June 2016 Issue
Editorial
The goal of this issue of the PAC World magazine is to open a discussion on the many questions that this transition is raising. There is a lot of fear, and as usual the fear is of the unknown. To a great extent this is due to the fact that communications in general and communication networks in particular are something new to most of the specialists in our industry. At the same time they ... MoreLetters
Don't hesitate. Share your thoughts and experiences. More
News
Industry News
ABB
MV Digital Switchgear with NCITs ABB’s medium voltage digital switchgear is the integration of innovative and unique technology into conventional switchgear for protection, control, and automation resulting in a solution that is continuously self-supervising, with maximized error detection. Instead of conventional current transformers and potential transformers, digital switchgear inc... MoreAdvantech
APAX-5580 - PC-based control platform The APAX-5580 is a PC-based control platform with comprehensive I/O modules, communication ports (such as GbE, USB 3.0, mPCIe, serial), and control Software. The APAX-5580 includes an Intel Celeron 1.6 GHz/Core i3/Core i7 1.7GHz processor, 4GB DDR3 memory, one mSATA connector, two SD slots, two mini PCIe slots, dual power input, UPS support, a... MoreARCTEQ
The Generator Commander - All in one The Generator Commander combines machine protection, excitation control, synchronizing, synchro-check and power monitoring in a single product. High integration level simplifies engineering, saves panel space and offers single software for all system configuration and setting. With differential protection and sophisticated machine protection functions th... MoreGridEx(R) Sets you in Control of your IEC 61850 networks
Designed to support you when performing commissioning, troubleshooting and maintenance. GridEx® is a digital multimeter and analyzer for Smart Grid; it bridges the gap between the traditional power technology and the digital communication. Network digital data is translated into upfront and intuitive information to support decisions for increased reliability and improved system utilizatio... MoreIEEE PES Leadership in Power Award
During the 2016 IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Conference & Exposition in Dallas, Texas the President of IEEE PES Dr. Damir Novosel presented the IEEE PES Leadership in Power Award to John Estey. He received the award “for tireless support to foster and develop the next generation of engineers, and countless contributions to recognize exemplary achievement and role models in the ... MoreIngeteam Installs a Mobile Energy Storage Laboratory
Ingeteam has been awarded a project in a public competition held by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, consisting of the supply, installation and maintenance of a transportable energy storage solution. This transportable solution, located in Holland, can be considered as a mobile laboratory and will make it possible to check the feasibility of different energy storage app... MoreOMICRON electronics
Test Universe 3.10 facilitates testing with IEC 61850 Version 3.10 of OMICRON Test Universe now offers a new test module supporting IEC 61850 Client/Server communication. Engineers responsible for PAC will benefit from this module creating a unique way to integrate an automated test of Reports and data attributes in a Control Center document. The module allows you to load the IED descrip... MoreSEL
Software-Defined Network Solutions Applying the OpenFlow specification, SEL is using software - defined networking (SDN) to enhance the performance, configuration, and management of proactive OT and dynamic information technology (IT) networks. The SEL-2740S Software - Defined Network Switch is the SDN-based switch that improves Ethernet performance in mission-critical applications. By pro... MoreSIFANG
System Dynamic Situation Awareness by WAMS Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) is built upon the break-through Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) technology. It collects, stores, transmits and analyzes critical phasor data across the power grid. WAMS provides power system state and situational awareness, which was impossible from the traditional SCADA system. With the high accuracy, high... MoreTechnology News
Next Eagle
Drone Base Line Inspection We can see them everywhere. From the toys for little and big kids to the weapons carrying military ones. Equipped with whatever they can carry to meet the requirements of their use. It has been natural to think about their use for the inspection of transmission and distribution lines which typically has been done using very expensive helicopter flyovers for that s... MoreSDN - Software Defined Networking
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is an emerging communication architecture that needs to be considered as one of the possible solutions for PAC systems applications. As usual in the process of evaluation we need to understand what it is, where we can use it and what are the benefits and challenges. The main characteristic of SDN is the fact that it decouples the network control and forwar... MoreCover Story
IP-based Communications for Line Current Differential Protection
Line Current Differential Protection The functional principle of 87L protection works according to Kirchhoff’s Current Law, the algebraic sum of all currents entering and exiting a node have to be equal zero. The single line diagram of the arrangement of the protection relays is shown in Figure 2. &nbs... MoreIEC 61850 Update
IEC 61850 Process Bus?
In the mid-nineties, integrated substation automation and protection solutions had become quite popular in Europe. While the station bus communication between bay controllers and the station level devices was mainly based on vendor specific protocols, the German Standardization organization DIN had standardized a SCADA interface to protection relays which later became the IEC 60870-5-103 sta... MoreLessons Learned
Time - Sensitive Networking (TSN) in IEC 61850 substation automation networks
These main properties of a Deterministic Network could be summarize by the following: Bounded Latency Bounded Jitter (latency variation) Extraordinary low packet loss Deterministic traffic and normal IT traffic (best effort and QOS managed traffic) will cohabit on the same network without impacting the deterministic flows. This level of determinism in a network can be reached by ... MoreSecured Routable GOOSE Mechanism
Using High-Speed and Secured Routable GOOSE Mechanism
The major communication infrastructure considerations for WAPC system are: High-speed message delivery (delays over WAN) Network bandwidth requirement (i.e. optimum information/dataset and data rate requirements) Cyber security Availability/Redundancy International standardized protocols IEC Technical Report (TR) 61850-90-5:2012 provides communication protocol for synchrophaso... MoreDigital Substations
Digital Substation ? the Next Generation Smart Substation for the Power Grid
Increased reliability and availability, reduced maintenance cost:The extensive self-diagnosis capability of digital devices ensures maximized up-time of the substation. Any degradation in the performance of an asset is pinpointed in real-time. Inherent redundancy in the system may be employed to self-heal the operation, which permits troubleshooting without the need for any primar... MoreLegal Issue
Expert Witnesses ? How can I become one, and why would I want to?
In our last issue we began a discussion on expert witnesses, by addressing what makes a witness an expert, as well as an introduction into when they tend to be called upon and hired by attorneys, what types of cases they testify in, and what their role is throughout the process. We will now switch our attention to a topic of more personal intrigue: why would one want to be an expert witn... MoreVerification and Supervision
Verification and Supervision of communication networks for Utility Automation
This already starts in the commissioning phase, where configuration errors and communication problems are ruled out and the correct transmission of all signals has to be verified. Later on, during the operation phase of a digital substation, it is crucial that problems on the communication network are detected immediately, so that the operating personnel can react on it. The correct functi... MoreThe Guru
Interview with PACWorld guru Walter Schossig
PAC World: When and where were you born? W.S.: I was born on the 18th of February 1941 in Arnsdorf (now Novy Bor.) PAC World: You were a little child at the end of World War II, but do you have any memories of this difficult time? W.S.: When I was 4, equipped with Rucksack, and a baby buggy, my mother and I moved via Meißen to Thuringia in Germany. As G... MoreHistory
Protection History
In the last issue the way to IEC 61850 was described. We explained the activities of UCA and EPRI, covered MMS. Ethernet entered the substation and first interoperability events took place. The discussion was not only about the protocol to be used, but also for the data modeling. Under auspices of the EPRI UCA the Generic Object Models for Substation and Feeder Equipment (GOMSFE) have been d... MoreI Think
The Age of Renewables
Recently Dubai announced to have obtained a price of 0.0299 USD per kWh for an 800 MW solar PV plant. This is a world record and means a price drop of 40% compared to the previous lowest price for a solar plant in Peru. With wind energy as an already established renewable resource, the price drop in solar PV makes the solar panel a serious competitor for any fossil fuel based genera... MoreIndustry Reports
IEC 61850-90-4 TR Communication Networks and Systems for Power Utility
The IEC 61850 standard covers a wide range of issues related to the improvement of the reliability, security and efficiency of the electric power grid based on the definitions of the object models of different types of primary and secondary equipment, the communications interfaces required for the operation of the system under normal or abnormal conditions, the configuration language used at ... MoreConference Reports
Developments in Power System Protection, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
The 13th International Conference on Developments in Power System Protection (DPSP) was held 7-10 March 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. DPSP is held every even year and is one of the few forums (together with the PAC World conference) in Europe for academics, industry and business leaders to meet, present results and share knowledge in the power sy... MoreiPC-GRID, San Francisco, California, USA
The 14th i-PCGRID was held in San Francisco, California, USA from 30 March-1 April 2016. As usual, the 14th Annual Workshop on Innovations in Protection and Control for Greater Reliability Infrastructure Development was hosted by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and was organized by PG&E, Mississippi State University and Quanta Technology. The core of the program discussions focu... MoreMiddle East Electricity, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The 41st edition of Middle East Electricity was held from 1 to 3 March 2016 in Dubai, UAE. The event was held at the Dubai World Trade Center in Dubai, UAE. It was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. With its 41 years history Middle East Electricity is the longest running event in the region. The parti... MoreNASPI Synchrophasor 2016, 1st International Synchrophasor Symposium
NASPI Synchrophasor 2016 - the first international synchrophasor symposium was held 22-24 March 2016 in Atlanta, USA. Synchrophasor technology has been available for more than two decades and now is available in many multifunctional protection and control IEDs. It is being used for grid monitoring and analytics and is recognized as a critical element in the modernization of the electric powe... MorePower and Energy Automation Conference, Spokane, USA
The 2016 Power and Energy Automation Conference (PEAC) was held 8-10 March 2016 in Spokane, WA, USA. This was the 18th edition of a conference organized by Washington State University (WSU,) and was previously known as the Western Power Delivery Automation Conference. PEAC was opened with a featured presentation on “Substation physical security” presented by Ken Wells, Pacif... MoreTexas A&M Conference for Protective Relay Engineers, USA
The 69th Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers was held 4 - 7 April 2016 in College Station, Texas. This is the oldest specialized protection conference which has the goal to help protection engineers become familiar with new protection concepts and the implementation of familiar principles in new technology, advances in equipment and discuss with their peers problems that have oc... MoreBook Review
Cyber and Electromagnetic Threats in Modern Relay Protection
1st Edition We live in a dramatically changing world characterized by two major trends - the world around us is becoming connected through different forms of communications, while the political situation in many parts of the world is becoming more unstable. These two trends are the driving forces behind the book by Vladimir I. Gurevich. He grew up in the former Soviet Union at the time... MoreHobby
Living Star Wars
by Bjorn Cialla , OMICRON electronics, Germany How I got addicted to Star Wars If you meet me during summertime, there is a high probability that you will see me wearing a Star Wars shirt. If this is the first time you have met me, you may not be suspicious, but if you see me more often, you will realize that this is no coincidence. I have many them. Well, if you would have to describe me w... MoreFinal Thoughts
IT DEPENDS!
When discussing the communications network architecture for IEC 61850 based PAC systems one of the most commonly asked questions is “What should the communications architecture be?” And as usual the answer starts with “It depends!”
It depends on many, many things. The IEC 61850 90-4 TR Network engineering guidelines for substations includes a detailed chec... More
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