IEC 61850-7-410 Extended Models for Conventional Power Plants

IEC TC 57 just published a FDIS defining extensions for conventional power plants and steam turbines:

IEC 61850-7-410 A1 (57/1607/FDIS): Amendment 1 to IEC 61850-7-410 Ed.2:
Communication networks and systems for power utility automation –
Part 7-410: Basic communication structure – Hydro-electric power plants – Communication for monitoring and control

Voting closes 2015-10-09.

The following new Logical Node classes are added to the Hydro Power model standard IEC 61850-7-410 Ed2:

LN	Description
ASEQ	Generic control action sequencer
EBCF	Block control function. This LN will represent one physical device that coordinates the control of the thermal pressure of the steam generator and the electrical power regulation of turbine / generator system.
EFCV	Fuel control valve. This LN will represent the physical device of fuel control valve related to the gas turbine in a thermal power plant.
EGTU	Gas turbine production unit. This LN represents the physical device of the GT and the generator combination in a thermal power plant. It is intended as an extended rating plate that allows settings of data. It also acts as a placeholder for the current operating conditions of the unit.
ESCV	Steam control valve. This LN will represent the physical device of inlet control valve of the steam turbine in a thermal power plant.
ESPD	Speed monitoring. This LN is derived from HSPD.
ESTU	Steam turbine production unit. This LN represents the physical device of the ST and the generator combination in a thermal power plant. It is intended as an extended rating plate that allows settings of data. It also acts as a placeholder for the current operating conditions of the unit.
EUNT	Thermal unit operating mode. The present status of the production unit.
FDBF	Dead-band filter. This LN represents a settable filter for dead-band.
FMTX	Trip matrix. This LN represents a matrix for linking various trip functions to equipment that shall be tripped or controlled during a fault.
GUNT	Production unit operating mode. The present status of the production unit.
PTUR	Used for detection of under resistance, e.g. due to stator or rotor earth-faults.
SECW	Supervision of electrical conductivity in water. This logical node represents a system for monitoring of electrical conductivity in water.
TECW	Measurement of electrical conductivity in water. This logical node represents a generic device for measuring the conductivity in water.

DataObjects for settings of, e.g., the LN ESTU comprise:

TurTyp	Turbine type (steam, gas, oil)
SpdRtg	Turbine rated speed [s–1]
TurInert	Turbine moment of inertia J [kgm2]
TurTrsSpd	Maximum transient overspeed [s–1]
TurRwySpd	Runaway speed [s–1]
TurPwrRtg	Rated power in turbine mode [MW ]
FlwRtgTurb	Rated flow in turbine mode [kg/s]
HiPresMax	High pressure inlet maximum pressure [Pa]
IpMax	Intermediate pressure inlet maximum pressure [Pa]
LoPresMax	Low pressure inlet maximum pressure [Pa]
HiPresVlv	High pressure control valve rated oil pressure [Pa]
HpVlvClsTms	High pressure control valve rated closing time [s]
IpVlvPres	Intermediate pressure control valve rated oil pressure [Pa]
MidVlvClsTms	Intermediate pressure control valve rated closing time [s]
LpVlvPres	Low pressure control valve rated oil pressure [Pa]
LpVlvClsTms	Low pressure control valve rated closing time [s]
IcpVlvPres	Intercept valve rated oil pressure [Pa]
MainStmTmpRtg	Turbine rated main steam temperature
RhStmTmp	Re-heat steam temperature
IcpVlvTms	Intercept valve rated closing time [s]

IEC 61850 in Hydro Power Plants (additional information)

Recently I have reported about an example of the use of IEC 61850 in hydro power plant.

As I said then: “Be sure: More to come.” has become true. Additional information can be found here:

Efacec IEC 61850 automation system is in operation since 2013:

Document 1 (Products)
Document 2 (Projects)
Document 3 (Why IEC 61850?)

Founded in 1948, but with a century-long history, Efacec is the largest Group in the electric field financed by Portuguese capital. It employs over 3900 people and is present in more than 65 countries, in five continents.

Other vendors will follow soon.

Crucial Lessons learned from a MV Substation Project at a Huge Power Plant

Recently I discussed the issue of interoperability of IEDs in the context of a crucial non-interoperability problem of two vendors’ IEDs. Click here for the discussion.

Now, three months later, the utility has decided to replace two protection IEDs in summer 2013 in order to get fully interoperable IEDs for the power plant control system.

The whole process of discussing back and forth over a period of nine (9!) months has frustrated many engineers and other people involved in the project. We had meetings with almost 20 people from several companies involved – could you believe it?

The utility (power plant operator) finally ordered a one day training on IEC 61850 to get a much better understanding what the (relatively small) issue was all about and to get an overview about IEC 61850.

The crucial lessons learned by the utility engineers are:

1. If you want to use IEC 61850 in your plant, specify to some extent what you want to get delivered.
2. When you get the offer from vendors, check in detail what they offer.
3. Once you have almost selected one or more vendors, make sure that all IEDs that have to speak IEC 61850 are interoperability tested one way or the other.
4. Once you have signed the contract with one or more vendors, organize interoperability tests in a lab in due time prior to the commissioning process on site.

Note that conformance testing is required – but not sufficient!!

Utilities must take a firm position in favor of a genuine open international standard in the energy market, leaving behind once and for all the outmoded notion of great champions of vendors with many proprietary bells and whistles.

In case utility management and engineers involved in a project follow these recommendations it is likely that the problems that may occur on site later on will be tremendously minimized.

The utility I was involved with told me, that they will contract with me again, as soon as they have to build another MV substation in a power plant using IEC 61850 IEDs.

Good luck!