EMISSION-MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING DATA

• US 20060015778A1
• Filed: 07/19/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Widmer, Neil Colin, Anil, Rekha
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/47
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

A system and a method for transferring data in an emission-monitoring system from a first computer to a second computer are provided. The method includes generating a first message containing a first software variable having a first site-specific value that is transmitted from the first computer to the second computer. The first site-specific value is indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event associated with the first computer has occurred. The method further includes receiving the first message at the second computer, the second computer storing the first site-specific value in a first record of a first database. The first record is associated with the first software variable. The method further includes determining whether the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred. Finally, the method includes if the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, then generating a second software variable having both a first predetermined name and a value equal to a first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, else generating a third software variable having both the first predetermined name and a value equal to a second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data in an emission-monitoring system from a first computer to a second computer, comprising:

generating a first message containing a first software variable having a first site-specific value that is transmitted from the first computer to the second computer, the first site-specific value indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event associated with the first computer has occurred;

receiving the first message at the second computer, the second computer storing the first site-specific value in a first record of a first database, the first record being associated with the first software variable;

determining whether the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred; and

if the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, then generating a second software variable having both a first predetermined name and a value equal to a first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, else generating a third software variable having both the first predetermined name and a value equal to a second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the first site-specific value indicates that one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event has occurred comprises determining whether the first site-specific value is equal to a site-specific event indicator value indicative of an occurrence of an event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fault event occurs when an emission monitoring device generates a measured value that is not substantially similar to a predetermined value when the emission monitoring device is monitoring a calibration gas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintenance event corresponds to a value indicating that the first computer is non-operational.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration event corresponds to a value indicating that the first computer is receiving calibration data from at least one emission sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one of the second and third standardized values on a computer monitor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software variable has a site-specific software variable name.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second message containing a fourth software variable having a second site-specific value that is transmitted from a third computer to the second computer, the second site-specific value indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event associated with the third computer has occurred;

receiving the second message at the second computer, the second computer storing the second site-specific value in a fourth record of the first database, the fourth record being associated with the fourth software variable;

determining whether the second site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred; and

if the second site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, then generating a fifth software variable having both a second predetermined name and a value equal to the first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, else generating a sixth software variable having both the second predetermined name and a value equal to the second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred.

9. An emission-monitoring system for transferring data from a first computer to a second computer, comprising:

a first computer configured to generate a first message containing a first software variable having a first site-specific value, the first site-specific value indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event has occurred;

a second computer operably coupled to the first computer, the first computer further configured to transmit the first message to the second computer, the second computer further configured to store the first site-specific value in a first record of a first database, the first record being associated with the first software variable, the second computer further configured to determine whether the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, wherein when the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, the second computer is configured to generate a second software variable having both a second predetermined name and a value equal to a first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, wherein when the first site-specific value indicates that an event has not occurred, the second computer is configured to generate a third software variable having both the second predetermined name and a value equal to a second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred.

10. The emission-monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising:

a third computer operably coupled to the second computer, the third computer configured to generate a second message containing a fourth software variable having a second site-specific value, the second site-specific value indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event associated with the third computer has occurred;

the second computer being operably coupled to the third computer, the third computer further configured to transmit the second message to the second computer, the second computer further configured to store the second site-specific value in a fourth record of the first database, the fourth record being associated with the fourth software variable, the second computer further configured to determine whether the second site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred, wherein when the second site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred the second computer is configured to generate a fifth software variable having both a second predetermined name and a value equal to the first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, wherein when the second site-specific value indicates that an event has not occurred the second computer is configured to generate a sixth software variable having both the second predetermined name and a value equal to the second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred.

11. The emission-monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the fault event occurs when an emission monitoring device generates a measured value that is not substantially similar to a predetermined value when the emission monitoring device is monitoring a calibration gas.

12. The emission-monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the maintenance event corresponds to a value indicating that the first computer is non-operational.

13. The emission-monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the calibration event corresponds to a value indicating that the first computer is receiving calibration data from at least one emission sensor.

14. The emission-monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the first software variable has a site-specific software variable name.

15. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer storage medium having a computer program encoded therein

for transferring data in an emission-monitoring system from a first computer to a second computer, the computer storage medium comprising;

code for generating a first message containing a first software variable having a first site-specific value that is transmitted from the first computer to the second computer, the first site-specific value indicative of whether one of a fault event, a maintenance event, or a calibration event associated with the first computer has occurred;

code for receiving the first message at the second computer and storing the first site-specific value in a first record of a first database, the first record being associated with the first software variable;

code for determining whether the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred;

code for generating a second software variable having both a first predetermined name and a value equal to a first standardized value indicating that an event has occurred, if the first site-specific value indicates that an event has occurred; and

code for generating a third software variable having both the first predetermined name and a value equal to a second standardized value indicating that an event has not occurred.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the fault event occurs when an emission monitoring device generates a measured value that is not substantially similar to a predetermined value when the emission monitoring device is monitoring a calibration gas.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the maintenance event corresponds to a value indicating that the first computer is non-operational.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the calibration event corresponds to a value indicating that the first computer is receiving calibration data from at least one emission sensor.