IEC 61850 Makes Substations Smarter
The end goal of IEC 61850 is to transform the electricity distribution industry by building more intelligence and more complete automation into power substations. With intelligent electronic devices (IED), it’s possible to extend new controls and automation deep into the substation’s process layer, thus allowing for real-time monitoring and management from a central, remote station. According to IEC 61850, an intelligent substation is characterized by these three basic features:
•All primary substation machinery (switchgear, transformers) is engineered with a relatively high level of device intelligence.
•All secondary devices are networked.
•All routine operations and management are fully automated.
Maximize System Availability
Maximizing a power substation’s availability and safety is the ultimate goal for both transmission grid operators as well as SAS (Substation Automation System) integrators. A properly optimized SAS ensures safe and continuous operation of substations.
A substation’s daily operation is classified in three states:
State 1 is when the system is healthy and working properly. State 2 is when the system encounters errors that reduce availability and/or make it unsafe. State 3 is when a State 2 error has been detected and measures are being taken to make the system available, to return it to State 1. An optimized SAS can maximize substation availability through three approaches:
•Minimize Error Probability: Cut the possibility for errors in any way possible.
•Faster Error Detection: Increase the speed at which errors are detected, thereby minimizing interruptions to the smallest possible window.
•Optimize Error Reparability: Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of fixing substation failures.
Moxa’s Solution: Making Smart Substations Even Smarter
