Dual-Redundant Ethernet Bus Filtering for Broadcast Storm Faults
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing redundant bus systems in nuclear power plant instrumentation and control systems face issues with broadcast storms due to bus failures or installation errors, leading to processor overload and disruption of data exchange, which existing protocols like STP and RSTP cannot effectively address due to long reconfiguration times and excessive equipment requirements.
Innovation Solution
A dual-redundant bus system using Turbo Ring technology with independent Ethernet buses and enhanced communication modules, incorporating RPM redundancy service, TF filtering services, and synchronized telegram transmission to prevent processor overload during broadcast storms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a redundant EN bus system using virtual ring technology is implemented, then reliability is improved through automatic reconfiguration upon failure, but broadcast storms can occur due to physical ring formation from faults or installation errors, causing processor overload and data exchange disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary filtering service that intercepts and filters broadcast telegrams before they reach the automation processor. This filtering service acts as a mediator between the bus and the processor, allowing the system to maintain the beneficial redundancy and automatic reconfiguration while blocking harmful broadcast storms from overloading the processor
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful broadcast storm component from the data transmission flow by implementing a filtering service that separates and discards broadcast telegrams. This allows the system to retain useful address telegrams while removing the harmful broadcast elements that cause processor overload during physical ring formation
2Ease of operation
If standard Industrial Ethernet protocols are used for data transmission, then ease of operation is improved through standardized communication, but processor performance is reduced due to overhead from LLC acknowledgments and retransmission handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful protocol overhead (LLC acknowledgments and retransmission handling) from the processor workload. The filtering service discards these redundant control telegrams while maintaining the standardized Industrial Ethernet communication framework, thereby reducing processor energy consumption without sacrificing ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a simplified copy of the standardized protocol at the filtering service level, where broadcast and address telegrams are replicated and filtered before reaching the processor. This allows the system to maintain standardized communication interfaces while eliminating processor-intensive protocol handling
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to automation and computer engineering and can be used in automated process monitoring and control systems in nuclear power stations and other industrial facilities. The claimed device contains: a first bus and a second bus (1a, 1b), which are independent of one another and are configured in accordance with the standard for the Industrial Ethernet switch interface and point-to-point-type connections using Turbo Ring technology for the serial connection of network switches into a "virtual" ring; communication modules (6) which connect backup automation processors (3) having common network addresses and individual backup control means to a bus via a first channel and a second channel; and communication modules (7) which connect to a bus backup connection gateways (4) connecting to an upper block level system, said gateways being independent devices with individual network addresses and external backup control from the upper block level system side. The communication modules transmit technical data and diagnostic information between devices connected to a bus in accordance with the OSI information model for the communication of terminal devices on layers 1, 2 and 7.