Single Point of Failure (SPOF)

Transmission - Maintenance

1
1

Definition
What does Single Point of Failure
(SPOF) mean?
A single point of failure (SPOF) is a critical
system component with the ability to cease
system operations during failover. SPOFs are
undesirable to systems requiring reliability and
availability.

2
2

Highly reliable systems are designed without

SPOFs. This means that failure of a component,
equipment, system or site does not halt system

Categories of SPOF
Permanen Temporar
Special
t
y
Single DC Source for
the Main and Backup
Protection.
T- Connection Topology
of
the
Transmission
Lines.
Design at Component /
System
level
not
meeting the Targeted
Reliability level e.g. n1.
Software Bugs for the
Many devices from one
Manufacturer.
Single
Protection
Communication
Channel / Media or
double at the same
3
route.
3 Double or more OHL
Circuits on one tower
(or
cables
in
one

Mobile Transformers.
Planned / Emergency
Shutdown effecting the
Targeted
Reliability
level e.g. n-1.
Urgent Energization of
Single
Supply
Arrangement to feed
the customers.

Single Point of Failure

(SPOF) that leads to a
Common
Point
of
Failure (CPOF) in the
Network. Any Critical
point in the system
that experiences more
frequent disturbances
lead to wide area or
major
incident.
i.e.
cascaded tripping due
to Overloading or ,
Oscillation Phenomena.

SINGLE DC SOURCE FOR THE MAIN

AND BACKUP PROTECTION
All the under specified points can be sorted as SPOF
of Single DC Source for The Main & Backup
Protection:
Single Battery Bank in the Substation.
The Main and Backup Protection are fed from the
same MCB, although the existence of another DC
Source.
Single Battery Charger in the substation.
Sole Auxiliary Transformer.
4
4

T- CONNECTION TOPOLOGY OF THE

TRANSMISSION LINES.
OHL-T- Connection
Feeding three substations by one OHL circuit,
any fault on the OHL circuit will Cause tripping on
all three substations.
The reliability adversely affected.

5
5

SINGLE PROTECTION COMMUNICATION

CHANNEL / MEDIA OR DOUBLE AT THE
SAME ROUTE.

As shown in below figure (NETWORK FUNCTIONAL

DIAGRAM ) , we can see that S/S 8601 physically
connected to communication network through only
optical fiber cable to S/S 9037 and both routes of scada
to that S/S pass through the same fiber as a
communication media and the same optical equipment
which means that during failure of either optical cable or
optical equipment we shall loose communication to s/s
8601.
Also if d.c. supply for telecom equipment lost at any s/s
we shall loose communication .

6
6

For protection path an alternative fiber route and system

availability is required. In case of linear (Radial ) links
we dont have choice to protect the traffic.

SPOF EXAMPLE: S/Ss 8601,7601,8606 & 8603 HAVE LINEAR

CONNECTION POINTS. Traffic Re-routing not possible
physically by cable only virtually by NMS.

7
7

DOUBLE OR MORE OHL CIRCUITS ON

ONE TOWER (OR CABLES IN ONE
TRENCH) AS A SINGLE FEED TO A LOAD.
Single feed ( radial line) , double circuits on single
tower

Any mechanical damage on any tower will cause

loss of supply to substation.
Cables in one trench

8
8

Any mechanical damage in any cable will cause

loss of supply to substation.

Collected Data Completion

SPOF
Single Protection
communication
channel/ media or
double at the
same route
Single DC Source
for the Main and
Backup
Protection
T- Connection
Topology of the
Transmission
Lines
Double or more
OHL Circuits on
one tower (or
cables in one
Trench) as a
single feed to a
load

9
9

COA

EOA

WOA

SOA

59.3 %

100 %

100 %

100 %

No. of SPOF
32/54

No. of SPOF
359/359

No. of SPOF
71/71

No. of SPOF
21/21

64.2 %

0%

100 %

100 %

61/95

Dec 31, 2015

0/110

Jul 31, 2016

82/82

85/85

100 %

100 %

0%

100 %

6/6

25/25

0/15

Jan 31, 2016

9/9

100 %

100 %

42.1 %

100 %

41/41

101/101

Solution
Not Yet

8/19

Not Yet

Not Yet

Not Yet

27/27

Jan 31, 2016

Data To be Completed by July 2016 as per Areas

TSD

Example of Solution

SPOFs are identified and resolved through

redundant and high-availability of the system or
its components. For example, upon tripping of
equipment, another equipment immediately
takeover responsibility. Redundancy are
employed at internal component level, site level
as well as system level.

10
10