SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE IN EVALUATING AN OPERATION OF A COMBUSTION MACHINE

• US 20120259502A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nigam, Gaurav
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30.2
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/022 using an optical sensor, e.g. in-cylinder light probe
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/222 relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method for use in evaluating an operation of a combustion machine. A plurality of current average intensities is calculated by a computing device based on a series of intensity readings from a flame sensor. Each current average intensity corresponds to a current time interval. The computing device selects a plurality of past average intensities, each of which corresponds to a past time interval equal in duration to the current time interval corresponding to a current average intensity. The computing device calculates a plurality of decay rates indicating a change in intensity readings over a current time interval based on the current average intensities and the past average intensities. The computing device estimates a predicted flame sensor malfunction time based on the plurality of decay rates.

Claims

1. A system for use in evaluating an operation of a combustion engine including a flame sensor, said system comprising:

a memory device configured to store;

a plurality of intensity readings from a flame sensor, wherein each intensity reading is associated with a time; and

a plurality of past average intensities, wherein each past average intensity is associated with a past time interval; and

a processor coupled in communication with said memory device and programmed to;

calculate a plurality of current average intensities based on the intensity readings, wherein each current average intensity corresponds to a current time interval;

compare each current average intensity to a past average intensity associated with a past time interval corresponding to the current time interval associated with the current average intensity to create a plurality of decay rates; and

estimate a predicted flame sensor malfunction time based on the plurality of decay rates.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the flame sensor is configured to detect a flame in a combustion engine, and said processor is further programmed to:

select from the intensity readings a plurality of stable operation intensity readings, wherein each stable operation intensity reading is associated with a time at which the combustion engine has been operating for at least a predetermined duration; and

calculate the current average intensities based on the stable operation intensity readings.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said processor is programmed to estimate the predicted flame sensor malfunction by estimating a time at which the flame sensor will indicate an absence of a flame when a flame is present.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an output device configured to provide a sensor malfunction alarm when the predicted flame sensor malfunction time is within a predetermined duration of a current time.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed to:

select a minimum decay rate from the plurality of decay rates; and

estimate the predicted flame sensor malfunction time based at least in part on the selected decay rate.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further programmed to select a plurality of recent intensity readings associated with a time that is within a predetermined duration of a current time, said system further comprising an output device configured to provide a low flame intensity alarm when the recent intensity readings are below a predetermined threshold value.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said processor is programmed to calculate the plurality of decay rates at least in part by calculating a daily decay rate and a weekly decay rate.

8. A method for use in evaluating an operation of a combustion machine including a flame sensor, said method comprising:

calculating by a computing device a plurality of current average intensities based on a series of intensity readings from a flame sensor, wherein each current average intensity corresponds to a current time interval;

selecting by the computing device a plurality of past average intensities, wherein each past average intensity corresponds to a past time interval equal in duration to the current time interval corresponding to a current average intensity;

calculating by the computing device a plurality of decay rates indicating a change in intensity readings over time based on the current average intensities and the past average intensities, wherein each decay rate corresponds to a current time interval; and

estimating by the computing device a predicted flame sensor malfunction time based on the plurality of decay rates.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein estimating the flame sensor malfunction time comprises estimating a time at which the flame sensor will indicate an absence of a flame when a flame is present.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein estimating a predicted flame sensor malfunction time based on the plurality of decay rates comprises:

selecting a minimum decay rate from the plurality of decay rates; and

estimating the predicted flame sensor malfunction time based at least in part on the selected decay rate.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein calculating a plurality of decay rates comprises calculating a weekly decay rate and a monthly decay rate.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the flame sensor is configured to detect a flame in a combustion machine, and the current average intensities are calculated based on intensity readings associated with a time at which the combustion machine has been operating for at least a predetermined duration.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

acquiring the series of intensity readings produced by the flame sensor; and

applying by the computing device a second order filter to the intensity readings prior to calculating the current average intensities.

14. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

identifying by the computing device an existing maintenance task associated with an existing task time before the predicted flame sensor malfunction time; and

creating a maintenance task representing a repair of the flame sensor, wherein the created maintenance task is associated with the existing task time.

15. A method according to claim 8, further comprising

selecting from the series of intensity readings a plurality of recent intensity readings associated with a time that is within a predetermined duration of a current time;

and

providing a low flame intensity alarm when the recent intensity readings are below a predetermined threshold value, wherein the low flame intensity alarm indicates at least one of a flame sensor malfunction and a flame-out condition.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

calculate a plurality of current average intensities based on a series of intensity readings from a flame sensor, wherein each current average intensity corresponds to a current time interval;

calculate a plurality of decay rates indicating a change in intensity readings over time based on the current average intensities and a plurality of past average intensities, wherein each decay rate corresponds to a current time interval; and

estimate a predicted flame sensor malfunction time based on the plurality of decay rates.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to estimate the predicted flame sensor malfunction by estimating a time at which the flame sensor will indicate an absence of a flame when a flame is present.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to estimate the predicted flame sensor malfunction time based on a minimum decay rate of the plurality of decay rates.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the flame sensor is configured to detect a flame in a combustion engine, and the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to calculate the current average intensities based on intensity readings associated with a time at which the combustion engine has been operating for at least a predetermined duration.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to provide a sensor malfunction alarm when the predicted flame sensor malfunction time is within a predetermined duration of a current time.