HOW IEC61850 ENHANCES SUBSTATION AUTOMATION

The part of an electric grid that is in charge of moving electricity from energy sources to consumers is called a substation. Its major job is to keep the balance between generation and consumption of energy while delivering power continuously over the grid. The process of collecting all the data from the IEDs in a substation and sending it to a SCADA system over a single communication line is known as substation automation or substation data concentration. It is accomplished by employing an RTU with several serial ports. An international standard called IEC 61850 specifies communication services, protocols, and a common data model for substation automation.

WHAT IS IEC 61850?

To help with the integration and interoperability of substation automation systems, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) established standard IEC 61850. It addresses a number of substation automation topics, including network architecture, data modelling, communication services, testing, and security. The foundation of IEC 61850 is the Abstract Communication Service Interface (ACSI) concept, which specifies a collection of general services that allow information to be exchanged between control systems and IEDs independent of the physical media or underlying communication protocol.

IEC 61850 SUBSTATION AUTOMATION SYSTEMS FUNCTIONS

A future in which every piece of electric equipment has some sort of setting and needs to be monitored and/or controlled remotely could be closer than most people think, given the current state of digitisation and the problems that lie ahead for the energy sector. It was necessary to define a new, globally standardised communication design in order to manage such a vast number of data points and communicate between various IEDs from several vendors. This meant doing away with the antiquated serial port protocols and replacing them with abstract, protocol-independent data models.

Ever since the IEC 61850 standard was introduced, it has undergone numerous revisions and additions, evolving to the point where the standard is being followed by substations all over the world that are automated regardless of the vendor. As a compatibility enabler in power system automation, the impact of the IEC 61850 standard is anticipated to be similar to that of other ground-breaking specifications, such as the impact of HTML on online services in the 1990s. Finally, by utilising completely interoperable substation automation systems (SAS) built on IEC 61850 technology, we can put an end to several proprietary protocols and discover new possibilities. 

IEC 61850 SUBSTATION COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

The IEC 61850 set of standards includes Part 3 (IEC 61850-3), which provides comprehensive descriptions of the substation ambient conditions and related hardware requirements. In order to guarantee the safe operation of components, hardware in substations must adhere to the IEC 61850-3 standard. Core components of environmental circumstances as defined are:

• Protection From Electromagnetic Interference: Devices without protection are prone to rapid damage or destruction.
• Protection Against Extreme Temperature Swings: In the winter, substation temperatures might drop as low as -40°C. Summertime temperatures may reach +75°C. The thermal budget of computers, in particular, needs to be carefully taken into account during their design.
• Protection From Vibrations: The hardware needs to be resilient enough to endure environmental vibrations like earthquakes.

IEC 61850 FOR NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

Network architecture, which offers a standardised method of developing and deploying communication networks for substation automation, is another important component of IEC 61850. The Ethernet standard, which is commonly used for local area networks (LANs), is the foundation of the network architecture. The three primary levels of the network architecture are the process level, the bay level, and the station level. The engineering workstation, gateway, and human-machine interface (HMI) are examples of control systems that are connected to the substation network at the station level. The substation network is connected to the IEDs, such as the protection relays, metres, and circuit breakers, through the bay level. The substation network is connected to the sensors and actuators, such as switches, voltage transformers, and current transformers, at the process level.

REASONS WHY IEC 61850 IS ESSENTIAL FOR A MODERN AND RELIABLE POWER GRID

• A standardised method for data interchange that guarantees data consistency and quality is provided by IEC 61850. This makes it possible for utilities to use data for advanced analytics, optimisation, and decision-making from many systems and devices.
• IEC 61850 eliminates the majority of the hard-wired components from the design, allowing for greater flexibility with late-stage modifications. Implementing design modifications no longer requires days of field work.
• IEC 61850 offers a standard language for systems and devices to communicate with one another, facilitating smooth interoperability, lowering the possibility of communication errors, and facilitating the integration of devices from many manufacturers and vendors.
• A scalable communication framework that can handle the power grid’s growing complexity is offered by IEC 61850. As a result, utilities can install new systems and devices without having to make substantial adjustments to the communication infrastructure.
• IEC 61850 has security measures that allow for safe communication between systems and devices while guarding against online dangers including malware, hacking, and data leaks. This guarantees vital power system data availability, confidentiality, and integrity.

CONCLUSION

The power engineering projects can benefit greatly from using IEC 61850 for substation automation. These benefits include expanded functionality and flexibility, lower costs and complexity, better performance and reliability, and improved integration and interoperability. Using a standard data model and communication services, IEC 61850 facilitates the coordination and communication of various substation automation equipment from various suppliers and generations. By leveraging a single configuration language and network architecture, it makes the configuration and management of these devices easier.