Facility monitoring system, facility monitoring device, and facility monitoring method

Abstract

To provide a facility monitoring system that is able to present appropriate estimated lives of various components in a to-be-monitored facility.SOLUTION: A facility monitoring system includes a facility monitoring device 110 that monitors to-be-monitored facilities 500A, 500B. The facility monitoring device 110 includes: a function that reads respective estimated component-lives of components included in the to-be-monitored facilities 500A, 500B from a storage unit 107; and a function that calculates corrected component-lives as a result of correcting the estimated component-lives based on respective pieces of operation information DWA, DWB of the to-be-monitored facilities 500A, 500B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a facility monitoring system, a facility monitoring device, and a facility monitoring method. [Background technology]

[0002] As background technology in this technical field, the abstract of Patent Document 1 below states, "[Problem] To provide a water supply device that can clearly notify users who do not have specialized knowledge about water supply devices that consumable parts need to be replaced. [Solution] The water supply device 1 comprises a pump 2, an electric motor 3 that drives the pump 2, a control unit 40 that measures the usage period of the consumable parts of the water supply device 1 and compares the usage period with a threshold value, and a display 49 that, when the usage period is equal to or greater than the threshold value, displays that the usage period has exceeded the threshold value and that the consumable parts need to be replaced." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-197382 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned technology, there is a demand for presenting a more appropriate estimated life span of various components. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an equipment monitoring system, equipment monitoring device, and equipment monitoring method that can present appropriate estimated life spans of various parts in monitored equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the equipment monitoring system of the present invention includes an equipment monitoring device that monitors monitored equipment, and the equipment monitoring device has a function of reading out estimated part lives of parts included in the monitored equipment from a storage unit, and a function of calculating corrected part lives that are the result of correcting the estimated part lives based on operation information of the monitored equipment. Corrected parts life calculation function and equipped with The operation information includes temperature and humidity as environmental information of the monitored equipment, and the corrected part life calculation function applies the lower of a constant corresponding to temperature and a constant corresponding to humidity as a weighting constant, and calculates the corrected part life using the multiplication result of the applied weighting constant and the estimated part life. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to present corrected component lives, which are appropriate estimated lifespans of various components in monitored equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a remote monitoring system according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a pressurized water supply unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a life curve of a bearing included in a cooling fan. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a constant definition table. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a transition of an operating value. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a recommended replacement time notification program executed in the remote monitoring system. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a remote monitoring system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Prerequisites for the embodiment] To prevent pump and other equipment breakdowns, it is advisable to perform periodic part replacement maintenance, and pump manufacturers provide recommended replacement intervals based on standard usage in their instruction manuals. However, inexperienced users who are not dedicated to pumps, such as facility managers in buildings or apartment complexes, may not know how to check data such as the lifespan of each pump part or the current operating time. This often leads to pumps continuing to be used even after the recommended replacement interval has passed, which can lead to breakdowns due to lack of maintenance.

[0009] By applying the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to notify a user that a consumable part has reached its recommended replacement time. Specifically, it is possible to set a threshold value for the consumable part according to the recommended replacement time, and determine the recommended replacement time by comparing the operating status of the pump, such as the operating time and number of times it has been operated, with the threshold value. However, Patent Document 1 does not specifically mention taking into consideration the installation environment of the pump machine. Furthermore, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to check the notification, the user must either go to the pump room and look at the display panel of the water supply device, or display the information on an external display device via short-range wireless communication or a wired connection.

[0010] Generally, it is difficult to determine signs of failure and replace parts appropriately using instantaneous data. In other words, to determine the appropriate recommended replacement time, it is necessary to check operation progress information through long-term logging, or to use the experience and know-how of a service company that has been specializing in pump maintenance for many years. In addition, it is often necessary to stop the pump and perform an overhaul and inspection.

[0011] In particular, disassembly and inspection work involves water outages, and because of the need to prepare for the response and secure a construction period, it is costly and cannot be performed frequently. Furthermore, the lifespan of a part is easily affected not only by factors such as operating time, but also by the environment in which the pump is installed. Therefore, the recommended replacement time calculated based solely on factors such as operating time may not always be appropriate, and there may be parts that need to be replaced earlier. Therefore, the embodiments described below aim to solve the various problems mentioned above and present appropriate recommended replacement times.

[0012] [First embodiment] <Configuration of the first embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a remote monitoring system 100 (facility monitoring system) according to the first embodiment. 1, remote monitoring system 100 includes pressurized water supply units 500A and 500B (monitored equipment) and monitoring server 110. Monitoring server 110 is provided on the cloud and is capable of communicating with user terminals 120 such as personal computers and smartphones. Pressurized water supply units 500A and 500B each include a communication terminal (not shown) and perform two-way data communication with monitoring server 110.

[0013] The pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B can be various types of equipment that supplies water. For example, the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B may be a water tank type booster pump or a direct-coupled booster pump. The pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B are each equipped with a control panel 103b, 104b that controls operation, and these control panels 103b, 104b have a control board (not shown) inside. In this embodiment, the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B are water supply units, but the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B may also be a land pump type or a submersible pump type.

[0014] The monitoring server 110 (facility monitoring device) includes a Web server 104, a system information database 105, a receiving server 106, an operation information database 107 (storage unit), a calculation unit 108, and a mail server 109.

[0015] The receiving server 106 receives operation information DWA and DWB from the pressurized water supply units 500A and 500B, respectively. In addition, the system information database 105 stores registration information data for the pressurized water supply units 500A and 500B. The operation information database 107 links the operation information DWA and DWB to the registration information data for the pressurized water supply units 500A and 500B and stores the operation information DWA and DWB. The calculation unit 108 calculates the recommended replacement times for various parts based on the operation information DWA and DWB. The web server 104 provides the notification information DWU to the user terminal 120 in the form of a web page via an IP network (not shown) such as the Internet.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the pressurized water supply unit 500 (monitored facility). This pressurized water supply unit 500 is one of the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the operation information DW shown in Fig. 2 is one of the operation information DWA, DWB shown in Fig. 1. In Figure 2, the pressurized water supply unit 500 includes water tanks 262, 263, water level sensors 264, 265, inlet pipes 202, 203, inlet side gate valves 204, 205, pumps 206, 207, motors 208, 209, inverters 210, 211, inverter control units 212, 213, and a control device 250.

[0017] Water level sensors 264, 265 measure water levels X1, X2 in the water receiving tanks 262, 263. Inlet pipes 202, 203 are connected to the water receiving tanks 262, 263, respectively. Inlet-side gate valves 204, 205 are inserted into the inlet pipes 202, 203. Motors 208, 209 drive pumps 206, 207, respectively. Inverters 210, 211 supply AC power to the motors 208, 209. Inverter control units 212, 213 control the output frequency, output voltage, etc. of the inverters 210, 211. A control device 250 controls each part of the pressurized water supply unit 500.

[0018] The inverters 210 and 211, the inverter control units 212 and 213, and the control device 250 are mounted in a housing 240, which is a rack. A cooling fan 242 for cooling the interior of the housing 240 is attached to the housing 240. The cooling fan 242 is equipped with a bearing 244.

[0019] Furthermore, check valves 222 and 223 and gate valves 224 and 225 are connected in sequence to the discharge sides (right side in the figure) of pumps 206 and 207. The discharge sides of gate valves 224 and 225 are connected to a common pipe 228. Furthermore, a pressure tank 218 and a pressure sensor 217 are connected to pipe 228. Pressure tank 218 maintains the pressure in pipe 228 and serves to reduce the frequency of starting pumps 206 and 207. Furthermore, pressure sensor 217 measures the pressure in pipe 228.

[0020] The control device 250 also includes a liquid crystal display unit 252, a control unit 254 that is an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a sensor interface unit 256, and a memory 258 (storage unit). Although not shown, the memory 258 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The EEPROM stores control programs and various data, which will be described later. A temperature sensor 219, a humidity sensor 220, and a pressure sensor 217 are connected to the sensor interface unit 256.

[0021] In addition, water levels X1 and X2 are supplied to sensor interface section 256 from water level sensors 264 and 265. Temperature sensor 219 measures the ambient temperature TE (temperature) of pumps 206 and 207, and humidity sensor 220 measures the ambient humidity HE (humidity) of pumps 206 and 207. In addition, a communication terminal 231 equipped with an antenna 232 is connected to control device 250. Via this communication terminal 231, pressurized water supply unit 500 transmits operation information DW to monitoring server 110 (see FIG. 1).

[0022] The control device 250 starts one of the pumps 206 and 207 when the pressure PT detected by the pressure sensor 217 falls below a predetermined starting pressure PTth (not shown). After the pump 206 or 207 starts, the control device 250 controls the output frequency of the inverter 210 or 211 via the inverter control units 212 and 213 in accordance with changes in the pressure PT. When the control device 250 detects that the amount of water being supplied is insufficient through frequency control, it increases the frequency, and the internal pressure of the pressure tank 218 increases. When the pressure PT reaches a predetermined value, the control device 250 stops the pumps 206 and 207. The control device 250 alternately operates the pumps 206 and 207 every time the pressure PT falls below the starting pressure PTth. This allows the operating times of the pumps 206 and 207 to be equalized.

[0023] The control device 250 monitors the states of the inverters 210, 211, and periodically stores the frequencies and current values ​​of the inverters 210, 211, the pressure PT, the ambient temperature TE, and the ambient humidity HE in the RAM of the memory 258. The control device 250 also stores the power supply time TW, the operation times TP1, TP2, and the start-up times CS1, CS2 (none of which are shown) in the EEPROM of the memory 258.

[0024] Here, the power supply time TW is the total time that power has been supplied to the pressurized water supply unit 500 after the pressurized water supply unit 500 was installed. The operating times TP1 and TP2 are the operating times of the pumps 206 and 207, respectively, after the pressurized water supply unit 500 was installed. The start-up counts CS1 and CS2 are the number of times that the pumps 206 and 207 were started, respectively, after the pressurized water supply unit 500 was installed.

[0025] The recommended replacement times for various parts in the pressurized water supply unit 500 are determined based on the power-on time TW, the operating times TP1 and TP2, and / or the number of starts CS1 and CS2. In the following explanation, these "time," "number of times," and other values ​​that represent the degree of deterioration of each part are collectively referred to as the "operating value L" (see FIG. 5). In other words, the power-on time TW, the operating times TP1 and TP2, and / or the number of starts CS1 and CS2 are the "operating value L" that represents the degree of deterioration of each part.

[0026] Although not specifically shown, the pumps 206 and 207 include impellers, mechanical seals, etc. Furthermore, the motors 208 and 209 include bearings. Since the main cause of deterioration of these parts is wear due to rotation, it is often preferable to use the operating times TP1 and TP2 as the operating value L.

[0027] On the other hand, various electric circuits are often energized even when the pumps 206, 207 are stopped. Therefore, since the circuit boards, controllers, pressure sensors, etc. of the inverter control units 212, 213 and the inverters 210, 211 are constantly worn down by being energized, it is often preferable to use the energization time TW as the operation value L of the various electric components.

[0028] Furthermore, since pressure tank 218 is constantly under pressure while pressurized water supply unit 500 is operating, it is conceivable to use the energization time TW as the operation value L. However, the life of pressure tank 218 is often bottlenecked by the various rubber parts (not shown) provided inside. When one of pumps 206, 207 starts, a load is placed on the various rubber parts, so it is preferable to use the sum of the start counts CS1, CS2 (CS1+CS2) as the operation value L.

[0029] The control device 250 stores in the EEPROM of the memory 258 the operating value L applied to various components within the pressurized water supply unit 500 and the estimated component life L0 (see Figure 5), which is the threshold value of the operating value L corresponding to the recommended replacement time for these components.

[0030] The communication terminal 231 periodically acquires the operation information DW stored in the control device 250. When adding an input / output unit to the communication terminal 231, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or a communication board may be added to the communication terminal 231. These communication boards, etc., should be adapted to the communication protocol of the connection destination. It is preferable to adopt a wide-area communication protocol such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) as the communication protocol for the communication terminal 231. Since the pressurized water supply unit 500 is often installed in a basement, for example, radio wave strength can be a problem. In such cases, it is preferable to separate the communication terminal 231 and the antenna 232 so that the installation location of the antenna 232 can be freely selected.

[0031] The operation information DW transmitted from the control device 250 to the monitoring server 110 (see FIG. 1) via the communication terminal 231 includes operating state information DW1, parts management information DW2, and environmental information DW3.

[0032] Here, the driving state information DW1 includes the following: · Discharge pressure of pumps 206, 207, the rotation speed of the pumps 206, 207, Output current of inverters 210 and 211, ·Power supply time TW of the pressurized water supply unit 500, · Operation time TP1, TP2 of pumps 206, 207, Number of starts of pumps 206, 207 CS1, CS2, and - Operating value L of each other part.

[0033] The parts management information DW2 also includes the following: - Estimated part life L0 of the pressure sensor 217 (threshold value of the operating value), · Estimated part life L0 of pressure tank 218, Estimated component life L0 of the liquid crystal display unit 252, - Estimated part life L0 of the impeller of pumps 206 and 207, - Estimated part life L0 of motors 208 and 209 - Estimated part life L0 of bearings included in motors 208 and 209 - Estimated part life L0 of the mechanical seal included in motors 208 and 209 - Estimated component life L0 of inverters 210 and 211, Estimated component life L0 of inverter control units 212 and 213, - Estimated part life L0 of check valves 222, 223, and ·Estimated component life L0 of the earth leakage circuit breaker (not shown). The environmental information DW3 also includes the ambient temperature TE and the ambient humidity HE.

[0034] 1, as described above, the Web server 104 of the monitoring server 110 provides the notification information DWU to the user terminal 120 in the form of a Web page. Here, the notification information DWU includes the above-mentioned operation information DW (i.e., DWA, DWB). Furthermore, the notification information DWU includes the current operating value L of each part and the recommended replacement time.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a life curve of the bearing 244 included in the cooling fan 242. Bearing 244 contains grease (not shown), and the degree of deterioration of the grease changes depending on the ambient temperature (horizontal axis), which in turn changes the estimated lifespan (vertical axis). More specifically, according to the Arrhenius law, the estimated lifespan shortens as the temperature rises. This also applies to the estimated lifespans of the bearings and insulating parts of motors 208 and 209 and the capacitors (none of which are shown) used in inverters 210 and 211. Note that ambient temperatures TE1 and TE3 in the figure will be discussed later. In light of these circumstances, it is believed that a more appropriate recommended replacement time for a part can be presented by taking into account environmental information DW3, such as ambient temperature TE and ambient humidity HE, rather than presenting the recommended replacement time based solely on the estimated part lifespan L0, which is the threshold value for the current-on time TW, operating time TP1 and TP2, or start count CS1 and CS2.

[0036] Therefore, in this embodiment, the calculation unit 108 of the monitoring server 110 reads out the estimated part life L0 of each part from the operation information database 107, and calculates a corrected part life L1 by correcting the estimated part life L0 based on the following equation (1). In equation (1), α is a weighting constant and K is a correction coefficient. It is preferable that the correction coefficient K be a value based on performance data. L1=α·K·L0 …(1)

[0037] In other words, the calculation unit 108 of the monitoring server 110 has a function to read out the estimated part life L0 of each part from the operation information database 107, a function to correct this estimated part life L0 to calculate a corrected part life L1, and a function to write the calculated corrected part life L1 of each part to the operation information database 107. Furthermore, the calculation unit 108 has a function to use this corrected part life L1 to calculate a recommended replacement time for each part.

[0038] The corrected part life L1 for each part is the power supply time TW of the pressurized water supply unit 500, the operating times TP1 and TP2 of the pumps 206 and 207, or the number of starts CS1 and CS2 of the pumps 206 and 207, and these are stored in the operation information database 107 (see FIG. 1) of the monitoring server 110. The calculation unit 108 calculates the corrected part life L1 for each part based on the constant α and the correction coefficient K.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the constant definition table 300. As shown in FIG. The constant definition table 300 is a table used by the calculation unit 108 (see FIG. 1) to determine a weighting constant α based on the average ambient temperature TEV and the average ambient humidity HEV. Here, the average ambient temperature TEV and the average ambient humidity HEV are the average values ​​of the ambient temperature TE and the ambient humidity HE, respectively, within a predetermined time period. In the constant definition table 300, the average ambient temperature TEV and the average ambient humidity HEV are grouped according to these values.

[0040] That is, regarding the average ambient temperature TEV, it is assumed that the temperatures TE1, TE2, and TE3 have the relationship TE1 < TE2 < TE3. When TEV ≤ TE1, it belongs to group Q1; when TE1 < TEV ≤ TE2, it belongs to group Q2; when TE2 < TEV ≤ TE3, it belongs to group Q3; when TE3 < TEV, it belongs to group Q4.

[0041] Also, regarding the average ambient humidity HEV, it is assumed that the humidities HE1, HE2, and HE3 have the relationship HE1 < HE2 < HE3. When HEV ≤ HE1, it belongs to group Q1; when HE1 < HEV ≤ HE2, it belongs to group Q2; when HE2 < HEV ≤ HE3, it belongs to group Q3; when HE3 < HEV, it belongs to group Q4.

[0042] And for these groups Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, the constant α for weighting is set to "1.0", "0.8", "0.65", and "0.5", respectively. When the groups Q1 to Q4 to which the average ambient temperature TEV and the average ambient humidity HEV belong are different, the calculation unit 108 calculates the corrected component life L1 by applying the lower constant α.

[0043] The correction coefficient K shown in Equation (1) is a coefficient that corrects the constant α for weighting and improves the accuracy of the estimated lifetime. When calculating this correction coefficient K, it is preferable to use actual data. That is, when the user performs component replacement due to component failure in the pressurized water supply unit 500, the user records this fact in the control device 250. When component replacement due to component failure occurs, the control device 250 transmits the operating value L (referred to as the operating value LF at the time of failure) at the time of failure of the component and the history of the environmental information DW3 (see FIG. 2) from the installation of the pressurized water supply unit 500 until the failure to the monitoring server 110.

[0044] The calculation unit 108 of the monitoring server 110 calculates a corrected part life L1 based on the history of the environmental information DW3 and the fault-time operating value LF. Next, the calculation unit 108 calculates a difference value ΔL (= L1 - LF) between the fault-time operating value LF and the corrected part life L1. Next, if the difference value ΔL exceeds a predetermined value, the calculation unit 108 corrects the correction coefficient K for parts with the same specifications as the failed part so that the corrected part life L1 approaches the fault-time operating value LF. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the estimated life times of parts with the same specifications thereafter.

[0045] In this way, the operation of the calculation unit 108 to correct the correction coefficient K occurs when "part replacement due to part failure" occurs, and part replacement for other reasons is excluded from the targets for correcting the correction coefficient K. For example, part replacement due to regular maintenance or part replacement performed simultaneously with the replacement of other parts is excluded from the targets for correcting the correction coefficient K.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the transition of the operating value L. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the time elapsed after installation of pressurized water supply unit 500 or replacement of a part, and the vertical axis represents the operating value L corresponding to the type of part, more specifically, the power supply time TW of pressurized water supply unit 500, the operating times TP1 and TP2 of pumps 206 and 207, or the number of starts CS1 and CS2, etc.

[0047] In the illustrated example, the period until the operating value L reaches the estimated component life L0 is five years. On the other hand, in the illustrated example, the period until the operating value L reaches the corrected component life L1 is four years. In cases such as when the temperature and humidity of the environment in which the pressurized water supply unit 500 is installed are high, the corrected component life L1 is often shorter than the estimated component life L0. In this embodiment, the user is notified of the recommended replacement time, etc., based on the corrected component life L1.

[0048] That is, in the illustrated example, even before the elapsed time reaches "4 years," it is possible to predict that the operating value L will reach the corrected part life L1 when the elapsed time reaches "4 years" based on the increasing trend of the operating value L. Therefore, in the illustrated example, the time when the elapsed time reaches "4 years" becomes the "recommended replacement time." As a result, according to this embodiment, an appropriate recommended replacement time based on conditions such as temperature and humidity can be presented to the user, and part replacement guidance can be provided. Note that the predicted recommended replacement time may be displayed in the Gregorian calendar. The graph shown in FIG. 5 may be displayed on the user terminal 120 via the Web server 104 of the monitoring server 110 (see FIG. 1).

[0049] 6 is a flowchart of a recommended replacement time notification program executed in the remote monitoring system 100. This program is activated in response to a user operation after the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B (see FIG. 1) are installed. When the processing proceeds to step S2 in FIG. 6, the monitoring server 110, based on the user's operation, registers the estimated part life L0 of each part as part management information DW2 in the memory 258 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 250 in the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B. Next, when the process proceeds to step S4, the power to the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B is turned on based on the user's operation, and operation of the pumps 206, 207 (see FIG. 2) etc. is started. In addition, the control device 250 (see FIG. 2) in the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B starts communication with the monitoring server 110.

[0050] Next, when the process proceeds to step S6, the control device 250 transmits the operation information DW to the monitoring server 110 (see FIG. 1). As described above, the operation information DW includes the estimated component life L0 of each component and the current operation value L of each component. Next, when the process proceeds to step S8, the control device 250 determines whether it is time to update the information on the operation value L for any component. Here, the update timing is, for example, every time one hour has passed for the operation value L related to "time" (power-on time TW, operation times TP1, TP2, etc.). Also, for the operation value L related to "number of times" (start-up times CS1, CS2, etc.), it is, for example, every time the value increases by "1."

[0051] If the determination in step S8 is "Yes," the process proceeds to step S10. Here, the control device 250 updates the operating value L of the part that has reached its update timing. Next, when the process proceeds to step S12, the control device 250 reads out the estimated part life L0 of the part that has reached its update timing from the memory 258, and determines whether the updated operating value L has exceeded the estimated part life L0.

[0052] If the determination here is "Yes," the process proceeds to step S14, where the control device 250 causes the liquid crystal display unit 252 to display the name of the part whose operating value L has exceeded the estimated part life L0 (hereinafter referred to as the name of the part recommended for replacement) and a message that the recommended replacement time has arrived. Next, when the process proceeds to step S16, the control device 250 notifies the monitoring server 110 (see FIG. 1) of the name of the part recommended for replacement and a message that the recommended replacement time has arrived.

[0053] Next, when the process proceeds to step S18, the monitoring server 110 notifies the user terminal 120, via the mail server 109, in the form of an email of the name of the part recommended for replacement and a notice that the recommended replacement time has arrived. Next, when the process proceeds to step S20, the monitoring server 110 updates the notification information DWU and provides the updated notification information DWU to the user terminal 120, etc., via the Web server 104. Here, the notification information DWU includes the name of the part recommended for replacement and a notice that the recommended replacement time has arrived. Then, the process returns to step S8, and the processes from step S8 onwards are repeated.

[0054] On the other hand, if the determination in step S12 above is "No" (the updated operating value L is less than or equal to the estimated component life L0), the process proceeds to step S22. Here, the control device 250 determines whether the current time has reached the timing for transmitting the operation information DW. The timing for transmitting the operation information DW is, for example, the timing when 24 hours have passed since the last time the operation information DW was transmitted (step S6 above or step S24 described below). If the determination in step S22 is "No," the process returns to step S8.

[0055] On the other hand, if the determination in step S22 is "Yes," the process proceeds to step S24, where the control device 250 transmits the operation information DW to the monitoring server 110. Next, when the process proceeds to step S26, the monitoring server 110 reads out the corrected part life L1 of each part from the operation information database 107. Then, the monitoring server 110 determines whether the operation value L for any part has exceeded the corrected part life L1 of that part.

[0056] If the answer here is "Yes," processing proceeds to step S28, and the monitoring server 110 notifies the user terminal 120 via the mail server 109 in the form of an email of the name of the part recommended for replacement and that the recommended replacement time has arrived.

[0057] Next, when the process proceeds to step S30, the monitoring server 110 updates the notification information DWU and provides the updated notification information DWU to the user terminal 120 or the like via the Web server 104. Then, the process returns to step S8. Note that even if the determination in step S26 is "No" (if the operating value L is less than or equal to the corrected part life L1), step S30 is executed, so the user can check the notification information DWU via the Web page. The notification information DWU includes the recommended replacement time for each part, so the user can know the recommended replacement time even for parts whose operating value L has not yet reached the corrected part life L1.

[0058] [Second embodiment] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a remote monitoring system 150 (facility monitoring system) according to the second embodiment. 7, remote monitoring system 150 includes pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B, monitoring server 110, in-factory server 132 (production planning section), and sales office server 142 (maintenance planning section). The configurations and operations of pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B and monitoring server 110 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above. In-factory server 132 is provided in factory 130 where various parts are manufactured, and sales office server 142 is provided in sales office 140 where various parts are sold.

[0059] The factory server 132 and the sales office server 142 are equipped with general computer hardware (all not shown), such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), and the ROM stores control programs executed by the CPU and various data.

[0060] The in-factory server 132 in the factory 130 accesses the monitoring server 110 and collects the operation information DWA, DWB of the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B. The in-factory server 132 then tallyes up the parts by type that have reached their recommended replacement time, and creates a parts shipping plan based on the tallying results.

[0061] Furthermore, the in-factory server 132 searches for parts that are expected to reach the recommended replacement time within a predetermined period in the future (for example, within six months) based on the past trends of the operation information DWA and DWB, and tally up the searched parts by type. Based on this tallying up result, the in-factory server 132 manages inventory so that various parts do not run out, and formulates production plans for various parts.

[0062] The factory server 132 also supplies information about inventory quantities and delivery dates for various parts to the monitoring server 110. These inventory quantities and delivery dates are published as a web page via the web server 104, and can be viewed on the user terminal 120. This allows the user to predict, via the user terminal 120, when replacement parts will be available.

[0063] In addition, the sales office server 142 at the sales office 140 accesses the monitoring server 110 and collects operation information DWA, DWB of the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B. This allows sales staff at the sales office 140 to understand the maintenance status of the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B without visiting the site, and can therefore suggest to users of the pressurized water supply units 500A, 500B that parts that have reached their recommended replacement dates be replaced. Furthermore, the sales office server 142 creates a maintenance plan for maintenance personnel based on the data on the recommended replacement dates.

[0064] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, according to each of the above-described embodiments, the equipment monitoring system (100, 150) includes an equipment monitoring device (110) that monitors the monitored equipment (500), and the equipment monitoring device (110) has a function of reading out the estimated part life L0 of parts included in the monitored equipment (500) from the storage unit (107), and a function of calculating a corrected part life L1 that is the result of correcting the estimated part life L0 based on the operation information DW of the monitored equipment (500). This allows the equipment monitoring system (100, 150) to present a corrected part life L1 that is an appropriate estimated life based on the operation information DW.

[0065] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the operating information DW includes temperature (TE) and / or humidity (HE) as environmental information DW3 of the monitored facility 500. This makes it possible to present a more appropriate repair part life L1 according to the temperature (TE) and / or humidity (HE).

[0066] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the equipment monitoring device 110 further has a function of writing the calculated corrected part life L1 into the storage unit 107. This makes it possible to use the corrected part life L1 for various purposes.

[0067] The equipment monitoring device (110) also calculates the estimated part life L0, the correction coefficient K, and Based on It is more preferable that the equipment monitoring device (110) further has a function of correcting the correction coefficient K for other parts having the same specifications as the failed part when a failure occurs in any of the parts, thereby making it possible to correct the correction coefficient K according to the performance of the part that has actually failed, thereby further improving the reliability of the corrected part life L1.

[0068] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the equipment monitoring device 110 further includes a function for calculating the recommended replacement time for each part based on the corrected part life L1 and notifying the user of the monitored equipment 500 of the recommended replacement time, which makes it easier for the user to plan countermeasures such as preparing replacement parts.

[0069] Furthermore, like the equipment monitoring system (150) of the second embodiment, it is more preferable to further include a maintenance plan planning unit (142) that plans a maintenance plan for the monitored equipment (500) by a maintenance technician based on the recommended replacement timing of each part. This makes it easier to plan an appropriate maintenance plan for the monitored equipment (500).

[0070] Furthermore, it is more preferable to further include a production planning unit 132 that plans production of each part based on the recommended replacement timing of each part, as in the facility monitoring system 150 of the second embodiment. This makes it easier to plan appropriate production of parts in a factory or the like.

[0071] [Variations] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications are possible. The above-described embodiments are provided as examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to delete part of the configuration of each embodiment, or to add or replace other configurations. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown in the figures are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines necessary for the product. In reality, it is acceptable to consider that almost all components are interconnected. Possible modifications of the above-described embodiments include, for example, the following:

[0072] (1) In the above embodiment, the hardware of the monitoring server 110, the control device 250, the factory server 132, and the sales office server 142 can be realized by a general computer. Therefore, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and other programs for executing the various processes described above may be stored on a storage medium (a computer-readable storage medium on which a program is recorded) or distributed via a transmission path.

[0073] (2) In the above embodiment, the processing shown in FIG. 6 and the other processing described above are described as software-based processing using a program. However, some or all of the processing may be replaced with hardware-based processing using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc.

[0074] (3) The various processes executed in the above embodiment may be executed by other server computers via a network not shown, and the various data stored in the above embodiment may also be stored in these other server computers.

[0075] (4) Furthermore, the remote monitoring systems 100, 150 of the first and second embodiments can be applied not only to the pressurized water supply unit 500 but also to various types of monitored equipment, such as various industrial machines, electric vehicles, railway vehicles, ships, etc. This makes it possible to present appropriate estimated life spans for various parts in these monitored equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 100,150 Remote monitoring system (facility monitoring system) 107 Operation information database (storage section) 110 Monitoring server (facility monitoring device) 132 Factory Server (Production Planning Department) 142 Sales Office Server (Maintenance Planning Department) 258 Memory (storage section) 500, 500A, 500B Pressurized Water Supply Unit (Monitored Equipment) K correction factor DW, DWA, DWB operation information HE Ambient Humidity (Humidity) L0 Estimated part life L1 Corrected parts life TE Ambient temperature (Temperature) DW3 Environmental Information

Claims

1. An equipment monitoring device is provided for monitoring the monitored equipment, The facility monitoring device a function of reading out from a storage unit the estimated lifespan of a part included in the monitored equipment; a corrected component life calculation function that calculates a corrected component life that is a result of correcting the estimated component life based on the operation information of the monitored equipment, The operation information includes temperature and humidity as environmental information of the monitored equipment, The corrected part life calculation function applies the lower of the constant corresponding to temperature and the constant corresponding to humidity as a weighting constant, and calculates the corrected part life using the result of multiplying the applied weighting constant by the estimated part life. A facility monitoring system characterized by:

2. The equipment monitoring device further includes a function of writing the calculated corrected part life to the storage unit.

2. The facility monitoring system according to claim 1.

3. the equipment monitoring device calculates the corrected part life based on the estimated part life, a multiplication result of the weighting constant and the estimated part life to be applied, and a correction coefficient; The equipment monitoring device further has a function of correcting the correction coefficients for other parts having the same specifications as the failed part when a failure occurs in any of the parts.

2. The facility monitoring system according to claim 1.

4. The equipment monitoring device further includes a function of calculating a recommended replacement time for each part based on the corrected part lifespan and notifying the user of the monitored equipment of the recommended replacement time.

2. The facility monitoring system according to claim 1.

5. The system further includes a maintenance planning unit that plans a maintenance plan for the monitored equipment to be performed by a maintenance technician based on the recommended replacement time of each component.

5. The facility monitoring system according to claim 4.

6. The system further includes a production planning unit that creates a production plan for each part based on the recommended replacement time for each part.

5. The facility monitoring system according to claim 4.

7. A function of reading out the estimated lifespan of parts included in the monitored equipment from a storage unit; a corrected component life calculation function that calculates a corrected component life that is a result of correcting the estimated component life based on the operation information of the monitored equipment, The operation information includes temperature and humidity as environmental information of the monitored equipment, The corrected part life calculation function applies the lower of the constant corresponding to temperature and the constant corresponding to humidity as a weighting constant, and calculates the corrected part life using the result of multiplying the applied weighting constant by the estimated part life. A facility monitoring device characterized by:

8. a step in which the equipment monitoring device reads out estimated part lifespans of parts included in the monitored equipment from a storage unit; a corrected component life calculation step in which the equipment monitoring device calculates a corrected component life that is a result of correcting the estimated component life based on operation information of the monitored equipment, The operation information includes temperature and humidity as environmental information of the monitored equipment, The corrected component life calculation step applies the lower of the constant corresponding to temperature and the constant corresponding to humidity as a weighting constant, and calculates the corrected component life using the result of multiplying the applied weighting constant by the estimated component life. A facility monitoring method comprising:

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