Intelligent Electronic

Devices
(IEDs)

This document covers the brief over view but comprehensive

overview of the IEDs. It highlights the functions of the IEDs in
power system regarding protection, control, monitoring,
metering and communication.

Raheel Muzzammel
 Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED)
Any Electronic device that possess or have some type of local Intelligence can be known as IED

In power system, information is received by IEDs from the power apparatus installed or from the
sensors. Now the IEDs generate control commands in case of any voltage, current or frequency.
These control commands trip the circuit breakers in order to move the system back to normal
operation.

Protective Devices of IEDs

Controllers of load tap changer

Controllers of Recloser

Controllers of Circuit Breakers

Capacitor Bank Switches

Voltage Regulators

Communication devices of IEDs

RS-485 a special interface that provides bi directional multi drop communication interfacing
over a double twisted cable or single cable.

Functions of IEDs

are as follow;

1) Protection
2) Control
3) Monitoring
4) Metering
5) Communication

Protection

Protection function covers the following areas;

a) Directional three phase over current protection,

b) Directional earth fault protection,
c) Non directional three phase over current protection,
d) Non directional earth fault protection,
e) Residual overvoltage protection,
f) Three-phase under voltage protection,
 g) Three-phase transformer or motor start up protection,
h) Auto-re closure protection,
i) Under frequency protection,
j) Over frequency protection,
k) Synchro-check protection,
l) Three-phase thermal overload protection

Control

Control function spreads over the local and remote control and is fully programmed and
also controls the sequence (voltage or current).It covers up to about 12 switching tries for
circuit breakers.

Monitoring

Monitoring function covers the following area;

a) Circuit-breaker condition monitoring which includes;

i) operation time counter,
ii) electric wear,
iii) breaker travel time,
iv) scheduled maintenance),
b) Trip circuit supervision,
c) Internal self-supervision,
d) Gas density monitoring for SF6 switchgear,
e) Event recording,
f) Other monitoring functions, like auxiliary power, relay temperature, etc.

Metering

Metering function includes following measurements.

a) Three-phase currents

b) Neutral current

c) Three-phase voltages

d) Residual voltage

e) Frequency

f) Active power

g) Reactive power
 h) Power factor

i) Energy

j) Harmonics

k) Transient disturbance recorder

l) Up to 12 analog channels

Communication

IEDs are able to communicate directly to a SCADA system.

SCADA SYSTEM