Energy system modeling apparatus and methods

• US 20070168174A1
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Williams, Scott, Ong'iro, Alfred, Davari, Bijan, Pechtl, Peter, McDonald, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for modeling and/or improving operational performance of an energy system includes providing a graphical user interface configured to allow a user to manipulate equipment icons into an energy system model representation, using modular, piece-wise linear equipment models to simulate non-linear behavior of equipment represented by the manipulated equipment icons to solve an energy system model represented by the manipulation, and displaying a solution of the energy system model.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for modeling and/or improving operational performance of an energy system, said method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface configured to allow a user to manipulate equipment icons into an energy system model representation;

using modular, function-based equipment models to simulate behavior of a plurality of physical components represented by the manipulated equipment icons to solve an energy system model represented by said manipulation;

receiving a signal from at least one sensor coupled to at least one physical component for receiving data from the at least one physical component, wherein the signal contains information about at least one condition of the at least one physical component;

using the information received from the at least one sensor to generate a solution to the energy system model; and

displaying the solution of the energy system model.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said modular, function-based equipment models are piece-wise linear functions configured to simulate non-linear behavior of the plurality of physical components.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said solving the energy system model further comprises performing a mixed integer linear programming optimization utilizing the piece-wise linear equipment models.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said piece-wise linear equipment models each represent an item of energy system equipment, a section thereof, or a pipeline element, and wherein the graphical user interface further includes icons representing economic modules, and said simulation further includes using the economic modules to solve the energy system model.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein each said piece-wise linear equipment model includes at least one member of the group consisting of equations and constraints.

6. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the energy system is a combined-cycle power plant, a cogeneration power plant or a district heating model power plant.

7. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the energy system model is a model of a gas pipeline or liquid pipeline system.

8. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the energy system model is a model of a chemical process plant.

9. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the energy system model is a model of a power plant or a process plant.

10. A computer system having at least a display, a pointing device, one or more processors, and memory, said memory having stored therein a set of instructions configured to instruct the processor or processors to:

display a graphical user interface of icons;

accept input from a pointing device to manipulate equipment icons into an energy system model representation;

use modular, function-based equipment models to simulate behavior of a plurality of physical components represented by the manipulated equipment icons to solve the energy system model representation;

receive a signal from at least one sensor coupled to at least one physical component for receiving data from the at least one physical component, wherein the signal contains information about at least one condition of the at least one physical component;

use the information received from the at least one sensor to generate a solution to the energy system model; and

display the solution of the energy system model.

11. A computer system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said modular, function-based equipment models are piece-wise linear functions configured to simulate non-linear behavior of the plurality of physical components.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said instructions configured to instruct the processor or processors to solve the energy system model further comprise instructions to perform a mixed integer linear programming optimization utilizing the piece-wise linear equipment models.

13. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said piece-wise linear equipment models each represent an item of energy system equipment, a section thereof, or an element of a pipeline.

14. A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein each of said piece-wise linear equipment models include at least one member of the group consisting of equations and constraints.

15. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein the graphical user interface further includes icons representing economic modules, and said simulation includes using the economic modules to solve the energy system model.

16. A machine readable medium readable for use with a computer system having at least a display, a pointing device, one or more processors, and memory, said medium having recorded thereon a set of instructions configured to instruct the processor or processors to:

display a graphical user interface of icons;

accept input from the pointing device to manipulate equipment icons into an energy system model representation;

use modular, function-based equipment models to simulate behavior of a plurality of physical components represented by the manipulated equipment icons to solve the energy system model representation;

receive a signal from at least one sensor coupled to at least one physical component for receiving data from the at least one physical component, wherein the signal contains information about at least one condition of the at least one physical component;

use the information received from the at least one sensor to generate results to the energy system model; and

display the results of the energy system model.

17. A medium in accordance with claim 16 wherein said modular, function-based equipment models are piece-wise linear functions configured to simulate non-linear behavior of the plurality of physical components.

18. A medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein said instructions configured to instruct the processor or processors to solve the energy system model further comprise instructions to perform a mixed integer linear programming optimization utilizing the piece-wise linear equipment models.

19. A medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein the piece-wise linear equipment models each represent an item of energy system equipment, a section thereof, or an element of a pipeline.

20. A medium in accordance with claim 19 wherein each said piece-wise linear equipment model includes at least one member of the group consisting of equations and constraints, the graphical user interface further includes icons representing economic modules, said simulation further includes using the economic modules to solve the energy system model, and instructions are further configured to instruct said processor or processors to utilize non-linear formulations for a part of an energy system model and mixed linear/integer formulations for other parts.