Application of 3D Visualization to Power System Troubleshooting Guide

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Copyright © IFAC Power Plants and Power Systems Control. Seoul, Korea. 2003

IFAC PUBLICATIONS www.elsevier.com/locale/ifac

APPLICATION OF 3D VISUALIZATION TO POWER SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

Chang-Hyun Park, Young-Beom Jung, Gilsoo Jang, Byoungjun Lee, Hongrae Kim*

NPTC/ School ofElectrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea /School ofElectrical & Electronic Engineering, Soonchunhyang University, South Korea· Abstract: When power systems have troubles, inexperienced personnel have difficulty finding countermeasures and understanding the situation quickly. This paper presents an effective method to visualize power system Equipment in normal & abnormal condition using 3D graphic animations & virtual reality. It allows operators to understand what is going on with the equipment and the state variation ofpower system equipment can be represented using various methods. Additionally, this guide suggests suitable countermeasures to fix what happened in order to minimize effects of the incident by presenting a effective troubleshooting process. Copyright ©2003 IFAC Keywords: Troubleshooting guide, WorldToolKit, 3D Visualization, Preventive Maintenance, 3D Max

With the fast advancement of computer technology and various demand of multimedia simple 2D information is represented by 3D technology. Such technology is used to create virtual model houses, 3D virtual movies or flight simulators. Interactive threedimensional graphics and animation will be an important part of future user interfaces directed toward business, consumers, and entertainment applications. Rapid improvements in computing power today have opened the way for desktop realistic 3D visualization. Almost all PC systems now include 3D graphics accelerators for games, CAD, or visualization applications. Also, as the technologies of 3D visualization and virtual reality evolve, the applications of VR become literally unlimited. It is assumed that VR will reshape the interface between people and information technology by offering new ways to communicate information, visualization of processes, and the creatively express ideas.

INTRODUCTION Present day power systems are becoming more complex and large, and major system failures are rarely the result of a single disturbance causing the collapse of a secure system. Therefore, it is crucial to prevent possible problems in advance and, if they happen, to minimize the effect of a problem by the prompt action of operators. Since, stable operation of power systems depends on rapid and right decisions of operators, efficient notification of the present conditions in power system is needed. Due to worldwide power system deregulation, power systems are being operated by fewer and less experienced personnel than in the past. On the other hand, the consequences of maintenance errors and inefficiencies are as significant as ever. In this situation, there is strong need for more effective tools for enhancing and assuring the proficiency of maintenance personnel. Better tools are needed to bring maintenance and troubleshooting personnel more rapidly to adequate levels of proficiency, to assure that personnel assigned to critical tasks are capable of performing those tasks, and to provide more effective methods of rehearsing critical but infrequently performed tasks. In this paper, a maintenance guide is developed as an electronicallycreated application in order to provide more efficient data quickly. BACKGROUND

Fig 1. 3D graphic Example In this paper, 3D graphics are used to enhance operator's perception.

A. 3D Visualization

B. Device Selection & 3D Modeling

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from a file, dynamic geometry creation, specifying object behavior, and controlling rendering. The architecture of WorldToolKit (WTK) has been designed to incorporate the power of scene hierarchies. WTK allows the building of a simulation by assembling geometry nodes into a hierarchical scene graph, which dictates how the simulation is rendered and allows all of the ejJiciencies of a statepreserving, stack-oriented rendering architecture. WTK applications differ from conventional window system in that they are intended for use in situation where the user's viewpoint or objects in the universe are continuously changing. At the core of an application written using WTK is a simulation loop that reads input sensors, updates objects, and renders a new view onto the display. WTK is designed to be used in real-time applications such as simulations, where frame rates on the order of 5 to 30 frames per second are maintained. In WTK, a scene is made in each simulation Loop. When a scene is made, WTK use a scene graph. Figure 3 shows an example of a WTK scene graph.

Currently substation operator terminals don't give notice of the situation rapidly or efficiently enough. When a fault happens in a substation, the successive warning signal on the monitor and alarm sounds may confuse the operators. In this situation, it is hard for inexperienced operator to find a means of settling the problem. The 3D guide which is proposed here is to help the operators effectively understand what is going on and to suggest solutions one by one. Since every substation has transformers and it can be considered as main equipment in the substation, transformer is selected as the troubleshooting guide's target. In this paper, the transformer is modelled as a 3D object in order to give a more realistic expression to the operator. 3D studio MAX has been used to develop the transformer model. Figure 2 shows an example onD modelling.

Fig 3. Traversing the Scene Graph

Fig 2. Example onD Modeling C. Simulation & Visualization Tool

To make a more interactive simulation using 3D modeling, often a real-time 3D graphic library is used as Open GL from Silicon Graphics & Direct X from Microsoft. In this paper, the 3D simulation is made by WorldToolKit (WTK) a development tool for virtual reality. WorldToolKit is an Open GL based tool. Also, troubleshooting guide's mainframe is made with MFC (Visual C++). WorldToolKit (or WTK) is a portable, crossplatform development system for building high performance, real-time, integrated 3D applications for scientific and commercial use and it has a library of over 1000 functions written in C that enable rapidly develop of new virtual reality applications. One function call can do the work of hundreds of lines ofC code. Also, it is structured in an object-oriented way, even though it does not use inheritance or dynamic binding. WTK functions are object-oriented in their naming convention, and are organized into over 20 classes. These classes include Universe (which manages the simulation and contains all other objects), Geometries, Nodes, Viewpoints, Windows, Lights, Sensors, Paths, Motion Links, and others. Functions are included for device instancing, display setup, collision detection, loading object geometry

Front

Top

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Left

model with the broken-down part showing a colour change and quickly giving an alarm sound. Then, the guide infoITJl) the operator of the possible causes of the problem and suitable countermeasures for it. This information is helpful in deciding the correct course of action quickly. Figure 7 and 8 show the possible causes of the increasing temperature of insulating oil at overload.

.

•

Right

Fig 4. Transformer Model in Virtual Space IMPLEMENTATION A. Troubleshooting Guide using 3D In this work, the 3D guide for maintenance and troubleshooting has a mainframe structure as MFC SDI (Single Document Interface). Figure 5 shows a one-line diagram of a substation in the developed 3D guide. When a problem occurs at a transformer, it causes the transformer on a one-line diagram to twinkle. With a click on the transformer, Figure 6 appears on the operator's screen. Then, the operator can easily find where the problem is. In order to find what caused the problem, the operator needs to click the red part of the virtual transformer.

Fig 7. Screen showing the increasing temperature of the insulating oil at overload.

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Fig 5. 2D One-line diagram Fig 8. Possible causes of increase ofthe oil's temperature Figure 9 and IQ show the suitable countermeasures for a operating condition at 80% overload..

Fig 6. Scene of Virtual Transformer Visualization B. Transformer State Visualization at Overload & Breakdown The 3D guide represents the requirements and limits of an overload operating condition in the state of overload. And guide notifies comp lementary measures. Also, when a transformer has broken down, the guide represents the transformer's 3D

Fig 9. Screen infonning the operator of the recommended countermeasure at 80% overload

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Fig 10. Countermeasures for a 80% overload Suitable countermeasures operating condition are 1. 2.

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for a 80% overload

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Fig 12. Screen infonning the bushing maintenance data

Installation of auxiliary cooling system. Frequent observation of insulating oil's temperature. Observation of over-heating of terminal part. Report to the superior office when overload operation is impossible.

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The guide informs the operator of the current condition and suitable countermeasure when he/she clicks on the breakdown part in the 3D model. Figure II shows that there is a problem in the right cooling system.

Fig 13. The bushing maintenance data.. CONCLUSION In this work, a well-visualized 3D guide is developed as an interactive window application for a system operator to recognize the state of systems and equipments more quickly and efficiently using a 3D graphic engine. It is helpful in reducing the mistakes of unskilled operators. Additionally, this 3D guide is expected to offer a guideline of development of training system to operators. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Authors would like to thank the Korea Ministry of Science and Technology and the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation for their support through ERC program.

Fig 11. Screen showing the breakdown warning of a transformer with an abnormal part (shown in red) C. Transformer Preventive Maintenance

REFERENCES

A transformer's history of breakdown and various test results are managed, by this database system which they informs the right time and place for transformer maintenance. This preventive maintenance contributes to reliable substation operation. With this system, operators can recognizes the appropriate inspection times of a transformer by clicking the mouse on a part of the 3D transformer. Operators can see former maintenance dates, inspection results and following inspection times by progress a bar, which will help secure and stabilize the operation of the transformer. Figure 12 and Figure 13 shows a bushing maintenance data dialog box.

P.M. Anderson and A.A. Fouad, "Power System Control and Stability", IEEE Press, (1994) Grigore Burdea, Philippe Coiffet, "Virtual Reality Technology", JOHN WILEY & SONS, INe. (1994 ) David J.Keuglinski "Inside Visual C++" Microsoft Press (1995) Korea Electric Power Corporation, "FIELD GUIDE BOOK OF SUBSTATION-FACILITIES", (1999) ENGINEERING ANIMATION, INC. SENSE8 PRODUCT LINE, "WorldToolKit Reference Manual" version April (1999) AUTODESK., INe. "3ds max reference", 2001

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