IN-PACT: A Pragmatic Approach Leading to a Smooth Transition or a New Architecture for Distribution Control Centers

Abstract SIT-R is a project of EDF-GDF-Services for the renewal of their Distribution Centers. Two approaches: either EDF buys an off the shelf system from a major Vendor of Ems-Scada Systems or EDF remains technically in charge. At the moment the first option is in experimentation at Paris, Lyon and Versailles. For the second option, IN-PACT proposed in 1994 a step by step approach. This project has been divided into two phases. The first phase consists in preserving the actual EMS-Scada System (SIT3), by carrying over the SIT3 on a new hardware platform, through Object-Oriented Techniques. This phase has consisted in elaborating an object designed configurator, and by transcoding the Real Time system in C++ language. The second phase is to provide an architecture based on new interoperability features provided by a software bus like Corba. Through this new architecture, IN-PACT will connect new functionalities provided inside EDF or furnished by Vendors. The architecture and the concepts defined will guarantee reduction in the cost of specification, maintenance, and ameliorate the perennity of the overall system. In order to experiment the IN-PACT solution, a real site has been provided at the Distribution Center Gard-Cevennes located in the city of Nimes, in the south of France. The results: At the end of 1996, the new configurator is validated and operational at Nimes, the Real Time System will be fully operational in February 1997. In parallel, the architecture vision and concepts have been validated and defined. They have led to a specification of the future Human Machine Interface (HMI) and an International bid was made in December 1996. In 1997, the architectural concepts will be fully integrated by connecting the new HMI. The connection of internal functions will also begin. The configurator will be upgraded in order to be able to manage different kinds of network image representation, and last but not least, new kinds of data will be processed in order to increase the responsiveness of EDF to the internal and external market, opportunities and constraints.