Resilient communication for an electric power delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9705305-B2
Application number	US-201414265018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A system for resiliently monitoring an electric power delivery system may include a plurality of server intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) configured to monitor and/or control the electric power delivery system. Each server IED may be communicatively coupled to a client control system by a plurality of communication paths. If a communication path fails, communication may continue along another path. In an embodiment, the client control system may include dual primary client controllers that continually request information from the server IEDs using multiple of the communication paths. The client controllers may request information from each other if the information is not received from the server IEDs, for example, due to a communication failure. In an embodiment, the client control system and server IEDs may be communicatively coupled in a loop topology, and each direction around the loop may be a distinct communication path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for providing resilient monitoring of an electric power delivery system, the system comprising:
a first client controller;
a second client controller communicatively coupled to the first client controller;
first and second client radios, wherein each client radio is communicatively coupled to the first client controller and the second client controller;
a plurality of server intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), each server IED communicatively coupled to first and second server radios,
wherein each of the server radios is configured to communicatively couple to at least one other radio using a plurality of data channels, and
wherein each server IED is communicatively coupled to the first and second client controllers by a plurality of communication paths;
wherein the plurality of communication paths comprise a first loop communication path including client radios and server radios communicating in a first direction and a second loop communication path including client radios and server radios communicating in a second direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each server IED is directly communicatively coupled by the first server radio to a first neighbor and by the second server radio to a second neighbor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first server radio is configured to provide communications received from the first neighbor to the second server radio for transmission to the second neighbor.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first server radio of at least one server IED provides the communications to the second server radio by providing the communications to the at least one server IED for forwarding to the second server radio, and wherein the at least one server IED is configured to forward to the second server radio communications not destined for the at least one server IED.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first communication path couples the first client controller to each of the plurality of server IEDs, and wherein a second communication path couples the second client controller to each of the plurality of server IEDs.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of server IEDs are communicatively coupled in a loop topology.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each server radio is configured to use a first data channel to communicate requests in a first loop direction and a second data channel to communicate requests in a second loop direction.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first client controller is configured to:
determine that a request for information sent to a first server IED failed to generate a response; and
request the information from the second client controller.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second client controllers perform duplicative functions.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of data channels carries a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) protocol.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one server IED is out of range of direct communication from the first and second client controllers.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data channels between a first server IED and a second server IED are carried on a single wireless coupling.

13. A first automation control device for monitoring an electric power delivery system, the device comprising:
a processor;
a communication interface coupleable to a second automation control device and first and second radios, the second automation control device in communication with the first and second radios; and
a memory comprising a data gathering module for gathering monitored system data from a plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) using a first radio communication path, the data gathering module configured to:
detect a communicative coupling to the second automation control device, wherein the second automation control device is communicatively coupled to the plurality of IEDs by a second radio communication path independent from the first radio communication path,
transmit a request for information to at least one of the plurality of IEDs using at least one of the first and second radios,
determine that no response was received to the request for information, and
request the information from the second automation control device.

14. A method for providing resilient communication among monitoring devices for an electric power delivery system, the method comprising:
communicatively coupling each of a first and a second client radio with a client control system;
communicatively coupling each of a plurality of server radio pairs to a corresponding server intelligent electronic device (IED); and
communicatively coupling each server radio in each server radio pair to at least one other radio, wherein communicatively coupling each server radio comprises communicatively coupling the plurality of server radio pairs in a loop topology;
wherein the plurality of server radio pairs provide a plurality of communications paths between each server IED and the client control system;
wherein the plurality of communication paths comprise a first loop communication path including client radios and server radios communicating in a first direction and a second loop communication path including client radios and server radios communicating in a second direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising communicatively coupling a first server radio in a first server radio pair to a second server radio in the first server radio pair, wherein the second server radio transmits communications received by the first server radio.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the client control system comprises a plurality of automation controllers.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein communicatively coupling each server radio comprises coupling a plurality of data channels between each server radio and the at least one other radio.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of data channels are carried over a single wireless coupling.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein each server radio is configured to use a first data channel to communicate requests in a first loop direction and a second data channel to communicate requests in a second loop direction.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of data channels carries a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) protocol.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one server IED is out of range of direct communication from the client control system.

22. A first automation control device for monitoring an electric power delivery system, the device comprising:
a processor;
a communication interface coupleable to a second automation control device and first and second radios; and
a memory comprising a data gathering module for gathering monitored system data from a plurality of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) using a first radio communication path, the data gathering module configured to:
detect a communicative coupling to the second automation control device, wherein the second automation control device is communicatively coupled to the plurality of IEDs by a second radio communication path independent from the first radio communication path,
transmit a request for information to at least one of the plurality of IEDs using at least one of the first and second radios and the first radio communication path,
determine that no response was received to the request for inform

Assignees

• Schweitzer Engineering Lab Inc

Inventors

• Dolezilek David J
• Kalra Amandeep Singh

Classifications

• H02H1/0061 Primary

  concerning transmission of signals (transmission of measured quantities or switching orders; sectionalised protection involving signal transmission between at least two stations H02H7/261; comparison of the voltage or current values at two spaced portions of a single system H02H3/28; transferring the output of a sensing member to another variable G01D5/00; electrical measuring arrangements using modulation of electromagnetic waves, e.g. light beams G01R15/24, G01R15/26) · CPC title

• Y04S40/12

  characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment · CPC title

• Y04S10/18

  using switches, relays or circuit breakers, e.g. intelligent electronic devices [IED] · CPC title

• H02J13/333

  the equipment forming part of substations · CPC title

• H02J13/36

  specially adapted for protection systems · CPC title