IEC 61850 is an internationally accepted standard defined by the International Electrotechnical Communication. The standard lays down protocols for communication between Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). It serves an important purpose in electrical substations.
An electrical substation is a system designed to transform currents and voltages in the process of power transmission and distribution. Like any power system, substations must perform several operations that require connection and communication between different equipment and units.
The efficiency of the substation depends on the performance of these individual processes. IEC 61850 architecture design is essential to establish the protocols that facilitate fast and accurate communication between the different units, thus enhancing the efficiency of the entire substation.
IEC 61850 Substation Architecture Design Process
As per the standards of IEC 61850, there are three levels involved in designing the architecture of substations.
The first level is known as the process level. It includes equipment such as transformers and switch gears like switches and circuit breakers.
The second level, also called bay level, comprises of the IEDs. These devices are capable of collecting and processing data from the process level and making certain decisions based on their intelligent algorithms.
The final level is called the station level and includes the SCADA control system and a human-machine interface (HMI).
A basic outline of the overall operations in a substation is explained below.
1. First, the IEDs collect data from the process level equipment.
2. This data is processed by IEDs and transferred to the station level.
3. At the station level, the control system manages and operates both the process and bay levels, and the HMI allows operators to interact with the system.
The purpose of IEC 61850 architecture is to allow for the designing of substations in such a way that communication between all three levels is fast, accurate, and efficient. Simply put, it enhances the automation of the substation, which, in turn, reduces the construction and operation costs of the station.
Our Services in IEC 61850 Architecture Design
High-speed peer-to-peer IEC 61850-8-1 GOOSE and IEC 61850-9-2 sampled values based information-exchange among IEDs in modern IEC 61850 substations have opened the opportunity for designing and developing innovative all-digital protection applications.
Howeizeh provides substation design services through our team of engineers who possess in-depth knowledge of the IEC 61850 protocols and its practical applications. Our well-designed and highly efficient substations ensure that our clients can set up and operate power systems effectively and inexpensively.