Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Avelino J Gonzalez

James C Bellows

Franklin T Emery

Robert L Osborne

Michael Joseph Rasinski

Owen R Snuttjer

Christian T Kemper

William G Craig

Franklin J Murphy

Perry A Weyant

Kurt H Steinebronn

The system of the present invention uses the importance of a piece of malfunctioning equipment, the severity and the confidence level in a diagnosis to determine repair priority of the equipment by obtaining the product (46) of the confidence level (CF), importance (IMP) and severity (SEV). The these variables are determined by expert system rules. The severity is the reciprocal (88) of the time to failure. The importance (44) is the cost to repair the maximum damage when the malfunction continues. A malfunction can affect several pieces of equipment in combination, the severity and importance associated with each piece is combined (70) with the confidence and used to determine the repair priority. When the diagnosis of a malfunction is by malfunctioning sensors, the expected equipment life (40) and the availability (86) of sensors that provide a partial backup are considered in prioritizing sensor as well as equipment repair. When a primary piece of equipment is backed up (100), the effect of both pieces of equipment failing (106) is considered in prioritizing the repair. The system ranks the repair of all possible malfunctions on a common scale. The system gives a complete repair priority picture and allows the cost effectiveness to be maximized.

Automated system to prioritize repair of plant equipment

A conventional hydrogen-cooled electric generator having gland seals prevents the escape of hydrogen gas from the generator housing. A conventional seal oil system provides the gland seals with the necessary oil so as to perform their sealing function. Diagnostic apparatus is provided for the arrangement and includes a plurality of sensors which provide output signals indicative of certain parameters such as temperatures and pressures throughout the seal oil system. The output signals are provided to a diagnostic computer which, in a preferred embodiment, utilizes an expert system diagnostic routine for examining the sensor signals and deriving certain conclusions relative to the operating condition of the seal oil system. Various conclusions are additionally reached using operator-entered information from off-line sensors.

Diagnostic apparatus for an electric generator seal oil system

A diagnostic system for an electrical generator winding which has first and second passages for conduction of cooling gas. The temperature of the gas exiting the passages is determined and converted to a normalized value which may be either high, low or normal. A diagnostic computer determines the existence of predetermined combinations of high, low or normal for the two readings and these predetermined combinations are utilized by the computer which generates respective confidence factors in the existence of certain abnormal generator conditions such as open conductors, broken or blocked cooling gas passages, and sensor malfunctions, by way of example.

Generator stator winding diagnostic system

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Winter Springs, FL, United States of America

Avelino J Gonzalez