Turbine operational flexibility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581086-B2
Application number	US-201314136835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A device receives sensed operation parameters related to the operation of a machine. The device utilizes the sensed operation parameters in a first analyzer that generates first characteristics related to degradation of the machine and utilizes the sensed operation parameters in a second analyzer configured to generate second characteristics related to thermal characteristics of the machine, wherein the thermal characteristics include thermal stresses present in the machine. The device also utilizes the first and second characteristics and a third characteristic related to operator behaviors related to the current operation of the machine to generate remaining useful life characteristics of components of the machine and generates operational set points for control of the machine based in part on the remaining useful life characteristics, desired machine performance characteristics based on the operator behaviors, and maintenance characteristics of the machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device configured to:
receive sensed operation parameters related to the operation of a machine;
utilize the sensed operation parameters in a first analyzer configured to generate first characteristics related to degradation of the machine;
utilize the sensed operation parameters in a second analyzer configured to generate second characteristics related to thermal characteristics of the machine, wherein the thermal characteristics include thermal stresses present in the machine;
utilize the first characteristic related to degradation of the machine, the second characteristics related to thermal characteristics of the machine, and a third characteristic related to operator behaviors related to the current operation of the machine to generate remaining useful life characteristics of components of the machine, wherein the third characteristic is based on a behavior classification derived from historical data and an operator command and associated with a behavior category of a plurality of behavior categories indicative of a manner by which the machine is and has been operated by a user; and
generate operational set points for control of the machine based in part on the remaining useful life characteristics, desired machine performance characteristics based on the operator behaviors, and maintenance characteristics of the machine, wherein the operational set points cause adjustment of one or more actuators for control of the machine.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to utilize a neural network to generate the remaining useful life characteristics of components of the machine.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to receive the sensed operation parameters in real time.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to analyze an operational behavior of the machine based upon user settings indicating the operator behaviors and generate an indication of the operational behavior of the machine.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the device is configured to analyze a cost of operation of the machine and generate an indication of the cost of operation of the machine.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the device is configured to generate the operational set points for control of the machine based in part on the indication of the cost of operation of the machine.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the device is configured to generate the operational set points for control of the machine based in part on design margins related to the capacity and capabilities of the machine.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to utilize a neural network to generate the operational set points for control of the machine.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a power generation unit.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to utilize a neural network to generate an operating penalty factor derived from the behavior classification as the third characteristic, wherein the operating penalty factor comprises a credit or debit in performance calculations of the machine.

11. An article of manufacture, comprising:
a tangible non-transitory machine-readable media having encoded thereon processor-executable instructions comprising:
instructions to receive sensed operation parameters related to the operation of a machine;
instructions to apply the sensed operation parameters in a first analyzer configured to generate first characteristics related to degradation of the machine;
instructions to apply the sensed operation parameters in a second analyzer configured to generate second characteristics related to thermal characteristics of the machine, wherein the thermal characteristics include thermal stresses present in the machine;
instructions to apply the characteristic related to degradation of the machine, the second characteristics related to thermal characteristics of the machine, and a third characteristic related to operator behaviors related to the current operation of the machine to generate remaining useful life characteristics of components of the machine, wherein the third characteristic is based on a behavior classification derived from historical data and an operator command and associated with a behavior category of a plurality of behavior categories indicative of a manner by which the machine is and has been operated by a user; and
instructions to generate operational set points for control of the machine based in part on the remaining useful life characteristics, desired machine performance characteristics based on the operator behaviors, and maintenance characteristics of the machine, wherein the operational set points cause adjustment of one or more actuators for control of the machine.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , comprising instructions to analyze an operational behavior of the machine based upon user settings and generate an indication of the operational behavior of the machine.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , comprising instructions to analyze a cost of operation of the machine and generate an indication of the cost of operation of the machine.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , comprising instructions to generate the operational set points for control of the machine based in part on the indication of the cost of operation of the machine.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , comprising instructions to generate the operational set points for control of the machine based in part on design margins related to the capacity and capabilities of the machine.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , comprising instructions to transmit an indication of the operational set points for control of the machine.

17. A tangible non-transitory machine-readable media comprising code configured to:
determine total remaining useful life of components of a machine based at least upon thermal stresses in the machine;
determine a first degradation factor of the machine due to operator behaviors related to current operation of the machine, wherein the first degradation factor is based on a behavior classification derived from historical data and an operator command and associated with a behavior category of a plurality of behavior categories indicative of a manner by which the machine is and has been operated by a user;
determine a second degradation factor related to the a duration of time that the machine is active;
determine operating costs of the machine related to operation of the machine;
determine system losses at transients and steady state operation based on the operation of the machine; and
utilize the total remaining useful life, the first degradation factor, the second degradation factor, the operating costs, and the system losses to generate operational set points for control of the machine, wherein the operational set points cause adjustment of one or more actuators for control of the machine.

18. The tangible non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 17 comprising a neural network to generate the total remaining useful life of components of the machine.

19. The tangible non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 17 comprising a neural network to generate the operational set points for control of the machine.

20. The tangible non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the code is configured to transmit an indication of the operational set points for control of the machine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tiwari Awadesh Kumar
• Muthuralingam Mahendhra
• Gali Praveen Kumar

Classifications

• F02C9/00 Primary

  Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants (controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05) · CPC title

• G05B23/0283 Primary

  Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06) · CPC title

• G05B23/0286

  Modifications to the monitored process, e.g. stopping operation or adapting control · CPC title

• G05B13/024

  in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance · CPC title