Method and system for monitoring operating efficiency of pipeline system

A system for monitoring the operating status of a fluid distribution network having a distribution pipeline and a plurality of pumping stations located at spaced intervals along said pipeline for pumping fluid through said pipeline, each of said stations comprising a plurality of pumps connected to said pipeline and a plurality of motors having shafts connected respetively to said pumps for operating said pumps, said system comprising, for each station:

• means for sensing a plurality of primary input parameters, including means for substantially simultaneously sensing the shaft speeds of said motors, means for substantially simultaneously sensing the output torques of said motors, and means for substantially simultaneously sensing the energy inputs to said motors;
• a computer programmed for calculating from said primary input parameters a plurality of values including the power produced by each of said motors, and the operating efficiency of each of said motors in terms of power produced and energy input;
• means for comparing the operating efficiency of each motor with the operating efficiency of the other motors of the same station to determine which motors are operating more inefficiently;
• and
• means for displaying at least the result of said comparison.

A method for monitoring the operating status of a material transport system having a distribution pipeline and a plurality of pumping stations located at spaced intervals along said pipeline for pumping materials through said pipeline, each of said stations comprising a plurality of pumps connected to said pipeline and a plurality of motors having shafts connected respectively to said pumps for operating said pumps, said method comprising:

• substantially simultaneously sensing a plurality of primary input parameters at all of said pumping stations, including sensing parameters for calculating the total throughput of each station, sensing parameters for calculating the total energy input to each station, and sensing parameters for calculating the energy output of each of said stations;
• calculating from said primary input parameters the overall operating efficiency of each of said stations in terms of total energy input and total throughput of each station;
• comparing the calculated efficiencies of each of said station with the calculated efficiencies of the other stations of said system to determine which station is operating more inefficiently than the others;
• and
• displaying the result of said comparison.

A system for monitoring the operating status of a fluid distribution network having a distribution pipeline and a plurality of pumping stations located at spaced intervals along said pipeline for pumping fluid through said pipeline, each of said stations comprising a plurality of pumps connected to said pipeline and a plurality of motors having shafts connected respectively to said pumps for operating said pumps, said system comprising, for each station:

• means for substantially simultaneously sensing a plurality of primary input parameters at all of said pumping stations, including means for sensing parameters for calculating the energy input to each of said stations, means for sensing parameters for calculating the energy output by each of said stations, and means for sensing parameters for calculating the total throughput for each of said stations;
• means for calculating from said primary input parameters the overall operating pumping station efficiency for each of said stations in terms of total energy input and total throughput;
• means for comparing the operating efficiency of each of said station with the operating efficiencies of the other stations to determine which station is operating less efficiently than the other stations;
• and
• means for displaying the result of said comparison.

A method for monitoring the operating status of a materials transport system having a distribution pipeline and a plurality of pumping stations located at spaced intervals along said pipeline for pumping materials through said pipeline, each of said stations comprising a plurality of pumps connected to said pipeline and a plurality of motors having shafts connected respectively to said pumps for operating said pumps thereby forming a plurality of pump/motor combinations, said method comprising:

• sensing a plurality of primary input parameters at each of said pumping stations, including, at each of said pumping stations, substantially simultaneously sensing parameters for calculating the energy input to each motor/pump combination and sensing parameters for calculating the energy transferred from each pump to material in said pipeline;
• calculating the energy input to each of said motor/pump combinations and the energy output from each of said motor/pump combinations, and calculating the operating efficiency of each motor/pump combinations;
• comparing the calculated efficiencies of each motor/pump combination of a station with the efficiency of other motor/pump combinations of the same station to determine which motor/pump combinations are operating more inefficiently than others;
• and
• displaying the result of said comparisons.

A system for monitoring the operating status of a fuel distribution network having a distribution pipeline and a plurality of pumping stations located at spaced intervals along said pipeline for pumping fluid through said pipeline, each of said stations comprising a plurality of pumps connected to said pipeline and a plurality of motors having shafts connected respectively to said pumps for operating said pumps thereby forming a plurality of motor/pump combinations, for each station:

• means for sensing a plurality of primary input parameters including substantially simultaneously sensing parameters for calculating the energy input to each of said motors and parameters for calculating the energy transferred from each of said pumps to the material in said pipeline;
• means for calculating the energy input to each of said motors and the energy output from each of said pumps and for calculating the operating efficiency of each of said motor/pump units based on said energy calculation;
• means for comparing the operating efficiency of each motor/pump combination of a station with the operating efficiency of the other motor/pump combinations of the same station to determine which motor/pump combinations are operating more inefficiently;
• and
• means for displaying the result of said comparison.