ORC Stack Control for Coordinated Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Uncoordinated operation of ORC modules in an ORC stack leads to disparate servicing intervals, resulting in inefficient use of resources and increased operational costs due to the need for frequent and unscheduled maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling an ORC stack that determines the remaining running time for each module, adjusts the number of operational modules based on target and actual operating hours, and synchronizes servicing by connecting or disconnecting modules with the longest or shortest remaining running times, ensuring that maintenance is coordinated and performed during scheduled times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ORC modules are operated independently without coordination, then each module can be serviced according to its own maintenance schedule, but servicing intervals become disparate requiring multiple separate service trips and causing operational interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs preliminary actions by proactively monitoring and comparing remaining running times of all ORC modules, predicting future service needs before they occur. The system calculates target numbers of modules to operate and identifies which modules should be connected or disconnected in advance to align their service schedules, preventing disparate servicing intervals from developing in the first place.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational status of ORC modules based on real-time monitoring of their running times. By continuously comparing remaining running times and adjusting which modules are connected or disconnected, the system creates dynamic homogenization of service intervals, ensuring modules are serviced at coordinated times rather than fixed independent schedules.
2Reliability
If ORC modules are serviced at different times, then each module receives timely maintenance, but servicing personnel must travel multiple times and resources are used inefficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the service schedules of multiple ORC modules by coordinating their operational times. By controlling which modules are connected or disconnected based on their remaining running times, the system consolidates service activities into unified time windows, allowing servicing personnel to perform maintenance on multiple modules during single trips rather than making separate visits.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors the remaining running times of all ORC modules and uses this feedback to adjust operational assignments. By comparing actual running times against target numbers and dynamically reallocating modules, the system ensures that service intervals remain synchronized while maintaining reliable maintenance timing for each individual module.
3Productivity
If the number of operational ORC modules is adjusted to homogenize running times, then servicing times coincide enabling efficient scheduled maintenance, but the system complexity increases due to continuous monitoring and adjustment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs self-service by automatically monitoring its own operational state and making autonomous decisions about which ORC modules to connect or disconnect. The system calculates target numbers based on remaining running times and automatically adjusts module assignments without requiring external intervention, thereby achieving service homogenization through self-regulation rather than complex external coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity by focusing on changing a single key parameter - the operational status of individual modules - rather than attempting to control multiple complex variables simultaneously. By adjusting module connection/disconnection states based on remaining running time parameters, the system achieves homogenization through simple binary changes rather than complex continuous control.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for controlling ORC stacks with a total number ntot of individually operable ORC modules, said method comprising the following steps: determining the running time remaining until the next servicing time for each operable ORC module respectively; determining a target number nsoll of ORC modules to be operated; comparing said target number nsoll to an actual number nist of currently operated ORC modules; when nsoll>nist, connecting a number nsoll−nist of ORC modules that corresponds to the difference between the target number and the actual number, where the ORC modules with the longest remaining running times of the ORC modules currently not being operated are connected; and/or when nsoll<nist, disconnecting a number nist−nsoll of ORC modules that corresponds to the difference between the actual number and the target number, where the ORC modules with the shortest remaining running times of the ORC modules currently being operated are disconnected; and/or when nsoll=nist, connecting the ORC module with the longest remaining running time Δt1 of the ORC modules not currently being operated, and disconnecting the ORC module with the shortest remaining running time Δt2 of the ORC modules currently being operated, if Δt1>Δt2.