Ergon Energy
Power Distribution Management SCADA
Ergon Energy has the responsibility for the supply of electricity to some
413,000 km2 of South West Queensland. This vast area includes only 90,000
people and it takes approximately 40,000 km of supply lines to get power to
them. This low population density and large geographical dispersal makes the
control and monitoring problem unique.
System Features
A distributed MacroView server architecture was deigned the most appropriate solution to address the issues of great distance and diverse location. Initially 100 substations with Introl RTUs (eventually 500) were installed for monitoring and control purposes. MacroView monitoring stations are located in 5 regional areas. A networking master station is in the central control room at Dalby. Each regional MacroView is capable of operating autonomously while updating the central system in real-time. Terminals with access to the central system have an overview of the entire network.
The communications links between the RTUs and the two levels of MacroView servers are the fundamental elements in this network. Each RTU has two communication ports, each being capable of communicating via four different protocols. The two communication ports are arranged in a normal and failover configuration. Different combinations of these apply to RTUs in different substations and the configuration of a particular RTU port can be changed from one protocol to another. In addition to monitoring substation operation the regional MacroView stations have to monitor and control the RTU communications channels and the links between regional and central MacroView stations.
Because of the vast distances and the fact that this area is very prone to lightening strikes, the reliability of the system is of paramount importance. The distributed server architecture and the failover communications systems have been designed to provide extremely high levels of reliability.
Another unique feature of this system is the access provided to mobile operators. Duty officers have an attache case which includes a colour notebook computer, radio modem, battery charger, etc. This computer runs the MacroTerm graphics emulation software via the radio network which covers Ergon's area of supply. These operators can monitor and control all substations to which they have been given access by the MacroView server.
Benefits
- Ability to rapidly ascertain status of distribution network and address issues promptly.
- Enable a high level of operational autonomy in regions.
- Provide high levels of reliability through backup and system redundancy.
- Extended coverage of territory through availability of mobile radio access.
- Overall reduction in travelling and response time to rectify problems.
