A pipe network monitoring intelligent processing system

Abstract

A pipe network monitoring intelligent processing system comprises a central control subsystem, a remote device subsystem and a remote control subsystem, which are interconnected via wireless communication, wherein the central control subsystem comprises a storage unit, a processing unit and a communication unit; the storage unit stores information including operators, remote devices and control operation permissions; the processing unit is directly or indirectly connected to the storage unit and can retrieve the permission information of the storage unit when receiving a request for operation instruction; when the operators, remote devices and control operation permissions are all met, an operation instruction is issued; when they are not met, a request for approval instruction is issued; the communication unit can send out a request for approval instruction and can receive an approval reply instruction, the remote control subsystem can receive the request for approval instruction and send an approval reply instruction, and the remote device subsystem can receive the operation instruction and execute it.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a pipeline monitoring intelligent processing system and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The urban integrated pipe network is an important part of contemporary urban construction. Strengthening the intelligent management level of urban above-ground and underground pipe networks is an important symbol of urban modernization. In modern cities, the integrated pipe network includes various pipelines such as water supply and drainage, heat, gas, power supply, and communications. How to monitor and control these pipelines in a standardized, efficient, and safe manner is an important cornerstone for ensuring the safety and smooth development of the entire city. With the rapid development of urbanization, the design, construction, and maintenance of integrated pipelines have lagged behind significantly, which has led to frequent accidents such as water leakage, heat leakage, and gas leakage and explosion related to pipelines in recent years. From the city management to the general public, there is an urgent demand to improve the management level of the urban integrated pipe network.

[0003] There are many devices that need remote monitoring in urban and special pipelines, and valves are one of the most common ones. Valves are indispensable control components in the fluid transportation system of urban and special pipelines. They have various functions such as cut-off, pressure stabilization, non-return, regulation, diversion, and pressure relief, and play a vital role in the entire system. In the daily maintenance of the pipeline network, especially when dangerous situations occur, how to accurately, effectively and quickly monitor and control valves is an important manifestation of the management level of the urban pipeline network. In the remote monitoring of valves, it is necessary to close multiple valves or other remote devices in time when a leak occurs at a certain node. However, in the construction of modern urban pipelines, in order to meet various special needs at different levels, the pipeline design is often more complicated, and the corresponding valve and remote device configuration is also very complicated. The common alarm and operation setting methods are relatively rough and cannot accurately reflect the priority of each remote device in different pipelines during operation. Moreover, in different situations, such as daily maintenance, overhaul or alarm, the required operations and operation objects are also different.

[0004] How to set operation permissions more scientifically and reasonably to reduce accidents and impacts on the entire pipeline is an important part of intelligent management of pipeline networks, and it is also a problem that is difficult to solve effectively at present. In order to cope with the increasingly complex and urgent needs of remote equipment such as valves in urban and special pipeline networks, it is urgent to provide a system solution that can manage permissions according to specific actual conditions. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pipe network monitoring intelligent processing system, which includes a central control subsystem, a remote device subsystem, and a remote control subsystem, which are interconnected via wireless communication, wherein the central control subsystem includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and a communication unit;

[0006] The storage unit stores information including operators, remote devices, and control operation permissions;

[0007] The processing unit is directly or indirectly connected to the storage unit, and upon receiving an operation request instruction, can retrieve the permission information of the storage unit; when the permissions of the operator and the remote device are in compliance, an operation instruction is issued; when they are not in compliance, an approval request instruction is issued;

[0008] The communication unit can send out approval request instructions and receive approval reply instructions.

[0009] The remote control subsystem can receive a request for approval instruction and send an approval reply instruction, and

[0010] The remote device subsystem can receive and execute operation instructions.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the system, when an operation instruction involves multiple remote devices, will issue an approval request instruction if any of the remote devices does not meet the authority requirements.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the system, wherein the central control subsystem sets the automatic control of the remote device in advance through the processing unit, and before setting, it is necessary to check whether approval is required, and then the information of the control authority is stored in the storage unit.

[0013] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, in the system, the remote device may be a valve.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the system, the control authority set in advance by the processing unit is timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the system, wherein the processing unit encounters a situation requiring timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control during operation, needs to first automatically check whether the valve is set with timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, if the valve is not set with timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control, the system automatically switches to manual processing alarm or timed valve operation mode.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, in the system, the approval request instruction can be sent to a plurality of remote control subsystems, any of which can send an approval reply instruction.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a pipeline network monitoring intelligent processing method is provided, which comprises the following steps:

[0019] storing the authority information of the operator and the remote device in the storage unit;

[0020] After receiving the request operation instruction, the processing unit retrieves the permission information of the storage unit;

[0021] The processing unit verifies the authority of the operator, remote device, and control operation, and issues an operation instruction when all three are in compliance; and issues a request for approval instruction when they are not in compliance;

[0022] The communication unit sends a request for approval instruction;

[0023] The remote control subsystem receives the request approval instruction and sends an approval reply instruction;

[0024] The communication unit receives the approval reply instruction;

[0025] The processing unit issues an operation instruction based on the approval reply instruction.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, when the operation instruction involves multiple remote devices, if the authority of any of the remote devices does not meet the requirements, the method will issue a request for approval instruction.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the method, the central control subsystem sets the automatic control of the remote device in advance through the processing unit, and checks whether approval is required before setting, and then the information of the control authority is stored in the storage unit.

[0028] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, in the method, the remote device is a valve.

[0029] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, in the method, the control authority set in advance by the processing unit is timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the method, when the processing unit encounters a situation requiring timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control during operation, it is necessary to first automatically check whether the valve is set with timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the method, if the valve is not set with timed valve automatic control or alarm automatic control, the system automatically switches to manual processing alarm or timed valve operation mode.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the method, in the authority setting and operation of the timing valve automatic control or alarm automatic control, only one approval is required.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the method, the approval request instruction can be sent to multiple remote control subsystems, any of which can send an approval reply instruction.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium storing a software program for executing the pipe network monitoring intelligent processing method.

[0035] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer or server is provided, which stores and / or calls and executes a software program for the pipeline network monitoring intelligent processing method.

[0036] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 The invention is a flowchart of setting permissions according to the system of the invention.

[0038] Figure 2 A flow chart showing the operation of a system according to the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Provided is a pipe network monitoring intelligent processing method and related system, including a central control subsystem, a remote device subsystem, and a remote control subsystem, which are interconnected through wireless communication, wherein the central control subsystem includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and a communication unit. Each unit in the system generally includes software and hardware, and the functions of each unit are generally realized by software relying on hardware. The system platform is generally built on a server and has input and output devices such as a gigabit network port, a keyboard, a mouse, and a display screen.

[0040] According to the present invention, for different pipelines, remote devices, operators and control operations themselves have different permissions. When any of the permissions does not match the requested operation, approval is required. Control operations refer to different types of operations on different remote devices. For example, for valves, the operations include opening, closing and adjusting (i.e., the valve opening is set between opening and closing). The setting of these permissions can be based on certain rules, such as considering the pipeline type, geographical area information, remote device type, and the upstream and downstream relationship of the remote device. Frontline operators generally have limited permissions and can only issue operating instructions for daily operations. In some special cases, such as maintenance, alarm, etc., it is necessary to operate more important remote devices, such as closing larger valves further upstream, and frontline operators need to request authorization from the approval personnel. All of this permission information is generally stored in the central control subsystem for easy maintenance and updating. The storage method should be easy to classify and call, and can generally be managed in a database manner.

[0041] The request operation instruction is an instruction manually input or automatically generated by the system requesting a certain operation. When the request operation instruction is approved (if approval is required) or does not require approval, the central control subsystem will issue the corresponding operation instruction to the remote device subsystem.

[0042] The central control subsystem also includes input units, such as keyboards, mice, touch screens, voice inputs, etc., through which operators can input request operation instructions. According to the set rules, in some cases, request operation instructions can also be automatically issued. For example, in the event of an emergency alarm, it is necessary to deal with the dangerous situation in a timely manner. The request operation instruction can be prepared in advance, and the request operation instruction can be automatically issued when the triggering conditions are met. The operation under such instructions can control a single remote device or multiple remote devices, that is, batch operation. For example, when a leak occurs in a city water supply pipeline, batch operations can include closing valves upstream and downstream of the leaking node; when multiple leaks occur in a natural gas pipeline, batch operations can be performed to close all natural gas valves in the leak point area.

[0043] The processing unit of the central control subsystem is the main component for processing permission operations. The processing unit is directly or indirectly connected to the input unit, for example, through a system bus or some operating system. The processing unit first receives the request operation instruction, and then calls the permission information of the storage unit; the processing unit verifies the permissions of the operator and the remote device, and when both are in compliance, an operation instruction is issued; when they are not in compliance, a request approval instruction is issued, and no operation instruction is issued. In addition, permissions may also include the type of control operation.

[0044] The communication unit of the central control subsystem can send out the request approval instruction, for example, by wireless communication. The remote control subsystem can receive the request approval instruction. The remote control subsystem can be controlled by a suitable person, such as the superior of the operator. When there are multiple approvers, it is preferred to automatically select an approver who has authority and is one level higher than the operator according to a pre-set setting; or, it is preferred that the authority of multiple approvers is the same, that is, any approver can complete the approval. Such a setting can avoid the situation where a certain approver cannot check and complete the approval in time.

[0045] The remote control subsystem is a system for the review and approval personnel to interact with the central control subsystem. It can be loaded in the form of software in an electronic receiving device, can display the request for approval instruction, and can be operated to generate the approval reply instruction. For example, it can be installed in a computer, mobile phone, tablet computer (such as iPAD), etc. For example, the remote control subsystem is in the form of an APP application, and the request for approval instruction is displayed as "unfinished project" or "project to be approved". The request for approval instruction and the approval reply instruction can be sent and received through 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and other wireless communication networks, wireless local area networks, etc.

[0046] The communication unit of the central control subsystem can also receive the approval reply instruction and transmit it to the processing unit. The central control subsystem may include a communication service program responsible for sending and receiving. The central control subsystem can use a TCP network to connect to a wireless communication network, such as 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G. If the approval reply instruction approves the authorization, the processing unit issues an operation instruction. The operation instruction is sent to the remote device subsystem through the communication unit. When the communication unit does not receive the approval reply instruction within the preset time, the control unit will command the sending unit to send the request approval instruction again. After a certain waiting time, if the approval reply instruction is still not received, the request approval instruction will be sent to a higher-level person, such as the two upper levels of the operator; or, multiple approval personnel are set at the same time, and each approval personnel can approve. This can effectively avoid approval delays.

[0047] When the requested operation instruction involves the operation of multiple remote devices, such as a batch operation instruction, if any of the devices or operation types do not meet the permission requirements, the batch operation instruction will not be executed, but a request for approval instruction will be issued.

[0048] The remote device subsystem also has a communication module and an execution module. The communication module can communicate with the central control subsystem, such as receiving operation instructions. The execution module can perform device operations according to the operation instructions.

[0049] All communications, issuance of instructions, receipt of instructions, and approval information will be recorded for easy retrieval and tracing.

[0050] Figure 1 A flowchart showing three modes of how the system of the present invention performs automatic control settings and control authority allocation in the central control subsystem. First, in setting the alarm automatic control, check whether the valve has control authority set, and whether the operator has control authority over the valve. When both are affirmative, the alarm automatic control can be set. Of course, if the control authority is not set for the valve, the alarm can also be set to automatic control. In this case, there is no need to check the operator's authority. When the operator does not have operating authority, it is necessary to send an approval confirmation prompt to the approval personnel (including authorized operators), that is, request an approval instruction. After the approval personnel agrees, the automatic control setting is completed. If the approval personnel disagrees, the setting request is canceled.

[0051] Figure 1 It also shows a setting of timed automatic control, that is, the setting of automatically performing a certain valve operation at a specified time point. First, check whether the control authority is set for the valve to be operated. If the control authority is not required, the operator can directly set the timed automatic control. If the control authority is required, check whether the operator has the authority. If so, complete the setting. If not, send a request for approval to the approval personnel (including the authorized operator). After approval, the setting is completed.

[0052] Figure 1 It also shows how to manually complete the setting of control authority allocation in general. First, select the valve to be controlled, turn on the valve control authority function, select the person who can obtain valve control authority, and save the settings.

[0053] Figure 2 The flowchart shows three situations in the operation process of the system according to the present invention, in which the automatic control mode is illustrated by the alarm situation. The specific processes are different for the three situations. The first possible situation is to operate only one valve, that is, single-control valve operation. First, the operator generally selects the valve, the specific operation type, and submits the operation content to the processing unit of the central control subsystem. The processing unit verifies the operation content, including whether the control authority is set for the valve. If not, it can directly issue an operation instruction to complete the valve operation content; if so, it will check whether the operator has the authority; if not, it is necessary to send a request for approval instruction to the approval personnel. The operator and the system can receive a prompt that the approval personnel have received the instruction. When the approval is agreed, the operation instruction is issued to complete the operation. If the approval is not passed, the execution of the operation is exited.

[0054] The second situation is when performing batch valve operations. Generally, the operator selects multiple valves, sets the operation type, and submits the operation content to the processing unit. The processing unit verifies the content, including whether there are valves with control authority in the batch valves. If so, it checks whether the operator has authority; if not, it requests to send an approval instruction. The operator and the system can receive a prompt that the approver has received the instruction. When the approval is agreed, the operation instruction is issued to complete the batch operation. If the approval is not passed, the execution operation is launched.

[0055] The third is that in the case of an alarm, the processing unit first checks whether the alarm is automatically controlled. If so, the valve operation is automatically performed. If not, the manual alarm processing interface is entered, including selecting the valve to be controlled, and then submitting the operation content to the processing unit. The processing unit then checks whether it is a single valve operation. If so, the control authority check, approval and other processes are carried out according to the above-mentioned manual single-control valve operation; if it is a batch valve operation, the control authority check, approval and other processes are carried out according to the above-mentioned manual batch operation.

[0056] In the present invention, there is not a single corresponding relationship between the authority setting and the situations in the specific operation. Under the alarm setting, three situations may occur: automatic control, single control valve and batch control valve; under the timing automatic control setting, the above three situations may also occur in the operation, and the processing flow is similar. In summary, there are a total of three mode settings at the authority setting level, alarm automatic control, timing valve control, and manual selection of valves to be controlled; at the operation level, there are three situations that need to be dealt with, single control valves, batch control valves, and automatic (alarm automatic or timing automatic) processing valves. Therefore, the system and method of the present invention can easily set automatic control and manual control, and at the same time, at both the automatic control authority setting and the specific operation levels, the authority of the valve and the operator must be checked to see if approval is required. However, approval only needs to be approved once.

[0057] Through such an arrangement at the two levels of authority setting and specific operation, automatic operation setting can be conveniently performed on the one hand, with great flexibility in choosing between automatic and manual operation, and at the same time, the inspection of the authority of remote equipment, especially valves, will not be omitted during operation, thus avoiding the introduction of risk factors, so that the system can flexibly perform automatic and manual operation settings without reducing safety. The system and method of the present invention have great advantages in safety and reliability while ensuring easy operation when remotely managing complex pipelines, such as multiple (e.g., at least 20, at least 30, at least 100) valves, and have broad social significance.

[0058] Example 1

[0059] During the regular maintenance of a heating pipeline, the remote equipment needs to be shut down. Operator X issues a batch operation instruction to close remote valves A, B, and C as needed. However, operator X only has the authority over valves B and C at this time. The system automatically issues a request for approval instruction to approvers Y and Z, and notifies operator X. When the system receives an approval reply from Z that it is authorized, it records the reply, and at the same time, the system issues a batch operation instruction for remote valves A, B, and C, and notifies operator X.

[0060] Example 2

[0061] Operator X sets the permission settings for alarm automatic control based on the information of a node in a water supply pipeline. However, operator X does not have the permission to operate this remote device, so the request approval instruction for the automatic operation will be sent to X's approver Y. When the system receives Y's approval reply instruction that it is authorized, the system will record the authorization and record the operation as an automatic execution operation instruction, and notify operator X. When a leakage alarm occurs at this node, the system automatically performs a permission check and confirms it, and then automatically executes the valve operation.

[0062] In the present invention, "plurality" means at least two.

[0063] Although certain embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims.

[0064] Those skilled in the art will understand that modifications (additions and / or removals) may be made to the components, structures, movements, and fits described in this application without departing from the overall scope and spirit of the invention, which encompasses such modifications and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A pipe network monitoring intelligent processing system, applied to urban valve and remote equipment configuration, including a central control subsystem, a remote equipment subsystem, and a remote control subsystem, which are interconnected through wireless communication, wherein The central control subsystem includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and a communication unit. The storage unit stores information including control authority of operators and remote devices; The processing unit is directly or indirectly connected to the storage unit, and upon receiving a request operation instruction, can retrieve the control authority information of the storage unit; when the operator, remote device, and control operation authority are all in compliance, an operation instruction is issued to the communication unit; when any of them is not in compliance, a request approval instruction is issued to the communication unit; and The communication unit can send out approval request instructions and receive approval reply instructions. The remote control subsystem can receive a request for approval instruction and send an approval reply instruction, and The remote device subsystem can receive and execute the operation instruction; wherein the remote device is a valve; Specific: The control authority set in advance by the processing unit: automatic alarm control and automatic timing control; When setting the alarm automatic control, check whether the valve has been set with control authority and whether the operator has control authority over the valve. When both are confirmed, set the alarm automatic control; If the control authority is not set for the valve, set the alarm to automatic control; First check whether the control authority is set for the valve to be operated. If the control authority is not required, the operator can directly set the timing automatic control; When setting the timing automatic control, first check whether the control authority is set for the valve to be operated. If the control authority is not required, the operator can directly set the timing automatic control; If control authority is required, check whether the operator has the authority. If yes, complete the setting. If not, send a request for approval instruction to the approver. in, The three situations of automatic alarm control are as follows: The first type: only one valve is operated, that is, single-control valve operation. First, the operator generally selects the valve and the specific operation type, and submits the operation content to the processing unit of the central control subsystem. The processing unit verifies the operation content, including whether the control authority is set for the valve. If not, the operation instruction can be directly issued to complete the valve operation content; if so, it will be checked whether the operator has the authority; if not, it is necessary to send a request for approval instruction to the approval personnel. The operator and the system can receive a prompt that the approval personnel has received the instruction. When the approval is approved, the operation instruction is issued to complete the operation. If the approval is not passed, the operation is exited. The second type: When performing batch valve operations, the operator generally selects multiple valves, sets the operation type, and submits the operation content to the processing unit. The processing unit verifies the content, including whether there are valves with control authority in the batch valves. If so, it checks whether the operator has authority. If not, a request is made to send an approval instruction. The operator and the system can receive a prompt that the approver has received the instruction. When the approval is approved, an operation instruction is issued to complete the batch operation. If the approval is not passed, the execution operation is launched. The third type: In the event of an alarm, the processing unit first checks whether the alarm is automatically controlled. If so, the valve operation is automatically performed. If not, the manual alarm processing interface is entered, including selecting the valve to be controlled, and then submitting the operation content to the processing unit. The processing unit then checks whether it is a single valve operation. If so, the control authority check and approval process is carried out in accordance with the above-mentioned manual single-control valve operation; if it is a batch valve operation, the control authority check and approval process is carried out in accordance with the above-mentioned manual batch operation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when the operation instruction involves multiple remote devices, if the authority of any of the remote devices does not meet the requirements, a request for approval instruction will be issued.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central control subsystem can set up automatic control of remote devices in advance through the processing unit, and needs to check whether approval is required before setting, and then the information of the control authority is stored in the storage unit.

4. A pipe network monitoring intelligent processing method, applied to urban valve and remote equipment configuration, comprising the following steps storing the operator, remote device, and control operation authority information in a storage unit; After receiving the request operation instruction, the processing unit retrieves the permission information of the storage unit; The processing unit verifies the authority of the operator and the remote device, and issues an operation instruction when all three are in compliance; and issues an approval request instruction when any one of them is not in compliance; The communication unit sends the request approval instruction to the remote control subsystem; The remote control subsystem receives the request approval instruction and sends an approval reply instruction; The communication unit receives the approval reply instruction; and The processing unit issues an operation instruction according to the approval reply instruction; wherein the remote device is a valve; Specific: The control authority set in advance by the processing unit: automatic alarm control and automatic timing control; When setting the alarm automatic control, check whether the valve has been set with control authority and whether the operator has control authority over the valve. When both are confirmed, set the alarm automatic control; If the control authority is not set for the valve, set the alarm to automatic control; First check whether the control authority is set for the valve to be operated. If the control authority is not required, the operator can directly set the timing automatic control; When setting the timing automatic control, first check whether the control authority is set for the valve to be operated. If the control authority is not required, the operator can directly set the timing automatic control; If control authority is required, check whether the operator has the authority. If yes, complete the setting. If not, send a request for approval instruction to the approver. Among them, the three situations of automatic alarm control are as follows: The first type: only one valve is operated, that is, single-control valve operation. First, the operator generally selects the valve and the specific operation type, and submits the operation content to the processing unit of the central control subsystem. The processing unit verifies the operation content, including whether the control authority is set for the valve. If not, the operation instruction can be directly issued to complete the valve operation content; if so, it will be checked whether the operator has the authority; if not, it is necessary to send a request for approval instruction to the approval personnel. The operator and the system can receive a prompt that the approval personnel has received the instruction. When the approval is approved, the operation instruction is issued to complete the operation. If the approval is not passed, the operation is exited. The second type: When performing batch valve operations, the operator generally selects multiple valves, sets the operation type, and submits the operation content to the processing unit. The processing unit verifies the content, including whether there are valves with control authority in the batch valves. If so, it checks whether the operator has authority. If not, a request is made to send an approval instruction. The operator and the system can receive a prompt that the approver has received the instruction. When the approval is approved, an operation instruction is issued to complete the batch operation. If the approval is not passed, the execution operation is launched. The third type: In the event of an alarm, the processing unit first checks whether the alarm is automatically controlled. If so, the valve operation is automatically performed. If not, the manual alarm processing interface is entered, including selecting the valve to be controlled, and then submitting the operation content to the processing unit. The processing unit then checks whether it is a single valve operation. If so, the control authority check and approval process is carried out in accordance with the above-mentioned manual single-control valve operation; if it is a batch valve operation, the control authority check and approval process is carried out in accordance with the above-mentioned manual batch operation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein in the authority setting and operation of the timing valve automatic control or alarm automatic control, only one approval is required.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the request approval instruction can be sent to a plurality of remote control subsystems, any of which can send an approval reply instruction.

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