The present electric power system structure has lasted for decades; it is still partially proprietary, energy-inefficient, physically and virtually (or cyber) insecure, as well as prone to power transmission congestion and consequent failures. Recent efforts in building a smart grid system have focused on addressing the problems of global warming effects, rising energy-hungry demands, and risks of peak loads. One of the major goals of the new system is to effectively regulate energy usage by utilizing the backbone of the prospectively deployed Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI), and Demand Response (DR) programs via the advanced distribution automation and dynamic pricing models. The function of the power grid is no longer a system that only supplies energy to end users, but also allows consumers to contribute their clean energy back to the grid in the future. In the meantime, communications networks in the electric power infrastructure enact critical roles. Intelligent automation proposed in smart grid projects include the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition/Energy Management Systems (SCADA/EMS) and Phasor Management Units (PMU) in transmission networks, as well as the AMR/AMI associated with field/neighborhood area networks (FAN/NAN) and home area networks (HAN) at the distribution and end-use levels. This article provides an overview of the essentials of the progressive smart grid paradigm and integration of different communications technologies for the legacy power system. Additionally, foreseeable issues and challenges in designing communications networks for the smart grid system are also rigorously deliberated in this paper.

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The Progressive Smart Grid System from Both Power and Communications Aspects

Substation Automation Systems (SAS) provide reliable bedrock for future smart grid development in electric utilities. Implementation of high quality SAS system enables one to experience less outage rate using the state-of-the-art computerized functions of monitoring, control, and protection. As a result, it can immensely reinforce the reliability index of smart grid systems. However, the inextricable interdependency of cyber and power components in an automated substation creates more vulnerable operation process. In this sense, unlike the power component outage in a substation, a failure of the cyber components in an Ethernet fashion can interrupt the operation as well. Therefore the proper selection of SAS package that offers more reliable performance may hedge massive maloperation in the system. Since the introduction of multi-vendor SAS based IEC-61850 protocol, the interoperability of various SAS components with variety of manufacturer's brands is now possible. This paper surveys the most efficient and used SAS package and the configuration in a HV substation which leads to high reliable performance. Findings can pave the future smart grid development in an effective manner.

Intelligent Substation Automation Systems for robust operation of smart grids

The existing power grid infrastructures in many countries are primarily based on technologies that have been developed as centralized systems in which power is generated at major power plants and distributed to consumers through transmission and distribution lines. In the recent decade, with the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, and smart electrical appliances, the centralized model may no longer hold, and the supply and demand for electricity become more dynamic. Moreover, the latest developed information and communication technologies (ICT) and power electronic technologies could enhance the efficiency and performance of power system operations. Recently, concerns with global warming have prompted many countries to announce research programs on smart grid, which is the transformation of the traditional electric power grid into an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly grid by the integration of ICT, power electronic, storage and control technologies. With the smart grid, there is an opportunity for a new operating paradigm that recognizes the changing structures of the power grid with renewable generation, and the high-resolution data, high speed communications, and high performance computation available with the advanced information infrastructure. A new operating paradigm, namely, risk-limiting dispatch, is proposed for the smart grid in this paper. In addition, we have identified the requirements of a communication infrastructure to support this new operating paradigm.

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Communication Requirements for Risk-Limiting Dispatch in Smart Grid

Summary


Substation automation system consists of intelligent electronic devices, substation computer and a communication network between them. The network is used for control implementation, protection and monitoring tasks in substations. This paper presents a tripping circuit monitor (TCM) that accurately translates substation event information into a binary data representation using nonintrusive current transducers. The data are then transmitted using generic object oriented substation event message format, which is defined in the latest substation communication standard IEC 61850, onto local Ethernet network. The TCM is also capable of implementing either IEEE 1588–2002 or IEEE 1588–2008 standards to provide synchronized time stamp value for each translated binary data within sub-microsecond accuracy. The substation event data, which is captured by the TCM module, have a number of applications in current electric substations. The main application of the TCM device is to provide a communication interface between electromechanical relays and modern numerical intelligent electronic devices. Other possible applications include improving substation system-wide testing and enhancing substation topology processing in supervisory control and data acquisition systems. Test results that demonstrate the operation of the new TCM module are also presented in the paper. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A synchronized generic substation events tripping circuit monitor for electric substation applications

Substation Automation Systems (SAS) provide reliable bedrock for future smart grid development in electric utilities. Implementation of high quality SAS system enables one to experience less outage rate using the state-of-the-art computerized functions of monitoring, control, and protection. As a result, it can immensely reinforce the reliability index of smart grid systems. However, the inextricable interdependency of cyber and power components in an automated substation creates more vulnerable operation process. In this sense, unlike the power component outage in a substation, a failure of the cyber components in an Ethernet fashion can interrupt the operation as well. Therefore the proper selection of SAS package that offers more reliable performance may hedge massive mal-operation in the system. Since the introduction of multi-vendor SAS based IEC-61850 protocol, the interoperability of various SAS components with variety of manufacturer's brands is now possible. This paper surveys the most efficient and used SAS package and the configuration in a HV substation which leads to high reliable performance. Findings can pave the future smart grid development in an effective manner.

Intelligent Control Systems for Futuristic Smart Grid Initiatives in Electric Utilities

Substation automation systems (SAS) consist of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and the communication networks between them, for implementing control, protection and monitoring tasks in power system. Rectitude of this system depends on integrity and interoperability of its components, especially in the case of applying various IEDs from different manufacturer of substation automation system and it is possible by flexible and common protocol in various manufacturers IEDs. For this purpose and in order to interoperability between different manufacturers IEDs, international standard IEC 61850 has been prepared. In this paper the advantages and effects of applying IEC 61850 on SAS performance have been studied and the future modern SAS have been compared to conventional substation automation system.

A. R. Ebrahimi

Papers

Future trends of substation automation system by applying IEC 61850

Buses Architecture of Substation Automation System Based on Significance Level of Substation