COMPUTERISED PLATFORM FOR MONITORING THE OPERATION OF AN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION GRID

• US 20170303013A1
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB SPA (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB SPA (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Gritti, Paolo, Locatelli, Emilio Battista
• Granted Patent: US 10,123,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/70 Arrangements in the main station, i.e. central controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/75 by polling or interrogating the sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/128 involving the use of Internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A computerized platform for monitoring the operation of an electric power distribution grid which includes in one form an accessory device operatively coupled with or comprised in an electronic protection relay of said electric power distribution grid, wherein said accessory device is configured to gather grid data and to transmit said grid data through the Internet; a publishing computerised unit capable of communicating with said accessory device through the Internet, said publishing computerised unit being configured to interact with said accessory device to acquire and store said grid data; an interface computerized unit capable of communicating with said accessory device and said publishing computerised unit through the Internet, said interface computerized unit being configured to provide interface services to manage the interaction of said accessory device with said publishing computerised unit.

Claims

1. A computerized platform for monitoring the operation of an electric power distribution grid comprising:

an accessory device operatively coupled with or comprised in an electronic protection relay of said electric power distribution grid, wherein said accessory device is configured to gather grid data (D), which are related to the operation of said electric power distribution grid, from one or more electronic devices of said electronic protection relay or operatively connected with said electronic protection relay, which are in communication with said accessory device, wherein said accessory device is configured to transmit said grid data (D) through the Internet;

a publishing computerised unit capable of communicating with said accessory device through the Internet, said publishing computerised unit being configured to interact with said accessory device to acquire and store said grid data (D);

an interface computerized unit capable of communicating with said accessory device and said publishing computerised unit through the Internet, said interface computerized unit being configured to provide interface services to manage the interaction of said accessory device with said publishing computerised unit.

2. The computerised platform, according to claim 1, further configured to implement a data-gathering procedure (DGP), in which said accessory device polls one or more electronic devices in communication with said accessory device and receives said grid data (D) from said electronic devices in response to said polling.

3. The computerised platform, according to claim 2, wherein said data-gathering procedure (DGP) further comprises:

a step, in which said accessory device sends one or more data-gathering queries (DGQ) to said electronic devices;

a step, in which said accessory device receives data-gathering responses (DGR) from said electronic devices;

a step, in which said accessory device analyses said data-gathering responses (DGR) to check the presence of errors;

a step, in which said accessory device stores data-gathering samples (DGS) of grid data received from the electronic devices for which no errors are found in said data-gathering responses;

a step, in which said accessory device repeats the previous steps for the electronic devices for which errors are found in said data-gathering responses; and

/or

a step, in which said accessory device stops the interrogation of the electronic devices for which errors are still found in said data-gathering responses after said previous steps are repeated for a given number of times.

4. The computerised platform, according to claim 3, further configured to implement a data logging procedure (DLP), in which said accessory device refines and reorganizes the stored data samples (DGS) of grid data.

5. The computerised platform, according to claim 4, wherein said data logging procedure (DLP) further comprises:

a step, in which said accessory device waits for a plurality of data-gathering samples (DGS) of grid data be stored;

a step, in which said accessory device generates a data logging record (DLR) using said plurality of stored data-gathering samples (DGS) of grid data;

a step, in which said accessory device stores said data logging record (DLR).

6. The computerised platform, according to claim 5, wherein said data logging procedure (DLP) further comprises a step, in which said accessory device processes said data-gathering samples (DGS) of grid data to obtain additional information on the operation of said electric power distribution grid.

7. The computerised platform, according to claim 1, further configured to implement a data-publishing procedure (DPP), in which said accessory device transmits said grid data (D) to said publishing computerized unit.

8. The computerised platform, according to claim 7, wherein said data-publishing procedure (DPP) further comprises:

a step, in which said accessory device uploads a plurality data-publishing samples (DPS) of grid data;

a step, in which said accessory device creates a transmission file (TF) having a predefined transmission format and including said data-publishing samples (DPS) of grid data;

a step, in which said accessory device transmits said transmission file (TF) to said publishing computerised unit.

9. The computerised platform, according to claim 1, further configured to implement a data upload procedure (DUP), in which said accessory device receives updating data (UD) from said interface computerized unit.

10. The computerised platform, according to claim 9, wherein said data uploading procedure (DUP) further comprises the following steps:

a step, in which said accessory device sends an updating query (UQ) to said interface computerised unit;

a step, in which said interface computerised unit sends updating data (UD) to said accessory device in response to said updating query.

11. The computerised platform, according to claim 10, wherein said accessory device is configured to take updating actions on the base of the received updating data (UD).

12. The computerised platform, according to claim 1, further comprising a configuration computerized unit capable of communicating with said accessory device and said interface computerised unit through the Internet, said configuration computerized unit being configured to manage an operative configuration of said accessory device.

13. The computerised platform, according to claim 12, further configured to implement a configuration procedure (CFP) to set up configuration information to allow said accessory device to operate.

14. The computerised platform, according to claim 13, wherein said configuration procedure (CFP) further comprises the following steps:

a step, in which said configuration computerised unit selects said accessory device as a device to be configured;

a step, in which said configuration computerised unit connects with said accessory device to search for possible electronic devices of said electric power distribution grid, which are in communication with said accessory device;

a step, in which said configuration computerised unit selects one or more electronic devices of interest, which are in communication with said accessory device;

a step, in which said configuration computerised unit creates a data-gathering file (DGF) including information to allow said accessory device to correctly interact with said electronic devices and correctly acquire and store said grid data (D);

a step, in which said configuration computerised unit transmits said data-gathering file (DGF) to said accessory device;

a step, in which said configuration computerised unit registers said accessory device with said interface computerised unit;

a step, in which said interface computerised unit connects with said publishing computerised unit to acquire configuration data to allow said accessory device to communicate with said publishing computerised unit;

a step, in which said interface computerised unit creates a data-publishing file (DPF) including information to allow said accessory device to correctly transmit said grid data (D) to said computerized publishing unit; and

/or

a step, in which said interface computerised unit transmits said data-publishing file (DPF) to said accessory device.

15. The computerized platform, according to claim 2, further configured to implement a data upload procedure (DUP), in which said accessory device receives updating data (UD) from said interface computerized unit.

16. The computerized platform, according to claim 3, further configured to implement a data upload procedure (DUP), in which said accessory device receives updating data (UD) from said interface computerized unit.

17. The computerized platform, according to claim 4, further configured to implement a data upload procedure (DUP), in which said accessory device receives updating data (UD) from said interface computerized unit.

18. The computerized platform, according to claim 2, further comprising a configuration computerized unit capable of communicating with said accessory device and said interface computerised unit through the Internet, said configuration computerized unit being configured to manage an operative configuration of said accessory device.

19. The computerized platform, according to claim 3, further comprising a configuration computerized unit capable of communicating with said accessory device and said interface computerised unit through the Internet, said configuration computerized unit being configured to manage an operative configuration of said accessory device.

20. The computerized platform, according to claim 4, further comprising a configuration computerized unit capable of communicating with said accessory device and said interface computerised unit through the Internet, said configuration computerized unit being configured to manage an operative configuration of said accessory device.