Integrating DPWS and OPC UA device-level SOA features into IEC 61850 applications

Flexible and adaptable integration of diverse devices and applications used for power system automation is one of the key prerequisites for accelerated and future-proof Smart Grid deployment. International standard IEC 61850 has been globally accepted as one of the prime movers of successful and interoperable Smart Grid integration. However, current IEC 61850 definition lacks the integration capability based on device-level Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) paradigm. SOA is widely applied for enterprise integration and one of the envisioned paradigms for industrial automation domain. Implementing IEC 61850 systems according to device-level SOA principles could significantly facilitate standards-compliant device integration and accelerate overall Smart Grid automation deployment. This article presents a solution for integrating device-level SOA principles into IEC 61850 architecture. Two most prominent device-level SOA technologies, Devices Profile for Web Services (DPWS) and OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA), have been analyzed according to IEC 61850 system requirements. As a result of analysis, a novel middleware platform which integrates both DPWS and OPC UA features into IEC 61850 applications is presented. The proposed solution provides an extensible Smart Grid application framework based on state-of-the-art industrial automation standards thus allowing accelerated Smart Grid integration.