Fluid storage management system and method for monitoring fluid capacities and for controlling the transfer of fluid capacities within a fluid network

• US 9,322,512 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bremer, Marco, Kletscher, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US13/811,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20130126015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/04 for distribution of gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7287 Liquid level responsive or maintaining systems

Abstract

A fluid-reservoir management system for monitoring fluid capacities and controlling the transfer of fluid capacities within a fluid network includes a plurality of linked fluid reservoirs for storing the fluid capacities, a central computer unit in a communication network, the fluid reservoirs being linked to the communication network for transmitting data to and from the central computer unit, a communication portal provided in the communication network, a user interface for accessing the communication portal, a comparison unit for comparing fluid capacities and for comparing parameters of the fluid reservoirs and of the fluid network, and a control device for executing orders to transfer fluid capacities between at least two fluid reservoirs. The central computer unit coordinates the orders to transfer fluid capacities between at least two fluid reservoirs as a function of results of comparisons performed by the comparison unit and forwards the orders to the control device for executing.

Claims

1. A fluid-reservoir management system for monitoring fluid capacities and controlling a transfer of fluid capacities within a fluid network, the fluid-reservoir management system comprising:

a plurality of fluid reservoirs for storing the fluid capacities, with the fluid reservoirs being linked to each other in the fluid network for transferring fluid capacities,

a central computer unit provided in a communication network, with the fluid reservoirs being linked to the communication network for transmitting data to and from the central computer unit,

a communication portal provided in the communication network, with the communication portal being linked to the central computer unit,

a user interface for accessing the communication portal, with the communication portal being configured for conveying orders to the central computer unit within a scope of accessing,

a comparison unit for comparing fluid capacities and for comparing parameters of the fluid reservoirs and of the fluid network, and

a control device for executing orders to transfer fluid capacities between at least two fluid reservoirs, the orders entered via the user interface of the communication portal,

wherein the central computer unit is configured for coordinating the orders to transfer fluid capacities between at least two fluid reservoirs as a function of results of comparisons performed by the comparison unit and for forwarding the orders to the control device for executing

wherein two or more fluid-reservoir management systems are provided that are monitored and controlled by a superordinate coordinating center having at least one coordinating-computer unit linked to the central computer unit of each of the two or more fluid-reservoir management systems via the communication network,

wherein the at least one coordinating-computer unit of the superordinate coordinating center provides a determination of the order validity throughout the fluid network, the orders calculated by central computer units of respective fluid-reservoir management systems.

2. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid-reservoir management system is configured for monitoring and controlling the transfer of fluid capacities from first fluid reservoirs belonging to fluid suppliers to second fluid reservoirs belonging to fluid recipients.

3. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central computer unit is configured for preventing cases of underbooking and/or overbooking fluid capacities in the fluid reservoirs via reports from the comparison unit.

4. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication portal is embodied as an intranet portal or internet portal that is at least addressed via web interfaces.

5. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoirs are overground or underground fluid reservoirs or pipelines.

6. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameters of the fluid reservoirs and fluid network are pressures, fill levels, operating statuses, qualities of the fluid capacities, and flow rates.

7. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, as a function of the results of the comparison of an actual status of the fluid reservoirs with their future order conditions that is calculated on the basis of the orders placed, the central computer unit instructs the control device to control the transfer of fluid capacities within a fluid network.

8. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orders are bookings, transfer orders, and/or reservations of fluid capacities.

9. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central computer unit is configured for receiving in parallel orders that arrive simultaneously or mutually overlap and wherein the control device is configured for executing the orders simultaneously or in an overlapping fashion.

10. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central computer unit is configured for selecting from the multiplicity of fluid reservoirs linked to the fluid network those that are suitable for executing an order.

11. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication network includes bus systems via which the fluid reservoirs and central computer unit communicate with each other.

12. The fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bus systems include Profibus or Modbus systems.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said method is implemented by a fluid-reservoir management system as claimed in claim 1.

13. A method for monitoring fluid capacities and controlling the transfer of fluid capacities within a fluid network, with a plurality of fluid reservoirs in which fluid capacities are stored being linked to each other in the fluid network for transferring fluid capacities, the method comprising:

transmitting data, including fluid capacities and parameters, of the fluid reservoirs and fluid network between the fluid reservoirs and central computer unit over a communication network that links the fluid reservoirs and central computer unit to each other,

monitoring fluid capacities and parameters of the fluid reservoirs and fluid network and entering orders to transfer fluid capacities between at least two fluid reservoirs via a user interface of a communication portal connected to the central computer unit of the communication network,

comparing, via a comparison unit, the fluid capacities and parameters of the fluid reservoirs and fluid network with each other and forwarding comparison results to the central computer unit,

providing a superordinate coordinating center having at least one coordinating-computer unit linked to the central computer unit of each of two or more fluid-reservoir management systems via the communication network,

monitoring and controlling the two or more fluid-reservoir management systems via the superordinate coordinating center,

wherein the at least one coordinating-computer unit of the superordinate coordinating center provides a determination of an order validity throughout the fluid network, the orders calculated by central computer units of respective fluid-reservoir management systems,

coordinating, via the central computer unit, the orders to transfer fluid capacities between at least two fluid reservoirs as a function of the results of the comparison performed by the comparison unit, and forwarding the orders to the control device for executing, and

executing, via a control device, the orders received from the central computer unit to transfer fluid capacities between at least two fluid reservoirs.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, comprising notifying a user who entered the order via the user interface after an order has been entered via the user interface and/or on completion of a transfer of at least one fluid capacity from one fluid reservoir to another fluid reservoir.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising calculating, via the central computer unit, times when a new order can be executed as a function of the capacities and parameters of the fluid reservoirs and of existing orders, wherein overbooking and/or underbooking of fluid capacities in the fluid reservoirs are avoided.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, comprising enabling providers of fluid capacities and buyers of fluid capacities to access the communication portal of the communication network simultaneously and mutually independently via different user interfaces in order to monitor the current fluid capacities and parameters of the fluid reservoirs and fluid network and to submit orders.