Support device, plant management system, support method, and program

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to appropriately perform evaluation of an operation state of a plant and maintenance of the plant accompanying the evaluation without depending on an expert. This support device 1 for supporting operation of a plant P includes: an operation information acquisition part 10 for acquiring operation information of the plant P; a fuel information acquisition part 20 for acquiring information on properties of the fuel input to the plant P; and an operation state evaluation part 30 for evaluating the operation state of the plant P on the basis of at least the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition part 10 and information on the properties of the fuel acquired by the fuel information acquisition part 20.

Description

Support device, plant management system, support method and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a support device, a plant management system, a support method, and a program.

[0002] Boiler systems (e.g., fluidized bed (CFB (Circulating Fluidized Bed) boiler systems, etc.) that generate steam using the heat of high-temperature exhaust gas obtained by burning fuel in a combustion furnace (furnace) have been in practical use for some time. Currently, IoT (Internet of Things) technology is being adopted to perform appropriate maintenance of such boiler systems.

[0003] For example, a technology has been proposed in which operation data including the operating time of a boiler and the like is acquired, and abnormality information is output when the value of this operation data exceeds a predetermined lifespan data value (see Patent Document 1).In addition, in recent years, a technology has been proposed in which a regression model is created to estimate the corrosivity of combustion gas for the operation data based on operation data indicating the operating state of the boiler during operation and the corrosion results of the boiler metal, and the corrosivity of combustion gas is estimated based on this regression model and actual operation data (see Patent Document 2).

[0004] JP 2003-042405 A JP 2023-059347 A

[0005] However, it is known that fuel quality is unstable in CFB boiler systems and the like because the fuel used is derived from highly alkaline biomass or waste. For this reason, it may be difficult to properly maintain the boiler by simply performing a lifespan diagnosis and corrosivity estimation based on boiler operation data, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In particular, when the variation in fuel properties exceeds the initial design range, earlier maintenance is required than expected. However, adopting a maintenance determination method based solely on boiler operation data may result in missed opportunities for early maintenance.

[0006] For this reason, in the past, skilled and experienced engineers would analyze operating data while taking into account fluctuations in fuel properties, etc., to predict the operating condition (lifespan) of a boiler and determine the timing of maintenance. However, there has been a long-awaited technology that can accurately predict the lifespan of a boiler without relying on such experts, and that can enable early maintenance or the elimination of unnecessary maintenance.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to appropriately evaluate the operating state of a plant and perform the associated plant maintenance without relying on skilled personnel.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the support device of the present invention is a device that supports the operation of a plant, and includes an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information of the plant, a fuel information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the properties of fuel input to the plant, and an operation state evaluation unit that evaluates the operation state of the plant based on at least the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the support method according to the present invention is a method for supporting the operation of a plant, and includes an operation information acquisition step for acquiring operation information of the plant, a fuel information acquisition step for acquiring information regarding the properties of fuel input to the plant, and an operation state evaluation step for evaluating the operation state of the plant based on at least the operation information acquired in the operation information acquisition step and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired in the fuel information acquisition step.

[0010] By adopting such a configuration and method, the operating state of the plant can be evaluated based on the plant operation information and information on the properties of the fuel fed to the plant. In other words, the operating state of the plant can be appropriately evaluated taking into consideration not only the operating state of the plant but also the properties of the fuel fed to the plant, so that an appropriate maintenance plan can be formulated without relying on an expert.

[0011] The support device (support method) according to the present invention may further include a maintenance information recording unit (maintenance information recording step) that records plant maintenance information. In this case, the operating state evaluation unit (in the operating state evaluation step) can evaluate the operating state of the plant based on the operating information acquired by the operating information acquisition unit (operation information acquisition step), information on the fuel properties acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit (fuel information acquisition step), and the maintenance information recorded by the maintenance information recording unit (maintenance information recording step).

[0012] By adopting such a configuration and method, the operating state of the plant can be evaluated by further taking into consideration the plant's maintenance information, which allows for more appropriate plant life diagnosis and the formulation of more appropriate maintenance plans. As a result, it becomes possible to reduce unnecessary maintenance and prevent necessary maintenance from being overlooked.

[0013] In the support device (support method) according to the present invention, the operating state evaluation unit (in the operating state evaluation step) can determine whether or not plant maintenance is required by comparing the current operating state of the plant, which is identified based on at least the operating information acquired by the operating information acquisition unit (operating information acquisition step) and the information on the properties of the fuel acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit (fuel information acquisition step), with a preset operating state.

[0014] By adopting such a configuration and method, it is possible to determine whether or not plant maintenance is required by comparing the current operating state of the plant, which is determined based on the plant's operating information and information on the properties of the fuel being fed into the plant, with a preset operating state.

[0015] The support device (support method) according to the present invention may further include a display unit (display step) that displays information regarding maintenance when the operating state evaluation unit (operating state evaluation step) determines that plant maintenance is necessary.

[0016] By employing such a configuration and method, when it is determined that plant maintenance is necessary, information regarding the maintenance can be displayed.

[0017] The plant management system of the present invention is a system comprising a plant and a device for assisting the operation of the plant, the device having an operation information acquisition unit for acquiring operation information of the plant, a fuel information acquisition unit for acquiring information regarding the properties of fuel input to the plant, and an operation status evaluation unit for evaluating the operation status of the plant based on at least the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit.

[0018] The program according to the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute a method for supporting plant operation, the method including an operating information acquisition step of acquiring plant operating information, a fuel information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding the properties of fuel input to the plant, and an operating state evaluation step of evaluating the operating state of the plant based on at least the operating information acquired in the operating information acquisition step and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired in the fuel information acquisition step.

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately evaluate the operating state of a plant including a boiler and perform the associated plant maintenance without relying on an expert.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a plant to be monitored in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a plant management system including a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a time chart of operation data generated by a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a time chart of fuel data generated by a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a time chart relating to an operating state evaluation generated by a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the physical configuration of a support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a support method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to only these embodiments. Monitoring targets to which the present invention is applicable include plants. Such plants include incineration plants that incinerate waste and power plants that generate electricity using heat generated by waste incineration. Information regarding the operating status of the plant (hereinafter referred to as "operating data") and information regarding the properties of the fuel input to the plant (hereinafter referred to as "fuel data") are acquired from the monitored plant.

[0022] In this embodiment, a power generation plant that generates electricity using heat generated by waste incineration is exemplified. Operation data for the power generation plant includes, for example, the amount and temperature of air input to the incinerator, the gas temperature and composition factors at the furnace outlet, and measurement data such as the temperature, pressure, flow rate, and combustion state of each part measured by sensors, etc. Fuel data includes the type (e.g., the amount of chlorine or alkali content) and properties / state (e.g., the amount of moisture content) of the fuel input to the plant.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a plant P, which is an example of a monitoring target in an embodiment of the present invention. The plant P according to this embodiment is a power generation plant equipped with a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler B that generates steam by burning fuel while circulating a circulating material such as silica sand that flows at high temperatures. As fuel for the plant P, in addition to fossil fuels such as coal, non-fossil fuels (woody biomass, waste tires, waste plastic, sludge, etc.) can be used. The steam generated in the plant P is used to drive a turbine 100.

[0024] The plant P is configured to combust fuel in a furnace 2, separate the circulating material from the exhaust gas using a cyclone 3 that functions as a solid-gas separator, and return the separated circulating material to the furnace 2 for circulation. The separated circulating material is returned to the bottom of the furnace 2 via a circulating material recovery pipe 4 connected below the cyclone 3. The bottom of the circulating material recovery pipe 4 is connected to the bottom of the furnace 2 via a loop seal 4a with a narrowed flow path. This leaves a predetermined amount of circulating material stored in the bottom of the circulating material recovery pipe 4. The exhaust gas from which the circulating material has been removed by the cyclone 3 is supplied to a rear flue 5 via an exhaust gas flow path 3a.

[0025] The boiler B of the plant P includes a furnace 2 for burning fuel and heat exchange means (such as a furnace wall tube 6, described later) for generating steam and the like using heat obtained by the combustion. A fuel supply port 2a for supplying fuel is provided in the middle of the furnace 2, and a gas outlet 2b for discharging combustion gas is provided in the upper part of the furnace 2. Fuel supplied to the furnace 2 from a fuel supply device (not shown) is supplied into the furnace 2 through the fuel supply port 2a. In addition, a furnace wall tube 6 for heating boiler feedwater is provided on the furnace wall of the furnace 2. The boiler feedwater flowing through the furnace wall tube 6 is heated by combustion in the furnace 2.

[0026] Within the furnace 2, the solids containing the fuel supplied from the fuel supply port 2a are fluidized by combustion and fluidization air introduced from the lower air supply line 2c, and the fuel burns at, for example, about 800 to 900°C while flowing. The combustion gas generated in the furnace 2 is introduced into the cyclone 3, accompanied by the circulating material. The cyclone 3 separates the circulating material from the gas by centrifugal separation, and returns the separated circulating material to the furnace 2 via the circulating material recovery pipe 4, while sending the combustion gas from which the circulating material has been removed through the exhaust gas flow path 3a to the rear flue 5.

[0027] In the furnace 2, a portion of the circulating material, called the in-furnace bed material, accumulates at the bottom. This bed material may contain coarse particles unsuitable for circulating flow or exhaust combustion impurities, and such unsuitable bed material may cause poor flow. To prevent such poor flow, the in-furnace bed material is continuously or intermittently discharged to the outside from a discharge port 2d at the bottom of the furnace 2. After removing impurities such as metals and coarse particles from the discharged bed material on a circulation line (not shown), the discharged bed material is either fed back to the furnace 2 or discarded as is. The circulating material in the furnace 2 circulates within a circulation system consisting of the furnace 2, the cyclone 3, and the circulating material recovery pipe 4.

[0028] The rear flue 5 has a flow path for flowing the gas discharged from the cyclone 3 to a subsequent stage. The rear flue 5 has a superheater 10 that generates superheated steam and an economizer 12 that preheats boiler feedwater as an exhaust heat recovery section that recovers heat from the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas flowing through the rear flue 5 is cooled by heat exchange with the steam and boiler feedwater flowing through the superheater 10 and the economizer 12. The plant P is also provided with a steam drum 8 that stores the boiler feedwater that has passed through the economizer 12. The steam drum 8 is also connected to the furnace wall tube 6 of the furnace 2.

[0029] The economizer 12 transfers heat from the exhaust gas to the boiler feed water to preheat the boiler feed water. The economizer 12 is connected to the pump 7 by a pipe 21 and to the steam drum 8 by a pipe 22. The boiler feed water is supplied from the pump 7 via the pipe 21 to the economizer 12 and preheated by the economizer 12, and is then supplied to the steam drum 8 via the pipe 22.

[0030] A downcomer pipe 8a and a furnace wall pipe 6 are connected to the steam drum 8. The boiler feedwater in the steam drum 8 flows down the downcomer pipe 8a, is introduced into the furnace wall pipe 6 at the bottom of the furnace 2, and flows toward the steam drum 8. The boiler feedwater in the furnace wall pipe 6 is heated by the combustion heat generated in the furnace 2, and evaporates into steam in the steam drum 8.

[0031] A saturated steam pipe 8b that discharges the steam inside is connected to the steam drum 8. The saturated steam pipe 8b connects the steam drum 8 and a superheater 10. The steam inside the steam drum 8 is supplied to the superheater 10 via the saturated steam pipe 8b. The superheater 10 superheats the steam using the heat of the exhaust gas to generate superheated steam. The superheated steam passes through a pipe 10a and is supplied to a turbine 100 outside the plant P to be used for power generation.

[0032] The pressure and temperature of the steam discharged from the turbine 100 are lower than the pressure and temperature of the steam discharged from the superheater 10. Although not particularly limited, the pressure of the steam supplied to the turbine 100 is approximately 10 to 17 MPa, and the temperature is approximately 530 to 570°C.

[0033] A condenser 102 is provided downstream of the turbine 100. The steam discharged from the turbine 100 is supplied to the condenser 102, where it is condensed and returned to saturated water, and then supplied to the pump 7. A generator is connected to the turbine 100, which converts kinetic energy obtained by the rotation of the turbine 100 into electrical energy.

[0034] The pump 7a supplies makeup water so as to maintain a constant water level in the condenser 102. Fig. 1 shows a flow rate u1 of makeup water supplied by the pump 7a (an example of "operation data").

[0035] The operating data handled in this embodiment may be data on the operating state of the plant P measured by a sensor, and more specifically, may include measured values ​​of the temperature, pressure, flow rate, and the like of the plant P. FIG. 1 shows a boiler feedwater flow rate u2 (an example of "operating data") supplied from the pump 7 to the economizer 12. FIG. 1 also shows a boiler outlet steam flow rate u3 (an example of "operating data") supplied from the superheater 10 to the turbine 100, and a saturated steam flow rate u4 (an example of "operating data") supplied from the steam drum 8 to the superheater 10. The make-up water flow rate u1 may be controlled to follow the saturated steam flow rate u4. The boiler feedwater flow rate u2 may also be adjusted while monitoring both the boiler outlet steam flow rate u3 and the liquid level in the steam drum 8.

[0036] If a hole occurs in the piping system that constitutes the plant P, the makeup water flow rate u1 increases, or the flow rate difference between the boiler feedwater flow rate u2 and the boiler outlet steam flow rate u3 increases. A DCS (Distributed Control System, see FIG. 2 ) 20, which will be described later, receives operational data of the plant P, such as the makeup water flow rate u1, the boiler feedwater flow rate u2, the boiler outlet steam flow rate u3, and the saturated steam flow rate u4, from the plant P to monitor the operating status of the plant P, and evaluates the operating status of the plant P (for example, predicts the lifespan) while also taking into consideration information about the fuel properties (fuel type, properties, state, etc.), which will be described later, and appropriately determines the timing of maintenance.

[0037] Although the makeup water flow rate u1, the boiler feedwater flow rate u2, the boiler outlet steam flow rate u3, and the saturated steam flow rate u4 are exemplified as the operating data, other data may be used for the operating data of the plant P. The operating data for the plant P may be other data such as temperature, pressure, and gas volume (the amount of exhaust gas generated after the combustion reaction between fuel and combustion gas), or may be data calculated based on a plurality of operating data, or may be unprocessed data acquired from a sensor or the like. Data related to the operating environment of the plant P (such as the temperature and humidity at the installation location of the plant P, the total operating hours of the plant P in one day, and the longest continuous operating hours of the plant P) may also be included in the operating data.

[0038] The fuel data handled in this embodiment includes the type of fuel (such as the amount of chlorine or alkali it contains) and properties (such as the amount of water it contains) of the fuel fed into the plant P, and can include not only data measured by a sensor installed at the fuel supply port 2a, but also data manually input by an operator.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the plant management device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2 , the plant management system 1 according to this embodiment includes a plant P, a DCS 20, and a support device 30.

[0041] The DCS 20 is a distributed control system for controlling the plant P. The DCS 20 acquires operation data and fuel data from sensors and the like installed in the plant P, and supplies control signals to the plant P for controlling the plant P based on the data.

[0042] The support device 30 includes an edge / cloud computing unit 32 that acquires operating data and fuel data from the DCS 20, a monitoring device 40 that acquires the operating data and fuel data from the edge / cloud computing unit 32 and monitors the plant P (evaluates the operating status of the plant P) based on the operating data and fuel data, and a display device 50 that displays the operating status of the plant 1, etc. for the operators.

[0043] The edge / cloud computing unit 32 includes a plurality of edge servers distributed at the periphery of the network and a cloud data server that collects operating data and fuel data from the plurality of edge servers and provides the data to the monitoring device 40. By including the edge / cloud computing unit 32, it is possible to suitably collect process data from a large-scale monitoring device or multiple distributed monitoring devices. However, the support device 30 does not necessarily need to include the edge / cloud computing unit 32. In that case, the support device 30 acquires operating data and fuel data from the DCS 20 via the network.

[0044] The monitoring device 40 includes a control unit 42 and a memory unit 44. The control unit 42 includes an operating information acquisition unit 42A that acquires operating data from the edge / cloud computing unit 32, a fuel information acquisition unit 42B that acquires fuel data from the edge / cloud computing unit 32, an operating state evaluation unit 42C that evaluates the operating state of the plant P based on the operating data acquired by the operating information acquisition unit 42A and the fuel data acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit 42B, and a display control unit 42D that causes a display device 50 to display graphs relating to the operating data and fuel data ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and a graph relating to the evaluation of the operating state ( FIG. 5 ), and that causes the display device 50 to display information relating to maintenance when the operating state evaluation unit 42C determines that maintenance of the plant P is necessary. The display device 50 and the display control unit 42D constitute the display unit of the present invention.

[0045] The storage unit 44 of the monitoring device 40 includes various databases such as a maintenance information DB (maintenance information recording unit) 44A that stores maintenance information for the plant P, and a graph setting DB 44B that stores information about various graphs.

[0046] The maintenance information DB 44A stores information such as the date, time, type, and number of maintenance operations performed in the past so that information regarding past maintenance operations can be output as needed, with the aim of improving the accuracy of evaluation of the operating state of the plant P by the operating state evaluation unit 42C.

[0047] The graph setting DB 44B stores previously acquired operating data and fuel data. In particular, when a period to be monitored (target period) is designated by an operator, the graph setting DB 44B stores the operating data and fuel data in association with the time of acquisition so that the operating data and fuel data acquired during the target period can be output.

[0048] The graph setting DB 44B also stores template information for each graph used to represent the acquired operating data and fuel data in multiple types of graphs (e.g., trend charts, box plot charts, scatter plots, cumulative frequency distribution charts, etc.). For example, when a group of operating data is input via the operating information acquisition unit 42A, template information for displaying the input operating data in a specific graph is read from the graph setting DB 44B and used to generate the graph. The information stored in the graph setting DB 44B can be updated as appropriate.

[0049] The graph setting DB 44B also stores information for setting the details of each graph. For example, when generating a graph (time chart) of the time history of operation data shown in Fig. 3, a vertical axis parameter can be selected and set from among "load," "gas amount," etc. When generating a graph (time chart) of the time history of fuel data shown in Fig. 4, a vertical axis parameter can be selected and set from among "moisture," "chlorine," "alkali (Na, K)," etc. When generating a graph (time chart) of the time history of operating state evaluation shown in Fig. 5, a vertical axis parameter can be selected and set from among "tube wall thickness," "remaining refractory thickness," "remaining catalyst amount," etc., various data are classified and stored for each parameter.

[0050] Next, each functional block of the control unit 42 of the monitoring device 40 will be described.

[0051] The driving information acquisition unit 42A acquires driving data from the edge / cloud computing unit 32. The fuel information acquisition unit 42B acquires fuel data from the edge / cloud computing unit 32.

[0052] The operational state evaluation unit 42C contributes to the formulation of an appropriate maintenance plan by evaluating the operational state of the plant P based on at least the operational data acquired by the operational information acquisition unit 42A and the fuel data acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit 42B. When evaluating the operational state of the plant P, the operational state evaluation unit 42C can also take into account the maintenance information stored in the maintenance information DB 44A. That is, the operational state evaluation unit 42C can determine the type and timing of the next maintenance by taking into account the type and timing of the most recent maintenance. The operational state evaluation unit 42C can also determine whether maintenance of the plant P is necessary by comparing the current operational state of the plant P identified based on the operational data and fuel data with a preset operational state (for example, "design data," i.e., the operational state of the plant P assumed at the time of design taking into account aging deterioration).

[0053] 3 is an example of a time chart showing the time history of the operation data acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 42 A. The operation data may be, for example, the makeup water flow rate u1, the boiler feedwater flow rate u2, the boiler outlet steam flow rate u3, the saturated steam flow rate u4, etc., as already described, or may be an overall “load” calculated based on a plurality of operation data, or data related to the operation environment of the plant P (such as the temperature and humidity at the installation location of the plant P, the total operation time of the plant P in one day, the longest continuous operation time of the plant P, etc.).

[0054] 4 is an example of a time chart showing the time history of fuel data acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit 42B. As already mentioned, the fuel data includes, for example, the type (e.g., the amount of chlorine or alkali contained) and properties (e.g., the amount of water contained) of the fuel input to the plant P, and examples of alkali include Na (sodium) and K (potassium).

[0055] FIG. 5 is an example of a graph (time chart) of a time history related to the operational state evaluation. Examples of the operational state evaluation index (the “maintenance index,” which is a parameter on the vertical axis of FIG. 5 ) include the wall thickness (tube thickness) of a specific tube, such as the furnace wall tube 6 of boiler B, the residual pressure of the refractory material inside the furnace 2 of boiler B (remaining refractory thickness), and the amount of catalyst remaining inside the furnace 2 of boiler B (remaining catalyst amount). The operational state evaluation unit 42C predicts future trends in the maintenance index based on the “trends” of the operational data shown in FIG. 3 and the fuel data shown in FIG. 4 . If the value of the maintenance index after a predetermined period from the present falls below a specific management value (e.g., “3 mm” if the maintenance index is “tube wall thickness”), the operational state evaluation unit 42C determines that maintenance is necessary and outputs information to that effect. The “trend” here can be, for example, a phenomenon in which both the operational data and the fuel data rapidly change in a short period of time (the rate of change exceeds a predetermined threshold). When the rate of change in both the operating data and the fuel data exceeds a predetermined threshold, the operating state evaluation unit 42C can predict that the maintenance index will change suddenly in the near future.

[0056] The display control unit 42D functions to cause the display device 50 to display graphs relating to the operating data and fuel data (FIGS. 3 and 4) and a graph relating to the evaluation of the operating state (FIG. 5). The display control unit 42D also functions to cause the display device 50 to display information relating to maintenance when the operating state evaluation unit 42C determines that maintenance of the plant P is necessary. Examples of the information relating to maintenance include information such as "It is necessary to replace or repair a specific part of the boiler B within a predetermined period of time." The display may be in the form of an audio display instead of (or in addition to) a visual text display.

[0057] 6 is a diagram showing a physical configuration for realizing the assistance device 30 according to this embodiment. However, since the edge / cloud computing unit 32 can have a known physical configuration, a description thereof will be omitted. Below, the physical configuration of the assistance device 30 excluding the edge / cloud computing unit 32 will be described.

[0058] The support device 30 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 30A corresponding to a calculation unit, a random access memory (RAM) 30B and a read-only memory (ROM) 30C corresponding to storage units, a communication unit 30D, an input unit 30E, and a display unit 30F. These components are connected via a bus to enable data transmission and reception between them. While the support device 30 is configured with a single computer in this example, the support device 30 may also be configured with multiple computers. For example, the display unit 30F may be configured with multiple displays. The configuration shown in FIG. 6 is merely an example, and some of these components may not be included. Furthermore, some of the components may be located remotely. For example, a portion of the ROM 30C may be located remotely and configured to communicate with the ROM 30C via a communication network.

[0059] The CPU 30A is an arithmetic unit that performs control processing, arithmetic processing, and the like included in the present disclosure by executing computer programs, etc., recorded in the ROM 30C, etc. The CPU 30A includes a processor. The CPU 30A receives various information (including operating data and fuel data) from the RAM 30B, the ROM 30C, the communication unit 30D, the input unit 30E, etc., and displays the arithmetic processing results, etc., on the display unit 30F or stores them in the RAM 30B or the ROM 30C.

[0060] The RAM 30B functions as a cache memory in the storage unit, and may be configured with volatile semiconductor memory elements such as SRAM and DRAM.

[0061] The ROM 30C functions as the main memory of the storage unit and may be configured, for example, as an electrically rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory element such as a flash memory or a magnetically rewritable HDD. The ROM 30C may store, for example, computer programs and data for executing processes including the various controls and arithmetic processes described in this disclosure.

[0062] The communication unit 30D is an interface for connecting the support device 30 to other devices such as the DCS 20. The communication unit 30D may be connected to a communication network such as the Internet.

[0063] The input unit 30E accepts data input and graph selection from the operator, and may include, for example, a keyboard and a touch panel.

[0064] The display unit 30F visually displays the results of calculations performed by the CPU 30A, and may be configured, for example, by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).

[0065] In the physical configuration described above, the CPU 30A can execute a computer program to realize each function constituting the control unit 42 of the monitoring device 40, the ROM 30C can realize each database constituting the memory unit 44, and the display device 50 can be realized mainly from the display unit 30F.

[0066] The support device 30 may be configured as a tablet terminal. By configuring the support device 30 as a tablet terminal, the support device 30 can be carried around and used, for example, while patrolling the plant 1.

[0067] Next, a method for supporting the operation of the plant P using the support device 30 in this embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart including the support method.

[0068] First, the operation information acquisition unit 42A of the control unit 42 of the monitoring device 40 of the support device 30 acquires operation data of the plant P via the edge / cloud computing unit 32 and the DCS 20 (operation information acquisition step: S71). Also, the fuel information acquisition unit 42B of the control unit 42 of the monitoring device 40 of the support device 30 acquires data on the properties of the fuel input to the plant P (fuel data) via the edge / cloud computing unit 32 and the DCS 20 (fuel information acquisition step: S72).

[0069] Next, the operating state evaluation unit 42C of the control unit 42 of the monitoring device 40 of the support device 30 evaluates the operating state of the plant P based on at least the operating data acquired in the operating information acquisition step S71 and the fuel data acquired in the fuel information acquisition step S72 (operating state evaluation step: S73). At this time, the operating state evaluation unit 42C can also evaluate the operating state of the plant P by referring to past maintenance information stored in the maintenance information DB 44A (note that, although not shown, the step of recording the maintenance information of the plant P corresponds to the maintenance information recording step in the present invention). Furthermore, in the operating state evaluation step S73, it is also possible to determine whether maintenance of the plant P is necessary by comparing the current operating state of the plant P identified based on the operating data acquired in the operating information acquisition step S71 and the fuel data acquired in the fuel information acquisition step S72 with a preset operating state (for example, "design data," i.e., the operating state of the plant P assumed at the time of design taking into account aging deterioration).

[0070] Next, when it is determined in the operation state evaluation step S73 that maintenance of the plant P is necessary, the display control unit 42D of the control unit 42 of the monitoring device 40 of the support device 30 displays information about maintenance (for example, information such as "it is necessary to replace or repair a specific portion of the boiler B within a predetermined period of time") (display step: S74). On the other hand, when it is determined in the operation state evaluation step S73 that maintenance of the plant P is not necessary, the display control unit 42D ends this series of steps, returns to the operation information acquisition step S71, and repeats the subsequent steps.

[0071] The support device 1 according to the embodiment described above can evaluate the operating state of the plant P based on the operating information of the plant P and information on the properties of the fuel input to the plant P. In other words, the operating state of the plant P can be appropriately evaluated taking into consideration not only the operating state of the plant P but also the properties of the fuel input to the plant P, and therefore an appropriate maintenance plan can be formulated without relying on an expert.

[0072] Furthermore, in the support device 1 according to the embodiment described above, the operating state of the plant P can be evaluated by further considering the maintenance information of the plant P, so that the lifespan of the plant can be more appropriately diagnosed and a more appropriate maintenance plan can be formulated. As a result, it becomes possible to reduce unnecessary maintenance and prevent necessary maintenance from being overlooked.

[0073] Furthermore, in the support device 1 according to the embodiment described above, the current operating state of the plant P, which is determined based on the operating information of the plant P and information regarding the properties of the fuel input to the plant P, can be compared with a preset operating state, thereby determining whether or not maintenance of the plant P is necessary.

[0074] Furthermore, in the support device 1 according to the embodiment described above, when it is determined that maintenance of the plant P is necessary, information relating to the maintenance can be displayed on the display device 50 .

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and any design modifications made by a person skilled in the art to the embodiments as appropriate are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they comprise the features of the present invention. In other words, the elements of the above-described embodiments and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shape, size, etc. are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the elements of the above-described embodiments can be combined to the extent technically possible, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they comprise the features of the present invention.

[0076] The present invention is useful for appropriately evaluating the operating state of a plant and carrying out the associated plant maintenance without relying on skilled personnel.

[0077] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Plant management system 30... Support device 42A... Operation information acquisition unit 42B... Fuel information acquisition unit 42C... Operation state evaluation unit 42D... Display control unit (display unit) 44A... Maintenance information DB (maintenance information recording unit) 50... Display device (display unit) P... Plant S71... Operation information acquisition process S72... Fuel information acquisition process S73... Operation state evaluation process S74... Display process

Claims

1. A support device for supporting the operation of a plant, comprising: an operation information acquisition unit for acquiring operation information of the plant; a fuel information acquisition unit for acquiring information regarding properties of fuel input to the plant; and an operation state evaluation unit for evaluating the operation state of the plant based on at least the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit.

2. An assistance device as described in claim 1, further comprising a maintenance information recording unit that records maintenance information of the plant, wherein the operating state evaluation unit evaluates the operating state of the plant based on the operating information acquired by the operating information acquisition unit, information on the fuel properties acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit, and the maintenance information recorded by the maintenance information recording unit.

3. The support device described in claim 1, wherein the operating state evaluation unit determines whether or not maintenance of the plant is required by comparing the current operating state of the plant identified based on at least the operating information acquired by the operating information acquisition unit and the information on the properties of the fuel acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit with a preset operating state.

4. The support device according to claim 3, further comprising a display unit that displays information regarding the maintenance when the operational state evaluation unit determines that the plant requires maintenance.

5. A plant management system comprising a plant and a device for assisting the operation of the plant, the device having an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information of the plant, a fuel information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the properties of fuel input to the plant, and an operation state evaluation unit that evaluates the operation state of the plant based on at least the operation information acquired by the operation information acquisition unit and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired by the fuel information acquisition unit.

6. A support method for supporting the operation of a plant, comprising: an operation information acquisition step of acquiring operation information of the plant; a fuel information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding the properties of fuel input to the plant; and an operation state evaluation step of evaluating the operation state of the plant based on at least the operation information acquired in the operation information acquisition step and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired in the fuel information acquisition step.

7. The support method according to claim 6, further comprising a maintenance information recording step of recording maintenance information of the plant, wherein in the operating state evaluation step, the operating state of the plant is evaluated based on the operating information acquired in the operating information acquisition step, information relating to the fuel properties acquired in the fuel information acquisition step, and the maintenance information recorded in the maintenance information recording step.

8. The support method according to claim 6, wherein in the operating state evaluation step, a current operating state of the plant identified based on at least the operating information acquired in the operating information acquisition step and the information on the fuel properties acquired in the fuel information acquisition step is compared with a preset operating state to determine whether or not maintenance of the plant is required.

9. The support method according to claim 7, further comprising a display step of displaying information regarding said maintenance when it is determined in said operational state evaluation step that maintenance of said plant is necessary.

10. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for supporting plant operation, the method including: an operation information acquisition step for acquiring operation information of the plant; a fuel information acquisition step for acquiring information regarding the properties of fuel input to the plant; and an operation state evaluation step for evaluating the operation state of the plant based on at least the operation information acquired in the operation information acquisition step and the information regarding the properties of the fuel acquired in the fuel information acquisition step.

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