Systems and methods for generating solution recommendations for power plant operation

• US 9,940,599 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pandey, Achalesh Kumar, Kauffman, Eric, Kleinhample, Richard, Kish, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ross, Scott M
• Application Number:
  US13/971,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 705 719
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating solution recommendations for power plant operation can be provided by certain embodiments of the disclosure. In one embodiment, a system may include a processor configured to collect power plant operational data from power plant components. The power plant operational data may be analyzed to identify cost factors for the power plant components. Based at least in part on the power plant operational data and the cost factors, upgrade opportunities for the power plant components may be determined. Financial values may be calculated for the upgrade opportunities. Based at least in part on the financial values, recommendations may be generated using a product interaction database and provided as an electronic output to a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring, by at least one sensor, one or more operating parameters of a power plant;

collecting, by a processor, power plant operational data from one or more power plant components, the power plant operational data including the one or more operating parameters, wherein each of the operating parameters is associated with at least one type of operation of a power plant;

analyzing, by the processor, the power plant operational data to identify one or more cost factors for the one or more power plant components, wherein the one or more cost factors include one or more of the following;

full load hours, part load hours, minimum load hours, operating reliability, asset wear, outage interval extension, outage duration reduction, fuel savings, emissions reduction, and fuel type flexibility;

determining, by the processor, based at least in part on the power plant operational data and the one or more cost factors, one or more upgrade opportunities for the one or more power plant components, wherein the one or more upgrade opportunities include a list of software and hardware products recommended for improvement of performance of the power plant;

calculating, by the processor, financial values for the one or more upgrade opportunities;

based at least in part on the financial values, generating, by the processor, one or more recommendations for upgrade of the one or more power plant components using a product interaction database, wherein the product interaction database includes compatibility scores for one or more combinations of hardware and software products, the one or more recommendations being generated with consideration of the compatibility scores for the one or more combinations of hardware and software products including one or more conflicting interactions between the combinations of hardware and software products;

providing, by the processor, the one or more recommendations as an electronic output to a user; and

based on the one or more recommendations, facilitating a selective upgrade of at least one software component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more recommendations are generated for one or more of a power plant component, a power plant unit, or a plurality of power plant units.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the financial values is based at least in part on market data and user input data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user input data includes weights for the one or more cost factors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the product interaction database includes a catalogue of hardware and software products for the power plant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more recommendations include a compatible combination of hardware and software products selected from the product interaction database to provide a financial benefit to the user based at least in part on a power plant configuration and the one or more cost factors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the power plant operational data is collected by an on-site monitoring system and is transferred to a server associated with a recommendation provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more solution recommendations include an electronic visualization or an electronic report.

9. A system comprising:

a processor;

at least one sensor configured to measure one or more operating parameters of a power plant;

a memory comprising computer-readable instructions for execution by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

collect power plant operational data from one or more power plant components, the power plant operational data including the one or more operating parameters, wherein each of the operating parameters is associated with at least one type of operation of a power plant;

analyze the power plant operational data to identify one or more cost factors for the one or more power plant components, wherein the one or more cost factors include one or more of the following;

full load hours, part load hours, minimum load hours, operating reliability, asset wear, outage interval extension, outage duration reduction, fuel savings, emissions reduction, and fuel type flexibility;

determine, based at least in part on the power plant operational data and the one or more cost factors, one or more upgrade opportunities for the one or more power plant components, wherein the one or more upgrade opportunities include a list of software and hardware products recommended for improvement of performance of the power plant;

calculate financial values for the one or more upgrade opportunities;

based at least in part on the financial values, generate one or more recommendations for upgrade of the one or more power plant components using a product interaction database, wherein the product interaction database includes compatibility scores for one or more combinations of hardware and software products, the one or more recommendations being generated with consideration of the compatibility scores for the one or more combinations of hardware and software products including one or more conflicting interactions between the combinations of hardware and software products;

provide the one or more recommendations as an electronic output to a user; and

based on the one or more recommendations, facilitate a selective upgrade of at least one software component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more solution recommendations are generated for one or more of a power plant component, a power plant unit, or a plurality of power plant units.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the calculating of the financial values is based at least in part on market data and user input data.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the product interaction database includes a catalogue of hardware and software products for the power plant.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user input data includes weights for the one or more cost factors.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more recommendations include a compatible combination of hardware and software products selected from the product interaction database to provide a financial benefit for the user based at least in part on power plant configuration and the one or more cost factors.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the power plant operational data is collected by an on-site monitoring system and is transferred to a server associated with a recommendation provider.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, perform the following operations:

measuring, by at least one sensor, one or more operating parameters of a power plant;

collecting, by a processor, power plant operational data from one or more power plant components, the power plant operational data including the one or more operating parameters, wherein each of the operating parameters is associated with at least one type of operation of a power plant;

analyzing, by the processor, the power plant operational data to identify one or more cost factors for the one or more power plant components, wherein the one or more cost factors include one or more of the following;

full load hours, part load hours, minimum load hours, operating reliability, asset wear, outage interval extension, outage duration reduction, fuel savings, emissions reduction, and fuel type flexibility;

determining, by the processor, based at least in part on the power plant operational data and the one or more cost factors, one or more upgrade opportunities for the one or more power plant components, wherein the one or more upgrade opportunities include a list of software and hardware products recommended for improvement of performance of the power plant;

calculating, by the processor, financial values for the one or more upgrade opportunities;

based at least in part on the financial values, generating one or more recommendations for upgrade of the one or more power plant components using a product interaction database, wherein the product interaction database includes compatibility scores for one or more combinations of hardware and software products, the one or more recommendations being generated with consideration of the compatibility scores for the one or more combinations of hardware and software products including one or more conflicting interactions between the combinations of hardware and software products;

outputting the one or more recommendations to a user; and

based on the one or more recommendations, facilitating a selective upgrade of at least one software component.