Patent Abstract:
A system includes a machinery protection monitoring system. The machinery protection monitoring system includes a memory configured to store a plurality of alarm escalation rules associated with an operational protection function of an industrial machine, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to utilize the plurality of alarm escalation rules. The processor is also configured to receive an indication that the operational protection of the industrial machine is at least partially suspended, compare the measurement of the one or more operational parameters to at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules, and generate an alarm signal based at least in part on whether the at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules is satisfied. The alarm signal includes an indication of an adverse operational condition of the machinery protection monitoring system.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/218,765, entitled “Systems and Methods for Monitoring Protection Devices of an Industrial Machine,” filed Jul. 25, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,672,664 which issued on Jun. 6, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/271,104, entitled “Systems and Methods for Monitoring Protection Devices of an Industrial Machine”, filed May 6, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,406,174 which issued on Aug. 2, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to protection monitoring systems, and more specifically, to systems and methods for advanced alarm systems and/or protection monitoring systems. 
         [0003]    Certain remote and/or on-site monitoring of industrial machinery, such as turbines, generators, motors, and so forth, may include receiving and responding to a number of protection alarms and/or alarm alerts. One or more protection monitoring instrumentation and/or or other protection monitoring devices may include user configurable functions that may allow a plant operator, field technician, or instrumentation engineer, for example, to disable or temporarily suspend one or more of the prescribed protection functions and/or operational setpoints of the protection monitoring devices. However, if the prescribed protection functions and/or operational setpoints are not promptly and systematically reengaged, the industrial machinery (e.g., turbines, generators, motors, and so forth) may be susceptible to operating under adverse conditions without the protection monitoring devices providing any alarm alerts or other electronic notifications to plant maintenance and/or safety personnel. It may be useful to provide more advanced alarm systems and/or protection monitoring systems. 
       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 a machinery protection monitoring system. The machinery protection monitoring system includes a memory configured to store a plurality of alarm escalation rules associated with an operational protection function of an industrial machine, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to utilize the plurality of alarm escalation rules. The processor is also configured to receive an indication that the operational protection of the industrial machine is at least partially suspended, compare the measurement of the one or more operational parameters to at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules, and generate an alarm signal based at least in part on whether the at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules is satisfied. The alarm signal includes an indication of an adverse operational condition of the machinery protection monitoring system. 
         [0006]    In a second embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having code stored thereon includes instructions to receive a measurement of one or more operational parameters associated with an operation of an industrial machine, receive an indication that the operational protection of the industrial machine is at least partially suspended, compare the measurement of the one or more operational parameters to at least one of a plurality of alarm escalation rules, and generate an alarm signal based at least in part on whether the at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules is satisfied. The alarm signal includes an indication of an adverse operational condition of the machinery protection monitoring system. 
         [0007]    In a third embodiment, a system includes a processor configured to receive a measurement of one or more operational parameters associated with an operation of an industrial machine, receive an indication of an activation of a user control configured to temporarily disable a protection function of the machinery monitoring protection system. The protection function is configured to protect the operation of the industrial machine. The processor is also configured to generate a first alarm alert in response to the indication, compare the measurement of the one or more operational parameters to at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules, and generate a second alarm alert based at least in part on whether the at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules is satisfied. 
     
    
     
       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 embodiment of an industrial system including one or more industrial machines, in accordance with the present embodiments; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of an embodiment of the system of  FIG. 1 , including a machine protection monitoring system, in accordance with the present embodiments; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process useful in detecting and disabling user-invoked inhibit protection functions of the machine protection monitoring system of  FIG. 2 , in accordance with the present embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    One or more specific embodiments of the 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. 
         [0013]    When introducing elements of various embodiments of the 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. 
         [0014]    Present embodiments relate to a machinery protection monitoring system useful in detecting user-invoked inhibition or a temporary suspension of certain protection functions of the machinery protection monitoring system by way of alarm escalation rule-based functions. Specifically, the protection monitoring system may generate and transmit signals to energize a number of relays to indicate whether or not a fault (e.g., an electrical fault, a code related error, or other error), or other adverse operating condition, on one or more industrial machines (e.g., compressor, turbine, and so forth) of an industrial system has occurred. In certain embodiments, the protection monitoring system may indicate whether or not the fault has occurred based on, for example, a set of alarm escalation rules. For example, the set of alarm escalation rules may include a predetermined or user-configurable operational parameter range that the industrial machine is expected to operate within, a predetermined or user-configurable time limit for the user-invoked inhibition or temporary suspension of the protection functions, or determinable mode of operation the industrial machine is expected to operate according thereto. In this way, the protection monitoring system may substantially reduce any possibility of the protection functions of the protection monitoring system being inadvertently left inhibited and/or temporarily suspended by the user, and, by extension, reduce any possibility of the industrial machines of the industrial system operating while in an unprotected state or under other adverse conditions. 
         [0015]    With the foregoing in mind, it may be useful to describe an embodiment of an industrial system, such as an example industrial system  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Indeed, while the present embodiments may be discussed with respect to an illustration of a gas turbine system (e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ), it should be appreciated that the industrial system  10  may, in some embodiments, include a steam turbine system, a hydraulic turbine system, one or more compressor systems (e.g., aeroderivative compressors, reciprocating compressors, centrifugal compressors, axial compressors, screw compressors, and so forth), one or more electric motor systems, industrial systems including, for example, fans, extruders, blowers, centrifugal pumps, or any of various other industrial machinery that may be included in an industrial plant or other industrial facility. As will be further appreciated, the techniques discussed herein may be used to monitor and protect any of the aforementioned industrial machinery, or any combination of the industrial machinery. 
         [0016]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the industrial system  10  may include a gas turbine system  12 , a monitoring and control system  14 , and a fuel supply system  16 . The gas turbine system  12  may include a compressor  20 , combustion systems  22 , fuel nozzles  24 , a turbine  26 , and an exhaust section  28 . During operation, the gas turbine system  12  may pull air  30  into the compressor  20 , which may then compress the air  30  and move the air  30  to the combustion system  22  (e.g., which may include a number of combustors). In the combustion system  22 , the fuel nozzle  24  (or a number of fuel nozzles  24 ) may inject fuel that mixes with the compressed air  30  to create, for example, an air-fuel mixture. 
         [0017]    The air-fuel mixture may combust in the combustion system  22  to generate hot combustion gases, which flow downstream into the turbine  26  to drive one or more turbine  26  stages. For example, the combustion gases move through the turbine  26  to drive one or more stages of turbine  26  blades, which may in turn drive rotation of a shaft  32 . The shaft  32  may connect to a load  34 , such as a generator that uses the torque of the shaft  32  to produce electricity. After passing through the turbine  26 , the hot combustion gases may vent as exhaust gases  36  into the environment by way of the exhaust section  28 . The exhaust gas  36  may include gases such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), and so forth. 
         [0018]    In certain embodiments, the system  10  may also include a machinery protection monitoring system  38 , a control system  40 , a number of sensors  42 , and a human machine interface (HMI) operator interface  44 . The machinery protection monitoring system  38  may receive data from the sensors  42 . The machinery protection monitoring system  38  may output alarm signals, operational information signals, or other notifications to the control system  40  and the HMI operator interface  44 . As will be further appreciated, in response to the sensor  42  data, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may also energize one or more relay contacts based on the sensor data to generate an alarm signal indicative of, for example, operational condition of the fuel system  16 , the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustion system  22 , the exhaust section  28 , or other components of the industrial system  10 . 
         [0019]    In certain embodiments, the HMI operator interface  44  may be executable by one or more computer systems (although not illustrated), which may be used by a plant operator to interface with the industrial system  10  via an HMI operator interface  44 . Accordingly, the HMI operator interface  44  may include various input and output devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard, monitor, touch screen, or other suitable input and/or output device) such that a plant operator may provide commands (e.g., control and/or operational commands) to the machinery protection monitoring system  38  or the control system  40  and to receive operational information from the machinery protection monitoring system  38 , the control system  40 , or directly from the sensors  42 . Similarly, the control system  40  may be responsible for controlling one or more final control elements coupled to the components (e.g., the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustors  22 , the load  34 , and so forth) of the industrial system  10  such as, for example, one or more actuators, valves, transducers, and so forth. 
         [0020]    In certain embodiments, the sensors  42  may be any of various sensors useful in providing various operational data to the machinery protection monitoring system  38  including, for example, pressure and temperature of the compressor  20 , speed and temperature of the turbine  26 , vibration of the compressor  20  and the turbine  26 , CO 2  levels in the exhaust gas  36 , carbon content in the fuel  31 , temperature of the fuel  31 , temperature, pressure, clearance of the compressor  20  and the turbine  26  (e.g., distance between the compressor  20  and the turbine  26  and/or between other stationary and/or rotating components that may be included within the industrial system  10 ), flame temperature or intensity, vibration, combustion dynamics (e.g., fluctuations in pressure, flame intensity, and so forth), load data from load  34 , and so forth. In some embodiments, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may use the data received from the sensors  42  to generate one or more alarm signals according to an alarm escalation mechanism to indicate a fault or other adverse operating condition of one or more components (e.g., the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustors  22 , the load  34 , and so forth) of the industrial system  10 . Thus, in one embodiment, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may be programmably retrofitted with instructions to indicate a fault (e.g., an electrical fault, a code related error, or other error) or other adverse operating condition. 
         [0021]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , which illustrates a detailed embodiment of the machinery protection monitoring system  38 . As generally discussed above, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may include any device useful in providing continuous, online monitoring and protection of the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustors  22 , or other components of the industrial system  10 . In one embodiment, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may be enclosed inside, for example, a finished cabinet, such that the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may be panel mounted (e.g., near the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , or other machinery that may be monitored by the monitoring system  38 ) or retrofitted as a standalone and/or integrated system. As further depicted, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may include an electronic board  46 , which may further include a processor  48  that may be operatively coupled to a memory  50  to execute instructions for carrying out the presently disclosed techniques. These instructions may be encoded in programs or code stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the memory  50  and/or other storage. The processor  48  may be a general purpose processor, system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other processor configuration. 
         [0022]    In certain embodiments, the processor  48  may receive the sensor  42  data (e.g., pressure and temperature of the compressor  20 , speed and temperature of the turbine  26 , vibration of the compressor  20  and the turbine  26 , CO 2  levels in the exhaust gas  36 , carbon content in the fuel  31 , temperature of the fuel  31 , temperature, pressure, clearance of the compressor  20  and the turbine  26 , flame temperature or intensity, vibration, and combustion dynamics of the combustion system  22 , load data from load  34 , and so forth), and may use the sensor  42  data as part of one or more protection functionalities to monitor and protect the operational health of, for example, the fuel system  16 , the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , combustion system  22 , the exhaust section  28 , or other components that may be included in the industrial system  10 . For example, in one embodiment, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may be a Bently Nevada 3500 Series Machinery Monitoring System™, available from General Electric Co. of Schenectady, N.Y. 
         [0023]    In certain embodiments, although not illustrated, the electronic board  46  of the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may include a number of respective monitors for monitoring respective operating inputs and/or outputs. The respective monitors may each occupy respective slots in a rack of the protection monitoring system  38 . The processor  48  may provide user-adjustable protection and/or control setpoints for each of a number of input and/or output channels of the protection monitoring system  38 , and generate and transmit alarm signals to one or more relays  52 ,  54 , and  56 . The alarm signals may also be passed to one or more front-panel indicators  64 ,  66 , and  68  (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)), facilitating, for example, plant operator or technician observation. In one embodiment, the processor  48  may provide proportional 4 to 20 milliamp (mA) outputs for each of the number of channels of the protection monitoring system  38  via the relays  52 ,  54 , and  56  to the control system  40 . Based on these outputs, the control system  40  may provide outputs to transducers or other final control elements (e.g., valves, actuators, etc.). 
         [0024]    In certain embodiments, the protection monitoring system  38  may be programmed or configurable (e.g., performed via the processor  48  and the memory  50 ) to support a number of protection functions, and to be responsive to a number of detected operating conditions of the industrial system  10 . For example, in certain embodiments, the machinery protection monitoring system  38  may include a fault detection and management system useful in detecting (e.g., via sensors  42 ), isolating (e.g., tripping one or more final control elements that may be coupled to the compressor  20  or the turbine  26 ), and monitoring and/or compensating for one or more adverse operating conditions of the industrial system  10  (e.g., speed, temperature, pressure, vibration, flow, fuel consumption, power production, clearance). 
         [0025]    However, in some embodiments, one or more sets of protection and/or monitoring functions may be temporarily inhibited or suspended by, for example, plant personnel (e.g., operators, technicians, engineers, contractors, and so forth) servicing one or more components (e.g., the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustors  22 , the load  34 , and so forth) of the industrial system  10 . The one or more sets of protection and/or monitoring functions may also be temporarily inhibited by, for example, plant personnel manually placing the protection monitoring system  38  in an inhibit mode (e.g., during start-up or the transient operational state of the turbine  26  or during a time in which a component associated with the turbine  26  may be in disrepair), and then inadvertently leaving the protection monitoring system  38  in the inhibit mode. To aid in maintaining the protection monitoring of the industrial system  10 , it may be useful to provide certain procedures that may be implemented. 
         [0026]    For example, in certain embodiments, it may be useful to program and/or configure (e.g., via the processor  48  and the memory  50 ) the protection monitoring system  38  to automatically control the inhibition or temporary suspension of the protection functions by way of alarm escalation rule-based functions. Specifically, the processor  48  may generate and transmit alarm signals to the relays  52 ,  54 , and  56 ) to indicate whether or not a fault (e.g., electrical fault, code related error, or other error) has occurred based on, for example, the one or more alarm escalation rule-based functions. In certain embodiments, the relays  52  (e.g., ATTENTION relay  52 ),  54  (e.g., USER INHIBIT relay  54 ), and  56  (e.g., PROTECTION FAULTED relay  56 ) may include, for example, single-pole double-throw (SPDT) relays, double-pole double-throw (DPDT) relays, or any electronic relay devices that may be energized based on control signals received from the processor  48  to operate (e.g., close and/or open) respective contacts  58 ,  60 , and  62  to perform one or more control actions (e.g., signal an alarm, an alert, or other notification via the control system  40 , the HMI operator interface  44 , or the panel indicators  64 ,  66 , and  68 ). 
         [0027]    In certain embodiments, as previously discussed, the protection monitoring system  38  may provide indications of whether or not a fault has occurred based on, for example, the one or more alarm escalation rule-based functions. The alarm escalation rule-based functions may include one or more sets of iterative alarm escalation rules (e.g., stored in the memory  50 ) that may be predetermined or adjustable (e.g., user-configurable), and may be based on, for example, machine speed (e.g., compressor  20  speed, turbine  26 , and so forth), machine mode of operation (e.g., turbine  26  trip multiply mode of operation), a predetermined or adjustable timing sequence (e.g., timer), or other similar operational characteristic. For example, in one embodiment, the protection monitoring system  38  may include alarm escalation rules according to a predetermined operational parameter range (e.g., speed range, a pressure range, a temperature range, a vibration range, a flow range, a frequency range, a clearance range, and so forth). Specifically, the protection monitoring system  38  may be programmed or conditioned to generate an alarm signal, or a number of alarm signals according to the alarm escalation level, when one or more components of the industrial system  10  is operating outside of the predetermined operating parameter range. 
         [0028]    For example, in certain embodiments, the protection monitoring system  38  may include an alarm escalation rule to automatically shift (e.g., increase or decrease depending on the specific application) normal operating protection and/or control setpoints for compressor  20  and/or turbine  26  vibrations (e.g., between approximately 3 mils of vibration and 6 mils of vibration), turbine  26  speed (e.g., between approximately 5,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 17,500 rpm), compressor  20  pressure (e.g., between approximately 1000 pounds per square inch (psi) and 18,000 psi), turbine  26  and exhaust section  28  temperature (e.g., between approximately 300° C. and 600° C.), combustors  22  flame intensity, air  30  to fuel  31  ratio (AFR), and so forth, to compensate for certain transient operating conditions (e.g., during start-up or commissioning of components of the compressor  20  or the turbine  26 ). 
         [0029]    Specifically, during ignition or commissioning of the turbine  26  (e.g., during start-up or the transient operational state of the turbine  26 ), for example, the programmed protection setpoints of the protection monitoring system  38  may be temporarily adjusted (e.g., manually by a plant operator or automatically) to allow the turbine  26  to transition from the transient operating conditions during ignition or commissioning to the steady-state normal operating conditions. Specifically, these techniques may be performed to allow the turbine  26  to pass through the speed that may be the same as the structural resonance of the turbine  26 . In such an embodiment, if the processor  48  of the protection monitoring system  38  determines that the turbine  26  is operating outside of the predetermined speed range, the processor  48  may generate an attention signal (e.g., a signal to relay  52  and indicator  64 ) and a user inhibit alarm signal (e.g., a notification that plant personnel has temporarily suspended a protection function of the protection monitoring system  38 ), and may then escalate to generating a protection faulted alarm signal (e.g., a notification that a fault or other adverse operating effect has occurred) when the processor  48  determines after some period of time that the turbine  26  has been operating outside of the predetermined speed range. 
         [0030]    In other embodiments, the protection monitoring system  38  may indicate whether or not a fault has occurred based on a timer (e.g., user-configurable time limit expressed in hours, minutes, seconds, and so forth) alarm escalation rule. For example, upon detection that an inhibit protection function has been enabled (e.g., due to a possible fault or due to manual inhibition or temporary suspension of the protection function performed by plant personnel), the protection monitoring system  38  may initiate a countdown timer or count-up timer, for example. If the protection function is not reengaged within the specified time period, the processor  48  of the protection monitoring system  38  may indicate that a fault (e.g., electrical fault, code related error, or other error) has occurred via the relay  56  and panel indicator  68 . Additionally, in another embodiment, the protection monitoring system  38  may indicate whether or not a fault has occurred based on a mode of operation escalation rule. For example, the processor  48  may indicate that a fault has occurred based on whether a trip multiply function (e.g., a temporarily increased in magnitude of the control setpoints by a predetermined integer factor) of the protection monitoring system  38  has been activated. 
         [0031]    Specifically, as discussed above, upon detection that an inhibit protection function has been enabled (e.g., due to a possible fault or due to manual inhibition or due to manual inhibition or temporary suspension of the protection function performed by plant personnel), the protection monitoring system  38  may automatically transmit a signal to energize the relay  52  and attention indicator  64  and the relay  54  and the user inhibit relay indicator  66 . Particularly, the relay  52  and the attention indicator  64  may, in some embodiments, represent a first level of the escalation process. For example, the relay  52  and the attention indicator  64  may be energized to alert a plant operator or engineer (e.g., via the HMI operator interface) that either inhibit function has been invoked, or that some other event or action by plant personnel has occurred at the protection monitoring system  38 . Similarly, the relay  54  and the user inhibit relay indicator  66  may be energized may be specifically indicate that a protection inhibit function has been enabled. For example, in certain embodiments, the processor  48  may transmit a signal to energize the relay  54  to indicate an inhibition of a rack alarm inhibit, a special alarm inhibit, a channel bypass, an alert inhibit, a danger inhibit, trip multiply mode of operation, and so forth. 
         [0032]    In certain embodiments, the processor  48  of the protection monitoring system  38  may then escalate, for example, when an escalation rule is satisfied, in which the processor  48  of the protection monitoring system  38  may transmit an signal to the relay  56  and the protection faulted indicator  68  to indicate the presence of a fault (e.g., electrical fault, code related error, or other error) on one or more components of the industrial system  10  such as the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , or other components of the turbine system  10 . The processor  48  of the protection monitoring system  38  may transmit one or more alarm signals to the relays  52 ,  54 , and  56  to initiate one or more actions such as, for example, signaling an alarm, generating an alert, or generating some other notification via the control system  40 , the HMI operator interface  44 , or the panel indicators  64 ,  66 , and  68 . In this way, the protection monitoring system  38  may substantially reduce any possibility of the protection functions of the protection monitoring system  38  being inadvertently left inhibited and/or temporarily suspended, and, by extension, may reduce any possibility of components (e.g., the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustors  22 , the load  34 , and so forth) of the industrial system  10  operating while in an unprotected state or under other adverse conditions. 
         [0033]    Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a flow diagram is presented, illustrating an embodiment of a process  70  useful in automatically signaling that protection functions of the machine protection monitoring system  38  has been inhibited or temporarily suspended according to an alarm escalation mechanism utilized, for example, the processor  48  depicted in  FIG. 2 . The process  70  may include code or instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., the memory  50 ) and executed, for example, by the one or more processors  48  included in the protection monitoring system  38 . The process  70  may begin with the processor  48  receiving (block  72 ) an indication that one or more protection functions have been inhibited or temporarily suspended. For example, one or more sets of protection and/or monitoring functions may be temporarily inhibited or suspended by, for example, plant personnel (e.g., operators, technicians, contractors) that may be servicing one or more components (e.g., the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustors  22 , the load  34 , and so forth) of the industrial system  10 . 
         [0034]    The process  70  may then continue with the processor  48  generating (block  74 ) an alarm as an indication that one or more protection functions have been inhibited or temporarily suspended. For example, the processor  48  may generate a signal to energize the relay  52  and attention indicator  64  and the relay  54  and the user inhibit relay indicator  66  to indicate via the control system  40  and/or the HMI operator interface  44 , for example, a rack alarm inhibit, a special alarm inhibit, a channel bypass, an alert inhibit, a danger inhibit, trip multiply mode of operation, and so forth. The process  70  may then continue with the processor  48  determining (block  76 ) an occurrence of fault operating conditions based on one or more alarm escalation rules. For example, the processor  48  may determine whether a fault has occurred based on, for example, machine speed (e.g., compressor  20  speed, turbine  26 , and so forth), machine mode of operation (e.g., turbine  26  trip multiply mode of operation), based on a predetermined or adjustable timing sequence (e.g., timer), or other similar operational characteristic. 
         [0035]    The process  70  may then continue with the processor  48  generating (block  78 ) a protection faulted alarm signal when one or more of the alarm escalation rules are satisfied. For example, the processor  48  may generate a signal to energize the relay  56  and the protection faulted indicator  68 , indicating via the control system  40  and/or the HMI operator interface  44 , for example, that one or more components of the turbine system is operating in an unprotected and/or unmonitored state. The process  70  may then conclude with the processor  48  generating (block  80 ) and transmitting a signal as an indication to perform one or more control actions (e.g., by way of a transducer, actuator, valve, and so forth) to, for example, respond to the fault operating conditions and/or to automatically reengage the protection functions of the protection monitoring system  38  previously inhibited. In this manner, the protection monitoring system  38  may substantially reduce any possibility of the protection functions of the protection monitoring system  38  being inadvertently left inhibited and/or temporarily suspended, and, by extension, reduce any possibility of components (e.g., the compressor  20 , the turbine  26 , the combustors  22 , the load  34 , and so forth) of the industrial system  10  operating while in an unprotected state or under other adverse conditions. 
         [0036]    Technical effects of the present embodiments relate to a machinery protection monitoring system useful in automatically controlling a user-invoked inhibition or temporary suspension of certain protection functions of the machinery protection monitoring system by way of alarm escalation rule-based functions. Specifically, the protection monitoring system may generate and transmit signals to energize a number of relays to indicate whether or not a fault or other adverse operating condition on one or more industrial machines (e.g., compressor, turbine, and so forth) of an industrial system has occurred. In certain embodiments, the protection monitoring system may indicate whether or not the fault has occurred based on, for example, a set of alarm escalation rules. For example, the set of alarm escalation rules may include a predetermined or user-configurable operational parameter range that the industrial machine is expected to operate within, a predetermined or user-configurable time limit for the user-invoked inhibition or temporary suspension of the protection functions, or determinable mode of operation the industrial machine is expected to operate according thereto. In this way, the protection monitoring system may substantially reduce any possibility of the protection functions of the protection monitoring system being inadvertently left inhibited and/or temporarily suspended by the user, and, by extension, may reduce any possibility of the industrial machines of the industrial system operating while in an unprotected state or under other adverse conditions. 
         [0037]    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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6