SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE CONFIGURATION OF SUBSTATION REMOTE TERMINALS WITH A CENTRAL CONTROLLER

• US 20120063354A1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Digital Holdings LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Vanga, Venu Gopala Reddy, Achanta, Anjani Prasad V.V.S., Vuriti, Suneel Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Systems and methods for the configuration of substation remote terminals with a central controller are provided. A message identifying a current status of a remote terminal unit (“RTU”) associated with a remote power substation may be received by a central controller associated with a power system. Based upon an analysis of the received message, a request for configuration data associated with the RTU may be communicated by the central controller to the RTU. In response to the request, the configuration data may be received by the central controller from the RTU. Based upon the received configuration data, the central controller may update a configuration database comprising information associated with the configuration of the RTU. In this regard, supervisory control and data acquisitions operations with the RTU by the central controller may be facilitated.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a substation remote terminal with a central controller, the method comprising:

receiving, by a central controller associated with a power system from a remote terminal unit (RTU) associated with a remote power substation, a message identifying a current status of the RTU;

communicating, by the central controller to the RTU based upon an analysis of the received message, a request for configuration data associated with the RTU;

receiving, by the central controller from the RTU in response to the request, the configuration data; and

updating, by the central controller based upon the received configuration data, a configuration database comprising information associated with the configuration of the RTU in order to facilitate supervisory control and data acquisition operations with the RTU by the central controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the configuration data comprises receiving configuration data associated with one or more substation devices in communication with the RTU.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the configuration data comprises receiving the configuration data in one of (i) a Common Information Model (CIM) format or (ii) a specified format in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the central controller, a desired format for receiving the configuration data,

wherein communicating a request for configuration data comprises communicating a request for configuration data formatted in accordance with the identified desired format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating a request for configuration data comprises:

determining, based upon an analysis of the received message, that the RTU has not previously been configured with the central controller, and

communicating the request based upon the determination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating a request for configuration data comprises:

determining, based upon an analysis of the received message, that a configuration of the RTU has been altered; and

communicating the request based upon the determination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving a message identifying a current status of the RTU comprises receiving a message including an identifier of a configuration version associated with the RTU, and wherein determining that a configuration of the RTU has been altered comprises:

comparing the identifier to a stored configuration identifier associated with the RTU; and

determining that the identifier does not match the stored configuration identifier.

8. A system for configuration of a substation remote terminal with a central controller, the system comprising:

a central controller associated with a power system; and

a remote terminal unit (RTU) situated at a power substation associated with the power system, the remote terminal unit configured to (i) communicate, to the central controller, a message identifying a current status of the RTU, (ii) receive, from the central controller, a request for configuration data associated with the RTU, and (iii) communicate the requested configuration data to the central controller,

wherein the central controller is configured to (i) receive the message communicated by the RTU, (ii) communicate the request for configuration data based upon an analysis of the received message, (iii) receive the configuration data, and (iv) update, based upon the received configuration data, a configuration database comprising information associated with the configuration of the RTU in order to facilitate supervisory control and data acquisition operations with the RTU by the central controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration data comprises configuration data associated with one or more substation devices in communication with the RTU.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the configuration data is formatted in accordance with one of (i) a Common Information Model (CIM) format or (ii) a specified format in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the central controller is further configured to identify a desired format for receiving the configuration data, and

wherein the request comprises an identification of the desired format.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the central controller is further configured to determine, based upon an analysis of the received message, that the RTU has not previously been configured with the central controller, and

the request is communicated based at least in part on the determination.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the central controller is further configured to determine, based upon an analysis of the received message, that a configuration of the RTU has been altered, and

the request is communicated based at least in part upon the determination.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the received message comprises an identifier of a configuration version associated with the RTU, and

wherein the central controller determines that the configuration of the RTU has been altered by (i) comparing the identifier to a stored configuration identifier associated with the RTU and (ii) determining that the identifier does not match the stored configuration identifier.

15. A method for configuring a substation remote terminal with a central controller, the method comprising:

configuring a remote terminal unit (RTU) associated with a remote power substation, the remote power substation associated with a power system;

detecting, by the RTU, a network connectivity with a central controller associated with the power system;

communicating, by the RTU to the central controller based at least in part on the detected network connectivity, a message identifying a current status of the RTU;

receiving, by the RTU from the central controller based upon an analysis of the message by the central controller, a request for configuration data associated with the RTU; and

communicating, by the RTU to the central controller in response to the request, the configuration data associated with the RTU,

wherein the central controller utilizes the configuration data to update a configuration database comprising information associated with the configuration of the RTU in order to facilitate supervisory control and data acquisition operations with the RTU by the central controller.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating the configuration data comprises communicating configuration data associated with one or more substation devices in communication with the RTU.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating the configuration data comprises communicating the configuration data in one of (i) a Common Information Model (CIM) format or (ii) a specified format in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

18. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving a request for configuration data comprises receiving a request indicating a desired format for the configuration data, and further comprising:

formatting, by the RTU prior to communicating the configuration data, the configuration data in accordance with the desired format.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting, by the RTU, a change in the configuration of the RTU,

wherein communicating a message comprises communicating a message based at least in part upon the detection.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting a change in the configuration of the RTU comprises detecting at least one of (i) an initialization of the RTU, (ii) a connection of one or more substation devices to a substation network managed by the RTU, (iii) a disconnection of one or more substation devices from the substation network, (iv) an initialization of the central controller, or (v) an alteration of software executed by the RTU.