WO2015158366A1

WO2015158366A1 - Simplified exchange of data between devices

Info

Publication number: WO2015158366A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/057587
Authority: WO
Inventors: Holger Heine; Clemens Hoga
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2014-04-15
Filing date: 2014-04-15
Publication date: 2015-10-22

Abstract

A method for exchanging data between one or more devices in an electrical system is disclosed. A first step of the method disclosed in the present invention is, storing a predefined data in a plurality of devices of the one or more devices. At next step, at least one messaging template is received at the plurality of devices from the one or more devices. The at least one messaging template have a plurality of data fields. At a final step of the method disclosed in the present invention, the predefined data is copied in at least one data field of the plurality of data fields to form at least one message.

Description

Simplified exchange of data between devices The present invention relates to a method and system for simplified exchange of data between devices and more particularly, to a method and system for simplified and time- optimized exchange of data between devices of a substation network using a multicast service.

An electrical substation is an important part of electrical generation, transmission and distribution system. Power systems like the electrical substations include plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) . The functions of IEDs are, but not limited to, monitoring, control and automation of the electrical substation. Each IED of the substation performs different function and is typically manufactured by different manufacturers. Similarly, the communication protocols, messaging structures and messaging sequences used often varies from IED to IED. As there was a need of easily networked IEDs from different manufacturers i.e. there was a need of merging the communication capabilities of the IEDs from various manufacturers hence the International Electro- technical Commission (IEC) instituted a standard for Communi- cation Networks and Systems in Substations. This standard is commonly known as and is defined in the IEC 61850.

IEC 61850 is a communication standard for substation automation and it also covers qualitative properties of engineer- ing-tools, measures for quality management, and configuration management for the substation. IEC 61850 further provides both high-speed communication for protection/control functions and medium speed communication (e.g., through messaging) for monitoring power system quantities and status over a network such as, for example, Ethernet local area networks

(LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) . IEC 61850 defines a Generic Object-Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) protocol which is a high-speed messaging protocol useful for communicating protection and/or control functions and status between different IEDs .

In GOOSE protocol any format of data like value, status, etc. is grouped together in a data set and transmitted within a defined time period. GOOSE data is directly embedded into Ethernet data packets and it works on publisher- subscriber messaging pattern. In the publisher- subscriber messaging pattern senders of messages, called publishers, categorize the messages into classes without the knowledge of specific receivers, known as subscriber. Similarly, the subscribers receive messages on the basis of the message class without the knowledge of the message sender i.e. publisher. To achieve a communication between different IEDs individual communication paths are configured. To save bandwidth in communication networks, each communication path is configured specially with IEC 61850 and trigger options are set for transferring corresponding messages. For example, events like voltage increases or drops below a defined limit, temperature goes beyond a safe limit, etc. corresponds to triggering a transfer of one or more predefined messages between one or more IEDs of the substation. The triggering of transfer of messages among the IEDs on occurrence of an event is primar- ily achieved by software installed within the substation i.e. the role of hardware in the mechanism of triggering messages based on events is very limited or negligible.

From the foregoing it is clearly evident that event trigger- ing and the transfer of message is software supported hence it is not suitable for quick hardware implementation especially in case of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) . Also, the parameterization and configuration of the communication paths is not an automated process and requires a precise thinking and knowledge of device configuration.

From the foregoing it can be inferred that there is need of a quick and hardware supported method for parameterization and configuration of the communication paths that can be used by IEDs for mutual communication in an electrical substation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hardware supported method and system for parameterization and configuration of the communication paths for IEDs mutual communication .

The object is achieved by providing a method for exchanging data between one or more devices according to claim 1. Further embodiments of the present invention are addressed in the dependent claims.

In an aspect of the present invention, a method for exchang- ing data between one or more devices in an electrical system is disclosed. A first step of the method disclosed in the present invention is, storing a predefined data in a plurality of devices of the one or more devices. At next step, at least one messaging template is received at the plurality of devices from the one or more devices. The at least one messaging template have a plurality of data fields. At a final step of the method disclosed in the present invention, the predefined data is copied in at least one data field of the plurality of data fields to form at least one message.

Further in accordance with the aspect of the present invention, one or more groups of devices are defined for the one or more devices before storing the predefined data in the plurality of devices.

Also, in accordance with the aspect of the present invention, the predefined data is predefined for at least one process of the electrical system. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for exchanging data between one or more devices according. The present invention is further described hereinafter with reference to illustrated embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG 1 illustrates a substation with multiple groups of devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Various embodiments are described with reference to the draw- ings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purpose of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. It may be evident that such embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

FIG 1 illustrates a substation 100 with multiple groups of devices 102 and 104. In an embodiment of the invention, the substation includes one group of devices. In another embodi- ment of the invention, the substation 100 has more than two groups of devices. The devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B of the groups 102 and 104 respectively, are intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) or other field devices which can be used for monitoring, control or automation of the substation 100. The groups of devices 102 and 104 form ring structures as illustrated in FIG 1. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the group of devices 102 and 104 form a tree structure or a structure known in the state of the art . In another embodiment of the present invention the group of devices 102 has a different structure than the group of devices 104. The groups of devices 102 and 104 are formed based on various parameters associated with the devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B. The parameters that can be consider for grouping the devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B together are, but not limited to, physical location of the device, priority of operation of the device, operation performed by the device and so on. In an embodiment of the present invention, a de- vice 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B can be part of more than one group 102 and 104.

The groups of devices 102 and 104 are connected to a control - ler 110 through links 106 and 108 respectively as illustrated in FIG 1. The controller 110 facilitates communication among the devices 102A, 102B, 104A, 104B and it is also capable of facilitating communication between the multiple groups of devices 102 and 104. In an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 110 is an IED or a group of IEDs and/or field devices. A messaging protocol is used by all devices of the groups 102 and 104 for mutual communication. The controller 110 can also be the part of the mutual communication of the devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B and is capable of communi- eating by using the messaging protocol. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the messaging protocol is GOOSE protocol .

Messages defined under the messaging protocol contain data, but not limited to, status, value, control commands and monitoring parameters. The messages of the messaging protocol contain above mentioned data in one or more data fields. The data of the data fields varies according to one or more process. For example, a first set of messages contain a first data field and second data field for a first process, on the other hand a second set of messages contain the first data field and a third data field for a second process. In other words, a set of messages are defined for each process of the one or more processes. Similarly, for each process of the one or more processes at least one data field contains specific pre-defined data.

The messages of the messaging protocol can be configured automatically as a template in a way that the at least one data field sent to a pre-defined groups of devices 102 and 104 of the system 100, shown in FIG 1, as in a distributed data basis. The devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B of the groups 102 and 104 respectively, will send such a pre-defined message as a partial mapping of the one or more processes, as multicast. Thus, all the devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B of the groups 102 and 104 will have a common process image. The specific data for the one or more data fields related to the one or more processes are predefined and present in a parameterizing tool as templates and can be selected by a user or by using a selection algorithm. The specific data can saved in memory units associated with the devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B of the groups 102 and 104 respectively. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a first set of messages for a first process has a first and a second data fields. The data of the first data field of the first set of messages is predefined for the first process. Also according to the exemplary embodiment, the first set of messages is applicable for the group of devices 102 shown in FIG 1. Then the pre-defined data of the first data filed will be saved in all the devices of the group 102 including devices 102A and 102B. All the devices 102A, 102B, 104A and 104B shown in FIG 1 have a memory unit, not shown in figure. The pre-defined data of the first data filed will be saved in the memory units associated with all the devices of group 102 including devices 102A and 102B. During mutual communication through the messaging protocol between the devices of groups 102 the first set of messages transmitted from the group of devices 102 will only contain data in the second data field and when the message is received by any device of the group 102 then the predefined data will be copied from the memory unit of the device to the first data field of the message.

In an embodiment of the present invention, any device of the groups 102 and 104 can initially send a validity message to all other devices of the groups 102 and 104 via the messaging protocol. The validity message can be, but not limited to, an address of the device. The devices of the groups 102 and 104 that receive the validity message will copy the predefined data stored in the memory units of the devices from the memory units to a working memory of the device. In another em- bodiment of the present invention, the working memory of the device can be random access memory (RAM) .

It is evident from the foregoing description of the present invention that the invention provides a quick and hardware supported method for parameterization and configuration of the communication paths that can be used by IEDs for mutual communication in an electrical system. While the present invention has been described in detail with reference to certain embodiments, it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those embodiments. In view of the present disclosure, many modifications and variations would present themselves, to those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of various embodiments of the present invention, as described herein. The scope of the present invention is, therefore, indicated by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes, modifications, and variations coming within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be considered within their scope.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging data between one or more devices (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B) in an electrical system, the method comprises:

- storing a predefined data in a plurality of devices (102A, 102B) of the one or more devices (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B) ;

- receiving at least one messaging template at the plu- rality of devices (102A, 102B) from the one or more devices (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B) wherein the at least one messaging template have a plurality of data fields; and

- copying the predefined data in at least one data field of the plurality of data fields to form at least one message .

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprises a step of defining one or more groups (102, 104) for the one or more devices (102A, 102B, 104A, 104B) before storing the predefined data in the plurality of devices (102A, 102B) .

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predefined data is predefined for at least one process of the elec- trical system.