System and method for operating a plurality of power generation stations

A general control device for monitoring a plurality of power generation stations, each of the stations including at least one electric power generation unit having a unit control device, the general control device being connected to each of the unit control devices via communication means, the general control device comprising:

• means for setting an alarm level threshold for displaying only part of alarm data at the general control device, the alarm level threshold being dependent upon importance of the alarm data;
• means for sending an information indicating the alarm level threshold to each of the unit control devices via the communication means;
• means for receiving part of alarm data from the unit control devices, the part of alarm data being selected in the unit control devices from the alarm data produced in the unit control devices based upon the alarm level and the alarm level threshold;
• and
• means for displaying the part of alarm data at the general control device.

A general control device for monitoring a plurality of power generation stations, each of the stations including at least one electric power generation unit having a unit control device, the general control device being connected to each of the unit control devices via communication means, the general control device comprising:

• input means for stipulating at least one operation phase of the generation units to be displayed at the general control device;
• receiving means for receiving alarm data from the unit control devices via the communication means, the alarm data indicating data related to the operation phases of the generation units;
• means for selecting first part of the alarm data from the alarm data received by the receiving means;
• means for selecting second part of the alarm data from the first part of the alarm data based on the operation phases of the generation units corresponding to the operation phase stipulated by the input means;
• and
• means for displaying the second part of the alarm data.

A unit control device for monitoring a power generation unit, the unit control device being connected with a general control device via communication means, the general control device monitoring a plurality of power generation stations, each of the stations including at least one electric power generation unit, the unit control device comprising:

• means for setting an alarm level threshold for display at the general control device, the alarm level threshold being decided depending upon importance of the alarm data in view of the general control device;
• means for selecting part of the alarm data based on the alarm level;
• and
• means for sending the part of the alarm data to the general control device for display via the communication means.

A system for operating a plurality of power generation stations, the system including a general control device for monitoring a plurality of power generation units, the device comprising;

• means for storing current unit state data of the generation units, the state data being supplied from the generation units;
• means for storing fixed data of the generation units for display at the general control device;
• and
• display means for displaying the current unit state data including unit icons indicating the generation units at the general control device, the display means utilizing the store fixed data.

A method for operating a plurality of power generation units at a single general control device, the method comprising steps of:

• collecting alarm data at the power generation units;
• sending at least part of the collected alarm data to the general control device via communication means;
• selecting important part of the collected alarm data;
• and
• displaying the selected part of the collected alarm data at the general control device.