Search

Premium Membership ♕

Save 10% on Pro Membership Plan with coupon DEC10 and study specialized LV/MV/HV technical articles and papers.

Home / Download Center / Electrical Engineering Books and Technical Guides / Power substation guides / Ethernet in substation automation applications – Issues and requirements

Substation automation communications

This paper looks at the key issues and requirements for Ethernet in the substation environment and for substation automation applications requiring real-time performance. Trends in electric utility automation, specifically substation automation, have converged upon a common communications architecture with the goal of having interoperability between a variety of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) found in the substation.

Ethernet in substation automation applications – Issues and requirements
Ethernet in substation automation applications – Issues and requirements (photo credit: techwestpower.com.au)

This initiative was begun back in the late 1980s driven by the major North American utilities under the technical auspices of EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute).

The resulting standard that emerged is known as the Utility Communications Architecture 2.0 (UCA2.0) and is now an international standard as IEC 61850.

This architecture, which is now being adopted worldwide by utilities and IED vendors alike, has as its underlying network technology – Ethernet.

Specific topics addressed are:

  1. EMI phenomena and atmospheric conditions in substations which can affect network performance,
  2. New standards introduced by the IEC and IEEE that establish new EMI and environmental requirements specifically for communications networks (i.e. Ethernet) in substations,
  3. Critical Layer-2 features of modern Ethernet switching hubs (i.e. switches) which enhance real-time deterministic performance as well as
  4. Fault tolerant loop architectures and network redundancy.
Typical substation defined in terms of Locations and Signal Port
Typical substation defined in terms of Locations and Signal Port

EMI Immunity Requirements

The proliferation of Ethernet capable IEDs used for substation automation has increased markedly in the past several years. There are currently nine vendors of protective relaying devices alone offering Ethernet communications with their IEDs. Vendors of meters, RTUs and PLCs used for substation automation, also mirror this trend.

A key requirement of most substations IEDs such as protection relays is that they must operate properly (i.e. not ‘misoperate’) under the influence of a variety of EMI phenomena commonly found in the substation.

Standards such as IEEE C37.90.x and IEC 60255 define a variety of type withstands tests designed to simulate EMI phenomena such as:

  1. Inductive load switching,
  2. Lightening strikes,
  3. Electrostatic discharges from human contact,
  4. Radio frequency interference due to personnel using portable radio handsets,
  5. Ground potential rise resulting from high current fault conditions within the substation and
  6. A variety of other EMI phenomena commonly encountered in the substation.

This will also be true of the substation LAN equipment (i.e. the Ethernet switches).

Often the Ethernet switches will be installed in the same compartment or even on the same rack as protective relaying IEDs. Therefore, it has become necessary that the Ethernet equipment become “substation hardened”, from an EMI immunity perspective, to the same level as protective relaying IEDs.

Title:Ethernet in substation automation applications – Issues and requirements – Marzio P. Pozzuoli at RuggedCom Inc. – Industrial Strength Networks
Format:PDF
Size:0.36 MB
Pages:14
Download:Right here | Video Courses | Membership | Download Updates
Ethernet in substation automation applications – Issues and requirements
Ethernet in substation automation applications – Issues and requirements

Premium Membership

Get access to premium HV/MV/LV technical articles, advanced electrical engineering guides, papers, and much more! It will help you to shape up your technical skills in your everyday life as an electrical engineer.
50% Discount 💥 - Save 50% on all 90+ video courses with Enterprise Membership plan.

More Information

One Comment


  1. Akinsola Odunayo Lawrence
    Nov 02, 2020

    Wow! this site is too good, I am a Civil Engineer in the Power sector but the knowledge I have gathered here are so helpful.

Leave a Comment

Tell us what you're thinking. We care about your opinion! Please keep in mind that comments are moderated and rel="nofollow" is in use. So, please do not use a spammy keyword or a domain as your name, or it will be deleted. Let's have a professional and meaningful conversation instead. Thanks for dropping by!

five  ×    =  thirty five

Learn How to Design Power Systems

Learn to design LV/MV/HV power systems through professional video courses. Lifetime access. Enjoy learning!

EEP Hand-Crafted Video Courses

Check more than a hundred hand-crafted video courses and learn from experienced engineers. Lifetime access included.
Experience matters. Premium membership gives you an opportunity to study specialized technical articles, online video courses, electrical engineering guides, and papers written by experienced electrical engineers.