Editorial
The response to the inaugural Summer 2007 issue has been great. You can see some excerpts from e-mails or comments that you have posted on the web site in the Letter section of the magazine. And I would like to encourage every one of you to write to us, to tell us what you think about the magazine and the web site, to talk about events that you have been part of and share your knowledge and experi... More
Letters
Don't hesitate. Tell us what you like, and what we can do better. Share your thoughts and experience. Congratulations on an excellent start. The content... More
News
Industry News
ANSI 670 Series Relays
ABB Substation Automation launches a complete range of Protection and Control IEDs supporting IEC 61850 and DNP 3.0. The 670 Series is designed for both ANSI and IEC applications providing protection, control and monitoring of overhead lines, cables, transformers, reactors, bus and circuit breakers as well as bay control. A powerful yet simple Windows® Explorer "look and feel" setting tool "PCM600... MoreCircuit Breaker Controller - with Arc Flash Mitigation
Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution introduces the SIPROTEC Circuit Breaker Controller, a unique and low cost solution for remote circuit breaker control and monitoring. All the customer needs to provide is the existing or new settings. It is a new cost effective product solution that will address Arc Flash Mitigation as required by NFPA 70E by minimizing the risk of personal injury by remov... MoreEconomical Transmission Protection
AREVAT&D announces a major evolution, with the MiCOM P547 Phase comparison protection now incorporating the proven technology of the sub-cycle distance MiCROMho P443, merged as one single device. This relay can be the standard in all HV, EHV line protection applications, duplicated where dual redundant main protection is demanded. Features include:
Phase segregated phase comparison protection tri... MoreGARD 8000 Communications and Relaying System
The new GARD 8000 Communications and Relaying System from RFL Electronics, Inc. received the UTC Telecom Product Award for best Telecom Equipment of 2007. The GARD 8000 is an innovative product that combines high performance line protective relays (current differential and/or distance protection) with teleprotection interfaces (digital, audio, Power Line Carrier) in one chassis. The GARD 8000 Syst... MoreGuaruja 2 is energized
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) has completed the modernization and energization of Guarujá 2, a substation integrated with the IEC 61850 protocol, belonging to Elektro Eletricidade e Serviços S.A., a large electric distribution utility in Brazil. This is the first of 30 substations SEL will modernize for Elektro by creating new HMIs and updating all SCADA systems, substation autom... MoreNew Dual Channel Universal Power-line Carrier
Pulsar has introduced the 4RU option for their industry leading UPLC. The new 4RU Dual UPLC offers two PLC channels in just one package. The new design reduces your panel space with only 4RU of panel space instead of the standard 6RU that you get with two separate packages. This UPLC also includes internal combining hybrids. One directional comparison blocking and a single channel direct transfer ... MoreNorth American Synchro-Phasor Initiative
Measurements and information to improve system performance. The advancements in communications and computing technology, the wide spread use of multifunctional intelligent electronic devices and the increased availability of synchrophasor measurements in such devices create an environment for a change in the way that electric power systems are monitored and controlled, especially under dynamically... MoreRugged Wireless Ethernet
RuggedCom's new RuggedWireless(tm) family of products is a line of substation hardened Ethernet switches integrating IEEE 802.11b/g wireless access points with fully managed wired 8-Port Ethernet switches providing six Fast Ethernet copper only ports and two optional copper or fiber ports. All wireless communications are protected by the very latest "robust securitynetworks" based on IEEE 80... MoreSampled Values Generated by CMC 256
OMICRON has made another step in complementing its testing tools for IEC 61850. The CMC 256 with NET-1 Option does now also generate sampled values. Together with the GOOSE features, the vision of "fully networked" protection testing has been realized. The sampled values are generated according to the "Implementation Guideline for Digital Interface to Instrument Transformers using IEC 61850 9 2", ... MoreToshiba launches IEC 61850 compliant IEDs
Toshiba announces the availability of its Bay Control Unit GBU100 (photo) and Transformer Protection relay GRT100 in compliance with the IEC 61850 standard for substation communications. GRT100 and GBU100 were certified IEC 61850 compliant at the first attempt by KEMA in June 2007 and August 2007 respectively. This is additional to the GRZ100 distance protection which had already been certified co... MoreVolt/VAr Control Enters New Era
M-6200 Digital Voltage Regulator ControlBeckwith Electric recently announced a regulator controls that goes significantly beyond the norm for conventional controls. The M-6200 boasts nuances such as; adaptive or conventional algorithms, high-speed USB or optional Bluetooth local customer interface, SD Card for upload programming or for data logging, oscillographic, and SOE download, as well as IEC... More
Technology News
New Internet Speed Record
The continuously increasing demand for improvement in the substation-substation and substation-system level communications is forcing protection and control engineers to look for new ways to meet these requirements. The new data transfer land speed records show that the time for revolutionary Internet based power system applications is not that far in the future.Using a modified version of TCP, a ... MoreRussians Building Floating Nuclear Power Plant
The need for generation in different parts of the world is continuously changing and the industry is looking for ways to deliver power to areas that need it in a relatively short time. A potential solution based on an old idea is emerging and is raising some environmental concerns. At the same time it will have significant impact on the protection and control of electric power systems where applie... More
Cover Story
Synchrophasors for WAMS
Synchrophasor measurements have gradually gained acceptance since their invention in the 1980s. Major blackouts have given great emphasis to this technique due to the need for better disturbance analysis and more situational awareness. The main application for these measurements is disturbance analysis, and it is a well established practice in the WECC. Displays for situational a... MoreTen Synchrophasor Application Tips
Until recently, synchronized phasor measurements were available only from laboratory equipment or from expensive stand-alone phasor measurement units. The expense and need for separate equipment have limited the utility of synchrophasors.Today, when you buy many microprocessor relays or meters, you get synchronous phasor measurement capabilities for free! You can even get firmware upgrades to add ... More
IEC 61850 - Diary of a working group meeting
I guess many of you have already heard about IEC 61850 and as well you may know a lot about the technical content and scope of IEC 61850. As a Convenor of the IEC working group that is responsible for the development and maintenance of IEC 61850, I will regularly address in this column topics related to IEC 61850 that are of interest for our readers.It is Sunday, September 9th.I am in the pl... More
Protection - Relay Study
Protection Relay Study
On a worldwide basis, the annual market for medium and high voltage protective relaying products and equipment currently exceeds the $1 billion level as we move further into the 21st century. Only a portion of the total market for protective relays is made up of the world's electric utilities directly, with significant indirect sales made to industrial companies, to OEM suppliers that integr... More
Protection - Rogowski
Rogowski Coil Designs
The Rogowski coil (RC) current sensors presented here operate on the same principle as coils that were first introduced in 1912 for magnetic field measurements. At that time, the coils could not be used for relay protection because their output power was not sufficient to drive electro-mechanical relays. However, with today's microprocessor-based equipment, RC current sensors are suita... More
Legal Issue
Possible Legal Concerns
Author: Iana Apostolova J.D.This is the first of a series of articles that will discuss some legal aspects of the protection, automation and control world.
In recent years, the electric power industry has been going through substantial changes caused by numerous factors, including deregulation, system operation close to stability limits, various natural disasters, the increased sensitivity of m... More
First IEC 61850 Multivendor Project in the USA
An excellent group of TVA and vendor personnel made this Bradley project a success. Jim Kurtz, Manager of Protection and Control at TVA, had the following comments on the project: "I cannot stress how important collaboration like this is to the industry. For vendors and suppliers to work together to resolve issues will help not only them to provide a better product, but also to d... More
The Guru
The Guru
I believe that my real passion was art, mainly paintings and drawings, which I still practice...I believe that there is a crisis in regards to engineering studies.I believe that the more quantity of young people who get used to thinking and creating, the more quantity of better power engineers we shall get.Victor Sabato
PAC World: Do you mind telling us when and where you were born?... More
History
History of Protection
When circuit breakers were first developed, engineers started to find out how to trip them automatically if short circuits occurred in distribution and generation assets. The initial approach was to interrupt short circuit currents however this technique subsequently evolved to satisfy the requirement for selective tripping of the asset. Past research into frequent explosions of oil circuit breake... More
I Think
Are Power System Engineers Crazy?
Author: Marco C. JanssenThus this should be our new credo: Engineers around the globe unite and be "crazy" enough to make this world a better place!
When people from outside the electric utility industry look at power systems engineers, they see a bunch of people that talk about technical details as if they are the most important things in the world.Most of the times these people start discussi... More
Industry Reports
CIGRE - Remote on-line Management of Substation Protection and Automation
CIGRE Study Committee B5 commissioned a study to explore the use of Information Technology (IT) application for remote on-line management of Substation protection and automation. Information technologies were to be considered as a general concept; intranet and internet technologies are subset of IT. Study Committee B5 limited the scope of work to the management of protection and automation functio... MorePSRC - Beware Substations are not like office
With the growing popularity of IEC 61850, there is a mistaken belief by some that office grade Ethernet devices may be used with impunity in an electric utility substation. But there are substantial differences between these two environments that cannot be ignored. As a starter, substation control houses are usually not air conditioned, insulated, or forced ventilated. So the equipment in those ho... More
Conference Reports
APAP 2007 - Jeju, South Korea
The Second International Conference on Advanced Power System Automation and Protection 2007 was held from 24 to 27 April 2007 in Jeju, Korea. Located in a southern island where the weather is mild even in winter, the city is a famous resort that welcomes over 4 million visitors per year from mainland Korea, Japan and China. Jeju was an independent country called Tamna in 662 AD. It was renam... MoreCIRED 2007 held in Vienna, Austria
The 19th International Conference and Exhibition on Electricity Distribution was held in Vienna, Austria 21 - 24 May 2007. Vienna is the capital of Austria with a population of 1.7 million people. Founded around 500 BC, Vienna was originally a Celtic settlement. It later becomes Roman frontier city and after a rich medieval history making it a cultular center for arts and cience. In 1805 Vienna be... MoreGeorgia Tech 2007 Disturbance Analysis and Protection Conferences
The 61st Annual Georgia Tech Protective Relaying Conference was held 2-4 May at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center located in Midtown Atlanta. This is the oldest running annual conference in North America (and maybe in the world) dedicated to the issues of electric power systems protection and control. It is attended by specialists in the field predominantly from the Eastern and Central parts... MoreIEEE 2007 held in Acapulco, Mexico
At the 85th Anniversary of the Mexican Section of the IEEE it organized the 20th Power and Industrial Applications and Industrial Exhibition Summer Meeting - RVP-AI/2007 from 8 to 14 July 2007 in Acapulco, Mexico. The meeting was held at the Acapulco Convention Center and was attended by electric power system professionals from Mexico, North America and many other countries. The RVP-AI is consider... MoreIEEE PES General Meeting - Tampa, Florida, USA
The IEEE Power Engineering Society (PES) General Meeting was held at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, USA 24 - 28 June 2007. This is an annual event that combines plenary session, technical and poster sessions, committee meetings, tutorials and other activities. Industry experts from all over the world attend the meeting to present their papers and discuss topics of interest with the... MorePower Tech 2007, Lausanne, Switzerland
PowerTech 2007 was held 1-5 July 2007 in Lausanne, Switzerland. This was the seventh edition of the European anchor conference of the IEEE Power Engineering Society and was build on the tradition of excellence of the preceding conferences in Athens, Stockholm, Budapest, Porto, Bologna and St. Petersburg. Lausanne, with its 250,000 inhabitants, is well placed in the center of continental Europe. It... MoreTexas A&M Conference for Protective Relay Engineers
The 2007 Texas A&M conference was held in College Station, Texas, USA 27-29 March 2007. The City of College Station is a young municipality, with its beginnings in the founding of Texas A&M College - the first state institution of higher education in Texas, inaugurated in 1876. After the end of the paper sessions the participants visited the hospitality suites at the College Station Hilton hotel.I... MoreWestern Power Delivery Automation Conference
The 2007 Western Power Delivery Automation Conference was held 3-5 April 2007 in Spokane, Washington, USA. Spokane is located in the northeastern corner of Washington state and was first established in 1810 as a small trading post in the lands inhabited by the Spokane (meaning Children of the Sun) native Americans. The Spokane River runs through it, with spectacular falls on the western end ... More
Book Review
Substation Automation Handbook
The electric power industry is going through a period of dramatic changes caused by restructuring, deregulation, downsizing, requirements for improved power quality and operation close to the stability limits. At the same time we have seen the significant improvements in multifunctional Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and the communications in substations. All of this makes open Substation Automation (SA) systems a key factor in the efficient operation of electric power system... More
Hobby
Reaching for the Top
Now these exceptional moments will forever be engraved in our memories!
Our Objective: Mount Cho Oyu - 8201 mThe idea for this project came to me after returning from a successful expedition to Gasherbrum II, an 8035 m high mountain, back in the year 2000. Since my early twenties, I have felt a deep passion for the mountains, in parallel with my engineering job, and it has been a form of ... More
Final Thoughts
With two issues of PAC World already on your desk and the rich content you can find on the web site I guess you realize that we are trying to provide you with a wide range of information that will keep you up to date on what is going on in our industry.At the same time you can read the thoughts of your colleagues on subjects of interest or their comments on recent events.To keep this going we ne... More
