PE ELECT Department

NOIDA

Ref: EOC/PE ELECT/2018-19/4540:572/2879 Date:

24/07/2018(18:48:57)

Subject: Approval of Technical specification for SAS with process bus

technology, modified Busbar trip logic and specifying higher fault level of
63kA for GIS for Talcher III onward projects.

1. Substation Automation System (SAS) with distributed architecture (physically

centralized i.e. panels in switchyard control room) was implemented from Sipat STPP
onward projects. Subsequently, from Mouda onward projects, physically distributed
SAS was implemented (i.e. panels were shifted to AC kiosk in switchyard). This
resulted in substantial reduction in requirement of cables, cable trenches, CR
building size etc. However interface between Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)
and primary equipment was through cable. All signals (both analog and binary) were
getting digitized inside IEDs only.

2. With technological development, now it is possible to digitize bay level signals like
current, voltage, binary signals stc at bay level. This would result in following
advantages:

a) Further reduction in control cables (approx. 75-80%) and cable trenches (80-90%).

b) Reduction in size of relays which in turn reduces the size of panel by approx. 40%.

c) Reduction in panel wiring and terminations resulting in less cluttered panel.

d) No requirement of AC kiosks (Some adverse feedback was received from few sites
regarding quality of AC kiosks).

e) Marked reduction in erection and commissioning due to elimination in control cable

requirement.
 PE ELECT Department
NOIDA

f) Optimization of number of current transformer cores.

3. Also to ensure that no single failure results in non-operation of SAS, dual redundant
network has been envisaged. Also hardware of different make has been envisaged for
each of the networks.

4. All the suppliers of SAS in recently engineered NTPC projects have Process bus
technology. The process bus technology has been successfully implemented by all
major SAS vendors (ABB, Siemens and GE) globally. Pilot installation of process bus
has been successfully commissioned at 220kV/400kV substations of M/s GETCO
(220kV Modasa) and M/s PGCIL (400kV Bhivadi).

5. In all NTPC projects Busbar protection is designed to operate in two-out-of-two

mode. Two-out-of-two logic was implemented to make Busbar protection more
secure as in case of double main and transfer bus scheme, CT switching relays were
required. Any issue in CT resulted in outage of Busbar protection resulting in outage
of 50% of feeders. Station outage has been reported (Sipat, Vindhyachal, Farakka etc)
due to non-operation of Busbar protection for in-zone fault.

It is proposed to configure Busbar protection to operate in one-out-of-two mode in

line with practice being followed by other utilities also. This would make busbar
protection more reliable but less secure. However tripping of one Busbar in breaker
and half scheme, envisaged for all new projects, generally does not result in outage of
any feeder.

6. Short circuit level of GRID is continuously increasing. In view of this it is proposed to

specify higher Fault level of 63 kA for GIS for new projects. Costs are comparable for
50 kA (presently being specified) and 63 kA GIS.
 PE ELECT Department
NOIDA

7. It is proposed to specify process bus in Singrauli III and Lara-II onwards projects. It
is also proposed to specify process bus in Talcher TPS-III through suitable
amendments to technical specification.

8. Approval is sought for:

i) Specifying process bus in Talcher TPS-III, Singrauli-III, Lara-II and onwards

projects.

ii) Specifying 63kA fault level for Talcher TPS-III, Singrauli-III, Lara-II and onwards
projects with GIS.

iii) Bus bar protection to be configured in one-out-of-two mode. This shall be

implemented in all existing stations/projects having numerical bus Bar protection
relays.

Put up for technical approval please.

Submitted by:
ANKUR TRIPATHI - 009980 (MANAGER(PE-ELECT) ,PE ELECT)
On:25/07/2018(9:4:51) Ref:EOC/PE ELECT/2018-19/4540:572/2879
Submitted by:
Subhash Thakur - 006232 (AGM(PE ELECT) ,PE ELECT)
On:25/07/2018(9:28:1) Ref:EOC/PE ELECT/2018-19/4540:572/2879