Apparatus for analyzing the performance of fluid distribution equipment
The present invention is a performance analysis apparatus for fluid distribution equipment that operates independently of the control system of the fluid distribution equipment to automatically determine when equipment is not functioning correctly. It comprises an analyzer computer, one or more sensor sets, and a computer program. The sensor sets are connected to the analyzer computer and comprise sensors for measuring physical properties of fluid distribution equipment. The computer program reads configuration data from data files to determine the types of fluid distribution equipment that are being collectively analyzed and the sensor sets that are present, repetitively requests raw physical measurements from the sensor sets, computes the physical properties of the fluid distribution equipment from the raw physical measurements, analyzes the physical properties to find abnormalities, sends warnings and status, and stores the results and times of the analysis computations in data files in the electronic storage.
1. A performance analysis apparatus for fluid distribution equipment that operates independently of the control system of said fluid distribution equipment to automatically determine when said equipment is not functioning correctly, comprising:
an analyzer computer comprising one or more computing processors for running computer programs, an electronic memory used by said analyzer computer while running a computer program, a mechanism that provides accurate time, an electronic storage for indefinitely storing data files and computer programs, and sensor interfaces for connection to sensor sets;
one or more sensor sets, connected to said analyzer computer via said sensor interfaces, comprising one or more sensors for measuring physical properties of zero or more pipes, zero or more pumps, zero or more valves, zero or more wells, zero or more filters, and zero or more fluid storage vessels, and connections to said sensor interfaces of said analyzer computer;
a computer program stored in said electronic storage and running in said computing processors that manages the functions of said performance analysis apparatus;
wherein said analyzer computer, said sensor sets, and said computer program are co-located with the equipment being analyzed;
whereby said computer program reads configuration data from data files to determine the types of fluid distribution equipment that are being collectively analyzed and the sensor sets that are present; repetitively receives raw physical measurements from said sensor sets; computes the physical properties of said fluid distribution equipment from said raw physical measurements; computes limit analysis to determine if said physical properties exceed limits; computes transient analysis to detect transient events in said computed physical properties, and for each said transient event computes the start time and duration of said transient event, and computes the minimum and maximum physical property values during said transient event; computes rule-based analysis by using a set of rules where each rule performs specific computations on said physical properties, and applies logic operations on the results of said computations, to determine if said fluid distribution equipment is not functioning properly; stores the results of said computations and times of receipt of said raw physical measurements used in said computations in said electronic storage so that the number of results that are stored is limited only by the size of said electronic storage: performs a learning function that uses time and frequency of occurrence of anomalies detected during said limit analysis and said transient analysis and said rule-based analysis to refine the parameters in said limit analysis and in said transient analysis and in said rule-based analysis, so that said computer program adapts over time to more accurately perform said limit analysis and said transient analysis and said rule-based analysis, and adjusts to patterns of usage of said fluid distribution equipment.
2. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said analyzer computer further comprising a communication mechanism for exchanging commands and data between said analyzer computer and one or more external devices whereby said computer program communicates with said external devices to receive commands and settings, send data, and receive data.
3. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said analyzer computer further comprising digital input and output interfaces whereby said computer program receives binary values from said fluid distribution equipment which said computer program uses in its computations, and said computer program sends binary values to said fluid distribution equipment.
4. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said analyzer computer further comprising ambient environment sensors whereby said computer program includes them in the processing of the sensor set.
5. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said ambient environment sensor is a temperature sensor.
6. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said ambient environment sensor is a humidity sensor.
7. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is discrete digital lines.
8. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is serial.
9. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is USB.
10. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is Wi-Fi.
11. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is Bluetooth.
12. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is Zigbee.
13. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is infrared.
14. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is Ethernet.
15. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is landline telephone.
16. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is cellular radio.
17. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said communication mechanism is the Internet.
18. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a pressure sensor.
19. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a flow rate sensor.
20. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises an electrical current sensor.
21. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a fluid level sensor.
22. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises an accelerometer.
23. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a valve position sensor.
24. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a voltage sensor.
25. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a pH sensor.
26. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a hydrogen sulfide sensor.
27. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor set comprises a volatile organic compounds sensor.
28. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said computer program computes mean, median, maximum, and minimum values of said physical properties, and records the time and said mean, median, maximum and minimum values in said data files.
29. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said computer program computes the duty cycle of said pumps in said fluid distribution equipment and stores the time and said duty cycle of said pumps in said data files.
30. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said computer program computes the flow velocity in said fluid distribution equipment and stores the time and said flow velocity in said data files.
31. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said computer program computes the differential pressure in said fluid distribution equipment and stores the time and said differential pressure in said data files.
32. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said computer program computes the differential level in said fluid distribution equipment and stores the time and said differential level in said data files.
33. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said computer program computes the efficiency of said fluid distribution equipment and stores the time and said efficiency in said data files.
34. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said computer program sends warning and status messages via email.
35. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said computer program sends warning and status messages via text message.
36. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said computer program sends binary warning and status output via digital output.
37. The performance analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said computer program maintains a histogram of transient events over time of day and day of week, that said computer program uses to adjust deviation multipliers to eliminate false transients.