Plant operating apparatus and method

• US 7,269,463 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Junichi, Nagatsuka, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US10/682,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/17, 700 19- 20, 340/825.1, 340/540, 340/825, 370/352, 345/800, 702188-189, 702/113, 709/208, 709223-227
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23043 Remote and local control panel, programming unit, switch
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]

Abstract

In a CRT operation system for operation and monitoring of plant equipment in a plant worksite through a central control room and a network, an operation control personal computer is provided for monitoring and operating the plant equipment, and one or more wireless LAN transceivers or transmitting/receiving sections are provided to appropriate points in a patrol route around the plant equipment, for wireless communication with the operation control personal computer. The personal computer controls the plant equipment through a wireless transceiver and a network, and transmits therethrough information signals of on-site operation of the plant equipment to enable a display device and a sound/voice output device provided in the central control room.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating power plant equipment of a power plant worksite through a network by a remote control signal through wireless communication from the power plant worksite, said apparatus comprising:

a mobile operation terminal for inputting a signal of a requested operation of said power plant equipment and generating a radio wave signal of the input signal, said operation terminal being movable to an optional point of possible moving routes thereof at said power plant worksite;

a plurality of wireless transceivers located in the power plant worksite, with each of said wireless transceivers being located at a respective appropriate point of said routes in order for wireless communication with said mobile operation terminal by the generated radio wave; and

a control device connected to said power plant equipment and connected to said wireless transceivers and an operation device in a central control room via said network, wherein

the requested operation of said power plant equipment is effected under control of said control device enabled with a control signal transmitted from one of said wireless transceivers enabled with its receipt of the radio wave signal generated by said mobile operation terminal, wherein

operation of said power plant equipment is monitorable by said mobile operation terminal in a timely and immediate manner without contact with said central control room,

said operation device in the central control room is operatively configured to electrically connect to said wireless transceivers via the network to establish communication between said operation device and said mobile operation terminal through the network and the wireless transceiver,

said mobile operation terminal is operatively configured to issue an alternative to an operation request issued by said operation device to said control device through the wireless transceiver and the network to operate said power plant equipment without making contact with the central control room, and

said operation device in the central control room is operatively configured to display state information concerning the alternative operation request issued by said mobile operation terminal on a screen of said operation device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile operation terminal and the central control room are operatively arranged in parallel with said control device.

3. A method of operating power plant equipment of a power plant worksite, said method comprising operating the power plant equipment through a network;

inputting an equipment operation request signal to a mobile operation terminal movable along possible patrol routes in said power plant worksite;

carrying out wireless communication between the mobile operation terminal and at least one transceiver placed at appropriate points in the power plant worksite and each at least one transceiver being placed at a respective one of the appropriate points of said patrol routes for potential wireless communication with said operation terminal, wherein said at least one transceiver is adapted to electrically connect to said network, said mobile operation terminal is configured to establish communication with an operation device installed in a central control room through the transceiver and the network;

transmitting the equipment operation request signal through the wireless communication from said mobile operation terminal and via the network to control operation of said power plant equipment without making contact with the central control room, wherein said equipment operation request signal is an alternative to an operation request signal issued by said operation device so that said mobile operation terminal can control said power plant equipment instead of said operation device,

operation of said power plant equipment is monitorable by said mobile operation terminal in a timely and immediate manner without contact with said central control room, and

displaying state information concerning the alternative operation request signal issued by said mobile operation terminal on a screen of said operation device in the central control room.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mobile operation terminal and the central control room are operatively arranged in parallel with said control device.

5. In a system for operating power plant equipment, an apparatus for enabling remote operation control of said power plant equipment through wireless communication from a power plant worksite where said power plant equipment is placed, said apparatus comprising:

a mobile operation terminal for inputting a signal for requesting a control operation and generating a radio wave signal of the input signal, said mobile operation terminal being movable to any of optional points of its potential patrol routes in said power plant worksite;

a plurality of wireless transceivers located at appropriate points near said power plant equipment and each of said transceivers being located at a respective one of the appropriate points in said patrol routes that enables any one of said transceivers nearest to said mobile operation terminal moved to an optional point of said patrol routes to receive the radio wave signal generated by said mobile operation terminal to produce a control signal for the operation of said power plant equipment; and

a control device connected to said power plant equipment and an operation device in a central control room and said wireless transceivers through said network to receive the control signal produced from said one of said transceivers through said network and operate said power plant equipment in response to the received control signal, wherein the requested operation of said power plant equipment is effectuable from said mobile operation terminal located at any optional point in said power plant worksite instead of an operation control from said central control room wherein

operation of said power plant equipment is monitorable by said mobile operation terminal in a timely and immediate manner without contact with said central control room,

said operation device in the central control room is operatively configured to electrically connect to said wireless transceivers via the network to establish communication between said operation device and said mobile operation terminal through the network and the wireless transceiver,

said mobile operation terminal is operatively configured to issue an alternative to an operation request issued by said operation device to said control device through the wireless transceiver and the network to operate said power plant equipment without making contact with the central control room, and

said operation device in the central control room is operatively configured to display state information concerning the alternative operation request issued by said mobile operation terminal on a screen of said operation device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said mobile operation terminal includes means for displaying control data information which is the same as that displayed in said central control room.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the mobile operation terminal and the central control room are operatively arranged in parallel with said control device.

8. In a system for operating power plant equipment, a method of remotely controlling operation of the power plant equipment from any optional point of a power plant worksite where the power plant equipment is placed, the remote control being effected through wireless communication between a mobile operation terminal movable with an operator person to any optional point of potential patrol routes in the power plant worksite, and a plurality of transceivers located at the power plant worksite and connected to an operative device in a central control room and a control device through a network, said control device being connected to said power plant equipment, wherein said mobile operation terminal is configured to establish communication with said operation device in the central control room through the transceiver and the network comprising:

inputting a control request signal to the mobile operation terminal moved to an optional point of said patrol route for operation of the power plant equipment to generate and transmit a radio wave signal of the input request signal;

receiving the transmitted radio wave signal by one of said transceivers and generating a corresponding operation control signal, said one of said transceivers being as near as possible to said mobile operation terminal moved to said optional point of said patrol routes by the location of said transceivers each located at a respective appropriate point in said patrol routes, that enables any one of said transceivers nearest to said mobile operation terminal moved to an optional point of said patrol routes to receive the radio wave signal generated by said mobile operation terminal to produce a control signal for the operation of said power plant equipment;

transmitting the generated corresponding operation control signal to said control device via said network and said power plant equipment to control the operation of said power plant equipment without making contact with the central control room, wherein said generated corresponding operation control signal is an alternative to a control request signal issued by said operation device so that said mobile operation terminal can control said power plant equipment instead of said operation device,

operation of said power plant equipment is monitorable by said mobile operation terminal in a timely and immediate manner without contact with said central control room, and

displaying state information concerning the alternative control request signal issued by said mobile operation terminal on a screen of said operation device in the central control room.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising displaying control data information which is the same as that displayed in said central control room.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile operation terminal and the central control room are operatively arranged in parallel with said control device.