REDUNDANT COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER COMMUNICATION NETWORKS IN A HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20100158001A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited
• Original Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Nyberg, Krister, Björklund, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1675 Temporal synchronisation or re-synchronisation of redundant processing components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component

Abstract

A method for sending signals from an active computer in a high-voltage power transmission system including active protection computers and active and standby control computers in a hierarchical structure having at least two hierarchical levels. A high-voltage power transmission system and a control station for at least a part of such a transmission system. In the system all computers on the various hierarchical levels are connected to at least two separate computer communication networks. An active computer sends signals that are to be received by at least one other computer at the same or another hierarchical level simultaneously on the two separate computer communication networks to which it is connected.

Claims

1. A method for sending signals from an active computer (60) in a high-voltage power transmission system (10) comprising active protection computers (38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74;

38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 82, 86, 94, 98) as well as active and standby control computers (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72;

36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 80, 84, 92, 96) in a hierarchical structure having at least two hierarchical levels (BL, PL, CL), where all control and protection computers on the various hierarchical levels are connected to at least two separate computer communication networks (32, 34;

32, 34, 76, 78, 88, 90), and comprising the step of;

sending (104), from said active computer (60), signals that are to be received by at least one other computer at the same (CL) or another (PL) hierarchical level simultaneously on said at least two separate computer communication networks (32, 34;

76, 78) to which said active computer is connected.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending comprises sending at least some of said signals using a broadcasting or multicasting scheme so that more than one other computer can receive said signals via said two separate networks.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of sending comprises sending at least some signals using a direct addressing scheme.

4. A method according to any previous claim, further comprising the step of synchronizing (102) said sending of signals with processing (100) being performed in relation to said signal in said active computer (60).

5. A method according to any previous claim, wherein all computers on all hierarchical levels are connected to the same computer communication networks.

6. A method according to any of claims 1-4, wherein all computers (36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) in a first group of neighboring levels (BL, PL) are connected to a first and a second separate computer communication network (32, 34), all computers (44, 46, 48, 50, 60, 62, 64, 66, 80, 82, 84, 86) in a first section (P1) of a second group of neighboring levels (PL, CL) are connected to a third and a fourth separate computer communication network (76, 78) and all computers (52, 54, 56, 58, 68, 70, 72, 74, 92, 94, 96, 98) in a second section (P2) of the second group of neighboring levels (PL, CL) are connected to a fifth and a sixth separate computer communication network (88, 90).

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the computers (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) on one level (PL) are provided in both the first and the second group.

8. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the control computers (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72;

36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 80, 84, 92, 96) in the various hierarchical levels (BL, PL, CL) are provided for closed-loop control of system elements (16, 18;

16A, 16B, 18A, 18B).

9. A high-voltage power transmission system (10) comprising active protection computers (38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74;

38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 82, 86, 94, 98) as well as active and standby control computers (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72;

36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 80, 84, 92, 96) in a hierarchical structure having at least two hierarchical levels (BL, PL, CL), wherein

all protection and control computers on the various hierarchical levels are connected to at least two separate computer communication networks (32, 34;

32, 34, 76, 78, 88, 90), and

an active computer (60) is arranged to send signals that are to be received by at least one other computer at the same (CL) or another (PL) hierarchical level simultaneously on said at least two separate computer communication networks (32, 34;

76, 78) to which it is connected.

10. A system (10) according to claim 9, wherein the active computer is arranged to send said signals using a broadcasting or multicasting scheme so that more than one other computer can receive said signals via said two separate networks.

11. A system (10) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the active computer is arranged to send at least some signals using a direct addressing scheme.

12. A system (10) according to any of claims 9-11, wherein the sending of signals is synchronized with processing being performed in relation to said signal in said active computer.

13. A system (10) according to any of claims 9-12, wherein all computers on all hierarchical levels are connected to the same computer communication networks.

14. A system (10) according to any of claims 9-12, wherein all computers (36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) in a first group of neighboring levels (BL, PL) are connected to a first and a second separate computer communication network (32, 34), all computers (44, 46, 48, 50, 60, 62, 64, 66, 80, 82, 84, 86) in a first section (P1) of a second group of neighboring levels (PL, CL) are connected to a third and a fourth separate computer communication network (76, 78) and all computers (52, 54, 56, 58, 68, 70, 72, 74, 92, 94, 96, 98) in a second section (P2) of the second group of neighboring levels (PL, CL) are connected to a fifth and a sixth separate computer communication network (88, 90).

15. A system (10) according to claim 14, wherein the computers (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58) on one level (PL) are provided in both the first and the second group.

16. A system (10) according to any of claims 9-15, wherein the control computers (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72;

36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 80, 84, 92, 96) in the various hierarchical levels (BL, PL, CL) are provided for closed-loop control of system elements (16, 18;

16A, 16B, 18A, 18B).

17. A system (10) according to any of claims 9-16, further comprising a router interconnecting the at least two separate computer communication networks.

18. A system (10) according to any of claims 9-17, wherein it is a DC power transmission system.

19. A system (10) according to any of claims 9-18, wherein it is operating at voltages around 800 kV.

20. Control station for monitoring or protecting at least a part of a high-voltage power transmission system (10) and comprising active protection computers (38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74;

38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74, 82, 86, 94, 98) as well as active and standby control computers (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72;

36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 80, 84, 92, 96) in a hierarchical structure having at least two hierarchical levels (BL, PL, CL), wherein

all protection and control computers on the various hierarchical levels are connected to at least two separate computer communication networks (32, 34;

32, 34, 76, 78, 88, 90), and

an active computer (60) is arranged to send signals that are to be received by at least one other computer at the same (CL) or another (PL) hierarchical level simultaneously on said at least two separate computer communication networks (32, 34;

76, 78) to which it is connected.