Spark discharge monitoring system and spark discharge detection device

Abstract

To monitor spark discharge with high precision on the basis of a temporal change of the number of spark.SOLUTION: A spark discharge monitoring system includes a reception unit, a control unit, and a display unit. The reception unit receives spark information. The control unit acquires a temporal change of the number of spark on the basis of the spark information, corrects the number of spark on the basis of operation data including at least a field current, and displays a temporal change of the corrected number of spark on the display unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0005]

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a spark discharge monitoring system and a spark discharge detection device.

Background Art

[0002] In a power plant turbine, collecting is used. Collecting slides a brush to energize a rotor with a direct current. When a spark occurs between the collecting and the brush, problems such as a high-frequency current flowing in the circuit or a fire occurring may occur.

[0003] To address this, techniques for detecting spark discharge between collecting and the brush have been widely developed. In conventional methods, the evaluation of a single-occurrence spark may be performed, and the occurrence frequency of sparks over time may not be evaluated. In order to grasp the progress of deterioration of the collector brush, it is necessary to display the time change of the spark number on the monitoring screen in real time. Moreover, since it is necessary to install a sensor for spark detection in the main circuit, it is necessary to stop the generator during installation work.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Therefore, one of the non-limiting problems to be solved by the embodiments is to perform highly accurate spark discharge monitoring based on the time change of the spark number.

[0006] The problems that the embodiments aim to solve are, in some more limited examples, problems corresponding to the effects described in the following description. That is, any problem that the embodiments aim to solve may correspond to at least one of the effects described in the description of the embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment, the spark discharge monitoring system comprises a receiving unit, a control unit, and a display unit. The receiving unit receives spark information. The control unit acquires the time change of the spark number based on the spark information, corrects the spark number based on operating data including at least the field current, and displays the time change of the corrected spark number on the display unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing a spark discharge monitoring system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic block diagram showing an example of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A flowchart showing an example of the processing of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of displaying the time-dependent changes in spark information according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing an example of the processing of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of displaying the time-dependent changes in spark information according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of displaying the time-dependent changes in spark information according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing an example of the processing of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of displaying the time-dependent changes in spark information according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing an example of the processing of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] A diagram showing an example of the display of a display unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] A diagram showing an example of the display of a display unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] A diagram showing an example of the display of a display unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] A diagram showing an example of the display of a display unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] A diagram showing an example of the display of a display unit according to an embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present disclosure, there are expressions such as "less than" and "more than", but these can be appropriately read as "less than or equal to" and "greater than", and the content of the present disclosure is not limited by these expressions.

[0010] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a spark discharge monitoring system according to an embodiment. The spark discharge monitoring system 1 includes at least a monitoring device 10. The spark discharge monitoring system 1 may further include a spark detection device 20. A plurality of spark detection devices 20 may be provided for the spark discharge monitoring system 1.

[0011] The spark discharge monitoring system 1 is a system for monitoring spark discharges in the collecting 30 of the power generation system 3.

[0012] The power generation system 3 is a system that generates electricity by generating current through sliding in the collecting 30.

[0013] The spark detection device 20 detects that a spark has occurred in the sliding part of the collector 30 and transmits it to the monitoring device 10. The transmission of information from the spark detection device 20 to the monitoring device 10 is realized by appropriate means. For example, the spark detection device 20 can transmit information to the monitoring device 10 via a wired or wireless network.

[0014] When a plurality of spark detection devices 20 are provided, the plurality of spark detection devices 20 may be arranged to detect sparks at different locations of the collector 30, or may be arranged such that the distance or posture with respect to the collector 30 is different. By arranging in this way, the plurality of spark detection devices 20 can accurately detect sparks generated in the same collector 30 in different situations.

[0015] The monitoring device 10 executes various processes based on the spark information acquired from the spark detection device 20.

[0016] In addition, in FIG. 1, the spark detection device 20 is shown as a configuration included in the spark discharge monitoring system 1, but it is not limited thereto. The spark discharge monitoring system 1 may be configured to execute processing based on the spark information transmitted from the spark detection device 20 outside the system.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the monitoring device 10 according to an embodiment. The monitoring device 10 includes a receiving unit 100, a control unit 102, and a display unit 104. Although not shown, the monitoring device 10 further appropriately includes other components such as a storage unit necessary for the operation of the monitoring device 10.

[0018] The receiving unit 100 acquires the spark information detected by the spark detection device 20 from the spark detection device 20. The receiving unit 100 outputs the acquired spark information to the control unit 102.

[0019] The control unit 102 performs appropriate control based on the spark information. The control unit 102 may be, for example, a general-purpose processing circuit (processor) or a dedicated processing circuit (ASIC: Application Specified Integrated Circuit, etc.). Either processing circuit may include digital or analog circuits as part of it.

[0020] If the control unit 102 is configured to include a general-purpose processing circuit, at least some of the processing may be implemented in a manner in which software-based information processing is specifically realized by a processor, which is a hardware resource. Alternatively, executable files, programs, etc. related to the software may be stored in a storage unit (not shown), and the control unit 102 may implement software-based information processing by referring to these executable files, etc.

[0021] The control unit 102 may calculate the spark number from the spark information acquired via the receiving unit 100. In this case, the spark number is not limited to an integer and may include a decimal value. Alternatively, the spark detection device 20 may calculate the spark number, the receiving unit 100 may acquire spark information including the spark number, and the control unit 102 may extract the spark number from the spark information. In this case as well, the spark number is not limited to an integer and may include a decimal value.

[0022] The display unit 104 transmits information to the user by displaying an appropriate information based on the signal received from the control unit 102. The display unit 104 may be, for example, a display or a touch panel display. Alternatively, the device that outputs information to the user may be a device that has a different output method, such as a speaker that outputs sound, or a device that outputs information through vibration, rather than the display unit 104.

[0023] The display unit 104 may not be located inside the monitoring device 10, but may be an independent device located outside the monitoring device 10 and connected to the monitoring device 10 via an appropriate interface.

[0024] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. This flowchart will be used to explain the basic processing flow in this disclosure.

[0025] The receiving unit 100 receives spark information from the spark detection device 20 (S100). The spark information is information about sparks caused by the sliding of the collector ring 30 and the brush, acquired by the spark detection device 20. The spark information is, for example, information obtained directly or indirectly from the current generated by the spark.

[0026] The control unit 102 obtains the spark number from the spark information received by the receiving unit 100 and obtains information on the time change of this spark number (S102). If the spark information includes information on the spark number, the control unit 102 extracts the spark number from the spark information and obtains time-series data of the spark number.

[0027] If the spark information does not directly include information about the spark number, the control unit 102 can also calculate the spark number from the spark information using a predetermined calculation.

[0028] The control unit 102 can store spark number data in the memory unit as needed. The control unit 102 can acquire information on the time change of spark number based on the real-time spark information received by the receiving unit 100 and the previously acquired spark number data stored in the memory unit.

[0029] The control unit 102 displays information regarding the time change of the acquired spark number on the display unit 104 (S104). The control unit 102 can, for example, control the display unit 104 to graph the information regarding the time change of the spark number.

[0030] Figure 4 shows an example of the time change of the spark number displayed on the display unit 104 according to one embodiment. The control unit 102 creates a graph (trend map) of the time change of the spark number displayed on the display unit 104 and displays this trend map in the graph display area 1040 of the display unit 104.

[0031] A trend map is, for example, a graph where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the spark number. In the example in Figure 4, the trend map displays the transition data of the spark number for the past week from the referenced time. One week is given as an example and is not limited to this range; the range displayed in the trend map is not limited to this.

[0032] The spark count shown in the trend map includes, for example, information on the number of sparks per unit time (the maximum number of sparks measured in one minute). This spark count may also be information included in the spark information transmitted by the spark detection device 20 as described above.

[0033] The spark information may also include information such as the time, the identifier of the spark detection device 20 (if there are multiple spark detection devices 20), the maximum number of spark pulses per unit time, the duration of the spark number, error information of the spark discharge detection device, the temperature of the spark discharge detection device, and the temperature and / or humidity of the location where the spark discharge detection device is installed.

[0034] In Japan, the JEC 54 standard defines spark numbers from 1 to 8. This standard defines sparks of 5 or higher as harmful, and those of 4 or lower as harmless. In this disclosure, spark numbers are not limited to this range, and larger numbers such as 10 or 20 may be defined.

[0035] The control unit 102 may, based on the definition of the number, for example, set a threshold between number 4 and number 5 in the trend map, and superimpose an indicator such as a line showing the threshold for the number in between, such as number 4.5.

[0036] By displaying the time-dependent changes in the spark number in this way, it becomes possible to monitor the deterioration of the collector brushes. In collectors, single sparks may occur sporadically depending on the operating conditions. By displaying the time-dependent changes as in this embodiment, it becomes possible to determine whether it is a single spark or a continuous spark caused by the deterioration of the collector.

[0037] (Second Embodiment) In the following embodiments, various processes based on the configuration described in the first embodiment will be explained. In this embodiment, the spark discharge monitoring system 1 outputs not only the spark number but also generator operation data that has some correlation with the spark number.

[0038] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. Processes denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figure 3 are the same as those in the previously described embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0039] The receiving unit 100 receives spark information from the spark detection device 20 (S100), and the control unit 102 acquires time-varying information of the spark number based on the received spark information (S102).

[0040] The control unit 102 acquires time-varying information of the operating data (S120). The operating data may be transmitted from the spark detection device 20 along with spark information, or it may be transmitted via a different route from a control device or sensor provided in the power generation system and acquired via the receiving unit 100.

[0041] The control unit 102 may, as an example, acquire operating data including at least data relating to the field current, and acquire time-varying information relating to this field current. The field current is given as an example and is not limited to this case; the following processing may be performed using other operating data that correlates with spark generation.

[0042] The control unit 102 displays the time change of the operating data on the display unit 104, either together with or superimposed on the time change of the spark number (S122).

[0043] Figure 6 shows an example of the display of the time variation of spark information according to one embodiment. The spark discharge monitoring system 1 can, for example, display the time variation information of the field current as an example of operating data at the top, and simultaneously display the time variation information of the spark number on the same time axis.

[0044] Figure 7 shows an example of the display of the time variation of spark information according to one embodiment. The spark discharge monitoring system 1 can, for example, display time variation information of the field current as an example of operating data, superimposed on time variation information of the spark number.

[0045] In either case, as in the embodiments described above, it is also possible to set a threshold for the spark number and further superimpose lines, etc., based on that threshold.

[0046] Furthermore, although the diagram shows field current, other operating data may be used as described above. In addition, the system may allow users to specify which operating data to display. The operating data to display is not limited to one data point, but may display multiple data points.

[0047] Furthermore, although the diagram shows the operation data as a graph of its change over time, this is not the only way to display it. The control unit 102 can also, for example, display the real-time (current) operation data as text data or numerical data on the display unit 104.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, at least one of the operating data can be displayed together with the spark number as a separate graph, or as a superimposed graph. By displaying the time change of at least one of the operating data together with the time change of the spark number in this way, it becomes possible to easily check the status of the generator.

[0049] (Third embodiment) In the second embodiment, the field current is displayed as an example, but the spark discharge monitoring system 1 may also be configured to correct the spark number using the field current data. Furthermore, the spark discharge monitoring system 1 may also be configured to display the time change of the corrected spark number.

[0050] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the monitoring device 10 according to one embodiment. In the following, field current is used as operating data, but other operating data correlated with the spark number can be used for correction.

[0051] The control unit 102 acquires time-varying information of the operating data (S120), and then corrects the time-varying information of the spark number based on this time-varying information of the operating data (S140).

[0052] The control unit 102 can, for example, perform a correction based on the following formula, such that the spark number decreases as the field current increases.

number

[0053] The corrected spark number is the corrected spark number. The field current correction coefficient is a constant that indicates the weight of the measured field current to the spark number. The control unit 102 can obtain the time series data of the corrected spark number, i.e., the time change information of the corrected spark number, by substituting the time series data of the acquired time change information of the spark number and the time change information of the field current into equation (1).

[0054] The control unit 102 can control the display unit 104 to display time-varying information, such as the time variation of the spark number, the time variation of the field current, and the time variation of the corrected spark number (S122).

[0055] Figure 9 shows an example of the display of the time variation of spark information according to one embodiment. The solid line represents the time variation of the spark number, the dashed line represents the time variation of the field current, and the dotted line represents the time variation of the corrected spark number. The control unit 102 can display these time variations with differences in line type, line thickness, and line color. Of course, the monitoring device 10 can also superimpose and display the corrected spark number and the threshold value for the spark number, similar to the embodiment described above.

[0056] The control unit 102 can, for example, superimpose the time change of the spark number based on spark information, the time change of operating data including at least the field current, and the time change of the corrected spark number and display them as a trend map on the display unit 104.

[0057] By displaying it in this way, users can confirm the corrected spark number, which is proportional to the field current, even when the collector 30 is in the same deteriorated state.

[0058] As can be seen from Figure 9, there is a strong correlation between the field current and the spark number, and the time transition is nearly proportional. For this reason, it is preferable that the corrected spark number is close to a predetermined value based on the field current correction coefficient. For example, as the deterioration of equipment such as the collector ring 30 progresses, the spark number in relation to the field current changes.

[0059] Therefore, the control unit 102 can implement control based on the deterioration of the generator-side equipment by issuing an alarm when the corrected spark number deviates significantly from this predetermined value, for example, when the difference from the predetermined value is greater than a predetermined deviation value.

[0060] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to correct the spark number based on operating data, and it is also possible to prompt the user to perform control based on this corrected spark number. The corrected spark number deviates significantly from a predetermined value when the relationship between the field current and the spark number deviates greatly. Therefore, by using this corrected spark number, the spark discharge monitoring system 1 can implement or prompt control in a state where equipment deterioration, etc., is more easily detected.

[0061] The control unit 102 can also output an index based on the spark number and operating output (field current), rather than a corrected spark number.

number

[0062] The control unit 102 can also calculate the slope of the graph shown in equation (2) and display it along with the spark number. If there is no deterioration of the collector ring 30, or if the deterioration is minimal, the slope of the graph shown in equation (3) will be almost constant. As a result, the same effect as described above can be achieved by obtaining and displaying the slope of this graph.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 102 may acquire data such as temperature and humidity of the environment in which the collector 30 is installed, and reflect the temperature and humidity data in the correction of the spark number.

number

[0064] The humidity correction coefficient (first correction coefficient) is a constant that indicates the decrease in spark number with respect to humidity. Generally, the higher the humidity, the less likely spark discharge is to occur, and the influence of humidity on spark discharge is high. Therefore, the control unit 102 can correct the spark number while suppressing the effect of humidity by calculating the corrected spark number using equation (3). As a result, a monitoring system that can detect generator malfunctions and other problems with greater accuracy can be constructed.

[0065] As mentioned above, the control unit 102 can also correct the spark number based on an equation that reflects temperature in addition to humidity.

[0066] In this embodiment, the control unit 102 may calculate a correlation value between the spark number and the field current, in addition to the values ​​calculated by equations (1) to (3).

[0067] (Fourth Embodiment) In the above-described embodiment, a method was explained in which the spark number is corrected using operating data such as field current. In this embodiment, the spark discharge monitoring system 1 predicts the spark number of sparks that will occur in the future using operating data that correlates with the spark number, such as field current.

[0068] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of a monitoring device according to one embodiment. Although the processes S100 and S102 are shown in this flowchart, these processes are not necessarily required. If the control unit 102 can use the relationship between the operating data (e.g., field current) and the spark number derived from the operating plan data, these processes can be omitted and the process can start from S160.

[0069] The control unit 102 acquires operation plan data (S160). The control unit 102 acquires operation plan data based, for example, on conventionally used data or electricity market transaction data.

[0070] The control unit 102 can, for example, refer to the price in the electricity spot market (a value obtained in a single-price auction) to predict the amount of electricity to be generated from the price in each time unit, and then predict and obtain operation plan data from this amount of electricity.

[0071] Furthermore, if the acquired data includes data on the predicted power plant output, the control unit 102 can acquire this predicted power plant output data as operation plan data.

[0072] The control unit 102 predicts the field current based on the acquired operating plan data (S162). Alternatively, other operating data correlated with the spark number may be acquired instead of the field current. For example, the control unit 102 predicts the field current, i.e., the time change of the future field current, for each time unit in the spot market.

[0073] The control unit 102 predicts the future spark number's time change from the predicted future field current's time change (S164). As mentioned above, there is a correlation between the field current and the spark number, so the spark number can be predicted from the field current. This relationship can also be obtained from past performance data.

[0074] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to predict future spark numbers, and to formulate maintenance plans and the like based on these spark number predictions.

[0075] Furthermore, this can also be used in conjunction with the third embodiment described above. The monitoring device 10 may, for example, display a prediction curve of future time changes calculated in this embodiment, so as to be continuous with the time changes based on the actual measured values ​​up to the present (today).

[0076] In this case, it is also possible to display a prediction curve from the past that was predicted before the present, superimposed on the curve based on the actual measured values. By displaying it in this way, it becomes possible to monitor the difference between the actual values ​​and the predicted values. The control unit 102 can also modify the coefficients of the above-mentioned equations based on this acquired difference.

[0077] (Fifth embodiment) The spark discharge monitoring system 1 may be configured to output an alarm from a display unit or an output unit such as a speaker when an abnormality has occurred or is likely to occur. In this case, the system may be configured so that the user can set or change the threshold value for outputting the alarm.

[0078] Figure 11 shows an example of the display of a display unit according to one embodiment. The display unit 104 may include an alarm display area 1042 that indicates the alarm status and a reset button 1044. The reset button 1044 is not a required component and may be omitted.

[0079] The alarm display area 1042 can display alarms. The control unit 102 can execute a process to display an alarm on the display unit 104 based on the spark number or corrected spark number.

[0080] For example, if the spark count is below a first threshold, the control unit 102 displays first information ("No Alarm") in the alarm display area 1042 of the display unit 104, indicating that there is no alarm.

[0081] For example, if the spark count is above a first threshold, the control unit 102 determines that some kind of malfunction has occurred and displays second information ("Alarm") indicating that there is an alarm in the alarm display area 1042 of the display unit 104.

[0082] As shown in the figure, the first threshold value may be displayed superimposed on its time change in the graph display area 1040. For example, the first threshold value may be an integer value such as 5, or a decimal value such as 4.5.

[0083] Alternatively, the determination may be made using a corrected spark number instead of the spark number itself. While the term "spark number" will be used in the following explanation, it can be replaced with the corrected spark number as appropriate.

[0084] The monitoring device 10 may also be equipped with an input unit, and when an alarm is displayed, the alarm may be cleared by pressing the reset button 1044 on the display unit 104 via this input unit. The input unit may be an interface such as a mouse, keyboard, trackball, or touch panel.

[0085] The system may also be configured to latch and display the second information until the reset button 1044 is operated.

[0086] Furthermore, the monitoring device 10 may be configured to determine the alarm state using a second threshold and a third threshold greater than the second threshold.

[0087] In this configuration, the control unit 102 displays first information in the alarm display area 1042 when the spark count is less than the second threshold. The control unit 102 displays third information ("Caution") in the alarm display area 1042 when the spark count is greater than or equal to the second threshold but less than the third threshold. The control unit 102 displays second information in the alarm display area 1042 when the spark count is greater than or equal to the third threshold.

[0088] Third-party information indicates the stage before an alarm is issued, for example, it is the stage where the user is alerted that an anomaly may have occurred or is likely to occur in the near future. In contrast, second-party information indicates the stage where an alarm is issued, and may be information that conveys a warning to the user that action is required.

[0089] After the second or third piece of information is displayed, the information may be latched and displayed. Similarly, even in the case of three stages, the display in the alarm display area 1042 can be changed back to the first piece of information by operating the reset button 1044.

[0090] As an example that is not limited to this, the second threshold may be 2, and the third threshold may be 5. In this case, if the spark number is less than 2, the first information indicating no alarm is displayed on the display unit 104; if it is 2 or more but less than 5, the third information is displayed; and if it is 5 or more, the second information is displayed.

[0091] Figure 12 shows another embodiment of this configuration. The monitoring device 10 may be configured to change the threshold value for outputting the above information upon request from the user. For example, the display unit 104 may also have a setting button 1046.

[0092] When the setting button 1046 is pressed, the setting area 1048, which is the threshold setting area, is expanded. In this setting area 1048, the user can set the threshold for displaying the second or third information. If the threshold is changed, the control unit 102 will use the changed threshold for determining subsequent alarms.

[0093] Note that the deployment of the setting area 1048 is shown as an example and is not limited to this configuration. For example, a region where a threshold value can be entered is always displayed, and the threshold value can be changed by setting a threshold value in this region and pressing the setting button 1046.

[0094] As described above, according to this embodiment, the spark discharge monitoring system 1 can provide the user with information such as whether there is no abnormality, an abnormality has occurred, there is a possibility of an abnormality occurring, or there is a possibility of an abnormality occurring in the near future. If an alarm has been issued, the user can review it and then delete the alarm or change the threshold for displaying the alarm.

[0095] In the above description, the monitoring device 10 generated an alarm (displaying the second or third piece of information) even when a single spark occurred, but it is not limited to this.

[0096] For example, the control unit 102 may display the second information when the number of sparks equal to or greater than the first threshold occurs consecutively for four or more times.

[0097] In the case where the third information is displayed, the control unit 102 may, for example, display the second or third information on the display unit 104 when the number of sparks equal to or greater than the second threshold occurs consecutively for four threshold times or more. As another example, the control unit 102 may display the third information in the same manner as above, and display the second information on the display unit 104 when the number of sparks equal to or greater than the third threshold occurs consecutively for four threshold times or more.

[0098] By determining when spark sizes exceed a threshold are generated consecutively, the system can display an alarm only when spark sizes exceed a predetermined value occur continuously, rather than displaying an alarm for each individual spark. By not displaying an alarm for individual sparks that could be considered noise, it is possible to avoid frequent alarms in situations where there is no particular abnormality.

[0099] (Sixth Embodiment) As shown in Figure 1, the monitoring device 10 can acquire spark information from multiple spark detection devices 20. In this embodiment, the details of the processing when using information from multiple spark detection devices 20 will be described.

[0100] When spark information is acquired from multiple spark detection devices 20, the control unit 102 can extract the maximum value from multiple spark numbers included in the spark information, or from multiple spark numbers that can be calculated from the multiple spark information, and execute the processing according to each embodiment described above. Multiple spark detection devices 20 may acquire spark information at the same time and transmit it to the monitoring device 10.

[0101] For example, in S100 in Figure 3, the control unit 102 acquires spark information from multiple spark detection devices 20, extracts the maximum value of multiple spark numbers between S100 and S102, and acquires time-varying information based on the extracted maximum value in S102. The control unit 102 can similarly read past spark numbers from stored data in which the maximum value has been extracted. In flowcharts of other embodiments, the control unit 102 can similarly process based on spark information from multiple spark detection devices 20.

[0102] As mentioned above, the spark number may include decimal values, in which case the control unit 102 can obtain a spark number with higher precision in finer units.

[0103] Furthermore, the unit time used to extract the spark number displayed on the display unit 104 can also be changed. For example, in each of the embodiments described above, values ​​measured for each unit time can be used, or the maximum value of the spark number measured for each unit time can be used.

[0104] As an example that is not limited to this, the unit time may be set to 30 minutes, and the spark detection device 20 may acquire spark information every 30 minutes and transmit it to the monitoring device 10. As another example that is not limited to this, the unit time may be set to 30 minutes, and the control unit 102 may extract the maximum value from the spark numbers acquired during the 30 minutes and use that as the spark number for that unit time.

[0105] For example, if spark number data is acquired every minute, displaying a year's worth of spark number data would result in a massive 60 [minutes] × 24 [hours] × 365 [days] = 525,600 data points on the display unit 104. However, by extracting the maximum value from 60 data points per hour, this number can be reduced to 8,760.

[0106] When receiving information from multiple spark detection devices 20, the control unit 102 can also extract the maximum number of sparks acquired by the multiple spark detection devices 20 within a unit time.

[0107] As described above, according to this embodiment, by adopting the value of the spark number of the most deteriorated state detected by the multiple spark detection devices 20, the possibility of an abnormality occurring or the possibility of an abnormality occurring being overlooked can be reduced. Furthermore, when viewing data over a long period on the monitoring screen, it is possible to prevent the system from becoming slow due to an excessive amount of data. By reducing the number of points displayed, the operation of the monitoring screen can be made smoother, improving usability.

[0108] (Seventh Embodiment) In the embodiments described above, we explained how to set the unit time for acquiring spark information, but it is also possible to set and change the overall time span of the trend map displayed on the display unit 104.

[0109] Figure 13 shows an example of the display of the display unit 104 according to one embodiment. The display unit 104 may include a time span setting area 1050 for setting the display period. The user can change the period of the time span setting area 1050 via the input unit.

[0110] Figure 14 shows an example of the display of the display unit 104 according to one embodiment. The time span in Figure 13 has been changed from one week to one month. In this way, by changing the time span, it is possible to view the time changes of the fireworks display size over a longer or shorter period.

[0111] Furthermore, this is not the only option; it may also be possible to specify a past period and display it in any time span.

[0112] The GUI (Graphical User Interface) associated with the display unit 104 may be combined with the configuration of the display unit 104 in the embodiments described above. The same applies to the embodiments described below.

[0113] (Eighth embodiment) The monitoring device 10 may also have a function to detect a malfunction in the spark detection device 20.

[0114] Figure 15 shows an example of the display of the display unit 104 according to one embodiment. The display unit 104 may also include a detection device confirmation button 1052 and a detection device restart button 1054.

[0115] When the detection device confirmation button 1052 is pressed, the control unit 102 can display the fault detection result of the detection device on the display unit 104. In the example in Figure 15, the monitoring device 10 is connected to four spark detection devices 20, and it indicates that the first and second devices are operating normally, while the third and fourth devices are malfunctioning.

[0116] The control unit 102 can determine, for example, that a malfunction has occurred in the spark detection device 20, which is not transmitting information, if information stops being transmitted. The status (normal or abnormal) may be indicated by the color of a box or the like.

[0117] In this state, if the detection device restart button 1054 is pressed, the control unit 102 sends a restart request to the connected spark detection device 20. Alternatively, the control unit 102 may send a restart request to a spark detection device 20 that has been determined to be malfunctioning.

[0118] The spark detection device 20 performs a restart based on a request from the control unit 102. The spark detection device 20 is determined to be malfunctioning if it is operating abnormally, for example, due to a physical failure or software freeze. In such cases, the monitoring device 10 can request the spark detection device 20 to restart. If the device does not return to normal operation after the restart request, the user can determine that the spark detection device 20 is physically malfunctioning, or that there may be another abnormality, such as a network disconnection.

[0119] (Ninth Embodiment) The monitoring device 10 may be connected to the internet. That is, the operation of the spark discharge monitoring system 1 may be configured to be acquired externally via the internet.

[0120] The monitoring screen of the display unit 104 can also be monitored from a remotely installed terminal. Furthermore, the trend map being viewed may be available for download in any format, such as CSV.

[0121] According to this embodiment, the functions of the spark discharge monitoring system 1 can be used remotely, and analysis and other operations can be performed by downloading the data.

[0122] (Tenth embodiment) The spark detection device 20 may be located separately from the spark discharge monitoring system 1, as described above. This spark detection device 20 includes, for example, a spark discharge detection antenna, a signal processing circuit, and a transmitting unit.

[0123] The spark discharge detection antenna may have the shape of a commonly used non-contact antenna for receiving sparks.

[0124] When the spark discharge detection antenna receives a spark, a signal is transmitted to the signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit may include, for example, a waveform stretching circuit that stretches the received signal in the time direction. The waveform stretching circuit may be configured to stretch the waveform in the time direction, and unlike so-called low-pass filters, it can appropriately separate sparks without excessively removing signals indicating high-frequency sparks.

[0125] The signal processing circuit may also include an oscilloscope. By inputting the output from the waveform expansion circuit into the oscilloscope, a waveform representing the spark pulse can be obtained. The oscilloscope can, for example, acquire time-series data of the intensity of the signal used to detect the spark. The signal used to detect the spark is one in which the intensity of the signal (current) increases when the antenna receives a spark, and remains almost constant when it is not receiving a spark.

[0126] The transmitting unit may transmit the waveform acquired by the oscilloscope to the monitoring device 10. Furthermore, the signal processing circuit may acquire the spark number, and the transmitting unit may transmit information including at least this spark number to the monitoring device 10. As an example, the signal processing circuit may calculate the spark number based on the pulse indicating the spark and the frequency of spark occurrence.

[0127] The signal processing circuit can obtain the spark number using, for example, the following formula.

number

[0128] The number of counts exceeding the threshold is, for example, the number of points in the signal converted by the oscilloscope that exceed the fifth threshold. The predetermined coefficient is, for example, the number of counts when the spark number is 2. The points are set, for example, by the granularity in the time direction of the data acquired by the oscilloscope. In other words, the signal processing circuit can calculate the spark number not only from the number of pulses, but also by including information on the pulse width.

[0129] For example, if the predetermined coefficient is 24, and the number of counts exceeding the fifth threshold is 96, it can be calculated that the spark is size 3.00. By setting thresholds in this way, it is possible to obtain a spark size that suppresses the influence of noise that may be generated from various factors in the circuit.

[0130] In this case, the control unit 102 may display on the display unit 104 the time from when the spark number reaches a first threshold within a predetermined time until it falls below the first threshold. This makes it possible to determine whether the spark discharge is occurring as a single event or continuously.

[0131] As described above, the monitoring device 10 in this disclosure can receive spark information from a spark detection device 20 that detects sparks using a non-contact antenna. The monitoring device 10 may simply acquire a signal indicating a spark acquired by the non-contact antenna of the spark detection device 20 as spark information, or it may acquire a signal whose waveform has been stretched in the spark detection device 20 as spark information, or it may acquire a signal that has been deformed by an oscilloscope as spark information, or it may acquire a spark number analyzed in the spark detection device 20 as spark information.

[0132] Furthermore, as explained in the embodiments described above, the spark number value calculated using equation (4) above is affected by the temperature and humidity of the collector room where the spark discharge detection device is installed. The spark number calculation formula may be corrected by incorporating temperature or humidity information, as shown in equation (3), or the predetermined coefficient in equation (4) may be changed based on temperature or humidity information. In this case, the spark detection device 20 may be equipped with a sensor that measures temperature and / or humidity. That is, the spark detection device 20 or the control unit 102 can correct the spark number using the first correction coefficient.

[0133] Furthermore, the distance between the spark detection antenna and the collector 30 of the spark detection device 20 is determined by the installation location. The formula for calculating the spark number may be determined by a second correction coefficient based on this distance. For example, the closer the distance between the spark detection antenna of the spark detection device 20 and the collector 30, the more accurate the calculation of the spark number will be when a spark occurs. Receive The intensity of the electromagnetic waves from a spark discharge is strong, and the intensity decreases as the distance increases.

[0134] Therefore, even with the same spark discharge, the determination of the spark number may change depending on the distance. To avoid this situation, it is desirable to set a second correction coefficient based on this distance information when calculating the spark number in the spark detection device 20.

[0135] When the spark detection device 20 transmits the signal intensity as spark information to the monitoring device 10, the monitoring device 10 can also correct the spark number using a calculation formula similar to equation (3) which sets a second correction coefficient based on this distance information.

[0136] Furthermore, the spark detection device 20 may have a function to generate and display a trend map in a standalone manner. That is, the spark detection device 20 may generate a graph of the time change related to the spark number and create an environment in which this information can be viewed. In this way, the spark detection device 20, rather than the spark discharge monitoring system 1, may directly have the function to generate and display the trend map. Of course, the generated trend map may also be transmitted to the monitoring device 10.

[0137] Furthermore, in the above case, the spark detection device 20 may support remote environments such as remote desktop, and an environment may be established that allows remote access control to the spark detection device 20 from the user's terminal (client) or server.

[0138] (11th embodiment) In the embodiments described above, the spark discharge monitoring system 1 focused on monitoring spark discharges. The spark discharge monitoring system 1 in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can also transmit control requests to the generator side as needed.

[0139] The control unit 102 may perform an operation to reduce the operating output of the generator when the spark number is equal to or greater than the sixth threshold. As mentioned above, there is a correlation between the field current of the generator and the spark number. When the spark number becomes large, for example, to 5 or higher, it can be determined that it is a harmful spark, so it is desirable to perform collector cleaning and brush maintenance.

[0140] However, it can sometimes be difficult to perform maintenance immediately. In such cases, reducing the generator's operating output can suppress the generation of sparks.

[0141] Furthermore, when the spark number is equal to or greater than the sixth threshold, the control unit 102 may transmit a control request for at least one of the air conditioning equipment or humidifier in the collector room of the generator where the collectoring is installed.

[0142] As described above, spark generation can be suppressed by controlling the generator's operating output; however, depending on the power supply and demand situation, it may be difficult to reduce the output. In such cases, one example is that increasing the humidity in the collector room can suppress spark generation.

[0143] <Note> In addition to the embodiments described in the claims, the spark discharge monitoring system 1 in this disclosure may also be in the following embodiments as described in the above embodiments.

[0144] The control unit is The spark number is displayed superimposed on at least one type of operating data (e.g., field current), or the operating data is displayed in a region different from the time change of the spark number on the display unit. Spark discharge monitoring system.

[0145] The control unit is The slope of the graph obtained by dividing the number of sparks by the operating output is calculated. Display the slope of this graph. Spark discharge monitoring system.

[0146] The control unit is Based on the temperature information or malfunction information of the spark discharge detection device included in the spark information, the malfunction information of the spark discharge detection device is displayed on the display unit. Spark discharge monitoring system.

[0147] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0148] 1: Spark discharge monitoring system, 10: Monitoring equipment, 100: Receiver, 102: Control unit, 104: Display section, 1040: Graph display area, 1042: Alarm display area, 1044: Reset button, 1046: Setting button, 1048: Setting area, 1050: Time span setting area, 1052: Detection device confirmation button, 1054: Detection device restart button, 20: Spark detection device, 3: Power generation system, 30: Collecting

Claims

1. It comprises a receiving unit, a control unit, and a display unit. The receiving unit receives spark information, The control unit, Based on the aforementioned spark information, the time change of the spark number is obtained. At least the larger the field current of the generator, the smaller the spark number will be, The time change of the corrected spark number is displayed on the display unit. Spark discharge monitoring system.

2. The control unit, Based on the operation plan data, the time evolution of future field current and future spark number are predicted. The time change of the corrected spark number and the time change of the future spark number are displayed on the display unit. The spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1.

3. It further includes an input section, The control unit, A reset button is displayed on the aforementioned display unit. If the spark number is equal to or greater than the first threshold, an alarm is displayed on the display unit. When the aforementioned alarm is displayed, if input is received from the reset button via the input unit, the alarm displayed on the display unit is cleared. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The control unit issues an alarm if the corrected spark number differs from a predetermined value by a predetermined deviation value. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. The control unit, If the spark number is less than the first threshold, the first information is displayed on the display unit. If the spark number is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the second information is displayed on the display unit. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The control unit, If the spark number is less than the second threshold, the first information is displayed on the display unit. If the spark number is greater than or equal to the second threshold and less than the third threshold which is greater than the second threshold, the third information is displayed on the display unit. When the spark number is equal to or greater than the third threshold, the second information is displayed on the display unit. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. The control unit, Based on the information received via the input unit, the first threshold value is set. The spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 3.

8. The control unit, Based on the multiple spark information received at the same time, multiple spark numbers are calculated. The maximum value is extracted from the multiple spark numbers mentioned above. The display unit displays the time change of the extracted maximum value. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

9. The control unit, When the spark number is equal to or greater than the second threshold, and the number of consecutive spark occurrences exceeds the fourth threshold, the second and third information are displayed on the display unit. The spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 6.

10. The control unit, The time span of the time change in the display unit is changed and displayed. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

11. An antenna that detects spark discharges, A transmitting unit transmits the spark information detected by the antenna to the receiving unit, A spark discharge detection device equipped with, The spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising the above.

12. The spark discharge detection device further comprises a signal processing unit, The signal processing unit, Of the detected spark discharges, the number of counts in which the discharge intensity exceeded the fifth threshold is obtained. Based on the number of counts that exceeds the fifth threshold, the spark number is calculated. The spark number is transmitted to the receiving unit as spark information. The intensity of the discharge is time-series data of the intensity of the signal used to detect the spark. The aforementioned count is the number of points where the points indicating the intensity of the discharge, set by the granularity in the time direction, exceed the fifth threshold. The spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 11.

13. The spark discharge detection device further comprises a signal processing unit, The signal processing unit, The spark number is calculated using a calculation formula that includes a first correction coefficient based on at least one of temperature information or humidity information. The spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 11.

14. The control unit, The spark number is calculated using a calculation formula that includes a first correction coefficient based on at least one of the temperature information or humidity information of the spark discharge detection device that transmitted the spark information. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

15. The spark discharge detection device further comprises a signal processing unit, The signal processing unit, The spark number is calculated using a formula that includes a second correction coefficient based on the distance to the spark generation location. The spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 11.

16. The control unit, The spark discharge detection device that transmitted the spark information and the spark number are calculated using a calculation formula that includes a second correction coefficient based on the distance to the spark generation location. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

17. The control unit, When the spark number is above the sixth threshold, control is performed to reduce the operating output of the generator. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

18. The control unit, When the spark number is equal to or greater than the sixth threshold, control of at least one of the air conditioning equipment or humidifiers in the generator collector room is performed. A spark discharge monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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