Radio frequency communications network for power plant control systems

• US 6,658,850 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tomlinson, Harold W. Jr., Travaly, Andrew J., Sexton, Daniel W., Arrao, Anthony S., House, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter, Sheldon J.
• Application Number:
  US10/065,634
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 606/46, 606/57
• US Class Current: 60/646
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 13/02 Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/00 Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31257 Redundant wireless links
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31437 Monitoring, global and local alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33235 Redundant communication channels, processors and signal processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A system and method for establishing communications in a power plant comprises a power generation system having an interface for establishing wireless communication, at least one power plant auxiliary system having an interface for enabling wireless communication, and a wireless communications link, having at least two redundant wireless communications channels, established between the power generation system and the power plant auxiliary system. The two redundant wireless communications channels may be two redundant wireless radio frequency channels. The communications link may be established utilizing a network communications controller which wirelessly communicates with the power generation system and the power plant auxiliary system. One or more of the power plant auxiliary systems may communicate with the network communications controller through a repeater.

Claims

1. A method of providing communication in a power plant, the method comprising:

providing a power generation system having an interface enabling wireless communication;

providing at least one power plant auxiliary system having an interface for enabling wireless communication; and

establishing a wireless communications link between the power generation system and the power plant auxiliary system, the wireless communications link having at least two redundant wireless communications channels.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two redundant wireless communications channels are at least two redundant radio frequency channels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications link is established utilizing a network communications controller which wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power generation system and wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power plant auxiliary system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the communications network controller wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power plant auxiliary system through a repeater which wirelessly communicates with the network communications controller and wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power plant auxiliary system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the repeater wirelessly and separately communicates with a plurality of interfaces of a plurality of respective separate power plant auxiliary systems, each respective communications link between the separate power plant auxiliary systems and the power generation system having at least two redundant wireless channels.

6. A system comprising:

a power generation system having an interface for enabling wireless communication;

at least one power plant auxiliary system having an interface for enabling wireless communication; and

a wireless communications link established between the power generation system and the power plant auxiliary system, the wireless communications link having at least two redundant wireless communications channels.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least two redundant wireless communications channels are at least two redundant wireless radio frequency channels.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the communications link is established utilizing a network communications controller which wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power generation system and wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power plant auxiliary system.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the network communications controller wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power plant auxiliary system through a repeater which wirelessly communicates with the network communications controller and wirelessly communicates with the interface of the power plant auxiliary system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the repeater wirelessly and separately communicates with a plurality of interfaces of a plurality of respective separate power plant auxiliary systems, each respective communications link between the separate power plant auxiliary systems and the power generation system having at least two redundant wireless channels.

11. A power generation system comprising:

a power generator; and

a turbine coupled to the power generator;

wherein at least one of the power generator and turbine includes an interface for remotely and simultaneously transmitting or receiving at least two redundant wireless signals having different respective frequencies over a wireless communication link.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least two redundant wireless signals are radio frequency signals having different respective frequencies.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the two redundant wireless signals are remotely transmitted to or received from a network communications controller.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the two redundant wireless signals relate to communications with a power plant auxiliary system.

15. A power plant auxiliary system comprising:

a controller for controlling a parameter of the power plant auxiliary system; and

an interface, operatively connected to the controller, for remotely and simultaneously transmitting or receiving at least two redundant wireless signals having different respective frequencies over a wireless communications link.

16. The power plant auxiliary system of claim 15 wherein the at least two redundant wireless signals are radio frequency signals having different frequencies.

17. The power plant auxiliary system of claim 15 wherein the two redundant wireless signals are remotely communicated to/from a network communications controller.

18. The power plant auxiliary system of claim 15 wherein the two redundant wireless signals relate to communications with at least one component of a power generation system.