ELECTRONET: High voltage electrical network information exchange for planning and analysis

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0840

Key words (English)

Information exchange; electric power; planning; analysis

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number:

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.3 Telematic systems

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
ETH Zürich
Institut für Elektrische Energieübertragung

Partners and International Organizations (English)

FGH (D); Bertin (F); SINTEF (N); IBERDROLA (E); ENEL (I); Racos (D); CEDAR Ldt. (UK); Cesi (I); Labein (E); REE (E)

Abstract (English)

Due to historic reasons, most of the electrical utilities in Europe and the rest of the world employ their own information, data, files, databases and applications or calculation models. The exchange of information and data in computer interpreted form is difficult because each electrical utility uses a different data model, data structure and organisation. As a consequence, the present situation in exchanging and sharing data relevant to high voltage electrical networks present considerable difficulties: The same data has to be input several times. Data redundancy and inconsistency problems arise. Solving these problems results in a large waste of manpower resources

The adoption of Electro-Net has lead to the establishment of an open market for power system software, enabling the pix-and-mix of plug compatible applications into Utilities' information systems. Good progress has been made towards achieving several of these goals:

· Following a detailed requirements analysis, an integrated data model has been created based on a generic modelling style. An abstract approach has been adopted, with the model being used in conjunction with class libraries of functions, properties and activities. The aim is to provide a degree of model stability with flexible extensions through class library updates.

· A first release of the Electro-Net software tools is now available, providing a C++ data access class library, and an Electro-Net process controller and browser running in a Java-based GUI. This can form the starting point for the development of a commercialised toolkit.

· Five Electro-Net translators have been developed for power system applications used by different members of the Consortium. These are based on the Electro-Net tools and use of some of these translators (e.g. for EDF and ENEL codes) will be demonstrated at the end of the project.

· Contact has been established with a number of standardisation bodies and the response of EPRI-CIM is particularly encouraging. It is possible that part of the future development of Electro-Net will involve a coalescence of these models with a view to establishing a unified global standard.

The project has been finished.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0840