POWER MONITORING AND TESTING

• US 20090144010A1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Blue Pillar, Inc. (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Witter, Bradley Jay, Butler, Thomas Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring, managing, and testing power systems are disclosed. In various embodiments, a site server collects data from one or more generators, automatic transfer switches, sensors, and cameras at a site. The site server stores captured data and triggers alarm events when preselected limits are exceeded. The site server also enables users to configure, initiate, pause, resume, monitor, and abort scripted tests of the monitored entities. In some of these and other embodiments, an enterprise-wide server collects data from multiple site servers, makes the data available via a web-based or other client interface, and provides consolidated monitoring, alarm, test management, and management resources.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing an identifier for a first generator and an identifier for a second generator in a test script;

initiating a first test of the first generator by interpreting the test script via instructions executed by a processor;

monitoring progress of the first test;

displaying information to a user about the progress of the first test;

upon completion of the first test, automatically initiating a second test of the second generator;

monitoring progress of the second test; and

displaying information to the user about the progress of the second test.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing video showing the generator during the first test; and

displaying the video for the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a displaying of the video is integrated into a single display with at least one of the information about the progress of the first test and the information about the progress of the second test.

4. (canceled)

5. A system for displaying data about a plurality of electrical generators, comprising a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing programming instructions executable by the processor to present a graphical display that:

has at least a first and a second state;

in the first state comprises

a graphical depiction of the locations of a first plurality of electrical generators, and

at least one graphical indicator that communicates information about the operational status of the first plurality of electrical generators; and

in the second state comprises

a graphical depiction of the location of a subset of the first plurality of electrical generators, and

at least one graphical indicator that communicates information about the operational status of the subset of the first plurality of electrical generators; and

responds when in the first state to particular user input by changing to the second state.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the programming instructions are further executable by the processor to:

accept an image from a user; and

use the image as a background for the graphical depiction in the second state.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphical depiction in at least one of the first state and the second state is a map.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphical depiction in at least one of the first state and the second state is a schematic diagram.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphical depiction in at least one of the first state and the second state is a photograph.

10. An electrical equipment test and monitoring system, comprising:

one or more sensors that detect the status of one or more generators;

a video capture device that captures a sequence of images over time, each image showing at least part of the one or more generators; and

a display in communication with the one or more sensors and the video capture device, wherein the display presents to a user an integrated view of the sequence of images and data characterizing the detected status of the one or more generators.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the capture of at least one image in the sequence of images is triggered by a command that is issued by the user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors are integrated with the one or more generators.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrated view shows the data in a display region adjacent to the video.

14. The system of claim 10,

further comprising a controller that can initiate a test of the generator when so commanded by the user, and

wherein the system only facilitates initiation of the test by user command when the integrated view is being shown to the user.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the one or more sensors detect a plurality of operational parameters of the generator; and

the data in the integrated view characterizes one or more measurements selected from the plurality of operational parameters.

16-22. -22. (canceled)