28-03-2012, 11:42 AM
Remote monitoring and control of electric power system
Remote monitoring and control of electric power system.docx (Size: 1.44 MB / Downloads: 82)
ABSTRACT
Lifelong learning in high-tech professions brings more non-traditional students to colleges and universities. All institutions are engaged in developing distance-learning courses. Developing real time laboratory courses taken by students over the web is evolved as a new issue. Since the initial investment, development, and maintenance of such courses is very expensive, cooperation between colleges is very important. Significant advances in Internet and computer technology have made it possible to develop an Internet-based virtual real time lab system to support distance learning courses that require a laboratory component where Internet-based control laboratory experiments such as measurement, monitoring, and control applications can be accessed remotely.
In this project a Web based system has been designed and developed for remote monitoring and control of electric power network. The developed system is based on three-tier architecture and enables to manage the network through a computer connected on the Internet / Intranet. The recent and past information of power network is available to electric students for the purpose of teaching and simulate network monitoring and control. Using the proposed system enables faculty to handle the issue of real time lab courses.
The research describes some applications of monitoring and control of the network. Many applications of electrical network will be built to teach student very complicated topics in electric power system courses.
Many electric power centers are computerized and managed through the internet, it is important to teach electrical undergrad students the basic concepts behind web-based monitoring and control of power system. The proposed project could be used as a prototype system to teach students the previous concepts. The proposed system could be used to teach students experimental and lab-based web courses.
INTRODUCTION
The rapid progress of internet-based networking technologies enables a remote access to engineering laboratory equipment and instruments. Remote access power system network is gradually emerging with the advance of technology [1]. This topic and related issues has to be handled in the engineering curricula as platforms for inter-university collaborations aimed at establishing global distance education. Basically the remote web based real time laboratory is based on the concept of using the web to monitor and control of the power system network. This concept needs to be addressed in the literature within unified and consistent framework.
This enables electrical engineering students to understand that concepts before they go to the real world. Implementation of that concept gives the chance to faculty members to study the pedagogical implications of using these new techniques for teaching the advanced technology for electrical engineering students.
The development of information technologies has brought new innovations in engineering education. One of these innovations is remote laboratories. As known, in engineering education laboratory activities play a fundamental role. When using a new teaching technology, it is important to be sure that it has required learning outcomes for the students. Also it could help in teaching laboratory courses which open a window to real time Virtual Laboratory [2] architecture applicable to major engineering disciplines, and allows new installations to be rapidly deployed and reconfigured.
This research work presents an architecture and implementation for remotely-accessible power system network with some case studies. This could help students to understand remote access technologies.
The proposed system helps student to grasp the concepts of the technology used to monitor and control of electrical network.
Web-based laboratory work may be a suitable option for sustainably providing high-level skills to power engineering students
The proposed project helps in performing simulation work based on theoretical course work. Students could interact with computer simulations, run test cases and undertake data analysis. The system interfaced to monitoring and control electrical network. And this leads to the construction of virtual electrical network which enable many simulation studies. These simulations could help in teaching student the basic concept of electrical laboratory based courses based on real time data. Also it leads to explore the basic concepts behind the technologies needed to monitor and control the electrical network in real time. The following concepts will be very easy for students to grasp: The country efforts for restructuring of the power system. The concept of restructuring and deregulation of power system assumes the availability of both the system operating point and historical information, almost at every minute. Therefore, online system information is a prerequisite for restructuring of power system. This implies that there is a need to create a centralized database for the power system which is subjected to continuous upgrade [3].
Also this would facilitate researchers and experts to find solution for various bottlenecks in the system. Often system analysis and appropriate solution to prevent system failure in future is difficult due to poor access of system data. In this context, centralized database will bring transparency in analyzing the problems and finding the appropriate solution. The various aspects of data repository are data collection, data validation, authentication and updating, method of reporting and necessary backup, data storage and sharing the data among users through the Web [4].
To fill all previous gabs authors of this research describe the structure and function of a remote access system for power network which offer students interactive real-world experimentation in electrical engineering courses.
First, the physical system was developed with all necessary industrial sensors and actuators. For local monitoring of test experiments, the microcontroller circuit is implemented, and dedicated experimentation modules and interface forms were developed using Microsoft C# [5]. To enable use of this system over a network, authors selected a client/server architecture, and all client and server software modules were implemented. For long-distance learning purposes, a dynamic website was developed. The proposed approach was based on PHP [6] scripting language to support access to experiments via a web server, and LabVIEW [7] software results in the client computer. A real time virtual laboratory is designed and implemented. Students can access the laboratory web site and perform their experiments without any limitation of time and location so as the students can observe the signals by changing the parameters of the experiment and evaluate the results.
Session 2
SURVEY
Designed education classes can be at least as effective as face-to-face courses. The tools and technologies used for distance education courses facilitate learning opportunities not possible in the face-to-face classroom. Distance programs are accelerating changes that are challenging students, faculty, and the university, itself. In the future, as the quality of distance learning increases, the primary factor for success will be the faculty’s commitment to excellence in teaching. Many institutions will be forced to reevaluate the quality of teaching as the institution becomes more visible to the public, to legislators who support higher education, and to prospective students. Teaching or training in the field of engineering requires a lot of equipments and a lot of lab-based work. To teach electrical engineering students the concepts behind monitoring and control of electric network, many lab and real time data and work are needed. Many authors propose a work related to that point and we will survey the previous work in this section.
In his research [8] Sysala focused on education in the field of Measurement and control of technological processes. In one part of this sphere students obtain theoretical knowledge in an application of commercial systems for measurement, visualization and control of technological processes. The system is controlled and data are measured via a programmable logic controller (PLC). All systems were tested on the real equipment. The programmable controller controls the system and at the same time is a data source for master applications that are designed for the systems.
In his research [9] the strengths and weaknesses for web enabled education research are discussed, and some suggestions for its use are presented.
Vincent et al [10] proposed and implement implemented multimedia curriculum as an effective tool in technical education. Detailed mathematical models and simulations of pilot-plants have been developed in order to create virtual plants. Students can be trained to operate and test these virtual plants in order to learn about their behavior. Student assignments and projects based on these simulated process plants provide self and group learning opportunities at a pace comfortable to the students.
W. Fajardo Contreras et al., [11] presented a work that is doing a personalized tracking of very student. The system presented is able to adapt the educational material to the level of every student. It also fulfils the requirements of e-learning technology and provides various accessing levels (administrator, teacher, student and user). The proposed system tries to reproduce a real e-learning centre with administrative and learning components. The teaching component cannot be solved in a trivial form; rather it requires the use of knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence techniques.
Zhuang Hanqi et al [12] presented implementation details of a new undergraduate course of internet-based Instrumentation and Control. The course has a companion laboratory that is supported by the National Science Foundation and industry. The combination is offered to senior-level undergraduate engineering students interested in sensing, instrumentation, control, and web programming that want to learn more about the integration of these technologies for solving real-world engineering problems.
Lindh et. al. [13] proposed a web based system that used by utility sector for collection of measurement data and for the electrical systems in industrial plants. That system could collect data from electrical system and monitor the status of that system using the web.
Evolution and cost of measurement equipment, continuous training, and distance learning make it difficult to provide a complete set of updated workbenches to every student. For a preliminary familiarization and experimentation with instrumentation and measurement procedures, the use of virtual equipment is often considered more than sufficient from the educational point of view, while the hands-on approach with real instrumentation and measurement systems still remains necessary to complete and refine the student's practical expertise. Creation and distribution of workbenches in networked computer laboratories therefore becomes attractive and convenient.
L. Benetazzo; et al. in [14] describe specification and design of a geographically virtual equipment distributed system based on commercially standard components.
Ong, Y.S et al [15] proposed and discussed a prototype software package that includes a web-based power flow simulator and a Java-based graphical user interface (GUI) that may be used as a flexible and portable independent front-end for teaching power system operation and control. A setup which provides an interactive distance learning environment capability is also included. Lecturers are given the ability to plan and design new power system scenarios easily, while students will work with these designed scenarios. All that is required is any Java-enabled terminal connected to the Internet. A six-bus, two generator system under light, medium and peak load conditions is used to illustrate the underlying principles of power system operation and control.
The introduction of information and communication technologies in education in general, and of Web-based experimentation solutions in engineering education in particular, presents many challenges.
D. Gillet describes in his research [16] the current situation according to the institutional, educational and technological objectives. The aim is to outline a way toward enhanced functionalities of the learning resources and expended opportunities in flexible higher education. In the flexible scheme considered here, the students can freely chose between a distance (Web based) and a traditional (on-campus) access to learning resources and support. The author proposed a system called “eMersion”. This system is used as a learning environment that has been designed and assessed to ensure that it sustain this bimodality. The system doing that continuity; by bringing the necessary added value for knowledge and know-how appropriation by students.
The proposed project will advance the usage of the Internet and of Internet technology for monitoring, management and control of embedded systems in a variety of application domains.
R. P. Gupta, et al [17] designed and developed a Web based system for remote monitoring of electric power distribution network. The developed system is based on three-tier architecture and enables to manage the distribution network through a computer connected on the Internet / Intranet. Under this development, the real time database, which is a part of practical Distribution Automation system, has been converted into commercial database. Further, the data from commercial database is published over the Web using Internet technology. Consequently, the recent and past information of power distribution network is available to electric utility for the purpose of network monitoring and its better planning.
In his paper [18] T. Zimmer et al proposes a new way to integrate training in the use of advanced measurement equipment into education at University level. It uses some features of the WWW such as the accessibility of multimedia documents, the simplicity of HTML syntax and particularly the Web's networked structure. The basic idea is that, on one side there is an instrumentation pool, i.e. a number of instruments located anywhere in the world, on the other side, a detailed description of the instrument and its front panel are available on the Web and can be accessed by any Web browser for a specific declared user group. This link permits students to learn how to use advanced measurement equipment and to perform real measurements with instruments not available at their University.
Adaptive hypermedia is a new area of research at the crossroads of hypermedia and adaptive systems. Education is the largest application area of adaptive hypermedia systems. In his paper [19] P. Brusilovsky provided a brief introduction into adaptive hypermedia and supplied the reader with an organized reading on adaptive educational hypermedia. Unlike some other papers that are centered around the current state of the field, this research attempts, from one side, to trace the history adaptive educational hypermedia in connection with intelligent tutoring systems research and, from another side, draft its future in connection with Web-based
The internet-based education system, especially, web-based one, has become more popular year by year as information technology spreads world-widely. However, to make it more effective in power system education, not only text or image-based educational content but also simulation-based one should be supported. Because students can gain their experiences by doing in a simulation environment called "learning by doing". Ueda Takao et al in his research [20] present a virtual laboratory for power system education. The proposed system provides a framework and 3D class library to build a virtual simulation environment for power system education, in which students can create and run simulation models in a graphical way. The effectiveness of 3D visualization has been discussed using IEEE118 model.
As a result of advanced technologies in information and networks, power monitoring systems not only benefit efficient power supply, but also instantaneous power control. Furthermore, as computer hardware becomes more popular and software interfaces are more user-friendly, graphic monitoring provides not just traditional control interface which uses simple light signals and buttons to display and control. It can easily display texts, numbers, graphics, and other useful contents. It also raises the add-on values of graphic monitoring systems. P.-H. Wu et al in his research [21] use Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) as the tool to develop graphic monitoring software. His research, integrating teaching contents, current communication, and computer and control technology, focuses on designs of power monitoring systems.
In his report [22], E. Warnier et al designed a web based monitoring and control system for industrial process. This system make the ability for Enabling remote monitoring and adjustment of plants, enabling collaboration between skilled plant managers situated in geographically diverse locations, enabling the business to relocate the physical location of plant management staff easily in response to business needs.
In his research [23], D. Blanc, discusses the monitoring and control system for an automated cooling process. The plant is located in an experiment environment and with some distance between the principal components of the system namely the cooling station of the lead target temperature measurements and the experiment control room.
In his research [24], F. Michau et al presents how "teaching and learning with technologies" may improve academic education and corporate training for engineering sciences. It particularly details examples of web-based learning tools for control and open distance learning experiments developed at the Grenoble National Polytechnic Institute (INPG, France). This research describes the observed improvements brought by information and communication technologies in the academic context at different levels: the academic institution, the teacher and finally the user. Then it presents four significant approaches to web-based learning developed at the INPG. The first three approaches are intended to enrich and complete the traditional face-to-face teaching and learning in control with highly interactive, self-learning tools, including hypertext, exercise bases, simulations, and virtual and remote laboratories. The fourth approach is seen as a substitution for traditional face-to face teaching and learning, providing open distance learning in the context of continuing education.
The power system is the biggest man-made system in the world. But students’ perception of power engineering is often an old technology, so that new ways to effectively enhance the students’ motivations in this field are needed.
J. Hou in [25] proposes an interactive virtual classroom by applying recently developed 3D CG technologies to the power system education, to build up the students’ interest in this area. Some application examples are given to illustrate this virtual classroom. This system is suitable for the distance learning and training in the power system, and harbors the potential of arousing the students’ interest in this area.
Authors of this research describe the structure and function of a remote access system for power network which offer students interactive real-world experimentation in electrical engineering courses.