This presentation by Westermo’s Technical Lead Engineer Dakota Diehl is an integral part of the Westermo webinar held on May 28th 2020, covering best practices for computer networking solutions for energy systems. During this presentation, protocols and certifications for the energy market are discussed as well as data communication solutions for different energy segments - from generation to supply. Tune in the webinar session here: https://www.westermo.com/news-and-events/webinars/computer-networking-solutions-for-energy-systems

1. Computer networking Solutions
For energy systems
Benjamin Campbell & Dakota Diehl

2. 2
 Team Introduction
 Introduction to Westermo
 Energy Segment Overview
 Generation
 Distribution
 Applications
Overview

3. 3
Introductions
Dakota Diehl
Network Application Engineer
dakota.diehl@westermo.us
847.453.3899
Benjamin Campbell
Technical Support Engineer
benjamin.campbell@westermo.us
847.453.3896

4. 4
Westermo group 2020
 Founded in 1975
 Industry leading software and
hardware development force
 Own production in Sweden with
state of the art process control
 Own sales and support units in 12
key countries, distribution partners
in many others

5. Energy Segment Overview

6. 6
Generation Transmission Distribution Supply
Power generation
conventional
Power generation
renewables
Process industries
substation
(480 V – 36 kV)
Energy Segment Overview
Transmission
lines
(110 – 800 kV)
Transmission
substation
(130 – 250 kV)
Grid / primary
substations
(130 – 33 kV)
Secondary
substation
(6 – 11 kV)
Electricity
poles
Embedded
generation
Storage,
EVs
Consumers
(90 – 240 V)
Electricity
meters

7. 7
Power Grid Overview
Power generation
Transmission network
250 – 800 kV
Transmission substation
400 – 800 kV down to 132 kV
Transmission network
132 kV
Grid substation
132 kV down to 33 kV
Primary substation
33 kV down to 6 – 11 kV
Secondary
substations /
transformers
6 – 11 kV
down to 400 V
Micro grid generation

8. 8
Device servers
 Compact Device Server for legacy equipment
 Designed for use in industrial applications
 Robust for long service life
 Unique future proof industrial networking solutions
 WeOS Switches for various needs

9. 9
Ethernet extenders
 Save time and money reusing old cables and equipment
 Designed for use in industrial applications
 Robust for long service life
 Unique future proof industrial networking solutions
 WeOS switches for various needs

10. 10
Westermo Product Offerings
Industry Approvals
Environmental
specification
Products
Nordic animals
Solution provider Software tools
Quality assurance
Software & Hardware
Cyber security Customer
Finding solution

11. Generation
Oil, Gas and Renewables

12. 12
Transmission
lines
(110 – 800 kV)
Transmission
substation
(130 – 250 kV)
Grid / primary
substations
(130 – 33 kV)
Process industries
substation
(480 V – 36 kV)
Consumers
(90 – 240 V)
Electricity
meters
Embedded
generation
Storage,
EVs
Generation Transmission Distribution
Power generation
conventional
Power generation
renewables
Secondary
substation
(6 – 11 kV)
Electricity
poles
Supply
Power plant (Saudi Arabia)
 Serial converters ODW, MDW
Thermal solar plant (Spain)
 RedFox, Lynx switches
Westermo current business in the Energy segment
Westermo in the Energy Segment

13. 13
Oil Refinery Process Control Application
Westermo in the Energy Segment
Business info:
 Variety of plants and topologies, with brown field applications
to revitalize old equipment and infrastructure.
Customer Pains:
 Legacy equipment needs supported
 High stress environments
 Need long distance communications
Westermo Advantages:
 Portfolio supporting major industrial protocols
 SHDSL application to cover long distances
 Wide array of media conversion availability
 High temperature ratings and certifications
 Galvanic Isolation
 -40 to +70C Ratings
 ATEX Certifications
SERIAL
PLC
SERIAL
PLC
SERIAL
PLC
SERIAL
PLC
Fiber Optic Ring
FRNT Ring over
SHDSL w/ Bypass
Relays

14. 14
Renewable Energy – Wind Farm
Network Topology:
 Rings: Lynx and Redfox switches
 Horseshoe: robust and scalable topology up to 16 “rings
 No need for a closed ring
 Control room: 2 central RedFox racks
 FRNT backbone
 Improved Cyber Security: Layer 3 available
 Cyber security features available in WeOS
 Network segmentation; routing
 WeConfig: easy-to-scale; easy-to-replicate; easy-to-maintain

15. 15
Horseshoe topology
FRNT
Master
Ring
FRNT
Sub
Ring
FRNT
Sub
Ring
FRNT
Sub
Ring
X X
X

16. 16
SAMCA Application
 Solar Plant in Spain servicing over
45,000 homes.
 Over 225,000 mirrors, grouped into 672
solar collectors, all continually adjusted
to capture the sun’s rays.
 If network traffic is interrupted, energy
is lost!
 Over 200 switches were configured into
nine sub-rings, delivering a simple, yet
highly redundant and efficient solution.
 All units were configured together and
installed, providing simple installation.

17. Distribution

18. 18
Transmission
lines
(110 – 800 kV)
Transmission
substation
(130 – 250 kV)
Grid / primary
substations
(130 – 33 kV)
Process industries
substation
(480 V – 36 kV)
Consumers
(90 – 240 V)
Electricity
meters
Embedded
generation
Storage,
EVs
Generation Transmission Distribution
Power generation
conventional
Power generation
renewables
Secondary
substation
(6 – 11 kV)
Electricity
poles
Supply
Power distr. smart grid (UK)
 Extenders DDW, cellular MRD
Remote electricity meters (Bulgaria)
 Serial adapters EDW-100
Westermo current business in the Energy segment
Westermo in the Energy Segment

19. 19
Introduction to substations
Switch RackMedium Voltage Switchgear
Protection Relay
or IED
Circuit Breaker
Busbar
Network Switches
IEC 61850 compliant

20. 20
Introduction to substations
 Power grids – overview
 As the voltage level decreases, the
amount of units in the grid increases
 Single line diagram
 Grid, primary and secondary
substations
 Primary distribution substations
 Our focus: IEDs and switches

21. 21
Communication:
 MMS: communication between IED and SCADA
 GOOSE: interlocking/protection communication among
IEDs
 SV (or SMV): measurement communication between
IEDs and Merging Units/equipment
Network redundancy:
 PRP: Parallel Redundancy Protocol
 HSR: High-Availability Seamless Redundancy
Time synchronization:
 PTP (IEEE 1588): Precision Time Protocol
 SNTP: Simple Network Time Protocol
IEC 61850 protocols
Substation Automation basics and use cases
MMS
SV
HMI-SCADA system
Process Bus
Station Bus
GOOSE

22. 22
Typical network topology
Substation Automation basics and use cases
Process
Bus
HSR
PRP A
PRP B
Station
Bus
RedBox
RedBox
HSR
RedBox

23. 23
Substation Automation basics and use cases
IEC 61850 protocols:
 Communication
 Network redundancy
 Time synchronization
Typical use cases:
 Single ring, Ed.1 IEDs
 Redundant PRP Station bus
 PRP Station bus; HSR Process bus

24. 24
Primary substation connectivity
Westermo in the Energy Segment
 Control Center connects to RTUs in
every primary substation:
 Status information (no
protection)
 100+ primary substations, very
spread geographies
 From substations to central SCADA:
 Point-to-point media converters
(e.g. ODWs)
 Analog modems (e.g. TD-23)
 Leased lines
 Westermo proposal:
 Replacing analog serial-based
network by Wolverine
 More reliability over existing
cabling infrastructure
 Faster communication through
Ethernet networks
Power generation
Transmission network
250 – 800 kV
Transmission substation
400 – 800 kV down to 132 kV
Transmission network
132 kV
Grid substation
132 kV down to 33 kV
Primary substation
33 kV down to 6 – 11 kV
Secondary
substations /
transformers
6 – 11 kV
down to 400 V
Control center
(Central SCADA)

25. 25
Smart grid communication
Westermo in the Energy Segment
 Distribution companies – main problem:
 Increase reliability in the network to
its customers:
 Reduce number of minutes lost
 Reduce number of customer
interruptions
 Get ready for Smart Grids:
 Better management and
control, automation systems
dispatching/controlling the grid
 Better control of distributed
generation (residential level)
 Westermo proposal:
 Cellular communication to control
centers (e.g. MRDs)
Power generation
Transmission network
250 – 800 kV
Transmission substation
400 – 800 kV down to 132 kV
Transmission network
132 kV
Grid substation
132 kV down to 33 kV
Primary substation
33 kV down to 6 – 11 kV
Secondary
substations /
transformers
6 – 11 kV
down to 400 V
Control center
(Central SCADA)

26. 26
Hybrid L2/L3 network
Backhaul
L2 ring topology 20-30ms
re-convergence time
Simplified View
showing A Network
only
L3 routing and FW at each
node creates a Zone
Dynamic routing protocol (OSPF) used to advertise
location of subnets only, not used for re-convergence

27. 27
Securing traffic over network
Backhaul
L3 routing and FW at each
node creates a Zone
Use Firewall to create data conduits between master
substation site and remote nodes i.e. only defined
traffic will be able to pass in to and out of the core
ring. The core traffic in this scenario will not be
encrypted, but network configuration will be simpler

28. 28
Hybrid L2/L3 network with encryption
Backhaul
SSL VPN established between remote node and substation router/s. All
communication to the remote location will be via VPN. OSPF will distribute
subnets available on each remote site. All management will be in-band i.e.
software updates, configuration and SCADA.

29. 29
Backhaul
Routed links to central SCADA
L2 ring topology 20-30ms
re-convergence time
L3 routing and FW at each
node creates a Zone
X
Backup Primary

30. 30
Backhaul
X
Backup Primary
VRRP
SSL VPN
OSPF distributes the remote not
availability. Could be an OSPF
area per substation.
Multiple modes of failure are possible. As long as there is a physical path back to
the substation the remote node will be available from the master SCADA system.
Primary
routes via
VPN
Backup
routes via
VPN

31. 31
Westermo in the Energy Segment
Backbone Fibre
ZONE 1
10.10.10.0/24
ZONE 2
10.20.20.0/28
IED
RS-232, DNP-3
RS-232,
Config port
Maintainers sandbox entry
point, access to network is
FW, if 802.1x configured
only valid users/machines
can join the network
All communication

32. 32
SHDSL Applications
Other Applications
Point-To-Pont
with PAF
Bonding
Point-To-Pont
with Bypass
Relays
FRNT Ring with
Layer 2 Redundancy

33. 33