ANALYSING DATA COMMUNICATION IN A PROCESS CONTROL OR SUBSTATION AUTOMATION SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of process control systems for controlling large-scale industrial processes, and in particular to substation automation systems for operating substations in high and medium- voltage power networks. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of evaluating the data flow between intelligent electronic devices of the process control or substation automation system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Process control or industrial automation systems are used extensively to protect, control and monitor industrial processes in industrial plants for e.g. manufacturing goods, transforming substances, or generating power, as well as to monitor and control distributed primary systems like electric power, water or gas supply systems or telecommunication systems, including their respective substations. An industrial automation system generally has a large number of process controllers distributed in an industrial plant or over a distributed primary system, and communicatively interconnected via a communication system.

Substations in high and medium- voltage power networks include primary devices such as electrical cables, lines, bus bars, switches, power transformers and instrument transformers, which are generally arranged in switch yards and/or bays. These primary devices are operated in an automated way via a Substation Automation (SA) system. The SA system comprises secondary devices, so-called Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), responsible for protection, control and monitoring of the primary devices. The IEDs may be assigned to hierarchical levels, i.e. the station level, the bay level, and the process level, the latter being separated from the bay level by a so-called process interface. The station level of the SA system includes an Operator Work Station (OWS) with a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and a gateway to a Network Control Centre (NCC). IEDs on the bay level, also termed bay units, in turn are connected to each other as well as to the IEDs on the station level via an inter-bay or station bus primarily serving the purpose of exchanging commands and status information.

IEDs on the process-level comprise electronic sensors for voltage (VT), current (CT) and gas density measurements, contact probes for sensing switch and transformer tap changer positions, and/or intelligent actuators (I/O) for controlling switchgear like circuit breakers or disconnectors. Exemplary process-level IEDs such as non-conventional current or voltage transformers comprise an Analogue to Digital (AD) converter for sampling of analogue signals. Process-level IEDs are connected to the bay units via a process bus, which can be considered as the process interface replacing the conventional hard- wired process interface. The latter connects conventional current or voltage transformer in the switchyard to the bay level equipment via dedicated copper wires, in which case the analogue signals of the instrument transformers are sampled by the bay units.

A communication standard for communication between the secondary devices of a substation has been introduced by the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) as part of the standard IEC 61850 entitled "communication networks and systems in substations". For non-time critical messages, IEC 61850-8-1 specifies the Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS, ISO/IEC 9506) protocol based on a reduced Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocol stack with the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) in the transport and network layer, respectively, and Ethernet as physical media. For time-critical event-based messages, IEC 61850-8-1 specifies the Generic Object Oriented Substation Events (GOOSE) directly on the Ethernet link layer of the communication stack. For very fast periodically changing signals at the process level such as measured analogue voltages or currents IEC 61850-9-2 specifies the Sampled Value (SV) service, which like GOOSE builds directly on the Ethernet link layer. Hence, the standard defines a format to publish, as multicast messages on an industrial Ethernet, event-based messages and digitized measurement data from current or voltage sensors on the process level. SV and GOOSE messages are transmitted over a process bus, which may, particularly in cost-effective medium or low voltage substations, extend to neighboring bays, i.e. beyond the bay to which the sensor is assigned. In the latter case, the process bus transmits, in addition to the process data, command and/or status related messages otherwise exchanged via a dedicated station bus. SA systems based on IEC61850 are configured and described by means of a standardized configuration representation or formal system description called Substation Configuration Description (SCD). An SCD file comprises the logical data flow between the IEDs on the basis of message types or data sets, i.e. for every message source, a list of destination or receiver IEDs, the message size in terms of data set definitions, as well as the message sending rates for all periodic traffic like GOOSE, SV and Integrity reports. The SCD file likewise comprises the relation between the IEDs as well as the functionality which the IEDs execute on behalf of the substation process or switch yard.

EP 2362577 teaches a method for analyzing a communication configuration in a process control system, wherein every network message type or data set configured for transmission from a sender to a receiver IED across an Ethernet switch-based communication network of a PC or SA system is evaluated, and a graphical representation respective of process related operational aspects of each IED involved is generated and displayed. From a logical data flow description that is part of a formal configuration representation of the PC or SA system, sender and receiver IEDs are retrieved or determined. Likewise, a single one out of a plurality of operational aspects of the process is retrieved for each IED from the formal configuration description. Generating the graphical representation of the system includes forming groups of IEDs with identical operational aspects. Thus, the method taught by EP 2362577 represents the IEDs involved in the network data exchange with respect to operational aspects of the process control system, and depicts message types or data sets statically configured to be transmitted between two IEDs in a manner independent of the number of actual transmits in an operating system. The consequences of IED failures or engineering errors may be recognized, and diagnosing of communication problems at a system design or engineering stage facilitated.

EP 2109204 teaches a method for analysis of a Substation Automation system which comprises an Intelligent Electronic Device and a communication network. An analyzer is connected to the communication network and captures messages transmitted by the IED, the messages including a first and a second value (Yl, Y2, Y3) of a particular process quantity (Y), respectively. The captured values are displayed in a time resolved graphical manner on a screen, and, in case the first and the second value (Y1,Y2, Y3) differ, a discontinuity indicator (Z) graphically marking a change in the value of the process quantity (Y) is likewise depicted. EP 2157731 is concerned with an analysis of a communication configuration in a Process Control (PC) or Substation Automation (SA) system, by evaluating, in a manner irrespective of operational aspects related to the operation of the controlled process or automated substation, every network message, and/or respective message source, configured for transmission across a communication network of the system. From a logical data flow description that is part of a standardized configuration representation of the PC or SA system and which includes, in the form of control blocks, formal information for every message, receiver IEDs are retrieved or determined. For each retrieved receiver IED, the totality of all network messages destined for or directed to this particular receiver IED is evaluated or processed, e.g. in view of a subsequent network load analysis, Virtual Local Area Network assignment, or graphical display of the data flow. Exemplary network messages of interest include cyclic point-to-point reports, as well as, in terms of IEC 61850, periodic or repeated real-time multicast messages (Sampled Values SV) and event- based multicast messages (Generic Object Oriented Substation Events GOOSE).

In this context, the principles and methods of the following invention are by no means restricted to a use in substation automation, but likewise applicable to other process control systems with a formal system description. In particular, it has to be noted that IEC 61850 is also an accepted standard for Hydro power plants, Wind power systems, and Distributed Energy Resources (DER).

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the invention to analyze the data traffic in an operating process control or substation automation system and to generate a representation of the data traffic, which representation enables an operator of the system to analyze the data traffic and to easily assess the message exchange and the data packets. This objective is achieved by a method and an engineering tool according to the independent claims. Further preferred embodiments are evident from the dependent patent claims and the following description.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for analyzing a communication of, or between, Logical Nodes (LNs) instantiated on a plurality of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) of an operating Process Control (PC) or Substation Automation (SA) System is provided. The plurality of IEDs is connected to a communication network of the PC or SA system. The PC or SA system is controlling, respectively, an industrial process or a substation of an electric power network with a plurality of operational aspects to one of which each IED of the plurality of IEDs may be assigned. Sender LNs of the plurality of IEDs are configured to send data packets or messages to predetermined receiver LNs of the plurality of IEDs via the communication network.

Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: analyzing data packets transmitted via the communication network of an operating PC or SA system and identifying, among the analyzed data packets, data packets including data indicative of events of the PC or SA system; determining, for each identified data packet the sender LN and the receiver LN; retrieving for each sender LN and for each receiver LN, from a formal configuration representation such as the SCD file of the SA system, an unambiguous LN-specific operational aspect; generating a time sorted, graphical representation of the events indicated in the identified data packets, together with the respective sender and receiver LNs of the identified data packets, wherein the LNs are grouped according to the retrieved operational aspects.

Events of the PC or SA system which are suitable for being graphically represented on behalf of the operator include commands directed to the process or substation, and status changes in the process or substation. A status change may either be communicated in a single data packet, or be derived from a change in status information included in two successive data packets. In terms of IEC 61850, commands and status data, or status change information, may be included in reports and GOOSE messages. Specifically, status information of a device of the substation or of a function of the SA system may be included in the form of numerical data object values. In order to properly identify data objects and data object values, the syntactical structure of a data packet, i.e. the composition or assembly of a data packet with its multitude of data objects, may be retrieved from an SCD-file data set definition or from an IED related online data set definition. The events or the corresponding data objects and data object values of the identified data packets are indicated or displayed in the graphical representation, e.g. as a tag or color code.

In a preferred embodiment, the step of identifying a data packet including data indicative of an event of the PC or SA system comprises comparing a data object value of a data object of the data packet being analyzed with the last data object value of the same data object stored in a database, and identifying the event in case the values diverge. In case of GOOSE messages the previous message may be stored in its entirety for later comparison, as each message contains all data set values. In other words, data objects whose value has been changed are important for generating the graphical representation of the data objects, as these information are most essential for an operator of the substation.

In a preferred embodiment, the data packets to be analyzed are captured, or intercepted, with a network traffic analyzer or packet sniffer. For this purpose, the network analyzer may be connected to the communication network at a single, suitable location in the vicinity of a network interconnection device, for example a switch, or of an operator workstation, in order to be able to capture all relevant network traffic. Optionally, an event log of the analyzer output may be generated and stored for subsequent processing, in other words, the step of generating a time-sorted graphical representation or sequence chart of a number of consolidated events may be executed at any time.

The time sorted graphical representation includes a packet time, or packet instance, ordered representation of the identified data packets and/or the data objects included. The data packets are depicted in the graphical representation in a chronological order along a time axis.

For every data packet being sent from a sender LN, the receiver LN may be retrieved from the formal configuration representation, i.e. the SCD file. For multicast data packets devoid of a receiver LN, the relevant receiver LN to be retained for the subsequent graphical representation is identified from a list of destination LNs included in the corresponding control block in the SCD file. The sender LN is coded in the packet header respective known from the data packet definition by a data set.

In a preferred embodiment, an unambiguous LN-specific operational aspect is retrieved or determined from the SCD-file for each sender LN and for each receiver LN. The operational aspect may comprise a functional level, in particular a functional level below a top and/or substation level, i.e. one of a VoltageLevel, Bay, Equipment, or SubEquipment level specified as the hierarchically lower functional levels in the IEC 61850-6 Substation Description for SA systems. Particularly, the operational aspect is a substation bay to which the LN or the IED is assigned. Alternatively, a geographical indication corresponding to an area or site, or any hierarchical structure can be used as the operational aspect. On the other hand, data set definitions, message-type specific information comprised in the IEC 61850 control blocks, or other purely communication- inherent aspects such as the definition of Virtual Local Area Networks restricting the multicast data flow within the communication network of the control or automation system, do not qualify as operational aspects related to the operation of the controlled process or automated substation.

Grouping LNs with the same operational aspect includes arranging the graphical representations of the LNs in close proximity, or otherwise graphically marking such shared property. The operational aspect itself may also be indicated to a user, by means of a tag or symbol, along with the grouped LNs. When being grouped according to the operational aspects, the LNs or the IEDs are grouped in such a way that the functional interrelation of the secondary devices, i.e. the LNs and/or the IEDs, with the primary devices is considered and the secondary devices are grouped accordingly.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of filtering the LNs of the plurality of IEDs according to an operator selection, wherein the filtering-step is carried out prior to generating the time oriented graphical representation. In case of an S A system comprising a large number of secondary devices, the filtering step enables the operator to view only a part of the SA system according to his preference under given operational circumstances.

With growing sophistication of distributed functions in Process Control and Substation Automation systems the amount of real time critical data will raise and the complexity of message flow along with it. This is especially true for multicast GOOSE messages according to IEC 61850 in SA systems with switched Ethernet networks. Corresponding consistency, completeness and/or correctness of the data flow definitions are not easily verified or even visualized. Graphical representation of the data objects exchanged in an operating Process Control or Substation Automation system between secondary devices grouped according to functional interrelation with the primary devices improves the reading and understanding of the data flow and the transmitted information. Grouping of the secondary devices according to operational aspects, i.e. their functional interrelation with primary devices facilitates identification of communicating secondary devices and allocation of the data traffic to primary devices. Graphical representation of the data flow in the form of an event sequence chart enables an operator of the Process Control or Substation Automation system to understand the message exchange at functional level and to identify function design errors, engineering errors or influence of IED failures. Specifically, the data packets may be continuously analyzed during runtime of the system and the graphical representation may be refreshed and updated in time with every newly captured data packet.

According to a further aspect of the invention, an engineering tool or apparatus for PC or SA systems is provided, wherein the systems comprise a plurality of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) with Logical Nodes (LNs) for controlling an industrial process or substation comprising a plurality of operational aspects, wherein the plurality of IEDs are connected to a communication network, wherein sender LNs of the plurality of IEDs are configured to send data packets to predetermined receiver LNs of the plurality of IEDs via the communication network. The engineering tool is configured or adapted to execute some or all steps of: analyzing data packets transmitted via the communication network and identifying, among the analyzed data packets, data packets including data indicative of events of the PC or SA system; determining, for each identified data packet the sender LN and the receiver LN; retrieving for each sender LN and for each receiver LN, from a formal configuration representation such as the SCD file of the SA system, an unambiguous LN-specific operational aspect; generating a time sorted, graphical representation of the events indicated in the identified data packets, together with the respective sender and receiver LNs of the identified data packets, wherein the LNs are grouped according to the retrieved operational aspects.

Specifically, the engineering tool may comprise a network analyzer adapted to capture data packets transmitted via the communication network as well as a display unit for displaying the time sorted graphical representation for analysis by an operator of the PC or SA system. Other features and characteristics affecting and pertaining to the method as described above apply to the engineering tool in an analogous manner.

The engineering tool may be adapted to graphically represent data packets and data objects as a so-called live-system, i.e. the captured data are graphically represented immediately, in particular to monitor or supervise a running system. As an alternative, the engineering tool may be adapted to read a set of captured data packets from a database or a storage unit and to graphically represent the data flow in order to subsequently analyze the behavior of a process control system or a substation.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a computer program element is provided, which, when it is executed on a processor of an engineering tool as described above, instructs the processor to carry out the method for analyzing a communication of LNs as described above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a computer-readable medium is provided, which computer-readable medium comprises the computer program element as described above.

It should be appreciated that depending on the engineering tool configuration and type, data storage components (computer readable media) can include volatile (such as RAM) and/or non- volatile (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.) components. Other data storage components that can be a part of the engineering tool include but are not limited to CD- ROM, DVD or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter of the invention will be explained in more detail in the following text with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the attached drawings, of which:

Fig.1 schematically shows a substation with secondary devices and primary devices, Fig.2 schematically shows an engineering tool according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 3 shows a graphical representation of data objects and logical nodes according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 4 shows a graphical representation of data objects and logical nodes according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

The reference symbols used in the drawings, and their meanings, are listed in summary form in the list of reference symbols. In principle, identical parts are provided with the same reference symbols in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig.l shows a substation 100, comprising primary devices 300 and a substation automation system 200. The SA-system 200 comprises a plurality of IEDs 205, of which every IED may comprise a plurality of logical nodes LN 210. The SCD-file 250 comprises the formal configuration description of the substation 100, i.e. the configuration of the IEDs and the functional interrelation of the IEDs and LNs with the primary devices. The IEDs are interconnected via the communication network 220 in order to send and receive data packets and or messages including a multitude of data objects. A network analyzer 150 is adapted to capture or record the data packets and messages transmitted via the communication network.

In order to generate a time oriented graphical representation of the data objects of the captured data packets being sent from sender LNs to receiver LNs, the SCD 250, the captured data and the functional interrelation of the LNs and the primary devices are considered as described above.

In other words, when speaking in the terminology of the IEC 61850, data sequences are described in terms of data exchanged between objects (e.g. logical nodes from IEC 61850), while the observed messages from the network analyzer are defined by data sets grouping several data objects from different Logical Nodes and possibly even used for different functions together, and the recorded protocol values still need to be allocated to the functional model. Thus, the invention provides a method for representing dynamically flowing messages as sequence chart between user-chosen objects (logical nodes, logical devices, and process related objects) down to the data object level instead of the message level.

The SCD-file according to IEC 61850 specifies in the IED section for each control block the receiver IEDs, i.e. the logical data flow is described at least at IED level, possibly down to logical node level. Additionally the Substation section of the SCD-file contains the relation of the logical nodes to the parts and functions of the primary devices, for example a switch yard.

By using these information and allocating an IED (or LN) to that functional level which contains all its LNs allocated to the substation section at all, the data flow between the IEDs (LDs) and the allocation of the IEDs to the substation functional level can be determined.

The storage of the observed messages, i.e. the captured data packets, in the SA-system delivers a time/sequence order of the messages and the message contents in form of data values.

By adding the functional meaning and the source/destination information from the SCD file, a graphical representation or a sequence diagram of the data objects of the captured messages between the sending and receiving objects and the relation of these objects to the controlled process at least at IED level can be retrieved.

This graphical representation or diagram may be generated automatically and is focusing on the application level and hides the details of the communication packets from a user. It allows the user to easily understand the message exchange at functional level, and compare this to any intended (designed) sequences in certain situations. The transmitted values allow identifying the current situation (e.g. switch opening, switch interlocked, overcurrent protection working).

Fig. 2 schematically shows an engineering tool 400 connected to a substation automation system 200 in order to analyze the data objects of the transmitted data packets via the communication network of the SA-system and to generate a time sorted graphical representation of the captured data and the substation elements like secondary devices and primary devices.

The engineering tool 400 comprises a network analyzer 150 and a display unit 410. The display unit may be a monitor, adapted to display textual and graphical information. The engineering tool and in particular the network analyzer is interconnected to the SA-system, wherein the interconnection is adapted to transmit the captured data packets and messages on the communication network as well as to access the SCD-file of the substation and to transmit the information read from the SCD-file to the engineering tool 400.

Fig. 3 schematically shows a graphical representation of four logical nodes 210 and time oriented data exchange between these LNs, wherein three of the LNs are grouped according to operational aspects or functional interrelation with the primary devices.

The messages (represented by the arrows from the left to the right and vice versa) are sent between the LNs whose vertical line the arrows touch. The messages are in a chronological order corresponding to the direction of the arrow t.

The LN "AA1TH1IHMI1" (IHMI1) initiates the communication process with a command to the "AAIC IQOIAICSWH" (CSWIl) which for his part sends a command to the LN "AA1C 1Q01A1CILO1" (CILOl) and to the LN "AA1C 1Q01A2XCBR1" (XCBR1). The commands may cause or initiate the receiver LN or IED to act on a primary device in order to have the primary device perform an action, e.g. to carry out a switching operation by a switching primary device.

The CSWIl , CILOl and XCBR1 are assigned to the same primary device, therefore they are grouped according to this operational aspect or functional interrelation, which functional interrelation is indicated by the box 390. The information regarding the operational aspect is retrieved from the SCD-file of the substation. The transmitted messages are defined by the IEC 61850 standard.

Fig. 4 shows a graphical representation of five logical nodes 210 and time oriented data exchange between these LNs. Comparable to Fig. 3, three LNs (CSWIl, CILOl and XCBR1) are grouped together belonging to the functional aspect AA1C1Q01QA1 and one more LN "AA1C1Q02A1XSWI3" (XSWI3) is grouped separated from the first group of LNs to the functional aspect AA1C1Q02QB1.

The XSWI3 sends data to the CILOl belonging to another operational aspect with respect to the primary devices. Furthermore, the CSWIl and CILOl are located logically on a first IED (AA1C1Q01A1), whereas the XCBR1 is located on a second IED (AA1C1Q01A2) and XSWI3 is located on a third IED (AA1C1Q02A1).

Thus, the graphical representation shown in Figs. 3 and 4 facilitate an operator of the SA-system to easily detect and assign the data flow to secondary devices and the according primary devices .

The generated graphical representation during the runtime of the substation automation system may be compared with a specification graph drawn during the design time, based on the data flow given by the system designer as specification. Thus, the graphical representation may be used for maintenance purposes and for finding and eliminating errors.

The operator of a substation may choose other primary or secondary devices (e.g. circuit breaker, bay with protection functions) for another view of the graphical representation related to other kind of objects, and may rearrange and reposition the order of objects in the diagram.

Of course, the representation characteristics like time axis and/or geographical axis of the represented devices may be adapted by the operator. The arrows could deviate from horizontal if the time for message exchange were known/essential.

It should be noted that the method as described above and hereinafter may be used to group and represent both IEDs and/or LNs, which are adapted to exchange data via the communication network of a substation. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

100 Substation

150 network analyzer

200 Substation Automation System

205 Intelligent Electronic Device, IED

210 Logical Node, LN

220 communication network

250 Substation Configuration Description, SCD-file

300 primary devices

390 functional interrelation, operational aspect

400 engineering tool

410 display unit