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EP-4207704-B1 - A METHOD FOR TESTING DATA TRANSFER IN A WIND POWER SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

EP4207704B1EP 4207704 B1EP4207704 B1EP 4207704B1EP-4207704-B1

Inventors

  • FRICHOT, Tommy
  • KRØYER-LOUDET, FABRICE
  • THORSEN, Morten Tim

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20211228

Claims (13)

  1. A method for testing data transfer at the application layer of a wind power surveillance computer system, the transfer being between two computer entities (210, 220, 230) in a data network (200) comprising at least three computer entities (210, 220, 230), the computer entities comprising at least one wind turbine computer system (210), at least one data hub (220), and a data centre (230) arranged remotely from the at least one wind turbine (100), the method comprising the steps of: - preparing (310) a test message with a message id, wherein the test message comprises information identifying it as a test message, - transferring (312) the test message from a first computer entity (210, 220, 230) of the at least three computer entities (210, 220, 230) at the application layer to a second computer entity (210, 220, 230) of the at least three computer entities (210, 220, 230), - stamping (314) the test message with a time stamp, when transfer is initiated, - stamping (316) the test message with a transfer id and a corresponding transfer time stamp, when the test message is received at the second entity (210, 220, 230), - transferring (318) the test message from the second computer entity (210, 220, 230) at the application layer to the first computer entity (210, 220, 230), - stamping (320) the test message with an arrival time stamp, when the test message arrives at the first entity (210, 220, 230), - storing (322) the message id and the transfer id with corresponding time stamp and corresponding transfer time stamp, and the arrival time stamp, and - comparing (324) the stored time stamp with the transfer time stamp and with the arrival time stamp, wherein the test message is transferred in a flow of test messages, and the method further comprises a step of comparing in the computer system the stored time stamp, transfer time stamp, and arrival time stamp with at least one set of previously stored time stamp, transfer time stamp, and arrival time stamp of a previously test message in the flow of test messages, thereby enabling troubleshooting in case of errors and/or delays and enabling surveillance of the transfer.
  2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of initiating a delay alert, if a time difference between the time stamp and the arrival time stamp is above a predetermined threshold value.
  3. A method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a step of monitoring time spent from initiating the transfer of the test message, and a step of initiating an error alert, if the time spent exceed a predetermined arrival threshold value.
  4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the test messages in the flow of test messages are continuously transferred.
  5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the test message is prepared in the application layer at the first entity (210, 220, 230).
  6. A method according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a step of defining in the computer system at least two message categories, each defining a content of a message, wherein each test message in the flow of test messages is categorised in one of the message categories depending on the content of the test message.
  7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the computer system is configured to select a transfer frequency of the flow of test messages dependent on at least one of a size of the test message, and the message category of the test message.
  8. A method according to any of claims 4-7, wherein the computer system is configured to select a frequency of the flow of test messages dependent on the entity type of at least the first entity (210, 220, 230).
  9. A method according to any of claims 7-8, further comprising a step of transferring stored data comprising a message id, a transfer id, with corresponding time stamp and corresponding transfer time stamp, and an arrival time stamp for a test message to the data centre (230) for monitoring of transfer of the test message.
  10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the transfer of stored data is dependent on a time difference between the time stamp and the arrival time stamp.
  11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising a step of comparing in the computer system a time stamp, a transfer time stamp, and an arrival time stamp for one test message with at least a time stamp, a transfer time stamp, and an arrival time stamp for another test message.
  12. A method according to any of claims 2-11, further comprising a step of transferring the delay alert to the data centre (230) for monitoring of transfer of the test message.
  13. A method according to any of claims 3-12, further comprising a step of transferring the error alert to the data centre (230) for monitoring of transfer of the test message.

Description

Field of the disclosure The present disclosure relates to a method for testing data transfer at the application layer of a wind power surveillance computer system. The data transfer is between two computer entities in a data network comprising at least three computer entities. The computer entities comprise at least one wind turbine computer system, at least one data hub, and a data centre arranged remotely from the at least one wind turbine. Background of the disclosure The number of cyber-attacks experienced on Industrial Control Systems (ICS) has increased exponentially over the last decades. Consequently, the way of communicating with plants is improved e.g., by ensuring that data from the plants are pushed to central servers on the initiative of the SCADA systems. In the same way, requests to the plant are retrieved on the initiative of the SCADA systems. This way of communicating ensures compliance with security standards. However, this also introduces complexity. Communication may be done through several hubs and links, and some of these may be running in different environments. Data send to wind turbine plant or to a data centre may never arrive at the destination and the increased security on the nodes hosting the different instances of the communication components makes it very hard to troubleshoot. This may further be complicated by the fact the IT infrastructure may be owned and operated by several different parties, such as different plant owner, the data centre owner, or other parties. Related prior art is exemplified by US 2010/305767 A1 which discloses controlling a wind power system. Description of the disclosure It is an object of embodiments of the disclosure to provide an improved method of testing data transfer in a wind power surveillance computer system. The invention is set out in the appended claims. The disclosure provides a method for testing data transfer at the application layer of a wind power surveillance computer system, the transfer being between two computer entities in a data network comprising at least three computer entities, the computer entities comprising at least one wind turbine computer system, at least one data hub, and a data centre arranged remotely from the at least one wind turbine, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a test message with a message id, wherein the test message comprises information identifying it as a test message,transferring the test message from a first computer entity of the at least three computer entities at the application layer to a second computer entity of the at least three computer entities,stamping the test message with a time stamp, when transfer is initiated,stamping the test message with a transfer id and a corresponding transfer time stamp, when the test message is received at the second entity,transferring the test message from the second computer entity at the application layer to the first computer entity,stamping the test message with an arrival time stamp, when the test message arrives at the first entity,storing the message id and the transfer id with corresponding time stamp and corresponding transfer time stamp, and the arrival time stamp, andcomparing the stored time stamp with the transfer time stamp and with the arrival time stamp. The method for testing data transfer at the application layer of a wind power surveillance computer system, is performed in a data network comprising at least three computer entities, where the computer entities comprise at least one wind turbine computer system, at least one data hub, and a data centre arranged remotely from the at least one wind turbine. The wind power surveillance computer system may form part of a SCADA system. The testing is carried out at the application layer, where the application layer should be understood as a layer specifying the shared communications protocols and interface methods in a communications network to provide information regarding the application layer and not on the network, where issues may be identified by traditional network tools. The at least one wind turbine may be erected at part of a wind energy plant. In the present context the term 'wind energy plant' should be interpreted to mean a plurality of wind turbines arranged within a specified geographical area; i.e. a site, where the wind turbines when erected will share some infrastructure, such as internal power grid, connection to an external power grid, substations, access roads, etc. Thus, the wind turbine computer system may be a separate computer system for a single wind turbine or alternatively a computer system for a wind energy plant. The wind turbine(s) is(are) configured for connection to a power grid having a power demand, which power demand may vary during the day and during the year. The power demand may further vary dependent on a power output from other sources, such as a power output of another wind energy plant and/or power output from other kinds of energy sources,