Remote monitoring systems and methods

• US 8,749,372 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shell USA Incorporated (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Kong, James Po, Lickteig, Charles Anthony, Parchewsky, Robert Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMSON, SARA B
• Application Number:
  US12/664,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 340/500, 340/540
• US Class Current: 340/500
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves

Abstract

A method comprising selecting a piece of equipment to be monitored; selecting a plurality of operating parameters to monitor; calculating a deviation for each of the operating parameters; and calculating a composite index for the piece of equipment based on the deviations.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring operating equipment comprising:

selecting a piece of equipment to be monitored;

selecting a plurality of operating parameters of the piece of equipment to monitor;

obtaining a present value for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

defining an acceptable range for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

calculating a deviation percentage for each of the plurality of operating parameters based on the present value and the acceptable range for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

calculating a composite index for the piece of equipment using a summation of squares of each deviation percentage, wherein the summation is divided by a square root of a cardinality of the plurality of operating parameters to obtain the composite index;

and

presenting the composite index.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a warning range and a failure range for each of the operating parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining an acceptable range, a warning range, and a failure range for the composite index.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising alerting a user when the composite index is outside of the acceptable range for the composite index.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the composite index comprises displaying the composite index on a user interface.

6. A method of monitoring operating equipment comprising:

(a) selecting a piece of equipment to be monitored;

(b) selecting a plurality of operating parameters of the piece of equipment to monitor;

(c) obtaining a present value for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

(d) defining an acceptable range for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

(e) calculating a deviation percentage for each of the plurality of operating parameters based on the present value and the acceptable range for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

(f) calculating a composite index for the piece of equipment using a summation of squares of each deviation percentage, wherein the summation is divided by a square root of a cardinality of operating parameters to obtain the composite index;

(g) repeating steps (c), (d), (e), and (f) a plurality of times to obtain a set of composite indices;

(h) calculating a rate of change of the composite index using the set of composite indices; and

(i) presenting the rate of change of the composite index.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising defining a warning range and a failure range for each of the operating parameters.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising defining an acceptable range, a warning range, and a failure range for the composite index.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising alerting a user when the composite index is outside of the acceptable range for the composite index.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein presenting the rate of change of the composite index comprises displaying the rate of change of the composite index on a user interface.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for monitoring operating equipment, the instructions causing a processor to:

select a piece of equipment to be monitored;

select a plurality of operating parameters of the piece of equipment to monitor;

obtain a present value for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

define an acceptable range for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

calculate a deviation percentage for each of the plurality of operating parameters based on the present value and the acceptable range for each of the plurality of operating parameters;

calculate a composite index for the piece of equipment using a summation of squares of each deviation percentage, wherein the summation is divided by a square root of a cardinality of the plurality of operating parameters to obtain the composite index; and

present the composite index.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise functionality to define a warning range and a failure range for each of the operating parameters.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprising functionality to define an acceptable range, a warning range, and a failure range for the composite index.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise functionality to alert a user when the composite index is outside of the acceptable range for the composite index.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein functionality to present the composite index comprises functionality to display the composite index on a user interface.