Protection & Control

Protective relays and their associated systems are devices deployed throughout the power system for the purpose of sensing abnormal electrical or system components operating conditions and isolating, usually in conjunction with circuit breakers, any abnormal conditions resulting from natural events, physical accidents, equipment failure or operation due to human error. A reliable, selective and high-speed isolation is necessary to mitigate damage to vital and expensive system equipment, reduce the risk of serious danger to humans and to maintain power system stability and acceptable power quality. These stringent requirements, with high potential consequences, make it imperative that protection systems be designed and maintained to perform their functions with a very high degree of dependability and security.

The main objective of the P&C Program is to bring industry professionals together to identify, discuss and develop solutions to common issues by creating a networking opportunity for utilities concerned with application, optimization and the innovative use of protection and control technologies in their power systems. The Program also serves as a forum to identify knowledge gaps and to provide guidance on future research and technology development initiatives.

 
Topics and Issues:

• Management of Protection Assets and Investment Strategies
• Protection Systems Design Standards and Utility Practices 
• Substation Automation – Experiences and Best Practices
• Optimizing Protection System Maintenance and Compliance Reporting
• Introduction of New and Emerging ProtectionTechnologies

Working Groups

To address specific focus areas within Protection & Control, this CEATI program has established two working groups, allowing members to share information and develop collaborative work.

Generation working group (GWG)

P&C for generation contains distinct elements and considerations. These include large generators, speed control, excitation control, and power system stabilizers, to name a few. This working group provides a special focus on these aspects, as well as the following topics:

• Protection philosophies, designs, settings, standards, and applications
• Control systems (excitation, governors, turbines, SCADA/DCS, etc.)
• Generator modelling
• Compliance with industry standards (NERC, etc.)
• Cyber security 
• Asset management and maintenance

Digital Substation Working Group (DSWG)

There is a digital transformation taking place in the industry as P&C systems for substations are migrating from standalone to integrated systems via digital communication media. This is a highly complex discipline and the transformation from a legacy to a digital approach is addressed through this working group. Relevant aspects include:

• Training and knowledge transfer of IEC 61850 standards and digital station design
• IEC 61850 tools for configuration and engineering
• Engineering workflows and processes
• Best practices for station architectures
• IEC 61850 testing plans
• Digital devices and their uses (non-conventional CTs/PTs, etc.)
• Digital station projects and lessons learned
• Management issues in transitioning to digital station designs