Enhanced control of substations in power grid monitoring and control equipment

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for controlling and monitoring a substation (2) configured to transform medium-voltage electrical energy in a medium-voltage power grid (MV) into low-voltage electrical energy in a low-voltage power grid (LV) comprises at least one control unit (10) with a data bus (100) and acquisition means (15) for acquiring information from at least one peripheral unit (P). The control unit (10) comprises: - generating a virtual replica (R1) of a concentrator, said concentrator being configured to obtain consumption data from each electric energy meter (4); - generating a virtual replica (R2) of at least one component (C), said at least one component (C) being for collecting network data related to said low voltage power network (LV) and / or said medium voltage power network (MV); enabling said information and / or said consumption data and / or said network data to be exchanged between each virtual replica (R1, R2) and said at least one peripheral unit (P) via said data bus (100) in order to optimize the efficiency of said medium voltage power grid (MV) and / or said low voltage power grid (LV); The device is configured to:

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION Exemplary aspects herein relate to monitoring of medium and / or low voltage power grids, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for control and monitoring of electrical substations, systems for control, and electrical substations. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrical energy in the medium-voltage power grid, typically defined as having a voltage in the range of 2.4 kVAC to 69 kVAC, is transformed into low-voltage electrical energy and fed into the low-voltage power grid for distribution to users.

[0003] The transformation of electrical energy is performed by substations, which comprise enclosed boxes or housings for components such as transformers for transforming electrical energy, components for interfacing with the medium voltage and / or low voltage power grid, and components for monitoring and controlling the grid connections and the good functioning of the various components of the substation.

[0004] Substation operation can be improved by implementing new functions for monitoring, controlling, or efficiently transforming electrical energy, but the limited physical space in a substation can make it difficult to install new physical components each time the substation is to implement a new function.

[0005] Additionally, managing components (e.g., installing new components, updating, maintaining, or replacing existing components) requires a human technician to physically visit the substation.

[0006] This makes maintaining a power grid, which may typically include thousands of substations, difficult.

[0007] Additionally, a substation may require specific equipment based on its location within the power grid, its geographic location, any functions it must perform, and the like.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for improved management of substations and the components therein. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0009] [Non-Patent Document 1] PRIME Specification v1.3 [Non-patent document 2] PRIME Specification v1.4 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to a first exemplary aspect herein, there is provided an apparatus for controlling and monitoring a substation, the substation being configured to transform medium-voltage electrical energy in a medium-voltage power network into low-voltage electrical energy in a low-voltage power network, the low-voltage power network being provided with a plurality of electrical energy meters, each electrical energy meter being associated with a respective electrical customer to measure electrical energy consumption by the electrical customers; said device for controlling and monitoring - at least one control unit with a data bus; - acquisition means for obtaining information from at least one peripheral unit; Equipped with The at least one control unit: - generating a virtual replica of a concentrator, said concentrator being configured to obtain consumption data from each electric energy meter; - generating a virtual replica of at least one component, the at least one component being for collecting network data related to the low-voltage power network and / or the medium-voltage power network; - enabling the exchange of said information and / or said consumption data and / or said network data between each virtual replica and said at least one peripheral unit via said data bus in order to optimize the efficiency of said medium-voltage and / or low-voltage power network; An apparatus for controlling and monitoring a power substation is provided, the apparatus being configured to:

[0011] The term virtual replica is used herein to define any computer program that runs on a processor (e.g., on a general processing computer) and performs the same functions as the virtually replicated component (including a concentrator), including receiving input data or signals from other components, processing data, and / or causing the generation of data / signals to other components in the substation or external to the substation. Thus, a virtual replica can run on a processor of a device and communicate with other components in the substation or external to the substation via an interface of the device.

[0012] A peripheral unit may be any unit that provides information related to the operation of a component connected to an electric power grid or a component of a substation. This information may indicate the electrical energy flowing through the component, the condition of the component (e.g., symptoms of anomalies in the component, level of use / wear of the component), or the environment in which the component operates (e.g., meteorological environment such as temperature, ambient moisture content, etc.). Information obtained from peripheral units may be used to identify the status of the electric power grid and / or substation and to reduce the risk of anomalies / failures that result in loss of electrical energy, damage to components, or any of which may affect the efficiency of the electric power grid, i.e., the amount of electrical energy delivered to customers.

[0013] By creating a virtual replica of the concentrator and at least one component for collecting network data, the device can avoid installing separate components for the substation to have all the necessary functionality. Additionally, these virtual replicas can help avoid increasing the physical space required within the substation.

[0014] The use of a data bus facilitates the direct exchange of information between multiple virtual components and allows data to be sent (e.g., multicast or broadcast) to multiple components without requiring additional cabling or communication links between each component. Virtualizing a component allows a device to receive information from all sources connected to the virtualized component. Therefore, virtualizing components and using a data bus also enhances substation monitoring and control, because each virtualized component can receive and process information from a larger number of sources in parallel with each other.

[0015] This allows for enhanced monitoring / control of substations and easier management of components.

[0016] Preferably, said control unit comprises at least one of: one or more processors, one or more working memories, and one or more non-volatile instruction stores.

[0017] Preferably, said one or more non-volatile instruction stores are configured to store instructions that, when executed by said one or more processors, cause said one or more processors to implement one or more operating systems.

[0018] Preferably, the at least one component comprises a detection device configured to detect faults and / or operational anomalies in the substation and / or the medium-voltage power network, and the virtual replica comprises a virtual replica of the detection device.

[0019] The substation may include one or more detection devices (sometimes called directional fault detectors) on the medium-voltage side to acquire data measured by sensors at the medium-voltage termination (i.e., the connection between the medium-voltage power grid and the substation elements, such as transformers, that transform the electrical energy into low-voltage electrical energy). The directional devices may also provide protection functions when malfunctions or faults are detected from the sensor data.

[0020] Thus, using the virtual replica of the detection device created by the control unit, the device can cause the substation to perform safety functions such as interrupting the flow of electrical energy or isolating certain components from electrical energy upon detecting an anomaly. Using virtual replicas of additional components also further facilitates management of components within the substation and improves the exchange of information between components. This can also help avoid increasing the amount of physical space required within the substation.

[0021] In addition, sensor data from the medium voltage termination may be supplied to other virtual replicas and / or to other functions performed by the device (particularly by the control unit) (e.g., application programs described below).

[0022] Preferably, said at least one component comprises a monitoring device configured to monitor operating parameters of said medium voltage power network and / or low voltage power network, and said virtual replica comprises a virtual replica of said monitoring device.

[0023] A substation may include one or more monitoring devices for monitoring operating parameters of the power grid, such as parameters related to medium-voltage / low-voltage transformation. These monitoring devices may also control elements (e.g., switches, circuit breakers) on the medium-voltage and / or low-voltage side of the electrical energy transformation to control the electrical energy transformation.

[0024] Using the virtual replica of the monitoring device, the control unit can obtain information about the monitored operating parameters and share this information with the virtual replicas of other components or other functions performed by the equipment, thereby enhancing the monitoring / control of the substation and facilitating the management of the components within the substation. Additionally, upon detecting an anomaly, the equipment can cause the substation to perform safety functions, such as interrupting current flow by controlling elements on the medium-voltage and / or low-voltage side of the electrical energy transformation, isolating certain components, etc.

[0025] Preferably, said device for controlling and monitoring comprises first connection means for connecting said device for controlling and monitoring to a remote control unit, said at least one component comprising a router configured to enable said control unit to communicate with said remote control unit via said first connection means, and said virtual replica comprising a virtual replica of said router.

[0026] The first connection means may interface with the remote control unit directly or via a network and may comprise any means suitable for exchanging (sending and / or receiving) data with the remote control unit.

[0027] Using the first connection means, the control unit can exchange information with a remote control unit, thereby enabling centralized monitoring and control of the substation. Additionally, using the virtual replica of the router, the device can control the exchange of information with components external to the substation, with remote devices, or between components of the substation (whether virtual replicas or physical components within the substation), thereby enabling the device to oversee all exchange of information related to the substation for enhanced control / monitoring of the substation.

[0028] Preferably, the control unit - Associating each virtual replica with a respective category based on the behavior of each virtual replica; - Determine the priority of each category, - Managing the execution priority of each virtual replica based on the priority. It is further configured as follows.

[0029] The category may be based on whether the operation of the virtual replica relates to substation safety, electrical energy transformation, substation monitoring, etc. The category of a virtual replica may be fixed, or the category of a virtual replica may change based on which operation the virtual replica is performing or based on one or more operating parameters indicative of the state of the substation. Specifically, depending on the operation performed by the virtual replica, the category may be defined as "real-time" operation or "batch" operation.

[0030] For example, a virtual replica of a component having operations related to monitoring a substation and operations related to logging data may have different categories associated with it depending on whether it is performing a logging operation or a monitoring operation. As another example, an operational parameter may indicate that a particular component should be prioritized, such as if the value of the operational parameter indicates that the particular component is at risk of malfunctioning (e.g., if the particular component of a substation is operating near the limit of its operational range).

[0031] The category may be determined automatically by the control unit based on information relating to the virtual replica or component, or the category may be indicated by an external entity (e.g., by a remote control unit) or by a human operator.

[0032] The control unit can manage the priorities by allocating resources (e.g., computing resources such as memory, processing resources, or bandwidth for transmitting / receiving data) according to the priorities. For example, a virtual priority with a higher priority can have guaranteed resources to ensure its correct and timely performance of its function.

[0033] Thus, the device can ensure that any virtual replica related to a function (or operation) that is critical to the safe operation (e.g., of a substation, its components, or the coupled power grid) is prioritized and allocated sufficient resources for correct execution, especially when resources of a particular type are limited.

[0034] Preferably, the control unit is configured to monitor the operational status of each virtual replica, and if the control unit detects a malfunction of any virtual replica, to generate a further virtual replica to replace the virtual replica that is detected to be malfunctioning.

[0035] The control unit can thus ensure or improve the continuity of operation of each virtual replica and therefore of the substation.

[0036] Preferably, the control unit is configured to execute at least one application program for control and / or monitoring of at least one of the substation, the medium voltage power network and the low voltage power network.

[0037] By executing each application program, the control unit can perform additional functions or operations to ensure that the substation and its components (whether virtual replicas or physical components) operate correctly.

[0038] An application program may monitor certain aspects of the substation, of the control and monitoring equipment, of the virtual replica, or of another application program. For example, the application program may monitor information processed, received, and / or output by another application program or by the virtual replica, and in some cases may detect a malfunction if the monitored information includes values ​​that deviate from expected (or predetermined) values. The application may also perform control functions by causing the control unit to send signals to control the state of the equipment and / or elements in the substation, such as control signals to correct any detected malfunctions (e.g., by interrupting the transformation of electrical energy, by disconnecting the substation elements, etc.).

[0039] The application program may also receive and process information from data sources other than the data sources that supply information to the virtual replica (e.g., sensing units coupled to a substation), and thus the monitoring functions of the application program complement the monitoring functions performed by the virtual replica.

[0040] Thus, using at least one application program, the device can perform additional functions or operations to enhance the monitoring and control of the substation, for example to meet the specific requirements of the local power grid and grid provider.

[0041] Preferably, the device for controlling and monitoring comprises first connection means for connecting the device for controlling and monitoring to a remote control unit, the control unit being further configured to receive first code data via the first connection means and to execute the at least one application program using the first code data.

[0042] The first code data may comprise instructions (eg, computer-readable instructions) that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute at least one application program.

[0043] Thus, devices located within a substation may be used to perform new functions or improve existing functions (e.g., where an application program is replacing an existing program) for control and / or monitoring of the substation or a power grid coupled to the substation.

[0044] For example, a remote control unit may control / monitor multiple substations, each equipped with the control and monitoring apparatus described above. Code data for an application program may be provided by the remote control unit to the multiple substations, thereby ensuring that each of the multiple substations performs the same function.

[0045] This also allows for a centralized decision of which application programs should be executed by each substation, which decision may be based on the substation's type, location, or function. For example, substations may be classified into types based on characteristics of the electrical energy being transformed (e.g., the operating voltage of the grid coupled to the substation, the amount of electrical energy being transformed, the type of transformer or component used to transform the electrical energy), with each type requiring a different application program. As another example, the location of a substation within a given geographic area may indicate that the substation is susceptible to a particular risk that should be monitored, such as a potential natural disaster (e.g., flood, earthquake, landslide, etc.) that may affect the substation. As another example, some substations may provide additional functions beyond transforming electrical energy, such as relaying communications between elements of the electrical grid (e.g., between substations, grid terminations, centralized control devices, etc.).

[0046] Thus, application programs provided to devices within such substations may relate to additional functionality provided by the substation.

[0047] Preferably, the information acquired from the at least one peripheral unit by the acquisition means is information based on data generated by a detection unit installed in the substation, and the application program is configured to process the information based on the data generated by the detection unit.

[0048] The sensing unit may comprise any sensor suitable for sensing data relating to the operation of the substation, the medium voltage power network and / or the low voltage power network, and is installed at the substation (i.e., in, on or near the substation to enable communication with the acquisition means of the device).

[0049] The sensing unit may be distinct from any unit from which the concentrator, detection device, and monitoring device obtain data and may be configured to interact with an associated application program. In other words, the application program and the sensing unit may be associated with each other by being configured together to exchange information in a defined manner. For example, a sensing unit to be coupled to a substation may be selected based on the type, location, or function of the substation, and the application program associated with the sensing unit may be executed by a control and monitoring device within the substation.

[0050] For example, the sensing unit may be a unit that provides environmental data (e.g., weather data, earthquake data, etc.) regarding the environment in which the substation is located, and the application program may be configured to monitor the environmental data to detect whether environmental conditions cause malfunctions within the substation.

[0051] Preferably, said acquisition means is configured to acquire meter data from said at least one electric energy meter, and said virtual replica of said concentrator obtains said meter data including said consumption data via said acquisition means.

[0052] Preferably, each of the at least one electric energy meter is a smart meter. In this specification, an electric energy meter is configured to indicate (e.g., via visual means) values ​​of instantaneous and / or cumulative consumption of electric energy by a corresponding customer, while a smart meter means a device with at least one additional function, such as recording and / or transmitting data related to the operating conditions of the meter (e.g., as the temperature of the meter or of the meter's environment), recording and / or transmitting said consumption data or said data related to the operating conditions of the meter in a computer-readable format, displaying data (e.g., said consumption data or said data related to the operating conditions of the meter) on a display coupled to the smart meter or on a display of the corresponding customer's device (e.g., a smartphone) or causing an external device to display it. It will be understood that, to perform the above functions, a smart meter can comprise at least one of one or more sensors, a memory, a communication interface, data processing means, and a display.

[0053] Preferably, the acquisition means is configured to acquire data from one or more balance meters and / or one or more sensors provided in a substation for monitoring transformation of electrical energy. Preferably, the virtual replica of the concentrator acquires the meter data including the consumption data via the acquisition means.

[0054] Preferably, the acquisition means is configured to exchange (receive and / or transmit) data with the at least one peripheral unit, the at least one electric energy meter, the one or more balance meters, and / or the one or more sensors via one or both of power line communication and wireless (radio) communication.

[0055] Preferably, said data is exchanged in the form of one or more signals.

[0056] Preferably, the control unit is configured to obtain data obtained via the wireless communication and / or via the power line communication from the obtaining means.

[0057] Preferably, said acquisition means comprises one or more circuit boards, each circuit board having one or more components of the acquisition means positioned thereon.

[0058] As used herein, a circuit board (sometimes referred to as an electronic board, wiring board, printed wiring board, or printed circuit board) is understood to be an electronic device comprising electronic components located on a substrate (e.g., a silicone-based substrate) where the electronic components are connected to one another via one or more traces of conductive material that may be printed or deposited on the substrate. The circuit board may have one or more interfaces for mechanically and / or electrically coupling with electrical / electronic components external to the circuit board to enable operation of the circuit board elements and the external components.

[0059] Preferably, said acquisition means comprise at least one first circuit board configured to manage the reception of data from said at least one electric energy meter and the transmission of said received data to said control unit, preferably said at least one first circuit board forming a meter management unit, more preferably a smart meter management unit.

[0060] Preferably, the acquisition means comprises at least one measurement acquisition unit, each measurement acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement data from at least one of the medium-voltage power network and the low-voltage power network. Preferably, each of the at least one measurement acquisition unit is implemented on at least one circuit board. Preferably, the at least one measurement acquisition unit is implemented on the same circuit board.

[0061] Preferably, the acquisition means comprises at least one environmental unit, each environmental unit configured to acquire data indicative of an environment in which a component operates (e.g., meteorological environment such as temperature, ambient moisture content, humidity, etc.). Preferably, each of the at least one environmental unit is mounted on at least one circuit board. Preferably, the at least one environmental unit is mounted on the same circuit board. Preferably, the control unit is further configured to enable direct exchange of information between the at least one peripheral unit and the at least one application program via the data bus.

[0062] Direct exchange of information is intended to mean the transfer of information from at least one peripheral unit to an application program (and / or vice versa) without processing by one of the virtual replicas or other application programs connected to the data bus.

[0063] Thus, additional peripheral (e.g., sensing) units can be installed in substations having particular risks or parameters to be monitored, and devices within the substations can run application programs associated with the additional peripheral units to monitor the particular risks or parameters. This allows for the installation of, and processing of data from, tailored peripheral units to enhance the control and monitoring of substations.

[0064] Preferably, the control unit is configured to generate a virtual replica of a peripheral (eg sensing) unit.

[0065] Thus, the exchange of information between the sensing unit and the application program can occur in the same way as with any other virtual replica. Information from the peripheral unit can also be distributed via the data bus to additional virtual replicas and / or application programs to enhance their respective monitoring or control functions.

[0066] Preferably, one or more of the at least one application program is configured to perform analysis of data received from at least one of the virtual replica of the monitoring device, the virtual replica of the detection device, and the virtual replica of the concentrator.

[0067] By analyzing the data of the virtual replicas (e.g. received by, output by) or the processing of the data of the virtual replicas, it is possible to detect any inconsistencies between different virtual replicas or to detect any malfunctions of the virtual replicas. Furthermore, based on the data exchanged with the virtual replicas of the monitoring device, the virtual replicas of the detection device and the virtual replicas of the concentrator, application programs may also perform operational estimation and / or network diagnostic functions, thereby providing operators and / or remote control units with control data that allows enhanced substation and network management.

[0068] Preferably, the control unit - associating each of the at least one application program with a respective category based on the behavior of each application program; - Determine the priority of each category, - Managing the execution priority of each application program based on the priority. It is further configured as follows.

[0069] As described above in connection with virtual replicas, prioritization enables the device to ensure that any application program related to a function (or operation) that is critical to the safe operation (e.g., of a substation, its components, or the coupled power grid) is prioritized and allocated sufficient resources for correct execution, especially when resources of that type are limited.

[0070] In some cases, the prioritization of the virtual replicas and at least one application program can be combined (i.e., a defined order of priority is given to each category of virtual replicas and each category of application programs). This can help the device ensure the correct execution of the virtual replicas and / or application programs, especially when the virtual replicas and application programs compete for the same resources to perform their functions. In one embodiment, a priority is associated with each virtual replica and each application program executed (or generated) by the control unit. This makes it possible to rank all software modules run by the device and optimize their respective resource allocations while ensuring the continuity / execution of the most critical functions.

[0071] Preferably, the control unit may be configured to receive, via the first connection means, association information indicating associations between categories and application programs, which association information may be transmitted together with the code data for the application programs (e.g. as metadata within the code data) or transmitted separately (e.g. as information associating one or more application programs with respective categories).

[0072] Thus, resource prioritization can be determined centrally and one or more substations can be remotely controlled to operate in the same manner.

[0073] Preferably, the control unit is further configured to execute message-oriented middleware for communication between said at least one application program and at least one further application program, between said at least one application program and each of said virtual replicas, and / or between each of said virtual replicas.

[0074] Thus, information can be exchanged between application programs, or virtual replicas, or both, while reducing the risk that malfunctions in the execution of one application program and / or virtual replica will affect the execution of another application program and / or virtual replica.

[0075] Preferably, the message-oriented middleware uses an asynchronous messaging system, a messaging system with a public API, and / or an open source messaging system.

[0076] Thus, information exchange can take place even between application programs developed independently of each other, such as application programs developed by different sources or in different environments (e.g., operating systems), thereby improving interoperability between application programs executed by the control units.

[0077] Preferably, the control unit is further configured to enable communication between the at least one application program and at least one further application program asynchronously via Neural Automatic Transport System (NATS) messages.

[0078] As an open source asynchronous messaging system, using NATS messages brings the benefits described above.

[0079] Preferably, each application program is a container-type application program, preferably based on a Snap or Docker software package.

[0080] Thus, the control unit can execute programs in different environments (e.g., operating systems), thereby improving the interoperability of application programs executed by the control unit and reducing the risk that malfunctions in the execution of one application program will affect the execution of another application program.

[0081] Preferably, the one or more non-volatile instruction stores are configured to store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement one or more functions, optionally with each function implemented as an application program.

[0082] Preferably, the control unit comprises at least one circuit board, each circuit board having one or more components of the control unit positioned thereon.

[0083] Preferably, the apparatus comprises a remote terminal unit having at least one interface for connecting to an input / output device. Preferably, the remote terminal unit comprises at least one circuit board.

[0084] Preferably, the apparatus comprises at least one universal input / output unit each having one or both of an inlet means and an outlet means, each inlet means configured to receive digital and / or analogue data and each outlet means configured to transmit digital and / or analogue data.

[0085] Preferably, the device comprises at least one communication unit, each communication unit comprising at least one of an encoder / decoder, a modulator / demodulator (modem), one or more input / output ports, and a switching fabric.

[0086] Preferably, the device comprises at least one protection unit.

[0087] Preferably, said device comprises at least one first protection unit configured to exchange (receive and / or transmit) sensor data relating to the protection functions of said medium voltage power network.

[0088] Preferably, at least one of said first connecting means and said obtaining means is configured to exchange (receive and / or transmit) data with at least one remote unit via said power line communication.

[0089] Preferably, the first connection means comprises one or more circuit boards, each circuit board having one or more components of the first connection means positioned thereon. Preferably, the control unit is further configured to asynchronously enable communication between the virtual replica of the concentrator and the virtual replica of at least one component for collecting network data and / or any additional application programs via NATS messages.

[0090] Preferably, at least one, or all, of said virtual replicas are container-type applications, preferably based on Snap or Docker software packages.

[0091] That is, at least one or all of the virtual replica of the concentrator, the virtual replica of at least one component for collecting network data, and the virtual replica of the peripheral unit (e.g., the detection unit) are container-type applications.

[0092] Preferably, said control unit is further configured to receive second code data via said first connection means and to execute at least one of said virtual replicas using the second code data.

[0093] Like the first code data, the second code data may also comprise instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions) that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute at least one application program.

[0094] Thus, virtual replicas of these components can be provided in the equipment to allow the substation to perform new functions or replace existing functions (e.g., upgrade functions or correct failed functions).

[0095] Preferably, the control unit is configured to use a data bus for communication between said at least one application program.

[0096] Preferably, the control unit is configured to monitor the operating status of each of the at least one application program, and if the control unit detects a malfunction of any application program, to generate a further application program from the received code data to replace the application program whose malfunction has been detected.

[0097] The control unit is thus able to ensure or improve the continuity of operation of each application program.

[0098] Preferably, the control and monitoring device comprises: second connection means for connecting the control and monitoring device to at least one first commutation section of a substation, the at least one first commutation section being connected to the medium-voltage power network and configured to switch from a first position allowing a flow of medium-voltage electrical energy between the medium-voltage power network and the substation to a second position blocking the flow of medium-voltage electrical energy; third connection means for connecting the control and monitoring device to at least one second commutation section of a substation, the at least one second commutation section being connected to the low voltage power network and configured to switch from a first position allowing a flow of low voltage electrical energy between the low voltage power network (LV) and the substation to a second position blocking the flow of low voltage electrical energy; Further provided are:

[0099] Each commutation section may comprise any suitable means for selectively interrupting the flow of electrical energy, such as a circuit breaker (eg, a mechanical or motor-driven circuit breaker), a switch, or the like.

[0100] Thus, when a malfunction related to the medium-voltage power grid is detected, the device can communicate with the first commutation unit via the second connection means to cause the first commutation unit to interrupt the flow of medium-voltage electrical energy toward the substation. Similarly, when a malfunction related to the low-voltage power grid is detected, the device can communicate with the second commutation unit via the third connection means to cause the second commutation unit to interrupt the flow of low-voltage electrical energy toward the substation. The malfunction may be in one or more components of the substation interfacing with the power grid, or the malfunction may be in the power grid itself.

[0101] Preferably, said second connection means comprises one or more circuit boards, each circuit board having one or more components of the second connection means positioned thereon.

[0102] Preferably, said third connection means comprises one or more circuit boards, each circuit board having one or more components of the third connection means positioned thereon.

[0103] Preferably, said second connection means and said third connection means are located on the same circuit board.

[0104] Preferably, the control unit comprises at least one second protection unit configured to exchange (receive and / or transmit) data with the second connection means to operate the at least one first commutation section.

[0105] Preferably, the device comprises at least one third protection unit configured to exchange (receive and / or transmit) data with the third connection means to operate the at least one second commutation unit.

[0106] Preferably, the apparatus comprises at least one fourth protection unit for arc flash mitigation protection functions of the substation.

[0107] Preferably, each of said at least one fourth protection unit comprises at least one inlet means and at least one outlet means for said arc flash mitigation protection function.

[0108] Preferably, each of the at least one fourth protection unit is coupled to at least one optical sensor configured to detect an arc flash within the substation.

[0109] Preferably, each of said at least one fourth protection unit comprises at least one contact each controlling a circuit breaker, preferably a circuit breaker of the high-break high-speed type.

[0110] Preferably, the at least one application program comprises one or more first programs relating to medium voltage protection functions.

[0111] Preferably, said at least one application program comprises one or more second programs associated with said remote terminal unit.

[0112] Preferably, at least one of said one or more second programs comprises a modular software architecture, said modular software architecture preferably including one or more modules, each module associated with a respective service.

[0113] Preferably, the substation comprises at least one component operating at the medium voltage, and the at least one application program comprises one or more third programs related to arc flash mitigation protection functions for the at least one component of the substation operating at the medium voltage.

[0114] Preferably, the at least one application program comprises one or more third programs configured to communicate with one or more smart meters, each of the one or more third programs preferably configured to support one or more communication protocols used by the one or more smart meters.

[0115] Preferably, each of said one or more third programs supports a protocol based on the PRIME communications standard.

[0116] Preferably, each of said one or more third programs supports a protocol based on the G3 communication standard.

[0117] Preferably, said at least one application program comprises one or more fourth programs for fault detection functions within said medium voltage power network.

[0118] Preferably, at least one of said one or more fourth programs is for assisting in locating a fault detected in said medium voltage power network.

[0119] Preferably, at least one of the one or more fourth programs is for implementing a virtualized phasor measurement function, which is preferably for identifying and / or locating faults occurring in the medium-voltage power network and / or the low-voltage power network.

[0120] Preferably, said at least one application program comprises one or more fifth programs for controlling a variable transformer coupled to said medium voltage power network and / or said low voltage power network.

[0121] Preferably, the at least one application program comprises one or more sixth programs for managing environmental sensor data relating to the environment in or near the substation and for transmitting the environmental sensor data to a centralized data collection system.

[0122] Preferably, the at least one application program comprises one or more seventh programs for a remote backup function of the operating parameters of the device.

[0123] Preferably, such remote backup functionality is to allow virtualization of equipment at a remote location for the purposes of monitoring the equipment and / or substations.

[0124] Preferably, at least one of the one or more seventh programs is configured to cause a backup of said operating parameters, including transmitting information indicative of a respective value of each said operating parameter to a remote location, for example a remote control unit.

[0125] Preferably, at least one of the one or more seventh programs is configured to cause reception of information indicative of the value of each of the operating parameters from a remote location, such as a remote control unit, preferably triggered in the event of an initialization, restoration or replacement of the device.

[0126] According to a second exemplary aspect herein, there is provided a method for controlling and monitoring a substation by means of the apparatus for controlling and monitoring described above in relation to the first exemplary aspect, comprising the steps of: - generating a virtual replica of a concentrator by said control unit, said concentrator being configured to obtain consumption data from each electric energy meter; - generating, by the control unit, a virtual replica of at least one component, the at least one component being for collecting network data related to the low-voltage power network and / or the medium-voltage power network; - acquiring information from at least one peripheral unit by said acquiring means; - sharing said information and / or said consumption data and / or said network data within said data bus to enable an exchange of said information and / or said consumption data and / or said network data between each virtual replica and said at least one peripheral unit in order to optimize the efficiency of said medium-voltage and / or low-voltage power network; A method for controlling and monitoring a power substation is provided, including:

[0127] According to a third exemplary aspect herein, there is provided a system for control comprising at least one device for control and monitoring as described above in relation to the first exemplary aspect, which system may also include a remote control unit as described above in relation to the first exemplary aspect.

[0128] According to a fourth exemplary aspect herein, there is provided a substation comprising at least one device for controlling and monitoring as described above in relation to the first exemplary aspect.

[0129] Preferably, the substation comprises: at least one first commutation unit connected to the medium voltage power network and configured to switch from a first position that allows a flow of medium voltage electrical energy between the medium voltage power network and the substation to a second position that blocks the flow of medium voltage electrical energy; at least one second commutation unit connected to the low-voltage power network and configured to switch from a first position that allows the flow of low-voltage electrical energy between the low-voltage power network and the substation to a second position that blocks the flow of low-voltage electrical energy; Equipped with.

[0130] The device is therefore able to interrupt the flow of electrical energy to the commutation section, thereby reducing the risk of malfunctions within the substation that could damage components.

[0131] Preferably, the substation comprises at least one transformer with at least one primary winding and at least one secondary winding; the at least one first commutation section comprises means for operatively connecting the primary winding to the medium voltage power grid; The at least one second commutation section comprises means for operatively connecting the at least one secondary winding to the low voltage power grid.

[0132] The device can therefore cause the commutation section to isolate the primary winding from the medium voltage power grid and / or the secondary winding from the low voltage power grid, thereby reducing the risk that a malfunction will cause damage to the transformer.

[0133] According to a fifth exemplary aspect herein, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of the second aspect summarized above.

[0134] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention, presented for a better understanding of the concepts of the present invention but which should not be considered as limiting the present invention, will now be described with reference to the figures. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0135] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system for control in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a control and monitoring device in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary elements of a control unit in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an application program and a virtual replica in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a process performed by a control and monitoring device in an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0136] While illustrative embodiments are described below, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made to these illustrative embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the following description and accompanying drawings should be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0137] The components described herein, such as the first connecting means, the second connecting means, the acquiring means, the peripheral unit, the sensing unit, etc., may use any communication link suitable for exchanging data, such as a wireless (or radio) communication link (e.g., Wi-Fi, a cellular telephone data link such as LTE / 5G, Bluetooth, or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), a wired communication link (e.g., DSL, fiber optic cable, Ethernet, power line communication, etc.), etc. Each communication link may not be permanent.

[0138] Numerous details are set forth in the following description and accompanying figures to provide an understanding of various exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these details.

[0139] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system for control in an exemplary embodiment.

[0140] In system S, substation 2 comprises control and monitoring device 1, first commutation section 20, second commutation section 21, and peripheral units P. In addition, substation 2 comprises a transformer (not shown) having a primary winding and a secondary winding, although it will be understood that the number of each of these elements is merely exemplary and that substation 2 may comprise any number of these elements.

[0141] The substation 2 is connected to a medium voltage power network MV via a first commutation section 20 and to a low voltage power network LV via a second commutation section 21 .

[0142] The first commutation unit 20 has a first position that allows the flow of medium-voltage electrical energy between the medium-voltage power network MV and the substation 2, and a second position that blocks the flow of medium-voltage electrical energy. The first commutation unit 20 can be switched between the first and second positions to selectively allow the flow of medium-voltage electrical energy.

[0143] The second commutation unit 21 has a first position that allows the flow of low-voltage electrical energy between the low-voltage power network LV and the substation 2, and a second position that blocks the flow of low-voltage electrical energy. The second commutation unit 21 can be switched between the first and second positions to selectively allow the flow of low-voltage electrical energy.

[0144] When electrical energy is to be distributed to customers, the first commutation unit 20 directs medium-voltage electrical energy toward the substation 2 by operatively connecting a terminal of the medium-voltage power network MV to a primary winding of a transformer. The transformer converts the medium-voltage electrical energy (e.g., 15 kVAC) into low-voltage electrical energy (e.g., 120 VAC). This low-voltage electrical energy is supplied to multiple electrical customers.

[0145] Each electric customer is associated with a respective electric energy meter 4 for measuring the electric energy consumption of that electric customer. While FIG. 1 shows two electric energy meters 4, any number of electric energy meters 4 may be supplied with low-voltage electric energy from the substation 2. It will be understood that each electric energy meter 4 may be of various types, each being a smart meter capable of remotely supplying data to the device 1. Each smart meter may have different capabilities and may communicate via different types of communication links. Each smart meter may also have other "smart" capabilities, such as displaying consumption or other data related to that meter to the customer. Each smart meter may communicate using a different communication protocol. For example, the device 1 may communicate with a first smart meter using a communication protocol according to the PRIME communication standard, i.e., a standard defined by the PRIME Alliance (www.prime-alliance.org), such as the PRIME specification v1.3 or v1.4. The device 1 may communicate with a second smart meter using a communication protocol according to the G3 communication standard. i.e., the standard defined by the G3 Alliance (www.g3-alliance.com).

[0146] It will be appreciated that any other communication protocol may be used instead of or in addition to the above examples.

[0147] Device 1 is connected to remote control unit 3 via network N for exchanging information with remote control unit 3. Network N may comprise one or more networks, such as the Internet, a telephone network, a cellular data network, etc. Network N may also comprise a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any other form of network.

[0148] The device 1 is also connected to at least one peripheral unit P. Each peripheral unit P supplies the device 1 with data related to the low-voltage power network LV and / or the medium-voltage power network MV (also called network data) and / or data related to the substation 2. For example, the peripheral units may comprise sensors configured to sense operating parameters at the connection between the medium-voltage power network MV and the substation 2, operating parameters at the connection between the low-voltage power network LV and the substation 2, etc.

[0149] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a control and monitoring device 1 in an exemplary embodiment.

[0150] The device 1 comprises a control unit 10 , first connection means 11 , second connection means 12 , third connection means 13 , acquisition means 15 and a memory 16 .

[0151] A control unit 10 (i.e., a control logic unit or controller) is configured to control the exchange of information among various elements of the device 1 to optimize the efficiency of the power grid and / or substation. The control unit 10 includes a data bus 100 to enable the exchange of data / information among various elements within the device, the substation, or with elements external to the substation, as described below. The control unit 10 may also include one or more processors (e.g., single / multi-core CPUs, one or more microprocessors, etc.), one or more working memories (e.g., random access memory RAM, flash memory, etc.), and one or more non-volatile instruction stores (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, etc.) that store computer-readable instructions. The processors, executing the computer-readable instructions in the instruction stores, generate virtual replicas R1 and R2, enable the exchange of information over the data bus 100, and execute application programs A and A'.

[0152] In some example embodiments, application programs A and A' and virtual replicas R1 and R2 may be running on an operating system implemented when a processor executes computer-readable instructions in an instruction store.

[0153] The control unit 10 can also be called the head unit of the device 1 given its control functions.

[0154] A first connection means 11 connects the device 1 to a remote control unit 3 (shown in Figure 1). Via the first connection means 11 the control unit 10 can send data to the remote control unit 3 or receive data from the remote control unit 3.

[0155] The second connection means 12 connects the device 1 to at least one first commutation section 20 (shown in Figure 1) of the substation 2. Similarly, the third connection means 13 connects the device 1 to a second commutation section 21 (shown in Figure 1) of the substation 2.

[0156] The acquisition means 15 are communicatively coupled to the at least one peripheral unit P in order to acquire information (e.g. the network data and / or substation related data as described above) from the at least one peripheral unit P. The acquisition means 15 provides this information to the control unit 10 to be processed by the control and / or monitoring functions executed on the control unit 10.

[0157] As will be explained below, the virtual replicas and application programs generated on the control units acquire information / data from external sources, such as electric energy meters 4. To this effect, acquisition means 15 can acquire meter data (which may include consumption data) from each electric energy meter 4. The virtual replicas (including the virtual replica R1 for the concentrator) can then acquire the meter data.

[0158] The acquisition means 15 may also acquire information from peripheral units such as balance meters and sensors within the substation 2 and provide this data to the control unit 10 (specifically to the virtual replica and / or application program generated by the control unit 10).

[0159] The acquisition means may exchange (i.e. receive and / or transmit) data with peripheral units, electric energy meter 4, balance meters, sensors etc. via any suitable communication link, such as power line carrier and / or wireless communication, which may involve, for example, the transmission of signals. The memory 16 may comprise any number of working memories and / or an instruction store for storing computer readable instructions that can be executed by one or more processors to perform the processing operations described hereinafter.

[0160] The instruction store is a non-transitory storage medium that may comprise non-volatile memory, for example in the form of read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, a magnetic computer storage device (e.g., a hard disk), or an optical disk, into which the computer-readable instructions are pre-loaded. Alternatively, the instruction store may comprise writable memory, such as random access memory (RAM), into which the computer-readable instructions may be input from a computer program product, such as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., an optical disk, such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM) or a computer-readable signal carrying the computer-readable instructions.

[0161] The apparatus 1 may be connected to various external devices, such as a peripheral unit P, a first commutation unit 20, a second commutation unit 21, a remote control unit 3, or an electric energy meter 4, via any suitable communication link. For example, the obtaining means 15 may communicate with the electric energy meter 4 via a first type of wireless communication (e.g. a cellular data link) and with the peripheral unit P using a second type of wireless communication (e.g. Bluetooth Low Energy), while the first connecting means 11 may communicate with the remote control unit 3 via power line carrier communication or via a dedicated wired data link.

[0162] In one exemplary implementation, the elements of the device 1, such as the control unit 10, the first connecting means 11, the second connecting means 12, the third connecting means 13, the acquisition means 15, and the memory 16, may each comprise one or more circuit boards (e.g., printed circuit boards), which are mechanically and communicatively coupled to each other via a computer bus.

[0163] The acquiring means 15 may be understood to comprise a meter management unit (which may also be called a smart meter management unit) configured to manage the reception of meter data from the electric energy meter 4 .

[0164] The acquisition means 15 can also be understood as comprising a measurement acquisition unit arranged to acquire measurement data from the medium-voltage and / or low-voltage power network, for example via the peripheral unit P.

[0165] The acquisition means 15 may also be understood to comprise an environmental unit configured to acquire data from the peripheral unit P indicative of the environment in which the component operates (e.g. meteorological environment such as temperature, ambient moisture content, humidity, etc.).

[0166] Additionally, elements of the apparatus 1 that communicate with remote devices, such as the obtaining means 15 and the first connecting means 11, can be understood to constitute remote terminal units, universal input / output units and / or communication units, which comprise at least one interface for connecting with an input / output device, having ingress means for receiving digital and / or analog data and egress means configured to transmit digital and / or analog data.

[0167] Although not shown, it will be understood that the device 1 may comprise a communication unit (e.g. comprising at least part of the acquisition means 15, the first connection means 11, the second connection means 12, and / or the third connection means 13) to perform its functions described herein, wherein the communication unit comprises an encoder / decoder, a modulator / demodulator (modem), one or more input / output ports, and / or a switching fabric generally for distributing (routing) data to the appropriate destination.

[0168] Additionally, the device 1 can be understood to comprise one or more protection units. For example, the first protection unit (which may comprise at least a part of the second connection means 12 and / or at least a part of the acquisition means 15) exchanges sensor data related to the protection functions of the medium-voltage power network, such as data from sensors or other units coupled to the first commutation section 20 or remote units (e.g. sensors) coupled to the medium-voltage power network remotely from or near the substation 2. The second connection means 12 and / or the acquisition means 15 can communicate with the remote units via any communication link, such as power line carrier communication.

[0169] The device 1 (e.g. the control unit 10) can also be understood as comprising a second protection unit configured to exchange data with the second connection means 12 to operate the first commutation section 20. For example, the second connection means 12 can provide the second protection unit with information about the state of the first commutation section 20, and the second protection unit can send commands to the second connection means 12 to switch the state of the first commutation section 20 as required.

[0170] The device 1 (e.g., the control unit 10) can also be understood to comprise a third protection unit which operates in conjunction with the third connection means 13 to operate the second commutation section 21, similar to the second protection unit described above.

[0171] In some implementations, substation 2 may have arc flash mitigation protection that interrupts the flow of electrical energy when an arc flash is detected, thereby mitigating the risk of arc flashes occurring within substation 2 and / or mitigating the risk of damage from such arcs. For example, one or more optical sensors may be positioned within substation 2 (e.g., near a commutation section or transformer) to detect arc flashes.

[0172] Substation 2 may also include circuit breakers configured to operate when such an arc flash is detected, particularly high-trip, high-speed type circuit breakers to reduce the duration of any arc flash.

[0173] Thus, the apparatus may have a fourth protection unit with inlet means (e.g., an interface for a communication link) for receiving information from the optical sensor when an arc flash is detected, and with outlet means (e.g., electrical contacts) for triggering a high-interrupt high-speed circuit breaker to interrupt the circuit when an arc flash is detected.

[0174] Preferably, each of said at least one fourth protection unit comprises at least one contact each controlling a circuit breaker, preferably a circuit breaker of the high-breaking, high-speed type.

[0175] In some implementations, each set of circuit boards in device 1 can form part of the aforementioned meter management unit, remote terminal unit, measurement acquisition unit, and environmental unit. Any of these circuit boards can belong to more than one set.

[0176] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary elements of a control unit in an exemplary embodiment.

[0177] The control unit 10 generates a virtual replica R1 for the concentrator, a virtual replica R2 for each of the detection device D, the monitoring device M, the router R, and the peripheral unit P. In addition, the control unit 10 executes a first application program A and a second application program A'.

[0178] The concentrator is the component that acquires consumption data from each electric energy meter 4. The concentrator may also collect data from one or more balance meters and sensors provided within the substation 2 to monitor the transformation of electric energy.

[0179] The detection device D (e.g., a directional fault detector) is configured to acquire data measured by sensors in the medium-voltage terminations. When the data measured by these sensors indicates a fault, the detection device D activates a protection function to isolate the terminations or the transformer from the medium-voltage electrical energy (e.g., using a circuit breaker).

[0180] The monitoring device M is configured to monitor operating parameters of the medium voltage power network MV and / or the low voltage power network LV, for example, the monitoring device M may obtain the operating voltage of the connection between the substation 2 and one or both of the power networks (MV and LV), the current in each phase, etc.

[0181] The virtual replicas R1 and R2, the first application program A, and the second application program A' are each connected to a data bus 100 and use the data bus 100 to communicate with each other.

[0182] Specifically, in one example, the control unit 10 runs a NATS server that assigns a respective URL to each virtual replica and application program. These URLs are used to send data to the corresponding virtual replica or application program, thereby enabling the exchange of information obtained by each virtual replica and application program, such as information from peripheral units, consumption data obtained by concentrators and / or data from balance meters, sensors, etc., data obtained by detection devices, data on operating parameters monitored by monitoring device M, etc. In addition, information processed by application programs can also be supplied to virtual replicas or to other application programs.

[0183] In this example, application program A receives data from virtual replica R1 in the concentrator and virtual replica R2 in monitoring device M, as described below.

[0184] 4, application program A receives the value I1 provided as input to virtual replica R1 and the value O1 output by virtual replica R1. In addition, application program A receives the value I2 provided as input to virtual replica R2(M) of the monitoring device and the value O2 output by virtual replica R2(M).

[0185] In this example, the values ​​I1, I2, O1, and O2 are all broadcast over the data bus 100 using NATS messages, and the values ​​I1, I2, O1, and O2 are all sent to the URL of the application program A in addition to the remaining intended targets (e.g., virtual replica R1 for value I1, virtual replica R2 of monitoring device M for value I2, etc.).

[0186] As an example, the value I1 may be the value of low-voltage electric energy measured by a given electric energy meter 4, and the value I2 may be the value of electric energy measured at a point in the low-voltage power network LV between the substation 2 and its electric energy meter 4. In other words, the value I2 corresponds to the electric energy indicated by the value I1 and the electric energy distributed to other electric energy meters 4, and therefore the ratio of I2 to I1 may be predetermined. The application program A may determine whether the value I1 is a predetermined ratio (or percentage) of the value I2.

[0187] Similarly, the value O1 may be the sum of the medium-voltage electrical energy at each end of the medium-voltage power network MV, and the value O2 may indicate the temperature of a component near that end of the medium-voltage power network MV. In that case, the application program may determine whether the values ​​O1 and O2 correspond to each other.

[0188] Thus, application program A may perform analysis of data received from at least one of virtual replica R2 of monitoring device M, virtual replica R2 of detection device D, and virtual replica R1 of the concentrator to enable further monitoring or to determine whether one of those virtual replicas may be malfunctioning.

[0189] Returning now to Figure 3, the control unit 10 may have received code data for executing application program A from the remote control unit 3 and stored the code data on memory 16 for execution, or the code data may have been stored in memory 16 by other means (e.g., by being pre-stored in memory 16).

[0190] For application program A', the control unit 10 receives code data from the remote control unit 3 and stores the code data in memory 16. The control unit 10 then executes the computer-readable instructions in the received code data to implement the functions of application program A'.

[0191] Application program A' is configured to communicate with virtual replica R2 of peripheral unit P using NATS messages sent over data bus 100. Additionally, if the analysis performed by application program A' indicates a high risk of failure (e.g., a seismic event that could damage or disconnect a component), application program A' can send an alert about the risk of failure to the application program or virtual replica on control unit 10 or to remote control unit 3.

[0192] For example, peripheral unit P may comprise a weather or seismic sensor installed in substation 2 to provide data to be processed by application program A', which is installed on equipment 1 in substation 2 (i.e. stored in memory 16). Application program A' may thus be a program for monitoring particular environmental risks that are of particular importance to substation 2, complementing the monitoring functions provided by virtual replicas R1 and R2.

[0193] Thus, application program A' provides the substation with customized monitoring / control functionality to operate in conjunction with a customized sensing unit installed in the substation. Once the sensing unit is installed in the substation 2, the customized monitoring / control functionality can be installed or updated on the device via remote control unit 3 without requiring installation by a physical component or human operator.

[0194] In this example, the virtual replicas R1, R2 and the application programs A and A' are each containers based on their respective Docker packages, and therefore can operate independently of each other while exchanging information via the data bus 100.

[0195] In some cases, for example when fluctuations in data volume can be difficult to predict accurately, the control unit 10 may have insufficient resources (e.g., computing resources such as computation time, memory 16, bandwidth on the data bus 100 and / or bandwidth out of the device 1 via one of the first, second and third connection means) to run all the virtual replicas and application programs. Therefore, the control unit 10 classifies the virtual replicas or application programs based on the operations they provide, prioritizing critical operations and ensuring that these operations are performed correctly.

[0196] As an example, the concentrator virtual replica R1 and application program A can be associated with category C1 of monitoring. Application program A' can be associated with category C2 of failure risk alert. The peripheral unit P (a sensing unit in this case) virtual replica R2 can be associated with category C3 of data logging.

[0197] Categories C1, C2, and C3 may be determined to have priorities L1, L2, and L3, respectively. This determination may be based on a predetermined association between the categories and their priorities, or the association information may be provided by the remote control unit 3 (e.g., when transmitting code data for a virtual replica or an application program).

[0198] Priority L1 can be prioritized to be allocated a minimum guaranteed resource.

[0199] Priority L2 may have a guaranteed bandwidth for transmission via the first connection means 11 for all transmissions.

[0200] Priority L3 may have allocated memory resources and bandwidth for transmission on data bus 100 .

[0201] Application updates will depend on the network infrastructure into which the device 1 is integrated, which obviously must be sufficient to manage the updates and to satisfy the required use cases.

[0202] Regardless of the network access technology, a minimum bidirectional bandwidth of 2 Mb / s can be considered. In summary, it can be seen from the above description that the processing operations for performing the method shown in Figure 5, which are performed by the above-described apparatus for control and monitoring, are performed according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0203] In step S50, the control unit 10 generates a virtual replica R1 of the concentrator, which is configured to obtain consumption data from the electric energy meter 4.

[0204] In step S51, the control unit 10 generates a virtual replica R2 of at least one component C. The at least one component C is for collecting network data related to the low voltage power network LV and / or the medium voltage power network MV.

[0205] In step S52, the obtaining means 15 obtains information from said at least one peripheral unit P.

[0206] In step S53, the data bus 100 allows information and / or consumption data and / or network data to be shared within the data bus 100 to exchange information and / or consumption data and / or network data between each virtual replica R1, R2 and at least one peripheral unit P in order to optimize the efficiency of said medium voltage power network MV and / or low voltage power network LV.

[0207] Modifications and Variations Although the power grid is described as having alternating current (AC) electrical energy, it will be understood that the medium voltage power grid MV and / or the low voltage power grid LV may instead operate with direct current (DC) electrical energy, and the substation 2 may in some cases comprise means for converting AC electrical energy to DC electrical energy or vice versa.

[0208] A device may have fewer or more virtual replicas than those described in the above embodiments.

[0209] In some cases, multiple copies of virtual replicas of the same component may be used and / or multiple copies of an application program may be run in parallel to provide redundancy and to ensure correct operation of the virtual replicas and / or application programs.

[0210] It will be appreciated that either application program A, A' may have a modular software architecture, preferably including one or more modules, each module associated with a respective service to be provided by the application program.

[0211] It will be understood that the application programs A, A' may include one or more programs related to the remote terminal unit of the device 1.

[0212] It will be appreciated that the application programs A, A' may include one or more programs related to arc flash mitigation protection functions for components operating at medium voltage in the substation 2, such as the first commutation section 20.

[0213] It will be appreciated that the application programs A, A' can include one or more programs for communicating with the electric energy meters 4 (i.e. smart meters) and supporting the communication protocols used by said one or more smart meters. For example, a separate program may be provided for each communication standard to be used by the smart meters. Thus, when a new communication standard is to be supported by the device, the new program can be easily installed via the remote control unit 3. Alternatively, a program acting as a generic translator can be configured to interface with the acquisition means 15 and to modify the data exchanged with each smart meter into a common format that can be processed by various virtual replicas and other application programs implemented on the control unit 10.

[0214] It will be appreciated that the application programs A, A' can include one or more programs for a fault detection function within the medium-voltage power grid. These programs can be configured to process data received from a data source (e.g., a remote sensing unit) coupled to the medium-voltage power grid and assist in locating the fault, for example, by implementing a virtualized phasor measurement function. Similar functionality can also be implemented for a fault detection function within the low-voltage power grid, where data provided by the electric energy meter 4 can be used to locate the fault.

[0215] It will be appreciated that the application programs A, A' may include one or more programs for controlling a variable transformer coupled to the medium-voltage power network and / or the low-voltage power network, for example, these programs may send commands to control an electrical quantity (e.g., voltage, current, etc.) of an electrical output output by the variable transformer.

[0216] It will be appreciated that the application programs A, A' may include one or more programs for managing environmental sensor data relating to the environment in or near the substation and for transmitting that environmental sensor data to a centralized data collection system. For example, these programs may acquire data via the acquisition means 15 from temperature, humidity, and moisture sensors located in or near the substation 2. These programs may process that data to obtain information defining the environment of the substation 2 and cause the transmission of that information to the remote control unit 3 via the first connection means 11.

[0217] It will be appreciated that the application programs A, A' may include one or more programs for remote backup functions of the operating parameters of said device 1.

[0218] For example, various operating parameters of device 1 can be collected and stored by these programs when device 1 is installed in substation 2 or during maintenance or updates. These operating parameters can include, for example, lists or backups of virtual replicas generated by device 1, values ​​of certain electrical quantities related to the substation, such as medium and / or low voltage reference values, etc. These programs can then cause the collection of operating parameters to be transmitted over the network to remote control unit 3. Thus, if device 1 is replaced or reinitialized, the values ​​of the operating parameters on remote control unit 3 can be used to easily restore the device (or its replacement) to the same operating state. These operating parameters can also be used in remote control unit 3 to determine what data to transmit to device 1 to update programs and virtual replicas.

[0219] The program therefore causes the first connection means 11 to send a query to the remote control unit 3 for the value of the operating parameter, thereby allowing the device 1 (or its replacement) to be restored to its previous state.

[0220] It will be appreciated that the transmission of (the values ​​of) the operating parameters described above can be defined as a backup function, which can be performed repeatedly (for example at predetermined intervals or upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, such as a request from a remote control unit, loss of a communication link with a peripheral unit P, or detection of a potentially unsafe environment within the substation 2).

[0221] The backup function is also understood to enable the remote control unit 3 to generate a virtual copy (or twin) of the equipment 1 and thereby monitor that the equipment 1 is operating correctly and / or that no faults may have occurred within the substation 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0222] 1 device 2. Substation 3 Remote Control Unit 4 Electric energy meter 10. Control Unit 11 First connection means 12 Secondary connection means 13 Third connection means 15 Means of acquisition 16 memory 20 First Commutation Section 21 Second Commutation Section 100 Data Bus A. First application program A' Second application program D Detection Device I1 value I2 value LV Low Voltage Power Network M Surveillance Device MV Medium Voltage Power Grid N Network O1 value O2 value P Peripheral Unit R Router R1 Virtual Replica R2 Virtual Replica R2(M) Virtual Replica S System

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for controlling and monitoring a substation (2), the substation (2) being configured to transform medium-voltage electrical energy in a medium-voltage power grid (MV) into low-voltage electrical energy in a low-voltage power grid (LV), a plurality of electric energy meters (4) are provided in the low voltage power network (LV), each electric energy meter (4) being associated with a respective electric consumer for measuring the consumption of electric energy by the electric consumer; said device (1) for controlling and monitoring, - at least one control unit (10) provided with a data bus (100); - acquisition means (15) for acquiring information from at least one peripheral unit (P); Equipped with The at least one control unit (10) - generating a virtual replica (R1) of a concentrator, said concentrator being configured to obtain consumption data from each electric energy meter (4); - generating a virtual replica (R2) of at least one component (C), said at least one component (C) being for collecting network data related to said low voltage power network (LV) and / or said medium voltage power network (MV); enabling said information and / or said consumption data and / or said network data to be exchanged between each virtual replica (R1, R2) and said at least one peripheral unit (P) via said data bus (100) in order to optimize the efficiency of said medium voltage power network (MV) and / or said low voltage power network (LV); A control and monitoring device (1) configured to:

2. the at least one component (C) comprises a detection device (D) configured to detect faults and / or operational anomalies in the substation (2) and / or the medium voltage power grid (MV), The virtual replica (R2) comprises a virtual replica of the detection device (D), A device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to claim 1.

3. said at least one component (C) comprising a monitoring device (M) configured to monitor operating parameters of said medium voltage power grid (MV) and / or low voltage power grid (LV); the virtual replica (R2) comprises a virtual replica of the monitoring device (M); A device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to claim 1 or 2.

4. said device for controlling and monitoring (1) comprises first connection means (11) for connecting said device for controlling and monitoring (1) to a remote control unit (3), said at least one component (C) comprising a router (R) configured to enable said control unit (10) to communicate with said remote control unit (3) via said first connection means (11); The virtual replica (R2) comprises a virtual replica of the router (R); A device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control unit (10) - associating each virtual replica (R1, R2) with a respective category (C1, C2) regarding the behavior of each virtual replica (R1, R2); - Determine the priority (L1, L2) of each category (C1, C2), - Manage the execution priority of each virtual replica (R1, R2) based on the priority (L1, L2) 5. The device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further configured to:

6. 6. The control and monitoring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to monitor the operational status of each virtual replica (R1, R2) and, if the control unit (10) detects a malfunction of any virtual replica (R1, R2), to generate a further virtual replica (R1', R2') to replace the virtual replica (R1, R2) detected to be malfunctioning.

7. 7. The device (1) for control and monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to execute at least one application program (A) for control and / or monitoring of at least one of the substation (2), the medium voltage power grid (MV) and the low voltage power grid (LV).

8. said device for controlling and monitoring (1) comprises first connection means (11) for connecting said device for controlling and monitoring (1) to a remote control unit (3), 8. The device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to claim 7, wherein the control unit (10) is further configured to receive first code data via the first connection means (11) and to execute the at least one application program (A) using the first code data.

9. 9. The control and monitoring device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the information acquired from the at least one peripheral unit (P) by the acquisition means (15) is information based on data generated by a detection unit installed in the substation (2), and the application program (A) is configured to process the information based on data generated by the detection unit.

10. 10. The device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the control unit (10) is further configured to enable direct exchange of information between the at least one peripheral unit (P) and the at least one application program (A) via the data bus (100).

11. 11. The device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to generate a virtual replica of the sensing unit.

12. 12. The apparatus (1) for control and monitoring according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein one or more of the at least one application program (A) is configured to perform analysis of data received from at least one of the virtual replica of the monitoring device (M), the virtual replica of the detection device (D), and the virtual replica of the concentrator.

13. The control unit (10) - associating each of said at least one application program with a respective category (C1, C2) with respect to the operation of each application program (A); - Determine the priority (L1, L2) of each category (C1, C2), The control and monitoring device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 12, further configured to manage the execution priority of each application program (A) based on the priorities (L1, L2).

14. 14. The device for controlling and monitoring (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein the control unit (10) is further configured to enable communication between the at least one application program (A) and at least one further application program (A') asynchronously via NATS (Neural Automatic Transport System) messages.

15. 15. The device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein each application program (A) is a container type application, preferably based on a Snap or Docker software package.

16. 16. The device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the control unit (10) is further configured to enable asynchronous communication between the virtual replica (R1) of the concentrator and the virtual replica of the at least one component (C) for collecting network data and / or any additional application programs via NATS (Neural Automatic Transport System) messages.

17. 17. The device (1) for control and monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein at least one or all of the virtual replicas are container-type applications, preferably based on Snap or Docker software packages.

18. 18. The device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the control unit (10) is further configured to receive second code data via the first connection means (11) and to execute at least one of the virtual replicas (R1, R2) using the second code data.

19. second connection means (12) for connecting the control and monitoring device (1) to at least one first commutation section (20) of the substation (2), the at least one first commutation section (20) being connected to the medium voltage power network (MV) and configured to switch from a first position allowing a flow of medium voltage electrical energy between the medium voltage power network (MV) and the substation (2) to a second position blocking the flow of medium voltage electrical energy; a third connection means (13) for connecting the control and monitoring device (1) to at least one second commutation section (21) of the substation (2), the at least one second commutation section (21) being connected to the low voltage power network (LV) and configured to switch from a first position allowing a flow of low voltage electrical energy between the low voltage power network (LV) and the substation (2) to a second position blocking the flow of low voltage electrical energy; A control and monitoring device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising:

20. A method (5) for controlling and monitoring a substation (2) by means of a device (1) for controlling and monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 19, comprising the following steps: - generating (50) a virtual replica (R1) of the concentrator by said control unit (10), said concentrator being configured to obtain consumption data from each electric energy meter (4); - generating (51) by said control unit (10) a virtual replica (R2) of at least one component (C), said at least one component (C) being for collecting network data related to said low voltage power network (LV) and / or said medium voltage power network (MV); - acquiring (52) information from at least one peripheral unit (P) by said acquisition means (15); - a step (53) of sharing said information and / or said consumption data and / or said network data within said data bus (100) to enable an exchange of said information and / or said consumption data and / or said network data between each virtual replica (R1, R2) and said at least one peripheral unit (P) in order to optimize the efficiency of said medium voltage power network (MV) and / or said low voltage power network (LV); (5) A method for controlling and monitoring, including:

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