Patent · US Expired

Virtual continuous emission monitoring system

US5548528A · kind A · utility

181Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 30, 1995
Grant dateAug 20, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 30, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF02D2041/1433
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A continuous emission monitoring system for a manufacturing plant (10) includes a control system (16) which has associated therewith a virtual sensor network (18). The network (18) is a predictive network that receives as inputs both control values to the plant (10) and also sensor values. The network (18) is then operable to map the inputs through a stored representation of the plant (10) to output a predicted pollutant sensor level. This predicted pollutant sensor level is essentially the prediction of an actual pollutant sensor level that can be measured by a pollutant sensor (14). The network (18) therefore is a substitute for the pollutant sensor (14), thus providing a virtual sensor. The sensor values from the plant (10) are first processed through a sensor validation system (22). The sensor validation system (22) is operable to determine which of the sensors falls outside of acceptable limits and then substitutes therefor a predicted output, such that the inputs to the virtual sensor network (18) are within acceptable limits.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.