Systems and methods projecting available runtimes of emergency power supply systems

• US 20130158893A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blue Pillar, Inc. (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Blue Pillar, Inc. (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Witter, Bradley Jay, Butler, Thomas Joseph, Scoufis, Joseph J., Reichel, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US13/691,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158893A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/006 measuring volume in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/10 Complex mathematical operations function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• 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 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for managing and monitoring a plurality of emergency power supply systems (EPSS'"'"'s) at a facility via an emergency power management system (EPMS). The EPMS generally comprises EPSS equipment, a management computer system for managing, monitoring, and testing the operational characteristics of the EPSS equipment, and a plurality of interface modules for providing unified communication capabilities between the management computer system and the EPSS equipment. Additional aspects relate to methods for easily and efficiently creating and installing an EPMS at a facility. Further aspects are directed to providing predictive analyses related to the EPSS equipment. Also, aspects of the present disclosure relate to normalizing EPSS equipment information across varying vendors, makes, and models of equipment so as to provide a unified view of all equipment across a given facility.

Claims

75. A method for predicting an available run-time for one or more items of emergency power supply system (EPSS) equipment based on one or more actual fuel consumption rates and an actual fuel level within a fuel tank supplying the one or more items of EPSS equipment, comprising the steps of:

providing a management computer system that is coupled for data communications with the one or more items of EPSS equipment;

providing fuel metering equipment that is operatively connected to the one or more items of EPSS equipment and to the management computer system, wherein the fuel metering equipment records a fuel consumption rate for each item of EPSS equipment and transmits each fuel consumption rate to the management computer system;

monitoring the actual fuel level in the fuel tank;

when at least one item of EPSS equipment is running, receiving one or more actual fuel consumption rates at the management computer system from the fuel metering equipment for the at least one item of EPSS equipment;

calculating the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment based on the actual fuel level in the fuel tank and the one or more actual fuel consumption rates for the at least one item of EPSS equipment; and

displaying the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment to a user via a user interface.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the step of calculating the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment comprises dividing the actual fuel level in the fuel tank by the one or more actual fuel consumption rates.

77. The method of claim 75, wherein the available run-time comprises the estimated time remaining until all fuel in the fuel tank will be used by the at least one item of EPSS equipment when the at least one item of EPSS equipment is running.

78. The method of claim 75, wherein the one or more items of EPSS equipment are comprised of generators.

79. The method of claim 75, further comprising the steps of:

storing the actual fuel consumption rates for each item of EPSS equipment in a database within the management computer system;

determining the average fuel consumption rates for each item of EPSS equipment based on the stored actual fuel consumption rates over time;

under an assumption that all of the one or more items of EPSS equipment that are connected to the management computer system are running, calculating a total available run-time based on a combined average fuel consumption rate for all of the one or more items of EPSS equipment; and

displaying the total available run-time for all of the one or more items of EPSS equipment to the user via the user interface.

80. The method of claim 75, wherein the available run-time is continuously recalculated based on changing actual fuel consumption rates and the actual fuel level in the fuel tank.

81. The method of claim 75, wherein the fuel metering equipment comprises a fuel flow sensor.

82. The method of claim 75, further comprising the step of automatically ordering more fuel for the fuel tank when the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment falls below a predetermined value.

83. The method of claim 75, further comprising the step of providing one or more interface modules for facilitating the data communications between the fuel metering equipment and the management computer system.

84. A method for predicting an available run-time for one or more items of emergency power supply system (EPSS) equipment based on previously-collected fuel consumption data and an actual fuel level within a fuel tank supplying the EPSS equipment, comprising the steps of:

providing a management computer system that is coupled for data communications with the one or more items of EPSS equipment;

during times of operation, receiving fuel consumption data at the management computer system from the one or more items of EPSS equipment as a function of a particular load being powered by each item of EPSS equipment;

storing the received fuel consumption data in a database within the management computer system;

determining a plurality of average fuel consumption rates for each item of EPSS equipment for varying loads based on the stored fuel consumption data;

monitoring the actual fuel level in the fuel tank;

when at least one item of EPSS equipment is running, receiving current load data at the management computer system for the at least one item of EPSS equipment;

calculating the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment based on the actual fuel level, the current load data, and the average fuel consumption rate for the at least one item of EPSS equipment corresponding to the current load data; and

displaying the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment to a user via a user interface.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein the step of calculating the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment comprises dividing the actual fuel level in the fuel tank by the average fuel consumption rate for the at least one item of EPSS equipment.

86. The method of claim 84, wherein the available run-time comprises the estimated time remaining until all fuel in the fuel tank will be used by the at least one item of EPSS equipment when the at least one item of EPSS equipment is running.

87. The method of claim 84, wherein the one or more items of EPSS equipment are comprised of generators.

88. The method of claim 84, wherein the fuel consumption data comprises actual fuel consumption by the one or more items of EPSS equipment over time for the particular load.

89. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of calculating a total available run-time based on an assumption that all of the one or more items of EPSS equipment that are connected to the management computer system are running and powering a total potential load.

90. The method of claim 84, wherein the available run-time is continuously recalculated based on changing load data and the actual fuel level.

91. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of automatically ordering more fuel for the fuel tank when the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment falls below a predetermined value.

92. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of providing one or more interface modules for facilitating the data communications between the one or more items of EPSS equipment and the management computer system.

93-219. -219. (canceled)