Methods and systems for energy and emissions monitoring

• US 6,732,055 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Salvo, Joseph James, DeRose, Lynn Ann, Kim, Bang Mo, Bagepalli, Srinivas Krishnasnamy, Wight, Tara Healy, Hung, Stephen Lan-Sun
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US09/682,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 702/30-32, 702/22-24, 702/27, 702/60-62, 702/122, 702/179, 702/181, 702/182, 702/183, 702/187, 702/188, 702/1, 702/FOR.139, 702/FOR.155, 702/FOR.170, 702/FOR.171, 702/FOR-115, 702/FOR.134, 702/FOR.135, 73/232, 73/233.6, 700/266, 700/291, 700/274, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.16, 340/632, 340/5.9, 705/412, 705/8.37, 706/904-907, 706/912-915, 706/930, 706/934, 422/62, 422/82.04, 422/89
• US Class Current: 702/32
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and processes are disclosed for determining emissions outputs. One method communicates with a communications network and acquires at least one of energy usage information associated with sources of emissions and emissions information associated with sources of emissions. The energy usage information and the emissions information is acquired as each occurs in real time. The method reports emissions outputs based upon the acquired real time information. Another method communicates with a communications network and acquires at least one of energy usage information associated with sources of emissions and emissions information associated with sources of emissions. This embodiment stores the acquired information as each occurs in real time. Emissions outputs are reported for the industrial process, the emissions outputs based upon the acquired real time information.

Claims

1. A method of determining emissions outputs from an industrial process, comprising:

communicating with a communications network; and

acquiring at least one of energy usage information associated with sources of emissions and emissions information associated with sources of emissions, the energy usage information and the emissions information acquired as each occurs in real time or near real time;

deriving a mathematical model based upon at least one of the energy usage information and at least one of the emissions information;

determining emissions according to said mathematical model from real time or near real time energy usage information, wherein emissions are determined according to a transfer function that sums approximate emissions from a constant emission source model and emissions according to an amount of usage of a variable emission source wherein the constant emission source model is periodically updated and the amount of usage of the variable emission source is periodically measured and

reporting the emissions over the communications network.

2. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising forecasting future emissions outputs based upon the emissions information.

3. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising forecasting future emissions outputs based upon the energy usage information.

4. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the acquired information over the communications network to a regulatory agency.

5. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the emissions outputs over the communications network to a regulatory agency.

6. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the acquired information over the communications network to participants in a system for buying and selling emissions allowances.

7. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the emissions outputs over the communications network to participants in a system for buying and selling emissions allowances.

8. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising formatting the acquired information to the requirements of a regulatory agency.

9. A method of determining emissions outputs according to claim 1, further comprising formatting the emissions outputs to the requirements of a regulatory agency.

10. An industrial process, comprising:

an emissions source producing pollutant emissions;

at least one of i) an energy usage monitor for monitoring energy usage of the emissions source in real time and ii) an emissions monitor for monitoring emissions produced by the emissions source in real time, the energy usage monitor generating energy usage information and the emissions monitor generating emissions information; and

a communications network acquiring at least one of the energy usage information and the emissions information, the communications network communicating the energy usage information and the emissions information to a processor having a set of instructions to derive emissions information according to a transfer function that sums approximate emissions from a constant emission source model and emissions according to an amount of usage of a variable emission source wherein the constant emission source model is periodically updated and the amount of usage of the variable emission source is periodically measured.

11. An industrial process according to claim 10, wherein the energy usage monitor monitors at least one of electrical usage, natural gas usage, fuel oil usage, coal usage, and gasoline usage.

12. An industrial process according to claim 10, wherein the emissions monitor monitors at least one of NO_X, SO_X, CH₄, N₂O, CO₂, and CO.

13. A system configured for predicting emissions from an emissions source, the system comprising:

an Emissions Monitoring Module acquiring at least one of energy usage information and emissions information, the energy usage information associated with energy used by the emissions source, and the emissions information associated with emissions outputs produced by the emissions source;

a memory storage device storing the acquired information; and

a processor having a set of instructions to derive a mathematical model based upon the acquired information and to generate emissions outputs for the emissions source based upon the mathematical model and acquired information;

wherein the processor has a set of instructions to generate the emissions outputs according to a transfer function that sums approximate emissions from a constant emission source model and emissions according to an amount of usage of a variable emission source wherein the constant emission source model is periodically updated and the amount of usage of the variable emission source is periodically measured.

14. A computer program product on a computer readable medium in a data processing system for determining emissions outputs from an industrial process, the computer program product comprising instructions for:

(i) communicating with a communications network, (ii) acquiring at least one of energy usage information associated with a variable source of emissions and acquiring emissions information associated with substantially constant sources of emissions, the energy usage information and the emissions information acquired as each occurs in real time, (iii) deriving a constant emission source model based upon the acquired emissions information and (iv) determining emissions outputs according to a transfer function that sums an amount of the at least one of energy usage information of the variable emission source and approximate emissions from the constant emission source model wherein usage of the variable emission source is periodically measured and the constant emission source model is periodically updated; and

reporting the emissions outputs based upon the acquired real time information.

15. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for forecasting future emissions outputs based upon the emissions information.

16. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for forecasting future emissions outputs based upon the energy usage information.

17. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for communicating the acquired information over the communications network to a regulatory agency.

18. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for communicating the emissions outputs over the communications network to a regulatory agency.

19. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for communicating the acquired information over the communications network to participants in a system for buying and selling emissions allowances.

20. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for communicating the emissions outputs over the communications network to participants in a system for buying and selling emissions allowances.

21. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for formatting the acquired information to the requirements of a regulatory agency.

22. A computer program product for determining emissions outputs according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for formatting the emissions outputs to the requirements of a regulatory agency.

23. A method of determining and communicating emissions information, comprising:

acquiring present values of i) energy usage information and ii) emissions information, the energy usage information associated with sources of emissions, and the emissions information associated with sources of emissions;

deriving from the acquired information, a mathematical model for determining emissions from the energy usage information associated with sources of emissions, and the emissions information associated with sources of emissions; and

determining emissions on a real time or near real time basis from application of the mathematical model to real time or near real time energy usage information wherein emissions on a real time or near real time basis are determined according to a transfer function that sums approximate emissions from a constant emission source model and emissions according to an amount of usage of a variable emission source wherein the constant emission source model is periodically updated and the amount of usage of the variable emission source is periodically measured; and

communicating the emissions over a communications network.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising displaying an image representing determined emissions associated with real time or near real time energy usage.