New Zealand

Impacts of IEC 61850 Communications

in Substation Automation

The University of Auckland

APEX 08 | Northern Summit

Li Xi Zhang
(Presenter)

& Dr. Nirmal Nair

(N.Nair@auckland.ac.nz)

Power System Research Group

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department
University of Auckland
06 November 2008

IEC 61850 and Substation Automation

New Zealand

History of Protective Relay Technology

Testing Relay as an IED

The University of Auckland

06 November 2008

Overview Context

Conclusions & Research Directions

IEC 61850 Merging Unit and Process Bus

Communication Networks and Systems in Substations

Issued by IEC in July 2003
Achieve interoperability and substation automation
Not just a communication standard but also a Data Modelling
Method in substation automation

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

06 November 2008

What is IEC 61850?

New Zealand

06 November 2008

Substation Automation (SA) Model

in IEC 61850

SCADA

Relays

The University of Auckland

CVs, VTs, CBs

Transformers
Transmission
lines

06 November 2008

Impacts of IEC 61850 on SA

IEC61850

Generic
Object

Sample Value

GOOSE

Substation
Event

Sensor and Actuator

Equipments

Protection and
Control Equipments

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

Oriented

Interoperability

Substation
Automation

06 November 2008

Substation Automation Communication

Architecture in IEC 61850

SCADA and other station-level applications

Station Bus

New Zealand

GOOSE

Relays

Sample Value

GOOSE

Relays

GOOSE

Relays

Sample Value

Sample Value

The University of Auckland

Process Bus

Merging Unit

Conventional and non-conventional high

voltage instruments

06 November 2008

History of Protective Relays

First generation: Electromechanical relays

1900s ~ 1960s

Second generation: Static relays

New Zealand

1970s

Third generation: Microprocessor relays

1980s

The University of Auckland

Next: IEDs - Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEC 61850)

2000s

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

06 November 2008

Features of Conventional Protective

Relays
Functional Characteristics of protective relays
be sufficiently sensitive to operate
Selectivity

Speed

Reliability

be able to select appropriate reactions

must operate within required time
be inherently reliable

Whats new? GOOSE less wires & new functions

06 November 2008

Features of IEC 61850-based

Protective Relays (IEDs)
Future likely testing requirements from IEC 61850

GOOSE

New Zealand

Communication

GOOSE

The University of Auckland

Interoperability

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

06 November 2008

Tests in Power System Lab

Future Relay Testing Requirements &

Wide Range Applications

GOOSE
GOOSE

Interoperability

Configuration
Software

IEC 61850 Compatible Relays

New Zealand

06 November 2008

Contents of the Tests

GOOSE speed test

GOOSE speed between IEDs from same manufacturer

Interoperability test
GOOSE speed between IEDs from different manufacturers.
Interoperability function

The University of Auckland

Third party software compatibility test

Integration of IED description files from different manufacturers

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

06 November 2008

A Testing Bench for Relays (IEDs)

Protective relays:
GE F35 Multiple Feeder Protection Relay
Siemens SIPROTEC 4 7SJ641
Siemens SIPROTEC 4 7SD41

Switches:
RuggedCom switch RSG2100

Configuration Software:
GE EnerVista UR
Siemens DIGSI 4
Helinks STS

06 November 2008

Features of Relay (IED) Testing

Future testing requirements for relays with IEC 61850 capability

identified.

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

Development of IEC 61850 relay test bench discussed.

Acceptable GOOSE transmission speed is critical.
Using SCL files to deliver information for interoperability still has
some challenges.
Potential business opportunities exist in third party software
development.

06 November 2008

Substation Automation Communication

Architecture in IEC 61850

SCADA and other station-level applications

Station Bus

New Zealand

GOOSE

Relays

Sample Value

GOOSE

Relays

GOOSE

Relays

Sample Value

Sample Value

The University of Auckland

Process Bus

Merging Unit

Conventional and non-conventional high

voltage instruments

Key Points
Defined in IEC 61850-9-1
Interface unit for logical interfaces 4 and 5 in the SA model

New Zealand

06 November 2008

IEC 61850 - Merging Unit

Accepting multiple analogue CT/VT and digital inputs

The University of Auckland

Producing time synchronized serial unidirectional multi-drop

digital outputs
Providing interoperability for different types of secondary
substation protection, control, monitoring and recording
equipment.

06 November 2008

Logical Model of Merging Unit

IEDs - Relays
Analog

Sensor Module
Function Module

Output Module

Drawbacks:

Switches

Time consuming
Analog
Filter
Digital

Sample
Input Module
Module

A/D Converter

Local Buffer

Multiple Connection

New Zealand

Physical Location

Merging Unit
The University of Auckland

Analog

Sensor Module
Interface Module

Digital

Switches

Relays

Input Module

Key Points
Defined in IEC61850-9-2
Driven by the integration of non-conventional instrument
transformer (NCIT) into protection systems
Support genuine bus communications
Process Bus

New Zealand

06 November 2008

IEC 61850 Process Bus

The University of Auckland

Control

Time Code
Merging Unit

Sample Value

06 November 2008

GE HardFiber Process Bus

Features
Reduce wire cost by replacing
hardwires with fiber optics

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

Reduce construction labour

Reduce on-site labour
Be compatible to IEC 61850
architecture to support multivendor applications
Improves the reliability by
dual-channel connections

06 November 2008

Recommendations

Future research directions:

Improve the test beds in power system lab

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

New communication technologies applications

System level software integration
New protection scheme design based on interoperability
functions
Testing bench for IEC 61850 process bus

20xx Substation Automation System

IEDs

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

06 November 2008

Where to from here? (1)

10

06 November 2008

Where to from here? (2)

Future Protective Relays

(IEDs)
Differential

New Zealand

Distance

IED

Overcurrent
SPS

The University of Auckland

Control
Record

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

06 November 2008

Acknowledgements

11

1.

L. Zhang and N. Nair. Assessing Protective Relaying in IEC 61850 Framework, in EEA Annual
Conference 08, Christchurch, New Zealand, 20-21 June 2008.

2.

L. Zhang, Test Protective Relays in IEC 61850 Framework, ME Thesis, University of Auckland at
Auckland, New Zealand, 2008.

3.

F. Roman. Utility experience with IEC 61850, in EEA APEX 07 Northern Summit. Auckland,
New Zealand, 1 November 2007.

4.

D. Jenkins, R. Stevens and N. Nair. Using IEC 61850 based communication to protect substation
busbars, in EEA APEX 07 Northern Summit. Auckland, New Zealand, 1 November 2007.

5.

A. Apostolov and B. Vandiver, "Functional Testing of IEC 61850 Based Protection Relays," in
Protective Relay Engineers, 2007. 60th Annual Conference for, 2007, pp. 333-340.

6.

H. Jochen. Connection of high-voltage equipment to the process bus based on IEC 61850, in
Praxis Profiline IEC 61850, 2008. pp. 2-5.

New Zealand

The University of Auckland

New Zealand

06 November 2008

References

Impact of IEC 61850 Communications

in Substation Automation

The University of Auckland

APEX 08 | Northern Summit

Li Xi Zhang
(Presenter)

& Dr. Nirmal Nair

(N.Nair@auckland.ac.nz)

Power System Research Group

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department
University of Auckland
06 November 2008

12