Road to Digitalization

Challenges and Opportunities

 Page 2
Moving from Hardwired to Digital
 Utility Transition to Digital Substations
 There will be no true transformation
> Technology within utilities to digital substations,
without empowering people.

PROTECTION, COMMUNICATION
AUTOMATION & NETWORK  We empower utilities with our world
CONTROL (Ethernet based)
leading products and empower them with
the “HOW” to use them in digital
substations.

PEOPLE
 Today, we will look at some of the
technical and people related challenges,
that hinder large scale adoption of digital
> People
substations and how to mitigate them.

© OMICRON
Technical Challenges

Technical Specifications
Knowledge and Policies
Volume of Work

Market
Right Tools
Availability

Complexity
Choosing the right standards and protocols Page 4

Location / Equipment
Control House Substation Yard Transient Devices  Choosing the right protocols
Application Protocol PIU
IED Gateway / Protection A&C Test Network
Switches Clock MU (interf.
(P&C) Local HMI Test Set Set Test Set
unit)
Real-time GOOSE x (*) x x x x x
SV Publisher
SV Subscriber x
x x x
x
 Application of right standard
SCADA MMS
Control
x
x
x
x
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
x
x
(3)
(3)
clauses and creating extensive
Report x x (2) (2) x (3) specifications
File Transfer (*) (*) (*)
Logging (*) (*) (*)
Supervision x
Setting groups (*) (*) (*)
Networking RSTP
PRP x (5)
x
(5) x x (4)  Participate in development of
HSR
SDN
x (5)
x
(5) x x (4)
standards through constant
SNMP
VLAN
x
x
x
x x x x x x
feedback
Multicast x x x x
Time Synchronization PTP (IEC 61850-9-3) x x (1) x x x x x x
SNTP x x x
Wide-Area R-GOOSE
other applications LDAP  Investment in an IEC 61850
RADIUS
Syslog conformant System
Notes: Specification and
(*) optional
(1) transparent or boundary clock Configuration Tool (SST/SCT)
(2) depending on architecture
(3) as client and simulation
(4) should support connection
(5) optional or through RedBox

© OMICRON
Specifications and Policies – Equipment Approval –
Page 5

Extension proposed through OSMOSE Project (source

PAC World)

© OMICRON
Virtual IED vs Physical IED (source Cigre B5 Brochure 819)
Translating Specifications to Digital Templates

Using a single line diagram, with protection functions then assigned to Virtual IEDs.
 Page 8
Flexible Product Naming (source PAC World)

 Flexible Product Naming (fPN) allows the data model of an IED to be modified up to a
certain level to reflect the hierarchy/structure defined by the overall scheme.
 The user, in control of the naming details is able to arrive at installation specific,
manufacturer independent IED data model conventions.
 The data model definitions can be applied to all IEDs supporting this facility, to modify
their Product Naming into data models which are conformant and relevant to both the
site and customer specific conventions.
© OMICRON
Balancing with Market Availability
Orkufjarskipti

NTP time source

e.g. PowerQualityMeters
Substation
EMS Router
SDH
Redundant
Digital Substation Clocks with

Segmented Secure Maintenance access (Future)

Substation Router
Service Router

good oscillators
office network
House system

Segmented service access – config updates

Substation Firewall
400V AC (Future)

System A System B
110V DC 110V DC WAMS Gateway / PDC

Redundant
GPS Clocks
Computer for
LN office access
DPC
Gateway
System Main 1 HMI
DPC
Gateway
System Main 2
Or Ethernet
Station Bus – Redundant

Station- and Process Bus coupling

switches with
Switch 1 – Station Bus
PMU/WAMS/WACS Network

traffic filtering
-Coupling connection between switches if they
support the functional requirements or dedicated
device
for traffic management between station and process
Service Switch Substation Service Network
bus.
Switch 1 – Station Bus

and monitoring
E.g. Vlan,Mac-Addr filter, Flow-Control
-Transfers PTP from station- to process bus
-Redundant for station/process comm.
Portable

Remote Substation

MMS, GOOSE, PTP time sync

BAY-01 – C&P cubicle BAY-02 – C&P cubicle USB-Connection

Main 1
IED
Main 2
IED
Main 1
IED
Main 2
IED
functions
Station- & Communication
On-site Monitoring Direct links (Dedicated fibers)
Test Laptop Process Bus Device
Engineering Access Device between substations Communication
Test Device [Quality, Cyber] + backup route Device
All config changes

kWh kWh #n
Vendor
Other Other Other Other
Direct link (Dedicated fiber) between
differential protections (IEDs System A)
connected back-2-back
#n
Interoperable

GOOSE, SV
IEDs
Process Bus - Redundant

BAY-01 - LCC BAY-02 - LCC

Main 1 Main 2 Main 1 Main 2

MU & SCU MU & SCU MU & SCU MU & SCU

Metering
applications
Hardwired signals Hardwired signals
Ultimately it is a balancing act between
HV Primary HV Primary
Utility Specifications vs Market Availability Travelling wave
Equipment Equipment
Technical Challenges

Technical Specifications
Knowledge and Policies
Volume of Work

Market
Right Tools
Availability

Complexity
 Page 11

From Conventional to Digital

The transition from conventional to digital secondary systems..
“Route to Digital Substations” should ensure, either the same or enhanced level of

...dependent
...of
Reliability on
Communication Robust
Network Engineering
...of
Protection, Design
Automation
Protection,
Availability and Control and
Automation
Testing
Control
...of Systems ...dependent
on
Time
System Level
Maintainability Synchronization
Testing and
Sources
Functional
Monitoring
...as conventional protection systems to date.
© OMICRON
 Page 12

System-wide communication verification

 Live signal tracing based on SCL engineering files
 Automatic point-to-point connection verification, time synch, IED health...
 Wiring check for Process Interface Units

Signal tracing

P
© OMICRON
Testing the Standalone Merging Unit In case of LPIT
MUs the same
tests can be
performed during
primary injection in
combination with
primary sensors.

Oscilloscope for
Digital Substations

 Recording of analog and

Measurement of digital signals for
comparison.
 Accuracy
 Detection of data
 Phase Errors anomalies, packets
9-2 LE dropped/bad quality.
 Transient Response IEC 61869-9
 Data Quality
Simulation and Test mode
 Isolations without physical disconnections
 Simulation and Test mode features of edition 2
allow outage-less testing and maintenance
LPHD.Sim = False
True
MOD = ON MOD = Test
ON Test Set

Trip GOOSE SV (Sim = True)

SV Test Set
SV MU q.test = false
true

SV (Sim = False)

SCU MOD = Test

ON Blocked

SLD showing plant position (either simulated or from the real plant)
 Page 15

System-based protection testing

 Protection schemes + communication + IED interactions

End-to-End Line protection

Busbar protection, breaker failure

© OMICRON
 Page 16

Time Synchronization Testing

PTP
Grandmaster

IEC/IEEE 61850-9-3
Time Synchronization
TAP
Mode

DANEO
• PTP Sniffer
DANEO
• Synchronization to
Control SW
PTP Grandmaster
• Trigger traffic recording on events
(e.g. GOOSES)
© OMICRON
© OMICRON Page 16
Network traffic supervision
 (Semi-) permanent installation in operational phase
 Detected of occasional problems
• GOOSE and Sampled Values
• PTP time synchronization
 Troubleshooting with recorded of signals and PCAP
 Page 18

Network redundancy testing

 Network redundancy (PRP, HSR) verified with negative tests
 Check system and IED behavior during tests
 Troubleshooting of issues with detailed statistics and recordings

© OMICRON
Cybersecurity
 A substation is a deterministic system
 Evaluate packets against system model from SCL
 Detect intrusions and malfunctions
People

Building
Communication
Confidence
Volume of Work

Interdisciplinary
Initiative
Collaboration

Complexity
Digital Substations Strategy + Initiative Group Page 21

It all starts with people or a group....

Protection
and
Control
Holistic
Security Digital Digital
Operations Approach to
Substations Strategy
Digital
Initiative Group
Solutions

SCADA/
Automation

 Different  One digital substations  Creating a holistic

disciplines/teams initiative and overall approach towards all
within a utility will strategy group applications of digital
have to partake in substations
roll-out of digital
substations © OMICRON
Training and Development: Learning by Doing Page 22

 Facilitate training and

development of key skill-
sets in a consistent and
continuous manner

 Continuous improvement of
skillsets through hands-on
practice on off-site test
system and training
modules. Practice what you
learn!

Pic: Courtesy SP Energy Networks

© OMICRON
 Page 23
Testing Offsite before On-Site
 Offsite test setup allows for
extensive hands-on training
for digital substations

 85% of digital substations

testing procedures can be
executed off-site

 Provides a safe environment

to try different operational
techniques and build
confidence

 Useful for patch

management, trial and
selection of new devices
Pic: Courtesy SP Energy Networks
© OMICRON
Communication and Collaboration

Other
Utility Vendor
Utilities Co-Innovation
Collaboration

Co-Standardization
Summary
 Digitalization and digital substations are now commonplace or under consideration by most utilities at
least in transmission sector.

 There are technical and people specific challenges in roll-out of digital substations, however there are
also mitigation measures. These mitigation measures when applied in time, increase the efficiency of
roll-out of digital substations

 The key points for any utility transitioning to digital substations are
Invest in detailed specifications and policies
Invest in right tools for specification, configuration, testing and cyber-security
Invest in an off-site test environment
Invest in training
Invest time in communication and collaboration