Contact information processing device and contact information processing method

Abstract

Modifying the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) used in an existing system to manage the operating time and deterioration status of equipment could potentially affect the operation of the system while it is running. [Solution] A contact information processing device that outputs information for maintaining equipment, comprising: a power detector installed on a power line supplying power to the equipment; an operating time accumulating unit that receives contact information indicating ON / OFF status of power supply obtained from the power detector and calculates an accumulated value of power supply time; an equipment management table that stores the accumulated value of power supply time for each piece of equipment; and an output unit that outputs an identifier of the equipment when an equipment exceeds a predetermined first standard in the accumulated value stored in the equipment management table.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact information processing apparatus and a contact information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] A monitoring system for monitoring an industrial system composed of equipment such as motors, transformers, and air compressors is composed of a monitoring device and software that processes information obtained from the monitoring device.

[0003] Data measured by the monitoring device is collected and displayed by software in the upper device. The contact information obtained from the monitoring device is also collected by the software in the upper device, but it is usually used to display alarm information and is not much utilized for equipment maintenance, failure monitoring, and efficient use.

[0004] Regarding the maintenance and replacement timing of equipment, it is often determined by the number of years elapsed since the equipment was introduced, and it does not reflect the deterioration state based on the operating time and usage environment of the equipment.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, a contact information acquisition unit that acquires contact information from a production device, a state recognition unit that acquires state information, which is information regarding the state of the production device, from the contact information acquired by the contact information acquisition unit, a state coding unit that converts the state information acquired by the state recognition unit into contact-related information that is a code, and an output unit that transfers the contact information acquired by the contact information acquisition unit to an output device and transmits the contact-related information acquired by the state coding unit to a network device are provided. Thus, a data collection system that can easily acquire information regarding the operation of a production device without significantly modifying the equipment or the sequence program such as a programmable controller installed in the equipment is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] Contact information is measured by monitoring devices and collected by software in higher-level devices, but it is not used as much as other measurement data and is mostly used to output alarm information.

[0008] Furthermore, modifying the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) used in existing systems to manage the operating time and deterioration status of equipment could potentially affect the operation of the system while it is running. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above problems of the present invention are solved by a contact information processing device that outputs information for maintaining equipment, comprising: a power detector installed on a power line supplying power to the equipment; an operating time accumulating unit that receives contact information indicating ON / OFF of power supply obtained from the power detector and calculates an accumulated value of power supply time; an equipment management table that stores the accumulated value of power supply time for each piece of equipment; and an output unit that outputs an identifier of the equipment when an equipment occurs whose accumulated value stored in the equipment management table exceeds a predetermined first standard. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] This allows you to obtain information about the management of the equipment and devices that make up the system without affecting the operation of the monitored system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the concept of the system of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an example of the system configuration of a contact information processing device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an example of a transformer equipment management table in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an example of a motor equipment management table in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is an example of a reference value table in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an example of a leakage current table in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is an example of a block diagram showing the motor connection relationships in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is an example of a graph showing the motor's operating history in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is an example of the output screen in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is an example flowchart showing the processing of the contact information processing device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure used to illustrate the embodiments, the same names and reference numerals will be used for identical components as much as possible, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0013] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the attached claims. For example, the embodiments described above are explained in detail for clarity, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described.

[0014] Furthermore, the processing units and processing modules described in the embodiments may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing some or all of them as integrated circuits, or they may be implemented in software by having a processor interpret and execute programs that realize each function.

[0015] The information described in the embodiments may be a table, a database (DB), or data stored in the main memory.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the concept of the system of the present invention. The monitoring device 1 installed in the facility equipment acquires measurement data 2 such as electric power, current, and the temperature near the facility equipment used in the facility equipment, and contact information 3 indicating the operation and stop of the facility equipment.

[0017] The acquired measurement data 2 and contact information 3 are processed by the contact information processing device 4, and a form 5 and a graph 6 indicating the operation status of the facility equipment are output.

[0018] Since the contact information 3 is operation information indicating ON / OFF of the facility equipment, the contact information processing device 4 converts it into the operation time and outputs the form 5 and the graph 6.

[0019] The contact information processing device 4 periodically collects the contact information 3 at a predetermined collection interval such as 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour.

[0020] When the contact information 3 is collected, if the contact information 3 is ON, the time during the collection interval is accumulated as the operation time. If the contact information 3 is OFF, the time during the collection interval is set as the non-operation time.

[0021] Therefore, if the collection interval is shortened, more accurate operation time and non-operation time can be obtained. However, the collection of the contact information 3 increases the network load and the load of the contact information processing device 4, so it is necessary to determine the collection interval according to the target system.

[0022] Based on the form 5 and the graph 6 including the operation time and non-operation time obtained from the contact information processing device 4, maintenance, replacement, and operation adjustment of the facility equipment can be performed.

[0023] Figure 2 shows an example of the system configuration of a contact information processing device in an embodiment of the present invention. The contact information processing device 4 is composed of a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 17, main memory 9, external memory 7, and input / output unit 8. In this embodiment, an example implemented with a standalone computer is described, but it may also be implemented using a cloud system that provides computing resources.

[0024] The main memory 9 consists of memory elements such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0025] The main memory 9 contains, as software modules, a contact information collection unit 10 that collects contact information 3 and determines operating time, etc., an operating time accumulation unit 16 that accumulates the collected operating time, a measurement data collection unit 11 that collects measurement data 2 such as voltage and current, a maintenance determination unit 13 that determines the need for maintenance of equipment based on the contact information 3 collected by the contact information collection unit 10, a correlation determination unit 14 that determines the correlation between measurement data 2 and contact information 3 and identifies the equipment that is causing the abnormality in the measurement data, and an energy saving determination unit 15 that determines energy-saving operation of the system from the contact information 3. The software modules refer to tables stored in the external memory 7 and are executed by the CPU 17.

[0026] The measurement data acquisition unit 11 includes a leakage current information acquisition unit 12 that collects leakage current information of the power supply used in the system, and other modules that collect information.

[0027] The external storage device 7 consists of storage devices such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and SSDs (Solid State Drives).

[0028] The external storage device 7 stores an equipment management table 20 that stores contact information 3 collected from the equipment, a measurement data table 21 that stores measurement data 2 collected from the equipment, and a reference value table 22 that stores operating hours and other information that indicate when the equipment requires maintenance.

[0029] The leakage current table 23 in the measurement data table 21 stores the leakage current information collected by the leakage current information collection unit 12. The storage tables for the other measurement data 2 are not described.

[0030] The input / output unit 8 consists of hardware such as a display, LCD panel, keyboard, mouse, and network interface. The results processed by the maintenance determination unit 13, correlation determination unit 14, and energy saving determination unit 15 are output in the format specified by the input / output device.

[0031] Figure 3 shows an example of a transformer equipment management table in an embodiment of the present invention. The operating time of transformer 1 and transformer 2 is stored as an accumulated value for each time period, showing how many minutes they operated each hour.

[0032] Figure 4 shows an example of a motor equipment management table in an embodiment of the present invention. It stores information regarding the operating status of motors A, B, and C.

[0033] The "Interlock" column stores information indicating which motors each motor operates in conjunction with. In this example, it states that motors B and C operate only when motor A is running.

[0034] The load column also shows the magnitude of the load on each motor. The exact power consumption is listed in the power consumption column, but it can also be estimated from the load value. The operating time column stores the cumulative operating time since the start of motor operation.

[0035] The cumulative operating time can be calculated by determining the operating status for each time period based on the ON / OFF status of the operating signal obtained from the magnetic switch of the motor's control unit. If the operating signal is ON when detected, the motor is considered to be operating during that time period; if it is OFF, the motor is considered to be inactive during that time period.

[0036] To calculate cumulative operating time more accurately, the time period can be shortened to reduce the error compared to the actual operating time.

[0037] Figure 5 shows an example of a reference value table in an embodiment of the present invention. It stores the cumulative operating time for which maintenance is recommended for each piece of equipment, such as motors and transformers. The cumulative operating time varies depending on the operating environment of the equipment.

[0038] The cumulative operating time can be set for multiple operating environments, such as Normal (30°C) for typical usage conditions, Severe1 (40°C) for harsh conditions, and Severe2 (50°C) for even harsher conditions.

[0039] In this example, motor A needs to be inspected and serviced every 200,000 hours if it is operating at a room temperature below 30°C, but it needs to be serviced and inspected every 160,000 hours if it is operating between 30°C and 40°C.

[0040] The benchmark values ​​may be set based on indicators such as the number of ON / OFF cycles, rather than cumulative operating time. These benchmarks should be set based on the type of equipment and the guidelines of the equipment supplier.

[0041] Based on the reference values ​​in the reference value table and the cumulative operating hours in the equipment management table, it becomes possible to present users with maintenance information indicating when maintenance, inspection, and replacement are required for each piece of equipment.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of a leakage current table in an embodiment of the present invention. Leakage currents obtained by sensors installed in the power supply monitoring device are stored for each time period. However, because power is supplied to the entire system, it is not possible to know which equipment is generating the leakage current.

[0043] By comparing the operational information of individual pieces of equipment stored in the equipment management tables shown in Figures 3 and 4, it becomes possible to identify the equipment generating leakage current.

[0044] Figure 7 is an example of a block diagram showing the motor connection relationships in an embodiment of the present invention. Motors A, B, and C are connected to a single power supply, and leakage current information and contact information indicating the operating status are sent via a network from a monitoring device 1 attached to the power supply and a power detector 30 attached to the motors to a contact information processing device 4.

[0045] Furthermore, a temperature sensor 31 is provided near each motor to measure the ambient temperature of the installation location, and the room temperature is sent to the contact information processing device 4 via the network.

[0046] In this example, a temperature sensor transmits the ambient temperature at the location where the motor is installed, but depending on the type of equipment, humidity, atmospheric pressure, or water temperature could also be used.

[0047] Figure 8 is an example of a graph showing the motor operation history in an embodiment of the present invention. The leakage current detected in the system in Figure 7 and the operating status of motors A, B, and C are displayed in correspondence with time.

[0048] By outputting this graph from the input / output unit 8 to the screen and presenting it to the user, information can be provided that allows the user to identify the motor that is generating leakage current. The correlation determination unit 14 of the contact information processing device 4 may determine the motor generating leakage current by correlating the leakage current graph with a graph showing the motor's operating status, and output an identifier for the motor that is most likely to be generating leakage current from the input / output unit 8.

[0049] Leakage current is always present at a constant level when connected loads such as motors are in operation, but it increases significantly between 12:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00.

[0050] In this example, the time period during which the leakage current occurs coincides with the time period when motor B is operating, so it can be inferred that the leakage current is being generated due to insulation degradation or other reasons in motor B.

[0051] In this way, by comparing contact information with measurement data, it is possible to provide information that helps in estimating the location of abnormalities in equipment.

[0052] Furthermore, the energy-saving determination unit 15 of the contact information processing device 4 can determine the possibility of energy-saving operation from this graph. During the period from 12:00 to 13:00, indicated by the dotted line in Figure 8, only motor A is operating. According to the equipment management table in Figure 4, motors B and C operate in conjunction with motor A, but motors B and C are not operating during this time period.

[0053] Therefore, there is a possibility that motor A does not need to be operated between 12:00 and 13:00. This determination is made by the energy saving determination unit 15, and energy saving information can be provided to the screen via the input / output unit 8.

[0054] Figure 9 shows an example of the output screen in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] The output screen 70 displays the system name 71 and administrator 72. Pressing the analysis button 73 outputs maintenance information 74, fault information 75, and energy saving information 76.

[0056] Maintenance information 74 displays the identifier 80 of the equipment requiring maintenance, the cumulative operating time 81 of the equipment, the required maintenance details 82, and the operating environment 83 of the equipment, all associated with each other.

[0057] In this example, motor A has been operating for 160,000 hours in a Severe1 environment, indicating that it needs to be disassembled and cleaned.

[0058] The fault information 75 displays the equipment identifier 80, the total operating time of the equipment 81, the details of the equipment fault 84, and the equipment environment 83 in association with each other.

[0059] This example suggests that there may be leakage current occurring in motor B.

[0060] Energy saving information 76 is output with the following associated data: equipment identifier 80, total operating time of equipment 81, energy saving points 85, and power consumption 86.

[0061] In this example, it is proposed to stop motor A between 12:00 and 13:00, and the amount of energy savings that can be expected from the power consumption of 86 can be determined.

[0062] Figure 10 is an example of a flowchart showing the processing of a contact information processing device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] The contact information collection unit 10 collects contact information from power detectors 30 such as magnetic switches (S1), and the operating time accumulating unit 16 uses the collected contact information to calculate the operating time for each piece of equipment and register it in the equipment management table (S2).

[0064] The measurement data acquisition unit 11 collects measurement data such as temperature (S3), and the leakage current information acquisition unit 12 collects leakage current information from the monitoring device 1 (S4).

[0065] The maintenance determination unit 13 determines the necessary maintenance based on the operating time (S5), and if there is leakage current information (S6), the correlation determination unit identifies equipment that may be malfunctioning based on contact information (S7).

[0066] If there is no leakage current information, the energy saving determination unit 15 determines energy saving points from the operating information of the equipment (S8), and the input / output unit 8 outputs equipment that may be malfunctioning, equipment that requires maintenance, and energy saving points (S9).

[0067] The processing of the contact information processing device 4 described herein is the processing described in the embodiment for the purpose of making the present invention easier to understand. Processing may be added or removed as needed based on the type of equipment, the configuration, application, and characteristics of the target system. Therefore, the present invention does not need to include all the processing described herein and is not limited to the embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1 Monitoring device 4 Contact Information Processing Device 7 External storage device 8 Input / output section 9 Main memory 10 Contact Information Collection Department 11 Measurement Data Collection Unit 12. Leakage Current Information Collection Unit 13 Maintenance judgment section 14. Correlation determination unit 15 Energy saving determination unit 16. Operating Hours Accumulation Unit 17 CPU 20 Equipment Management Table 22 Reference Value Table 23 Leakage Current Table 30 Power detector 31 Temperature sensor 32 motors

Claims

1. In a contact information processing device that outputs information for maintaining equipment, A power detector installed on a power line that supplies power to equipment, The operating time integrator receives contact information indicating the ON / OFF status of the power supply obtained from the power detector and calculates the cumulative value of the power supply time. A device management table that stores the cumulative value of the power supply time for each piece of equipment, A contact information processing device comprising an output unit that outputs an identifier for equipment when an equipment unit occurs whose accumulated value stored in the equipment management table exceeds a predetermined first standard.

2. In the contact information processing device according to claim 1, The output unit is a contact information processing device that outputs the power supply time for each piece of equipment in a graph.

3. In the contact information processing device according to claim 1, The aforementioned equipment consists of multiple pieces of equipment connected in parallel to a power supply, and the power supply is equipped with a monitoring device for measuring leakage current. The power detector is installed on the plurality of equipment devices, The system includes a correlation determination unit that determines the correlation between leakage current obtained from a monitoring device and contact information obtained from the power detector, and identifies equipment with a correlation. The output unit is a contact information processing device that outputs an identifier of equipment that may be associated with leakage current.

4. In the contact information processing device according to claim 1, It includes a measurement data acquisition unit that collects environmental data, including at least the temperature around the equipment, The aforementioned equipment management table stores the environmental data collected by the measurement data collection unit, associating it with the equipment. The output unit is a contact information processing device that outputs the identifier of equipment when the environmental data exceeds a predetermined standard and the cumulative value stored in the equipment management table exceeds a second standard which is lower than a predetermined first standard.

5. In the contact information processing device according to claim 4, The output unit is a contact information processing device that outputs maintenance information necessary for a piece of equipment, associated with the identifier of that equipment.

6. In a contact information processing method that outputs information for maintaining equipment, A power detector is installed on the power line that supplies power to the equipment. The operating time accumulating unit receives contact information indicating the ON / OFF status of the power supply from the power detector, calculates the accumulated value of the power supply time, and stores the accumulated value of the power supply time for each piece of equipment in the equipment management table. A contact information processing method in which the output unit outputs the identifier of an equipment when an equipment occurs in which the cumulative value stored in the equipment management table exceeds a predetermined first standard.

Images