Apparatus and method for simultaneous monitoring, logging, and controlling of an industrial process

• US 20030200022A1
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ceryx Asset Recovery, LLC, Christina Holtzheuser-Morgan, ESW Cleantech, Inc. (Environmental Solutions Worldwide Inc.), Phillip Morgan, Raul Corona, Rodney Elliot
• Original Assignee: Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls, LLC (Cleaire Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Edgar, Bradley L., Streichsbier, Michael, Rumminger, Marc D., Ricord, Albert O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/108
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/002 the diagnostic devices measuring or estimating temperature or pressure in, or downstream of the exhaust apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2550/04 Filtering activity of particulate filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2550/05 Systems for adding substances into exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/06 the means being a temperature sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0253 adding fuel to exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/00 Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/002 of filter regeneration, e.g. detection of clogging
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/007 Storing data relevant to operation of exhaust systems for later retrieval and analysis, e.g. to research exhaust system malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0235 in relation with the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus control of exhaust gas treating apparatus per se F01N
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/263 the program execution being modifiable by physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/28 Interface circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An apparatus performs simultaneous data monitoring, logging, and controlling of the state of a system. The apparatus includes at least one system sensor that provides a sensor data signal corresponding to a system characteristic of which the sensor is detecting, a memory that stores data and program instructions, at least one output port that provides an output signal to the system, a timing source that provides clock timing signals, and a microprocessor that receives the sensor data signal and executes the program instructions to monitor and log data corresponding to the data signal received from the system sensor and to provide system control data to the output port, in accordance with the clock timing signals. The system sensor and other components can be easily fitted to the system. The apparatus memory permits programming that can be adjusted to complement the system to which the apparatus is fitted. The apparatus can efficiently record the system data that is collected by the sensor.

Claims

13. A method of operating an apparatus for data monitoring, logging, and controlling, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data in real time from at least one system sensor that produces the sensor data corresponding to a system characteristic detected by the sensor;

monitoring the sensor data to detect sensor data values that exceed limit values for normal operation;

logging the sensor data in apparatus memory; and

producing control data that controls a device that affects the system.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein logging the sensor data comprises storing the sensor data into a circular buffer of the apparatus memory and providing a running log of the data such that system fault data is stored into a reserved region of the apparatus memory.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein logging the sensor data comprises storing the sensor data in accordance with an adaptive data logging scheme in which the sensor data is buffered for a predetermined interval of time and is stored into a separate region of the apparatus memory only if the buffered sensor data indicates that data values have changed significantly over the predetermined time interval.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the buffered sensor data is stored into the separate region of the apparatus memory if the data values have changed significantly or if the elapsed time since the last storage of the buffered sensor data exceeds a predetermined data log gap interval.

17. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor data is stored into the apparatus memory in accordance with a differential recording scheme in which the sensor data is stored in a circular buffer memory and, upon detecting a fault condition, a first portion of the sensor data in the circular buffer is stored to a non-circular buffer according to a high resolution data storing frequency for a predetermined high resolution time interval that extends immediately before and immediately after the occurrence of the fault condition, and a second portion of the sensor data in the circular buffer is stored to the non-circular buffer according to a low resolution data storing frequency for a predetermined time interval outside of the high resolution time interval.

18. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor data is analyzed and a collection of histogram data is produced in real time for a range of values indicated by the sensor data is stored in the apparatus memory.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the histogram data is collected starting with a system initialization time and continuing until a histogram reset time.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the histogram data is collected over a predetermined time interval, whereupon a new collection of histogram data over the predetermined time interval is started.

21. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor data values are detected and a sensor error condition is indicated if a predetermined number of sensor data values that exceed limit values for normal sensor operation are detected.

22. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor data values are detected and a system error condition is indicated if a predetermined number of sensor data values that exceed limit values for normal system operation are detected.

23. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the apparatus monitors an engine exhaust treatment system, wherein the sensor data is produced from system sensors comprising exhaust gas temperature, and the output signal comprises a reagent control signal.

43. A method as defined in claim 13, further including data compression of the sensor data stored in the memory.

24. An apparatus that performs monitoring, logging, and controlling in connection with a system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one system sensor that produces sensor data corresponding to a system characteristic detected by the sensor;

at least one output port that provides an output signal of the apparatus;

a timing source that provides clock timing signals; and

MLC means for storing data and program instructions, and that stores the sensor data in a circular buffer to provide a running log of the data and includes a reserved memory region that stores system fault data, and for monitoring and logging the sensor data and to provide control data to the output port and thereby controlling a device affecting the system, in accordance with the clock timing signals.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the MLC means stores data in accordance with an adaptive data logging scheme in which the sensor data is buffered for a predetermined interval of time and analyzes the sensor data such that the buffered sensor data is stored into a separate memory region only if the buffered sensor data indicates that data values have changed significantly over the predetermined time interval.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein the buffered sensor data is stored into the separate memory region if the data values have changed significantly or if the elapsed time since the last storage of the buffered sensor data exceeds a predetermined data log gap interval.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the MLC means stores the sensor data in accordance with a differential recording scheme in which the sensor data is stored in the circular buffer and, upon detecting a fault condition, a first portion of the sensor data in the circular buffer is stored to a non-circular buffer according to a high resolution data storing frequency for a predetermined high resolution time interval that extends immediately before and immediately after the occurrence of the fault condition, and a second portion of the sensor data in the circular buffer is stored to the non-circular buffer according to a low resolution data storing frequency for a predetermined time interval outside of the high resolution time interval.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the MLC means analyzes the sensor data and produces a collection of histogram data in real time for a range of values indicated by the sensor data and stores the histogram data for later retrieval.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein the MLC means collects the histogram data starting with a system initialization time and continuing until a histogram reset time.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein the MLC means collects the histogram data over a predetermined time interval and then begins a new collection of histogram data.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the MLC means detects sensor data values and indicates a sensor error condition if it detects a predetermined number of sensor data values that exceed limit values for normal sensor operation.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the MLC means detects sensor data values and indicates a system error condition if it detects a predetermined number of sensor data values that exceed limit values for normal system operation.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the system comprises an engine exhaust treatment system, wherein the apparatus includes system sensors comprising exhaust gas temperature, and the output signal comprises a reagent control signal.

44. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the MLC means performs data compression of the sensor data stored in the memory.

34. An apparatus that processes sensor data for monitoring and logging in connection with a system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one system sensor that produces sensor data corresponding to a system characteristic detected by the sensor;

memory that stores data and program instructions;

at least one output port that provides an output signal of the apparatus;

a timing source that provides clock timing signals; and

a microprocessor that receives the sensor data and executes the program instructions to monitor and log the sensor data received from the system sensor, in accordance with the clock timing signals, such that the sensor data is stored in the memory in accordance with an adaptive data logging scheme in which the sensor data is buffered for a predetermined interval of time and is analyzed by the microprocessor such that the buffered sensor data is stored into a separate region of the memory only if the buffered sensor data indicates that data values have changed significantly over the predetermined time interval.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the buffered sensor data is stored into the separate region of the memory if the data values have changed significantly or if the elapsed time since the last storage of the buffered sensor data exceeds a predetermined data log gap interval.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the system comprises an engine exhaust treatment system, wherein the apparatus includes system sensors comprising exhaust gas temperature and an optional pressure sensor, and the output signal comprises an apparatus status indication.

45. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the microprocessor performs data compression of the sensor data stored in the memory.

37. An apparatus that processes sensor data for monitoring and logging in connection with a system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one system sensor that produces sensor data corresponding to a system characteristic detected by the sensor;

memory that stores data and program instructions;

at least one output port that provides an output signal of the apparatus;

a timing source that provides clock timing signals; and

a microprocessor that receives the sensor data and executes the program instructions to monitor and log the sensor data received from the system sensor, in accordance with the clock timing signals, such that the sensor data is stored in the memory in accordance with a differential recording scheme in which the sensor data is stored in a circular buffer memory and, upon the microprocessor detecting a fault condition, a first portion of the sensor data in the circular buffer is stored to a non-circular buffer according to a high resolution data storing frequency for a predetermined high resolution time interval that extends immediately before and immediately after the occurrence of the fault condition, and a second portion of the sensor data in the circular buffer is stored to the non-circular buffer according to a low resolution data storing frequency for a predetermined time interval outside of the high resolution time interval.

38. An apparatus as defined in claim 37, wherein the microprocessor analyzes the sensor data and produces a collection of histogram data in real time for a range of values indicated by the sensor data and stores the histogram data in the memory.

39. An apparatus as defined in claim 38, wherein the microprocessor collects the histogram data starting with a system initialization time and continuing until a histogram reset time.

40. An apparatus as defined in claim 38, wherein the microprocessor collects the histogram data over a predetermined time interval and then begins a new collection of histogram data.

41. An apparatus as defined in claim 37, wherein the system comprises an engine exhaust treatment system, wherein the apparatus includes system sensors comprising at least one of exhaust gas temperature or exhaust gas pressure, and the output signal comprises an apparatus status indication.

42-1. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor performs data compression of the sensor data stored in the memory.