Wind Power Plant Command Approval Across Distributed Subsystems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind power plants face challenges in attributing responsibility for operating commands received from multiple stakeholders, leading to potential losses and maintenance issues, as existing systems lack robust validation and authorization mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A distributed system with a blockchain architecture is implemented, where operating commands are approved by multiple subsystems before being executed, ensuring indisputable records and attribution through cryptographically-linked database entries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple actors impose operating commands on a wind power plant, then the plant can receive diverse operational instructions from stakeholders, but it becomes difficult to associate a given request to a particular actor and attribute responsibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the command transmission process by assigning unique identifiers to each actor and creating separate approval paths for each subsystem. Each actor's commands are tracked individually through the distributed system, allowing responsibility attribution while maintaining the ability to receive diverse commands from multiple stakeholders.
Solution Approach 2:
A distributed control system with multiple subsystems acts as an intermediary between actors and the wind power plant. Each subsystem receives, validates, and forwards commands while maintaining records of origin and approval status. This intermediary layer preserves actor identity and command attribution throughout the system.
2Productivity
If an inappropriate command is sent that causes a direct loss to the asset owner, then the asset owner suffers financial loss, but there is no mechanism to ascertain who is responsible for this
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation and approval checks before executing operating commands. Multiple subsystems must validate and approve commands before they are implemented, preventing inappropriate commands from causing losses. The approval workflow ensures accountability is established before action is taken.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed system provides feedback loops where each subsystem validates commands and tracks their origin and approval status. This feedback mechanism ensures that accountability information is maintained and can be retrieved to ascertain responsibility for any operational decisions, including those causing financial loss.
3Ease of repair
If a request to command operation of the wind power plant to cease is sent for scheduled maintenance, then maintenance can be performed, but existing systems lack robust validation and authorization mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The distributed control system with multiple subsystems serves multiple functions: it handles normal operational commands, validates maintenance requests, and maintains accountability records. This universal system provides robust validation and authorization mechanisms that work across different operational scenarios including scheduled maintenance, without requiring separate specialized systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a method for controlling a wind power plant that receive operating command requests via a distributed system comprising a plurality of subsystems each associated with a respective party capable of issuing requests. One subsystem generates a request to operate the wind power plant in accordance with a defined operating command desired by the associated party. The request is broadcast to each of the other subsystems to approve or disapprove the requests. Each subsystem broadcasts to the other subsystems if it approves the request, and each subsystem maintains a database including a record of which subsystems have approved the request. The wind power plant is controlled based on which subsystems have approved the request, where at least one subsystem other than the subsystem that generates the request needs to have approved the request before the plant implements the defined operating command.