SK131099A3 - Interface device for an electrical safety relay in a process control system and installation equipped with such a device - Google Patents

Abstract

Interface device (1) for protection relay (2) has means for communicating within a network of operating units (3) by selection of a communication protocol (P2) where the communication is time divided according to the installation control. An Independent claim is made for conversion software for transmitting data received in one protocol (P2) in another protocol (P1) and vice-versa.

Description

The invention relates to an interface device for relay electrical protection of industrial plant circuits comprising process control systems. The invention also encompasses industrial plants equipped with this device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, electrical protection relays put into use in industrial plants that receive, produce and / or distribute electricity are generally electronic devices to measure electrical quantities in order to control the triggering of disconnectors in the event of an electrical fault and provide information related to operational faults. conditions. The purpose of triggering the disconnectors is to disconnect from the power of a section of the power supply network that supplies a certain operational device, thereby protecting it in the event of a dangerous voltage and / or current increase at that section level.

Disconnection from the section voltage in the power supply network of complex circuits in operation is an operation that requires detailed identification of the possible range and potential effects, as the consequences can be very serious, even catastrophic. Therefore, it is useful to collect the information provided by the network protection relay at the control center level of the network where the means have been devised to provide a global view of the operation of the entire plant circuit, and specifically the situation reported by the relay. throughout the network of circuits of the operation. For various reasons, but above all because of the variety of means that can be used in a process control system in an industrial plant, it is often necessary to simultaneously use an electrical relay.

31299 T protections, which are considerably different. Therefore, it has long been considered desirable and desirable to interconnect a set of electrical protection relays of a particular operation to a central control site via separate wires equipped with individual interface circuits at least at one of their ends

However, this solution is not entirely sufficient, especially when circuits are subject to modification over time, as well as when replacing older equipment with newer ones, when cabling and / or already installed interface adapters become unsatisfactory. In addition, the material adjustments applied in such cases may result to implement software modifications.

Therefore, IEC870.5 - CS103 was adopted, by which the communication procedures for the electrical protection relay set are standardized.

Among other things, today's industrial process control systems are generally equipped with a split-time communication structure that enables the transmission of information in digital form between individual programmed operational units of the entire plant management system. In particular, this communication structure allows it to be built around a single network or multiple networks interconnected, and typically comprises at least one core network. In the case of multiple networks, these group individual operating programmed units, which are purpose-spaced at different levels according to the respective operational functionality, and usually have one level grouping process input / output units and one level for process control and control consisting of at least one unit. In contrast, a network consisting of connections serving a set of electrical protection relays is not included in the communication structure described herein as it does not use the same communication protocols.

Indeed, for various reasons, the communication standards for the protective relay are ahead of the standards that would apply to the methods of communication between the circuits of a single industrial plant. Therefore, at present

31299 T one global solution cannot be applied, which would include automatic process control, electrical system control and slave control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome these drawbacks, the present invention provides a design of an interface for industrial operation relay electrical protection circuits equipped with a process control system and comprising programmed operational units communicating with each other according to one established communication protocol, through at least one network with a time-division communication structure. operational circuit management.

According to one characteristic of the invention, the interface device comprises technical interconnection means enabling it to be connected separately - from one side to a relay and from the other side to a network of service units of a given structure for the purpose of information transfer as well as programmatic means used for to transmit information to at least one operating unit according to a communication protocol commonly used between them, - information sent to it by the relay in accordance with the communication protocol used by the relay, and vice versa to the relay according to the communication protocol used by them units according to the protocol used by these units.

The invention also relates to industrial operation circuits comprising a process control system and a set of electrical protection relays, said system consisting of programmable operating units which communicate with each other according to a communication protocol determined by means of at least one network of a total time division communication structure for within the operational use of the process.

31299 T

According to one characteristic of the invention, the invention comprises at least one device described herein above.

According to one characteristic of one variant of the invention, it consists of at least one interface device connected to one operational network, which treats at least some of the process input / output units within the control system and at least one higher level unit of the system.

The invention, its characteristics and advantages are set forth in the following description with reference to the figures in the annex.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram relating to an interface device for a set of electrical protection relays according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication structure associated with an industrial process control system comprising one interface device according to the present invention.

It is contemplated that the interface device 1 of the present invention consists of a single programmed unit assembled around at least one processor, with a ROM and / or RAM assembly and auxiliary equipment such as input / output interconnectors. It is intended to ensure the transmission of digitized information provided by the relay set, or intended for the relay of electrical protection relay 2 of one industrial plant, equipped with a process control system comprising at least one programmed operational unit 3 with which this information is exchanged.

The interface device is equipped with adapted technical means of interconnecting 0, 0 ', for example by detachable connectors, which can be individually connected to the protective relay 2 as well as to a connecting element such as a bus, thus creating a service network through which it is possible to communicate with one or more programmed units 3.

31299 T

These interconnection means, which must be customized depending on the technical configurations used to ensure communication, are not described here, since they are elements well known to those skilled in the art.

As mentioned above, information exchanges from or to the relay are performed according to a special im protocol.

We assume that this specialized communication protocol, referred to herein as P1, is actually defined by the above-mentioned IEC870.5 CS103 standard.

We assume that the communication protocol P2 used by the programmed unit 3 is different because of the need for communication between the programmed units 3 than between the relays.

Therefore, it is necessary to consider a protocol converter, which is implemented here at the interface device level "1" inserted between relay 2 and the programmed unit 3 in Figure 1. The converter here represents this interface device, for example, allows data transfers to be automatically organized periodically , measurement data transmission for control purposes, synchronization information for relay 2, messages chronologically identified separately for control purposes. The messages may also be configuration or relay parameterization information that is transmitted from a programmed unit 3.

The synchronization information provides a common time reference for the various relays so that they can also mark the information they send with time, especially when identifying a particular event. In this way, the messages are also marked with a time stamp already at the plant level with a selected time accuracy so that it is possible to determine the time sequence of detected events at the level of different relays in the case of a chain reaction. For example, the accuracy of the chronological identification resolution at one mihsecond level is considered.

The information provided by the P1 relay 2 for the programmed unit 3 is processed by the interface device 1 which is

31299 T programmed to present them in the form of their receipt under protocol P2. The reverse operation is performed for the information transmitted by the programmed unit 3 in the form of receiving it according to the P2 protocol intended for the relay. The description of the conversion software resources required for sequential operations of transforming one protocol to another is not given here, since it depends on the specific characteristics inherent in each type of the selected protocols P1 and P2 Their implementation requires the application of conventional techniques known to those skilled in the art.

Figure 2 represents a non-limiting example of a communication structure of a process control system for industrial operation, considering incorporating an interface device 1 according to the invention as a converter between a set of electrical protection relay 2 of a given installation and at least one programmed unit 3 of that installation.

The interface device 1 corresponds to that described with reference to Figure 1, as already indicated above with the set of electrical protection relays 2 showing possible differences, being considered at the installation level, and their common characteristic is that they can be programmed to use the communication device. P1 protocol as defined by IEC870.5-CS103.

These relays 2 are selected depending on the needs of the field installation. For example, these can be the ALSTOM EPAC 3000 protection relay or the RC316 line overload protection relay and the ABB differential protection relay RET316

The relays 2 are here connected to a local protective network 4, which is their own and which is, for example, an optical bus type or an RS485 electrical transmission connection type.

At least some of them may be interconnected via an auxiliary network 5 to a concentrating / deconcentrating device 6 which is interposed between the local protective network 4 and the auxiliary network 5. An example of the various types of this device may be a multiplexer or demultiplexer.

31299 T

Here, it is assumed that the interface device 1 is connected between the local protection network 4 and the work network 7 of the communication structure between the programmed units of the intended installation.

For example, this communication structure is based on a standardized WORLDFIP network such as the F8000 network. This network, as presented in Figure 2, is designed to integrate within it three levels of operational functions within which the programmed operational units are deployed. These three levels represent one level of process management and control, one level for process automation and one level for process I / O.

The programmed higher-level process control and process control units are presented herein as unit 8, which corresponds, for example, to the process control and control platform of the operator, or the operator control center, and unit 9 corresponds, for example, to a computer for the process. The unit 8 is here considered to be able to exchange information with the electrical protection relay 2, due to the interface to which this unit 8 is connected under the conditions mentioned below. The higher level units are connected to the communication network 10 of the communication structure of a given installation. This network is, for example, an Ethernet network or often an ALSPA S8000 network. On the one hand, it allows the use of the P2 protocol by higher-level units to communicate with each other, and on the other hand, allows them to communicate with the units one level down. In the example, they are shown as units 11 and 12, which are also connected to this network. In Figure 2, two units at the intermediate level were shown by way of example only. One is a unit 11 and functions as a circuit that receives information and then sends it to the desired addresses, allowing information to be exchanged between units, such as 8 and 1, that are at different levels but that use the same P2 protocol. The second unit 12 may be a control circuit for sequential automation applications, or a programmable electronic circuit for power control or otherwise.

31299τ

It can easily happen that the units at the input / output level of the processes are very different, and here they are symbolized by two units 13 and 14, which are connected to the same operational network 7 as the interface device 1, which is incorporated here as input. / output unit. “13” shows the units, which can be, for example, the so-called “units”. intelligent sensors, or triggers, control units for speed variators. Znázorňuje4 illustrates units that may be input / output units that allow communication with the various elements of the operational circuits that interact in the use of processes. These elements may be, for example, sensors 15 and / or conventional triggers 16, which are thus connected to the respective control element according to the level of process automation. In the present example, it is envisaged that the sensors and triggers communicate with a unit 13 which treats them via a bus 17, which is for example made of an electrical cable of insulated bibs.

It goes without saying that the above-mentioned units are given by way of example only. In the case of operating units organized by other appropriate means, the levels outlined above may also be reduced in number by grouping functions of one level together with functions of another level

Thus, in an operation equipped with the interface device 1 described above, it is possible at the same time to have the information provided by the electrical protection relay together with information relating to the power supply required for operation and information related to the operation of the process control system. provides great real-time management benefits that allow the operator to have the different information he needs in standard forms, and that can be displayed on the same monitor, even though they come from different sources. It is also possible for the operator to intervene at the level of protective relays, in particular for parameter modification and configuration updating, under the same conditions as for the other I / O units represented in units 1 and 13 in Figure 1. This can be realized for each operating unit that is programmed,

31299 T thereby enabling the described operations. It is also possible to use an external or remote computer suitably connected to one of the units or one of the networks contained within the structure of the system.

Claims (3)

An interface device for an industrial operation electrical protection relay assembly (2) equipped with a process control system comprising programmed operation units (8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14) that communicate with each other according to a defined communication protocol (P2) via at least one networks (7) within a distributed time communication structure for traffic control, characterized in that it is provided with at least material means for the connections (0,0 ') enabling it to be connected separately from one side to the relay and from the other side to the a network serving units of a given structure for the purpose of transmitting information, further equipped with software means for conversion enabling address transmission to at least one unit according to protocol (P2) commonly used by units between them, the transmission of information provided by the relay according to another protocol (P1) ) commonly used by these relays, and vice versa, the apparatus may transmit information to the relay according to a protocol commonly used by these relays, the information provided to it by at least one processing unit according to a protocol commonly used by these units. An industrial plant comprising a process control system and a set of electrical protection relays (2), said system comprising programmed operational units (8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14) that communicate with each other according to a defined communication protocol (P2) via at least one network (7) within a split-time communication structure for traffic management, characterized in that said operation comprises at least one interface device equipped with material connection means (0,0 ') enabling it to connect separately from one side on the relay, and on the other hand to the network serving units of the structure for the purpose of information transmission, the interface device is further equipped with 31299 T means for conversion to allow address transmission to at least one protocol unit (P2) shared by these units, which is the transmission of information provided by the relay according to another protocol (P1) commonly used by these relays, and vice versa, transmitted to the relay according to the protocol commonly used by these relays, the information provided to it by at least one operating unit according to the protocol commonly used by these units. Industrial operation according to claim 2, wherein the interface device (1) for the electric protection relay (2) is connected to one operating network (7) of the plant installation structure to which at least a plurality of process input / output units (13) are connected. 14) a control system and at least one higher level unit (11, 12) of the system.