Kemote monitoring

• US 20030079012A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Combined Power Limited
• Original Assignee: Combined Power Limited
• Inventors: Marsland, Christopher John
• Granted Patent: US 6,823,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/08 Safety, indicating, or supervising devices thermal insulation F02B77/11; monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06

Abstract

A monitoring system for combined heat and power (CHP) units (1) has a main monitoring computer (2) at a remote central location connected to the CHP units (1) via dial-up or internet links (5). Data from sensors (1d) for each CHP unit is fed to a respective local computer (3). Data is processed and energy management information, as well as repair and maintenance procedures, can be derived by the remote and local computers (2, 3). Energy management information can also be obtained locally by means of a PC connected by a dial-up or network link (7) to a data access device (4b) of the local computer (3).

Claims

1. A power equipment monitoring system for monitoring performance data of individual power equipment units, said system comprising sensors (1d) associated with each said unit (1), a data collection and processing device (4a) local to each said unit adapted to receive and process data from the respective sensors, monitoring equipment (2) adapted to receive data from each data collection and processing device for fault and maintenance monitoring purposes, characterised by the provision of a data access device (4b) associated with each data collection and processing device (4a), said device (4b) being accessible remotely to provide a display, using a remote computer (8), of data from a selected said data collection and processing device (3).

2. A system according to claim 1 characterised in that there is a respective data access device (4b) for each data collection and processing device (4a).

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the data access device (4b) is disposed locally to the data collection and processing device (4a).

4. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the data access device is arranged to store data from the data collection and processing device (4a) in a format which can be utilised to generate the said display at the remote computer using an Internet web browser.

5. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised in that communications between the remote computer (8) and the data access device (4b) is via a direct dial-up linkage (7).

6. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised in that communications between the remote computer (8) and the data access device (4b) is via a permanent network connection.

7. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterised in that the monitoring equipment (2) is at a central location and is linked to the units (1) via remote linkages (5).

8. A system according to claim 7 characterised in that the linkages (5) are dial-up telephone linkages.

9. A system according to claim 7 characterised in that the linkages (5) are internet linkages.

10. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in combination with power equipment units comprising combined heat and power (CHP) units.

11. A combination according to claim 10 in further combination with further power equipment units wherein performance data of individual said further power equipment units is also monitored by the system.