Systems, methods, and apparatus for detecting shifts in redundant sensor signals

• US 9,151,786 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Moiseev, Alexander Alexandrovich, Mitchell, Paul Jeffrey, Vershinin, Mikhail Petrovich, Zyryanova, Elena Eduardovna
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAJAPUTRA, SURESH KS
• Application Number:
  US13/878,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 25/00 Arrangements for measuring phase angle between a voltage and a current or between voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0227 Qualitative history assessment, whereby the type of data acted upon, e.g. waveforms, images or patterns, is not relevant, e.g. rule based assessment; if-then decisions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for detecting shifts in redundant sensor signals. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for detecting and indicating a shift in redundant sensor signals. The method can include receiving a sensor channel closeness signal for two or more redundant sensors, receiving a spike confidence signal for at least one of the two or more redundant sensors, receiving a spike duration signal for the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors, determining a shift confidence based at least in part on the received sensor channel closeness signal, the received spike confidence signal, and the received spike duration signal, and outputting the shift confidence.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and indicating a shift in redundant sensor signals, comprising:

receiving a sensor channel closeness signal for two or more redundant sensors;

receiving a spike confidence signal for at least one of the two or more redundant sensors;

receiving a spike duration signal for the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors;

determining a shift confidence based at least in part on the received sensor channel closeness signal, the received spike confidence signal, and the received spike duration signal; and

outputting the shift confidence, wherein the outputting of the shift confidence comprises logical multiplication of an inverted spike confidence signal and a channel closeness attribute, wherein the channel closeness attribute comprises a channel closeness signal delayed for a predetermined time defined by the spike duration signal, and wherein an output of the logical multiplication sets a latch, and wherein the latch is reset by the channel closeness signal being true, and wherein an output of the latch is inverted and interpreted as the shift confidence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the shift confidence comprises determining a valid shift in a sensor signal when:

the received spike confidence signal indicates no detected impulse disturbance;

the received sensor channel closeness signal initially indicates whether channel differences for the two or more redundant sensors are within a predefined range; and

the received sensor channel closeness signal indicates whether the channel differences for the two or more redundant sensors are not within the predefined range after a period of time defined by the spike duration signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predefined range comprises about 0.1% to about 10% of full scale.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the spike confidence signal is based at least in part on detecting a difference magnitude between a current sample and a previous sample associated with the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors, and wherein the difference magnitude is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the shift confidence further comprises inhibiting the shift confidence for non-redundant channels.

6. A system for detecting and indicating a shift in redundant sensor signals, comprising:

one or more sensors;

at least one memory for storing data and computer-executable instructions;

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions for;

receiving a sensor channel closeness signal for two or more redundant sensors;

receiving a spike confidence signal for at least one of the two or more redundant sensors;

receiving a spike duration signal for the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors;

determining a shift confidence based at least in part on the received sensor channel closeness signal, the received spike confidence signal, and the received spike duration signal; and

outputting the shift confidence, wherein the outputting of the shift confidence comprises logical multiplication of an inverted spike confidence signal and a channel closeness attribute, wherein the channel closeness attribute comprises a channel closeness signal delayed for a predetermined time defined by the spike duration signal, and wherein an output of the logical multiplication sets a latch, and wherein the latch is reset by the channel closeness signal being true, and wherein an output of the latch is inverted and interpreted as the shift confidence.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one processor is further configured for determining the shift confidence, wherein the shift confidence indicates a valid shift in a sensor signal when:

the received spike confidence signal indicates no detected impulse disturbance;

the received sensor channel closeness signal initially indicates whether channel differences for the two or more redundant sensors are within a predefined range; and

the received sensor channel closeness signal indicates whether the channel differences for the two or more redundant sensors are not within the predefined range-after a period of time defined by the spike duration signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the predefined range comprises about 0.1% to about 10% of full scale.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for receiving the spike confidence signal based at least in part on detecting a difference magnitude between a current sample and a previous sample associated with the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors, and wherein the difference magnitude is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein outputting the shift confidence further comprises inhibiting the shift confidence for non-redundant channels.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for outputting one or more protective logicals based at least in part on the shift confidence.

12. An apparatus for detecting and indicating a shift in redundant sensor signals, comprising:

at least one memory for storing data and computer-executable instructions;

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions for;

receiving a sensor channel closeness signal for two or more redundant sensors;

receiving a spike confidence signal for at least one of the two or more redundant sensors;

receiving a spike duration signal for the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors;

determining a shift confidence based at least in part on the received sensor channel closeness signal, the received spike confidence signal, and the received spike duration signal; and

outputting the shift confidence, wherein the outputting of the shift confidence comprises logical multiplication of an inverted spike confidence signal and a channel closeness attribute, wherein the channel closeness attribute comprises a channel closeness signal delayed for a predetermined time defined by the spike duration signal, and wherein an output of the logical multiplication sets a latch, and wherein the latch is reset by the channel closeness signal being true, and wherein an output of the latch is inverted and interpreted as the shift confidence.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor is further configured for determining the shift confidence, wherein the shift confidence indicates a valid shift in a sensor signal when:

the received spike confidence signal indicates no detected impulse disturbance;

the received sensor channel closeness signal initially indicates whether channel differences for the two or more redundant sensors are within a predefined range; and

the received sensor channel closeness signal indicates whether the channel differences for the two or more redundant sensors are not within the predefined range after a period of time defined by the spike duration signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the predefined range comprises about 0.1% to about 10% of full scale.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for receiving the spike confidence signal based at least in part on detecting a difference magnitude between a current sample and a previous sample associated with the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors, and wherein the difference magnitude is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein outputting the shift confidence further comprises inhibiting the shift confidence for non-redundant channels.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for outputting one or more protective logicals based at least in part on the shift confidence.