System and method for real-time viewing of monitoring system data

1. A method of viewing data of a turbine monitoring system from a remote location, said method comprising:

coupling a programmable logic controller (PLC) including an interface rack to the turbine monitoring system;

supplying an on-site monitoring computer and a remote computer;

installing at least one communications gateway card in the interface rack of the PLC;

connecting the on-site monitoring computer to the at least one gateway card by a local area network;

connecting the on-site monitoring computer and the remote computer to a wide area network; and

accessing at least turbine operational data and interface rack configuration data using the remote computer.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

connecting a user computer to the wide area network at a location remote from the turbine monitoring system; and

viewing turbine operating data, captured by the turbine monitoring system, at the turbine monitoring system rack in real-time, on the user computer.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein connecting the on-site monitoring computer to the at least one gateway card comprises:

connecting the on-site monitoring computer to a hub; and

connecting the hub to the at least one gateway card.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein connecting the on-site monitoring computer also to a wide area network comprises connecting the hub to the wide area network.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein installing at least one communications gateway card in the interface rack comprises installing a first and a second communications gateway card in the interface rack, the first gateway card configured to communicate with a T1 line and the second gateway card configured to communicate with a T2 line.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising performing a turbine diagnostic evaluation using the remote computer.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising controlling a configuration of the interface rack using the remote computer.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising controlling an operation of the turbine using the remote computer.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein accessing at least turbine operational data and interface rack configuration data using the remote computer further comprises accessing at least real-time turbine operational data and real-time interface rack configuration data using the remote computer.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein connecting the on-site monitoring computer and the remote computer to a wide area network further comprises connecting the remote computer to a virtual private network that is operatively coupled to the wide area network.

11. A method of viewing data of a turbine monitoring system from a remote location, the turbine monitoring system comprising a programmable logic controller having an interface rack, said method comprising:

creating turbine operating data by the turbine monitoring system;

creating interface rack configuration data by the programmable logic controller;

transmitting the operating data to an on-site monitoring computer in real-time via a local area network that connects the on-site monitoring computer to the interface rack of the turbine monitoring system;

transmitting the operating data and the interface rack configuration data to a remote computer by the on-site monitoring system in real-time via a wide area network that connects the on-site monitoring computer to the remote computer; and

viewing the transmitted data at the remote computer.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein transmitting the operating data to an on-site monitoring computer companies:

installing at least one communications gateway card in the interface rack; and

connecting the on-site monitoring computer to the at least one gateway card by the local area network.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein connecting the on-site monitoring computer to the at least one gateway comprises:

connecting the on-site monitoring computer to a hub; and

connecting the hub to the at least one gateway card.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein transmitting the operating data to a remote computer by the on-site monitoring system comprises connecting the on-site monitoring computer also to the wide area network.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein connecting the on-site monitoring computer also to the wide area network comprises connecting the hub to the wide area network.

16. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein installing at least one communications gateway card in the interface rack comprises installing a first and a second communications gateway card in the interface rack, the first gateway card configured to communicate with a T1 line and the second gateway card configured to communicate with a T2 line.

17. A system that facilitates viewing data of a turbine monitoring apparatus from a remote location, the turbine monitoring apparatus comprising a programmable logic controller having an interface rack, said system comprising:

an on-site monitoring computer;

a remote computer;

at least one communications gateway card mounted in said interface rack of said programmable logic controller and configured to communicate with the turbine monitoring apparatus;

a local area network connecting the on-site monitoring computer to the at least one gateway card; and a wide area network connecting the on-site monitoring computer to the remote computer, the remote computer configured to receive at least turbine operational data and interface rack configuration data via the wide area network.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a hub connecting said on-site monitoring computer to said local area network and said wide area network.

19. A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said at least one communications gateway card comprises a first and a second communications gateway card, the first gateway card configured to communicate with a T1 line and the second gateway card configured to communicate with a T2 line.