Protective control terminal device, protective control method

Abstract

A protection and control terminal device of an embodiment constitutes a protection and control system that performs protection and control of devices that constitute a power system. The protection and control terminal device of the embodiment comprises: a storage unit that stores a first application that executes functions of the protection and control terminal device, and a second application that constitutes the protection and control system and executes functions of a protection and control terminal device different from said protection and control terminal device; a first calculating unit that executes the first application; and a second calculating unit that executes the second application when an abnormality occurs in said protection and control terminal device or the protection and control terminal device different from said protection and control terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a protection control terminal device and a protection control method that constitute a protection control system such as a substation, for example.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a protection control system in a substation or the like, with the establishment of the international standard IEC 61850, the connection between devices is progressing from a metal cable to a communication cable. In addition, the networking within the substation yard is progressing.

[0003] The protection control system is classified into a station level that performs monitoring and control of the entire substation, a bay level that performs protection of the power system and device control within the substation yard, and a process level that collects information from circuit breakers, disconnectors, transformers, etc. arranged within the substation yard. At each level, terminal devices for executing functions such as protection control and processing are arranged, and the terminal devices are connected by a network.

[0004] However, as the networking and digitalization within the substation yard progress, the functions for detecting and notifying abnormalities of various terminal devices are becoming more advanced. In order to restore the system, it is still necessary to go to the site of the substation or the like and directly repair and replace each terminal device. Therefore, a human and economic burden has been required to maintain the protection control system.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Thus, conventional protective control systems have the problem of requiring a significant burden to recover from system malfunctions. The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide protective control terminal devices and protective control methods that constitute a protective control system capable of automatic recovery in the event of a system malfunction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The protective control terminal device of the embodiment constitutes a protective control system that protects and controls equipment constituting a power system. The protective control terminal device of the embodiment comprises a storage unit that stores a first application that executes the functions of the protective control terminal device and a second application that constitutes the protective control system and executes the functions of a protective control terminal device different from the protective control terminal device, a first calculation unit that executes the first application, and a second calculation unit that executes the second application when an abnormality occurs in the protective control terminal device or a protective control terminal device different from the protective control terminal device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the protection control system according to the first to fourth embodiments. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the protective control terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the calculation unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the protective control terminal device of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 8]This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the protection control terminal device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the protective control terminal device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the protection control terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 18] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 19] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 20] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 21] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the protective control terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 22] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 23] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 24] This is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the memory unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 25] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 26] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 27] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the third embodiment. [Figure 28] It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the protection control terminal device of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 29] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 30] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 31] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 32] It is a flowchart showing the operation of the protection control terminal device of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 33] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 34] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 35] It is a conceptual diagram showing an application stored in the storage unit of the fourth embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the configuration of the protection control system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the protection system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the protection control system 1 of this embodiment is a system that detects system information related to the power system, for example in a substation, and realizes distributed control for the protection of the power system based on the detection results. The protection control system 1 includes a remote monitoring and control device (TC: Tele-Control equipment) 10, protection control terminal devices (IED: Intelligent Electronic Device) 20a to 20c, and information acquisition control terminals (PIU: Process Interface Unit) 30a to 30c. Of these, the control level of the remote monitoring and control device 10 is called the station level, the control level of the protection control terminal devices 20a to 20c is called the bay level, and the control level of the information acquisition control terminals 30a to 30b is called the process level.

[0011] The remote monitoring and control device 10 is a monitoring and control device installed at each substation that performs monitoring and control of substations, etc. The remote monitoring and control device 10 can be implemented using a so-called computer device. The remote monitoring and control device 10 is connected to the station bus SB, which is a network.

[0012] The protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c are terminal devices that implement protection, control, recording, and communication functions for the power system in substations and the like. In the example shown in Figure 1, three protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c are arranged for one remote monitoring and control device 10, but this is not limited to this, and two or fewer, or four or more protection and control terminal devices may be provided. The protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c can be implemented using so-called computer devices. The protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c are connected to the station bus SB and the process bus PB as a network.

[0013] The information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c are interface devices that output information usable by the protection control terminal devices 20a to 20c by converting analog data, equipment switching status information, and fault information output from substation equipment in substations, etc., into digital data. In the example shown in Figure 1, three information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c are arranged at the monitoring target of one remote monitoring and control device 10, but this is not limited to this, and four or more information collection and control terminals may be provided. In the example shown in Figure 1, two information collection and control terminals may be provided. The information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c can be implemented using so-called computer devices. The information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c are connected to the process bus PB. The information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c may also function as protection control terminal devices 20a to 20c.

[0014] In Figure 1, the station bus SB and the process bus PB are shown as different networks, but this is not the only option; they may be configured as the same network.

[0015] The information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c receive analog data, equipment switching status, and fault information output from substation equipment, perform predetermined conversion processing to generate system information, and output it to the protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c via the process bus PB. The system information output by each of the information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c is sent to one or all of the protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c, which perform protection and control calculations using that information. The protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c execute protection and control processing of the power system based on the received system information. Based on the results of the protection and control processing, the protection and control terminal devices 20a to 20c generate monitoring information representing the system information of the power system and output it to the remote monitoring and control device 10 via the station bus SB. The remote monitoring and control device 10 receives the monitoring information and provides it to the user, and may also be configured to notify higher-level systems of this information.

[0016] The remote monitoring and control device 10 outputs control commands to the protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c via the station bus SB in order to control the opening and closing of the equipment. The protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c then output control commands to the information collection control terminals 30a to 30c via the process bus PB in accordance with these commands. The information collection control terminals 30a to 30c then output control commands to the various equipment operating in the system in accordance with these commands. The protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c may also be capable of outputting control commands in the same way as the information collection control terminals 30a to 30c.

[0017] The protection control terminals 20a to 20c calculate whether there are any faults in the power system based on the analog data and equipment information output from the substation equipment obtained via the process bus PB. If a system fault is detected, an open command (trip command) for a circuit breaker, which is one of the system operation devices, is output to the information collection control terminals 30a to 30c via the process bus PB. The information collection control terminals 30a to 30c may then output a control output to open the circuit breaker, which is one of the system operation devices, in accordance with that command.

[0018] Next, with reference to Figure 2, the protective control terminal device of the embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing example configurations of protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the protection control terminal device 20a has a station bus interface (SB I / F) 210a, a process bus interface (PB I / F) 220a, a processing unit (CPU) 230a, memory 240a, and a storage unit 250a. The protection control terminal devices 20b and 20c have a common configuration. That is, the protection control terminal device 20b has a station bus interface (SB I / F) 210b, a process bus interface (PB I / F) 220b, a processing unit (CPU) 230b, memory 240b, and a storage unit 250b. Similarly, the protection control terminal device 20c has a station bus interface (SB I / F) 210c, a process bus interface (PB I / F) 220c, a processing unit (CPU) 230c, memory 240c, and a storage unit 250c. Hereafter, redundant explanations of common elements will be omitted.

[0020] The station bus interface 210a is an interface that transmits and receives signals with the remote monitoring and control device 10 via the station bus SB. The process bus interface 220a is an interface that transmits and receives signals with the information collection and control terminals 30a to 30c via the process bus PB.

[0021] The arithmetic unit 230a is an arithmetic block that executes predetermined applications stored in the memory unit 250a (described later) to perform power system protection and control processing functions. The memory 240a is a volatile storage medium that temporarily stores data. The memory 240a temporarily stores applications and data according to instructions from the arithmetic unit 230a. The memory 240a can be implemented using, for example, flash memory.

[0022] The storage unit 250a is a non-volatile storage medium that stores applications that implement the various functions of the protective control terminal device 20a, as well as control applications that control the execution of said applications. The storage unit 250a stores predetermined applications in advance, but it may also store applications downloaded via the station bus SB at the instruction of the arithmetic unit 230a. The storage unit 250a may also store data used for application control.

[0023] Here, with reference to Figures 2 to 4, the applications stored in the memory unit will be explained in detail. Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 250a of the protective control terminal device 20a, and Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 250b of the protective control terminal device 20b.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the storage unit 250a of the embodiment stores a control application 251a, an IED20a application 252a (first application), and an IED20b application 253a (second application). The control application 251a is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED20a application 252a is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 20a. The IED20b application 253a is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 20b.

[0025] In other words, the storage unit 250a of the protective control terminal device 20a stores applications that implement the functions of the protective control terminal device 20a itself, as well as applications that implement the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 20b. However, the IED20b application 253a that implements the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 20b is only stored in the storage unit 250a, and the arithmetic unit 230a does not execute the IED20b application 253a. In the following description of the storage unit, running applications are shown with solid lines, and non-running applications are shown with dashed lines.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the storage unit 250b of the embodiment stores the control application 251b, the IED20b application 252b, and the IED20a application 253b. The control application 251b is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED20b application 252b is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 20b. The IED20a application 253b is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 20a.

[0027] In other words, the storage unit 250b of the protective control terminal device 20b stores applications that implement the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 20a, in addition to applications that implement the functions of the protective control terminal device 20b itself. However, the IED20a application 253b that implements the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 20a is only stored in the storage unit 250b, and the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 20b does not execute the IED20a application 253b.

[0028] Thus, in addition to the applications that realize their own functions, the protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c of the embodiment hold applications that realize the functions of adjacent protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c.

[0029] Here, with reference to Figure 5, the calculation units 230a to 230c of the protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c will be described in detail. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the calculation unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 20a. Since the functions of the calculation units 230a to 230c of the protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c are common, the calculation unit 230a will be described as a representative example below, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0030] The arithmetic unit 230a functions as an arithmetic block with the functional configuration shown in Figure 5 by executing the control application 251a stored in the storage unit 250a. As shown in Figure 5, the arithmetic unit 230a functions as an information transmission / reception unit 231a, an IED state detection unit 232a, an abnormality determination unit 233a, and an application control unit 234a by executing the control application 251a.

[0031] The information transmission / reception unit 231a is a functional block that functions as an interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from other adjacent protection control terminal devices. The information transmission / reception unit 231a transmits and receives information with other protection control terminal devices, including the operating status of the device, information on the free capacity of the storage unit, the type of acquired device information and the operating status of the device, and requests and notifications for this information.

[0032] The IED status detection unit 232a is a functional block that detects the operating status of itself or other protective control terminal devices 20a to 20c. The IED status detection unit 232a obtains the operating status of other protective control terminal devices or the execution status of applications of its own protective control terminal device through the information transmission / reception unit 231a and stores it in the storage unit 250a.

[0033] The abnormality determination unit 233a is a functional block that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the protective control terminal device. The abnormality determination unit 233a determines whether or not there is an abnormality in itself or other protective control terminal devices, which is acquired by the IED status detection unit 232a and stored in the storage unit 250a.

[0034] The application control unit 234a is a functional block that controls the startup and transmission / reception of applications on itself or other protective control terminal devices. The application control unit 234a starts a predetermined application to compensate for a protective control terminal device that has experienced an abnormality.

[0035] Next, the operation of the protective control terminal devices 20a and 20b of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 to 8.

[0036] The arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 20a reads the IED20a application 252a stored in the storage unit 250a and executes it on the memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 20b reads the IED20b application 252b stored in the storage unit 250b and executes it on the memory 240b. As a result, the protective control terminal devices 20a and 20b perform their respective functions (step S110).

[0037] Next, the arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 20a reads the control application 251a stored in the storage unit 250a and executes it on the memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 20b executes the control application 251b stored in the storage unit 250b on the memory 240b (step S120).

[0038] The IED status detection unit 232a in the calculation unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 20a queries the adjacent protective control terminal device 20b for its operating status via the information transmission / reception unit 231a. At the same time, the IED status detection unit 232a notifies the protective control terminal device 20b of the operating status of the protective control terminal device 20a.

[0039] Upon receiving the inquiry, the IED status detection unit 232b of the protective control terminal device 20b notifies the operational status of the protective control terminal device 20b and stores the operational status of the received protective control terminal device 20a in the storage unit 250b. Through this operation, protective control terminal devices 20a and 20b share each other's operational status. This exchange of operational status is performed at predetermined time intervals (step S130).

[0040] If a malfunction occurs in the function of the protective control terminal device 20a, the malfunction detection unit 233b of the protective control terminal device 20b detects the malfunction of the adjacent protective control terminal device 20a at the time of the operational status exchange. Detection of a malfunction in an adjacent protective control terminal device is not limited to the time of the operational status exchange. For example, if a protective control terminal device itself detects a malfunction, it may notify the adjacent protective control terminal device of its malfunction (step S140).

[0041] When the abnormality detection unit 233b of the protective control terminal device 20b detects an abnormality in the adjacent protective control terminal device 20a (Yes in step S150), the application control unit 234b activates the IED20a application 253b stored in the storage unit 250b. As a result, the protective control terminal device 20b performs not only the functions of a protective control terminal device 20b but also the functions of a protective control terminal device 20a (step S160).

[0042] If the abnormality determination unit 233b of the protective control terminal device 20b does not detect an abnormality in the adjacent protective control terminal device 20a (No. in step S150), the IED status detection unit 232b of the protective control terminal device 20b continues to exchange and share the operating status (step S130).

[0043] Figure 7 shows the contents of the storage unit 250a of the protective control terminal device 20a when the protective control terminal device 20b detects an abnormality in the protective control terminal device 20a, and Figure 8 shows the contents of the storage unit 250b of the protective control terminal device 20b. As shown in Figure 7, the IED20a application 252a of the protective control terminal device 20a has stopped functioning. Also, as shown in Figure 8, in addition to the IED20b application 252b, the IED20a application 253b is running in the protective control terminal device 20b.

[0044] Thus, in this embodiment, the protective control terminal device stores in advance the applications that perform the functions of adjacent protective control terminal devices, and when a failure occurs in the adjacent protective control terminal device, it activates the stored functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device. This operation ensures the backup function of the protective control terminal device without using spare hardware resources.

[0045] In the above-described protective control terminal device, the arithmetic unit 230b executes the IED20a application 253b in addition to the IED20b application 252b stored in the storage unit 250b, but this is not limited to that. Multiple arithmetic units or arithmetic areas within the arithmetic unit may be prepared, and the device may include an arithmetic unit (arithmetic area) that executes the IED20b application 252b and an arithmetic unit (arithmetic area) that executes the IED20a application 253b.

[0046] (Second Embodiment) Next, the protection control system of the second embodiment will be described. The protection control system of the second embodiment is a modification of the application storage contents of the storage unit of the protection control terminal device of the first embodiment. In the following description, elements common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the protection control system 2 of this embodiment includes a remote monitoring and control device 10, protection control terminal devices 21a to 21c, and information collection control terminals 30a to 30c.

[0048] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the protection control terminal devices 21a to 21c in the protection control system 2 of this embodiment.

[0049] As shown in Figure 9, the protective control terminal device 21a has the same configuration as the protective control terminal device 20a of the first embodiment, except for the storage unit 260a. The same applies to the protective control terminal devices 21b and 21c.

[0050] The storage unit 260a is a non-volatile storage medium that stores applications that implement the various functions of the protective control terminal device 21a, as well as control applications that control the execution of said applications. The storage unit 260a stores predetermined applications in advance, but it may also store applications downloaded via the station bus SB at the instruction of the arithmetic unit 230a. The storage unit 260a may also store data used for application control. The same applies to the storage units 260b and 260c.

[0051] Here, with reference to Figures 9 to 12, the applications stored in the memory unit will be described in detail. Figure 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 260a of the protective control terminal device 21a, Figure 11 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 260b of the protective control terminal device 21b, and Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 260c of the protective control terminal device 21c.

[0052] As shown in Figure 10, the storage unit 260a of the embodiment stores the control application 261a, the IED21a application 262a, and the IED21b application 263a. The control application 261a is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED21a application 262a is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 21a. The IED21b application 263a is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 21b.

[0053] In other words, the storage unit 260a of the protective control terminal device 21a stores applications that implement the functions of the protective control terminal device 21a itself, as well as applications that implement the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 21b. However, the IED21b application 263a that implements the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 21b is only stored in the storage unit 260a, and the arithmetic unit 230a does not execute the IED21b application 263a.

[0054] As shown in Figure 11, the storage unit 260b of the embodiment stores the control application 261b, the IED21b application 262b, and the IED21a application A263b. The control application 261b is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED21b application 262b is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 21b. The IED21a application A263b is an application that implements some of the functions of the protective control terminal device 21a.

[0055] The IED21a application A stored in the memory unit 260b, together with the IED21a application B described later, performs the overall function of the protective control terminal device 21a. In other words, the memory unit 260b of the protective control terminal device 21b stores not only the application that realizes the functions of the protective control terminal device 21b itself, but also a portion of the application that realizes the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 21a. The IED21a application A263b that realizes the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 21a is stored in the memory unit 260b but is not executed.

[0056] As shown in Figure 12, the storage unit 260c of this embodiment stores the control application 261c, the IED21c application 262c, and the IED21a application B263c. The control application 261c is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED21c application 262c is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 21c. The IED21a application B263c is an application that implements some of the functions of the protective control terminal device 21a.

[0057] The IED21a application B stored in the memory unit 260c, together with the IED21a application A stored in the memory unit 260b, performs the overall function of the protective control terminal device 21a. In other words, the memory unit 260c of the protective control terminal device 21c stores not only the application that realizes the functions of the protective control terminal device 21c itself, but also the application that realizes some of the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 21a. The IED21a application B263c that realizes the functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device 21a is only stored in the memory unit 260c and is not executed.

[0058] Thus, in this embodiment, the protective control terminal devices 21a to 21c hold, in addition to the applications that realize their own functions, applications that realize the functions of adjacent protective control terminal devices 21a to 21c in a distributed manner.

[0059] Next, the operation of the protective control terminal devices 21a to 21c of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 13 to 16.

[0060] The arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 21a reads the IED21a application 262a stored in the storage unit 260a and executes it on memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 21b reads the IED21b application 262b stored in the storage unit 260b and executes it on memory 240b. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 230c of the protective control terminal device 21c reads the IED21c application 262c stored in the storage unit 260c and executes it on memory 240c. As a result, protective control terminal devices 21a to 21c perform their respective functions (step S110).

[0061] Next, the arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 21a reads the control application 261a stored in the storage unit 260a and executes it on the memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 21b executes the control application 261b stored in the storage unit 260b on the memory 240b. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 230c of the protective control terminal device 21c executes the control application 261c stored in the storage unit 260c on the memory 240c (step S120).

[0062] The IED status detection unit 232a in the calculation unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 21a queries the adjacent protective control terminal devices 21b and 21c for their operating status via the information transmission / reception unit 231a. At the same time, the IED status detection unit 232a of the calculation unit 230a notifies the protective control terminal devices 21b and 21c of the operating status of the protective control terminal device 21a.

[0063] Upon receiving an inquiry, the IED status detection units 232b and 232c of the protective control terminal devices 21b and 21c notify the operating status of each protective control terminal device 21b and 21c, and store the operating status of the received protective control terminal device 21a in the storage units 260b and 260c. Through this operation, protective control terminal devices 21a to 21c share each other's operating status. This exchange of operating status is performed at predetermined time intervals (step S130).

[0064] If a malfunction occurs in the function of the protective control terminal device 21a, the malfunction detection units 233b and 233c of the protective control terminal devices 21b and 21c detect the malfunction of the adjacent protective control terminal device 21a at the time of the operational status exchange. Detection of malfunctions in adjacent protective control terminal devices is not limited to the time of the operational status exchange. For example, if a protective control terminal device itself detects a malfunction, it may notify each of the adjacent protective control terminal devices of its malfunction (step S140).

[0065] When the abnormality determination unit 233b of the protective control terminal device 21b and the abnormality determination unit 233c of the protective control terminal device 21c detect an abnormality in the adjacent protective control terminal device 21a (Yes in step S150), the application control units 234b and 234c determine whether the storage units 260b and 260c each store the applications of the protective control terminal device 21a (step S155). In the example shown in Figures 11 and 12, the storage units 260b and 260c store IED21a application A and IED21a application B, respectively.

[0066] If the determination result indicates that the memory units 260b and 260c store the application for the protection control terminal device 20a (Yes in S155), the application control units 234b and 234c activate the IED21a application A263b and IED21a application B263c stored in the memory units 260b and 260c, respectively. As a result, the protection control terminal device 21b performs some of the functions of the protection control terminal device 21a in addition to its functions as the protection control terminal device 21b, and the protection control terminal device 21c performs some of the functions of the protection control terminal device 21a in addition to its functions as the protection control terminal device 21c (step S160).

[0067] If the determination shows that memory units 260b and 260c do not store the application of the protection control terminal device 21a (No. in S155), then IED status detection units 232a to 232c continue to exchange and share the operating status with adjacent protection control terminal devices (S130).

[0068] If the abnormality determination unit 233b of the protective control terminal device 21b does not detect an abnormality in the adjacent protective control terminal device 21a (No. in step S150), the protective control terminal device 21b continues to exchange and share operating status (step S130).

[0069] Figure 14 shows the contents of the storage unit 260a of the protective control terminal device 21a when protective control terminal devices 21b and 21c detect an abnormality in the protective control terminal device 21a. Figure 15 similarly shows the contents of the storage unit 260b of the protective control terminal device 21b. Figure 16 similarly shows the contents of the storage unit 260c of the protective control terminal device 21c. As shown in Figure 14, the IED21a application 262a of the protective control terminal device 21a has stopped functioning.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, in the protective control terminal device 21b, in addition to the IED21b application 262b, the IED21a application A263b is activated. Moreover, as shown in Figure 16, in the protective control terminal device 21c, in addition to the IED21c application 262c, the IED21a application B263c is activated. In other words, protective control terminal devices 21b and 21c complement the functions of the protective control terminal device 21a, which has ceased to function.

[0071] Thus, in this embodiment of the protective control terminal device, applications that perform the functions of adjacent protective control terminal devices are stored in advance in a distributed manner, and when a failure occurs in the adjacent protective control terminal device, the stored functions of the adjacent protective control terminal device are activated. This operation ensures the backup function of the protective control terminal device without using spare hardware resources. Furthermore, since applications are stored in a distributed manner, even if the storage capacity of the storage unit is limited, multiple protective control terminal devices can compensate for the failure of a protective control terminal device.

[0072] (Third embodiment) Next, the protection control system of the third embodiment will be described. The protection control system of the third embodiment is a modification of the application storage contents of the storage unit of the protection control terminal device of the first and second embodiments. In the following description, elements common to the first and second embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0073] As shown in Figure 1, the protection control system 3 of this embodiment includes a remote monitoring and control device 10, protection control terminal devices 22a to 22c, and information collection control terminals 30a to 30c.

[0074] Figure 17 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the protection control terminal devices 22a to 22c in the protection control system 3 of this embodiment.

[0075] As shown in Figure 17, the protective control terminal device 22a has the same configuration as the protective control terminal device 20a of the first embodiment, except for the storage unit 270a. The same applies to the protective control terminal devices 22b and 22c.

[0076] The storage unit 270a is a non-volatile storage medium that stores applications that implement the various functions of the protective control terminal device 22a, as well as control applications that control the execution of said applications. The storage unit 270a stores predetermined applications in advance, but it may also store applications downloaded via the station bus SB at the instruction of the arithmetic unit 230a. The storage unit 270a may also store data used for application control. The same applies to the storage units 270b and 270c.

[0077] Here, with reference to Figures 18 to 20, the applications stored in the memory units 270a to 270c will be described in detail. Figure 18 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 270a of the protective control terminal device 22a, Figure 19 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 270b of the protective control terminal device 22b, and Figure 20 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 270c of the protective control terminal device 22c.

[0078] As shown in Figure 18, the storage unit 270a of the embodiment stores the control application 271a and the IED22a application 272a (third application), and has a free area 274a. The control application 271a is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED22a application 272a is an application that realizes the functions of the protective control terminal device 22a. The free area 274a is an area where applications can be stored. Here, the size of the IED22a application is set to 10, and the capacity of the free area 274a is set to 8.

[0079] In other words, the storage unit 270a of the protective control terminal device 22a has an empty area where applications can be stored, in addition to the applications that realize the functions of the protective control terminal device 22a itself.

[0080] As shown in Figure 19, the storage unit 270b of this embodiment stores the control application 271b, the IED22b application A272b, and the IED22b application B273b, and has free space 274b. The control application 271b is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of applications. The IED22b application A272b is an application that implements some of the functions of the protective control terminal device 22b. The IED22b application B273b is an application that implements some of the functions of the protective control terminal device 22b. In this example, the protective control terminal device 22b functions through both the IED22b application A272b and the IED22b application B273b. The free space 274b is an area where applications can be stored. Here, the size of the IED22b application A272b is 7, the size of the IED22b application B273b is 8, and the capacity of the free space 274b is 10.

[0081] The IED22b application A272b stored in the memory unit 270b, together with the IED22b application B273b, enables the protective control terminal device 22b to perform its functions. In addition to the application that enables the protective control terminal device 20b itself, the memory unit 270b of the protective control terminal device 20b has free space on which applications can be stored.

[0082] As shown in Figure 20, the storage unit 270c of the embodiment stores the control application 271c and the IED22c application 272c, and has free space 274c. The control application 271c is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of other applications. The IED22c application 272c is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 22c. The free space 274c is an area where applications can be stored. Here, the size of the IED22c application 272c is 12, and the capacity of the free space 274c is 13.

[0083] In other words, the storage unit 270c of the protective control terminal device 22c has a free area where applications can be stored, in addition to the applications that realize the functions of the protective control terminal device 22c itself.

[0084] Thus, the protective control terminal devices 22a to 22c of the embodiment have, in addition to the applications that implement their own functions, free areas on which applications can be stored.

[0085] Next, the operation of the protective control terminal devices 22a to 22c of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 21 to 24.

[0086] The arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 22a reads the IED22a application 272a stored in the storage unit 270a and executes it on memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 22b reads the IED22b applications A272b and B273b stored in the storage unit 270b and executes them on memory 240b. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 230c of the protective control terminal device 22c reads the IED22c application 272c stored in the storage unit 270c and executes it on memory 240c. As a result, protective control terminal devices 22a to 22c perform their respective functions (step S110).

[0087] Next, the arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 22a reads the control application 271a stored in the storage unit 270a and executes it on the memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 22b executes the control application 271b stored in the storage unit 270b on the memory 240b. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 230c of the protective control terminal device 22c executes the control application 271c stored in the storage unit 270c on the memory 240c (step S120).

[0088] The IED status detection unit 232a in the calculation unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 22a queries the adjacent protective control terminal devices 22b and 22c for the available capacity of the storage units 270b and 270c, respectively. At the same time, the IED status detection unit 232a in the calculation unit 230a notifies the protective control terminal devices 22b and 22c of the available capacity of the storage unit 270a of the protective control terminal device 22a.

[0089] Upon receiving the inquiry, the IED status detection units 232b and 232c of the calculation units 230b and 230c of the protection control terminal devices 22b and 22c notify the free capacity of the storage units 270b and 270c of the respective protection control terminal devices 22b and 22c, and store the free capacity of the storage unit 270a of the protection control terminal device 22a, which was received, in the storage units 270b and 270c, respectively. Through this operation, the protection control terminal devices 22a to 22c come into a state where they share the free capacity of each other's storage units. This exchange of free capacity information is performed at predetermined time intervals (step S135).

[0090] The protective control terminal devices 22a to 22c constantly check the normality of their own functions. That is, the abnormality determination units 233a to 233c of the calculation units 230a to 230c of the protective control terminal devices 22a to 22c constantly monitor the operation of the IED22a application to the IED22c application (step S145).

[0091] For example, if the IED status detection unit 232a in the calculation unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 22a detects an abnormality in the operation of its own IED 22a application 272a (Yes in step S150), the application control unit 234a of the calculation unit 230a refers to the free capacity information of the storage units 270b and 270c of the adjacent protective control terminal devices 22b and 22c that it shares, and compares this with the size of the IED 22a application 272a that performs its own function. That is, the application control unit 234a selects a protective control terminal device that can store and execute the IED 22a application 272a that performs its own function. The application control unit 234a notifies the protective control terminal device that can store and execute the IED 22a application 272a of its own abnormal operation (step S158).

[0092] In the example shown in Figures 18 to 20, the size of the IED22a application 272a is 10, the size of the free space 274b of the protective control terminal device 22b is 10, and the size of the free space 274c of the protective control terminal device 22c is 13. Therefore, both the protective control terminal device 22b and the protective control terminal device 22c can store and execute the IED22a application 272a. In this case, in order to efficiently use the free space of the storage unit, it is preferable to select a protective control terminal device 22b whose free space is the same size as the IED22a application 272a.

[0093] Therefore, the application control unit 234a of the protective control terminal device 22a notifies the protective control terminal device 22b that its operation is abnormal. Upon receiving the notification, the application control unit 234b of the protective control terminal device 22b downloads the IED22a application 272a stored in the storage unit 270a of the protective control terminal device 22a via the station bus SB and stores it in the free space 274b of the storage unit 270b. The application control unit 234b of the protective control terminal device 22b then starts the IED22a application stored in the free space 274b of the storage unit 270b (step S165).

[0094] Figure 22 shows the contents of the storage unit 270a of the protection control terminal device 22a when the protection control terminal device 22a notifies the protection control terminal device 22b of its own abnormality, and the protection control terminal device 22b downloads the IED22a application 272a from the protection control terminal device 22a. Figure 23 similarly shows the contents of the storage unit 270b of the protection control terminal device 22b. Figure 24 similarly shows the contents of the storage unit 270c of the protection control terminal device 22c. As shown in Figure 22, the IED22a application 272a of the protection control terminal device 22a has stopped functioning.

[0095] As shown in Figure 23, in the protective control terminal device 22b, in addition to IED22b applications A272b and B273b, the downloaded IED22a application is stored in the free area 274b and launched. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 24, the IED22c application 272c is launched in the protective control terminal device 22c. In other words, the protective control terminal device 22b complements the functions of the protective control terminal device 22a, which has ceased to function.

[0096] In this embodiment, the protective control terminal device shares available capacity with adjacent protective control terminal devices in advance, and when an abnormality occurs in its own application, it notifies adjacent protective control terminal devices that can store and run its own application of the abnormality. The protective control terminal device that receives the notification then downloads and starts the application from the protective control terminal device that issued the notification, thereby compensating for the protective control terminal device that experienced the abnormality. This operation ensures the backup function of the protective control terminal device without using spare hardware resources.

[0097] Here, with reference to Figures 25 to 27, other examples of operation of the third embodiment will be described. The examples of operation shown in Figures 25 to 27 are examples in which the backup function of a protection control terminal device in which an abnormality has occurred is ensured by multiple protection control rack terminal devices.

[0098] In the protective control terminal device of the embodiment described above, the functions of the protective control terminal device that has malfunctioned are complemented without the need to prepare backup hardware resources. For example, if a malfunction occurs in the functions of IED22b applications A272b and B273b of the protective control terminal device 22b shown in Figure 19, the adjacent protective control terminal device needs to store and execute these two applications.

[0099] In step 158 of Figure 21, for example, when the application control unit 234b selects a protective control terminal device capable of storing and executing IED22b applications A272b and B273b that perform its own functions, it is desirable to select the adjacent protective control terminal devices in order of the amount of free space available. This is because if one protective control terminal device can store and execute both applications, the number of protective control terminal devices performing the backup function can be minimized.

[0100] On the other hand, in the example shown in Figures 18 to 21, if an abnormality occurs in the protective control terminal device 22b, the sum of the sizes of IED22b application A272b and IED22b application B273b is 15 (=7+8), which cannot be stored using the free space of the protective control terminal 22a or protective control terminal device 22c alone (8 and 12, respectively).

[0101] Therefore, in the operation examples shown in Figures 25 to 27, IED22b applications A272b and B273b are distributed, stored, and executed on multiple different protective control terminal devices. Specifically, the application control unit 234b selects protective control terminal devices 22a and 22c as complementary protective control terminal devices and notifies each of them of its own operational abnormality. Upon receiving the notification, protective control terminal devices 22a and 22c download and launch IED22b applications A272b and B273b, respectively, from protective control terminal device 22b.

[0102] Figure 25 shows the contents of the storage unit 270a of the protection control terminal device 22a when the abnormality detection unit 234b of the protection control terminal device 22b detects its own abnormality, notifies the protection control terminal devices 22a and 22c of its own operational abnormality, and the protection control terminal devices 22a and 22c download the IED22b application A272b and the IED22b application B273b from the protection control terminal device 22b. Figure 26 shows the contents of the storage unit 270b of the same protection control terminal device 22b. Figure 27 shows the contents of the storage unit 270c of the same protection control terminal device 22c. As shown in Figure 26, the IED22b applications A272b and B273b of the protection control terminal device 22b have stopped functioning.

[0103] As shown in Figure 25, in the protective control terminal device 22a, in addition to the IED22a application 272a, the downloaded IED22b application A is stored in the free area 274a and is running. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 27, in the protective control terminal device 22c, in addition to the IED22c application 272c, the downloaded IED22b application B is stored in the free area 274c and is running. In other words, protective control terminal devices 22a and 22c complement the functions of the protective control terminal device 22a, which has ceased to function.

[0104] Thus, according to the third embodiment, since the protective control terminal device that replaces the protective control terminal device that has malfunctioned is determined based on available capacity, relatively flexible replacement can be achieved. In the above embodiment, the application is downloaded from the protective control terminal device whose function has stopped working, but this is not the only way. The application may also be downloaded via the station bus SB from a remote monitoring and control device that has pre-stored the application.

[0105] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, the protection control system of the fourth embodiment will be described. The protection control system of the fourth embodiment is a modified version of the protection control terminal device of the first to third embodiments, with changes to the contents of the applications stored in the storage unit. In the following description, elements common to the first to third embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0106] As shown in Figure 1, the protection control system 4 of this embodiment includes a remote monitoring and control device 10, protection control terminal devices 23a to 23c, and information collection control terminals 30a to 30c.

[0107] Figure 28 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the protection control terminal devices 23a to 23c in the protection control system 4 of this embodiment.

[0108] As shown in Figure 28, the protective control terminal device 23a has the same configuration as the protective control terminal device 20a of the first embodiment, except for the storage unit 280a. The same applies to the protective control terminal devices 23b and 23c.

[0109] The storage unit 280a is a non-volatile storage medium that stores applications that implement the various functions of the protective control terminal device 23a, as well as control applications that control the execution of said applications. The storage unit 280a stores predetermined applications in advance, but it may also store applications downloaded via the station bus SB at the instruction of the arithmetic unit 230a. The storage unit 280a may also store data and device information used for application control. The same applies to the storage units 280b and 280c.

[0110] Here, with reference to Figures 29 to 31, the applications stored in the memory units 280a to 280c will be described in detail. Figure 29 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 280a of the protective control terminal device 23a, Figure 30 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 280b of the protective control terminal device 23b, and Figure 31 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the memory unit 280c of the protective control terminal device 23c.

[0111] As shown in Figure 29, the storage unit 280a of the embodiment stores the control application 281a and the IED23a application 282a, and has a free area 284a. The control application 281a is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED23a application 282a is an application that realizes the functions of the protective control terminal device 23a. The free area 284a is an area in which applications can be stored. Here, the storage unit 280a is assumed to store, for example, device information A, which is received from the information collection control terminals 30a to 30c via the process bus PB by the function of the IED23a application 282a. Here, the device information is data collected by the information collection control terminal and information indicating the status of the device.

[0112] In other words, the storage unit 280a of the protective control terminal device 23a has an empty area where it can store applications, in addition to the applications that realize the functions of the protective control terminal device 23a itself. Furthermore, the storage unit 280a stores the device information A received from the information collection control terminal.

[0113] As shown in Figure 30, the storage unit 280b of this embodiment stores the control application 281b, the IED23b application A282b, and the IED23b application B283b, and has free space 284b. The control application 281b is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of the application. The IED23b application A282b is an application that implements some of the functions of the protective control terminal device 23b. The IED23b application B283b is an application that implements some of the functions of the protective control terminal device 23b. In this example, the protective control terminal device 23b functions through both the IED23b application A282b and the IED23b application B283b. The free space 284b is an area where applications can be stored. Here, the storage unit 280b stores device information A and device information B received from information acquisition control terminals 30a to 30c via the process bus PB through the functions of IED23b applications A282b and B283b.

[0114] The IED23b application A stored in the memory unit 280b, together with the IED23b application B, enables the entire protective control terminal device 23b to function. In addition to the application that realizes the functions of the protective control terminal device 23b itself, the memory unit 280b of the protective control terminal device 23b has free space available for storing applications. Furthermore, the memory unit 280b stores the device information A and B received from the information collection control terminal.

[0115] As shown in Figure 31, the storage unit 280c of this embodiment stores the control application 281c and the IED23c application 282c, and has free space 284c. The control application 281c is an application that controls the startup and shutdown of other applications. The IED23c application 282c is an application that implements the functions of the protective control terminal device 23c. The free space 284c is an area where applications can be stored. Here, the storage unit 280c stores the device information C received from the information collection control terminals 30a to 30c via the process bus PB by the IED23c application.

[0116] In other words, the storage unit 280c of the protective control terminal device 23c has an empty area where it can store applications, in addition to the applications that realize the functions of the protective control terminal device 23c itself. Furthermore, the storage unit 280c stores the device information C received from the information collection control terminal.

[0117] Thus, the protection control terminal devices 23a to 23c of this embodiment have, in addition to the applications that implement their own functions, free areas where applications can be stored. Furthermore, the storage units 280a to 280c of the protection control terminal devices 23a to 23c store equipment information received from the information acquisition control terminals 30a to 30c via the process bus PB. The equipment information may be analog information, digital information, or other forms.

[0118] Next, the operation of the protective control terminal devices 23a to 23c of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 32 to 35.

[0119] The arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 23a reads the IED23a application 282a stored in the storage unit 280a and executes it on memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 23b reads the IED23b applications A282b and B283b stored in the storage unit 280b and executes them on memory 240b. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 23c reads the IED23c application 282c stored in the storage unit 280c and executes it on memory 240c. As a result, protective control terminal devices 23a to 23c perform their respective functions (step S110).

[0120] Next, the arithmetic unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 23a reads the control application 281a stored in the storage unit 280a and executes it on the memory 240a. Similarly, the arithmetic unit 230b of the protective control terminal device 23b executes the control application 281b stored in the storage unit 280b on the memory 240b. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 230c of the protective control terminal device 23c executes the control application 281c stored in the storage unit 280c on the memory 240c (step S120).

[0121] The information transmission / reception unit 231a in the calculation unit 230a of the protection control terminal device 23a queries the adjacent protection control terminal devices 23b and 23c for the types of device information stored in the storage units 280b and 280c, respectively. At the same time, the information transmission / reception unit 231a notifies the protection control terminal devices 23b and 23c of the types of device information stored in the storage unit 280a of the protection control terminal device 23a. For example, in the example shown in Figure 28, since the storage unit 280a stores device information A, the information transmission / reception unit 231a transmits information A to the protection control terminal devices 23b and 23c as the type of device information it has stored.

[0122] When an inquiry is received, the information transmission / reception units 231b and 231c in the calculation units 230b and 230c of the protection control terminal devices 23b and 23c, respectively, notify the protection control terminal devices 23b and 23c of the types of device information stored in their respective storage units 280b and 280c, and also cause the storage units 280b and 280c to store the types of device information stored in the storage unit 280a of the received protection control terminal device 23a, respectively. For example, in the example shown in Figures 30 and 31, storage unit 280b stores device information A and B, and storage unit 280c stores device information C. Therefore, the information transmission / reception units 231b and 231c notify the protection control terminal device 23a of the types of device information they have stored, namely information A and B, and information C, respectively.

[0123] Through this operation, the protective control terminal devices 23a to 23c come into a state where they share the types of device information stored in each other's memory units. This exchange of device information is performed at predetermined time intervals (step S138).

[0124] The protective control terminal devices 23a to 23c constantly check the normality of their own functions. That is, the calculation units 230a to 230c of the protective control terminal devices 23a to 23c constantly monitor the operation of the IED23a application to the IED23c application (step S145).

[0125] For example, if the abnormality determination unit 233a of the calculation unit 230a of the protective control terminal device 23a detects an abnormality in the operation of its own IED 23a application 282a (Yes in step S150), the application control unit 234a of the calculation unit 230a refers to the types of device information stored in the storage units 280b and 280c of the adjacent protective control terminal devices 23b and 23c that are shared, and selects a protective control terminal device that has the same type of device information as the device information stored in its own storage unit 280a. The application control unit 234a of the calculation unit 230a notifies the selected protective control terminal device of its own operational abnormality (step S159).

[0126] In the example shown in Figures 29 to 31, the protective control terminal device 23a stores device information A, the protective control terminal device 23b stores device information A and B, and the protective control terminal device 23c stores device information C. Therefore, the application control unit 234a notifies the protective control terminal device 23b, which stores device information A which is the same type as its own device information, of its own malfunction.

[0127] The application control unit 234a of the protection control terminal device 23a transmits to the protection control terminal device 23b via the station bus SB or process bus PB. Upon receiving notification of an operational abnormality, the application control unit 234b of the protection control terminal device 23b downloads the IED23a application 282a stored in the storage unit 280a of the protection control terminal device 23a and stores it in the free space 284b of the storage unit 280b. The application control unit 234b of the protection control terminal device 23b starts the IED23a application stored in the free space 284b of the storage unit 280b (step S165).

[0128] Figure 33 shows the contents of the storage unit 280a of the protection control terminal device 23a after the protection control terminal device 23a detects its own abnormality, notifies the protection control terminal device 23b of its malfunction, and the protection control terminal device 23b downloads the IED23a application. Figure 34 similarly shows the contents of the storage unit 280b of the protection control terminal device 23b. Figure 35 similarly shows the contents of the storage unit 280c of the protection control terminal device 23c. As shown in Figure 33, the IED23a application 282a of the protection control terminal device 23a has stopped functioning.

[0129] As shown in Figure 34, in the protective control terminal device 23b, in addition to IED23b applications A282b and B283b, the downloaded IED23a application is stored in the free area 284b and launched. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 35, in the protective control terminal device 23c, the IED23c application 282c is launched. In other words, the protective control terminal device 23b complements the functions of the protective control terminal device 23a, which has ceased to function.

[0130] In this embodiment, the protective control terminal device shares the type of device information that each adjacent protective control terminal device has received in advance from the information collection control terminals 30a to 30c. When an abnormality occurs in its own application, it notifies adjacent protective control terminal devices that store the same type of device information as the one it stores of the abnormality. The protective control terminal device that receives the notification then downloads and starts the application from the protective control terminal device that sent the notification, and compensates for the protective control terminal device that experienced the abnormality. This operation ensures the backup function of the protective control terminal device without using spare hardware resources.

[0131] In this embodiment, the protection control terminal device is complemented by a protection control terminal device that has acquired device information from an information collection control terminal, thus enabling a smoother backup function. In the above embodiment, the application is downloaded from the protection control terminal device that notified of its own abnormality, but this is not the only way. The application may also be downloaded via the station bus SB from a remote monitoring control device that has pre-stored the application.

[0132] In the protection control system of the embodiment described above, other protection control terminals automatically perform a complementary function in response to an abnormality occurring in one protection control terminal, but this is not limited to this. Before the other protection control terminals perform their complementary function, a test may be performed in which test data is transmitted from a test device connected to the station bus SB or process bus PB. In this case, the complementary function of the protection control terminal that has malfunctioned can be performed more reliably. In this case, the test device may be connected to the protection control terminal via an external network different from the station bus SB or process bus PB.

[0133] Furthermore, when testing is performed using a test device before the complementary function is activated, the information collection and control terminal may also possess the functions of the test device. This ensures that the complementary function can be reliably implemented without requiring special hardware resources.

[0134] Furthermore, in the protection control system of the embodiment, if another protection control terminal device performs a complementary function in response to an abnormality in a protection control terminal device, that protection control terminal device may be shut down autonomously or by remote control. This eliminates any impact on the operation of the other protection control terminal device that performs the complementary function.

[0135] Furthermore, in the protection control system of the embodiment, if another protection control terminal device performs a complementary function in response to an abnormality in a protection control terminal device, and the function of the abnormal protection control terminal device is restored, the complementary operation of the other protection control terminal device that was performing the complementary function may be stopped autonomously or by remote control. This makes it possible to reduce the computational processing load of the protection control terminal device that performed the complementary function.

[0136] Furthermore, in the protection control system of the embodiment, if another complementary control terminal device fails to activate its complementary function in response to an abnormality in the protection control terminal device, the activation process of the complementary function may be stopped autonomously or remotely. Similarly, the activation process of the complementary function may be restarted autonomously or remotely.

[0137] Alternatively, in the protection control system of this embodiment, the functions that should be supplemented are to be performed at all times, and the supplementation functions are to be activated instantly when an abnormality is detected in the protection control terminal device.

[0138] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0139] 1, 2, 3, 4… Protection control system, 10… Remote monitoring and control system (TC), 20a, 21a, 22a, 23a, 20b, 21b, 22b, 23b, 20c, 21c, 22c, 23c... Protective Control Terminal Device (IED), 30a, 30b, 30c... Information gathering and control terminals, 210a, 210b, 210c... Station bus interface, 220a, 220b, 220c... Process bus interface, 230a, 230b, 230c...Arithmetic unit (CPU), 231a, 231b, 231c... Information transmission and reception unit, 232a, 232b, 232c... IED status detection unit, 233a, 233b, 233c...abnormality determination section, 234a, 234b, 234c... Application control unit, 240a, 240b, 240c...memory, 250a,250b,250c,260a,260b,260c,270a,270b,270c,280a,280b,280c...Storage section, 251a, 261a, 271a, 281a... control applications, 252a…IED20a application, 253a…IED20b application, 252b…IED20b application, 253b…IED20a application, 262a...IED21a application, 263a...IED21b application, 262b...IED21b application, 263b...IED21a application A, 262c…IED21c application, 263c…IED21a application B, 272a...IED22a application, 274a...Free space, 272b...IED22b Application A, 273b...IED22b Application B, 274b...Free space, 272c…IED22c application, 274c…Free space, 282a...IED23a application, 284a...Free space 282b...IED23b Application A, 283b...IED23b Application B, 284b...Free space, 282c…IED23c application, 284c…Free space, SB... Station bus, PB... Process bus.

Claims

1. A protective control terminal device that constitutes a protective control system for protecting and controlling equipment that makes up a power grid, A storage unit that stores a first application that performs the functions of the protection control terminal device, and a second application that constitutes the protection control system and performs the functions of a protection control terminal device different from the protection control terminal device, A first arithmetic unit that executes the first application, A second calculation unit that executes the second application when an abnormality occurs in a protection control terminal device different from the aforementioned protection control terminal device, A protective control terminal device equipped with the following:

2. The system further includes a status detection unit that receives the operating status of a protection control terminal device different from the aforementioned protection control terminal device. The second arithmetic unit executes the second application based on the received operating status. The protective control terminal device according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The second application is provided separately in a protection control terminal device different from the protection control terminal device, The second arithmetic unit executes a part of the second application. The protective control terminal device according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

4. The system further includes a transmitting and receiving unit that receives the second application from a protection control terminal device different from the aforementioned protection control terminal device and stores it in the storage unit. The second arithmetic unit executes the second application stored in the storage unit by the transmitting / receiving unit. The protective control terminal device according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

5. A protective control terminal device comprising a protective control system for protecting and controlling equipment constituting a power grid, A storage unit that stores a third application that performs the functions of the aforementioned protective control terminal device, A third arithmetic unit that executes the third application, A state detection unit monitors whether there are any abnormalities in the operation of the third application executed by the third calculation unit, A transmission unit that, when the state detection unit detects an abnormality in the operation of the third application, transmits a notification of the abnormality to a protection control terminal device different from the protection control terminal device, The system comprises a receiving unit that receives available space for storing an application in a protection control terminal device different from the aforementioned protection control terminal device, The transmitting unit transmits a notification of the malfunction to a protective control terminal device different from the protective control terminal device that has a capacity capable of storing the third application. A protective control terminal device characterized by the following.

6. A protective control terminal device comprising a protective control system for protecting and controlling equipment constituting a power grid, A storage unit that stores a third application that performs the functions of the aforementioned protective control terminal device, A third arithmetic unit that executes the third application, A state detection unit monitors whether there are any abnormalities in the operation of the third application executed by the third calculation unit, A transmission unit that, when the state detection unit detects an abnormality in the operation of the third application, transmits a notification of the abnormality to a protection control terminal device different from the protection control terminal device, The system comprises a receiving unit that receives the presence or absence of information used by the third application in a protection control terminal device different from the aforementioned protection control terminal device, The transmitting unit transmits a notification of the malfunction to a protection control terminal device different from the protection control terminal device that possesses the information held by the protection control terminal device. A protective control terminal device characterized by the following.

7. The device further includes an interface that can connect to a test terminal for testing the operation of the protection control terminal device via a network, The second calculation unit starts the second application after the test by the test terminal is completed. A protective control terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

8. The protection control terminal device is connected via a process bus to a control information acquisition terminal capable of testing the operation of the protection control terminal device. The second calculation unit starts the second application after the test by the control information collection terminal is completed. A protective control terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

9. The protection control terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second calculation unit stops the execution of the second application when an abnormality in a protection control terminal device different from the protection control terminal device is resolved.

10. The protective control terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second arithmetic unit stops operating if the startup of the second application fails.

11. The protective control terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second calculation unit is restarted by remote control if the startup of the second application fails.

12. A protection control method using a protection control terminal device that constitutes a protection control system for protecting and controlling equipment that makes up a power grid, The storage unit stores a first application that performs the functions of the protection control terminal device, and a second application that constitutes the protection control system and performs the functions of a protection control terminal device different from the protection control terminal device. The first arithmetic unit executes the first application, If an abnormality occurs in a protection control terminal device other than the aforementioned protection control terminal device, the second calculation unit executes the second application. Protection and control method.

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