Bay Type-Based IEC 61850 Engineering Reuse

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Solution Overview

Problem

Engineering solutions for power automation in power generation and electric power transformation substations are inefficient due to the lack of high-level components and the inability to reuse solutions across similar projects, requiring complex and iterative workflows with multiple tools.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for bay type-based IEC 61850 engineering and integration using unique identifiers, which distributes functional parts of each bay type across tools, enabling top-down engineering and reuse of high-level components through a master tool and slave tools, with a bay type catalogue for efficient configuration and lifecycle support.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If project specific solutions are created from scratch for each individual component, then customization and adaptability are improved, but engineering time and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoidengineering time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining bay types with standardized functional parts and configurations that can be reused across multiple projects. Instead of creating solutions from scratch each time, the system prepares reusable templates (bay types) in advance that contain common configurations for switchgear, transformers, and associated equipment, significantly reducing engineering time while maintaining adaptability through selective customization of these pre-defined types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements copying by allowing engineers to instantiate multiple bay instances from standardized bay type templates. Once a bay type is configured with specific functional parts and parameters, it can be copied and instantiated repeatedly across different projects and locations, ensuring consistency and reducing repetitive engineering work while still allowing individual customization when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If many different tools are used for different purposes from different organizational units, then functional completeness is improved, but system complexity and integration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional completenessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies merging by integrating multiple tool functions into a unified system architecture. The master tool coordinates and integrates functionalities from various specialized tools (IED configuration, process controller configuration, alarm/event configuration, DCS operations configuration) through a common data model and centralized bay type management, reducing integration complexity while maintaining functional completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements universality through the bay type concept, which serves as a universal data structure that can be configured and used across all different organizational units and tools. The bay type contains standardized functional parts that can be accessed and configured by any tool type, providing a common interface and data model that reduces system complexity while enabling all necessary functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If solutions are not reusable across projects, then project-specific optimization is improved, but engineering efficiency and productivity decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproject-specific optimizationVSAvoidengineering efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring standardized bay types with common functional parts and parameters that can be reused across projects. This preliminary preparation of reusable templates enables rapid deployment in new projects while maintaining the ability to optimize specific aspects for each project's unique requirements, significantly improving engineering efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements discarding and recovering by allowing engineers to discard the practice of creating solutions from scratch and instead recover and reuse previously configured bay types across multiple projects. The system enables storing, retrieving, and reusing standardized bay type configurations, transforming one-time engineering efforts into reusable assets that improve productivity across the organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP2706419B1Method and system for bay typical based IEC 61850 engineering and integration
Publication Date: 2019.12.04 ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG
  • EP2706419B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2706419B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2706419B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention refers to a method and a system for bay typical based IEC 61850 engineering and integration to be used in an automation plant, which distributes functional parts of each bay typical (120) across tools (31, 32, 33, 34) by using unique identifiers (UI), whereas an identification of a tool's specific functional part of a bay typical (120) is based on the unique identifier (UI).