This video was originally posted to https://fosdem.org/2024/schedule/event/fosdem-2024-2662-lfenergy-seapath-easier-operations-in-electrical-substations-through-digital-twin-empowerment/. Thank you to FOSDEM for sharing under CC-BY-2.0-BE-DEED (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/be/deed.en).

"LF Energy SEAPATH - Easier Operations in Electrical Substations through Digital Twin Empowerment" was presented in the FOSDEM 2024 Energy Devroom by Erwann Roussy and Paul Le Guen de Kerneizon of Savoir-Faire Linux.

Managing electrical substations poses significant challenges. The high costs associated with hardware and equipment, as well as the high level of knowledge necessary in electrical engineering, make the work and research in this field accessible only to a select few major electrical companies. The LFEnergy SEAPATH project introduces a paradigm shift in this sector. By aggregating third-party FOSS components, it brings virtualization to electrical grid substations and provides a robust solution for critical infrastructures, enhancing their adaptability and increasing their interconnections.

The primary objective of SEAPATH is to transition from a hardware-centric to a software-centric model within substations, leading to reduced costs, improved adaptability, and simplified maintenance and updates. Moreover, the project aims to democratize participation in the field. SEAPATH eliminates the need for specialized equipment in both the construction and testing phases of a substation system. The project further emphasizes an open-source philosophy, incorporating meaningful documentation and a transparent strategy.

This presentation will delve into Savoir-faire Linux's experience in replicating a SEAPATH infrastructure in their laboratory. It will provide insights into the architecture of SEAPATH and the essential tools employed for conducting functional tests. The tools showcased encompass Precision Time Protocol (PTP) at software level, IEC 61850 Sample Value simulation as well as latency measurements . Crucially, this talk aims to communicate the inclusivity of SEAPATH, making it accessible to a broader audience. By eliminating the need for specialized expertise in electrical engineering, SEAPATH opens the door for researchers, mathematicians, and professionals from diverse backgrounds to contribute meaningfully to the project. The presentation will highlight the collaborative potential of SEAPATH, fostering a community where individuals with various skill sets can actively participate in shaping the future of electrical substation virtualization.

Learn more about the LF Energy SEAPATH project at https://lfenergy.org/projects/seapath/.

This webinar provides an overview of open source software and tooling for digital substation automation in energy systems. The speakers provide a brief overview of how open source collaborative development works in general, then delve into how it is driving innovation and accelerating the pace of substation automation. Examples of specific open source solutions and real-world implementations by utilities are discussed. Listeners will walk away with a better understanding of the challenges of automating substations, the ecosystem of solutions available to help, and best practices for implementing them.

Speakers:
Alex Thornton, LF Energy
Jos Zenner, Welotec

Additional Links:
LF Energy SEAPATH: https://lfenergy.org/projects/seapath/
LF Energy CoMPAS: https://lfenergy.org/projects/compas/
LF Energy FledgePOWER: https://lfenergy.org/projects/fledgepower/

Keynote: Building an Open Source Business - the LF Energy SEAPATH Example - Christophe Villemer, Savoir-faire Linux

For open source technologies to be widely adopted, it's necessary to build a commercial support ecosystem around them in order to instill stakeholders with confidence. This includes maintaining a dynamic and diverse community of users and contributors, and an open but rigorous governance framework for the core of the open source project. This session will explore the best practices and challenges involved in commercializing an open source project, using the example of LF Energy's SEAPATH project, for which Savoir-faire Linux was the first company to launch a commercial support offering. SEAPATH is a crucial initiative for digital substations, but to ensure its adoption and success, it is imperative to build a reliable hardware and software ecosystem that inspires confidence among energy market players. This includes defining rigorous standards and thorough testing to bridge the gap between hardware and software ecosystems, while promoting a consistent and reliable architecture. It will explore the spectrum of different business models for players in the DSAS sector, and show how Savoir-faire Linux has commercialized SEAPATH to illustrate how others can also build businesses around open source.

Deploying a Virtual IED on LF Energy SEAPATH, Advices and Experience Feedback - Erwann Roussy, Savoir-faire Linux & Camilo De Arriba, GE Vernova

Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) are a key element of a Digital Substation Automation System (DSAS), managing voltage regulation and performing line protection. Today, mostly due to the rise of renewable energy and the adoption of electric cars, a new generation of DSAS is needed. The shift toward virtualization was chosen for its flexibility and adaptivity. Thus, the code developed for a physical IED has to be rewritten for a virtual one. This talk will go through GE Vernova and Savoir-faire Linux experience in creating, tuning and testing a protection algorithm for a virtual IED (VIED) on LF Energy SEAPATH. Savoir-faire Linux will present the technical strengths and weaknesses of a virtualized environment and the different solutions available to push back its limitations. It will also explain the testing process developed to ensure that a VIED meets the desired criteria in terms of latency, determinism and robustness. GE Vernova will present its experience in designing the architecture of a VIED and porting the existing code from a physical to a virtual device. It will question the differences between the two in terms of power, redundancy, and algorithmic.

SEAPATH Project Meetup - Facilitated by Eloi Bail, Savoir-faire Linux

The LF Energy SEAPATH project is creating a reference design and industrial grade open source real-time platform that can run virtualized automation and protection applications for the power grid. It is an integral component of LF Energy's Digital Substation Automation suite. This meetup will gather developers and end users already involved in the SEAPATH project, as well as those still considering participation, to discuss the current state of the project and roadmap ahead.

SEAPATH “Certified”: Hardware for Virtualized Infrastructure for Energy Domain Solutions - Eloi Bail, Savoir-faire Linux

This lightning talk will explore the certification process designed to validate that industrial hardware dedicated to hosting Virtualized Infrastructure for Energy Domain (VIED) solutions is compatible with LF Energy SEAPATH.

This certification is designed to ensure that hardware hosting virtualized solutions for control, automation, and protection of the electrical grid can seamlessly operate within a digital substation framework. By setting rigorous standards and conducting thorough testing, we aim to bridge the gap between hardware and software ecosystems, fostering a cohesive and reliable architecture for digital substations.

SEAPATH - Current Application and Perspectives - Bastien Desbos & Florent Carli, RTE

Launched in 2020, SEAPATH (Software Enabled Automation Platform and Artifacts (THerein)) has reached a significant milestone : it is now in operation in one substation ! This major event will be discussed during the first part of this presentation. We will describe the concrete applications and the challenges we have faced. The current solution will now be deployed in other substations. At the same time, SEAPATH will need to evolve to match new requirements for new applications. SEAPATH perspectives, from the utilities' point of view will be discussed in a second part.

Erwann Roussy, Savoir-faire Linux

LF Energy’s SEAPATH project aims to help the energy sector tackle the significant challenges in modernizing its infrastructure to meet evolving demands. In this video, Christophe Villemer, Executive Vice President at Savoir-faire Linux, discusses the climate crisis challenges and LF Energy’s role in accelerating decarbonization efforts by fostering collaboration and developing projects like SEAPATH to enhance grid efficiency, sustainability and flexibility. He says, “It's just a question of how we work out together to make things change because we will need to change and the challenge and the stake of the energy transition are huge.”