Author: Curtis Ruff, P.Eng.

Implementing IEC61850 in a Brownfield

Application

Contents

• IEC61850 Crash Course

• Project Overview

• Substation Network Architecture

• EPCOR Merging Unit Philosophy

• Construction

• Equipment Installed

• Documentation

• Network Traffic

• Goose Testing

• Commissioning

• Maintenance

• Advantages to Project Approach

• Challenges

• Lessons learned

IEC61850 Crash Course

• IEC61850 is a standard for vendor independent configuration and communication of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)

• Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages are a way to transport digital signals between IEDs

• Sampled Measured Values (SMVs) are a way to transport analog signals between IEDs

• Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS) are a method of client-server communication (good for alarms/controls)

IEC61850 Crash Course (2)

• Potential advantages of using IEC61850• Vendor interoperability

• Reduced footprint of panels in relay rooms

• Reduced copper wiring (and terminations)

• Flexibility in programming

• Reduced maintenance requirements

• Increased safety (reduction in CT circuits)

Project Overview

• Breaker Fail, Synchronism Check & Trip Coil Monitor replacement

• 72kV Substation

• 5 Breakers

• EPCOR’s first application of “Process Bus” (SMVs)

• EPCOR’s first “GOOSE” trippingapplication

Substation Network Architecture • Central switches connecting all process bus devices

• PRP network architecture for both Station and Process busses

Substation Network Architecture (2)

EPCOR Merging Unit Philosophy• Single merging unit cabinet per breaker

• A + B merging units

• 2 CTs and 1 or 2 PTs per cabinet

• Collect all binary inputs for any surrounding disconnects and the breaker

• Distribute binary outputs for trip and close commands to disconnects (when applicable) and the breaker

• Minimize copper between yard and relay room• Only copper to cabinets is for AC and DC

power supplies

Conventional Relay Signaling

CT

PTRELAY

SWITCHYARD RELAY ROOM

AN

AL

OG

CA

RD

COPPER

COPPER

BKRB

INA

RY

I/O

COPPER

EPCOR Merging Unit Philosophy (2)

EPCOR Merging Unit Philosophy (3)

Relay Signaling with Merging Units

CT

PT

RELAY

SWITCHYARD RELAY ROOM

F/O PORT

COPPER

COPPER

BKRCOPPER

ETHERNET

SWITCH

MERGING

UNIT

AN

AL

OG

CA

RD

BIN

AR

Y I

/O

FIBREFIBRE

Construction

Construction (2)

Equipment Installed

Cabinet Picture

SPACE FOR PROT. A SCHEME

(FUTURE)Breaker North and South Merging Units

Fibre Termination

Heater Terminal Blocks for MU output blocking

Merging Unit Cabinet

Process Bus Panel

Fibre terminations

Siemens/Meinberg Clock

Siemens Optical PPS Signal Multipliers

PRP LAN A Switch Ruggedcom RSG2488

PRP LAN B Switch Ruggedcom RSG2488

24 Strand Ribbon Fibre with rugged jacket rated for use in cable tray

Equipment Installed (2)

Equipment Installed (3)Breaker Fail/Synch Check/ TCM

Panels

Operational and Alarm FTs

PB201 Process Bus Modules

Siemens 7VK87 relays

Traditional 86 Lockout relays

Traditional 94 relays for 15kV Breakers

Station Bus GOOSE and MMS port

Process Bus GOOSE port

• Destination MAC address, Application ID, VLAN Schedules• Important for avoiding overlap of signals

between vendors

• Logic Diagrams• Even more important with so much happening

internally

• IED MMS, GOOSE and SMV mapping • Important for clearly defining communication

signals required per relay

• GOOSE single line• Used to easily show what relays are sharing

GOOSE messages (very useful for determining blocking)

Documentation

• Use of VLANs to direct network traffic

• Network traffic is limited on each port

• Provides additional layer of security for GOOSE and SMV

• Limits multi-cast messages to reach only those device that requires them

• Each GOOSE and SMV are assigned an individual VLAN ID

• Ethernet Switches are programmed accordingly

Network Traffic

Network Traffic (2)• IEC61850 Network Analyzer Tool is

used

• Each SMV stream (4I, 4V) occupies 5Mbps bandwidth

• Max 19 SMV streams with 100Mbps ports without VLAN

• Ultimate stage of project requires 20 SMV streams

• With VLAN, each port will have only 3 SMV streams present

Network Traffic (3)

• For Relays in Operation, FT switches are provided on the relay panel for GOOSE blocking of Trip and Close GOOSE signals

• FT switch is wired to binary input of the relay to block GOOSE output

• Visual isolation

GOOSE Testing

• Guidelines for commissioning:1) Tested from “end-to-end”

whenever possible

2) Provisions for testing incrementally (ie: test that GOOSE is properly received and then subsequent tests performed by simulating same GOOSE.

3) Simulate SMVs and GOOSE for testing if needed

4) Blocked whole scheme (all 5 breakers) as long as possible

Commissioning

• Full procedures follow basic steps for relay commissioning in a live environment:

1) Determine required blocking

2) Block all relevant relays

3) Stop relevant SMVs and GOOSE (the ones you need to simulate)

4) Simulate SMVs and GOOSE for testing

5) Restore SMVs and GOOSE

6) Unblock Relays

Commissioning (2)

Maintenance

• Maintenance procedure follows these general guidelines:

1) Isolate any equipment requiring op-checks

2) Block relay

3) Verify settings

4) Test binary inputs

5) Test binary outputs

6) Perform required op-checks

7) Unblock relay

8) Restore equipment

• Mitigated number of systems exposed to risk associated with applying new technology

• Mitigated impact of delays incurred related to adopting a new technology

• Proved viability of mixed systems (conventional + IEC61850)

• Allows for future expansion of “B” scheme and implementation of an “A” scheme

Advantages to Project Approach

• Needed to modify test procedures

• Needed to train crews to use new test equipment and software

• Experienced more issues with introducing a new relay platform rather than the IEC61850 aspects

• Network connections in the building, physical I/O in the yard (impacts to testing)

• Needed to develop new types of documentation

Challenges

• Clearly establish timelines with vendors to ensure product readiness

• Be granular with alarms brought to LEDs and HMI.

• Layout could be Modified to accommodate 4 schemes per panel

• Consider adding an access point for the process bus at the merging unit cabinet for testing purposes

• Use FTs for trips instead of Terminal Blocks at Merging Unit Cabinet

• A scheme that operates more often may have been a better starting point

Lessons Learned

THANKS!