Method for assigning a protection, control or automation function (SSAF) to a processor core

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for protecting an electrical energy supply network, for automating processes and for controlling components of a system, the method comprising the steps of: detecting at least one measurement variable characterising the state of the electrical energy supply network or another component of the system by means of measuring sensors, obtaining at least one measurement signal; generating measurement values from each measurement signal; forwarding the measurement values to an intelligent electronic unit (IED) (1) which has a plurality of processor cores (2), wherein each IED (1) has at least one protection, control or automation function (SSAF) (2), and wherein a protection function examines the measurement values for the presence of at least one fault condition and generates a fault signal if a fault condition is present, an automation function for carrying out processes within the system and a control function for controlling components within the system are configured. In order to enable optimised utilisation of the computing power of this computing system, according to the invention a core utilisation level is determined for each SSAF (2) with the aid of a load model, wherein each instance of an SSAF (3) is assigned, on the basis of the core utilisation level thereof, to a processor core (2).

Description

[0001] 202408020

[0002] 1

[0003] Description

[0004] Method for assigning a protection, control, or automation function (SSAF) to a processor core

[0005] The invention relates to a method for protecting an electrical power supply network, automating processes, and controlling components of a system, comprising the steps of: detecting at least one measured quantity characterizing the state of the electrical power supply network or another component of the system by means of measuring sensors, thereby generating at least one measurement signal; generating measured values ​​from each measurement signal;Forwarding the measured values ​​to an intelligent electronic unit (IED) having multiple processor cores, wherein each IED has at least one protection, control or automation function (SSAF), and wherein a protection function examines the measured values ​​for the presence of at least one fault condition and generates a fault signal if a fault condition is present, an automation function is provided for carrying out processes within the plant and a control function is provided for controlling components within the plant.

[0006] Such a method is already known from established technology. For example, in a substation, the current at a busbar of an electrical power supply network is measured at measuring points. This is done using so-called instrument transformers, i.e., current or voltage transformers, which provide an analog measurement signal on their output side. This measurement signal is fed to the input of a preprocessing unit, also known as a merging unit. In the preprocessing unit, the analog measurement signal is then sampled to obtain sample values, and the resulting samples or measured values ​​are subsequently digitized. If the sampling at different points is time-synchronized, the measured values ​​can also be compiled as pointer values ​​and transmitted as data telegrams to intelligent electronic devices or units (LEDs).

[0007] Alternatively, it is also possible for an IED to have an input for such a measuring sensor and for the generation of the digital measured values ​​to be handled by the IED itself.

[0008] These LEDs typically contain multiple processor cores. Each processor core is assigned a protection, control, or automation algorithm or function. A protection algorithm, for example, performs an analysis to determine whether a fault condition exists based on the generated measurements. In the event of a fault condition, 202408020

[0009] 2. Then an error signal is generated. The error signal is then forwarded to a switch, which then disconnects the faulty section of the electrical power supply network from the rest.

[0010] Central protection units and central automation units, also known as CPCs (Central Protection and Control), are also known from the prior art. A CPC also has protection, control, and automation functions (SSAF) that are, for example, configured to check measured values ​​for the presence of a fault condition and / or are responsible for executing automated processes or controlling components of a plant.

[0011] Previously, SSAF instances were individually assigned to processor cores. In other words, one instance of the respective SSAF was always assigned to a single processor core. However, this led to less than optimal utilization of computing capacity.

[0012] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a method of the type mentioned at the outset, with which an optimized utilization of the computing power of the computer system is possible.

[0013] The invention solves this problem by determining a core utilization level for each processor core using a load model and assigning the instances of the respective protection, control and automation functions (SSAFs) to each processor core depending on its core utilization level.

[0014] The invention is based on the idea that the computational costs for each instance of the SSAF can be determined during configuration using a predefined load model. According to the prior art, for example, four instances of SSAFs were distributed across one processor core each, so that each of the four processor cores was assigned one instance. However, within the scope of the invention, it is possible, for example, to assign one of the four SSAF instances to one processor core and the three other SSAF instances together to another processor core, so that only two processor cores are used in total.

[0015] In this context, an "plant" can be understood to mean any form of industrial plant, e.g., an electrical plant such as an electrical switching station or an electrical power supply network, a plant for the transport or distribution of solids, gas, or liquids, or even a chemical or process engineering plant or a production plant. The invention is explained below only by way of example with reference to an electrical plant. Such an electrical plant comprises individual components, for example, in the form of lines and cables, switches, 202408020

[0016] 3

[0017] Transformers, generators, motors, converters, loads, electrical power generators or the like.

[0018] Advantageously, the assignment of the protection and automation function instances is carried out using a Knapsack algorithm. The Knapsack algorithm is well known to those skilled in the art, so further explanation is unnecessary here.

[0019] Within the scope of the invention, the assignment of instances to the respective processor core advantageously takes place during system configuration. During system configuration, the defined parameters are used to adapt the computer system to the prevailing requirements. At the same time, it is also checked what load a processor core assumes when it is assigned the respective instance of one of the protection, control, and automation functions.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the invention, several separately arranged LEDs are provided, with the processor cores distributed across the LEDs. This embodiment applies the allocation of instances of the protection, control, and automation functions in a distributed system. In this advantageous further development of the invention, each IED can have its own housing. Advantageously, one or more processor cores are arranged within the housing. Each IED has a specific number of SSAFs.

[0021] The assignment of SSAFs to an IED can be statically defined. According to a further development of the present invention, which differs from this, the SSAFs are dynamically assigned to the IEDs using an orchestration method. This dynamic assignment allows, in the event of an IED failure, the SSAFs that were implemented on the non-functional IED to be activated on another functioning IED that is supplied with the same input data as the non-functional IED. A prolonged failure of the SSAFs can thus be prevented.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the processor cores are part of a central hardware unit. This central hardware unit has all protection, control, and automation functions. Such a hardware unit is also referred to as a CPC or Central Protection and Control. Alternatively, the term Central CSC is also used, which in English is referred to as Central System and Computing. 202408020

[0023] 4

[0024] Further advantages and variants of the invention are the subject of the following description with embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures of the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals refer to identically functioning components, and wherein

[0025] Fig. 1a and

[0026] Fig. 1b shows a representation of methods according to the prior art and

[0027] Fig. 2 schematically illustrates the method according to the invention.

[0028] Fig. 1 shows an IED 1, as an Intelligent Electronic Device, with a processor core 2 and an instance of a protection, control and automation function (SSAF) 3. According to the prior art, said instance 2 is permanently assigned to the processor core 2.

[0029] Fig. 1b shows an IED 1 with two processor cores 2a and 2b and two instances 3a and 3b of different SSAFs. Instance 3a, for example, is a distance protection, and instance 3 is a differential protection. Instance 3a is statically assigned to processor core 2a, and instance 3b is statically assigned to processor core 2b. Processor core 2a has a much higher computing power than is required by instance 3a. The same applies to processor core 2b and instance 3b. According to the prior art, therefore, computing resources remain unused.

[0030] Within the scope of the invention, the instances of the protection, control, and automation functional algorithms (SSAF) are no longer assigned one-to-one to the respective processor cores. For example, if there are four SSAF instances and four processor cores, three of these SSAF instances can be assigned to one processor core and the remaining fourth SSAF instance to a fourth processor core.

[0031] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the method according to the invention. It can be seen that in configuration 4 of one, several, or all of the LEDs of an electrical system (not shown in the figure), the available SSAFs of the IEDs are each subjected to an analysis according to a load model 5. In other words, it is investigated how much computing capacity an instance of an SSAF would require. The results are compiled in step 6. In step 7, the core utilization rate of the respective SSAF instance is finally determined. In step 8, the assignment, the so-called mapping, takes place, the result of which is determined in step 9.

[0032] 5

[0033] Figure 3 shows a previously outlined result of an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The SSAF instance 3a, which requires significant computing power, is assigned solely to processor core 2a. The less power-intensive SSAF instances 3b, 3c, and 3d, on the other hand, are all assigned to a single processor core—namely, processor core 3b. Processor cores 3d and 3c can then be used for other tasks or, consequently, eliminated during the manufacturing of the IED, resulting in cost savings.

[0034] The load model allows the computational effort for each SSAF to be determined during configuration. This enables optimal allocation of each SSAF to the available resources.

[0035] Computing resources. The load model is based on a knapsack algorithm that provides the best adaptation of the used SSAF to the available resources of processor cores. However, the knapsack algorithm is known to those skilled in the art, so further explanation is unnecessary.

[0036] The load model with resource allocation can also be used to determine the required hardware before purchase, e.g., with the help of a digital twin.

Claims

202408020 6 Claims 1. Method for protecting an electrical power supply network, automating processes and controlling components of a plant, comprising the following steps: Capturing at least one measured variable characterizing the state of the electrical power supply network or another component of the system by means of measuring sensors, thereby generating at least one measurement signal; Generating measured values ​​from any measurement signal; Forwarding the measured values ​​to an intelligent electronic unit (IED) (1) which has several processor cores (2), wherein each IED (1) has at least one protection, control or automation function (SSAF) (2), and wherein a protection function examines the measured values ​​for the presence of at least one fault condition and generates a fault signal if a fault condition is present, an automation function is provided for carrying out processes within the plant and a control function is provided for controlling components within the plant, characterized in that a core utilization level is determined for each SSAF (2) using a load model, wherein each instance of an SSAF (3) is assigned to a processor core (2) depending on its core utilization level.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the assignment of the instances of the protection and automation functions (2) is carried out using a knapsack algorithm.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that several physically separate LEDs (1) are provided and the processor cores (3) are distributed across the LEDs (1).

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the SSAF (3) are dynamically assigned to the LEDs (1) by means of an orchestration method.

5. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the processor cores (3) are part of a central hardware unit.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the load model determines the core utilization level of the SSAF (3) during a configuration phase for commissioning the respective IED (1).

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