US-20260127300-A1 - A METHOD FOR MANAGING COMMUNICATION WITH A PLURALITY OF ASSETS OF A RENEWABLE POWER PLANT

US20260127300A1US 20260127300 A1US20260127300 A1US 20260127300A1US-20260127300-A1

Abstract

A method for managing communication of instructions to a plurality of controlled assets ( 4 ), eg. wind turbines, arranged within a private communication network of a renewable power plant ( 3 ) is disclosed. One or more requesting assets ( 5 ), arranged within the private communication network, contacts ( 6 ) a secure data centre ( 1 ) arranged externally with respect to the private communication network, on behalf of one or more controlled assets ( 4 ) being associated with that specific requesting asset ( 5 ). The secure data centre ( 1 ) generates a database ( 8 ) comprising a registry of controlled assets ( 4 ) for which instructions were requested, and representing a portfolio of controlled assets ( 4 ) being managed by the secure data centre ( 1 ). The secure data centre ( 1 ) subsequently manages communication of instructions originating from an external control centre ( 2 ) to each of the registered controlled assets ( 4 ) of the portfolio of the secure data centre ( 1 ), upon request from the requesting assets ( 5 ).

Inventors

Anders Reimer
Fabrice Krøyer-Loudet

Assignees

VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20240430
Priority Date: 20230504

Claims (12)

1 . A method for managing communication of instructions to a plurality of controlled assets arranged within a private communication network of a renewable power plant, the method comprising the steps of: one or more requesting assets, arranged within the private communication network, contacting a secure data centre arranged externally with respect to the private communication network, each requesting asset requesting instructions applying to one or more controlled assets being associated with that specific requesting asset, in response to the received requests, the secure data centre registering each of the controlled assets being associated with the requesting assets and for which instructions were requested, and generating a database in the secure data centre, the database comprising a registry of the registered controlled assets, thereby building a portfolio of controlled assets being managed by the secure data centre, and the secure data centre subsequently managing communication of instructions originating from an external control centre to each of the registered controlled assets of the portfolio of the secure data centre, upon request from the requesting assets.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of the secure data centre managing communication instructions comprises the steps of: the secure data centre requesting instructions related to all controlled assets in its portfolio from the external control centre, the external control centre making the requested instructions available, and the secure data centre retrieving the requested instructions from the external control centre, the secure data centre storing the retrieved instructions in a storage device at the secure data centre, and each requesting asset retrieving instructions being relevant to one or more controlled assets being associated with that requesting asset from the storage device.
3 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of each requesting asset retrieving instructions is performed independently of the step of the secure data centre requesting instructions from the external control centre.
4 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the secure data centre requests instructions being relevant for a given controlled asset only once, and wherein the external control centre subsequently makes all new instructions related to that controlled asset available to the secure data centre, via a secure communication channel.
5 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the external control centre makes instructions available to the secure data centre only upon request from the secure data centre.
6 . A method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of authorizing the instructions retrieved from the external control centre at the secure data centre before making the instructions available to the requesting assets.
7 . A method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of the external control centre validating requests from the secure data centre before making the requested instructions available to the secure data centre.
8 . A method according to claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: an additional requesting asset of the renewable power plant contacting the secure data centre and requesting instructions applying to one or more controlled assets being associated with the additional requesting asset, and in response to the request, the secure data centre registering each of the one or more controlled assets being associated with the additional requesting asset and for which instructions were requested, and adding the registered controlled asset(s) of the additional requesting asset to the database in the secure data centre, thereby adding the additional controlled asset(s) to the portfolio of controlled assets being managed by the secure data centre.
9 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the requesting assets is also a controlled asset.
10 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the requesting assets is associated with at least two controlled assets, and wherein the at least one requesting asset requests instructions on behalf of the at least two controlled assets being associated therewith.
11 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein at least some of the controlled assets are wind turbines.
12 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein at least some of the requesting assets are central controllers or servers arranged to communicate with two or more wind turbines of the renewable power plant via the private communication network.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for managing communication of instructions to a plurality of controlled assets, such as wind turbines, forming part of a renewable power plant, and being arranged within a private communication network of the renewable power plant. The method according to the invention allows for safe as well as efficient communication of instructions to the assets. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Renewable power plants normally comprise a plurality of power generating assets, e.g. in the form of wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, etc., arranged within a specified geographical area. Power generated by the power generating assets will normally be supplied to an external power grid, preferably via a point of common coupling. In addition to the power generating assets, a renewable power plant may comprise other kinds of assets, such as one or more central power plant controllers, one or more data collections systems, such as SCADA systems, one or more substations, etc. Such further assets may be required in order to appropriately control the power generating assets of the renewable power plant. During operation of a renewable power plant, it may be required to provide various instructions to one or more of the assets of the renewable power plant. Such instructions could, e.g., include control instructions for the assets, e.g. in the form of new setpoints, stop or start commands, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the instructions could include software updates for the assets, and/or any other suitable kind of instructions. Such instructions may sometimes originate from control centres or other similar entities, arranged remotely or externally with regard to the renewable power plant. It is therefore convenient if such external entities can communicate directly with the assets of the renewable power plant. However, due to cyber security threats, it is becoming increasingly common that direct external communication to assets of renewable power plants is not allowed. Instead, most of the assets may be allowed to communicate with each other only via a private communication network, and any communication to the private communication network may only be initiated by specified assets within the private communication network, not by external entities, and possibly only via a specifically trusted party outside the renewable power plant. Such a setup is sometimes referred to as an ‘iron dome’. Though an ‘iron dome’ setup is safe with regard to cyber security, the process of providing the required instructions to the assets within the renewable power plant may be slow, inefficient and cumbersome. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of embodiments of the invention to provide a method for managing communication of instructions to assets of a renewable power plant in a safe, reliable, easy and efficient manner. The invention provides a method for managing communication of instructions to a plurality of controlled assets arranged within a private communication network of a renewable power plant, the method comprising the steps of: one or more requesting assets, arranged within the private communication network, contacting a secure data centre arranged externally with respect to the private communication network, each requesting asset requesting instructions applying to one or more controlled assets being associated with that specific requesting asset,in response to the received requests, the secure data centre registering each of the controlled assets being associated with the requesting assets and for which instructions were requested, and generating a database in the secure data centre, the database comprising a registry of the registered controlled assets, thereby building a portfolio of controlled assets being managed by the secure data centre, andthe secure data centre subsequently managing communication of instructions originating from an external control centre to each of the registered controlled assets of the portfolio of the secure data centre, upon request from the requesting assets. Thus, the method according to the invention is a method for managing communication of instructions to a plurality of controlled assets arranged within a private communication network of a renewable power plant. In the present context the term ‘renewable power plant’ should be interpreted to mean a plurality of renewable power generators, e.g. in the form of wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, etc., arranged within a specified geographical area, and which share some infrastructure, such as internal power grid, connection to an external power grid, substations, communication network, access roads, etc. In the present context the term ‘controlled asset’ should be interpreted to mean an asset of the renewable power plant which may be in need for receiving instructions, e.g. in the form of control commands and/or software updates. The controlled asset may, e.g., be a renewable power ge