Patent Number: 059638869
Section: description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to FIG. 1, a monitoring arrangement according to the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10. The arragement 10 monitors the operation of a system 12 which is an electric utility. The utility comprises a network 38 which is divided into regions 36.1 and 36.2. The region 36.1 has stations 34.1 and 34.2 and the region 36.2 has stations 34.3, 34.4 and 34.5. The station 34.1 has objects 32.1, 32.2, and 32.3; the station 34.2 has objects 32.4, 32.5, 32.6 and 32.7; the station 34.3 has objects 32.8 and 32.9; the station 34.4 has objects 32.10, 32.11 and 32.12; and the station 34.5 has objects 32.13 and 32.14. The object 32.1, in turn, is made up of devices 30.1, 30.2, 30.3 and 30.4; the object 32.2 is made up of devices 30.5, 30.6 and 30.7; the object 32.3 is made up of devices 30.8, 30.9, 30.10 and 30.11; the object 32.4 is made up of devices 30.12 and 30.13; the object 32.5 is made up of devices 30.14 and 30.15; the object 32.6 is made up of devices 30.15, 30.16 and 30.17; the object 32.7 is made up of devices 30.18 and 30.19; the object 32.8 is made up of devices 30.20, 30.21, 30.22, 30.23, 30.24 and 30.25; the object 32.9 is made up of devices 30.26, 30.27, 30.28 and 30.29; the object 32.10 is made up of devices 30.30 and 30.31; the object 32.11 is made up of devices 30.32 and 30.33; the object 32.12 is made up of devices 30.34 and 30.35; the object 32.13 is made up of devices 30.36, 30.37, 30.38 and 30.39; and the object 32.14 is made up of devices 30.40, 30.41 and 30.42. Each device 30.1 to 30.42 is monitored by its own monitor 14, in a known manner. The monitors 14 monitor various parameters of the devices 30 and supply appropriate signals, again in known manner, via a transmission means 16, to a central computer 18. This computer 18 processes the signals that it receives and determines when any signal attains an abnormal value. If any parameter for any device 30 does acquire an abnormal value, the parameter, its value, the device and the time are stored in a memory unit 20 to create a database. Further, the various parameters are divided into different categories, being health, main protection, backup protection and information. The number of parameters in each category for each device that acquire an abnormal value are summed and also stored in the memory unit 20. The various categories are upwardly summed, as explained below, for each category, for each object 32, each station 34, each region 36 and the network 38 as a whole; and stored in the memory unit 20. Still further, as explained below, the computer 18 generates and supplies appropriate signals to a display unit 22 which provides a display 60 such as that shown in FIG. 4. In order to explain the pyramidal structure further, the grouping of an electric utility is explained as follows: At the lowest level are the individual devices 30 that form the system, such as breakers, transformers and isolators. When the devices 30 are grouped together they form the electrical objects 32 such as feeder bays, busbars, reactor bays, capacitor bays, transformer bays, etc. Grouping the objects 32 together creates the substations or power generating stations 34. Grouping the stations 34 together forms the region 36 of the network 38. Grouping the regions 36 together forms the network 38. In regard to the categories, as indicated above, they relate to the health of the devices 30, main protection, backup protection and information. Thus, any parameter which indicates that a condition exists on or associated with the device 30 that could prevent it being reinstated safely is classed in the health category. A parameter which is associated with primary protection and which indicates that primary protection has activated is classed in the main protection category. A parameter associated with secondary protection is classed in the backup protection category. Any other non-operation-critical information is classed in the information category. The number of abnormal conditions may be upwardly summed. Referring now to FIG. 2, the pyramidal structure of the electric utility is shown. The structure denotes the utility in a notional representative form. It will be seen that the structure has five levels. A bottom-most, device level 42 represents the individual devices 30 which make up the electric utility. The second level 44 is representative of the electrical objects 32. The next level 46 represents the stations 34. Grouping the stations 34 together provides the regions 36. Finally, the upper-most level is the network 38. As indicated above, various parameters associated with each device (and which vary from one device type to another) are monitored. Also, as indicated above, the parameters are divided into four categories--Health, Main protection, Backup protection and Information. Various parameters for various devices, and the category in which they are allocated are as follows: ______________________________________ 1. GENERATOR HEALTH CATEGORY General alarm Alarm/normal Emergency shutdown Progress/inactive Generator start Not ready/idle Synchronised start Not ready/idle INFORMATION CATEGORY Emergency trip On/off Remote control Sequence start Auto/remote Shutdown Yes/no Status Start/normal Guide vane mode Auto/manual 2. TRANSFORMER HEALTH SF6 non-urgent Alarm/normal SF6 urgent Alarm/normal Scald supervisory Alarm/normal DC supervision Alarm/normal Fire Alarm/normal Bus Zone DC Fail/normal MAIN Bus strip Operated/normal Bus zone Operated/normal Auto U/F control Failed/normal INFORMATION Maximum generation Selected/off Emergency generation Selected/off Maximum Generation Reset/initiated Emergency generation Reset/initiated 3. A DAM HEALTH Low water level Trip/normal BACKUP Supply dam #1 level Trip/normal Supply dam #2 level Trip/normal INFORMATION High water Trip/normal ______________________________________ The manner in which the parameters are monitored are well known to persons skilled in the control of electric utilities and do not form any part of this invention. The manner in which the parameters are upwardly summed is illustrated in FIG. 3 using "diamond-shaped" icons 52 to indicated each category. Thus, the parameters for all the devices 30 in the system are monitored and when any parameter attains an abnormal value the number for the category in question is increased by one. Similarly, if a particular parameter had an abnormal value which then reverted to a normal value, then the number in the category in question for the device in question is decreased by one. As indicated above, there are a number of objects 32 in the object level. Each object 32 is made up of one or more of the devices 30. The number of abnormal parameters in each category for each device 30 associated with a particular object are summed to provide a number for the category in question for the object 32 in question. Thus, for example, if a particular object 32 is made up of four devices 30.1, 30.2, 30.3 and 30.4 and these devices have the following numbers of abnormal parameters in the four categories: ______________________________________ Number of Number of Number of abnormal abnormal Number of abnormal parameters parameters abnormal parameters in main in backup parameters in health protection protection in information category category category category ______________________________________ Device 5 3 4 6 30.1 Device 2 4 5 2 30.2 Device 1 2 0 3 30.3 Device 3 5 6 1 30.4 Total for 11 14 15 12 object 32 ______________________________________ Thus, at the object level, the object 32 will have icons 52, 54, 56 and 58 for each category with the numbers "11", "14", "15" and "12" respectively, therein. As shown, the icons are diamond-shaped. Similarly, at the station level there are a number of stations 34, each station being formed from one or more of the objects 32 in the object level. Again, the number of abnormal parameters in each category for each object 32 forming a particular station 34 are summed to provide the number of abnormal parameters in each category for that station. This process is repeated further upwardly to provide the number of abnormal parameters in each category for each region 36 at the region level and then for the network 38 itself, at the very top of the pyramidal structure. Referring now to FIG. 4, an example of a display that is provided is designated generally by reference numeral 22. The display 22 has two windows, a main work area 60 and a filtering control panel 62. A graphical representation of a chosen part of the system is displayed in the work area 60. In the figure, a sub-station 64 is shown. The various components, or objects 32 comprising the sub-station are represented in known manner. The statuses of the various objects 32, as determined by the parameters of each object are indicated by icons 52, 54, 56 and 58 which are (as discussed above) diamond-shaped with the different categories being indicated by icons of different colours. Thus, the main protection category is designated by a cyan icon; the back-up protection category by a green icon, the health category by a yellow icon; and the information category by a magenta icon. In the control panel 62, there are three groups of symbols 66, 68 and 70. The symbols 66 are for different types of components, the symbols 68 are for different voltage levels, and the symbols 70 are for the different categories of parameters. Thus, there are symbols 66 for the following types of components: generator 66.1; feeder 66.2; bus 66.3; coupler 66.4; transformer 66.5; load 66.6; reactor 66.7 and capacitor 66.8. Similarly, there are symbols 68 for the various voltage levels as follows. 765 KV--68.1; 400 KV--68.2; 275 KV--68.3; 220 KV--68.4; 132 KV--68.5 and 88 KV--68.6. Similarly, there are four symbols 70 for the categories of parameters, viz; main category 70.1; backup category 70.2; health category 70.3; and information category 70.4. Further, in the control panel 62 there are a clear button 72 and a filter button 74. If the filter button 74 is activated, then symbols 66, 68 and 70 that have been selected are given effect and appropriate portions of the graphical representation 64 in the work area 60 greyed out as is explained below. Activation of the clear button 72 removes the greying out and resets the procedure. As shown in the representation 64, there are generators 76, feeders 78, busses 80, couplers 82 and transformers 84. There are no loads, reactors or capacitors in the sub-station displayed in the work area 60. Thus, the symbols 66.1 to 66.5 are normally displayed, whereas the symbols 66.6, 66.7 and 66.8 are greyed out. Similarly, the sub-station has 400 KV and 88 KV voltage levels. Thus, the symbols 68.2 and 68.6 are normally displayed, with the symbols 68.1, 68.3, 68.4 and 68.5 being greyed out. Data is also displayed, as indicated at 76. As indicated by ticks in the blocks associated with the symbols 66, the symbols 66.1, 66.2, 66.4 and 66.5 have been selected. Thus, the graphical representations for the generators 76, feeders 78, couplers 82 and transformers 84 are shown normally. As the symbol 66.3 has been rejected, as indicated by a cross in the relevant block, the busses 80 are shown in a greyed out way. As both possible voltage levels have been selected, there are ticks in the boxes associated with symbols 68.2 and 68.4. Further, as all four parameter categories have been selected, there are ticks in the four boxes associated with the symbols 70. As all four parameter categories have been selected, icons for all the categories will be indicated for all the objects, except the busses, as there have been rejected. Thus, the icons 52, 54 and 58 are displayed. No icon 56 is displayed as none of the selected objects has an abnormal backup parameter. It will be appreciated that the symbols 66, 68 and 70 are selected by a control operator. In use, the operator will choose which part of the system to display in the work area 60 and give an appropriate instruction. The computer 18 will provide the appropriate signals and the appropriate graphical representation will be displayed. Depending on the part of the system that has been chosen, the relevant symbols 66 and 68 will be greyed out. The operator then selects which symbols 66, 68 and 70 he wants and activates them by means of the pointing device and activates the filter button 74. The computer then greys out the relevant portions of the representation. If the operator wishes to change his selection, he activates the clear button 72 by means of the pointing device. It will accordingly be appreciated that the operator can easily and quickly monitor and understand the condition or state of the utility network or any particular component thereof.