JP7614807B2 - Combustion equipment diagnostic device and combustion equipment diagnostic method - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a combustion equipment diagnostic device and a combustion equipment diagnostic method for detecting abnormalities in combustion equipment.

Conventionally, a burner controller controls the supply and stop of fuel (gas or oil) for combustion by driving a safety shutoff valve, controls the ignition spark by driving an ignition device, and controls combustion using a flame signal output by a flame detector (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, the burner controller starts the burner in the correct sequence and monitors the combustion flame during operation (flame signal output by the flame detector). In the combustion equipment, various devices operate for each sequence of the combustion sequence. In addition, the flame signal is an important indicator in the maintenance of the combustion equipment.

JP 2016-173221 A

At this time, the combustion equipment produces light along with heat. The burner controller monitors the flame, for example, by detecting this light via a flame detector.

The flame signal output by the flame detector changes depending on two conditions: the amount of combustion and the air-fuel ratio. With regard to the amount of combustion, if the air-fuel ratio is constant, the output (heat and light) will be large. With regard to the air-fuel ratio, if the balance between air and fuel is disrupted and the proportion of air increases, heat will be taken away by the air, causing the shape of the flame to change and thermal efficiency to decrease. On the other hand, if the balance between air and fuel is disrupted and the proportion of fuel increases, there will be more unburned fuel, causing the shape of the flame to change and generating soot and other particles that make the flame difficult to see.

The burner controller can determine whether the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment is being performed normally by using indicators such as flame voltage, ignition delay, or remaining flame time obtained from the flame signal as indicators and judging whether there is a deviation from the indicators under normal conditions.
For example, the burner controller can compare the normal ignition delay with the current ignition delay, and if the current ignition delay is longer than the normal ignition delay by a threshold value or more, determine that ignition is becoming difficult.

As described above, conventional burner controllers are able to determine whether the combustion sequence is being performed normally. However, when conventional burner controllers determine that the combustion sequence is not being performed normally, they are unable to estimate the cause (cause of failure). This analysis of the cause is left to a handful of expert (veteran) operators who are experts on combustion equipment.

In addition, if an abnormality occurs in combustion equipment, operations may be halted depending on the equipment. The equipment must be restored immediately, but because the conditions of the equipment surrounding the burner are complex, it often takes time to return to normal. Therefore, it is useful to simplify the maintenance of combustion equipment and shorten the recovery time.

For these reasons, there is a demand for tools that can estimate the causes of abnormalities in combustion equipment instead of expert operators.

This invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a combustion equipment diagnostic device that can estimate the cause of an abnormality in combustion equipment.

The combustion equipment diagnosis device of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a parameter acquisition unit that acquires parameters related to the combustion equipment, an abnormality detection unit that detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit, and a factor estimation unit that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit, estimates the cause of the abnormality from the relationship with each sequence included in the combustion sequences in the combustion equipment by determining whether a deviation of the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit from the parameters under normal conditions by more than a threshold value occurs only in one of the combustion sequences or occurs in the entire combustion sequences.

With the above-mentioned configuration, this invention makes it possible to estimate the cause of an abnormality in the combustion equipment.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a combustion equipment equipped with a combustion equipment diagnosis device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a burner controller in the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a combustion equipment diagnosis device according to a first embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the combustion equipment diagnosis device according to the first embodiment. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the combustion equipment diagnosis device according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a combustion equipment diagnosis device according to a second embodiment. A figure showing an example of an evaluation screen (leder chart) generated by an evaluation screen generating unit in embodiment 2. A figure showing an example of an evaluation screen (leder chart) generated by an evaluation screen generating unit in embodiment 2. A figure showing an example of an evaluation screen (leder chart) generated by an evaluation screen generating unit in embodiment 2. A figure showing an example of an evaluation screen (leder chart) generated by an evaluation screen generating unit in embodiment 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation screen (three-dimensional data) generated by an evaluation screen generating unit in embodiment 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation screen (three-dimensional data) generated by an evaluation screen generating unit in embodiment 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a combustion equipment diagnosis device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the combustion equipment diagnosis device according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Embodiment 1.
1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a combustion facility equipped with a combustion facility diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1. First, an example of the basic configuration of the combustion facility will be described.

The combustion equipment is equipment that uses burners (main burner 104 and pilot burner 105) to burn inside the combustion chamber 101. Examples of the combustion equipment include small industrial combustion furnaces such as deodorizing furnaces and heating furnaces, and large industrial combustion furnaces such as steel furnaces in plants, etc.

As shown in Figure 1, the combustion facility includes a combustion device 1, a fuel flow path 2, an air flow path 3, a controller 4, an overheat limit 5, a fuel pressure switch 6, an air pressure switch 7, a combustion control motor 8, a central management device 9, a display device 10, and a combustion control device 11. The overheat limit 5, the fuel pressure switch 6, and the air pressure switch 7 are abnormality detection elements.

The combustion device 1 has a combustion chamber 101, a temperature sensor 102, a temperature sensor 103, a main burner 104, a pilot burner 105, an ignition device (IG; igniter) 106, and a flame detector 107.

The combustion chamber 101 is a space where combustion takes place using a burner. The combustion chamber 101 is also provided with a flue 1011. The flue 1011 is a flow path for discharging exhaust gas generated within the combustion chamber 101 to the outside.

The temperature sensor 102 is a sensor that detects the temperature inside the combustion chamber 101. A signal indicating the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 102 is output to the controller 4 and used to control the temperature inside the combustion chamber 101.

The temperature sensor 103 is a sensor that detects the temperature inside the combustion chamber 101. A signal indicating the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 103 is output to the overheat limiter 5 and is used to detect whether or not there is an abnormally high temperature inside the combustion chamber 101.

The main burner 104 is disposed in the combustion chamber 101 and serves as a heat source for heating the combustion chamber 101. The main burner 104 is ignited via the pilot burner 105.

The pilot burner 105 is disposed in the combustion chamber 101 and serves as a pilot burner for igniting the main burner 104. The pilot burner 105 is ignited via an ignition device 106.

The ignition device 106 is a device for igniting the pilot burner 105 by sending a spark to the pilot burner 105. The ignition device 106 has, for example, an ignition transformer and an electrode rod. In this case, the ignition device 106 ignites the pilot burner 105 via the electrode rod by generating a high-voltage spark using the ignition transformer.

The flame detector 107 is disposed in the combustion chamber 101 and detects the presence or absence of a flame and generates a flame signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the flame. The flame detector 107 detects a flame, for example, by detecting the light of the flame. The flame signal generated by the flame detector 107 is output to the burner controller 13. The flame detector 107 normally performs flame detection at all times.

As mentioned above, the flame signal generated by the flame detector 107 changes depending on two conditions: the amount of combustion and the air-fuel ratio. With regard to the amount of combustion, the more fuel there is, the greater the output (heat and light). With regard to the air-fuel ratio, when the balance between air and fuel is disrupted and the proportion of air increases, heat is taken away by the air, causing the shape of the flame to change and the flame to become reddish in color. On the other hand, when the balance between air and fuel is disrupted and the proportion of fuel increases, the amount of unburned fuel increases, causing the shape of the flame to change and soot and other particles to be generated, making the flame difficult to see.

The fuel flow path 2 is a flow path for supplying fuel (gas or oil) to the combustion device 1 (main burner 104 and pilot burner 105). The fuel flow path 2 has a main flow path 201, a branch flow path 202, and a branch flow path 203.

The main flow path 201 is a flow path through which fuel is supplied from one end.

The branch flow path 202 is a flow path branched off from the main flow path 201. One end of the branch flow path 202 is connected to the other end of the main flow path 201, and the other end is connected to the main burner 104. In addition, the branch flow path 202 is provided with a main safety shutoff valve 2021 and a pressure control valve 2022.

The main safety shutoff valve 2021 is a shutoff valve that opens and closes to control the supply and stop of fuel from the branch flow path 202 to the main burner 104. The opening and closing of the main safety shutoff valve 2021 is controlled by, for example, the burner controller 13. Note that two main safety shutoff valves 2021 are usually provided in series, taking into consideration that a single valve cannot completely stop the supply of fuel if debris gets caught in the valve, etc.

The valve that the pressure control valve 2022 has is a pressure equalizing valve. A pressure equalizing valve is a valve that is mechanically controlled so that the fuel pressure in the branch flow path 202 is proportional to the air pressure in the air flow path 3. In other words, when the amount of air (air pressure) controlled by the combustion control motor 8 or the like changes, the amount of fuel (fuel pressure) also changes accordingly through the pressure equalizing valve.

The branch flow path 203 is a flow path branched off from the main flow path 201. One end of the branch flow path 203 is connected to the other end of the main flow path 201, and the other end is connected to the pilot burner 105. In addition, the branch flow path 203 is provided with a pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 and a pressure control valve 2032.

The pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 is a shutoff valve that opens and closes to control the supply and stop of fuel from the branch flow path 203 to the pilot burner 105. The opening and closing of the pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 is controlled by, for example, the burner controller 13. Note that two pilot safety shutoff valves 2031 are usually provided in series, taking into consideration that a single valve cannot completely stop the supply of fuel if, for example, debris gets caught in the valve.

The pressure adjustment valve 2032 is a valve for adjusting the pressure of the branch flow path 203 by opening and closing the valve. The opening and closing of the pressure adjustment valve 2032 is controlled by, for example, the controller 4 (the connection line between the controller 4 and the pressure adjustment valve 2032 is not shown).

The air flow path 3 is a flow path for supplying air to the main burner 104. One end of the air flow path 3 is connected to the blower motor 301, and the other end is connected to the main burner 104. In addition, a damper 302 is provided in the air flow path 3.

The blower motor 301 is a device that blows out air. The blower motor 301 is controlled, for example, by the burner controller 13 (the connection wire between the burner controller 13 and the blower motor 301 is not shown).

The damper 302 is a device that opens and closes the air flow path 3. The damper 302 is provided with a high combustion interlock (not shown) and a low combustion interlock (not shown). The high combustion interlock detects whether the damper 302 has opened to the high opening position. The low combustion interlock detects whether the damper 302 has closed to the low opening position. The high opening position and the low opening position are set to predetermined positions in advance.

The controller 4 is a temperature indicating controller (TIC). The controller 4 generates a control signal for the burner controller 13 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 102 so that the temperature in the combustion chamber 101 becomes the target temperature. The control signal generated by the controller 4 is output to the burner controller 13.

The overheat limit 5 is an overheat prevention device for detecting abnormally high temperatures in the combustion chamber 101. The overheat limit 5 has, for example, two contacts, a switch, and a switch drive unit.

The switch is disposed between the two contacts.
The switch drive unit determines whether the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 103 exceeds the set temperature, and controls the on/off of the switch according to the determination result. For example, the switch drive unit turns the switch on when it determines that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 103 exceeds the set temperature. The switch drive unit turns the switch off when it determines that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 103 does not exceed the set temperature. The set temperature is set in advance to a value that allows an abnormally high temperature state in the combustion chamber 101 to be detected.

The fuel pressure switch 6 is provided in the main flow path 201 and is a fuel pressure lower limit interlock that detects whether the pressure of the fuel supplied to the main flow path 201 exceeds a lower limit pressure value. This fuel pressure switch 6 is mainly used as an operation interlock. The operation interlock is used by the safety control device 12 to check whether the operating conditions of the combustion equipment are met. If the operating conditions are not met, the combustion equipment stops operating. The fuel pressure switch 6 has, for example, a sensor, two contacts, a switch, and a switch drive unit.

The sensor detects the fuel pressure in the main flow passage 201 .
The switch is disposed between the two contacts.
The switch drive unit determines whether the fuel pressure detected by the sensor exceeds a lower limit pressure value, and controls the on/off of the switch according to the result of the determination. For example, the switch drive unit turns the switch on when it determines that the fuel pressure detected by the sensor exceeds the lower limit pressure value. The switch drive unit turns the switch off when the fuel pressure detected by the sensor does not exceed the lower limit pressure value. The lower limit pressure value is set to a predetermined value in advance.

The air pressure switch 7 is provided in the air flow path 3 and is an air pressure lower limit interlock that detects whether the pressure of the air supplied to the air flow path 3 exceeds a set pressure value. This air pressure switch 7 is mainly used as a start-up interlock and an operation interlock. The start-up interlock is used by the safety control device 12 to check whether the start-up conditions of the combustion equipment are met. If the start-up conditions are not met, the combustion equipment will not start. The air pressure switch 7 has, for example, a sensor, two contacts, a switch, and a switch drive unit.

The sensor detects the air pressure in the air flow path 3 .
The switch is disposed between the two contacts.
The switch drive unit determines whether the air pressure detected by the sensor exceeds a set pressure value, and controls the on/off of the switch according to the result of the determination. For example, the switch drive unit turns the switch on when it determines that the air pressure detected by the sensor exceeds the set pressure value. Also, the switch drive unit turns the switch off when it determines that the air pressure detected by the sensor does not exceed the set pressure value. The set pressure value is set to a predetermined value in advance.

In the following, the abnormality detection elements (overheat limit 5, fuel pressure switch 6, and air pressure switch 7) that have a structure in which the short-circuiting and opening of two contacts is controlled according to the state of the monitored object may be collectively referred to as "limit interlocks."

The combustion control motor 8 controls the opening degree of the damper 302. The combustion control motor 8 is controlled, for example, by the burner controller 13 (the connection wire between the burner controller 13 and the combustion control motor 8 is not shown).

The central management unit 9 is a device that performs overall control of the combustion equipment and is the upper-level device of the combustion equipment. The central management unit 9 is connected to the combustion control device 11 via a network, and monitors the status of the devices that make up the combustion equipment via the combustion control device 11, and issues control instructions for those devices to the combustion control device 11.

The display device 10 is connected to the combustion control device 11 by wire or wirelessly, and is a device that displays various information on a monitor screen based on control from the combustion control device 11. Examples of the display device 10 include a monitor such as a liquid crystal display, or a tablet terminal that displays necessary information based on information received from the combustion control device 11.

The combustion control device 11 is a device for safely controlling combustion by the burner in the combustion chamber 101. The combustion control device 11 has a safety control device 12, a burner controller 13, and a combustion equipment diagnostic device 14.

The safety control device 12 is a device that monitors the state of the limit interlock and determines whether or not to permit burner operation in order to ensure safe operation of the combustion equipment, i.e., to prevent explosions and the like of the combustion equipment. The safety control device 12 generates a notification signal indicating whether or not to permit burner operation depending on the state (open or short) of the contacts in the limit interlock. The notification signal generated by the safety control device 12 is output to the burner controller 13. For example, if the controller 4 fails and the temperature in the combustion chamber 101 rises, the safety control device 12 outputs a notification signal indicating that burner operation is not permitted (instructing combustion to stop) to the burner controller 13 when the temperature rises to the set temperature. In this way, the safety control device 12 instructs permission or prohibition of burner operation (such as supplying and stopping fuel to the burner) via the notification signal.

The safety control device 12 may be, for example, a limit interlock module for monitoring limit interlocks manufactured based on the general safety regulations for industrial combustion furnaces (e.g., JIS B 8415, etc.), or a programmable logic controller (safety PLC) configured with dedicated software corresponding to the general safety regulations.

The burner controller 13 is a device that controls the combustion in the combustion chamber 101 by controlling various devices of the combustion equipment. That is, based on instructions (notification signals) from the safety control device 12, control signals from the controller 4, and a flame signal from the flame detector 107, the burner controller 13 controls the blower motor 301, opens and closes the main safety shutoff valve 2021 and the pilot safety shutoff valve 2031, controls the combustion control motor 8, and starts the ignition device 106, thereby igniting the main burner 104 according to the combustion sequence.

As shown in FIG. 2, the burner controller 13 has a purge control unit 1301, a pilot ignition control unit 1302, a pilot-only control unit 1303, a main ignition control unit 1304, a steady-state combustion control unit 1305, and a stop control unit 1306.

The purge control unit 1301 executes a purge sequence for the combustion equipment. The purge sequence is a sequence for discharging residual gas in the combustion chamber 101 to the outside of the chamber before ignition of the burner.
At this time, first, when a start input is received, the purge control unit 1301 drives the blower motor 301 and drives the damper 302 in the opening direction to the wide opening position via the combustion control motor 8. This opens the air flow path 3, and air is supplied from the blower motor 301 to the air flow path 3, increasing the air pressure in the air flow path 3 (increasing the air pressure to the combustion chamber 101). After that, when the air pressure in the air flow path 3 reaches a set pressure value, the air pressure switch 7 turns on.
Then, when the purge control unit 1301 detects that the air pressure switch 7 is turned on and the opening position of the damper 302 has reached the high opening position, after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, it drives the damper 302 in the closing direction to the low opening position via the combustion control motor 8. This closes the air flow path 3. The purge control unit 1301 can know that the air pressure switch 7 has been turned on from a notification signal from the safety control device 12.

The pilot ignition control unit 1302 executes a pilot ignition (IG/T) sequence for the combustion equipment after the control by the purge control unit 1301. The pilot ignition sequence is a sequence for igniting the pilot burner 105.
At this time, when the pilot ignition control unit 1302 detects that the opening position of the damper 302 has reached the low opening position, after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, it opens the pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 and activates the ignition device 106. This causes the pilot burner 105 to be ignited.

The pilot-only control unit 1303 executes a pilot-only sequence for the combustion equipment after control by the pilot ignition control unit 1302. The pilot-only sequence is a sequence for confirming that the pilot burner 105 is reliably ignited.
At this time, the pilot control unit determines whether the pilot burner 105 is reliably ignited based on a flame signal generated by the flame detector 107 .

The main ignition control unit 1304 executes a main ignition sequence for the combustion equipment after control by the pilot-only control unit 1303. The main ignition sequence is a sequence for igniting the main burner 104.
At this time, the main ignition control unit 1304 opens the main safety shutoff valve 2021. This causes the main burner 104 to be ignited.

The steady combustion control unit 1305 executes a steady combustion sequence for the combustion equipment after control by the main ignition control unit 1304. The steady combustion sequence is a sequence for performing steady combustion in the combustion chamber 101.
That is, the steady combustion control unit 1305 starts proportional control of the opening degree of the damper 302 via the combustion control motor 8. This causes the process by the combustion equipment to transition to steady combustion.

The stop control unit 1306 executes an operation shutdown sequence for the combustion equipment after control by the steady-state combustion control unit 1305. The operation shutdown sequence is a sequence for stopping the operation of the combustion equipment.
That is, when the start input is removed (when a start/stop request is received), the stop control unit 1306 drives the damper 302 in the closing direction to the low opening position via the combustion control motor 8. This closes the air flow path 3, and low combustion operation is performed. Then, when the stop control unit 1306 detects that the opening position of the damper 302 has reached the low opening position, it stops combustion.

In this way, in a combustion facility, a combustion sequence is realized by operating various devices for each sequence.

In the purge sequence, for example, the blower motor 301, the air pressure switch 7, the combustion control motor 8, and the flame detector 107 are operated.
In addition, in the pilot ignition sequence, for example, the blower motor 301, the air pressure switch 7, the combustion control motor 8, the flame detector 107, the ignition device 106, the fuel pressure switch 6, and the pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 operate.
Also in the pilot only sequence, for example, the blower motor 301, the air pressure switch 7, the combustion control motor 8, the flame detector 107, the fuel pressure switch 6 and the pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 operate.
Also in the main ignition sequence, for example, the blower motor 301, the air pressure switch 7, the combustion control motor 8, the flame detector 107, the fuel pressure switch 6, the main safety shutoff valve 2021, and the pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 operate.
In addition, in the steady combustion sequence, for example, the blower motor 301, the air pressure switch 7, the combustion control motor 8, the flame detector 107, the fuel pressure switch 6, and the main safety shutoff valve 2021 operate.
In addition, in the shutdown sequence, for example, the blower motor 301, the air pressure switch 7, the combustion control motor 8, and the flame detector 107 operate.

Note that FIG. 1 shows a case where the combustion equipment has one main burner 104. However, this is not limited to the above, and the combustion equipment may have multiple main burners 104. In this case where the combustion equipment has multiple main burners 104, a burner controller 13 may be provided for each main burner 104, and the burner controllers 13 may be configured to be controlled by a single safety control device 12.

In addition, the basic configuration example of the combustion equipment is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 1, and the design can be modified as appropriate.

The combustion equipment diagnostic device 14 has a function to detect abnormalities in the combustion equipment and, if an abnormality is detected, a function to estimate the cause (cause of failure). As shown in FIG. 3, the combustion equipment diagnostic device 14 has a memory unit 1401, a frame signal acquisition unit 1402, a burner health index (hereinafter abbreviated as BHI) parameter acquisition unit 1403, an abnormality detection unit 1404, a cause estimation unit 1405, and a display control unit 1406.

The combustion equipment diagnostic device 14 is realized by a processing circuit such as a system LSI (Large Scale Integration), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program stored in a memory, etc.

The storage unit 1401 stores various data handled by the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14. The storage unit 1401 stores data indicating parameters related to the combustion equipment under normal conditions (sequence data under normal conditions) in advance in association with each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment. The normal data is data collected at the beginning of the start-up of the combustion equipment or immediately after maintenance.
In the example of Figure 3, the memory unit 1401 has stored in advance data indicating parameters related to the above-mentioned combustion equipment under normal conditions, including data indicating a flame signal under normal conditions in the combustion equipment and data indicating BHI parameters under normal conditions in the combustion equipment.

BHI parameters include, for example, airflow on time, airflow off time, control motor open time, control motor closed time, ignition time, remaining flame time, flame voltage (pilot only sequence), flame voltage (main trial sequence), flame voltage (main stable sequence), and flame voltage (steady combustion sequence).

The air flow on time indicates the time from when the blower motor 301 starts to drive until the air pressure switch 7 turns on.
The air flow off time indicates the time from when the blower motor 301 stops driving to when the air pressure switch 7 turns off.
The control motor open time indicates the time from when the combustion control motor 8 is driven in the open direction until the high combustion interlock is turned on (the high opening position is detected).
The control motor closing time indicates the time from when the combustion control motor 8 is driven in the closing direction until the low combustion interlock is turned on (the low opening position is detected).
The ignition time indicates the time from opening the pilot safety shutoff valve 2031 to detecting a flame.
The remaining flame time indicates the time from when the main safety shutoff valve 2021 is closed to when the flame is no longer detected.
Frame voltage (pilot only sequence) indicates the frame voltage at the start of the pilot only sequence.
Frame voltage (main trial sequence) indicates the frame voltage at the start of the main trial sequence.
The flame voltage (main stable sequence) indicates the flame voltage at the start of the main stable sequence. The main trial sequence and the main stable sequence constitute the main ignition sequence.
Flame voltage (steady combustion sequence) indicates the flame voltage at the start of the steady combustion sequence.

The storage unit 1401 is configured by a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a memory, or the like.
3 illustrates a case where the storage unit 1401 is provided inside the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the storage unit 1401 may be provided outside the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14.

The flame signal acquisition unit 1402 acquires the flame signal output by the flame detector 107. This flame signal can be acquired via the burner controller 13.

The BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403 acquires the BHI parameters. These BHI parameters can be acquired via the burner controller 13.

The frame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403 constitute a parameter acquisition unit that acquires parameters related to the combustion equipment.

The abnormality detection unit 1404 detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit (in the example of FIG. 3, the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameters acquired by the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403). At this time, the abnormality detection unit 1404 detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment from the deviation state by comparing the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit with the parameters in normal times. For example, when the above parameter is a frame signal, the abnormality detection unit 1404 compares characteristic data regarding the burner obtained from the frame signal with the data in normal times. Examples of characteristic data include ignition delay, ignition rise time, flame voltage value, flame voltage swing width, and residual flame time (see FIG. 5). Then, the abnormality detection unit 1404 determines that there is an abnormality in the combustion equipment when the frame signal (characteristic data) deviates from the normal time by a threshold value or more. Note that the abnormality detection by the abnormality detection unit 1404 is performed in real time or offline. Additionally, the threshold value is preset to a value that can detect abnormalities in the combustion equipment.

When an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 1404, the factor estimation unit 1405 estimates the cause of the abnormality (failure cause) from the relationship with each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit (in the example of FIG. 3, the frame acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameter acquired by the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403). At this time, if the factor estimation unit 1405 determines that the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit deviate from the parameters in normal operation by more than the threshold value only in a certain sequence of the combustion sequence, it estimates that the device operating in that sequence is the cause of the abnormality. Also, if the factor estimation unit 1405 determines that the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit deviate from the parameters in normal operation by more than the threshold value in the entire combustion sequence, it estimates that the device operating in the entire combustion sequence is the cause of the abnormality. Also, the threshold value is set in advance to a value that allows the cause of the abnormality of the combustion equipment to be estimated. The threshold value can be set freely. This threshold is set based on the knowledge of expert workers, which is expected to be more effective in determining anomalies.

The display control unit 1406 displays information indicating the detection results by the anomaly detection unit 1404 and the estimation results by the cause estimation unit 1405 on the display device 10.

Next, an example of the operation of the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 14 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in Fig. 5, the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to the first embodiment collects a series of data (sequence data) from a combustion sequence (a process from the start of combustion in the combustion equipment to the stop of combustion), and estimates the cause of an abnormality in the combustion equipment by comparing the collected data with data obtained when the combustion equipment is in a healthy state. Fig. 5 shows time-series data of a flame signal.

Furthermore, the combustion sequence is realized by the operation of various devices for each sequence. If a deviation from normal data is observed only in a certain sequence, then a malfunction in a device that operates only in that sequence is suspected. Conversely, if a deviation from normal data is observed throughout the entire sequence, then a malfunction in a device that operates consistently throughout the entire sequence is suspected. In other words, the cause of the abnormality can be predicted by observing what has changed and what has not changed in the data for the entire sequence.

In Figure 5, "Stop" indicates the stop sequence, "Purge" indicates the purge sequence, "IG/T" indicates the pilot ignition sequence, "Pilot" indicates the pilot only sequence, "Main Ignition" indicates the main ignition sequence, and "Run" indicates the steady combustion sequence.

In the example operation of the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 14, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the flame signal acquisition unit 1402 acquires the flame signal output by the flame detector 107 (step ST401).

In addition, the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403 acquires the BHI parameters (step ST402).

Then, the abnormality detection unit 1404 detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit (in the example of FIG. 3, the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameters acquired by the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403) (step ST403). At this time, the abnormality detection unit 1404 detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment from the deviation state by comparing the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit with the parameters under normal conditions. In other words, the abnormality detection unit 1404 determines that there is an abnormality in the combustion equipment when the parameters deviate from the normal conditions by more than a threshold value.

Next, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 1404, the cause estimation unit 1405 estimates the cause of the abnormality (fault cause) based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit (in the example of Figure 3, the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameters acquired by the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403) and in relation to each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment (step ST404).

Here, when the cause estimation unit 1405 determines that the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit deviate from the parameters under normal conditions by more than a threshold value only in a certain sequence among the combustion sequences, it estimates that the device operating in that sequence is the cause of the abnormality.

For example, if the factor estimation unit 1405 determines from the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 that the value of the flame voltage at the time of pilot ignition is lower than the normal state by a threshold value or more, it can predict that the air-fuel ratio has deteriorated. Furthermore, if the factor estimation unit 1405 determines from the BHI parameters acquired by the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403 that the airflow on time is longer than the normal state by a threshold value or more, it estimates that the air supply is the cause of the abnormality. After that, the worker checks, for example, for dirt on the blower motor 301. On the other hand, in cases other than those mentioned above, the factor estimation unit 1405 estimates that the fuel supply is the cause of the abnormality. After that, the worker checks, for example, the fuel pressure.

For example, when the factor estimation unit 1405 determines from the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 that the value of the frame voltage after main ignition is lower than normal by a threshold value or more, it can predict that the air-fuel ratio has deteriorated. Furthermore, when the factor estimation unit 1405 determines from the BHI parameters acquired by the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403 that the airflow on time is longer than normal by a threshold value or more, it estimates that the air supply is the cause of the abnormality. After that, the worker checks, for example, for dirt on the blower motor 301. On the other hand, in cases other than those mentioned above, the factor estimation unit 1405 estimates that the fuel supply is the cause of the abnormality. After that, the worker checks, for example, the fuel pressure.

For example, if the factor estimation unit 1405 determines from the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 that the ignition rise time is slower than normal by a threshold value or more, it can predict that the air-fuel ratio is low (too much air) and estimates that the fuel supply is the cause of the abnormality. The operator is then prompted to check the fuel pressure. Alternatively, the factor estimation unit 1405 estimates that the amount of air at ignition is the cause of the abnormality due to other reasons.

In addition, if the cause estimation unit 1405 determines that the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit deviate from the parameters under normal conditions by more than a threshold value throughout the entire combustion sequence, it estimates that a device operating throughout the entire combustion sequence is the cause of the abnormality.

For example, if the cause estimation unit 1405 determines from the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 that the flame voltage value is higher than the threshold value and the amplitude is larger than the threshold value compared to normal during the entire combustion sequence, it can be predicted that the flame detector 107 is approaching a failure such as self-discharge and the output is becoming too sensitive. Therefore, the cause estimation unit 1405 estimates that the flame detector 107 is the cause of the abnormality. The operator then checks the flame detector 107.

For example, if the cause estimation unit 1405 determines from the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 that the flame voltage value is lower than the threshold value or more during normal operation throughout the entire combustion sequence, it can predict that the observation window of the flame detector 107 is dirty with soot or the like. Therefore, the request estimation unit estimates that the flame detector 107 is the cause of the abnormality. The operator then checks the flame detector 107.

Next, the display control unit 1406 displays information indicating the detection result by the anomaly detection unit 1404 and the estimation result by the cause estimation unit 1405 on the display device 10 (step ST405).

In the above, the parameter acquisition unit has the flame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the parameter acquisition unit may be configured to acquire parameters related to the combustion equipment. For example, the parameter acquisition unit may have only one of the flame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403. In addition to at least one of the flame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403, or instead of the flame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403, the parameter acquisition unit may have a configuration to acquire other parameters that can be acquired by the burner controller 13, or other parameters that can be acquired from various devices connected to the combustion equipment. Examples of various devices connected to the combustion equipment include sensors such as a flowmeter that measures a fuel flow rate, an air flow rate, or an air ratio, a pressure gauge that measures an air pressure value or a fuel pressure value, or a vibration meter that measures a vibration value.

As described above, according to this embodiment 1, the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 includes a parameter acquisition unit that acquires parameters related to the combustion equipment, an abnormality detection unit 1404 that detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit, and a factor estimation unit 1405 that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 1404, estimates the cause of the abnormality from the relationship with each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit. This makes it possible for the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1 to estimate the cause of the abnormality in the combustion equipment.

Embodiment 2.
In the second embodiment, a configuration for realizing visualization of the state of the combustion equipment will be described.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 2. In the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 2 shown in Fig. 6, an evaluation screen generation unit 1407 is added to the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 3. The other configuration of the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 2 is similar to that of the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1, and the same reference numerals are used to denote the same components, and only the different parts will be described. The storage unit 1401 stores data indicating the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit in chronological order.

The evaluation screen generating unit 1407 generates an evaluation screen based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquiring unit (in the example of FIG. 6, the frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquiring unit 1402 and the BHI parameters acquired by the BHI parameter acquiring unit 1403). The evaluation screen is a screen for evaluating the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment for each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment. The evaluation screen generating unit 1407 generates an evaluation screen based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquiring unit and the relationship with each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment.
The display control unit 1406 displays the evaluation screen generated by the evaluation screen generating unit 1407 on the display device 10 .

Figure 7 shows a case where the evaluation screen is a ladder chart. The evaluation screen shown in Figure 7 shows information indicating start/wind pressure SW operation, ignition/ignition delay, pilot flame voltage, main frame voltage, main frame voltage amplitude, and stop/remaining flame operation time. In Figure 7, the reference numeral 71 indicates the parameter value.

The start-up/wind pressure SW operation indicates the rise time of the pressure switch in the purge sequence.
Ignition/ignition delay indicates the ignition delay in the pilot ignition sequence.
The pilot frame voltage indicates the value of the frame voltage in the pilot only sequence.
The main flame voltage indicates the value of the flame voltage in the main ignition sequence and the steady combustion sequence.
The main frame voltage swing indicates the flame voltage swing during the main ignition sequence and the steady-state combustion sequence.
The stop/flame remaining operation time indicates the flame remaining time (stop/flame remaining) in the stop sequence.

Fig. 8 shows an example of the change over time of a flame signal in a certain combustion facility. Fig. 8 shows a radar chart for the first year, the fifth year, and the tenth year for the certain combustion facility. In Fig. 8, reference numeral 81 indicates a parameter value, and reference numeral 82 indicates a threshold value.
In the example of Fig. 8, the amplitude of the main frame voltage becomes smaller than the threshold value in the 10th year, indicating the occurrence of an abnormality (point indicated by reference numeral 83). In this way, in a combustion facility, an abnormality can be easily detected by displaying the initial state and the subsequent aging change as an evaluation screen. In addition, by checking which item on the evaluation screen has an abnormality, the cause of the abnormality can be estimated.

9 shows a case where a radar chart is generated for each of a plurality of combustion facilities. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 91 indicates a parameter value.
Since each combustion facility has different characteristics, it is impossible to analyze it with a single index. Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, by generating an evaluation screen for each of multiple combustion facilities, it becomes possible to detect anomalies that take into account the unique characteristics of each facility.

Figure 10 shows the evaluation screen shown in Figure 9 with the current state and the threshold for determining anomalies superimposed on it. In Figure 10, reference numeral 91 indicates the parameter value, and reference numeral 92 indicates the threshold.

7 to 10 show the case where the evaluation screen is a radar chart, but the evaluation screen is not limited to this and may be, for example, three-dimensional data as shown in FIGS.
In the evaluation screen shown in Fig. 11, the time from the start of combustion to the end of combustion is shown on the X-axis, the magnitude of the flame voltage value is shown on the Y-axis, and the number of days elapsed is shown on the Z-axis. This three-dimensional data makes it possible to detect an abnormality from the change in gradient and to determine whether the abnormality is a one-off or continuous one. Fig. 11 shows a comparison between the frame signal on the first day and the frame signal on the 50th day. In Fig. 11, reference numeral 111 indicates the frame signal on the first day, and reference numeral 112 indicates the frame signal on the 50th day.
The evaluation screen shown in Fig. 12 shows the rising part of the flame voltage, not the entire sequence. In the evaluation screen shown in Fig. 12, the X-axis indicates an arbitrary time from the start of combustion to which the flame is to be monitored, the Y-axis indicates the magnitude of the flame voltage value, and the Z-axis indicates the number of combustions. This three-dimensional data makes it possible to detect an abnormality from the change in gradient and to determine whether the abnormality is a one-off or continuous one. Fig. 12 shows a case in which ignition is delayed (the rise of the flame voltage is delayed) as the number of combustions increases.

Embodiment 3.
In the third embodiment, a configuration for realizing prediction of anomalies in combustion equipment will be described.
Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 3. In the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 3 shown in Fig. 13, an abnormality prediction unit 1408 is added to the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 3. The other configuration of the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 3 is similar to that of the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1, and the same reference numerals are used and only the different parts will be described. Note that the storage unit 1401 stores data indicating the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit in chronological order.

The abnormality prediction unit 1408 predicts the occurrence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the time-series parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit (in the example of FIG. 13, the time-series frame signal acquired by the frame signal acquisition unit 1402 and the time-series BHI parameters acquired by the BHI parameter acquisition unit 1403) and in relation to each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment.

Fig. 14 shows an example of the change over time of a flame signal in a certain combustion facility. Fig. 14 shows a radar chart for the first year and a radar chart for the fifth year in the certain combustion facility. In Fig. 14, reference numeral 141 indicates a parameter value, and reference numeral 142 indicates a threshold value.
14, in the fifth year, the main frame voltage has a particularly small fluctuation compared to the other items, and can be predicted as a location with a high probability of an abnormality occurring (location indicated by reference numeral 143). Therefore, the abnormality prediction unit 1408 determines that there is a possibility that an abnormality will occur in the device that operates in the sequence indicated by this item.

In this way, the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to the third embodiment collects, accumulates, and learns data indicating a large amount of parameters as big data, and can use this data to predict locations where anomalies are likely to occur before the anomalies actually become apparent. As a result, this can be utilized for the maintenance of the combustion equipment.

In the above, a case where an abnormality prediction unit 1408 is added to the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 1 is shown. However, this is not limited to the above, and an abnormality prediction unit 1408 may be added to the combustion equipment diagnosis device 14 according to embodiment 2, and the same effect as above can be obtained.

In addition, within the scope of the present invention, it is possible to freely combine the various embodiments, modify any of the components of each embodiment, or omit any of the components of each embodiment.

1 Combustion device 2 Fuel flow path 3 Air flow path 4 Controller 5 Overheat limit 6 Fuel pressure switch 7 Air pressure switch 8 Combustion control motor 9 Central management device 10 Display device 11 Combustion control device 12 Safety control device 13 Burner controller 14 Combustion equipment diagnosis device 101 Combustion chamber 102 Temperature sensor 103 Temperature sensor 104 Main burner 105 Pilot burner 106 Ignition device 107 Flame detector 201 Main flow path 202 Branch flow path 203 Branch flow path 301 Blower motor 302 Damper 1011 Flue 1301 Purge control unit 1302 Pilot ignition control unit 1303 Pilot only control unit 1304 Main ignition control unit 1305 Steady combustion control unit 1306 Stop control unit 1401 Memory unit 1402 Flame signal acquisition unit 1403 BHI parameter acquisition unit 1404 Abnormality detection unit 1405 Cause estimation unit 1406 Display control unit 1407 Evaluation screen generation unit 1408 Abnormality prediction unit 2021 Main safety shutoff valve 2022 Pressure control valve 2031 Pilot safety shutoff valve 2032 Pressure control valve

Claims (8)

A parameter acquisition unit that acquires parameters related to the combustion equipment;
an abnormality detection unit that detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit;
and a factor estimation unit that, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit, determines whether a deviation of the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit from the parameters under normal conditions by a threshold value or more occurs only in a certain sequence among the combustion sequences, or occurs in all the combustion sequences, and thereby estimates a factor of the abnormality from the relationship with each sequence included in the combustion sequences in the combustion equipment. 2. The combustion equipment diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that a deviation of the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit from the parameters under normal conditions by a threshold value or more occurs only in a certain sequence among the combustion sequences, the cause estimation unit estimates that a device operating in that sequence is the cause of the abnormality. 3. The combustion equipment diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the cause estimation unit estimates that a device operating throughout the entire combustion sequence is the cause of the abnormality when it is determined that a deviation of the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit from parameters under normal conditions by a threshold value or more occurs throughout the entire combustion sequence. an evaluation screen generating unit that generates an evaluation screen for evaluating the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquiring unit and in relation to each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment;
The combustion equipment diagnostic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a display control unit that displays the evaluation screen generated by the evaluation screen generation unit on a display device. 5. The combustion equipment diagnosis device according to claim 1, further comprising an abnormality prediction unit that predicts the occurrence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the time-series parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit and in relation to each sequence included in the combustion sequence in the combustion equipment. The parameter acquisition unit
6. The combustion equipment diagnostic device according to claim 1, further comprising a flame signal acquisition unit that acquires a flame signal output by a flame detector that detects a flame in the combustion equipment. The parameter acquisition unit
The combustion equipment diagnostic device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a burner health index parameter acquisition unit that acquires a burner health index parameter in the combustion equipment. A parameter acquisition unit acquires parameters related to the combustion equipment;
An abnormality detection unit detects the presence or absence of an abnormality in the combustion equipment based on the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit;
a factor estimation unit, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit, determining whether a deviation of the parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit from the parameters under normal conditions by a threshold value or more occurs only in a certain sequence among the combustion sequences, or whether the deviation occurs in all the combustion sequences, thereby estimating a factor of the abnormality from the relationship with each sequence included in the combustion sequences in the combustion equipment.

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