Power generator and power generator auxiliary monitoring

• US 7,369,057 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Power Generation, Inc.
• Inventors: Twerdochlib, Michael, Bateman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LAM P
• Application Number:
  US11/197,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 340/584, 340628-632, 340/679, 250/370.01, 250/370.02, 250/374, 374141-152
• US Class Current: 340/679
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/11 to prolong engine life
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/303 Temperature

Abstract

A generator monitoring system and method includes a plurality of sensors (12) disposed within a generator enclosure (18) to sense health conditions of a generator (10) housed within the enclosure. The sensors are interconnected to provide a single communication path (14) for allowing communication with the plurality of sensors. A monitoring device (16) outside the generator enclosure receives health condition information from each of the plurality of sensors via the single communication path. A sensor may be disposed within the generator enclosure to detect particulates emitted from a monitored portion (e.g., 52) of the generator housed within the enclosure. A sensor may be disposed proximate a bus bar connection (130) of the generator to sense a health condition of the bus bar connection and generate corresponding health condition information provided to the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A generator monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of sensors disposed within a generator enclosure to sense a plurality of health conditions of a generator housed within the enclosure and serially interconnected via a bus architecture to provide a single communication path for allowing communication with the plurality of sensors, wherein the single communication path is configured for providing a reduced number of conductors compared to a number of conductors that would be required if the sensors were wired in parallel; and

a monitoring device disposed outside the generator enclosure receiving health condition information from each of the plurality of sensors via the single communication path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises:

a detector generating a signal responsive to a health condition of the generator; and

a processor disposed within the enclosure processing the signal to generate health condition information.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a memory disposed within the enclosure in communication with the processor for storing the health condition information.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter disposed within the enclosure in communication with the processor for transmitting the health condition information to the monitoring device via the single communication path.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the detector comprises an ion detector, an acoustic detector, a radio frequency detector, an ozone detector, or a temperature detector.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors limit the respective health information provided to the monitoring device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors limit the respective health information to health information indicative of a failure condition.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors provide health information when requested by the monitoring device.

9. A generator comprising the system of claim 1.

10. A generator monitoring method comprising:

serially interconnecting a plurality of sensors disposed within a generator enclosure for detecting a plurality of health conditions of a generator housed within the enclosure so that a single communication path is provided for allowing communication with the plurality of sensors, wherein the single communication path is configured for providing a reduced number of conductors compared to a number of conductors that would be required if the sensors were wired in parallel; and

providing a connection thru the enclosure for the single communication path to a monitoring device outside the generator enclosure.

11. A generator monitor comprising:

a sensor disposed within a generator enclosure to detect particulates emitted from a monitored portion of a generator housed within the enclosure due to overheating, the sensor further comprising;

a fluid sampler comprising a first flow path and a second flow path having a filter disposed therein in communication with the ion detector, and

a flow controller for selectively allowing an unfiltered sample and a filtered sample of a fluid to flow through respective flow paths to the ion detector to detect particulate concentration indicative of overheating by comparing filtered and unfiltered ion detections; and

a monitoring device outside the generator enclosure receiving the detected particulate concentration and providing an indication of a generator overheating condition.

12. The monitor of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises an ion detector generating a signal indicative of a particulate concentration.

13. The monitor of claim 11, wherein the monitor comprises a collector comprising a plurality of inlet points disposed proximate a corresponding plurality of different portions of the generator for collecting respective fluid samples and delivering the samples to the sensor.

14. A generator comprising the monitor of claim 11.

15. A generator monitoring method comprising:

disposing a particulate sensor within a generator enclosure proximate a portion of a generator housed within the enclosure being monitored for overheating;

providing an unfiltered sample of a fluid disposed proximate the portion of the generator to the sensor;

providing a filtered sample of the fluid disposed proximate the portion of the generator to the sensor;

generating, at the sensor, information responsive to a particulate emission indicative of overheating of the portion of the generator being monitored by comparing filtered and unfiltered sample sensor outputs; and

providing the information to a monitoring device outside of the generator enclosure.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising correlating the particulate information to a location of the sensor to determine the portion of the generator experiencing heating.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining when a particulate concentration of the unfiltered sample is higher than a particulate concentration of the filtered sample.