Systems and methods for automatically converting CAD drawing files into intelligent objects with database connectivity for the design, analysis, and simulation of electrical power systems

• US 8,155,943 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Analytics Corporation (PAC Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nasle, Adib
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US12/247,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/13, 703/17, 703/18, 702/62, 702/182, 700/291, 715/964
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, is disclosed. The computer system can include a processor, a memory, a display device, and an input device. The memory device can be coupled to the processor and configured to maintain a component classification database, an import engine, computer aided design drawing parser, and a symbol classification engine. The display device can be coupled to the processor and configured for displaying the computer aided design drawing file of the electrical power system. The processor can be operative to execute instructions within the import engine to control the import of the computer aided design drawing file to the computer, execute instructions within the computer aided design drawing parser to control the parsing of the computer aided design drawing file into at least one component object containing a component symbol and execute instructions within the symbol classification engine to control the assigning of a component classification to the component symbol.

Claims

1. A computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system comprising a plurality of components into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory;

at least one executable software module configured to, when executed by the at least one processor,

import the computer aided design drawing file to the memory,

parse the computer aided design drawing file into a plurality of component objects corresponding to the plurality of components of the electrical power system, each of the plurality of component objects comprising a component symbol,

assign a component classification to the component symbol of each of the plurality of component objects, wherein the component classification comprises one or more attributes which define at least one of an electrical characteristic, connectivity characteristic, and interdependency characteristic of the associated component object,

receive a modification of one or more attributes of a component classification, and

update the computer aided design drawing file based on the modification;

a virtual system model of the electrical power system, wherein the virtual system model comprises virtual component data corresponding to the plurality of components of the electrical power system; and

an analytics engine configured to

monitor real-time data from one or more sensors interfaced with the electrical power system,

monitor predicted operational data generated using the virtual system model,

synchronize the virtual system model in real-time based on a difference between the real-time data and the predicted operational data, and

update the virtual system model based on the updated computer aided design drawing file.

2. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the component classification represents an equipment type.

3. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the component classification represents an equipment model.

4. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer aided design drawing file is imported from a storage device that is communicatively connected to the memory.

5. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the component classification is automatically assigned to the component symbol.

6. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a component classification database, the component classification database configured to store one or more component classifications.

7. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one executable software module is further configured to receive at least one manual assignment of a component classification to a component symbol.

8. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment operational parameter.

9. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment performance parameter.

10. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment connectivity.

11. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment purchase cost.

12. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment installation cost.

13. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment testing and connection cost.

14. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, further comprising an equipment attribute database, wherein the one or more attributes are stored in the equipment attribute database.

15. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the analytics engine is further configured to simulate an operational aspect of the electrical power system subjected to a contingency.

16. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 15, wherein the aspect is operational power flow.

17. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 15, wherein the aspect is power system protection coordination.

18. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 15, wherein the aspect is power system harmonics.

19. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 15, wherein the aspect is power system transient stability.

20. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the analytics engine is further configured to simulate an operational event of the electrical power system.

21. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 20, wherein the event is a power system short circuit.

22. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 20, wherein the event is a power system arc flash incident.

23. The computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one executable software module is further configured to export the updated computer aided design drawing file to a storage device that is communicatively connected to the memory.

24. A computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system comprising a plurality of components into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, comprising:

monitoring real-time data from one or more sensors interfaced with the electrical power system;

monitoring predicted operational data generated using a virtual system model of the electrical power system, the virtual system model comprising virtual component data corresponding to the plurality of components of the electrical power system;

synchronizing the virtual system model in real-time based on a difference between the real-time data and the predicted operational data

importing a computer aided design drawing file;

parsing, by at least one computer processor, the computer aided design drawing file into a plurality of component objects corresponding to the plurality of components of the electrical power system, each of the plurality of component objects comprising a component symbol;

assigning a component classification to the component symbol of each of the plurality of component objects, wherein the component classification comprises one or more attributes which define at least one of an electrical characteristic, connectivity characteristics, and interdependency characteristic of the associated component object;

receiving a modification of one or more attributes of a component classification;

updating the computer aided design drawing file based on the modification; and

updating the virtual system model based on the updated computer aided design drawing file.

25. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the component classification represents an equipment type.

26. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the component classification represents an equipment model.

27. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer aided design drawing file is imported from a storage device that is communicatively connected to the memory.

28. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment operational parameter.

29. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment performance parameter.

30. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment connectivity.

31. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment purchase cost.

32. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment installation cost.

33. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes relate to at least an equipment testing and connection cost.

34. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes are stored in an equipment attribute database.

35. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, further comprising receiving at least one manual assignment of a component classification to a component symbol.

36. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, wherein the component classification is automatically assigned to the component symbol.

37. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, further comprising generating the virtual system model of the electrical power system.

38. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 37, further including:

simulating an operational aspect of the electrical power system subjected to a contingency utilizing the virtual system model.

39. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 38, wherein the aspect is operational power flow.

40. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 38, wherein the aspect is power system protection coordination.

41. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 38, wherein the aspect is power system harmonics.

42. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 38, wherein the aspect is power system transient stability.

43. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 37, further comprising simulating an operational event of the electrical power system utilizing the virtual system model.

44. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 43, wherein the event is a power system short circuit.

45. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 43, wherein the event is a power system arc flash incident.

46. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

identifying connectivity issues in the electrical power system as a result of the modification of one or more attributes; and

generating an exception report.

47. The computer-implemented method for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, as recited in claim 46, wherein the exception report summarizes the connectivity issues identified.