Abstract:
A method includes retrieving an engine fingerprint of engine components, wherein, for each of the engine components, the engine fingerprint includes a first identifier uniquely identifying each of the engine components. The method also includes querying a plurality of the engine components configured to be disposed in an engine system. Further, the method includes determining if a first engine component is a replacement component, a new component, or an originally installed component based on the engine fingerprint, the first identifier, and the query.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The subject matter disclosed herein relates to management systems for engine systems. Specifically, the subject matter described below relates to systems and methods for tracking the installation and configuration of various components within an engine system. 
         [0002]    Engine systems, such as reciprocating engine systems, may be used to provide power for a variety of applications, such as oil and gas processing systems, commercial and industrial building, and vehicles. However, once an engine system is commissioned into field use, information regarding the physical configuration of the engine system may not be collected. Additionally, although there are existing data capture systems that receive data from an engine control unit (ECU) installed in the engine system, the received data may not indicate whether the ECU is still running on the engine it was shipped with at the point of manufacture or if the engine has the same mechanical configuration as when the system was originally shipped. 
         [0003]    This dearth of information about changes to the engine system may delay key maintenance operations for the engine system. For example, the lack of information may make it difficult to determine whether the engine, controller, and controller programming are desired for the intended application. In another example, the lack of information may make it difficult to calculate the lifecycle hours of a particular component, or if a component that is returned is still under warranty or belongs to a system under warranty. In yet another example, the lack of information may hinder any efforts to regularly update components, whether initiated by the customer or service personnel, as well as ensure the accuracy of data logged by an ECU, particularly for certified rebuild engine systems. In these and similar scenarios, the lack of information may cause customers, operators, and service-people to spend considerable time and effort to determine the current mechanical and operational configurations of the components of an engine system. As such, it would be beneficial to track the installation and configuration of components with an engine system, and particularly beneficial if the information was collected with minimal user input. In one embodiment, an external database may be updated during setup of the engine system, thus providing for a repository that may track various engine system components throughout the component&#39;s life cycles. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0004]    Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimed invention are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below. 
         [0005]    In a first embodiment, a system includes an engine controller having a processor. The processor is configured to retrieve an engine fingerprint of engine components, wherein, for each of the engine components, the engine fingerprint includes a first identifier uniquely identifying each of the engine components. The processor is also configured to query a plurality of the engine components configured to be disposed in an engine system. Further, the processor is configured to determine if a first engine component is a replacement component, a new component, or an originally installed component based on the engine fingerprint, the first identifier, and the query, wherein the engine controller configured to control the engine system. 
         [0006]    In a second embodiment, a method includes retrieving an engine fingerprint of engine components, wherein, for each of the engine components, the engine fingerprint includes a first identifier uniquely identifying each of the engine components. The method also includes querying a plurality of the engine components configured to be disposed in an engine system. Further, the method includes determining if a first engine component is a replacement component, a new component, or an originally installed component based on the engine fingerprint, the first identifier, and the query. 
         [0007]    In a third embodiment, a non-transitory, computer-readable medium includes executable code having instructions. The instructions are configured to retrieve an engine fingerprint of engine components, wherein, for each of the engine components, the engine fingerprint includes an identifier uniquely identifying each of the engine components. The instructions are also configured to query a plurality of the engine components configured to be disposed in a reciprocating engine system. Further, the instructions are configured to determine if a first engine component is a replacement component, a new component, or an originally installed component based on the engine fingerprint, the identifier, and the query. Additionally, the instructions are configured to update the engine fingerprint based on the determination and transmit the engine fingerprint to a database. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an engine system that may work in conjunction with an engine fingerprint system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an engine control unit for the engine system of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a data flow between the engine system and the engine fingerprint system of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a method of operation for a tracking module in the engine fingerprint system of  FIG. 3 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an alternative method of operation for a tracking module in the engine fingerprint system of  FIG. 3 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0015]    When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present invention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
         [0016]    Engine systems, such as reciprocating engine systems or internal combustion engine systems, may be used for a variety of applications, such as oil and gas processing systems, commercial and industrial buildings, and vehicles. However, little information may be collected regarding the mechanical and operational configuration of the engine system after shipment to a customer. For instance, there may be minimal records indicating when a customer may move a component from one engine system to another, records indicating when the customer may remove a component the engine system, when the customer may upgrade the component, and/or when a controller for the engine system (or other programmable component) is reprogrammed for a new application (e.g., a reciprocating engine system that was previously used as part of a co-generation system but will now be used independently). A lack of information regarding the current mechanical and operational configuration of the engine system may delay maintenance operations, as customers, operators, and service-people may have to expend time and effort to collect said information before proceeding with a particular process. 
         [0017]    To improve the accuracy of information regarding the mechanical and operational configuration of an engine system, an engine fingerprint system described herein may work cooperatively with the engine system. For example, an engine control unit (ECU) or other engine control system of the engine system may track the components of the engine system via a unique identifier assigned to each component or type of component. The ECU may then communicate with a database remote and/or local to the engine system to store a list of the components within the engine system based on the unique identifiers. In particular, the ECU may update the list stored on the database whenever a component within the engine system changes, including the ECU itself. This may include changes in the mechanical and operational configuration of a component, such as installing a component or installing a software update. 
         [0018]    Operators, service personnel, and/or customers can then use the information stored in the database for a variety of tasks. For instance, service personnel may use the information to calculate the total lifecycle hours (e.g., run hours, fired hours) of an individual component, which may be used to resolve issues of support, warranty, and component reliability. For fleet-based analyses, service personnel may search the database for engine systems having components that qualify for the analysis, and may view information such as the current location of the engine system and the configuration of the component and the engine system. Further, in certain embodiments, information may be provided to targeted customers when upgrades become available. Overall, the engine fingerprint system described herein may decrease the amount of time and effort needed to complete maintenance tasks, and may operate with minimal user input from operators, service personnel, and/or customers. 
         [0019]    Turning now to  FIG. 1 , a power generation system  10  is depicted, suitable for combusting fuel to produce power for a variety of applications, such as power generation systems, oil and gas systems, commercial and industrial buildings, vehicles, landfills, and wastewater treatment. The power generation system  10  includes an engine system  12 , which includes an intake system  14 , an engine  16 , and an exhaust system  18 . The engine  16  may be, for example, a Waukesha™ engine available from the General Electric Company of Schenectady, N.Y. The power generation system  10  also includes an intake system  14  coupled to or disposed in the engine  16 . The intake system  14  may control the amount of fuel or oxidant (e.g., air) provided to the engine  16 . 
         [0020]    The engine  16  may emit certain types and amounts of exhaust gases based on the type of fuel used. Accordingly, the exhaust system  18  may receive the exhaust gases produced by the engine  16 . The exhaust system  18  may then convert the exhaust gases into other types of emissions before releasing the exhaust gases into the surrounding environment via a vent or transferring the exhaust gases to another component of the power generation system  10 , such as a heat recovery system. 
         [0021]    The power generation system  10  further includes an engine control unit (ECU) or engine control system  20 , which may control the operation of the power generation system  10 , which is described in further detail below. To that end, the power generation system  10  also includes sensors  22  and actuators  24  that may be used by the ECU  20  to perform various tasks. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , each component of the engine system  12  may include sensors  22  and actuators  24 . 
         [0022]    In present embodiments, each component of the power generation system  10 , outside of the ECU  20 , may also include a communication module  26 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . As will be described in further detail below, the communication module  26  of a component may be responsible for communicating information regarding the status of the component to the ECU  20 . In certain embodiments, the communication module  26  may also communicate with the sensors  22  and actuators  24  disposed within the component, such that the communication module  26  may also report data collected from sensors  22  and the position of an actuator  22  to the ECU  20 . Additionally, although  FIG. 1  depicts the communication module  26  as separate from the sensors  22  and actuators  24 , it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, a sensor  20 , an actuator  22 , and/or a communication device  24  may form a single device having the associated combination of functionalities. The communication module  26  may use wired and/or wireless conduits to communicatively couple to the ECU  20 . 
         [0023]    In addition to controlling the engine system  12 , the ECU  20  may also interact with other system interfaces for the power generation system  10 . For example, the ECU  20  may also interact with a systems control system  28 , a user interface  30 , and driven equipment  32 . The systems control system  28  may be a system that controls the overall operation of the power generation system  10  (e.g., start up and shut down, speed setpoint) in relation to other power generation systems  10  or other various other equipment and facilities. The user interface  30  may be any suitable human machine interface, such as a graphical user interface, that allows an operator to view and edit control settings, system logs, system status, faults, and so on. Although the user interface  30  is depicted as being separate from the ECU  20 , it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the user interface may be part of the ECU  20  (i.e., the ECU  20  includes a display and user interface device or system). The driven equipment  32  may be any equipment (e.g., generator, compressor) that is driven by the power generated by the engine system  12 . Each of the systems control system  28 , the user interface  30 , and the driven equipment  32  may include a communication module  26  to interact with the ECU  20 . Additionally, the driven equipment  32  may also include sensors  22  and actuators  24  that allow the ECU  20  to monitor and control the state of the driven equipment  32 . 
         [0024]    Over time, the mechanical and operational configuration of the power generation system  10  and its components may change. For example, individual components may be moved from one power generation system  10  to another power generation system  10 , or may be upgraded and/or replaced. Factory certified rebuild engine systems  10  may be made from components from de-commissioned engine systems  10 . Additionally, the power generation system  10  may be repurposed; for instance, the power generation system  10  that was originally part of a co-generation system may later be used as an independent power source. To monitor and track the mechanical and operational configuration of the power generation system  10 , the ECU  20  may work in conjunction with an engine fingerprint system  34 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and described in further detail below. 
         [0025]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the figure is a block diagram depicting further details of the ECU  20 . In the depicted embodiment, the ECU  20  includes a processor  34 ; a memory  38 , a communicative link  40  to other systems, components, and devices, such as the communication modules  24 ; and a hardware interface  42  suitable for interfacing with sensors  22  and actuators  24 . The processor  34  may include, for example, general-purpose single- or multi-chip processors. In addition, the processor  34  may be any conventional special-purpose processor, such as an application-specific processor or circuitry. The processor  34  and/or other data processing circuitry may be operably coupled to the memory  38  to execute instructions for running the ECU  20 . These instructions may be encoded in programs that are stored in the memory  38 . The memory  38  may be an example of a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and may be accessed and used to execute instructions via the processor  34 . 
         [0026]    The memory  38  may be a mass storage device (e.g., hard drive), a FLASH memory device, a removable memory, or any other non-transitory computer-readable medium. Additionally or alternatively, the instructions may be stored in an additional suitable article of manufacture that includes at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that at least collectively stores these instructions or routines in a manner similar to the memory  38  as described above. The communicative link or conduit  40  may be a wired link or conduit (e.g., a wired telecommunication infrastructure or a local area network employing Ethernet, a controller area network [CAN] conduit, an on-board diagnostics II [ODB-II] conduit) and/or wireless link (e.g., a cellular network or an 802.11x Wi-Fi network) between the ECU  20 , the communication modules  24  and other systems, components, and devices. 
         [0027]    The sensors  22  may provide various signals to the ECU  20 . For example, sensors  22  disposed within the power generation system  10  may collect data related to the temperatures, fluid flows (e.g., fuel flows, exhaust flows), pressures, clearances (e.g., distances between moving and stationary components), power production, positioning of components (e.g., camshaft position), engine vibration, and so on. The actuators  24  may include valves, pumps, positioners, inlet guide vanes, switches, and the like, useful in performing control actions. As mentioned above, the communication modules  26  may communicate various information about the components in which they are embedded to the ECU  20 . To that end, the communication modules  26  may include a processor and a communicative link similar to the processor  34  and communicative link  40  of the ECU  20 . 
         [0028]    As mentioned above, the ECU  20  may work in conjunction with the engine fingerprint system  34 , which may generally track the mechanical and operational configuration of a power generation system  10 , thus “fingerprinting” particular power generation systems  10  and/or components. In particular, the engine fingerprint system  34  may include multiple tracking modules  44  disposed within the engine systems  10  and configured to communicatively couple to a database  44 . Each tracking module  44  may be a system or device installed in the power generation system  10  and configured to communicatively couple to the components of the power generation system  10 , as shown in the information flow diagram of  FIG. 3 . More specifically,  FIG. 3  illustrates information flow suitable for creating an engine fingerprint. In the depicted embodiment, the tracking module  44  may be communicatively coupled to the communication modules  26  in each of the components. In such embodiments, the tracking module  44  may include a processor, memory, and a communicative link similar to those of the ECU  20 , and may use a network separate from that used by the ECU  20 . Alternatively, the tracking module  44  for a power generation system  10  may be part of the ECU  20 . 
         [0029]    The database  44  may include a memory and a communicative link to other components, systems, and devices, similar to that of the ECU  20 . The database  44  may also include one or more processors suitable for executing computer instructions stored in the memory of the database  44 . As will be appreciated, the database  44  may be at a location remote from the various power generation systems  10 . 
         [0030]    The tracking module  44  may be configured to record a unique identifier  48  of each component in the power generation system  10 . For instance, the tracking module  44  may record unique identifiers  48  for the ECU  20 , an ignition system in the engine  16 , sensors  22 , actuators  24 , the exhaust system  18 , the intake system  14 , and the like. The unique identifier  48  for a component may be a serial number provided by the manufacturer of the component, a global ID (e.g., generated via universally unique identifier (UUID) techniques such as ISO/IEC 9834-8) associated with the power generation system  10 , and/or a serial number assigned to the component by the tracking module  44 . The unique identifier  48  may include information representing the operational configuration of the component. For example, if the unique identifier  48  of a component is a serial number, then the last three characters may represent additional information, such as the programming version of the component (e.g., ECU component), date of manufacture, place of manufacture, version information, or other product-related information. In certain embodiments, the power generation system  10  may include an identification module that contains the unique identifiers  48  for a particular group of components, such as the engine  16  and its associated crankshaft. 
         [0031]    The list of components in the power generation system  10 , the corresponding unique identifiers  48 , and/or the corresponding mechanical and/or operational configurations may constitute an engine fingerprint  50  for the power generation system  10 . Accordingly, the engine fingerprint  50  may uniquely identify a set of engine components being disposed in a specific power generation system  10 . The engine fingerprint  50  may be gathered or determined during set up (e.g., commissioning) of the power generation system  10  and stored within the database  44  at that time. For instance, a service tool may prompt a technician installing the power generation system  10  to enter the unique identifiers  48  during set up. The tracking module  44  may then be configured to query for any changes in the engine fingerprint  50  on a set schedule and/or on start-up for the ECU  20  or the power generation system  10 . In some embodiments, the components of the power generation system  10  may automatically provide their unique identifier  48  to the tracking module  44  in the same manner that they provide other types of information to the ECU  20 . However, all of the methods described above allow the tracking module  44  to update the engine fingerprint  50  with minimal user input. 
         [0032]    As mentioned above, the tracking module  44  may regularly query the components of the power generation system  10  for any changes (e.g., removals, replacements, and/or updates of engine components). Additionally, the components of the power generation system  10  may be configured to regularly update the tracking module  44 . If the tracking module  44  determines that the unique identifier  48  of a component changes, then the tracking module  44  will update the engine fingerprint  50  to reflect the change in the component. In some embodiments, the tracking module  44  may also record the timestamp of the update and may also determine the lifetime hours of the component based on additional information received from the database  44 . Once the tracking module determines that the mechanical and/or operational configuration of at least one component has changed, the tracking module  44  may send requests to the other components to determine any other changes in their mechanical and operational configurations. Further, the tracking module  44  may also be configured to determine whether it, or the ECU  20  containing it, has been installed on another power generation system  10 . For instance, if the tracking module  44  determines that the mechanical and/or operational configuration of a majority of the components have changed (e.g., 90% of the components) then the tracking module  44  may determine that the ECU  20  or the tracking module  44  has been moved and update the engine fingerprint  50  accordingly. 
         [0033]    Once the tracking module  44  determines the new engine fingerprint  50 , it may then send the information to the database  44 . In some embodiments, this action may trigger requests for updated engine fingerprints  50  from tracking modules  44  that previously transmitted certain engine fingerprints  50  that contained the components now included in the new engine fingerprint  50 . Overall, the database  44  can be used to provide better remote user support and help analyze how products are used and/or maintained by operators, service personnel, and customers. For example, as mentioned above, the lifetime hours of an individual component can be tracked despite reinstallations, enabling better tracking for support, warranty, and component reliability. In another instance, customer- and service-initiated upgrades can be targeted more effectively based on the information in the database  44  regarding the current mechanical and operational configurations of various components. Further, in another example, the database  44  may be configured to record instances in which a particular component is de-commissioned, and alert an operator or service personnel if the de-commissioned component is reported as installed on a power generation system  10  according to an engine fingerprint  50 . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate an embodiment of processes  52  and  54 , respectively, suitable for execution by the tracking module  44  for creating and maintaining the engine fingerprint  50 . Although the processes  52  and  54  are described below in detail, the processes  52  and  54  may include other steps not shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Additionally, the steps illustrated may be performed concurrently or in a different order. The processes  52  and  54  may be implemented as computer instructions or executable code stored in the memory and executed by the processor of the tracking module  44 , as described above. 
         [0035]    Turning now to  FIG. 4  and beginning at block  56 , the tracking module  44  may create and acquire the engine fingerprint  50 . The engine fingerprint  50  may be created during commissioning of a power generation system  10 . For example, during commissioning, the tracking module  44  may prompt service personnel to enter and/or create a unique identifier  48  for each of the components in the power generation system  10 . The engine fingerprint  50  may be stored in memory disposed within or associated with the tracking module  44 , or may be retrieved from the database  44 . At block  58 , the tracking module  44  may then query the components of the power generation system  10  for their unique identifiers  48 . As mentioned above, the tracking module  44  may query the components based on a set schedule and/or during start-up of the power generation system  10 . 
         [0036]    Once the tracking module  44  has received responses from the various components, the tracking module  44  may determine any differences between the engine fingerprint  50  and the responses at block  60 . Based on this determination, the tracking module  44  may determine if there are any changes to the mechanical, programming, and/or operational configurations of the components at block  62 . If not, then the tracking module  44  may return to block  56  to acquire the engine fingerprint  50  at the next designated time. If there are changes, then the tracking module  44  may update the engine fingerprint  50  and transmit the updated engine fingerprint  50  to the database  46  at block  64  before returning to block  56 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 5  illustrates a process  54  that may be performed by the tracking module  44  in a scenario in which a component of the power generation system  10  has no knowledge of its assigned unique identifier (e.g., a tracking module  44  retrofitted for an existing factory certified rebuild system). Blocks  66  and  68  of the process  54  may be generally identical to blocks  56  and  58  of the process  52 , respectively, in that the tracking module  44  may create and acquire the engine fingerprint  50  and query the components of the power generation system  10 . However, at block  70 , the tracking module  44  then determines if at least one component lacks a unique identifier  48 . If so, then the tracking module  44  may assign a unique identifier  48  and transmit the unique identifier  48  to the component at block  72  before proceeding to block  74 . If not, the tracking module  44  may proceed straight to block  74 , in which it determines whether there are any differences between the engine fingerprint  50  and the responses, similarly to block  60 . The tracking module  44  may then update the engine fingerprint  50  and transmit the updated engine fingerprint  50  to the database  46  at block  76  before returning to block  66 . 
         [0038]    One or more of the disclosed embodiments, alone or on combination, may provide one or more technical effects including improving the accuracy of information recorded about the mechanical and operational configuration of engine systems. In particular, the disclosed embodiments may periodically create and update an engine fingerprint for an engine system, wherein the engine fingerprint may encapsulate the mechanical and operational configuration of each component in the engine system. The engine fingerprints may be stored in a remote database, and may be used for a variety of tasks, such as calculating the total lifecycle hours of a component, identifying qualified systems for a fleet-based analysis, and targeting customers for upgrades. In short, the engine fingerprints may decrease the amount of time and effort needed to complete maintenance tasks and may operate with minimal user input from operators, service personnel, and/or customers. The technical effects and technical problems in the specification are exemplary and are not limiting. It should be noted that the embodiments described in the specification may have other technical effects and can solve other technical problems. 
         [0039]    This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.