METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING MISOPERATION IN AN ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM

• US 20130024037A1
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhuhai Unitech Power Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Youtech Incorporated
• Inventors: Jin, Shuqiang, Pang, Lingzhi, Wan, Liguo, Huang, Jiandong, Jiang, Hongping
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/292
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2203/20 Simulating, e g planning, reliability check, modelling or computer assisted design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

One embodiment provides a computer system for preventing switching errors in a power system that includes a plurality of switching devices. The system includes a topology-extraction mechanism configured to extract topology information associated with the power system; a status database configured to store status information associated with the switching devices; a rule database configured to store user-definable operation rules associated with the switching devices; a receiving mechanism configured to receive a request for performing a switching operation on a device; a simulation mechanism configured to perform a simulation based on the extracted topology information, the status information, and a rule associated with the device; a determination mechanism configured to determine whether the switching operation is allowed based on an outcome of the simulation; and a display mechanism configured to display an output of the determination mechanism.

Claims

1. A method for preventing switching errors in a power system that includes a plurality of switching devices, comprising:

extracting topology information associated with the power system;

obtaining current status information associated with the switching devices;

receiving, from a user, a request for performing a switching operation on a device in the power system;

in response to the request, performing a simulation, on a computer, based on the extracted topology information and the status information, wherein performing the simulation involves extracting a rule associated with the device from a rule database that stores user-definable operation rules;

determining whether the switching operation is allowed based on an outcome of the simulation;

in response to the switching operation being allowed, notifying the user that the switching operation is allowed; and

in response to the switching operation not being allowed, displaying an error message to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the outcome of the simulation to a handheld smart key, which is configured to;

identify the device in the field; and

in response to the switching operation being allowed, unlock a lock associated with the device to allow the switching operation to be performed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the device involves checking an RFID associated with the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching devices include at least one electrically operated device and one manually operated device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the status information associated with the switching devices involves use of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and/or a handheld smart key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the topology information involves constructing a node table from a one-line diagram associated with the power system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the simulation involves performing a search that traverses the power system topology based on the rule.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for preventing switching errors in a power system that includes a plurality of switching devices, wherein the method comprises:

extracting topology information associated with the power system;

obtaining current status information associated with the switching devices;

receiving, from a user, a request for performing a switching operation on a device in the power system;

in response to the request, performing a simulation, on a computer, based on the extracted topology information and the status information, wherein performing the simulation involves extracting a rule associated with the device from a rule database that stores user-definable operation rules;

determining whether the switching operation is allowed based on an outcome of the simulation;

in response to the switching operation being allowed, notifying the user that the switching operation is allowed; and

in response to the switching operation not being allowed, displaying an error message to the user.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the outcome of the simulation to a handheld smart key, which is configured to;

identify the device in the field; and

in response to the switching operation being allowed, unlock a lock associated with the device to allow the switching operation to be performed.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein identifying the device involves checking an RFID associated with the device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the switching devices include at least one electrically operated device and one manually operated device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein obtaining the status information associated with the switching devices involves use of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and/or a handheld smart key.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein extracting the topology information involves constructing a node table from a one-line diagram associated with the power system.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein performing the simulation involves performing a search that traverses the power system topology based on the rule.

15. A computer system for preventing switching errors in a power system that includes a plurality of switching devices, comprising:

a topology-extraction mechanism configured to extract topology information associated with the power system;

a status database configured to store status information associated with the switching devices;

a rule database configured to store user-definable operation rules associated with the switching devices;

a receiving mechanism configured to receive, from a user, a request for performing a switching operation on a device in the power system;

a simulation mechanism configured to perform a simulation based on the extracted topology information, the status information, and a rule associated with the device;

a determination mechanism configured to determine whether the switching operation is allowed based on an outcome of the simulation; and

a display mechanism configured to display an output of the determination mechanism, wherein the display mechanism is further configured to display an error message to the user in response to the switching operation not being allowed.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising a transmission mechanism and a handheld smart key, wherein the transmission mechanism is configured to transmit the outcome of the simulation to the smart key, and wherein the smart key is configured to:

identify the device in the field; and

in response to the switching operation being allowed, unlock a lock associated with the device to allow the switching operation to be performed.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the smart key identifies the device by checking an RFID associated with the device.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the switching devices include at least one electrically operated device and one manually operated device.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the status database is configured to receive status information from a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and/or a handheld smart key.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the topology-extraction mechanism is further configured to construct a node table from a one-line diagram associated with the power system.

21. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the simulation mechanism is configured to perform the simulation by performing a search that traverses the power system topology based on the rule.