Substation Automation System – Value Additions in

Condition Monitoring

This paper discusses the value not available (ie., stations

additions made by automation without SAS) logics can be built
system in the area of condition in numerical relays ie., on
monitoring of CVT, imbalance protection core of CVT and
bay/feeder currents which annunciation may be wired to
shows the intactness of primary RTU through a binary output of
circuit and monitoring of numerical relay.
measuring system.
Logics for feeder CVTs, are
CVT Condition Monitoring implemented in main bay BCUs
and for Bus CVTs, it is
One of the best methods of implemented in BCUs supplied
monitoring the healthiness of for measuring Bus CVTs. Logics
CVT is by monitoring drift for Bus CVT become difficult for
between phase secondary the station without SAS. For
voltages. As per POWERGRID such stations, alternatives may
O&M guidelines, drift between be explored for the availability
CVT secondary Ph-E voltages of spare analog channels in any
should not be more than 2V. numerical relay available in the
Accordingly, there was schedule station.
of monitoring the same
quarterly. Now a days, The logic implemented in the
numerical relays/BCUs have BCU has been shown in Fig.1.
facility of logics to be SET UP

implemented on real time

R-N VOLT Abs Sub Abs I/P LIMIT
1
I/P Y
Y
2 LIMIT

conditions. This opportunity has Y-N VOLT Abs Sub Abs

SET UP Alarm to HMI

been grabbed and logics

1 I/P LIMIT or BO of the
I/P Y relay
Y
2 LIMIT

implemented at Kalivanthapattu B-N VOLT

SET UP

SS as a sample basis. The

Abs Sub Abs I/P LIMIT
I/P 1
Y
Y
2 LIMIT

concept considered to
implement this monitoring is as Fig.1 Logic for measuring CVT
follows: Secondary Drift.

Only one core per CVT is Equivalent threshold value of 2V

considered for monitoring of can be set in Set Upper Limit
secondary, preferably metering gate (This gate is available in
core due to higher accuracy. Siemens supplied IEDs –
Hence logics are written onto equivalent gate available may
respective BCU (metering core be used incase of other
always connected to BCU) that suppliers).
was supplied along with SAS.
The stations, where BCUs are The logics were implemented at
Kalivanthapattu SS for all the
CVT metering cores and tested When imbalance current due to
successfully at HMI and Remote the aforementioned reasons left
HMI alarm for the set drift limits. unnoticed for a longer durations,
it may cause disastrous
Unlike knowing the drift in consequences particularly, when
monthly or quarterly one of the parallel paths, is
measurement, the drift violation under shutdown. Further, with
is known instantaneously at HMI this remote operation/SCADA
and Remote HMI. This will help concepts, unlike manual
in preventing sudden recording, analog data is being
failure/blasting of CVTs and logged into soft records
hence reducing line outage due automatically. Due to lesser
to such unwarranted manual intervention, there is
occurrences. This information high chance for unnoticing of
speeds up taking such incidences for longer
durations. These conditions
cause the need of monitoring
decisions for the replacement of current imbalance in the
faulty CVTs and hence the bays/elements of switchyard,
replacement. particularly in remote stations.

Current Imbalance Concept

Monitoring
Logic concept is same as used in
Current in EHV circuit is CVT secondary drift
generally balanced one with measurement. Metering core of
small variation. Imbalance in the CTs preferred wherever
primary circuit may happen due feasible due to more accuracy.
to the following reasons The concept at Kalivanthapattu
Substation uses,
• Mis – alignment of
isolators feeder current imbalance (both
• Loosely connected 400kV and 230kV), ICT current
jumpers and terminal imbalance (both HV & IV) and
connectors of primary 400kV Tie bays,
circuit.
230kV Bus Coupler and Transfer
• Carbonization of terminal Bus Coupler.
connectors of primary
Except for 400kV tie bays,
circuit.
metering core CTs are available
to BCUs for all the
Why Current Imbalance
aforementioned cases. For Tie
Monitoring
bay measurement, the logic is
built in LBB relay ie., on
protection core CT. And Tie LBB
relay is not connected to LAN as may arise due to following
there is no LAN port available on reasons.
the relay. The logic built on LBB
relay initiates its Binary output • Unhealthy CT secondary
and is wired to near IED and circuit
from IED, event is routed to HMI.
I-R PH I/P
Abs
1
Sub Abs
SET UP
I/P LIMIT
• Unhealthy CVT secondary
circuit including Fuse
Y
Y
2 LIMIT

I-Y PH I/P
Abs
1
Sub
Y
Abs
SET UP
I/P LIMIT
Alarm to HMI
or BO of the
failure and non switching
over CVT circuits during
Y relay
2 LIMIT

I-B PH I/P Abs

1
Sub
Y
Abs
SET UP
I/P LIMIT Bus-shut downs.

• Faulty Measurement Units

Y
2 LIMIT

Fig.2 Logic for measuring

Current Imbalance.
Equivalent threshold value can
be set based on the experience
of the feeder past history.
Generally this value ranges from
4% – 8% of the rated current ie.,
40 to 80A for a 1000/1A CT.
As discussed earlier, this is most
important parameter to be
monitored especially for remote
operated stations. The event of
imbalance current for the said
bays/elements has been routed
to local HMI at Kalivanthapattu
SS and remote HMI
Sriperumbudur SS.
Measurement Monitoring
System - MW Balance
Measurement
For a substation MW of incoming
and outgoing feeders are
balanced. MW derived from in
elements and out elements can
be verified for the balance
condition. Imbalance condition
or errors in configuration
Incidentally, there is no
supervision/monitoring system
available for such occurrences
unless it is detected by the
manual intervention or else
during SEM data uploading etc.,
Concept
The real time MW of incoming
and outgoing feeders are routed
to logics and compared for more
than 3% error. Incase difference
at between in and out MWs
becomes more than 3%,
corresponding event will be sent
to HMI and RHMI also. Two ways
of MW balance modes are being
implemented at Kalivanthapattu
SS.
• MW balance of incoming
and outgoing feeders
• MW balance of HV and IV
circuits of ICTs
With this entire measurement
system comes under
monitoring.
The logic implementation is
done using different available
gates similar to CVT drift
measurement and Current
imbalance measurement. As
analog values are derived from
different IEDs, logic has to be
written in station level devices
ie., at gateway/PAS. SICAM PAS
is a powerful tool that is
supplied by M/s. Siemens at
Kalivanthapattu to read all the
station data from all IEDs and
switches and sending them to
HMI/RHMI/RLDC. Logics can also
be written at station level ie., at
SICAM-PAS. All analog values
are available at PAS, which can
be tagged to logics and logic
output to be sent to HMI as
alarm.

Solutions for day to day

problems can be easily arrived
at automated substations. This
proves cost effectiveness of
automated substation in O&M
era and thus it always adds
value to the existing system
without