Systems, methods and computer program products for continuous emissions monitoring on-line

• US 7,181,320 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Company (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gong, Xiaoda, McDade, Timothy P., Ha, Khoi T., Lawson, William H., Whiffen, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard; Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masinick; Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US10/709,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/108, 700/110, 602/031, 702/60
• US Class Current: 700/286
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/52 Outage or fault management, e.g. fault detection or location

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products provide secure access to real-time emissions data from one or more power generating plants via a web-based interface. The user provides log-in information to gain a predefined level of access based on the inputted log-in information, and may access emissions data of one or more power generating plants located remotely with respect to the user. The user can utilize any suitable computing device with a suitable browser application to access the emissions data. Accordingly, the system is highly scalable, in both users and power generating plants being monitored.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to real-time emissions data over a distributed network, comprising:

receiving real-time emissions data associated with a first power generating plant;

receiving a request from a user to view at least one report, wherein the request is sent from a web browser;

generating a report based at least in part on the emissions data, wherein the report includes a plurality of real-time channel boxes, each for a corresponding channel and providing for that channel real-time measurement data, at least one running average and a relative indication of a current measurement value to at least one preset limit;

sending the report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser;

receiving a request from the user to view emissions data associated with a second power generating plant;

determining if the user is authorized to view emissions data associated with the second power generating plant; and

if the user is authorized, then providing the user with access to the emissions data associated with the second power generation plant.

2. The method of claim 1, where the step of generating the report is in response to the request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a plurality of reports.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the report includes at least one of historical data and real-time data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to view episode data, wherein the request is sent from a web browser;

generating a report presenting the requested episode data; and

sending the report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to view calibration data, wherein the request is sent from a web browser;

generating a report presenting the requested calibration data; and

sending the report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to view alarm data, wherein the request is sent from a web browser;

generating a report presenting the requested alarm data; and

sending the report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser.

8. A system that provides access to real-time emissions data over a distributed network, comprising:

a data collection device that receives real-time emissions data associated with a first power generating plant;

a web-based data acquisition and handling system (DAHS) module that receives the emissions data from the data collection device and generates reports based at least in part on the emissions data; and

at least one database that stores the emissions data and the reports;

wherein the web-based DAHS module is configured to receive a request from the user to view at least one report associated with the first power generating plant, and in response generates a web interface including the requested report and sends the web interface to the user for viewing with a browser application, wherein the report includes a plurality of real-time channel boxes, each for a corresponding channel and providing for that channel real-time measurement data, at least one running average and a relative indication of a current measurement value to at least one preset limit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the web-based DAHS module is configured to receive a request from the user to view emissions data associated with a second power generating plant, and in response determines if the user is authorized to view the emissions data associated with the second power generating plant, and if the user is authorized then providing the user with access to the emissions data associated with the second power generation plant.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one database includes one-minute logs of emission data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the report includes at least one of historical data and real-time data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the web-based DAHS module is configured to receive a request from a user to view episode data, wherein the request is sent from a web browser, generate a report presenting the requested episode data, and send the report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the web-based DAHS module is configured to receive a request from a user to view calibration data, wherein the request is sent from a web browser, generate a report presenting the requested calibration data, and send the report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the web-based DAHS module is configured to receive a request from a user to view alarm data, wherein the request is sent from a web browser, generate a report presenting the requested alarm data, and send the report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser.

15. A computer program product for providing access to real-time emissions data over a distributed network, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer-readable code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable code means comprising;

computer readable program code means for receiving real-time emissions data associated with a first power generating plant;

computer readable program code means for generating a plurality of reports based at least in part on the emissions data;

computer readable program code means for receiving a request from a user to view at least one of the reports, wherein the request is sent from a web browser; and

computer readable program code means for sending a report to the user, wherein the report is viewable with a web browser, wherein the report includes a plurality of real-time channel boxes, each for a corresponding channel and providing for that channel real-time measurement data, at least one running average and a relative indication of a current measurement value to at least one preset limit.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer readable program code means for receiving a request from the user to view emissions data associated with a second power generating plant;

computer readable program code means determining if the user is authorized to view emissions data associated with the second power generating plant; and

computer readable program code means for if the user is authorized, then providing the

user with access to the emissions data associated with the second power generation plant.