Abstract
M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
The SCADA system is critical for the remote or local monitoring and operation of the devices in various industries. Hence, to several applications of the SCADA system in industries such as power stations, oil and gas refineries, transport systems, agriculture, and so on. For the SCADA system to operate satisfactorily, the SCADA system components and all the supporting technologies require proper integration. The properly integrated approach can ensure the remote and local monitoring and the operation of the devices. Furthermore, SCADA systems such as the first, the second, and third-generation SCADA systems possess certain limitations in today’s business environment. The limitations of the previous SCADA generations include inflexibility, static, not scalable, etc. Nonetheless, to address the challenges mentioned above. Firstly, this research explores the appropriate integration of the SCADA system components to ensure the optimum operation of the system using the latest technologies and further proposes the proper architecture for an electricity utility. Secondly, this research compares the proposed SCADA system architecture with the existing utility company SCADA system. Lastly, the study presents the benefits and the impact of the recommended SCADA system on the utility company. This research concludes that the proposed SCADA system architecture has the potential to resolve most challenges of the previous SCADA system generations. The conclusion is due to the benefits of the recommended SCADA system architecture as per the literature compared to the utility company SCADA system in this research. The proposed SCADA system architecture benefits include scalability, flexibility, ease of implementation, interoperability of devices, and remote monitoring of devices at any time and location. The indicated benefits include using intelligent instruments to ensure that the critical plant data is promptly available to the operations team, thus resolving the abnormal plant conditions. The analysis of big data through cloud computing also enables improved preventative maintenance, therefore reducing maintenance costs. Due to the advent of industry 4.0 technologies such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), the proposed SCADA system architecture can provide an efficient systems integration for monitoring to manage an electricity utility.