System and method for monitoring degradation

• US 7,571,057 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Badami, Vivek Venugopal, D'Amato, Fernando Javier, Kumar, Jitendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta; Elias
• Application Number:
  US11/228,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 702 33- 35, 702/90, 702/98, 702/99, 702/104, 702/113, 702183-184, 701/100, 701/29, 731/16, 731/160.3, 700/287, 700/274, 415/118, 415/61
• US Class Current: 702/33
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0254 based on a quantitative model, e.g. mathematical relationships between inputs and outputs; functions: observer, Kalman filter, residual calculation, Neural Networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0278 Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA

Abstract

A degradation monitoring system including: a machine; a sensor affixed to the machine, the sensors measuring a operational parameters of the machine; a set of filters receptive of information about the machine from the sensors and the filters responsively generate status signals; and comparators for comparing the status signals to stored signals, wherein the comparators indicate at least one of a presence of degradation of the machine, or a cause of degradation of the machine.

Claims

1. A degradation monitoring system comprising:

a sensor, said sensor measuring an operational parameter of a machine;

a filter receptive of information about said machine from said sensor and said filter responsively generates a status signal; and

a comparator for comparing said status signal to a stored degradation signal, wherein said comparator indicates a presence of degradation of said machine and a cause of the degradation of said machine to provide the degradation monitoring.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said operational parameter comprises at least one of a pressure, a temperature, metal temperatures of a component of a turbine, steam valve position, and a steam quality or flow.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said stored degradation signal is a threshold value, said threshold value is a minimum value indicative of degradation in said machine.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional stored degradation signal, wherein said stored degradation signals are degradation signature signals, said degradation signature signals are indicative of responses of said filter to specific forms of degradation in real time, and wherein said comparator continuously compares said status signal to said degradation signature signals in real time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said cause of degradation comprises at least one of:

a solid particle erosion;

a deposit buildup;

a foreign object damage; and

an increased clearance due to rubs.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said filter includes a Kalman-filter.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said machine is a turbine.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filter for at least one of erosion and deposit detection.

8. A method for monitoring turbine degradation comprising:

developing a physics-based model of a turbine, wherein said physics-based model includes a stored degradation signal;

monitoring an operational parameter of said turbine with a sensor;

processing said operational parameters received from said sensor, wherein said processing generates a status signal; and

comparing said status signal and said stored degradation signal, and detecting and indicating a presence of degradation of said turbine and a cause of degradation of said turbine to provide the monitoring of turbine degradation.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said operational parameter comprises at least one of a pressure, a temperature, metal temperatures of a component of the turbine, steam valve position, and a steam quality or flow.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said stored degradation signal is a threshold value, said threshold value is a minimum value indicative of degradation in said turbine.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said stored degradation signal is a degradation signature signal, said degradation signature signal is indicative of a response of said processing to a specific form of degradation.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said cause of degradation comprises at least one of:

a solid particle erosion;

a deposit buildup;

a foreign object damage; and

an increased clearance due to rubs.

13. A system for monitoring turbine degradation comprising:

means for developing a physics-based model of a turbine, wherein said physics-based model includes a stored degradation signal;

means for monitoring an operational parameter of said turbine;

means for generating a status signal responsive to said operational parameter of said turbine; and

means for comparing said status signal and said stored degradation signal to detect a presence of degradation of said turbine and a cause of degradation of said turbine to provide the monitoring of turbine degradation.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said operational parameter comprises at least one of a pressure, a temperature, and a steam flow.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said stored degradation signal is a threshold value, said threshold value is a minimum value indicative of degradation in said turbine.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said cause of degradation comprises at least one of:

a solid particle erosion;

a deposit buildup;

a foreign object damage; and

an increased clearance due to rubs.