Method for providing power plant maintenance services

• US 6,768,970 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimizu, Satoru, Maruyama, Yoshio, Kimura, Tooru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/458,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 702/45, 702/50, 702/55, 702/113, 702/114, 702/182-185, 702/187, 702/188, 376/215-217, 340/3.31, 340/3.32, 700/9, 700/32, 700/83, 700/287
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0256 injecting test signals and analyzing monitored process response, e.g. injecting the test signal while interrupting the normal operation of the monitored system; superimposing the test signal onto a control signal during normal operation of the monitored system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location

Abstract

An objective is to quickly provide appropriate maintenance services at low costs during routine inspection procedures and/or upon occurrence of abnormal events at thermal power plants or stations.

In a thermal power plant maintenance system comprising a control device 1 for control of operation conditions and process amounts of plant equipment and a maintenance tool 2 operatively linked to the control device 1 via a network 7 for performing maintenance of a controlling controller 11 as built in the control device 1, the system further comprises a remote maintenance device 3 that executes similar functions to those offered by the maintenance tool 2 for bidirectionally transferring plant data along with data concerning the controlling controller 11'"'"'s status via a communications line 8 between the maintenance tool 2 and the remote maintenance device 3 to thereby provide maintenance services of the thermal power plant of interest.

Claims

1. A thermal power plant maintenance service provision method for use with a thermal power plant maintenance system comprising a control device for control of an operation state and process amount of plant equipment and a maintenance tool operatively coupled via a network to said control device for performing maintenance of a controlling controller as built in said control device, characterized in that the system further comprises a remote maintenance device for executing a similar function to that of said maintenance tool, and that the method provides a thermal power plant maintenance service for permitting bidirectional transmission of plant data and data concerning a state of said controlling controller via said communication line between said maintenance tool and said remote maintenance device, and a maintenance service providing person directly modifies more than one control parameter or control circuitry within said controlling controller via said communication line and said maintenance tool and said network.

2. The thermal power plant maintenance service provision method as recited in claim 1, characterized by providing a maintenance service wherein upon occurrence of an obstruction at said controlling controller said remote maintenance device receives error log information of said controlling controller from said maintenance tool via said communication line, wherein a maintenance service providing person analyzes said error log information at said remote maintenance device to thereby prepare an obstruction recovery procedure, and wherein data of said obstruction recovery procedure is sent toward said maintenance tool via said communication line to thereby visually display said obstruction recovery procedure on a monitor of said maintenance tool.

3. The thermal power plant maintenance service provision method as recited in claim 2, characterized by providing a maintenance service wherein upon occurrence of an obstruction at said controlling controller said remote maintenance device receives from said maintenance tool via said communication line a signal indicative of occurrence of the obstruction at said controlling controller, wherein an error log acquisition request signal of said controlling controller is sent to said maintenance tool via said communication line, and wherein upon receipt of said error log acquisition request signal said maintenance tool is operable to automatically acquire the error log information of said controlling controller.

4. The thermal power plant maintenance service provision method as recited in claim 1, characterized by providing a maintenance service wherein during routine inspection of a thermal power plant said remote maintenance device is operable to receive test data from said maintenance tool via said communication line, wherein the maintenance service providing person edits, evaluates and prepares a control parameter update history for said test data at said remote maintenance device to thereby prepare a report, and wherein data of said report is sent toward said maintenance tool via said communication line.

5. The thermal power plant maintenance service provision method as recited in claim 1, characterized by providing a maintenance service wherein upon occurrence of an alarm due to plant control abnormality or upon issuance of a control failure search request through manipulation of said maintenance tool said remote maintenance device receives plant data from said maintenance tool via said communication line, wherein a maintenance service providing person analyzes and evaluates said plant data at said remote maintenance device for preparation of a report, and wherein data of said report is sent to said maintenance tool via said communication line.

6. The thermal power plant maintenance service providing method as recited in claim 1, characterized by providing a maintenance service wherein upon issuance of a plant operation monitor search request through manipulation of said maintenance tool said remote maintenance device receives plant data from said maintenance tool via said communication line, wherein a maintenance service providing person analyzes and evaluates said plant data at said remote maintenance device to thereby prepare a report, and wherein data of said report is sent to said maintenance tool via said communication line.

7. The thermal power plant maintenance service provision method as recited in claim 1, characterized by providing a maintenance service wherein upon occurrence of an obstruction at said controlling controller said remote maintenance device receives from said maintenance tool via said communication line a signal indicative of occurrence of the obstruction at said controlling controller, wherein an error log acquisition request signal of said controlling controller is sent to said maintenance tool via said communication line, and wherein upon receipt of said error log acquisition request signal said maintenance tool is operable to automatically acquire the error log information of said controlling controller.

8. A thermal power plant maintenance service provision method for use with a thermal power plant maintenance system comprising a control device for control of an operation state and process amount of plant equipment and a maintenance tool operatively coupled via a network to said control device for performing maintenance of a controlling controller as build in said control device, characterized in that the system further comprises a remote maintenance device for executing a similar function to that of said maintenance tool, wherein the control parameter or control circuitry of said controlling controller is revised through said communication line, said maintenance tool, and said network according to the data of the revision instruction transmitted from said remote maintenance device.

9. The thermal power plant maintenance service provision method as recited in claim 8, characterized by providing a maintenance service wherein said remote maintenance device transmits the report data that describes said revision of the control parameter or control circuitry to said maintenance tool via said communication line.

10. A thermal power plant maintenance service provision method for use with a thermal power plant maintenance system comprising a control device for control of an operation state and process amount of plant equipment and a maintenance tool operatively coupled via a network to said control device for performing maintenance of a controlling controller as built in said control device, characterized in that the system further comprises a remote maintenance device for executing a similar function to that of said maintenance tool, and that the method provides a thermal power plant maintenance service for permitting bidirectional transmission of plant data and data concerning a state of said controlling controller via said communication line between said maintenance tool and said remote maintenance device,

and providing a maintenance service wherein during routine inspection of a thermal power plant said remote maintenance device is operable to receive test data from said maintenance tool via said communication line, wherein a maintenance service providing person edits, evaluates and prepares a control parameter update history for said test data at said remote maintenance device to thereby prepare a report, and wherein data of said report is sent toward said maintenance tool via said communication line.