parameter signals for key parameters representative of each critical function process and continuously checking the monitored key parameters against mode and event dependent acceptance criteria; if a particular critical function does not meet acceptance criteria because of an abnormal parameter signal associated with a component in a system that is expected to perform the critical function, generating a critical function alarm signal specific to said particular critical function and indicating an alarm condition in said first matrix at the descriptor for said particular critical function; automatically monitoring the availability, operation state and performance of the critical function success paths against mode and event dependent acceptance criteria; if a particular critical function success path does not satisfy the acceptance criteria because of an abnormal parameter signal for a particular component in the success path configuration, generating a success path alarm signal specific to said particular success path and indicating an alarm condition on the apex page at the descriptor for said particular success path; storing for selection and display by the operator on another of said screens, a first level display page containing a hierarchical directory of each critical function descriptor and a plurality of critical function success path descriptors associated with each critical function, wherein each success path descriptor represents a system configuration of plant components that is capable of performing the associated critical function, a second level of display pages, corresponding respectively to each critical function and containing information on the current operating state, availability, and current performance of the system component configuration for each success path associated with the critical functions, and a third level of detail page containing detailed diagnostic information for the components of the success path system associated with a second level display page; in the event a critical function alarm or success path alarm is generated and indicated on said apex page, storing a correlated alarm indicator at the critical function descriptor and success path descriptor of the first level display page, at the success path system component configuration in the second level display page for the system in which the parameter signal causing the alarm originated, on the third level display page containing information on the components from which said abnormal parameter signal originated as a result of the plant disturbance; while viewing an alarmed descriptor on the apex display page, selecting the first level display page for display at said another one of said screens, whereby while viewing the first level display page, the operator can observe the hierarchical relation among the correlated alarm indicator, the critical function descriptors, and the success path descriptors; while viewing the first level display page, selecting the second level display page containing the system in which the abnormal parameter alarm is present, for display at said one of said screens; after the step of selecting the second level display page, selecting a third level display page that contains the diagnostic information associated with the component from which the abnormal alarm parameter signal originated.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 774 words

An operating method for a power plant having a steam supply system including a multiplicity of components which operate together to perform critical plant process functions in a plurality of plant operating modes; means for measuring plant process and component operating variables and for generating parameter signals from said measured variables; a control room including data processing means responsive to the parameter signals for displaying monitoring information including parameter values and parameter alarms in response to abnormal parameter signals, to the operator on at least one display screen, protection means responsive to the operating parameter signals for automatically initiating operation of safety related components upon the occurrence of certain abnormal events, means by which the operator can control safety related components, and means by which the operator can control components relating to power generation in the plant, the method enabling the operator to use the data processing means to diagnose plant disturbances that challenge the ability of the plant to perform the critical functions and comprising: displaying on one of said screens, an apex page containing, a matrix of a plurality of descriptors indicative of a respective plurality of plant critical functions including safety related critical functions which must be accomplished to keep the plant in a safe, stable condition whereby the health and safety of the public is preserved, and critical mission functions which must be accomplished in order to ensure uninterrupted power generation in the plant, a plurality of descriptors indicative of a plurality of critical function success paths associated with each critical function, wherein each success path descriptor represents a configuration of plant components that can perform the associated critical function; automatically monitoring the parameter signals for key parameters representative of each critical function process and continuously checking the monitored key parameters against mode and event dependent acceptance criteria; if a particular critical function does not meet acceptance criteria because of an abnormal parameter signal associated with a component in a system that is expected to perform the critical function, generating a critical function alarm signal specific to said particular critical function and indicating an alarm condition in said first matrix at the descriptor for said particular critical function; automatically monitoring the availability, operation state and performance of the critical function success paths against mode and event dependent acceptance criteria; if a particular critical function success path does not satisfy the acceptance criteria because of an abnormal parameter signal for a particular component in the success path configuration, generating a success path alarm signal specific to said particular success path and indicating an alarm condition on the apex page at the descriptor for said particular success path; storing for selection and display by the operator on another of said screens, a first level display page containing a hierarchical directory of each critical function descriptor and a plurality of critical function success path descriptors associated with each critical function, wherein each success path descriptor represents a system configuration of plant components that is capable of performing the associated critical function, a second level of display pages, corresponding respectively to each critical function and containing information on the current operating state, availability, and current performance of the system component configuration for each success path associated with the critical functions, and a third level of detail page containing detailed diagnostic information for the components of the success path system associated with a second level display page; in the event a critical function alarm or success path alarm is generated and indicated on said apex page, storing a correlated alarm indicator at the critical function descriptor and success path descriptor of the first level display page, at the success path system component configuration in the second level display page for the system in which the parameter signal causing the alarm originated, on the third level display page containing information on the components from which said abnormal parameter signal originated as a result of the plant disturbance; while viewing an alarmed descriptor on the apex display page, selecting the first level display page for display at said another one of said screens, whereby while viewing the first level display page, the operator can observe the hierarchical relation among the correlated alarm indicator, the critical function descriptors, and the success path descriptors; while viewing the first level display page, selecting the second level display page containing the system in which the abnormal parameter alarm is present, for display at said one of said screens; after the step of selecting the second level display page, selecting a third level display page that contains the diagnostic information associated with the component from which the abnormal alarm parameter signal originated.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the apex display page is on a large screen that is visible throughout the control room, and said another screen is at an operator's panel in the control room.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 48 words

A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the apex display page can be selectively displayed by the operator on said another screen, and while viewing the apex display page on said another screen, the operator selects and displays the first level display page on said one screen.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 211 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 further including the steps of storing for selection and display by the operator on one of said screens, an alternate first level display page for each major system (primary, secondary, power control, electrical, and auxiliary) containing a hierarchical directory of a descriptor for each major system and a plurality of subsystem descriptors for each system, wherein each subsystem descriptor represents a subsystem of plant components of said major system, an alternate second level of display pages, corresponding respectively to each major system and containing information on the parameters associated with the major system, and an alternate third level of display page containing detailed diagnostic information for the components of the system associated with a second level display page; displaying on each alternate first, second, and third display pages, an alarm descriptor indicative of the origin of the alarmed parameter; displaying on the apex display page, a menu containing touch responsive images for the operator to access and display on said other screen, any one of the first or alternate first display pages, displaying on said accessed and displayed page, a touch sensitive image for the operator to access and display a second level or alternate second level display page.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 33 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15 including displaying on said apex display page, symbols indicative of the status of a preferred success path for each critical function.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method as claimed in claim 16 including displaying the status of the success path with distinct symbols indicative of the operating state (on/off or active/inactive), and controllability (the ability of the operator or protection means to change the operating state).

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 14 words

A method as claimed in claim 17 including displaying the symbols with shape coding.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 12 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Method of data processing and plant operation

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