SYSTEM AND METHOD OF AUTOMATED ACQUISITION, CORRELATION AND DISPLAY OF POWER DISTRIBUTION GRID OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS AND WEATHER EVENTS

• US 20130268196A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Digital Holdings LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quang Binh Dam
• Inventors: DAM, Quang Binh
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

Significant changes in monitored and reported operational parameters and/or power outage events occurring in a utility'"'"'s electrical power transmission/distribution grid are correlated with historical, current and/or forecast weather events based on potential root cause, geographic and temporal constraints. Operational event and outage information is collected and time-stamped using a communication network of devices and sources that monitor and report, among other things, equipment parameters, electric power availability and outages. A computer-implemented root cause analysis engine (RCA) operatively associated with a computer-implemented weather data correlation engine sorts and analyzes operational parameter/event information and identifies probable correlations to localized weather phenomenon. Operational parameters/events are then displayed using a graphic display device in a manner that enables user controllable and configurable viewing of a time-lapse evolution of weather phenomenon overlayed with graphics representing both weather-related and other relevant operational parameters/events depicted in relation to the utility'"'"'s physical infrastructure.

Claims

1. A system/tool for correlating operational parameters/events of a physical infrastructure to regional weather phenomenon, and displaying the acquired information, comprising:

one or more electronic data feed sources for providing data and video/graphics concerning regional weather phenomenon;

a plurality of monitoring devices and/or operational status reporting sources for monitoring and reporting operational parameter/event information of a predetermined physical infrastructure;

one or more data storage devices serving as a data repository for storing reported weather phenomenon information and reported operational parameter/event information;

a geographic information system (GIS) for providing geographically referenced data relating to the predetermined physical infrastructure;

one or more operatively connected computer processors configured to implement a root cause analysis engine (RCA) operatively associated with a weather data correlation engine for sorting and analyzing operational parameter/event information and identifying probable correlations to localized weather phenomenon, wherein said one or more operatively connected computer processors produce a video graphic output comprising at least depictions of regional weather phenomenon overlayed with graphic indications of operational parameters/events or information relating to the predetermined physical infrastructure based on root cause analysis of a plurality of events and one or more identified probable correlations to weather phenomenon; and

a user interface having a display and input controls for displaying and controlling video graphic data output from said processors, said user interface enabling user-controlled displaying of weather phenomenon and overlayed infrastructural and operational parameter/event information, wherein the user has at least control over a time-lapse or timeline evolution of displayed video-graphic information.

2. The system/tool of claim 1 wherein regional weather phenomenon information includes weather advisories and/or weather forecasts.

3. The system/tool of claim 1 wherein regional weather phenomenon information is time-stamped upon acquisition and stored in a computer network data repository.

4. The system/tool of claim 1 wherein monitoring devices and operational status reporting sources include one or more of:

an OMS, an AMI, a SCADA, a GIS, a DMS, an EMS, conventional press/media data feed and data from a CIS or a customer call center.

5. The system/tool of claim 1 wherein the geographic information system (GIS) provides geographic information regarding an electrical utility power distribution grid and equipment.

6. A computer implemented method for correlating and displaying operational parameters/events of a commercial entity or other physical operational infrastructure with weather phenomenon, comprising:

acquiring weather phenomenon information from one or more weather reporting sources and assigning a time-stamp identifying a time of occurrence to the weather phenomenon;

acquiring operational parameter/event data from a plurality of monitoring devices and/or operational status reporting sources for monitoring and reporting operational parameters/events of equipment or other operational infrastructure of said entity and assigning a time-stamp identifying a time of occurrence to each reported parameter/event;

identifying groups of operational parameters/events based on geographic proximity and/or temporal proximity;

assigning a probable common cause to each operational parameter/event or groups of such parameters/events based on information or statistical analysis;

determining a correlation value between each operational parameter/event or groups of such parameters/events and a particular weather phenomenon/event; and

displaying operational parameters/events or groups of such parameters/events on a display screen in a manner such that an indication of a correlation between such parameters/events and weather phenomenon/event is visually presented and wherein a user has control via a user interface input over presentation of a time-lapse evolution displaying of weather phenomenon overlayed with graphics representing both weather-related and other relevant operational parameters/events depicted in relation to the entity'"'"'s operational infrastructure.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein displayed operational parameters/events having a correlation to weather phenomenon are differentiated from parameters/events having no determined correlation to weather phenomenon by displaying event icons/indicia using different shapes or colors.

8. The method of claim 6 further including providing a store of historical weather event data for access by the weather correlation engine.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein monitoring devices and/or operational status reporting sources include one or more of the following conventional systems or devices:

an OMS, an AMI, a SCADA, a GIS, a DMS, an EMS, conventional press/media data feed and data from a CIS or a customer call center.

10. A computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium embodying one or more sequences of computer-executable processing instructions which, when executed by one or more computer processors, perform operations for correlating and displaying operational parameters/events of a commercial entity or other physical operational infrastructure with weather phenomenon, the processing instructions comprising:

a first sequence of instruction that acquires weather phenomenon information from one or more weather reporting sources and assigns a time-stamp identifying a time of occurrence to the weather phenomenon;

a second sequence of instruction that acquires operational parameter/event data from a plurality of monitoring devices and/or operational status reporting sources which monitor and report operational parameters/events of equipment or other operational infrastructure of said entity and assign a time-stamp identifying a time of occurrence to each reported parameter/event;

a third sequence of instruction that identifies groups of operational parameters/events based on geographic proximity and/or temporal proximity;

a fourth sequence of instruction that assigns a probable common cause to each operational parameter/event or groups of such parameters/events based on information or statistical analysis;

a fifth sequence of instruction that determines a correlation value between each operational parameter/event or groups of such parameters/events and a particular weather phenomenon/event; and

a fifth sequence of instruction that cause a user interface having input controls and a display device to display said operational parameters/events or groups of such parameters/events in a manner such that an indication of a correlation between such parameters/events and weather phenomenon/event is visually presented and wherein a user has control over presentation of a time-lapse evolution displaying of weather phenomenon overlayed with graphics representing both weather-related and other relevant operational parameters/events depicted in relation to the entity'"'"'s operational infrastructure.