IntelliGrid Architecture Environments

An IntelliGrid Architecture Environment is defined as a communication/information environment where the configuration, quality of service, security, and data management requirements of functions are the same or very similar

 Figure:  IntelliGrid Architecture Environments in Power System Operations - Click on a number to link to an Environment

What is an IntelliGrid Architecture Environment?

IntelliGrid Architecture defines an Environment as a logical grouping of power system requirements that could be addressed by a similar set of distributed computing technologies. Within a particular environment, the information exchanges used to perform power system operational functions have very similar architectural requirements, including their:

• Configuration requirements

• Quality of service requirements

• Security requirements

• Data management requirements

An IntelliGrid Architecture environment groups the requirements of the information exchanges, not necessarily the location of the applications or databases (although these may affect the information exchanges and therefore the environment).

The requirements used to define IntelliGrid Architecture environments have been derived from the Use Cases described in Volume II.  These Use Cases were in turn developed from industry stakeholder contributions.  Since the power system functions defined in these Use Cases may require multiple types of information exchanges, a particular power system function (or Use Case) may cross several environments.

A name and a number represent each environment.  Figure below lists each environment and illustrates how they may be physically located within the power utility. The Table below briefly summarizes the differences between the environments.

It should be noted that locally there may be some valid “sub-environments” within what is defined here as a single IntelliGrid Architecture environment.  Consumer sites, for instance are shown as single “Intra-Customer” environment.  Consumer sites, however, may have separate networks for building automation and controls that coexist with corporate office networking environments.

The sections that follow describe each environment. Each section first describes the environment generally in terms of history, typical applications, characteristics, and what makes it distinct from the other environments.  This description is followed by a more rigorous list of requirements that defines each environment.  This set of requirements is derived from the “architectural issues” that were gathered during stakeholder engagement.

 

No.	Name	Security	QoS	Config	Data Mgmt	Sub	CC	Field	Cust	Bus
1	Deterministic Rapid Response Intra-Sub		H	H		Y
2	Deterministic Rapid Response Inter-Site	M	H	H	H	Y	Y	Y
3	Critical Operations Intra-Substation	H	M	H		Y
4	Inter-Field Equipment			M				Y
5	Critical Operations DAC	H	M	H	H	Y	Y	Y
6	Non-Critical Operations DAC		M			Y	Y	Y
7	Intra-CC		M		H		Y
8	Inter-CC	H		M	H		Y
9	CC to ESP	H		M	H		Y			Y
10	RTO to Market Participant	H		M	H					Y
11	CC to Customer Equipment	M	M	H	H		Y		Y
12	CC to External Corporations	H			H		Y			Y
13	Intra-Corporation	M		H	H		Y			Y
14	Inter-Corporation	H		M	H					Y
15	DER Monitoring and Control	H	M	H	H		Y		Y
16	Intra-Customer Site	M	H						Y
17	Inter-Customer Site	H		H				Y	Y
18	Customer to ESP	H		H					Y	Y
19	HV Generation Plant	H	M	H		Y
20	Field Equipment and Maintenance	M		H	H	Y		Y	Y

Table Summary of IntelliGrid Architecture Environment Requirements

General ratings for Security, Quality of Service (QoS), Configuration (Config) and Data Management (Data Mgmt)

            H = high level of requirements; M= medium level of requirements; blank = low level of requirements

Indications of physical locations: Substation (Sub), Control Center (CC), Field Devices (Field), Customer site (Cust), Business (Bus)

            Y= Yes, involves communication with that physical location.

Basic IntelliGrid Architecture Environments

·       1. Deterministic Intra-Substation: High speed intra-substation environment (e.g. protective relaying, direct monitoring of power system parameters by CTs and PTs)

·       2. Deterministic Inter-Site: High speed inter-site (e.g. distance protective relaying, FSM)

·       3. Critical Operations Intra-Substation: High security intra-substation environment (e.g. monitoring and control of IEDs, setting protective relay and other substation equipment parameters, …)

·        4. Inter-Field Equipment: Inter-field devices environment (e.g. monitoring and control of IEDs on feeders, …)

·       5. Critical Operations DAC: High security between control center and field equipment environment (e.g. monitoring and control by SCADA of substation and DA equipment, monitoring and control of DER devices, monitoring of security-sensitive customer meters, monitoring and control of generation units)

·        6. Non-Critical Operations DAC: Lower security interactions among control center, substation, field equipment, customer sites environment (e.g. monitoring non-power system equipment, less security-sensitive substations, customer site PQ monitoring, customer metering)

·        7. Intra-Control Center: Within one control center (e.g. SCADA system, EMS system, ADA functions, real-time operations)

·        8. Inter-Control Center: Among control centers (e.g. between utility control centers, between RTOs, between remote subsidiary or supervisory centers)

·        9. Control Centers to ESPs: Between utility control centers and ESPs/Aggregators (e.g. RTP, metering and settlements, market operations)

·        10. RTOs to Market Participants: Between utility/RTO/ISO control centers and Market Participants (e.g. market operations)

·        11. Control Center to Customers: Between customer equipment and utility control centers (e.g. customer metering, demand response interactions, DER management)

·        12. Control Center to Corporations: Between control centers and external corporations (e.g. weather data, regulators, auditors, vendors)

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