Summary

Substation Operation and Maintenance (O&M) aims to ensure the availability and safety of the power system. The SCADA system is crucial for supervision and control, but developing it for substations can be time-consuming and prone to errors. As a solution, a framework is proposed that automatically generates configurations for high-performance SCADA systems. Libraries were developed in Elipse Power to automate the creation of SCADA elements in accordance with standardization rules. The results showed a 90% reduction in development time, while also minimizing errors and reducing testing time and production costs, making the process more efficient and increasing system reliability and standardization.

1 Introduction

The main objective of substation O&M is to ensure the availability and safety of the power system. To achieve this objective, reliable real-time and historical operational information and data are essential so they can be presented on HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces) capable of providing engineering teams with the best support for decision-making. In this regard, supervision is essential not only for quality control, but also for preserving the operational reliability of the power system.

High-performance SCADA systems are essential because, as stated in [1], their development is based on studies in design, psychology, and cognitive science aimed at intuitively presenting operators with the information required according to plant monitoring conditions, thereby providing operators with a high level of Situational Awareness and enabling the rapid detection of abnormal situations. However, developing these systems can be a lengthy and error-prone process when it is carried out without the technical foundations and assumptions required for excellence.

In substations belonging to transmission and distribution networks, data and screen configurations may involve large numbers of supervised measurements, which are distributed across multiple screens, pop-ups, and built-in application features. Given the scale of this development work, issues such as poor data quality, a lack of screen standardization, low operator confidence in the SCADA system, operational errors, and high costs associated with limited flexibility when updating SCADA applications may arise as consequences of flawed or poorly executed development.

2 Literature Review

Reference [2] states that the O&M of smart substations differs significantly from that of conventional substations. Smart substations place greater emphasis on unified modeling and configuration, which imposes higher requirements on auxiliary substation software. Therefore, SCADA systems used for the O&M of smart substations must provide greater system reliability and standardization. Reference [2] proposes a new architecture for intelligent substation automation systems that applies vertical bay integration to reduce the implementation effort for protection and monitoring functions, while adopting Parallel Redundancy Protocols to improve the reliability and standardization of information transmission within the station.

Reference [3] proposes a methodology used in the development of SCADA software applications. Known as Lean Automation (LA), this methodology is based on the concept of a component that becomes a SCADA object, can be added to the application with a single click, and contains all functions required to monitor and control a process or part of it. Reference [4] discusses some of the most challenging current issues in SCADA system design and presents the concept of a general-purpose SCADA system intended for high-level applications. The work proposes a new architecture adapted and enhanced to meet the needs of the modern market.

The reviewed articles show that the development of high-performance SCADA systems faces several challenges that can be both costly and time-consuming. Solutions that automate the creation of SCADA system configurations can shorten development time, reduce production costs, and, above all, lower the likelihood of human error. Using a methodology to standardize configuration generation helps minimize development-related errors while increasing the efficiency and reliability of the supervisory system.

3 Proposed Solution

This work proposes a framework for the automatic generation of the following configurations commonly required in high-performance SCADA systems: (1 – configuration of data acquisition and distribution; 2 – alarm configuration; 3 – addressing of database histories; and 4 – screen creation). This makes it possible to establish a quality standard for the SCADA system, reducing system development time and associated errors, increasing process efficiency, and improving application reliability for O&M.

Accordingly, several libraries and templates were developed to optimize the creation of elements in the SCADA system. These libraries automate activities ranging from application configuration to the creation of specific on-screen objects, including their properties and attributes. To support this work, standardization rules were established for creating data sources and defining how the data should be organized and extracted. Based on these rules, methodologies were formulated for creating system function and object configurations, enabling data modeling and manipulation. Computational routines were then developed for the libraries, automating the extraction, modeling, and creation of application configurations and objects. The libraries use the plant I/O list and the system's own objects and configurations as data sources. This integration results in greater efficiency and standardization in the creation of SCADA system elements.

3.1 Data-Source Standardization

To generate configurations appropriately for the SCADA development environment, the data sources must follow a standard. A set of rules was therefore defined for correctly completing the point list. This CSV file serves as the input to a routine contained in the library. The data in the list are read, and the information is used to create and configure all data objects in the application accordingly. These include measurements, alarms, commands, interlocks, histories, and point types. All acquisition and distribution driver tags are also created and configured. These drivers are software components that allow a supervisory system (SCADA) to send information to or receive information from equipment. This process is briefly shown in Fig. 1.

Through a routine, once the path and name of the point list are defined, the metadata contained in the list are transformed into hierarchical objects native to the SCADA software, and the corresponding attributes are assigned to these objects.

3.2 Data Acquisition and Distribution Configuration

Drivers are generated based on the information entered in the point list, which specifies whether the driver is for acquisition or distribution and whether its protocol is IEC 104, IEC 61850, IEC 101, DNP3, MODBUS, SNMP, OPC, or another protocol. Tags are also generated according to a folder hierarchy beginning with a folder named after the bay—an area of the substation that contains equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, disconnect switches, and other electrical devices—followed by a folder named after the IED and, finally, a folder for each point type. Each driver tag address is populated according to the protocol type and point type, whether a digital measurement, an analog measurement, or a command. Fig. 2 shows some tags generated in an IEC 61850 acquisition driver.

3.3 Data Acquisition and Distribution Configuration

Measurements and commands are generated according to the substation's bay and equipment structure. Measurements may be either digital or analog. Within the measurement objects, alarms are also generated, along with a SCADA object that links each measurement to its corresponding driver tag, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The generated alarms have the same name as the corresponding measurement in which they are contained and the same point type (digital or analog). Each alarm is assigned a severity level, and operating range limits are also defined for analog alarms.

Command units are generated within the command objects and are responsible for linking each command to its corresponding driver tag. An Interlocks object is also generated within each command and contains all points that interlock the command, as shown in Fig. 4.

When commands and measurements are generated, their types are also created, including the corresponding descriptions and, in the case of analog measurements, units of measurement, as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

3.4 Addressing of Database Histories

The developed framework generates historical data objects for storage in a database. It also addresses these historical objects to the generated driver tags so that the data to be stored can be acquired. Fig. 8 shows some of the generated historical objects and their respective addresses.

3.5 Screen Creation

After the measurements and commands are generated, on-screen objects can also be created with all links already configured. These include icons that provide access to bay pop-ups for alarms and analog and discrete measurements, as well as graphical structures used to mark and identify the bays. Fig. 9 illustrates the objects created on the screen.

Thus, after importing the single-line diagrams, the generated objects only need to be arranged on the screen to complete the substation's General Single-Line Diagram screen, as illustrated in Fig. 10.

The libraries and templates also automatically configure standardized pop-ups for digital and analog measurements, commands, maintenance cards, interlocks, alarms, and other elements. Fig. 11 shows an example of generated command and interlock pop-ups.

4 Conclusion

Analysis of the results showed that the developed libraries were able to automate the generation and configuration of measurements, commands, interlocks, alarms, drivers, links between objects, screens, and databases in accordance with established standards and the development prerequisites defined by the engineering teams. In addition, the libraries significantly reduced development time, cutting the typical configuration time for a transmission line bay by 90% compared with the traditional approach.

The libraries demonstrated their potential through significant contributions to the Brazilian power system, with SCADA systems successfully implemented in four substations of the national transmission grid. These systems now operate efficiently and play a key role in controlling and monitoring the country's power system. A notable reduction in configuration errors was observed during the process as a result of adopting the automated routines and procedures.

In addition to improving SCADA system development, the solution considerably shortened Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and commissioning periods. This enabled earlier revenue recognition for the final stakeholders because the supervisory systems were completed more quickly and effectively, providing significant economic and operational benefits to Brazil's power sector. This progress not only strengthens the country's power infrastructure but also improves the efficiency and reliability of its operations.

In summary, the implemented solution made the development process more efficient and less costly while increasing system reliability and standardization. The benefits automation brought to the projects are clear, reinforcing the importance of investing in technology to improve processes and optimize the economic and financial characteristics of projects.

5 References

[1] B. R. Hollifield, E. Habibi, D. Oliver, and I. Nimmo, The High Performance HMI Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Designing, Implementing and Maintaining Effective HMIs for Industrial Plant Operations, Houston: PAS, 2008.

[2] R. Bian and X. Liu, “Design Application and Research of Substation Comprehensive Automation System Based on Smart Grid,” in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, vol. 558, no. 5, p. 052039, August 2020.

[3] Simões, C.; Silva, T. P. “Methodology to Automate the Generation of SCADA Applications in Electrical Systems,” CIGRÉ-Brazil, XIII SIMPASE, Recife, September 2019.

[4] Sagi, Mihaly & Atlagic, Branislav & Milinkov, Dejan & Bogovac, Bojan & Culaja, Stanko. (2012). High-Performance Distributed SCADA System Architecture. 152–155. 10.1109/MELCON.2012.6196402.