Flexible Intelligent Electronic Device

• US 20110157837A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Balgard, Lennart, Deck, Bernhard, Landernas, Krister, Gentzell, Tobias
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/728
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25314 Modular structure, modules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25323 Intelligent modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

An intelligent electronic device for a Substation Automation or Distribution Automation system as well as to a method and computer program product for providing it. The device has a structuring of its own functionality according to a communication standard and includes mechanically separable, replaceable hardware modules interconnected via an inter-module bus). The modules implement functionality related to function related elements of the standard and include a communication module and I/O modules. The device includes elements of the communication standard comprising one device related element and replaceable function related elements of all the functions provided by the modules. The communication module includes the device related element and function elements associated with the function of the communication module as well as functions provided by all the I/O modules.

Claims

1. An intelligent electronic device for provision in Substation Automation or Distribution Automation systems and having a structuring of its own functionality according to a communication standard, which standard provides a series of elements (LD, LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6, DO1, DO2, DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6, DA1, DA2, DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) hierarchically linked to each other and including a device related element (LD), a number of function elements (LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) linked to the device related element (LN) and a number of data provision elements (DO1, DO2, DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6, DA1, DA2, DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) linked to the function elements, characterized in that the device comprises:

mechanically separable, replaceable hardware modules interconnected via an inter-module bus, said modules implementing functionality related to the function related elements (LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) of the standard and including a communication module for communicating with other devices of the system via a computer communication network and at least one I/O module for direct communication with local system equipment,

where said intelligent electronic device includes elements of the communication standard comprising one device related element (LD) and replaceable function related elements (LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) of all the functions provided by said modules, and

where said communication module includes a control unit providing the device related element (LN) of the communication standard, function elements (LN1) associated with the function of the communication module and at least one function element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) associated with functions provided by all the I/O modules, all I/O modules providing data related functions include data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) according to the standard and being associated with a corresponding function element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) in the communication module, the I/O modules provide the data related elements at the lowest hierarchical level of the linked elements providing attributes of data defined by a corresponding higher level data provision element (DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6), said higher level data provision element and corresponding function related element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) are provided by the communication module and the control unit of the communication module is arranged to associate, at powering up of the device, the data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) of the I/O modules (32, 34, 36, 38) with corresponding elements (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) associated with the function of the I/O modules in the communication module.

2. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a process control module for handling at least one protection and control function of the device.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply module providing power to the other modules of the device.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the communication standard is IEC 61850.

5. A method for enabling selection of functions and hardware modules to be included in an intelligent electronic device to be provided in a Substation Automation or Distribution Automation system and comprising the steps of:

receiving a user selection of functions to be included in the intelligent electronic device, and

receiving a user selection of data connections between the intelligent electronic device and local system equipment,

characterized by the further step of

selecting mechanically separable, replaceable hardware modules to be included in the intelligent electronic device based on the received user selections,

where the selected modules include a communication module for communicating with other devices of the system via a computer communication network and at least one I/O module for direct communication with local system equipment,

where said communication module is provided for implementing functionality related to a communication standard, which standard provides a series of elements (LD, LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6, DO1, DO2, DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6, DA1, DA2, DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) hierarchically linked to each other and including a device related element (LD), a number of function elements (LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) linked to the device related element (LD) and a number of data provision elements (DO1, DO2, DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6, DA1, DA2, DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6),

where the selected communication module is configured to enable inclusion of the device related element (LD) of the communication standard, function elements (LN1) associated with the function of the communication module and at least one function element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) associated with functions provided by all the I/O modules selected for the device,

where all selected I/O modules include data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) according to the standard,

where the I/O modules provide the data related elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) at the lowest hierarchical level of the linked elements providing attributes of data defined by a corresponding higher level data provision element (DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6), and all I/O modules providing data related functions include data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) according to the standard and being associated with a corresponding function element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) in the communication module, the I/O modules provide the data related elements at the lowest hierarchical level of the linked elements providing attributes of data defined by a corresponding higher level data provision element (DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6), said higher level data provision element and corresponding function related element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) are provided by the communication module and the control unit of the communication module is arranged to associate, at powering up of the device, the data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) of the I/O modules with corresponding elements (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) associated with the function of the I/O modules in the communication module.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of generating a device capability description file including elements of the communication standard that outline the functions, data and attributes of data corresponding to the selected hardware modules and user selected functions and data connections.

7. A computer program product provided on a data carrier for enabling selection of functions and hardware modules to be included in an intelligent electronic device to be provided in a Substation Automation or Distribution Automation system, and comprising computer program code to make a computer perform, when said code is loaded into said computer

receiving a user selection of functions to be included in the intelligent electronic device, and

receiving a user selection of data connections between the intelligent electronic device and local system equipment,

characterized by the code further making the computer perform

selecting mechanically separable, replaceable hardware modules to be included in the intelligent electronic device based on the received user selections,

where the selected modules include a communication module for communicating with other devices of the system via a computer communication network and at least one I/O module for direct communication with local system equipment,

where said communication module is provided for implementing functionality related to a communication standard, which standard provides a series of elements (LD, LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6, DO1, DO2, DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6, DA1, DA2, DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) hierarchically linked to each other and including a device related element (LD), a number of function elements (LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) linked to the device related element (LD) and a number of data provision elements (DO1, DO2, DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6, DA1, DA2, DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6),

where the selected communication module is configured to enable inclusion of the device related element (LD) of the communication standard, function elements (LN1) associated with the function of the communication module and at least one function element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) associated with functions provided by all the I/O modules selected for the device,

where all selected I/O modules include data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) according to the standard,

where the I/O modules provide the data related elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) at the lowest hierarchical level of the linked elements providing attributes of data defined by a corresponding higher level data provision element (DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6), and all I/O modules providing data related functions include data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) according to the standard and being associated with a corresponding function element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) in the communication module, the I/O modules provide the data related elements at the lowest hierarchical level of the linked elements providing attributes of data defined by a corresponding higher level data provision element (DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6), said higher level data provision element and corresponding function related element (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) are provided by the communication module and the control unit of the communication module is arranged to associate, at powering up of the device, the data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) of the I/O modules with corresponding elements (LN3, LN4, LN5, LN6) associated with the function of the I/O modules in the communication module.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein all selected I/O modules include data provision elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) according to the standard.

9. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the I/O modules provide the data related elements (DA3, DA4, DA5, DA6) at the lowest hierarchical level of the linked elements providing attributes of data defined by a corresponding higher level data provision element (DO3, DO4, DO5, DO6).

10. The computer program product according to claim 7, further comprising code for generating a device capability description file including elements of the communication standard that outline the functions, data and attributes of data corresponding to the selected hardware modules and user selected functions and data connections.