US 2013/0158893 A1 · Systems and methods projecting available runtimes of emergency power supply systems

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for managing and monitoring a plurality of emergency power supply systems (EPSS's) at a facility via an emergency power management system (EPMS). The EPMS generally comprises EPSS equipment, a management computer system for managing, monitoring, and testing the operational characteristics of the EPSS equipment, and a plurality of interface modules for providing unified communication capabilities between the management computer system and the EPSS equipment. Additional aspects relate to methods for easily and efficiently creating and installing an EPMS at a facility. Further aspects are directed to providing predictive analyses related to the EPSS equipment. Also, aspects of the present disclosure relate to normalizing EPSS equipment information across varying vendors, makes, and models of equipment so as to provide a unified view of all equipment across a given facility.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for predicting an available run-time for one or more items of emergency power supply system (EPSS) equipment based on one or more actual fuel consumption rates and an actual fuel level within a fuel tank supplying the one or more items of EPSS equipment, comprising the steps of:

providing a management computer system that is coupled for data communications with the one or more items of EPSS equipment;
providing fuel metering equipment that is operatively connected to the one or more items of EPSS equipment and to the management computer system, wherein the fuel metering equipment records a fuel consumption rate for each item of EPSS equipment and transmits each fuel consumption rate to the management computer system;
monitoring the actual fuel level in the fuel tank;
when at least one item of EPSS equipment is running, receiving one or more actual fuel consumption rates at the management computer system from the fuel metering equipment for the at least one item of EPSS equipment;
calculating the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment based on the actual fuel level in the fuel tank and the one or more actual fuel consumption rates for the at least one item of EPSS equipment;
and
displaying the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment to a user via a user interface.

4 more elements

A method for predicting an available run-time for one or more items of emergency power supply system (EPSS) equipment based on previously-collected fuel consumption data and an actual fuel level within a fuel tank supplying the EPSS equipment, comprising the steps of:

providing a management computer system that is coupled for data communications with the one or more items of EPSS equipment;
during times of operation, receiving fuel consumption data at the management computer system from the one or more items of EPSS equipment as a function of a particular load being powered by each item of EPSS equipment;
storing the received fuel consumption data in a database within the management computer system;
determining a plurality of average fuel consumption rates for each item of EPSS equipment for varying loads based on the stored fuel consumption data;
monitoring the actual fuel level in the fuel tank;
when at least one item of EPSS equipment is running, receiving current load data at the management computer system for the at least one item of EPSS equipment;
calculating the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment based on the actual fuel level, the current load data, and the average fuel consumption rate for the at least one item of EPSS equipment corresponding to the current load data;
and
displaying the available run-time for the at least one item of EPSS equipment to a user via a user interface.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods projecting available runtimes of emergency power supply systems

Life of this patent

Systems and methods projecting available runtimes of emergency power supply systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19