Method for developing a unified quality assessment and providing an automated fault diagnostic tool for turbine machine systems and the like

Abstract

A computer implemented process is provided for assessing and characterizing the degree of success or failure of an operational event of a machine system such as a fluid compressor machine or turbine machine or the like on a continuous numerical scale. The computer implemented process develops and tracks machine unit signatures, machine site signatures and machine fleet signatures to evaluate various operational events and provide fault detection. At least some sensor data acquired from the machine system during an operational event is transformed to correct or at least reduce variabilities in the data caused by ambient conditions and fuel quality. The transformed data is then analyzed using statistical methods to determine how closely the operational event conforms to an expected normal behavior and the information is used to develop a single comprehensive quality assessment of the event. By saving, tracking and updating operational event assessments over time, machine / component degradation may be recognized at any early stage and corrective action may be initiated in advance of a catastrophic failure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] For turbine electric power generation systems, large fluid compressor / pump systems and the like, a great number of sensor signals and operational data often needs to be acquired and analyzed to properly evaluate a particular significant operational “event” (e.g., operational “events” such as start-up operations, mode transfer events, FSNL-FSFL, etc.). Consequently, it is usually not possible to quickly perform and obtain an accurate assessment of such events. In addition, variations in ambient operating conditions and / or fuel quality result in inconsistent and inaccurate sensor readings. This makes comparisons of operational events from one operational “run” of a particular turbine / compressor system to the next (as well as comparisons between operational runs of different turbine / compressor systems) impracticable. Moreover, for the same reasons, these problems make it impracticable to attempt to compare an operational run of a particular turbine ma...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003] A new and improved approach toward developing a quality assessment for complex wind / steam / gas turbine systems, fluid compressor / pumping systems, generators, and the like is described. This approach combines the benefits of disparate statistical methods (such as, for example, the “matched filter” and the “multiple model hypothesis test”) to result in more accurate analysis and assessment of a particular machine / system operational event. In addition to providing a unified quality assessment, the overall system quality as well as individual component quality is examined for deviations, which may correspond to or at least be indicative of specific faults. By comparing recent event signatures to selected archived signatures, system and component faults can be readily detected, identified and diagnosed.

[0004] In one aspect, a computer implemented method is described herein for characterizing the relative degree of success or failure (i.e., providing a quality assessment) of a particular machine / system operational event by rating it over a continuous (contiguous) type assessment scale—as opposed to the more conventional “pass / fail” or “trip / no-trip” binary type assessment. It is contemplated that using a continuous type scale for characterizing a relative degree of “success” or “failure” of an operational event will better assist field technicians and operations personnel in assessing and communicating the quality of a particular operational event. Another aspect of this computer implemented assessment method is that it assesses and characterizes not only the quality of the system response to an operational event, but also the quality of individual component response to the event—thus enabling field engineers to identify and localize potential faults or failures within the machine system.

[0005] Basically, the exemplary computer implemented quality assessment method described herein realizes the above improvements and benefits through a process of analyzing acquired system sensor and / or operational parameters data in conjunction with information concerning the existing ambient conditions and the fuel type / quality in a manner that eliminates or at least significantly reduces variability in the acquired data that is introduced by such known factors. Based on the premise that a set of “corrected” parameters may be used to compensate for a known variability in operating conditions, one aspect of the disclosed assessment method is to use such a set of corrected parameters to transform sensor and / or system operational parameter data collected during the operation of a particular machine / system into a “corrected parameter space” that effectively eliminates, or at least reduces, variability in the acquired data that is caused by known variations in ambient conditions and fuel type / quantity. Such transformed / corrected data corresponding to one or more operational variables of the system is then statistically analyzed and compared with a set of expected (“normal”) operational values and the results are used to diagnose and predict faults.

Problems solved by technology

Consequently, it is usually not possible to quickly perform and obtain an accurate assessment of such events.

In addition, variations in ambient operating conditions and / or fuel quality result in inconsistent and inaccurate sensor readings.

Moreover, for the same reasons, these problems make it impracticable to attempt to compare an operational run of a particular turbine machine with any sort of standardized data indicative of a normal operation for that particular system.

Although fault detection mechanisms and statistical tests useful for analyzing and evaluating operational events of complex machine systems and equipment have been developed, the known conventional procedures for such have significant efficiency limitations and often produce inaccurate or erratic results.

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