Standardization of IEDs and protections

The validation and standardization laboratory for IEDs and communication protocols enables real-time laboratory testing to study the interaction of intelligent devices with the electrical grid. These tests, based on Hardware In the Loop (HIL) techniques, provide information on the behavior of an intelligent device, its interaction with the grid, and its impact on the network. This helps in development, debugging, and validation prior to field installation or commercialization in the case of new developments.

The laboratory utilizes secondary injection devices (OMICRON CMC-356, MEGGER), as well as ICT infrastructure and RTDS (Real-Time Digital Simulator), and works with communication protocols IEC 61850, IEC-103, DNP-3, and C37.118-PMU.

CIRCE also has its own development tools to streamline and reduce possible human errors in the standardization processes. The laboratory offers the following services:

• Standardization of protection systems: line protections, transformers, bus differential, feeders, etc., for electric companies.
• Testing the effect of transformer saturation on the operation of protection relays.
• Modeling networks in RTDS to study the behavior of equipment under transient phenomena.
• Testing protection and control systems integrating different communication protocols: IEC 61850, DNP-3, IEC-103, Modbus, PROCOME, SPABUS, MLink.
• Reproducing previous incidents and troubleshooting equipment.
• Analyzing specific phenomena through RTDS modeling: studies of transients during start-up and shutdown of converters, line energization, generator connection, CT saturation, etc.
• Other transient phenomena as defined by the client.

Real-time laboratory tests are conducted to study the interaction of intelligent devices with the electrical grid, as the facilities are equipped with test sets, communication infrastructure, wiring replicas, and GPS network.