Performance testing of IEC 61850 based architecture for UK National Grid standardised Substation automation solutions

Traditional protection and control systems in many UK National Grid Substations are reaching the end of their asset design life. This provides an opportunity to investigate whether new architecture that deploys Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) technology can deliver a reliable solution that is economically appropriate and delivers long life. The application of IEDs that utilize the IEC61850 based process bus reduces the life-time cost of the secondary systems and improves flexibility and functionality by accommodating high-speed peer-to-peer communications. The interconnectivity of devices on a single network offers significant benefits including a plug and play approach to future system changes. However, it requires interoperability among multi-vendor protection relays and control devices over an operating life of many decades. The realisation of this requires significant and detailed testing to help National Grid gain confidence in the use of these technologies. In this paper the substation architecture and the associated Power Networks are modelled in RTDS with faults applied at different locations on the transmission lines. The paper presents the results of interoperability tests involving multi-vendor Merging Unit (MU) and IED devices, which are then used to evaluate the functional performance of distance protection schemes.