Substation automation systems and IEC 61850: interoperability testing

• Main Author: Evaristo, Henrique A. Guerreiro Dias
• Publication Date: 2011
• Format: Master thesis
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/3073
• topic: Sistemas de automação de subestações; IED; Simulador; 61850; Interoperabilidade; Substation automation system; Simulator; Interoperability

The Substation Automation System (SAS) is the backbone of the Energy Power System (EPS) and IEC 61850 is becoming its single most important standard. This is a world wide accepted standard that is being adopted by the industry in order to provide for all current and future needs. This standard defines not only the communication protocols but also its own Substation Configuration Language (SCL) and even best practices for related engineering processes. In order to keep up with the current fast technological developments the substation data model is separated from the communication protocols allowing both to be changed without affecting each other. Also defined in the standard is an extensive conformance testing procedure in order to guarantee that different vendors interpret and implement the standard correctly. The substation and its SAS must undergo thourough testing procedures specificaly in the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Test (SAT). The conformance tests insures that the SAS devices, the Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), conform to the same standard but on its own does not guarantee its interoperability. An automated testing tool capable of, quickly and easily, testing the SAS functions (IEDs interoperability) provides significant savings in both time and money to the testing process. This work aim is to develop such a tool, capable of interoperability testing. In order to achieve such big accomplishment this initial work focus on only two of the most used functions of the SAS: switching and interlocking. A simulation model, built on top of OMNeT++, for both the IEDs and the substation was developed. In this work an initial stage prototype with an IED simulation model capable of communicating with real devices will be developed. In a later stage, postponed for future work, the substation simulation model will be extended in order to include real-time interaction with external devices that emulate the substation switchgear.