Patent Publication Number: US-2015066997-A1

Title: Systems and Methods for Managing Power Plant Component Information

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to managing information about power plant components and, more particularly, to systems and methods for managing information about power plant components. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Information about components in power plants has become more detailed, specific, and therefore voluminous. Organizing and navigating these large amounts of information can require more than just a robust and efficient database. Information must be readily accessible to a component operator, even if the operator is using a portable device. The mobility of a computing device may not be enough in that the information must be accessible efficiently. In critical situations or to increase operator efficiency, access to component information can be relatively important. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Some or all of the above needs and/or problems may be addressed by certain embodiments of the disclosure. Certain embodiments may include systems and methods for managing information about a power plant component. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, there is disclosed a system. The system may include at least one memory configured to store computer-executable instructions and at least one control device configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions. The instructions may be configured to associate a component with a unique identifier and store the identifier in a database. The instructions may correlate information for the component with the identifier and allow access to the information including according to the identifier or the correlation. The instructions may be further configured to output the information to a portable device. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there is disclosed a method. The method may include assigning a unique identifier to a component, correlating the identifier with information about the component, and storing the identifier and/or the correlation in a database. The method may further include retrieving the information and outputting it to a portable device. 
     According to another embodiment of the disclosure, there is disclosed a system. The system may include at least one memory configured to store computer-executable instructions and at least one control device configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions. The instructions may be configured to store component information in a database, retrieve the information, and output the information to a portable device. The instructions may be further configured to display a portion of the information according to input to the portable device. In addition, the instructions may be further configured to output other portions of the information and information about other components, according to input to the portable device. 
     Other embodiments, systems, methods, aspects, and features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example system for associating a unique identifier with a component and correlating that with component information in a database, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of an example method for associating an identifier with a component and outputting component information to a portable device based at least in part on a correlation between the identifier and the information, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of an example method for outputting component information to a portable device according to input to the portable device, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Illustrative embodiments of the disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. 
     Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to managing power plant component information. Accordingly, a system can be provided to associate a component with a unique identifier and to correlate the identifier with component information stored in a database. For example, an operator may use a portable device to recognize the unique identifier and to communicate the identifier to a database in retrieving component information from the database. Based at least upon a correlation between the unique identifier and component information stored in a database, at least a portion of the information can be output to the portable device. Thereafter, the operator may navigate a display of the information for viewing different organized displays of the information. One or more technical effects associated with certain embodiments herein may include, but are not limited to, accessibility to all the information about a component through automatic recognition of an identifier by a portable device and recognition of any component&#39;s identifier and access to that component&#39;s corresponding information. Furthermore, one or more technical effects associated with certain embodiments can include reducing the number of operator inputs required to display information about multiple portions of the information and about multiple components and power plants. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of one example system  100  that facilitates managing power plant component information. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the system  100  may include a portable device  110  that includes an identifier interface  116 . The identifier interface  116  may be configured to recognize a unique identifier  135  of a power plant component  130 . The unique identifier  135  may comprise a label associated with the power plant component  130 . In one embodiment of the disclosure, a bar code label may be attached to the power plant component  130  and recognized as the unique identifier  135  by the portable device  110  including through use of the identifier interface  116 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment of the disclosure, the portable device  110  may further communicate through a network  150 , network interface  114 , and database layer  123  to a database  170 . The database layer  123  may retrieve information about the power plant component  130  from the database  170 . The database layer  123  may further cause a value of the unique identifier  135  to be stored in the database  170 . In a further embodiment, the portable device  110  may subsequently use storage of a unique identifier value in the database  170  to more efficiently retrieve information about the power plant component  130  for subsequent database transactions. The portable device  110  may retrieve from the database  170  information specific to the power plant component  130  that is associated with the unique identifier  135 . In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the database layer  123  may retrieve from the database  170  information about a different power plant component  130  based at least on a different unique identifier  135  of that different power plant component  130 . 
     The portable device  110  may include any number of suitable computer processing components that may, among other things, recognize a unique identifier  135  detected by the identifier interface  116 . Examples of suitable processing devices that may be incorporated into the portable device  110  include, but are not limited to, personal computers, tablet computers, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, application-specific circuits, microcontrollers, minicomputers, other computing devices, and the like. As such, the portable device  110  may include any number of processors  118  that facilitate the execution of computer-readable instructions. By executing computer-readable instructions, the portable device  110  may include or form a special purpose computer or particular machine that facilitates processing of power plant component identification and database communication. 
     In addition to one or more processor(s)  118 , the portable device  110  may include one or more memory devices  120 , one or more input/output (“I/O”) devices  112 , and/or one or more communications and/or network interfaces  114 . The one or more memories  120  may include any suitable memory devices, for example, caches, read-only memory devices, random access memory devices, magnetic storage devices, etc. The one or more memories  120  may store user or other input, data, executable instructions, and/or various program modules utilized by the portable device  110 , for example, at least one database layer  123 , an operating system (“O/S”)  126 , and/or an identifier interface  116 . The one or more memories  120  may comprise any suitable data and applications that facilitate the operation of the portable device  110  including, but not limited to, for portable device  110  operation and for communication between the portable device  110  and a power plant component  130 , a network  150 , and a database  170 . The O/S  126  may include executable instructions and/or program modules that facilitate and/or control the general operation of the portable device  110 . 
     Additionally, the O/S  126  may facilitate the execution of other software programs and/or program modules by the processor(s)  118 , such as, the identifier interface  116 . The identifier interface  116  may be a suitable software module with corresponding hardware capability configured to allow communication with objects outside the portable device  110 . For instance, the identifier interface  116  may read a unique identifier  135  associated with a power plant component  130 . 
     According to one embodiment, the portable device  110  may be configured to recognize a unique identifier  135  via the identifier interface  116 . For example, upon acquiring information from the power plant component  130 , an identifier interface  116  can recognize a unique identifier  135  from the information acquired. In one embodiment, this acquisition may comprise a camera of the portable device  110  to capture an image of at least part of a power plant component  130 . A unique identifier  135  may then be disseminated from the image and, for example, converted to a digital value for electronic processing or storage. As another non-limiting example, a unique identifier  135  may comprise a readily available electronic format, such as a barcode, and the barcode may be read by a portable device  110  via the identifier interface  116 . In reading the unique identifier  135  from a camera image or barcode reader, the identifier interface  116  may comprise use of optical character recognition (“OCR”) techniques to distinguish the unique identifier  135  apart from additional data. The unique identifier  135  may be used by the portable device  110 , and may be stored in memory  120  as well as in the database  170 . The portable device  110  may correlate the barcode with information in a database  170  that corresponds to the power plant component  130  associated with the unique identifier  135 . The correlation of the unique identifier  135  with corresponding information about the power plant component  130  may further be stored in the database  170  via at least one database layer  123  and/or at least one network interface  114 . Upon being stored in one or more memories  120  and/or at least one database  170 , the correlation may be used in subsequent acquisitions of either or both of the unique identifier  135  and the component information. 
     In certain embodiments, the identifier interface  116  may include one or more program modules that facilitate capturing a unique identifier  135  associated with a power plant component  130 . For instance, the identifier interface  116  may comprise one or more cameras that detect the unique identifier  135 . This detection may comprise disseminating the unique identifier  135  from other information captured by the one or more cameras. Thereafter, a software module of a database layer  123  may be executed and configured to automatically, or in response to some other trigger, transmit the captured unique identifier and any other information associated with the unique identifier to a database  170  via network  150 . The database layer  123  may cause the database  170  to store the unique identifier  135 , to return information to the portable device  110 , or both. In another embodiment, the identifier interface  116  may comprise one or more barcode readers, where at least one software module is able to recognize a barcode, associate the barcode with a power plant component  130 , and communicate the barcode to a database  170 . The communication between the portable device  110  and the database  170  may comprise storing the barcode in the database  170  and retrieving information about the power plant component  130 . 
     Upon recognizing the unique identifier  135  or receiving information from the database  170 , the portable device  110  may cause data to be output via at least one I/O device  112 . An operator of the portable device  110  may be able to read the output via the at least one I/O device  112 . In a further example, the operator may use the at least one I/O device  112  to read only a portion of the information and to cause the portable device  110  to read a different unique identifier  135 . The portable device  110  and its associated data, software modules, and hardware capabilities would then be able to recognize, process, store, and use the unique identifier  135  as described above. 
     As desired, embodiments of the disclosure may include a system  100  with more or fewer components than are illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Additionally, certain components of the system  100  may be combined in various embodiments of the disclosure. The system  100  of  FIG. 1  is provided by way of example only. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , shown is a flow diagram of an example method  200  for managing power plant component information, according to an illustrative embodiment of the disclosure. The method  200  may be utilized in association with various systems, such as the system  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The method  200  may begin at block  210 . At block  210 , a unique identifier, such as  135  in  FIG. 1 , may be associated with a power plant component  130 . In certain embodiments, the unique identifier  135  may be a barcode, and further, the barcode may be attached to the power plant component  130 , for example, as a barcode sticker. The barcode sticker may be placed on the power plant component  130 , for example, during commission or installation of the component. 
     Next, at block  230 , information about the power plant component  130  may be stored in a database, such as the at least one database  170  of  FIG. 1 . The database  170  is able to store all the information about the power plant component  130 , as well as information about other components, including components in other power plants. Some of the information may comprise parameters and documentation of the power plant component  130 . The database  170  may comprise many databases and storage devices and the databases and storage devices may be located across many computer networks, such as the at least one network  150  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Next, at block  250 , the method  200  comprises receiving the unique identifier  135  from a portable device, such as the portable device  110  of  FIG. 1 . In certain embodiments, the portable device  110  may comprise a camera to capture an image of the unique identifier  135 . The portable device  110  may further comprise at least one software module to parse the unique identifier  135  from the image. The unique identifier  135  may then be processed, used, and stored by the portable device  110 . In a further embodiment, the unique identifier  135  may comprise a barcode and the portable device  110  may comprise a barcode reader for recognizing the barcode. The barcode reader may read the barcode and output its value to the method  200 . Additionally, recognizing the unique identifier  135  may further comprise using OCR techniques to distinguish the unique identifier  135  from other data. 
     Next, at block  270 , the method  200  may retrieve component information from the database  170 . The retrieving may be based at least in part on the receiving of the unique identifier  135  in block  250 . The database  170  may be accessible through use of a database layer such as the at least one database layer  123  of  FIG. 1 , and via network  150  including through use of a network interface such as the at least one network interface  114  of  FIG. 1 , and the network  170  may comprise any computer network including the internet. The database may comprise information about the power plant component  130  as well as information about other components and other power plants. The method  200  may retrieve all or any portion of this information and the method  200  may repeat this step any number of times. 
     Next, at block  290 , the information retrieved from the database  170 , including from block  270 , may be output to the portable device  110 . The output may be sent to an input/output device (“I/O”) such as the at least one I/ 0  device  112  of  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment of the disclosure, the output may comprise a display of the information to a screen of the portable device  110 . The screen may further comprise an ability to receive input, including from a human operator, and the display of information to the screen may be changed based at least in part on input received from the operator. 
     The method  200  of  FIG. 2  may optionally end following block  290 . 
     The operations described and shown in the method  200  of  FIG. 2  may be carried out or performed in any suitable order as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. Additionally, in certain embodiments, at least a portion of the operations may be carried out in parallel. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, fewer than or more than the operations described in  FIG. 2  may be performed. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , shown is an example method for management and navigation of power plant component information on a portable device, such as the portable device  110  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Also, the operations described below may be carried out or performed on any other computing device, as that term is commonly known. The operations may be carried out or performed in any suitable order as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. Additionally, in certain embodiments, at least a portion of the operations may be carried out in parallel. For example, more than one list may be displayed at a single time. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, fewer than or more than the operations described in  FIG. 3  may be performed. 
     In one embodiment, display of power plant component information may be output to the portable device  110 , including after being retrieved from a database, such as the database  170  of  FIG. 1 . The display may comprise parameters and other information of a power plant component  130 , including data used to populate human-machine interface (“HMI”) screens on the portable device  110 . In a certain embodiment, an I/O device  112  of the portable device  110  may comprise a touch-sensitive display screen able to receive input from a human operator. The method  300  may change the output of information based at least in part on operator input to the touch-sensitive display screen. 
     The method  300  may begin at block  310 . In one embodiment, a list of power plant components and information about the components may be displayed on the portable device  110 . The list may be navigable through operator input to the display screen. In one embodiment of the disclosure, more than a single list may be displayed at a single time. For example, a list of power plants may be displayed  310  in addition to a list of equipment available for the selected power plant  320 . In a further embodiment, the list of power plants may be displayed  310  across the top of the screen and the list of equipment for the selected power plant  320  may be displayed immediately beneath the list of power plants  310 . Each list displayed on the screen may be accessible by the operator and operator selection of a member of a list may cause the display to show different information and/or lists based at least in part on the operator selection. 
     Next, at block  330 , the operator may select from the list of power plants  310  a different power plant than is currently selected or a first power plant if there is no current selection. Upon receiving operator input for selection of a power plant  330 , the method  300  may update the displayed list of equipment  320  according to the operator input to reflect equipment relevant to the selected power plant. In one embodiment, if an operator does not select a power plant for display  330  a list of subsystems may be displayed  340  based at least in part on a selection from the list of equipment by the operator. In another embodiment, the list of subsystems may be displayed  340  based on a default selection from the list of equipment. 
     Next, at block  350 , the operator may select from the displayed list of equipment  320 . Upon receiving operator input for selection of equipment  350 , the method  300  may update the displayed list of subsystems  340  according to the operator input to reflect subsystems relevant to the selected equipment. In one embodiment, if an operator does not select a power plant for display  330  and the operator does not select equipment for display  350 , information about a subsystem may be displayed  360  based at least in part on the currently selected equipment. In another embodiment, the information about a subsystem may be displayed  360  based on a default selection from the list of subsystems. 
     In one embodiment, at blocks  330 ,  350 , and  370 , an operator may select from any of the displayed lists a further list or information about a power plant component. Some lists may be displayed based at least in part on relevance to the operator input or a default selection. An operator may select from a displayed list at any time, and may cause a different display of lists via input to the portable device  110 . In this way, the method  300  disclosed herein can be a repeating and/or fractional version of the example flow chart shown in  FIG. 3 . The disclosure is described above with reference to block and flow diagrams of systems, methods, apparatus, and/or computer program products according to example embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow diagrams, respectively, can be implemented by computer-executable program instructions. Likewise, some blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams may not necessarily need to be performed in the order presented, or may not necessarily need to be performed at all, according to some embodiments of the disclosure. 
     These computer-executable program instructions may be loaded onto a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the instructions that execute on the computer, processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. As an example, embodiments of the disclosure may provide for a computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer-readable program code or program instructions embodied therein, said computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational elements or steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide elements or steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. 
     Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of elements or steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow diagrams, can be implemented by special purpose, hardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions, elements or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
     While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and various embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined in 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.