Protection System

PROTECTION

SYSTEMS

Power System Protection

In designing, configuring and implementing protection systems, protection engineers aim to provide validated systems that operate with reliability, security, speed and selectivity. Testing is necessary to ensure that systems meet performance criteria, but the increasing complexity of interconnected equipment has made comprehensive testing more challenging. Testing of complex protection schemes and coordinated wide-area protection poses still greater challenges. What is more, the need for increased power grid resilience and smarter grids capable of handling separation of the bulk transmission system into separate microgrids, protection and control systems, requires tools capable of delivering realistic and high-fidelity test conditions for a broad range of system configurations.




Traveling Wave Relay Testing with FPGA-based Real-Time Simulator

Watch a demonstration on how to use a real-time simulator to perform Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing of the latest Traveling Wave Fault Locators. The model of a power system network including a long transmission line is executed in real-time on FPGA at a time step of hundreds of nanoseconds. Low-power analog signals are sampled at 1MHz from the RTS and injected to two SEL-T400L relays. Various fault scenarios are applied to test the TW87 fault locating algorithms.

Benefit of Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing for Protection Relay

Traditional Relay Testing Approach

Good and proven method for traditional scenarios.

Limitations: Open loop, Fixed V/I and ramp up, No data alteration/loss

Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing Approach

Proven for R&D testing as well as validation of new protection algorithm.

Advantages: Closed Loop, detailed EMT simulation, see effect of the relay on the grid.

OPAL-RT HIL Configurations for Power System Protection

OPAL-RT provides a range of portable, high-performing real-time simulators specifically designed for protection engineers. The company’s simulation environment is capable of providing large and complex model-based or basic functional test scenarios, while simultaneously supporting an array of inputs and outputs for uncompromised connectivity. OPAL-RT’s supported connection types are future-ready providing systems capable of emulating numerous IEDs with IEC 61850 GOOSE and Sampled Values streams or other communication protocols such as DNP3 and Modbus.

Test protection equipment via analog and digital interfaces, and use amplifiers to include the effects of equipment current and voltage transformers or connect directly to a low-level interface. The high voltage interface panel is used to match the right voltage level with a relay for digital signals.

Test protection equipment via analog for PT and CT signals, and use the amplifier to match the voltage and current transformer. System information is connected via IEC61850 GOOSE via publishers and subscribers.

Connect protection systems with IEC61850 Sampled Value and GOOSE via publishers and subscribers. Use a GPS clock to obtain high-precision simulation synchronization and time-stamping.

Hardware-in-the-Loop Protection Relay in Action

IEC 60255-121 Distance Relay Testing

This video provides guidelines for systematic type testing of distance relays and uniform test reporting to facilitate comparing different protection relay manufacturers.

Testing Protection Relays and PMU with HYPERSIM

This video demonstrates how to build protection systems with HYPERSIM. Manual and batch tests are shown using TestView and Excel.

New HIL Trends in Protection Systems

In this webinar, discover the HIL trends in Protection Systems: Traveling Wave Fault Locators and IEC 61850-9-2 Data Integrity Manipulation. Learn how these technologies can help companies by reducing risk, cost, and the overall time required to identify network faults, delays, test complex protection and monitoring systems. Also, learn more about R&D Nester’s experience with Real-Time Simulation.



IEC 61850-9-2 Data Integrity Manipulation

An FPGA-based HIL testing solution for Traveling Wave Fault Locators

R&D Nester – HIL testing of Protection, Automation and Control (PAC) systems

Related features and solutions

Recommended OPAL-RT solutions

The Power Systems Simulator of Tomorrow

Easily create detailed power system models thanks to a rich components library of over 300 items. With nearly two decades of experience working directly with the Hydro-Québec Research Institute (IREQ) and other protection system leaders worldwide, HYPERSIM is the most complete solution for real-time simulation and model-based testing.

Proven Protection Testing Expertise

OPAL-RT offers extensive commercial technology studies, evaluations and recommendations, including analysis of various power systems specific to customers requirements. OPAL-RT services include dynamic testing of protection relays (according to IEEE and CIGRE work group recommendations) and coordination of protection relay studies.

Customer Success Stories

Gentech uses HYPERSIM to test their ALP 4000 relay. Read about their setup, latest experiments and results.

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Alstom performed tests with HYPERSIM and their P746 busbar differential protection relay. Read about the experiment results.

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CONECTA increased the reliability, safety and strength of its SIPS by conducting PHIL tests with an OPAL-RT real-time simulation platform.

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