WO2008047386A2

WO2008047386A2 - An electricity network management system

Info

Publication number: WO2008047386A2
Application number: PCT/IN2007/000485
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karapureddy Veera Venkata Reddy
Original assignee: Speck System Limited
Priority date: 2006-10-17
Filing date: 2007-10-17
Publication date: 2008-04-24
Also published as: WO2008047386A3; WO2008047387A2; WO2008047387A3

Abstract

This invention relates to an electricity network management system built on client server technology to address the customer relationship management, energy audit, asset data management, network breakdown analysis, trouble call management etc., functions of power distribution companies. The system of the present invention is a highly scalable, full functional GIS offered in desktop/client-server/web-based architectures. It supports spatial analysis, network topology and highly productive tools for application development. Employing a flexible integration framework, the product integrates the core GIS functionality with new customer management, network analysis, energy audit and asset management modules. It also has built-in interfaces for SCADA, billing systems and call center.

Description

AN ELECTRICITY NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

This invention relates to an electricity network management system built on client server technology to address the customer relationship management, energy audit, asset data management, network breakdown analysis, and trouble call management etc., functions of power distribution companies.

The system of the present invention is a highly scalable, full functional GIS offered in desktop/client-server/web-based architectures. It supports spatial analysis, network topology and highly productive tools for application development. Employing a flexible integration framework, the product integrates the core GIS functionality with new customer management, network analysis, energy audit and asset management modules. It also has built-in interfaces for SCADA, billing systems and call center.

DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART

Electricity distribution is a very important to each country and so far in India, only paper records are kept. The paper records are in a derelict state due to poor archival procedures. Different offices under the state governments maintain these records for example State Electricity boards and its subordinate offices. To restore them and to have a single point access to keep them up-to-date, the need of the hour is to assimilate the available land records. These records have several attributes to be taken into consideration. Some of these attributes are recorded in local languages and have to be parsed accurately, for correct information to be obtained.

Data for use in any application can be collected and stored using digital means. Further, meaningful information can be rendered from this data by running appropriate methods and displaying this information. Reports with subsets of information pertinent to the user of the system can also be generated. Several tools are available in the market to collect spatial data. These tools allow the collection, analysis and display of spatial data. These tools do not include the integration of non-spatial data such as consumer details, customer names and addresses, type of connection etc., and for the purpose of managing a network of electricity-delivering nodes and structures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to present a system where an electrical sub- system including the location of the nodes delivering electricity and the consumers of this electricity, play a part. Using an approach, which caters to a highly networked environment, with several users, the present invention, integrates spatial and non-spatial data to provide a top-down, user-friendly system to help analyze, integrate and maintain all aspects of electrical distribution and utility networks.

Accordingly this invention provides an Electricity Network Management System, which aggregates information about different components of the electricity network. These networks typically include a plurality of components including Low Tension (LT) poles, High Tension (HT) poles, Distribution Transformers (DTR) and substations (SS). Further, Consumer Index Numbers (CESf) and Service Consumer Numbers (SCN) index these.

Spatial information relating to such systems would include the location of the actual components and the various nodes in the network. The data is collected in a graphical manner and integrated into a GIS. Data collected would include the performance characteristics, downtime, failure patterns, connectivity information and sub-networks in the main electricity system. Further, non-spatial data such as consumer details pertaining to usage, billing and complaints can be collected and maintained for future use.

The benefit of such information is manifold. First, the consumer details can be aggregated and displayed on a sub-station basis. This helps in analyzing billing information besides responding in a timely fashion to complaints about power failures. Second, the faults in the electricity network can be localized and analyzed, when this information is available for a response team to use. This implies that when a power failure occurs, since the present invention has information about every component, aggregated and indexed by substation information, it is easy to pinpoint the location of the error and perhaps provide a solution. Further, connectivity along the network could be lost due to several reasons, hi the case of electricity networks, the size of the network is huge and tracing the problem to specific parts of the network and presenting the same to the user, is important. Visualizing such information in an intuitive way speeds up response time, besides providing accurate understanding of where the fault lies.

The system of the present invention is modular and allows viewing details at several levels in the hierarchy of the network including, substations, LT details, HT details, consumer details and DTR details. Further, the user has the option of choosing specific components, such as poles and getting even more detailed information on the same. Tracing functions are made available in order to accurately visualize individual points of failure.

The system used in the present invention includes a hierarchical representation of spatially distributed data. Further, there are components employed to aggregate and collate spatial and non-spatial information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 describes the start of the process within the Electricity Network Management

System, where a survey geo data store is accessed.

Fig. 2 shows how a consumer can choose the level of detail in the Electricity Network

Management System that he wishes to gather information about.

Fig. 3 shows the processing of details pertaining to a low transmission pole. Specific network component with the Electricity Network Management System. Fig. 4 shows the processing of the details of a High Tension line with the Electricity Network Management System.

Fig. 5 shows the processing at a substation with the Electricity Network Management System. Fig. 6 shows the load flow analysis and report generation thereof. Fig. 7 shows the overall layout of the system.

DETAaED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An Electricity Network Management System

Figure 1 describes the start of the process where a survey geo data store 100 is accessed. There is an initial validation of user privileges 101 followed by an authentication check 102. This step can lead back to the step of validating user privileges 101, in case the validation failed. Upon successful validation, the user has the option of successfully viewing and editing the map 104. The process of viewing/editing the map 104 is followed by the step of network tracing 106, which is followed by a check to see if the element exists 108. If the element exists, the traced network is highlighted 117. If not, the system continuously checks to see if the element exists. The process of viewing/editing the map 104 can include the step of accessing the network breakdown analysis 103. When a network breakdown analysis is requested, the system checks to see if the element ID exists 107. If the ID exists, the network breakdown is presented and control is transferred back to the map viewing/editing 104 part. If not, the process of network breakdown analysis 103 is revisited as long as the user enters a valid id or chooses to go back, m case the user wishes to perform network-editing 105, the user has three choices of adding a new element 109, modifying an existing element 110 or deletes an existing element 111. Following the last two steps 110, 111, there is a check to see if the element ID exists 113. If the element ID does not exists, the steps 110, 111 are re-visited. If the check for the existence of the element ED is passed, all three steps 109, 110, 111, converge in a common step of applying a business rule process 114. This step is followed by the step checking to see if the rule has been satisfied 115. If so, the Geo Database is updated 116. If not, the user can choose again between the map viewing/editing 104, or network editing 105.

Figure 2 shows how a consumer 200 can choose the level of detail he wishes to gather information about. There are three levels at which the consumer can explore the system. There is the pole 201 level, the DTR 202 level and the substation 203 level. AU these steps are followed by a check to see if the LT pole is selected 204, 205, 206. If the LT pole is not selected, these steps of selecting the pole 201, DTR 202 or substation 203 level views are re-visited. In case the LT Pole is selected 204 subsequent to the case of the pole view 201 there is a check to see if the connected feature has been selected 208. If the feature has not been selected 208 is repeated until the feature is selected. In case the feature is selected the selected element is highlighted 212. This is followed by a check to see if the SC number has been selected 215. In this case, if the number has not been selected, the process of checking 215 is re-visited (or the system stays in that state, until a selection is made). In case the SC number is selected, the correct consumer data is displayed 218. In case the LT pole is selected 205 in the case of the DTR view 202, a trace for the DTR from the selected pole is created 209. This is followed by a check to see if the connected feature is selected 213. If this is not so, the system stays in that state unless a selection is made. If the check passes and a feature has been selected, the details of the connected feature are displayed 216. This is followed by a check to see if an SC number is selected. If no selection has been made, the system stays in that state until a selection has been made. If selection has been made, the selected consumer data is displayed 221. If an LT pole has not been selected 206, in the case of a substation view 203, there is a check to see if the CESf has been entered 207. If no CESf has been entered, the system keeps checking to see if the LT pole has been selected 206. If a CESf has been entered, the respective pole is highlighted 211. If the LT pole has been selected 206, there is the trace created to that substation from that selected pole 210. This step of trace creation can also be reached after the pole is highlighted 211. After a trace to a substation is created 210, there is a check to see if the connected feature is selected 214. If so, the details of the connected features that have been taken into account during tracing are displayed 217. Further, there is a check to see if the SC number has been selected 220. If no selection has been made, the system stays in that state until a selection has been made. If selection has been made, the selected consumer data is displayed 222.

Figure 3 shows the processing of the details of a High Tension line 300. There are two modules, one with the focus on substation 301, and another, which allows the user to analyze a breakdown 302. When the substation module is selected 301. There is a check to see if a HT pole selected 303. If the pole has not been selected, the system remains in the same state until a selection is made. If a pole has been selected, a trace to show the connectivity to the substation is created 305. After the breakdown analysis 302, there is a check to see if the HT pole has been selected 304. If not, the system stays in that state until a selection is made. If a pole has been selected, the breakdown features are highlighted 306. This is followed by the step of displaying the affected customers 307. The system does not change state until an affected asset has been selected 308. When such an asset has been selected, the details pertaining to that asset are displayed 309.

Figure 4 shows the processing of details pertaining to a low transmission pole 400. The customer can ask for details pertaining to all customers 401, or details pertaining to distribution transformers (DTR) 402, or details pertaining to substations, or request a network breakdown analysis 404. Following the steps of 401, 402, 403, 404, there is a check to see if the LT pole has been selected 405, 406, 407, 408. The system stays in the same state, until a selection has been made. If a selection has been made 405, the consumer details on the selected pole are displayed 409. This is followed by a check to see if the connected feature is selected 413. If so, the connected feature is highlighted on a map 417. If not, the check is performed again. Li the case an LT pole has been selected 406 in the DTR step 402, the connectivity to the DTR from the selected pole is traced 410 and the consumer details on the selected pole are displayed 421. There is a check to see if the connected feature has been selected 414. The system stays in the state until a selection has been made. If a selection has been made, the connected feature details en-route the tracing are displayed 418. hi the case of the selection of a substation 403, if an LT pole is selected 407, the connectivity to the substation from the selected pole is traced 411 and the consumer details on the selected pole are displayed 422. This is followed by a check to see if the connected feature is selected 415. The system stays in that state until a selection has been made. Upon the selection of a connected feature, the connected feature details en-rout the tracing are displayed 419. In the network breakdown analysis selection 404, when an LT pole is selected 408, the affected poles are highlighted 412. This is followed by displaying the details of the affected consumers 416, followed by a check to see if the connected feature is selected 420. The system stays in that state until a selection has been made. Upon the selection of a connected feature, the feature details in the breakdown are displayed 423.

Figure 5 shows the processing at a substation 500. The details that can be obtained pertain to consumers 501, LT details 502, HT details 503 and DTR details 504. All these steps are followed by a check to see if the substation feature is selected 506, 507, 508, 509. If no selection is made, the system remains in that state. If a selection is made, then the corresponding details are displayed, hi the case of the consumers 501, the consumer details under the selected substation are displayed 511. In the case of LT details 502, the LT Network details are displayed and highlighted 512. In the case of HT details 503, the HT network details are displayed and highlighted 513. hi the case of DTR details 504, there is a display and highlighting of DTR Network details 514.

Figure 6 shows the access to a Geo-Data store 600 which is followed by user- authentication 601. This is followed by a facility provided to the user for Viewing/Editing Maps 602. This is followed by a check to see if an element id is selected 603. The system stays in the View/Edit mode 602, until a selection is made. If a selection is made, a Load Flow analysis 605 is performed which is informed by electrical parameters 604. The load flow analysis is followed by a report generation process 606 which is concluded by the generation of a hard copy of the report 607.

Figure 7 shows the processing at a distribution transformer 700. There is a choice for the user to view the activities of all consumers 701, the LT pole 702 or an LT line 707. In the case of all consumers 701, there is a continuous check to see if the DTR has been selected

702. If so, the details of the consumer under the selected DTR are displayed 703. If an LT pole has been selected 704, there is a continuous check to see if the DTR has been selected 705. If so, the details of the LT poles under the selected DTR are displayed 706. If an LT line has been selected 707, there is a continuous check to see if the DTR has been selected 708. If so, the details of the LT lines under the selected DTR are displayed 709.

The key functionalities of the Electricity Network Management system of the present invention are as follows:

• Network Feature Editing. • Network Tracing.

• Network Breakdown Analysis.

• Dynamic Generation of SLD (single Line Diagram).

• Customer Relationship Management.

• Asset Management. • Trouble Call Management (TCM).

• Scale Dependent Display of Data.

• Attribute Driven Symbology for Electrical Entities.

• Interface to biling data for Energy Audit.

• Query Builder Tool • Labelling or annotation of layers based on Attribute Data.

• Import/Exporting of various GIS Formats.

• Dynamic Legend Control

• Printing and Plotting of Data.

Claims

1. A system to enable end-to-end, hierarchical Electricity Network Management, analysis and integration of data with spatial and non-spatial attributes, having one or more networked entities and users with access to an automatic, modular, user- friendly, secure and high-performance framework comprising: a. One or more data aggregation components, which enable the aggregation of data present in a plurality of formats; b. One or more data manipulation components, which enable the modification of data; and c. One or more data retrieval components, which enable transparent data updation and retrieval in a plurality of formats based on user-specified parameters incorporating one or more models and events to process the data and render efficient data-management, such that the users are able to interact through a graphical interface, bi-directionally.

2. A system of claim 1 wherein the high-performance framework enables the incorporation of: a. Behavioral requirements such as creation, manipulation and secure authenticated access to the system; and b. Non-behavioral requirements such as those pertaining to performance, portability and concurrency.

3. A system of claim 1 wherein the end application is in the area of Electricity

Network Management System comprising: a. A data aggregation component having a central data-store, with data pertaining to various components of the electricity networks such as Low

Tension (LT) poles, High Tension (HT) poles, Distribution Transformers (DTR) and substations (SS further indexed by Consumer Index Numbers (CIN) and Service Consumer Numbers (SCN) to enable efficient administration of the network; b. A data manipulation component to enable rendering the data, with both spatial and non-spatial attributes, as meaningful information, while performing some main functions, such that: i. performance characteristics, down-time, failure patterns, connectivity information and sub-networks in the main electricity system can be accessed, recorded and analyzed; ϋ. non-spatial data such as consumer details pertaining to usage, billing and complaints can be collected and maintained for future use; iii. billing information can be analyzed, besides responding in a timely fashion to complaints about power failures; ^* iv. faults in the electricity network can be localized and analyzed, when this information is available for a response team to use implying that when a power failure occurs, since the present invention has information about every component, aggregated and indexed by substation information, it is easy to pinpoint the location of the error and perhaps provide a solution; and v. The source of errors can be visualized, along the complex network and timely backups can be provided, while reducing down time by means of efficient tracing functionalities. c. A data retrieval component, which enables all the networked entities, with proper access rights, to access, manipulate and update the information they require.

4. An Electricity Network Management System of claim 1 wherein the data manipulation component comprises the means for: a. Accessing the survey geo data; b. Validating user privileges followed by an authentication check; i. Unsuccessful validation leads back to the step of prompting the user to enter a valid set of credentials; c. Upon successful validation, the user has the option of successfully viewing and editing the map; d. Network tracing followed by a check to see if the element exists; i. If the element exists, the traced network is highlighted; and ii. If not, the system continuously checks to see if the element exists. e. The process of viewing/editing the map including the step of accessing the network breakdown analysis such that when a network breakdown analysis is requested: i. the system checks to see if the element ID exists;

1. If the ID exists, the network breakdown is presented and control is transferred back to the map viewing/editing part; and 2. If not, the process of network breakdown analysis 103 is revisited as long as the user enters a valid id or chooses to go back. f. In case the user wishes to perform network editing the user is presented with three choices of adding a new element, modifying an existing element or deleting an existing element; i. If the user wishes to modify or delete an element:

1. Checking to see if the element ID exists;

2. If the element ID exists, converging in a common step, including when a user wants to add a new element, of applying a business rule process;

3. Checking to see if the rule has been satisfied: a. If so, the Geo Database is updated; and b. If not, the user can choose again between the map viewing/editing, or network editing.

5. An Electricity Network Management System of claim 1 wherein the data manipulation component allows a consumer to obtain views at the pole, DTR or substation level comprising the means for: a. Taking input from the user about the view that they wish to analyze; b. Performing a check to see if the LT pole for the pole view is selected; i. If the LT pole is not selected, these steps of accepting user-input

(a) is re- visited; and ii. hi case the LT Pole is selected subsequent to the case of the pole view there is a check to see if the connected feature has been selected;

1. If the feature has not been selected ϋ is repeated until the feature is selected;

2. In case the feature is selected the selected element is highlighted. 3. Performing a check to see if the SC number has been selected: a. If the number has not been selected, the process of checking is re-visited (or the system stays in that state, until a selection is made); and b. hi case the SC number is selected, the correct consumer data is displayed. c. hi case the LT pole is selected in the case of the DTR view: i. Creating a trace for the DTR from the selected pole; ii. Checking to see if the connected feature is selected: 1. If this is not so, the system stays in that state unless a selection is made;

2. If the check passes and a feature has been selected, the details of the connected feature are displayed;

3. Checking to see if an SC number is selected: a. If no selection has been made, the system stays in that state until a selection has been made; and b. If selection has been πiade, the selected consumer data is displayed. d. If an LT pole has not been selected in the case of a substation view: i. Checking to see if the CIN has been entered: 1. If no CIN has been entered, the system keeps checking to see if the LT pole has been selected; and 2. If a CIN has been entered, the respective pole is highlighted; e. If the LT pole has been selected in the case of a substation view: i. Creating a trace to that substation from that selected pole wherein this step of trace creation can also be reached after the pole is highlighted; ii. Checking to see if the connected feature is selected:

1. If so, the details of the connected features that have been taken into account during tracing are displayed;

2. Checking to see if the SC number has been selected: a. If no selection has been made, the system stays in that state until a selection has been made; and b. If selection has been made, the selected consumer data is displayed.

6. An Electricity Network Management System of claim 1 wherein the data manipulation component allows users to obtain views at one or more High Tension (HT) poles, having two modules one with the focus on substation, and another which allows the user to analyze a breakdown comprising the means for: a. When the substation module is selected, checking to see if a HT pole selected: i. If the pole has not been selected, the system remains in the same state until a selection is made; and ii. If a pole has been selected, a trace to show the connectivity to the substation is created. b. If breakdown analysis has been selected, checking to see if the HT pole has been selected: i. If not, the system stays in that state until a selection is made; ii. If a pole has been selected, the breakdown features are highlighted; iii. Displaying the affected customers; iv. The system does not change state until an affected asset has been selected; and v. When such an asset has been selected, the details pertaining to that asset are displayed.

7. An Electricity Network Management System of claim 1 wherein the data manipulation component allows users to obtain views at one or more Low

Tension (LT) poles, allowing users to ask for details pertaining to all customers, distribution transformers, substations or a network breakdown analysis comprising the means for: a. Checking to see if the LT pole has been selected; b. The system stays in the same state, until a selection has been made; c. If a selection has been made for consumer details: i. The consumer details on the selected pole are displayed. ii. This is followed by a check to see if the connected feature is selected;

1. If so, the connected feature is highlighted on a map; and

2. If not, the check is performed again. d. If a selection has been made for DTR details: i. Tracing the connectivity to the DTR from the selected; ii. Displaying the consumer details on the selected pole; ϋi. Checking to see if the connected feature has been selected; iv. The system stays in the state until a selection has been made; v. If a selection has been made, the connected feature details en-route the tracing are displayed; e. In the case of the selection of a substation, if an LT pole is selected: i. Tracing the connectivity to the substation from the selected; ii. Displaying the consumer details on the selected pole are displayed; iii. Checking to see if the connected feature is selected; . iv. The system stays in that state until a selection has been made; v. Upon the selection of a connected feature, the connected feature details en-route the tracing are displayed. f. In the network breakdown analysis selection, when an LT pole is selected, the affected poles are highlighted followed by displaying the details of the affected consumers, followed by a check to see if the connected feature is selected wherein the system stays in that state until a selection has been made and upon the selection of a connected feature, the feature details in the breakdown are displayed.

8. An Electricity Network Management System of claim 1 wherein the data manipulation component allows users to obtain views at one or more Substations

(SS), allowing users to ask for details pertaining to all consumers, LT poles, HT poles and DTR comprising the means for: a. Checking to see if a feature (consumers, LT poles, HT poles and DTR) has been selected; i. If no selection is made, the system remains in that state; and ii. If a selection is made, then the corresponding details are displayed;

9. An Electricity Network Management System of claim 1 wherein the data manipulation component allows users to obtain views at one or more Distribution Transformers (DTR), allowing users to ask for details pertaining to all customers,

LT poles and LT lines poles comprising the means for: a. Checking to see which of customers, LT poles or LT lines, the user has chosen; and b. Displaying the relevant details, if the DTR has been selected accurately.

10. An Electricity Network Management System of claim 1 wherein the data retrieval component comprises the means for: a. Accessing a Geo-Data store; b. User-authentication; c. Allowing the user to View/Edit Maps; d. Checking to see if an element identifier is selected; e. The system stays in the View/Edit mode, until a selection is made; f. If a selection is made, a Load Flow analysis is performed which is informed by electrical parameters; and g. Generating report and producing hard copies of the report.