Method and apparatus for monitoring hydroelectric facility maintenance and environmental costs

• US 6,490,506 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tennessee Valley Authority (Government of the United States of America), Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation, Inc. (Voith GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Hydro Resource Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: March, Patrick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US09/316,687
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282-287, 700/288, 700/290-292, 700/6, 700/22, 700/295, 119/215, 119/219, 119/220, 405/52, 405/18, 405/80-87, 405/92, 322/15-17, 322/22, 322/23, 322/24, 322/37, 322/99-100, 290/7, 290/43-44, 290/52-55, 290/40.R, 290/40.C
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06

Abstract

A system for monitoring maintenance information in a hydroelectric power generation facility comprises sensors coupled to a controller. The sensors detect actual levels of operating parameters for a desired operating period at an operating condition. The detected parameters include a stressor capable of affecting a life span, or mean time between failures, of the turbine or one of its components. The controller determines the amount of the life span used up. A method for monitoring maintenance information in a power generation facility includes the steps of monitoring levels of operating parameters including a stressor for a desired operating period at an operating condition. The stressor affects the life span of the turbine or one of its components, and the amount of the life span used up over the operating period is calculated. A method for monitoring losses in a hydroelectric power generation facility operating to satisfy environmental constraints involves storing predetermined reference signals representative of desired turbine efficiencies over a range of operating levels in a memory circuit. Current levels of operating parameters are sensed while the facility is operating to satisfy the environmental constraints. A sensed parameter signal representative of a current turbine efficiency is generated from the sensed levels of operating parameters. The generated parameter signal is compared to the predetermined reference signals to determine an environmental efficiency loss signal.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring maintenance information in a hydroelectric power generation facility including at least one generating unit having turbine and generator components, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least one operating parameter continuously over an operating period at an operating condition, the at least one parameter including a stressor capable of affecting a life span, or mean time between failures, of the generating unit or one of its components;

calculating the amount of the life span used up at the operating condition subject to the stressor for the operating period; and

deriving a maintenance cost from the amount of the life span of the component or generating unit used up.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of reporting the amount of the life span used up to local or off-site personnel or systems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored operating period is unit time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored operating period is a multiple of unit time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stressor comprises at least one of vibration level, cavitation intensity, seal clearance, seal leakage, hydraulic inefficiency, measured mechanical stress, calculated mechanical stress, bearing loading, bearing temperature, bearing oil quality, and bearing oil quantity.

6. A method for monitoring maintenance information in a hydroelectric power generation facility including at least one generating unit having turbine and generator components, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least one operating parameter continuously over an operating period at an operating condition, the at least one parameter including a stressor capable of affecting a life span, or mean time between failures, of the generating unit or one of its components; and

calculating the amount of the life span used up at the operating condition subject to the stressor for the operating period, wherein the amount of the life span used up is calculated in accordance with the following relationship;

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the constants α

and β

are derived by solving a system of two equations in accordance with the following relationship;

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the values for L and S for the two equations are derived from a normal and an extreme operating condition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the values for L and S for the normal operating condition are derived from experience of maintenance personnel, from statistical analysis of plant data, or from numerical simulations.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the values of L and S for the extreme operating condition are derived from root-cause analyses of specific failure events or from on-line monitoring of operating data during failure events.

11. A method for monitoring maintenance information in a hydroelectric power generation facility including at least one generating unit having turbine and generator components, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least one operating parameter continuously over an operating period at an operating condition, the at least one parameter including a stressor capable of affecting a life span, or mean time between failures, of the generating unit or one of its components; and

calculating the amount of the life span used up at the operating condition subject to the stressor for the operating period,

further comprising the step of deriving a maintenance cost from the amount of the life span of the component or generating unit used up, wherein the maintenance cost is derived in accordance with the following relationship;

12. A system for monitoring maintenance information in a hydroelectric power generation facility including at least one generating unit having turbine and generator components, the system comprising:

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being situated in the facility to detect actual levels of at least one operating parameter for a desired operating period at an operating condition, the at least one parameter including a stressor capable of affecting a life span, or mean time between failures, of the generating unit or one of its components; and

a controller coupled to the at least one sensor, the controller determining the amount of the life span used up at the operating condition subject to the stressor for the operating period,

wherein the controller is programmed to derive a maintenance cost from the amount of the life span of the component or generating unit used up.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller includes a programmed computer.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an operator interface coupled to the controller, the controller displaying on the operator interface idicia representative of the life span used up.

15. A system for monitoring maintenance information in a hydroelectric power generation facility including at least one generating unit having turbine and generator components, the system comprising:

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being situated in the facility to detect actual levels of at least one operating parameter for a desired operating period at an operating condition, the at least one parameter including a stressor capable of affecting a life span, or mean time between failures, of the generating unit or one of its components; and

a controller coupled to the at least one sensor, the controller determining the amount of the life span used up at the operating condition subject to the stressor for the operating period,

wherein the controller includes a programmed computer that is programmed to determine the amount of the life span used up in accordance with the following relationship;

16. A method for monitoring losses in a hydroelectric power generation facility, the facility capable of operating to satisfy environmental constraints, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory circuit a set of predetermined reference signals representative of desired turbine efficiencies over a range of operating levels;

operating the facility to satisfy the environmental constraints;

sensing current levels of operating parameters while the facility is operating to satisfy the environmental constraints;

generating a sensed parameter signal from the sensed levels of operating parameters representative of a current turbine efficiency;

comparing the generated parameter signal to the predetermined reference signals to determine an environmental efficiency loss signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined reference signals are derived by operating the facility without attempting to satisfy the environmental constraints and sensing a plurality of operating parameters at each operating level from which turbine efficiency is calculable.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of operating parameters include at least power generation level, flow rate through the facility, and head across the facility.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined reference signals are derived by model testing.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the turbine efficiency at each operating level is represented by a set of operating parameters including at least power generation level, flow rate through the facility, and head across the facility.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the set of predetermined reference signals is stored in an N-dimensional array, where N is the total number of operating parameters.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the environmental constraint involves supplying an oxygen containing gas to water flowing through the facility to enhance a level of dissolved oxygen in the water.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of applying an economic cost factor to the environmental efficiency loss signal to generate an economic cost estimate value, the economic cost estimate value representing an additional economic cost of operation of the facility to satisfy the environmental constraints.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the economic cost estimate value is calculated by taking the product of the environmental efficiency loss, facility power level, number of time units of operation, and a cost of energy per time unit.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the economic cost factor includes a unitized market value for energy produced by the facility.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the economic cost factor is accessed from an external data source through a communications link at the facility.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the economic cost factor is an average value for energy produced by the facility over a predetermined historical period.