Substation Automation Configuration Validation via Extended Rules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Substation Automation systems lack automated detection of inconsistencies in Substation Configuration Language (SCL) files beyond XML schema validation, which can lead to errors and improper operation due to unaddressed extended constraints, application-specific requirements, and power system conventions.
Innovation Solution
A method for machine-based validation of SCL files that converts additional notations, requirements, and conventions into extended rules, allowing for automated checking of inconsistencies and errors, ensuring conformance to IEC 61850 standards and user-defined requirements, thereby increasing system availability and correctness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If only XML schema validation is performed on SCL files, then the validation process is simple and fast, but inconsistencies beyond syntax errors cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The validation process is segmented into two distinct phases: first, XML schema validation for syntactic correctness; second, rule-based validation for semantic consistency. This segmentation allows each validation layer to focus on specific aspects, improving overall reliability without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A rule engine acts as an intermediary between the SCL file content and the validation logic. The rule engine translates domain-specific constraints (IEC 61850 standards, application requirements, power system conventions) into machine-checkable rules, enabling sophisticated validation without hardcoding complex validation logic.
2Manufacturing precision
If extended rules for semantic validation are implemented, then detection of errors and inconsistencies improves, but validation time and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Validation rules are pre-compiled and stored in an optimized format before the actual validation process. This preliminary preparation of validation logic allows the rule engine to efficiently check semantic consistency during the validation phase, reducing processing time compared to interpreting rules on-the-fly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs validation in stages, applying the most critical rules first to quickly identify major inconsistencies. Less critical or optional validation rules can be applied selectively based on project requirements, allowing flexible trade-off between validation thoroughness and time consumption.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention is concerned with a validation of a configuration description of a Substation Automation (SA) system, or of a part or component thereof such as an individual Intelligent Electronic Device (IED), that is extended beyond the mere XML schema validation as provided by the known SCL-validation tools. In particular, the invention introduces machine-based validation of notations, requirements and/or conventions to be respected by the configuration description and/or the SA system, but not incorporated in or represented by the standardized syntax of the XML schema as defined in part 6 of the IEC 61850 standard. To this end, said notations, requirements and/or conventions are initially converted into, or defined as, extended or augmented rules encoded in computer readable format. The content or information of a file comprising an Substation Configuration description Language (SCL) compliant description of an SA system, or of a part or component there of, is then read by parsing the file and checked for conformance to said rules. Any inconsistency, error, wrong configuration or insufficient description found is displayed to a user, who may then correct the content or information in the file. The procedure according to the invention contributes, in an automated manner, to the correctness of the description of a Substation Automation (SA) system beyond the pure syntactical adherence to the IEC 61850 standard.