How can you feed back your experience with IEC 61850?

The many parts of the standards series IEC 61850 published require some kind of maintenance. In order to collect, discuss, solve, and document the feedback from the market, IEC TC 57 WG 10 has set-up a database: The Technical Issues database or just: the Tissues database.

More and more experts from utilities feed their experience back to the standardization groups. An example is the latest post of today:

Click HERE for the Tissue #810 on the Logical node RFLO.

In case you find any tissue in the published standards search the Tissue database first and post a new tissue if your tissue has not yet been posted.

TUEV-SUED announces IEC 61850 Test Lab and Smart Grid Forum

TÜV-SÜD in Munich accelerates the support of the standard series IEC 61850 in 2012:

• Test Services
• Smart Grid Forum (20.-21. März 2012)

TÜV-SÜD will provide a wide range of services to reach a high level of interoperability of IEDs:

Click HERE for more details of the services [English, PDF]
Click HERE for more details of the services [German, PDF]

The Smart Grid Forum (Munich, 20.-21. März 2012) will be conducted in German). Topics are:

• Normen und Standards für Smart Grids
• IEC 61850 in der Anwendung
• Smarte Daten: Normen und Richtlinien für den sicheren Datenaustausch
• Verteilnetzautomatisierung durch intelligente Netzkomponenten: aktuelle Projektbeispiele von Netzbetreibern und Industriekunden
• IT-Sicherheit und Datenschutz im intelligenten Netzsystem

Click HERE for more information.

MMS (ISO 9506) Introduction – Why to focus on the API?

Jan Tore Sørensen and Martin Gilje Jaatun (SINTEF ICT, Trondheim, Norway) have published a nice introduction to the basic architecture and definitions of MMS in a 46 page document – easy to read and understand.

This documents demonstrates that MMS is not complex. IEC 61850-8-1 (and IEC 61850-9-2) use MMS for specifying the message exchange between IEC 61850 servers (publishers) and clients (subscribers).

Implementing IEC 61850 compliant systems comprising SCL tools, servers, clients, publishers, and subscribers means to implement:

1. Upper layers on top of TCP/IP (or on Ethertype for publisher/subscriber)
2. Protocol machine (MMS, GOOSE and SV)
3. Encoding/Decoding ASN.1 BER messages
4. ACSI services (LD, LN, Control Blocks (reporting, Logging, service tracking, GOOSE, and SV), DataSets, Control, LOG –> mapped to protocols, mainly MMS)
5. Object model (dictionary in IED and behavior according to IEC 61850-7-4)
6. API (application program interface) for server, client, publisher, and subscriber
7. IED configuration using SCL file
8. SCL tool for system engineering and IED configuration

A ballpark estimate of the efforts needed to implement a reasonable subset of IEC 61850 (if one develops the software from scratch) is in the range of some 10 man-years. Only a small part of efforts (likely less than 10 per cent) deals with MMS and the underlying protocols required by MMS.

A different solution for the client-server messaging, e.g., by using a webservice, would have a minor impact on the total efforts. From a application point of view an efficient API should be in the focus when implementing of using IEC 61850!

Click HERE for the complete paper on MMS [pdf, 446 KB]

Note that IEC 61850 is much more than a protocol – and much more than MMS. MMS is just an international standard like Ethernet or TCP/IP.

Siemens and IEC 61850: More than 200,000 IEC 61850 IEDs installed

According to Siemens they are “the world market leader in digital protection technology … from the experience out of an installed base of more than 1 million
devices and 200,000 with IEC 61850”.

Often people ask, why are the many fieldbus users groups (for CAN, PROFINET, POWERLINK, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, SERCOS III, Foundation Fieldbus, ControlNet, DeviceNet, …) more active than the UCA International Usersgroup (representing IEC 61850)? One reason seems to be this: most of the 50+ fieldbus solutions are competing with each other. It is no surprise that each users group tries to promote the benefits and the success of their solution.

IEC 61850 does not seem to have (serious) competitors – so it is not required to do a lot of marketing by a users group.

Click HERE for a brochure from Siemens on their relays (Relay Selection Guide, pdf).

Example of a new part of IEC 61850 – Edition 1 or Edition 2?

The Technical Report IEC/TR 61850-90-1 (Substation to Substation Communication) has been published in March 2010 – quite new part of IEC 61850:

Is this document part of IEC 61850 Edition 1 or IEC 61850 Edition 2? Neither nor!

It just is IEC/TR 61850-90-1 Edition1 – Edition 1 of part 90-1; NOT a part of IEC 61850 Edition 1. There was never an official Edition 1 of the SERIES IEC 61850 nor will there be an Edition 2 of the whole SERIES.

Vendors are often making statements like “Full compatibility between IEC 61850 Editions 1 and 2” or “Efficient operating concepts by flexible engineering of
IEC 61850 Edition 2” … What does that mean? Hm, it seems to be a marketing expression, or?

NEW: Embedded Linux Gateway supporting IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25

SSV Embedded Systems (Hannover, Germany) offers the embedded Linux gateway module DIL/NetPC DNP/9265 now with a preinstalled IEC 61850 (IEC 61400-25)protocol stack. An easy to configure and use IEC 61850 API (application program interface) allows for a very short time-to-market development – within days and weeks. Program your application, model the IEC 61850 logical nodes and data object that expose your application data, bind them together, configure the communication services like data sets and control blocks (reporting and GOOSE) – and you can connect with other IEC 61850 devices. The model, the binding, and the communication services are described in a standard SCL file (System Configuration Language, IEC 61850-6) and uploaded to the module. Restart the module and you are done. It’s that easy.

The ARM9-based DNP/9265 is equipped with 32MB of SDRAM, as well as 32MB of NOR flash for holding the boot-loader and Linux O/S, says the company. I/O is passed through a 40-pin DIL socket, and includes three UARTs for COM functions, as well as 20-bit GPIO.

The module supplies one interface each for USB 2.0 Host, SD card, I2C, SPI, and CAN (ISO/11898A 2.0B), says the company. A 10/100Mbps Ethernet port is also supported. Additional features include a watchdog timer, power supervisor for VCC control, and in-system programming features.

Measuring 2.17 x 0.91 inches (55 x 23mm), the module runs on a 3.3 Volt power supply, with supply current at typically 300mA, with a maximum of 500mA. The module is said to support temperatures ranging from 32 to 158 deg. F (0 to 70 deg. C).

SSV also offers other DIL/NetPC-based gateway box products for smart grid and virtual power plant applications. These gateways allow to connect distributed generation installations (such as CHPs, wind-turbines, small hydro, back-up gensets etc.) directly via IEC 61850 with any other application like power grid monitoring or control centers.

In addition to Linux and the integrated IEC 61850 the SSV gateway solutions comes with drivers and protocol stacks for SSL- or IPsec-based VPNs (virtual private networks). This allows secure data communication with powerful encryption technologies over the public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet.

Click HERE for the news [in German]
Click HERE for a description of the product [in English]
Click HERE to check the IEC 61850 (IEC 61400-25) API online [in English]

Reminder – Introduction to IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25 on ARM and LINUX on December 14

The introduction to the standard series and the new Embedded Modules developed by TQ with IEC 61850 und IEC 61400-25 (using ARM Architectures, Linux and the very simple and powerful SystemCorp IEC61850 API) is less than three weeks ahead (in Wessling/Munich, 2011-12-14).

Click HERE for the event and information on the embedded controllers (in German).

Easy Smart Metering and IEC 61850 MUC (Multi Utility Communication)

Solvimus (Ilmenau, Germany) offers an Easy Smart Metering and IEC 61850 MUC (Multi Utility Communication) device – combining metering and IEC 61850.

The MUC.easy(TM) supports:

• M-Bus, wM-Bus, RS-232, RS-485, S0, or CL to connect to meters
• Integrated Webserver
• GSM/GPRS
• Ethernet
• DSL
• Powerline Communciation (PLC), and
• a powerful embedded IEC 61850 solution

Click HERE for the News in German.
Click HERE for some overview of the MUC with IEC 61850

Details of NEW Hirschmann RSP and Embedded Switches With IEC-Standard Redundancy and IEEE 1588 disclosed

The recently announced new Ethernet Switches from Hirschmann that support redundancy protocols are now officially disclosed.

With Hirschmann™ RSP Switches, Which Support the New IEC-Standard Redundancy Protocols (PRP, HSR), Networks Can Now be Built for the First Time With Genuinely Uninterrupted Data Communication.

The Advantages at a Glance

• Extensive range of redundancy methods: PRP, HSR, PRP/HSR Red Box, MRP, Fast MRP, RSTP
• Precise synchronization compliant with IEEE 1588v2
• Enhanced security mechanisms: authentication, radius, role based access, port security, SSHv2, HTTPS and SFTP, plus others currently in preparation.
• Fast device replacement, comprehensive logging and storage of all configuration data, plus operating software updates via SD card
• High level of vibration resistance
• Broad immunity to electrostatic discharges and magnetic fields
• Temperature range from -40°C to +70°C
• Power supply 24/36/48 V DC or 60/120/250 V DC and 110/230 V AC
• Strong and compact metal housing

Click HERE for the technical Brochure [pdf, English]
Click HERE for the technical Brochure [pdf, Deutsch]

The New Embedded Ethernet EES20 and EES25 Switches from Hirschmann™ Combine the Functional Scope of a Powerful Managed Switch With Interruption-free Redundancy Protocols and Precise Synchronization.

• This module allows automation equipment to be extended to include state-of-the-art switch technology with very little effort
• The additional network functionality gives the equipment sustained competitive
  advantages
• Development process and time-to-market are significantly shortened thanks to
  Embedded Ethernet

Click HERE for the technical Brochure [pdf, Englich]
Click HERE for the technical Bochure [pdf, Deutsch]

The Aging Workforce in the Electric Power domain

The Electric Power Utility domain is looking for many electrical power engineers all over. One example can be found by searching the simplyhired.com:

Click HERE for a search on power system engineer

The search results in 38,329 hits for the U.S. allone !!
Some 6.000 hits are related to protection, 800 to SCADA, and 55 to IEC 61850, 12 to DNP3.

Click HERE for a search on electrical engineer

The search results in 86,596 hits for the U.S.
72 are related to IEC 61850 and 20 to DNP3.

Power systems require skilled and experienced engineers. How to become an experiences and skilled engineer? By education, training, learning-by-doing, …

During the year 2011 a lot more electric power engineers and IT experts have received one or the other education and training with regard to IEC 61850.

I see a lot more of interest on the radar screen for 2012.

Have you ever thought about to get a training that build up your skills in the application of IEC 61850 and related standards? Note that in many of the open positions you can read something like: experience in relevant protocols and interfaces (IEC 61850, IEC 60870-x, DNP, etc.).

Many people still expect that IEC 61850 is a protocol. It is definitely much more than a protocol.

Click HERE to see some differences.

IEC 61850 soon for Steam and Gas turbines

A New Work Item has been proposed by Sweden to use IEC 61850 for Steam and Gas Turbines (Document 57/1193/NP). IEC 61850-7-410 defines already extensions of the Information models for applications in Hydro Power Plants.

The draft second edition of IEC 61850-7-410 has been extended to cover power system stabilizer (PSS) functions, as well as complex excitation systems. In order to use the IEC 61850 communication system for thermal power plants, additional data models for e.g. steam turbines with ancillary equipment is required. In a further future work, additional models for boilers, burner management, flue gas cleaning could be added.

The ballot of the NP closes 2012-02-17.

If you are interested in getting involved contact your IEC TC 57 National Committee.

Click HERE for the list of countries involved in IEC TC 57.

Integration of Renewables in the Grid – A Huge Challenge

Sometimes some experts expect that IT is one of the most crucial aspects of the future power delivery system – yes it is important … to some extent.

The Power System is STILL (and forever) an ELECTRICAL SYSTEM! Mark O’Malley writes in the 2011-11/12 issue of the IEEE Power & Energy magazine that the “Grid integration is, in his view, the most interesting and exciting area of research in the world today.” … and tomorrow and for the next decade at least.

After many years of low investments in the power industry (material, equipment, systems, human resources, …) it is expected that it will grow now. Some companies have already increased their budgets for education in Energy and IT related issues.

Click HERE for the complete opinion of Mark O’Malley.

IEC 61850 Editions – Help to Prevent Confusions

After my recent Newsletter on IEC 61850 many experts visited the blog post of the first discussion on Editions which summarizes:

BUT there will be not an EDITION 2 of the standard SERIES IEC 61850 per se!! Various parts (of the first 16 parts) will be revised and extended and then published tagged as EDITION 2.

New parts will be published with the tag EDITION 1, e.g., IEC 61850-80-1 (Guideline to exchanging information from a CDC-based data model using IEC 60870-5-101 or IEC 60870-5-104) - IEC/TS 61850-80-1, Edition 1.0, 2008-12

Click HERE for the complete post.

There are a lot of confusions when people talk about Editions of IEC 61850.

In a new paper it is reported: “Edition 2.0 of IEC 61850 Standard has been released considering valid technical issues and future aspects of protocol usage. … compares the IEC 61850 Edition 2.0 specification to its predecessor Edition 1.0.”

Click HERE for that paper.

There is hope that experts will use more precise language when it comes to editions of the many parts of IEC 61850 and related documents.

In addition to the question of the Edition of the standard there is another question, when it comes to the Devices that implement IEC 61850: Does this or that Device conform to IEC 61850 Edition 1 or Edition 2?

Since there is NO EDITION 2 of the STANDARD, a Device could NOT be characterized as an IEC 61850 Edition 2 Device!!

We have to differentiate the various aspects of the Standard: Which Logical Nodes, Common Data Classes, Services, which subset of the Configuration Language Edition 2, et cetera are implemented.

Edition 2 of any part of IEC 61850 can mean the following:

1. (Usually: Most) Definitions of parts tagged Edition 1 have been taken over in the same parts tagged Edition 2 without any change.
2. (Some) Definitions of parts tagged Edition 1 have been taken over in parts tagged Edition 2 with fixes or minor changes. During the tissue process the parts tagged Edition 1 have already been “fixed” to some extend.
3. (Less or more) New Definitions have been added in parts tagged Edition 2. [Service tracking in IEC 61850-7-2, many new LNs in IEC 61850-7-4, …]
4. (Some) Definitions of parts tagged Edition 1 have been moved to parts tagged Edition 2 without changes. [e.g., LN STMP from IEC 61850-7-410 Ed1 to IEC 61850-7-4 Ed2; Substitution has been moved from IEC 61850-7-2 Ed1 to IEC 61850-7-3 Ed2, …] 

A Device A that implements those definitions from several parts tagged Edition 1 that have not changed in Edition 2 of these parts is compliant to edition 2 of these parts without any modifications! If a Device B implements some new features of one or more parts tagged Edition 2, then these new features have to be listed in some detail to understand the situation. Some detail means that the implemented features per part tagged Edition 1 and/or Edition 2 have to be listed.

Examples:

1. A Device may just implement a new LN from Edition 2 of part IEC 61850-7-2; the other definitions are used as defined in Edition 1 of the other parts like IEC 61850-7-3, 7-2, 8-1, … So, is this an Edition 1 or Edition 2 Device? Both! But we better do NOT TAG a Device being Edition 1 or Edition 2. It’s a Device implementing the services according to the PICS of part IEC 61850-7-2 Edition 1 (the subset used may be unchanged in Edition 2), IEC 61850-8-1 Edition 1, … and the STMP LN of IEC 61850-7-4 Edition 2.).
2. The same Device could be understood as implementing the STMP LN according to a part that is tagged Edition1: The STMP LN is still officially published in IEC 61850-7-410 Edition 1. Edition 2 of 7-410 will not have the STMP LN any more – it is already moved to 7-4 Edition 2.

Users should not wait until a Device or the Communication Stack is compliant to Edition 2 of the Standard IEC 61850!! You will never get such a Device because there is NO Edition 2 of IEC 61850. You may want to use one or the other new service of IEC 61850-7-2 Edition 2 (like Service tracking of control block services) or a new LN from IEC 61850-7-2 Edition 2 or from IEC 61850-7-420 Edition 1 or IEC 61850-90-7 Edition 1 …

Always list some details what has been implemented from the various parts tagged Edition 1 or Edition 2 – if you want to prevent confusion. 

Additional discussions on this topic will follow – time permitted.

Stay tuned.

Seminário e Treinamento NORMA IEC 61850 - Instituto Instronic

Dear expert in Brazil and other countries, please note the final call for the IEC 61850 course in Sao Paulo (Brazil):

NOTE the course will be simultaneously translated into Portuguese.

Maria Rita do Amaral Instituto -Instronic Instronic Instrumentos de Testes Ltda Tel.: (11) 3383.3700 - Ramal 159 instituto@instronic.com.br www.instronic.com.br

Distribution Company Vector’s Ten-Years Plan for IEC 61850

Vector Limited is the electric power distribution company in the Auckland (New Zealand) area. The company publishes every year an Asset Management Plan (AMP) – informing the public and others what the company is planning to do with their assets. The current plan covers a ten year planning period from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2021.

One goal of the current AMP is to demonstrate innovation and efficiency improvements. What does this mean related to IEC 61850? A lot in the past and in the future:

• Vector’s substation automation system is based on resilient optical
  Ethernet local area network running IEC 61850 compliant IEDs.
• Vector’s current standard for internal and external communication systems is IEC 61850 standard. DNP3 is also used as an interim solution.
• At present over 50% of Vector’s primary substation are equipped with IEC 61850 compliant IEDs.
• Vector has been running an annual RTU replacement programme for a number of years, and is currently replacing approximately 10 RTUs per region per annum. To replace conventional RTUs, two approved solutions have been used, traditional RTUs with a migration path to IEC 61850, and fully compliant IEC 61850 solutions.
• …

Click HERE for the current plan (2011-2021) [PDF, 10 MB]

IEC 61850 and IEC 61499 in Action at SPS/IPC/Drives in Nuremberg, Nov 22-24, 2011

If you want to see IEC 61850 and IEC 61499 in action at SPS/IPC/Drives in Nuremberg (Germany), Nov 22-24, 2011, visit the ISaGRAF booth please:

Hall 7A / booth 502

Click HERE for a free ticket to visit the SPS/IPC/Drives exhibition [German].
Click HERE for a free ticket to visit the SPS/IPC/Drives exhibition [English].

There is also a special presentation on IEC 61499 on 23rd of November, 2011:

Click HERE for more information.

Use-Cases for Distributed Photovoltaic and Storage Systems

EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, USA) has been active in the research and development of the electrical power delivery systems. Just remember the projects UCA 1.0 (Utility Communication Architecture) and UCA 2.0. Both projects have contributed to the IEC TC 57 (Power System Management) and influenced several crucial standard series like the CIM, IEC 60870-6 TASE.2 and IEC 61850.

The work on the “Utility Communication Architecture” is going on in various IEC TC 57 projects and EPRI is still contributing to this process (especially to the definition of IEC 6185-90-7 - Object models for photovoltaic, storage, and other DER inverters). A very interesting EPRI report looks into the “Uses for Distributed Photovoltaic and Storage Systems”. The report lists and discusses briefly the following use-cases:

• Energy Generation
• Local Energy Storage to Compensate for Photovoltaic Intermittency
• Use of Energy Storage for Arbitrage Benefit
• Use of Local Energy Storage to Maximize Photovoltaic Generation Value
• Energy Storage for Customer or Community Backup Power
• Energy Storage to Reduce or Limit Peak Loading on the Utility System
• Energy Storage for Load Following
• Energy Storage to Reduce Customer Peak Demand
• Energy Storage for Local Power Quality Control
• System Stabilization – Transient Watt Modulation with Line Frequency
• System Stabilization - Transient Watt Modulation with Line Voltage
• Var Production for Voltage Regulation
• Var Production for Voltage Stabilization
• Var Production for Power Factor Management
• Var Compensation for Intermittent Generation
• Connect/Disconnect from Grid – Non Islanding
• Connect/Disconnect from Grid – Islanding
• On/Off Control of PV and/or Storage Inverter
• Adjusting Maximum Generation Level
• Metering Energy from Photovoltaic or Storage Device
• State Monitoring
• Event Reporting by Exception
• Event Logging

Click HERE for the 44 page report on use cases.
Click HERE for an overview about IEC 61850-90-7.

In an up-to-date publication of the German VDI nachrichten it is reported about storage possibilities on 2011-10-28 that:

• The capacity of all German pumped-storage hydropower plants would provide power for 1 hour.
• The capacity of 42 million German cars would last for 24 hours.
• The capacity of the German oil and gas storages would last at least for 2 months.
• The storage of “Wind or PV Power” (Converting Electricity to Natural Gas) is also an option.

Click HERE for an R&D report on Converting Electricity to Natural Gas.

Whatever the energy Mix will be – there is a crucial need for information and communication systems supporting the future power delivery system!

The good news is that there is no need to develop standards for information and communication systems from scratch! There are sufficient standards available, implemented and tested so that the power industry can straight use them: IEC 60870-6 TASE.2, CIM, IEC 61850, IEC 61400-25, …

“Visit” a U.S. Power Grid Control Center

The New York Times provides some information about the work in Control Centers of the U.S. Power Grid … quite interesting information.

Click HERE for the article.

If you want to apply for a job managing the North American power grid, you have to answer communication related questions like this (from NERC):

6. Standard COM-001-1, encourages “redundant and diversely routed” telecommunications facilities. Why "would “diversely routed” facilities be encouraged?

1. So communications can be simultaneously sent and received over the redundant paths.
2. So as not to create a monopoly for one particular telecommunication service.
3. So more neighboring systems can tie into the telecommunications network
4. So one specific problem could not eliminate redundant facilities

If you would answer with 2. … you may … hmmm … ;-)

Click HERE for this and more questions.