Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.

Jerry J Bennett

David James Dolezilek

Ryan Bradetich

Benjamin S Day

Shankar V Achanta

Bogdan Zdzislaw Kasztenny

Dennis Gammel

Christopher Ewing

Timothy P Tibbals

Gregary C Zweigle

Manodev J Rajasekaran

Srinivas Achanta

David M Rector

Ian C Ender

Max B Ryan

Damian Sanchez Moreno

M Wesley Kunzler

Michael E Rourke

Systems and methods are presented for managing communication between devices in an electric power generation and delivery system. In certain embodiments, a method for managing communication messages performed by a network device included in an electric power generation and delivery system may include receiving a message including an identifier and data state information via a communications interface. A determination may be made that that the message represents a data state change associated with the identifier. The message may be stored in a message buffer associated with the identifier. Finally, the stored message may be transmitted from the message buffer to an intelligent electronic device.

Systems and methods for communicating data state change information between devices in an electrical power system

Disclosed herein are various systems and methods that may improve the transmission of data over low-bandwidth communication channels in an electric power delivery system. Devices communicating across a low-bandwidth communication channel may implement several approaches, according to various embodiments disclosed herein, to reduce the data transmitted across the low-bandwidth communication channel and to prioritize the transmission of time-sensitive and/or more important information with respect to other data. Various embodiments disclosed herein may inspect packets to be transmitted across a low-bandwidth communication channel in order to identify high priority data. High priority data may be time-sensitive information, and accordingly, transmission of such data may be prioritized over other data in order to reduce transmission latency of the higher priority data.

Transmission of data over a low-bandwidth communication channel

Disclosed is a network communication switch that facilitates reliable communication of high priority traffic over lower priority traffic across all ingress and egress ports. The network communication switch may monitor the frame storage buffer regardless of egress port, and when the frame storage buffer reaches a predetermined level, the switch may discard lower priority frames from the most congested port. When the frame storage buffer reaches a second predetermined level, the switch may discard lower priority frames before they are stored according to egress port. The network communication switch may further monitor ingress frames for priority, and assign priority to frames according to pre-assigned priority, ingress port, and/or frame contents.

Network device

Systems and methods are presented for exchanging messages between devices in an electrical power generation and delivery system. In certain embodiments, a method for exchanging messages between devices may include transmitting messages included in a message stream that includes multiple redundant copies of the messages. An indication may be received that at least one message of the message stream was received by an intended receiving device. Transmission of further redundant copies of the message included in the message stream may be determined based on receipt of the indication.

Exchange of messages between devices in an electrical power system

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for extending a deterministic network over a wide geographical area. According to one embodiment, an IED may transmit data frames using a deterministic frame-based communication protocol, such as EtherCAT, via a local deterministic fieldbus. A first transceiver may encapsulate the data frames for transmission over a multiplexing synchronized optical network, such as a SONET network. A second transceiver may de-encapsulate the encapsulated data frames and transmit them via a remote deterministic fieldbus, such that communication between the local and remote deterministic fieldbuses is deterministic. Accordingly, an IED may communicate with a high level of determinism and/or in real-time with various components in a power delivery system across a wide geographical area including multiple deterministic fieldbuses.

Systems and methods for extending a deterministic fieldbus network over a wide area

Provided is a self-calibrating time code generator and method for generating an accurate time code (e.g., an accurate IRIG waveform). The self-calibrating time code generator includes a phase-locked loop configured to provide a generated output signal based on a phase difference between an absolute time reference signal and a compensated generated input signal, an IRIG encoder configured to couple a present time value with the generated output signal to form an IRIG waveform, a delay difference indicator configured to provide a time interval value based on a comparison of corresponding pulse edges of the generated output signal and the IRIG waveform, and a numerical delay component configured to delay the generated output signal by the time interval value to form the compensated generated input signal used to time-align the IRIG waveform with the absolute time reference signal to form the accurate IRIG waveform.

Self-calibrating time code generator

Growing community of inventors

Pullman, WA, United States of America

Jerry J Bennett