CZ20003594A3 - Distributed logic in multiple protective relays - Google Patents

Abstract

Protective relays (10) together with the system and how they operate , allow the distribution of logical functions among multiple protection relays (10) connected to the power distribution system. The protection relays (10) include communication ports (20) for exchange messages over a peer-to-peer communications network (21) and beyond contain programmable logic (38). Each protection relay (10) receives logical operands contained in messages from remote protection relays (10), performs logic equations by using accepted operands, it provides a protective control if it is and it outputs the operands for other protective relays (10).

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates generally to digital protection relays for electrical distribution systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to digital protection relays and systems for providing enhanced protection and monitoring functions for a power distribution system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Digital protective relays for monitoring and providing protective control of power distribution systems are well known. As used herein, the term "power distribution system" includes systems and system components for generating, transmitting and / or distributing power to customers. These relays are typically connected to a certain point in the electrical distribution system, monitor current, voltage, or other parameters, and provide protective control (eg, by providing a control signal that causes power to be disconnected from the part of the system to which the relay is connected). conditions. The functions of the protective relays can be improved in many ways. For example, digital protection relays include a microprocessor that allows the user to decide how the protection relay will react under certain conditions.

Traditionally, the protection relay logic has been relatively limited. Any unusual applications involving interconnection, blocking, or management functions are typically accomplished by firmly interconnecting the I / O contacts. This requirement for auxiliary elements and interconnections makes the execution of many logic diagrams extremely complex.

Flexible logic schemes are known that allow the user to program logic functions inside • «99 9 ··· 9 9 ·«

9 * 9 99 9 99 · 9 9 9 9 9 999 999 999 99 99 99

-2 individual relays. Such a relay typically comprises fixed logic for performing predefined functions, and variable logic, which is user adjustable, for performing additional functions. A relay incorporating programmable logic generally receives analog and digital inputs, and uses these inputs to produce analog and digital outputs. If a relatively simple scheme is required in which the contact input is used to lock the relay measuring element, then this option is set during the programming of the measuring element. More complex logic diagrams can be programmed in individual relays. For example, if the closed state of one contact input is required and the operating state of the phase undervoltage element is required to block the function of the phase time overcurrent element, then the logic equation is programmed to add (AND) the two inputs to form a virtual output. selected during programming of the phase time overcurrent element to be used as a blocking input.

Although the programmable logic in the protective relays advantageously minimizes the requirements for auxiliary elements and wires and allows the feasibility of more complex logic schemes, there are still limitations because typically there are many protective relays operatively associated with the power distribution system.

A method of communication between relays is known. E.g. U.S. Patent 5,838,525 discloses a high-speed one-pole trigger logic for use in protective relays. The present system includes a remote control relay that generates a pilot signal to indicate an error detection and forwards the pilot signal to a local protection relay associated with a different position in the power network. The local protection relay uses the received pilot signal to manage single-pole trigger operations.

More complex communication schemes are also known. For example, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) • 4 4 49 9 4 94

9 4 9 9 4

Π 444 4 4 4 9 4 4 4 'specifik »specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik oval specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik specifik GOOSE). GOOSE is based on asynchronous relaying of digital output status messages of individual relays to other devices in the network. GOOSE messages are designed to be short, high priority, and transmitted with a high level of reliability. To ensure reliability, GOOSE messages are repeated as long as they are valid. GOOSE messages do not need to be acknowledged and can be handled multiple times. The GOOSE message structure includes space for 128 bit pairs representing the digital point status information. The GOOSE specification provides 32 “DNA bit pairs, which are state bits representing predefined events. All remaining bit pairs are UserSt bit pairs, which are status bits representing user-defined events. The UCA 2.0 specification contains features that are used to handle the situation of loss of communication between transmitting and receiving devices. Each broadcasting device transmits a GOOSE message upon successful power-up, when any point state changes, or after a specified interval (“standard refresh time”) in the absence of a status change. The transmitting device also transmits a "hold time" which is set to three times the set standard refresh time.

Where protective relays with communication capabilities are provided, the control logic is typically predefined, pre-programmed, or includes the establishment of a master-slave relationship between the communicating protective devices. The implementation of control logic may also require relatively complex wire diagrams between relays. Such protection relays and schemes are undesirable in that they limit or make it difficult to provide a wide variety of protection schemes.

It is desirable for a protective relay to include programmable control logic, as well as the ability to communicate the outputs of the programmable control logic to remote protective relays associated with the same power distribution system, to provide enhanced protection and control. It is also desirable to provide improved control and configuration capabilities to provide enhanced protective control of the electrical control system, and to realize more complex logic schemes than can be generated by the programming logic in each individual network-connected protection relay. The known protective relays and protective schemes are therefore insufficient for this purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the previous solutions and achieves additional advantages by providing an energy management and monitoring system for the power grid that includes a group of digital protection relays with programmable logic and the ability to communicate control logic inputs and outputs over a peer-to-peer communication network. Each digital protection relay shall include equipment, terminals, equipment or accessories for connection to the electricity distribution system and at least one communication port for connection to a peer-to-peer communication network. The peer-to-peer communication network is preferably an Ethernet network.

-5 ** ♦ · • · * *

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing relay function blocks suitable for implementing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a table showing the characteristics of programmable logic in implementing the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a table of operands available in one embodiment of the distribution logic of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a table of gateway characteristics for various known types of logical gateways;

Fig. 5 is a table describing programmable logic operators according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 defines a desired logic diagram for implementation in the distribution logic of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a flowchart describing a method of implementing a desired logic diagram;

Fig. 8 is a list of parameters resulting from the application of the method of Fig. 7 for the example of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 shows a simplified arrangement of protective relays suitable for realizing a distribution logic diagram according to the present invention; and

Fig. 10 is a table defining the functions of different DNA bit pairs in one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing relay function blocks suitable for implementing the present invention. The relay 10 comprises a digital signal processor (DSP) 12 that is operatively coupled to one or more CT current transformers and / or VT voltage transformers in an electrical distribution system or network. DSP 12 receives analog inputs from

-6 · ··· · · · φ and φ «·

And transmits the signal to the analog-to-digital (A / D) converter 14, which receives one or more of these analog inputs, such as current or voltage values, and forwards the digital signals to the processor 16 , which evaluates any number of required parameters and outputs the actual digital values of these parameters. The analog input 15 receives analog inputs and includes an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter 17 that receives one or more of these analog inputs, such as resistance values or dcmA, and outputs digital signals to the processor 16 that calculates any the number of required parameters and outputs the actual values of these parameters. The digital outputs of the DSP 12 and the analog input 15, and the calculated parameters, represent the input of the measurement block 18. The measurement block 18 generates at the output one or more flags indicating the status of the measured parameters. The processor 16 further outputs the actual value of the calculated parameters via the communication port 20 to the communication network 21, to the control and monitoring block 30, to the display 32, and to the D / A converter 34. The dashed lines in FIG. actual values and fixed lines indicate the transmission of status bits or flags. The communication network 21 is preferably an Ethernet LAN network, although any suitable communication network may be utilized. The communication network 21 preferably includes peer-to-peer communication features in which any of a plurality of network devices can initiate communication with any other of a plurality of network devices.

The relay 10 further comprises contact inputs 22 that are operatively connected to contacts 24. The contact inputs 22 output a flag indicating the status of the contacts 24 (open, closed). The relay 10 further comprises a virtual input block 24 that receives virtual inputs from the keyboard 26, the communication port 20, or another suitable input source. Virtual input block 24 generates one output 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

-) 4,444 4 4 4 4 ··· 4

- / - 4 4 4 «« 4 4 4

4444 44 * 4 »44 4« «44 or more flags indicating the status of virtual inputs.

The relay 10 further comprises a remote input block 28 that receives input through the communication port 20.

All status flags generated by the measurement block 18, the contact inputs 22, the virtual inputs 24 and the remote inputs 28 are forwarded to the OR gate 36. The OR gate 36 also receives the status tag inputs from the control and monitoring block 30, programmable logic equation block 38 40, from the programmable logic counters 42, from the virtual-output block 44 and the contact output block 46, which controls the pair of contacts 47. The OR gate 36 generates all its inputs to the measurement block 18, to the programmable logic equation block 38 the digital output block 40, the counters 42, the remote output block 48, the contact outputs 46, the display 32, and the communication port 20. The remote output block 48 generates on the output data containing messages (e.g., in GOOSE format) for communication port 20.

The states of all the digital signals in the relay of FIG. 1 are represented by flags or other suitable operands. In one embodiment, the digital "1" is represented by a set of flags. As shown in Fig. 1, the change of state on an external contact (contact 24) can be used to block the function of the element, as an input for a control property in a programmable logic equation, or can be used to control the contact output 46. locally on the display 32 or may be monitored remotely over the communication network 21. If it is desired to implement a relatively simple scheme in which the contact input is used to lock the element, then this embodiment is selected when programming the element.

The relay of FIG. 1 allows the implementation of more complex logic diagrams using programmable logic equations 38, digital elements 40, and counters 42. For example, if the closed state of the contacts 24 and the functional state of the phase ··· 9 ·

And the undervoltage element is to block the function of the phase time overcurrent element, then two input states are programmed in the logic equation in block 38. The equation in this example logically adds (AND) two inputs and generates a virtual output (via block 44). The virtual output is then selected during programming of the phase time overcurrent to be used in place of the blocking input. As shown in Fig. 1, the virtual outputs of block 44 can only be generated using programmable logic equations 38.

The relay of FIG. 1 allows logic to create the possibility of programming the interaction of inputs, elements, and outputs using logic equations (e.g., in a "postfix tag set") that are sequentially processed. Virtual inputs 24 and virtual outputs 44 can be used internally via relays or via communication port 20 by other relays that are connected to the master-slave communication network. The remote inputs 28 may be used internally in the relay, and the remote outputs 48 may be used via the communication port 20 by other relays that are connected to the peer-to-peer communication network. As will be described in more detail below, the ability of all relays in a peer-to-peer communication network to interchange remote I / O enables implementation of distributed programmable logic. Therefore, it should be appreciated that virtual inputs are in master-slave relationship and that remote inputs and outputs are in peer-to-peer relationship between communication devices.

The programmable relay logic 38 of FIG. 1 allows the user to adapt the relay using a series of equations consisting of operators and operands. Operands represent states of inputs, elements and outputs. Operators include logic gates, timers, and triggers (which have set and reset inputs). Sequence operations allow you to designate any combination of specified operands as inputs for specified operators to create an output. Ultimate

-9 * ·· * # · · ♦ · 4 4 4

Output of the equation is a numbered register (virtual output

44). The virtual outputs 44 can be used as input operands in any equation, including the equation that generates the output (e.g., as a hold or other type of feedback).

In the programmable relay logic of FIG. 1, operands have a logic state of 1 or 0. Operators provide a predefined function, such as an AND gateway or timer. Each programmable logic function defines a combination of parameters to be used to set the virtual output flag in element 44. Therefore, evaluating the equation leads to 1 (ON, flag set) or 0 (OFF, flag not set). Preferably, each programmable logic equation is evaluated at least four times during the power cycle of the power distribution system.

Fig. 2 is a table showing the characteristics of programmable logic; characteristics of different types of operands according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this example, inputs are defined as PKP element collectors, OP element operators, contact inputs, virtual inputs, virtual outputs, and an active set-up group. The collector has a logic value of "1" or "ON" if the test parameter has a value greater than the collector setpoint, thereby responding to elevated values, or less than the collector setpoint, thereby responding to the reduced values. The OP operator input has a logic value of "1" or "ON" if the test parameter has an appropriate value greater than or less than the setpoint of the collector for a programmable time. Contact inputs have a logic value of "1" when the logic input contact is in the programmed ON state, and virtual inputs have a logic value of "1" when the virtual input is ON. The virtual outputs have a logical value of "1" if the virtual output flag is currently in the set state (i.e., the evaluation of the programmable logic equation results in a logical value of «99 9 · * 9 9

-109 ·

9 * 9

9999 99 99 999 '1). The active setting group has a logical value of “1 if the group is active.

Giant. 3 is a table of operands available in one embodiment of the distribution logic of the present invention. The table lists the operand types, operand syntax, and operand definitions. It should be understood that there is only one embodiment and that other operands may be used.

Fig. 4 is a table of gateway characteristics for various known types of logical gateways. It should be understood that while in the exemplary embodiment, the number of inputs for the OR, AND, NOR, and NAND gates does not exceed 16, other embodiments may have different access limits.

Fig. 5 is a table describing programmable logic operators according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Each operator type contains one or more operator syntaxes, each of which is defined by the third column of the table. Again, it should be understood that other suitable operators may be defined by those skilled in the art for further embodiments of the invention.

In one embodiment of the invention, the following rules apply to the programmable logic equations in block 38: 1) any contact input, virtual input or output, element operand, or logical gateway operator can be used any time; 2) time operator operand and virtual output tasks can be used only once in the equation; 3) operands precede operators; 4) assigning the operator output to the virtual output ends with an equation; and after the last parameter used (which will be the virtual output designation) is an "END" parameter to indicate that no further processing is required. If we have logical equations constructed according to this manual, then each equation can be evaluated in the order in which the parameters were entered.

Having defined operand characteristics, operands, logical gateways, and operators, we can now describe with reference to

In · · t t t t t * * * * * * * * * ·

11 illustrate exemplary logic diagrams. In this example logic diagram, it is assumed that some logic has already been programmed to produce virtual outputs V01 and VO2, including status data obtained from other relay devices in the peer-to-peer communication network as remote inputs, and that only part of the whole equation. In this example, a virtual output designation (eg ,VO1-VQ64) can only be assigned once. Giant. 6 defines a desired logic diagram and FIG. 7 is a flowchart describing a method of implementing the desired logic diagram. It should be understood that the method uses a postfix or "retrospectively" designation, which simplifies the creation of a logic equation for the desired logic scheme. In the method, at step 100, the logic diagram of the proposed logic scheme is checked to determine if the desired logic can be implemented with a given set of operators in a programmable logic system. If this is not possible then the logic is edited in step 102 until when this condition is met. Once the condition is met, it is determined in step 104 whether the number of inputs for each gateway does not exceed predefined constraints. If the number of inputs is too high, then the inputs are divided into multiple gateways producing the same logical result. For example, if 25 inputs for an AND gate are required, then one AND gate can receive 16 inputs and the other AND gate can receive 9 inputs, and the outputs of both AND gateways can be summed (AND) together to produce a consistent logical result. In step 106, each operator located between the initial operands and the final virtual outputs is checked to see if the operator output is used as an input for more than one subsequent operator. If this is the case, then the output of this operator is designated as virtual output in step 108. In the example of FIG. 6, the AND gate output is used as an input for the OR1 and the Timer, and therefore becomes a virtual output and is designated by the number * * * · · · «··· ····· fefefe • ·· • fe fe «fefefe • fefe * fefe * fefefe fefe fefefe virtual output (egVO3). The final output must also be assigned a virtual output number (eg V04) that will be programmed in the contact output block 46 (see Fig. 1) to control relay H1. Steps 100-108 provide a method for determining whether the desired logic is feasible.

In step 110, the logic diagram is prepared for the equation necessary to produce virtual outputs. Since in the example of Fig. 6, the virtual output VO3 is an operand in the equation for virtual output VO4, VQ3 must be determined first, just as any virtual output to be used as an operand must be determined. For later virtual outputs (i.e., virtual outputs dependent on the previous virtual input as an operand), the logical diagram for the later virtual output must replace the logical diagram for the previous virtual output with the previous virtual output number (e.g., VA3). In step 112, a programmable logic equation is programmed by translating logic diagrams to the available logic parameters of FIGS. 2-5. The equation is created one parameter at a time until the required logic is complete. It should be understood that it is generally easier to start with the output end of the equation and move back towards the input, and that it is generally easier to list operators' inputs from the bottom up.

For illustration, the following example will be translated by identifying the final logic output as parameter 99, and then each preceding parameter will be reduced by one. The resulting parameters are shown in Fig. 8. For parameter 99, the final output of the equation is the output VO3, which is created by the operator "= virtual output n. Therefore, this parameter is" = VIRTUAL OUTPUT 3. All equations are terminated by this parameter and the entire set of desired logic is ended by operator END. For parameter 98, the upstream output is an AND gateway that requires two inputs and is therefore φφφφφ · · ΦΦΦΦ φφφ

Φ · »φφ

-13 φ φ

AND marked AND (2). This two-input AND gateway will process two of its preceding operands. These operands are then specified in the remaining parameters. For parameter 97, the lower AND input of the gateway passes through the inverter as shown in FIG. 6, so this parameter is NOT and will process the nearest preceding operand. Parameter 96 thus describes the inverter input, which in this case is the contact input Hic. Parameter 95 defines the next AND input of the gateway, which is digital element 2. The resulting logic equation for VO3 therefore consists of parameters 95-99, written in order: DIGITAL ELEMENT 2, CONTACT INPUT Hic, NOT, AND (2), = VIRTUAL OUTPUT 3 A similar process is then used to create a programmable logic equation for V04. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, virtual outputs can be generated from information originating from both local and remote devices.

In step 114, a complete programmable logic equation is constructed. Preferably, the equations are constructed in the order in which the virtual outputs that will be used as inputs for the operators are generated before they are needed. In most cases, this is not difficult to achieve, as in the present example, because the entire logic is calculated at least 4 times during each energy frequency cycle. The set of variable logic equations is terminated by the operator “END.

As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, remote pulses from various protective relays in a peer-to-peer communication network can be combined to greatly improve logic control capabilities and to provide unlimited protection and control schemes for the power distribution system. .

Fig. 9 shows a simplified configuration of protective relays 90 that are operatively connected to the power distribution network 92 and which are connected via communication ports 20 to a peer-to-peer communication network 21. In one embodiment, «··« ·

14 of the present invention, each protection relay in the peer-to-peer communication network continuously monitors messages in the communication network. Each message contains an identification of the original source. If the relay detects the desired message (eg, a virtual output from another protection relay), which it recognizes by identifying the original device contained in each message, then the relay processes that message. Each relay is programmed to process messages from only those remote relays of interest. This is accomplished by specifying a unique identifier that is associated with each remote relay that is considered. In the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, up to sixteen different remote devices can be defined for each protective relay.

Further, in addition to the content of the unique identifier associated with the initial relay, the message "message hold time" for the device; i.e. a valid message.

More specifically, the receive relay sets the timer assigned to the initial device at a "hold time", and if it does not receive another message from that device during this interval, the remote device is marked as non-communicating, so the receive relay will use the programmed default state for all specific remote device. This mechanism allows the receiving device not to detect individual transmissions from a remote device that transmits messages at the slowest possible rate as set by its "standard refresh timer, without returning to the use of programmed default states. If a message is received from a remote device before the "hold time" has elapsed, all points for that device are updated according to the states contained in the message and the hold timer is restarted.

they also include how long it has been

IC · ··· A A A A * and A '1 J' A AAAA A · A

AAAA AAAA AAAA

The messages further include remote inputs that can be picked up by the receive relay from the message and used by the receive relay to create operands for programmable logic equations. For example, each relay can receive up to 32 remote inputs, which can be selected, for example, from a list of 32 DNA bit pairs and 32 UserSt bit pairs. In this case, the UserSt bit pair function is defined by the user selection of the programmable logic operand whose state is represented in the GOOSE message, and the bit pair DNA function is defined in the UCA2.0 specifications as shown in Figure 10. Each remote input is programmed to copy the logical state of the specified signal from the specified remote device. This can be programmed by selecting the identifier of the remote device that produces the desired signal, selecting the specified required message bits, and selecting the standard logic state to be used by the local relay at startup or when the remote relay is not communicating.

The remote outputs are operands embedded in network messages that are transmitted to remote relay devices. Each digital point in this message is programmed to transmit the state of a particular operand.

Thus, according to the preceding examples, each protective relay includes a method for providing protective control of the power distribution system in the protective relay itself. The method may be implemented by intercepting at least one input message from a peer-to-peer communication network, at least in part based on the identification contained in the message; selecting remote inputs or operands from the input message; evaluating user-programmable logic equations using selected remote inputs or operands to determine whether the protective relay is to perform the protective relay function; and transmitting at least one output message to the peer-to-peer communication network, each output message identifying a protection relay and comprising one or more operands.

From the above description, it should be appreciated that by providing remote inputs and outputs in each protective relay in the network, and by allowing logic equations to be programmed and assigned to local physical and virtual inputs and outputs (ie, inputs and outputs in the individual relay), as to remote inputs and outputs associated with other protective relays in the network, the present invention allows the distribution of logic functions throughout the network of protective relays. This allows for almost infinite logical configurations, giving the user significantly more flexibility in protecting and managing the power system than conventional solutions. This method also avoids the complex wiring diagrams between the relays and the need for large numbers of physical inputs in each protective relay associated with the power distribution system.

Although the foregoing description contains a number of details, these are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. The foregoing specific examples may be varied in many ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims and their inherent equivalents.

Claims (1)

An energy management and monitoring system comprising: an electrical power grid; a group of digital protection relays, wherein each digital protection relay is connected to one or more points in the power grid, and each digital protection relay includes a communication port for connection to a peer-to-peer communication network, wherein each digital protection relay contains user-programmable logic , and wherein the logic inputs and outputs are transmitted between a plurality of digital protection relays via a peer-to-peer communication network. The system of claim 1, wherein the peer-to-peer communication network is an Ethernet network, and wherein the logical input data and logical output data are transmitted between a plurality of digital protection relays in the format of the UCA 2.0 Electrical Energy Research Institute. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-programmable logic circuit uses a postfix designation. The system of claim 1, wherein each digital protection relay is programmed to receive messages in a peer-to-peer communication network from a number of digital protection relay groups. The system of claim 4, wherein the digital relay is programmed by providing unique identifiers associated with a number of a group of digital protection relays to each of the protection relays. The system of claim 2, wherein the logical data is transmitted in the form of messages, each message comprising a unique identifier identifying the protection relay that is the originator of the message and one or more outputs for use in a user-programmable logic circuit. -18 · · »» »» »» »» 18 18 18 18 18 18 The system of claim 6, wherein the remote inputs are operands for logical equations. 8. Digital protective relay comprising: connecting elements for connection to an electrical distribution system; at least one communication port for connection to a peer-to-peer communication network; input for receiving logical commands from the user; and programmable logic for executing user-supplied logic commands, wherein network messages containing logic inputs and outputs are transmitted between a plurality of digital protection relays via a peer-to-peer communication network. The relay of claim 8, wherein the peer-to-peer communication network is an Ethernet network, and wherein the logic inputs and outputs are transmitted in the format of the Electrical Energy Research Institute (EPRI) UCA 2.0. The relay of claim 8, wherein the programmable logic uses a postfix designation. The relay of claim 8, wherein the relay is programmed to receive messages in a peer-to-peer communication network from a plurality of digital protection relays. The relay of claim 11, wherein the relay is programmed by providing unique identifiers associated with a number of a group of digital protection relays to each of the protection relays. The system of claim 9, wherein the logical data is transmitted in the form of messages, each message comprising a unique identifier identifying the protection relay that originated the message and one or more outputs for use in a user-programmable logic circuit. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote inputs and outputs are operands for logical equations. «Φ * · · 4 · * -19φφφ » ΦΦ ΦΦΦ A method for providing protective control of a power distribution system by means of a protective relay, the method comprising: obtaining at least one input message from the peer-to-peer communication network, wherein each input message identifies a remote protection relay; selecting operands from at least one message; calculating user-programmable logic equations using selected operands to determine whether the protective relay is to perform the protective function; and transmitting at least one output message to the peer-to-peer communication network, each output message identifying a protection relay and comprising one or more operands. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of monitoring messages in the peer-to-peer communication network from a plurality of remote protection relays before the input message acquisition step. The method of claim 15, wherein the peer-to-peer communication network is an Ethernet network. The method of claim 15, wherein each message is in the format of the UCA 2.0 Electrical Energy Research Institute.