System and method for monitoring and alerting on equipment errors

• US 9,019,124 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schiff, Garrett Linn, Gilbert, James Anthony, Krupenas, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/723,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.16, 340/506, 340/679, 340/680, 340/682, 340/683, 340/3.1, 340/3.43, 340/5.1, 702/182, 702/183, 702/184, 702/185
• US Class Current: 340/870.16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/14 Quality control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed herein for monitoring and alerting on equipment errors. A server may receive data on a periodic basis. The data is indicative of operational states of at least one machine. The server may then analyze a quality issue associated with the received data over an alert period greater than one day, determine a type of the quality issue, and generate a warning message including an indication of the quality issue and the type of the quality issue.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and alerting on equipment errors, the method comprising:

receiving data on a periodic basis, the data being indicative of operational states of at least one machine;

analyzing a quality issue associated with the received data over an alert period greater than one day;

determining a type of the quality issue; and

generating a warning message including an indication of the quality issue and the type of the quality issue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising servicing the at least one machine to correct the quality issue in response to the warning message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received data includes an indication of an amount of time for which the machine has operated in the alert period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received data includes values of a plurality counters indicative of a number of hours for which the machine has operated in a plurality of predetermined states.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein analyzing the quality issue associated with the received data further comprises determining whether the received data is missing a portion.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein analyzing the quality issue associated with the received data includes characterizing the received data in accordance with the operational states of the at least one machine.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein analyzing the quality issue associated with the received data includes comparing at least two portions of the received data collected at different times.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a step change in the values of the counters based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the values of the counters include:

a value of a running counter indicative of a number of hours for which the machine has been in service; and

a value of a start counter indicative of a number of times for which the machine has been started.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the data from a plurality of gas turbine engine systems.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the data from a data logging device on the periodic basis, wherein the periodic basis is adjustable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert period includes a plurality of days.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one machine includes a fleet of machines.

14. The method of claim 13, further including customizing the alert period for an individual machine of the fleet of machines.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting the data from the fleet of machines to a data logging device; and

receiving the data from the data logging device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the fleet of machines is stationary.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning message is indicative of equipment errors occurring within the alert period.

18. A system for monitoring and alerting on equipment errors, the system comprising:

a data logging device configured to receive and store data from at least one machine, the data being indicative of operational states of the at least one machine; and

a server configured to;

receive the data from the logging device on a periodic basis;

analyze a quality issue associated with the received data over an alert period greater than one day;

determining a type of the quality issue; and

generate a warning message including an indication of the quality issue and the type of the quality issue.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one machine includes a fleet of gas turbine engine systems.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the gas turbine engine systems are disposed at different locations.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the gas turbine engine systems are stationary.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the gas turbine engine systems continuously operate over a period of at least one month.

23. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform a method for monitoring and alerting on equipment errors, the method comprising:

receiving data on a periodic basis, the data being indicative of operational states of at least one machine;

analyzing a quality issue associated with the received data over an alert period greater than one day;

determining a type of the quality issue; and

generating a warning message including an indication of the quality issue.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the type of the quality issue indicates that the quality issue is caused by a corruption of data within a control unit associated with a turbine engine system.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the type of the quality issue indicates that the quality issue is caused by a malfunction of a turbine engine system.