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MAIN FEATURE - 13
Contents
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06
3D training
THINK GRID SHARING ALSTOM GRID INNOVATION & PRACTICES Published by Alstom Grid - 1 place Jean Millier 92084 La Dfense - France. www.alstom.com/grid - Print run: 16,000 copies (Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish) - Publisher: Peter Kirchesch - Editor in chief: Vronique Chauvot - Editorial assistant: Charlotte Defrel - Editorial board: Philippe Ponchon, Milan Saravolac, Franois Gallon, Greg Manning, Xavier Hurbin - Concept and Design: BythewayCreacom - 19 rue Galile, 75116 Paris - France - Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 57 60 60 - www.bythewaycreacom.net Editorial executive: Henry Lewis Blount - Publication manager: Kaling Chan - Contributors: Henry Lewis Blount, Ken Kincaid, Patrick Love, Louis-Antoine Mallen, Anne Trger - Copy editor: Ginny Hill - Art director: Didier Trayaud Computer graphics artist: Jean-Marie Lagnel - Photo credits: Pagasus, Minko Stelzer, Flicker, David Min, Peter Gridley/ Getty Images, Pete Webb/ Masterfile, Catherine de Torquat, John Framm / Hemis, Ocean / Corbis, EWEA, Alstom, ArevaPrinting: Lecaux. ISSN: 2102-0175. A special thanks to the companies that kindly provided us with their illustrations.
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Smart products & services
Monitoring systems: From raw beginners to expert communicators
FOREWORD
PANORAMA
3D training
INTERVIEW WITH
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11 MAIN FEATURE
Pushing the frontiers of electricity technology
12 Chapter I
Innovation & performance Multi-terminal HVDC system for large offshore wind park grid integration
23 Chapter II
33 Chapter III
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50 FURTHER READING Books, newspapers, etc. 51 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Dont miss...
Think Grid
Foreword
By Prof. Peter Kirchesch: R&D Vice-President, Alstom Grid
Electricity consumption is forecast to increase by 50 percent between now and 2030. To meet this growing demand, additional power plants are under construction all over the world. Often these power plants can only be erected at sites remote from the load centers, so the electricity has to be transported to end users. This is achieved by transmission networks, which have to transport the energy as efficiently as possible and at the same time take economic factors, network safety and redundancy into account. The most common and generally lowest-cost method to transport bulk power over long distances is via overhead lines. But densely populated areas or environmentally sensitive regions call for alternative solutions. Typically, underground transmission systems are the answer and power cables the prevailing technology. However, the gas-insulated line (GIL) is an alternate solution for underground transport of electricity at high transmission ratings. GIL is also an attractive solution where cables cannot be used or where they have reached their technical limits. A potential application is the transport of electrical energy from offshore wind parks to the mainland electricity grid. In the past decade, huge progress has been made in developing GIL as a reliable, costeffective transmission system. This issue of Think Grid takes a closer look.
on June 6, 2010, AREVA T&D joined Alstom and Schneider Electric to create two global energy leaders. Our Senior Experts and their teams will continue to shape the future of the power grids in their new companies. Our magazine Think T&D is now published by Alstom under its new name Think Grid.
Panorama
United Kingdom December 2009 S a l e s s n aps h o t s
GERMANY
INDIA
3D training
The Alstom Grid Technical Institute has formed a partnership with National Grid in the U.K. to develop 3D training modules. National Grid decided it needed an innovative approach to training its staff on T155 gas-insulated substations. So it joined forces with Alstom Grid in seeking a forward-looking solution. Alstom Grid had already developed 3D materials of its products for some exhibitions. At the 3D showroom of its Technical Institute in Stafford, U.K. and its Technical Institute at Aix-les-Bains in France, the company showcased what value 3D could add to training customers. The 3D training modules for the T155 GIS to be used at National Grids training center in Eakring, U.K. will be the first in the T&D industry. Their introduction will reinforce the acknowledged technological leadership of both National Grid and Alstom Grid. As John Tyler, National Grid Training Delivery Manager, points out, The collaboration between National Grid and Alstom Grid demonstrates that both companies are forward-looking and have ambitions to provide cutting-edge learning solutions.
AUSTRALIA
BRAZIL
CANADA
50 Hz
60 Hz
50 and 60 Hz
Today, electricity is nearly exclusively transmitted at a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. But it was not always so. Many frequencies were used throughout the development of electrical power systems, from 16 2/3 Hz to 140 Hz. This was possible when grids were operated in isolation. With network interconnection, standardization became a must, because generators can only operate in parallel if they are of the same frequency and wave-shape.
The ideal frequency is a compromise between contradictory requirements. A relatively high frequency was needed to economize on transformer materials, whereas a low frequency is preferable for long transmission lines. In the late 19th century, one of Alstom Grids parent companies, AEG, built the first German generating facility to run at 50Hz. At the time, AEG had a virtual monopoly and the standard spread across
Europe. In the Americas, standardization ended up with a 60 Hz system, mainly driven by the dominating role of Westinghouse Electric. There is no technical reason to prefer one over the other. Some countries still dont. In Japan, the eastern part of the country uses 50Hz and the west 60Hz. The reason is simple. AEG installed the first generators in 1895 in Tokyo and General Electric in 1896 in Osaka.
Interview with
Axpo lives and breathes sustainability and this is reflected in our vision.
Christian Lindner: Axpo is an energy provider that thinks very long term. Our core businessenergy generation, transmission, distribution and tradingaffects the economy, the environment and society at large. We are public-service oriented as well as having financial targets. All this obliges us to act sustainably. Axpo considers reliable energy provision as its core service in Switzerland, underpinned by broad product diversification and a smoothly operating network. We give operating and occupational safety pride of place and strive continuously to enhance our safety culture while minimizing our burden on people and the environment.
Axpo is a major utility in Switzerland. What are the main challenges you will be facing in the coming years?
C.L.: Axpo lives and breathes sustainability, which is reflected in our vision of reliable, sustainable and innovative. Our commitment to sustainability is not an objective per se, because we believe that if we work toward sustainability we will be a more successful company. Axpo has done much, and continues to do so, to make the notion of sustainability a concrete one. We have dedicated personnel, acquired the necessary knowledge, and built an organization and processes to cement sustainable actions and reflexes. Our employees are expected to develop a common understanding of sustainability through continuous processes and appreciate why sustainability is important for the company. We have set appropriate qualitative and quantitative objectives.
C.L.: We asked ourselves this question when defining and acquiring high voltage products for installing substations. We decided to link technology and environmental considerations more closely and to develop and integrate ecological criteria in our requirements. Consequently, environmental aspects were included in our requests for tender for HV equipment. For example, special environmental parameters were included, or suppliers agreed to state the environmental credentials of their products as proof that they meet our requirements. The first example of requests for tender linking technology and environment was the acquisition of the GIS for the Mnchwilen (110kV) and Schlattingen (110/220kV) substations. We identified and subsequently assessed environmental
Interview with
The chart shows that environmental aspects are taken into consideration from the design phase right up to the final product order.
Design selection in pre-project phase Environmental parameters examined Global warming potential in CO2 equivalent Footprint Weight SF6 losses Heat losses Recyclability
Specification and call for tender Environmental parameters in Axpo specs Weight SF6 losses SF6 volumes Energy losses Recyclability GWP (optional)
Offer analysis
Order
Selection criteria
aspects such as global warming potential (from product cradle to grave), direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions through gas or heat loss during operation, as well as specific raw material usage during product manufacturing. It is worth noting that, specifically for high voltage products, the usage phase is responsible for around 90 percent of the environmental impact because of their long life cycle of some 60 years. By homing in on environmental aspects of switchgear, you tend to develop an environmental awareness not only in your professional activity but also in your private life.
By homing in on environmental aspects of switchgear, you tend to develop an environmental awareness also in your private life.
had differentiation of the HV products through individual parameters such as SF6 losses or heat losses. But we wanted to know more, and we discovered that several suppliers used an analysis of environmental impact of switchgear during its entire life cycle. This more in-depth analysis enabled us to compare the different HV system offerings based on their environmental footprint and, consequently, influence product selection. An additional target of this environmental analysis was to identify comparable environmental parameters with our suppliers and include them in the specifications. This eventually resulted in a new chapter dedicated to the environment in our product specifications.
About a year ago, you launched an environmental evaluation of a 245kV substation with different suppliers. Could you tell us more about that study? What were/are Axpos expectations?
C.L.: Our strategic objective was to intimately link environment and technology. The environmental impact of our switchgear during its operational life had always been an important point. We were keen to understand how we could make the choice of technology dependent on environmental concerns. At first, before we carried out in-depth environmental analyses, we only
C.L.: In the interests of the human race and the environment, I hope, of course, that life cycle analysis will be increasingly used and that not only Axpo but also other energy providers will take up the subject. It doesnt have to become a standard. It should simply enhance environmental awareness. That would already be a big step forward.
Do you believe such an Environmental Life Cycle Assessment will become a standard in the future?
10
MAIn Feature
P ushing
23 Chapter II
11
Main feature
chapter I
12
Encapsulated in a 400 to 600 mm diameter metallic case, gas-insulated lines bear a resemblance to pipelines.
Electric pipelines
Encapsulated in a 400 to 600 mm diameter metallic case, gas-insulated lines bear a resemblance to pipelines. Originally developed for GIS connections, GIL have similar bus sections and busbar arrangements. The electric pipeline consists mainly
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Main Feature
chapter I
The T155 gas-insulated substation installed at Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, a major Alstom Grid reference demonstrating that the company can offer a whole range of flexible GIL solutions.
of a pair of tubular aluminum coaxial conductors, the inner one being at the high voltage level and the outer one being earthed. To ensure insulation, the space between the enclosure and the conductor is filled with sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) or a pressurized gas mixture of nitrogen and SF6. With their very high conductor crosssection, GIL are designed for high transmission capacities with rated currents typically reaching 4,000 A at 550 kV, and a shortcircuit current capability up to 63kA, explains Mathieu Bernard, GIL Project Manager. This offers multiple advantages: GIL combine low capacitance (and therefore very low transmission losses), high reliability, and operational safety thanks to a robust casing and the fact that they are inherently fireproof. Another benefit is their long lifetimeup to 50 yearswith virtually no material ageing. Moreover, thanks to reduced space requirements and flexible route capabilities, GIL are adapted to solve
complex geographic installation issues like hydroelectric power plants in new or existing underground conditions, Bernard adds. One drawback, however, is their cost, which is still relatively high when compared to overhead lines (five to seven times more expensive). In fact, GIL are not designed to compete with overhead lines everywhere but rather as a means of power transmission where OHL cannot or must not be applied.
72.5kV and 800kV (mainly at the 420kV level), and demand has significantly increased over the past few years. At Alstom Grid alone, over 50km of three-phase circuits have been installed or ordered since the beginning of GIS production, including 30km over the last 12years, showing clear acceleration. Almost maintenancefree and with low operating costs, GIL are now widely recognized as a well-proven technology with a long service record and a high level of reliability. Even so, modern digital monitoring systems help further improve their reliability and service continuity, says Franois Biquez, Senior Expert R&D Manager for GIS-GIL. Digital sensors and optical fiber transmission enable the real-time monitor-
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ing of parameters such as SF6 or gas mixture density, SF6 leakage trend analysis, temperatures in compartments, partial discharges, internal arc localization and detection, etc. Abnormal conditions that could lead to potential failures are therefore rapidly detected. As a result, safety for per-
sonnel and switchgear is enhanced, as well as security and quality of power supply, protection of the environment (against SF6 leakages), asset management (maintenance and outage planning, integration in a digital control system), operational profitability due to energy deregulation requiring more rapid and accurate data management, and so on. On the other hand, todays computerized design tools offer the ability to adapt GIL to severe operating conditions. For each particular installation, calculations can be made to select the right solution and ensure optimal working conditions while adhering to strict regulatory standards. The dimensioning of a GIL clearly depends on its dielectric withstand performance and on its thermal capability to carry the rated current, explains Biquez. As the thermal limits of the product are affected by the way the GIL is installed, computer simulations are necessary to decide on the appropriate design. In the case of an underground hydro power plant, thermal simulations have enabled Alstom Grids designers to evaluate the thermal behavior of the GIL enclosure as a function of the tunnel height, or to compare the conductor and enclosure temperature distribution depending on whether the GIL is placed in a horizontal tunnel or a vertical shaft.
M o r e
Alain Girodet
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Main Feature
chapter I
those of overhead lines (OHL). This means less waste of energy, and no need for reactive compensation for lengthy GIL, contrary to long cable connections. Another advantage is a lower visual impact on the landscape, suggesting that GIL may be a realistic solution in sites where OHL would be banned. A costly solution, indeedbut the expense may be worth it, one chief executive of a U.S. transmission company pointed out recently, as OHL become infinitely expensive if their construction is resolutely opposed by local communities. To minimize the environmental impact of its GIL solutions, Alstom Grid has implemented an eco-design approach, as for a number of its products. The latest designs are nowadays completely optimized in a sustainable development perspective. The whole life of the product is considered, from cradle to grave. It starts with a life cycle assessment (LCA), which identifies and quantifies all the environmental impacts encountered when manufacturing and using the GIL, from raw material extraction and transportation to the disposal of the product at the end of its life. Up to 16 indicators are used, showing the impact of the various steps of the product life cycle on features such as global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eco- and human
toxicity, hazardous waste, amount of slag/ ashes, etc. Each component of a GIL may then be optimally designed to achieve maximum environmental efficiency, thus contributing to a moderate and responsible use of the needed resources, and ensuring a high recyclability rate. The latest developments have led, for instance, to a more environmentally friendly insulation medium: the amount of greenhouse effect SF6 gas produced has been dramatically reduced through the use of a gas mixture based on 80-90 percent of nitrogen and the rest of SF6, says Biquez. Alstom Grid was also able to optimize the section of the conductors, enabling the GIL to exhibit lower heat losses compared with OHL and HV cables.
firewall between a burning oil transformer and a GIS, thus preventing the fire from spreading and allowing the rest of the system to stay operational. Thanks to these fire- and explosion-proof characteristics, GIL can be installed in shared infrastructure like road and rail tunnels, open public areas, etc. An illustration of an in-public area installation of a GIL is the Hams Hall project in the U.K., which was energized in 2004 (see sidebar). Another powerful benefit of GIL in public area installations is their low magnetic field radiation emission. Cross-bonding of singlephase enclosures allows the return current to pass through the enclosures. This creates a screen effect that provides the GIL with a lower magnetic field radiation compared with alternative solutions such as cables and OHL. Computer calculations show that magnetic field values at the enclosure of a threephase GIL system (operating at 550kV and 4,000 A) are lower than 250T, half the exposure limit for workers set by the European Union directive. At a distance of 1meter to the enclosure, the value drops to 10T, less than one-tenth the emission of buried XLPE cables 1meter above ground level, and less than a quarter of overhead lines (below the lines at 1meter above ground level). In fact, GIL enclosures can even be safely touched.
M o r e
Gerhard Seyrling
flexible solutions, using bolted or welded connections and various insulating gas mixtures to optimize cost, performance, reliability and environmental protection. How can GIL compete against overhead lines and cables? GIL have proved their ability to respond to any installation constraints as well as carrying high power ratings without requiring multiple circuit configurations. Compared to overhead lines, the major advantage is better integration in the urban environment and landscapes. Compared with cables, GIL can transmit greater quantities of energy: 3,000 MVA can be transmitted
through one GIL circuit while two circuits would be required for the alternative HV cable solution; this performance has a direct impact on price, footprint and right-of-way requirements. What are customers looking for? Besides substations, customers have to find answers to two types of issues. One is carrying high rated currents in urban areas where OHL are prohibited; the other is to ensure regional and international bulk power connections with GIL offering a safe, flexible, aesthetic and powerful solution through tunnels, bridges, and so on.
16
Alstom Grid has installed (or received orders for) more than 50kilometers of three-phase GIL systems since the beginning of GIS production and 30 km in the past 12 years. Prime examples of this success are the Jebel Ali power plant in the United Arab Emirates, Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia, and the Hams Hall substation in the West Midlands, U.K.
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Main Feature
chapter I
220765+ kV
150 kV
Electronic transformer
10100 kV
D-STATCOM
Electronic transformer
400 V
Since the 1980s, power electronics have found any number of applications, from improving network characteristics where heavy industries connect to weak grids, to flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) and high voltage DC transmission. However, for now, they are largely absent from electrical distribution systems, due in part to the traditional configuration based on large, remote power plants. Not so in the future, explains Patrick Favre-Perrod, of Strategy and Collaborative Development, Alstom Grid Research and Technology Centre in Stafford, U.K. Renewable sources have very aggressive profiles that can vary from 0 percent to
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to increase transfer capacity of existing networksless need for new lines that nobody wants and substations where no space is availableand to interconnect systems. They can provide enhanced coordination and ancillary services (including reactive power compensation), helping gain some control over power exchanges and line loading.
Storage interface
Multi-terminal DC distribution
Power electronics converters and transformers will increasingly find their way into distribution networks to control power flows and voltage as a whole range of new applications are introduced. These can include urban transportation systems, but also electric vehicles and new, cleaner heating devices.
100 percent in a short period of time. And electric vehicles and electric heating, consequences of energy systems becoming greener, will be demanding on the grid. As a result, power electronics will necessarily be part of future solutions to operate the distribution network, maintain voltage profiles across the board and ensure stability.
electric loads, the sine wave will look even less like a sine wave, quality will suffer, and there, too, you will need a current or voltage source. Power electronic converters can provide solutions, as they are all basically disguised voltage and current sources, although each one has entirely different goals and technical characteristics. There will also be a need for flexible interfaces. All these new distributed energy sources generate DC or variable AC that will need transformation. New consumers, vehicles and urban transportation systems will need customized plug-and-play interfaces. Power electronics can also be used
A new approach
Once you do one of these applications with emerging technology, it
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Main Feature
chapter I
becomes easier to do the others, and we may have a platform approach in the future. In the past, each issue was addressed individually, but now we are looking at converters with smart designs that can do several things at a time, so you get more at low incremental cost, Favre-Perrod explains. For example, the recently completed three-year, E.U.-funded
research project UNIFLEX demonstrated a flexible, multifunctional solution, although cost and performance are not there yet. The idea is to create versatility, but also scalability. Now, a 5 MW converter is different from a 50 MW converter and devices are often tailored to specific projects, which means long design times,
difficult implementation and a lot of testing. Advances in power electronic switches will enable converters that, like Lego toys, can be put together to get twice the output. Other key factors for future grids include interoperability. The quest has begun to simplify connections of, say, renewable generators, with standardized technical solutions and eventually a plug-and-play approach. Coordinating actions across the system is also key, so each device knows what to do to contribute to the overall balance. If you have a small STATCOM that only looks at local signals and adjusts its output accordingly, that is like having one citizen who cannot alone change the president: it will not change the overall situation. But if several devices are coordinated, you multiply the effect, like several citizens voting for a new government, and you impact the entire system. So you need to tell each device what to do. This can open the way to pools of small distributed generators acting as virtual power plants. Clearly, power electronics are at a real turning point, with a whole new philosophy and approach. They are poised to play a major role as the need for new applications combines with technical solutions to build a future that is greener and more flexible with respect to distributed energy sources.
M o r e
Patrick Favre-Perrod
Points of comparison
FACTS are a scalable concept used primarily in transmission systems, but will be needed for distribution in the future, says Patrick Favre-Perrod. In distribution, they will fit the same theoretical framework with three categories: series compensation, shunt compensation, and combined. In series compensation, the power system connects to the FACTS in series and works as a controllable voltage source, while in shunt compensation, the connection is parallel and works as a controllable current source. The choice of shunt (e.g., D-STATCOM) or series (e.g., SSSC) or a combination (e.g., DVR, UPFC) will depend on grid requirements. Basically, what you can do with a shunt device such as a static VAR compensator (SVC), you can also do with a series device such as a thyristor-controlled series reactor (TCSR), but you always opt for lowest cost for best performance. Series devices are used for power-flow control, stability and oscillation damping while shunt devices work best for power quality, reactive power compensation and voltage support. And since the world is not black and white, sometimes you need both.
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1 2
3
Natural ester oils for transformerscommonly called vegetable oilsare extracted mainly from rapeseed (see illustration 1), soya and sunflower. Alstom Grid R&D is increasingly studying different types of natural ester oils such as rapeseed and soya bean oils but also blends of mono and tri ester (see illustration 2). Until now, all Alstom Grid power transformers were filled with natural ester oil based on soya beans such as the Luton 90 MVA, 132 kV transformer installed in the U.K. (see illustration 3).
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Main Feature
chapter I
the cold condition. Two options are possible, either to act directly on the oil chemistry or to optimize the energizing procedure. The very biodegradability that makes vegetable oils an environmentally attractive prospect also influences their ageing stability. It makes them slightly more prone to oxidation, causing them to age faster. Nevertheless, this minor issue can be mitigated by the combined action of vegetable oil suppliers and transformer manufacturers (see sidebar).
M o r e
Christophe Perrier
TEST TEST
Breakdown Breakdown Voltage Voltage 2.52.5 mm mm gap gap VDE VDE (kV) (kV)
A A
B B
C C
A A
B B
0 0
C C
SD before SD before
SD after SD after
22
SD before
SD after
Main feature
chapter II
23
Main Features
chapter Ii
Ireland
1,260
Multi-terminal HVDC system for large offshore wind park grid integration
growth will come from the offshore wind parks now being built and planned. Its time to invest time and effort in developing an offshore grid for their connection and interconnection.
The supply of green (environmentally clean), economic (low cost) and reliable power has become a goal. Wind generation, especially in Europe, is in the process of becoming a major contributor toward meeting this goal. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), a think tank, expects wind powers share of electricity demand to increase from 4.1 percent in 2008 to between 14 percent and 17 percent in 2020. This will require the development of new technologies and the introduction of strict Europe-wide rules to maximize efficiency, security and reliability, says Dr. Liangzhong Yao, manager of the network solutions and renewable energy technologies department at the Alstom Grid Research and Technology Centre in Stafford. Likewise, newly installed wind farms will be called on to provide a range of services to the electricity network, including grid support during and after network disturbances, frequency response and active power control, as well as voltage and reactive power control.
United Kingdom
4,051
4,492 3,535
Spain
France
19,149
VSC or LCC?
Europe has made great strides in developing offshore wind power, which is expected to reach 40 GW by 2020. The grid integration of large offshore wind farms over distances of tens, sometimes hundreds, of kilometers is one of the main challenges facing developers and transmission system operators. Almost all offshore wind farms in operation today are connected to the onshore power systems through undersea HVAC transmission cables. Due to the high capacitance of shielded power cables, the length of such AC cables for practical use is limited by the capacitive charging current of the cable. However, this can be overcome by
using HVDC, since there will be no charging current in the DC cables thanks to the constant DC voltage. HVDC technology can be used to transport electricity over long distances or to interconnect different power systems whose grid frequencies are not synchronized. HVDC transmission systems, based on either voltage source converter (VSC) or conventional line commutated converter (LCC) technologies, have been identified as an alternative to HVAC connections. They have the advantages of a fully controlled power flow, transmission distance unaffected by cable charging currents, fewer
24
Finland
M o r e
146
Roger Critchley
142
3,465
1,560 91
Latvia Lithuania
28
Netherlands
2,229
Belgium
563
Germany
Poland
25,777
725
Czech Republic
Luxembourg
35
192
Austria
3 201
995
Hungary Romania
14
Italy
4,850
Bulgaria
177
Greece
1,087
Source: EWEA annual report 2009
cables, etc. While both technologies have been considered for large offshore wind farm grid integration, VSC is superior to LCC in terms of independent active and reactive power control, fast system control and the fact that there is no need for an external voltage source, Dr. Yao adds.
Offshore DC grid
Connecting an offshore wind farm to one grid is only the first step. Several studies have come to the conclusion that a multiterminal HVDC (MTDC) transmission system, based on VSC technology, could interconnect a number of large offshore
wind farms, and indeed, connect them to more than one countrys grid. This could deliver significant economic and environmental benefits: - Better economical utilization of the grids through shared use - Better power transfer capability - Better security of supply for customers - Better power trading/sharing between various grid entry points or countriesa harmonized approach to capacity allocation and balancing provisions - Maximized grid capacities for each time horizon (intraday and day-ahead). Some European countries have huge
One of the enormous benefits that modern VSC-based HVDC has over LCC is the availability of suitable new extruded cable technologies using a polymeric insulating material (XLPE). Such cables are strong and flexible as well as having a lower cost than their mineral-insulated, mass-impregnated counterparts required for LCC. XLPE-based cables with VSC HVDC converters provide an economic and much more adaptable technology for both underground and underwater power interconnections than the classic line-commutated HVDC system, says Roger Critchley, Power Electronics, Strategy & Collaborative Developments Manager at Alstom Grids Stafford Research & Technology Centre. VSC cables enable a practical overland HVDC interconnection system because the cable is lightweight and smaller in diameter, so longer lengths can be accommodated on each cable drum. Magnetic fields are eliminated and right of way is narrower, making them an ideal solution as inner-city in-feeders. Submarine VSC cables are also available. VSC XLPE cables are available today for ratings up to 1,200 MW at 320 kV.
1. Conductor 2. Conductor screen 3. Insulation 4. Insulation screen 5. Swelling tape 6. Metallic sheath 7. Inner sheath 8. Bedding tape 9. Armor 10. Outer serving
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Main Features
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plans to increase offshore wind generation capacity, especially in the North and Baltic Seas. This could well be a catalyst to develop an offshore grid architecture using the MTDC concept. In particular, it could create the junction of the North, Central West and France, U.K. and Ireland regional initiatives into a single region, possibly with the inclusion of the Baltic initiative at a later stage. This would create an offshore DC grid with transmission lines serving both as interconnectors and connections for offshore wind farm clusters. One such project is currently under way at the Kriegers Flak location in the Baltic Sea between Denmark, Sweden and Germany to connect the three offshore wind farms at a newly developed multiterminal, probably with offshore HVDC backto-back technology. It has received the support of the European Commission. Large wind farms connected in this way by MTDC can potentially provide significant contributions to transmission network operation, e.g., frequency regulation, power
system stabilization, etc. The ability of VSCbased HVDC technology to provide independent active and reactive power control can be utilized to support the transmission network, with resulting technical and economic benefits to the network operators.
case of faults, since the DC circuit breaker must dissipate the energy stored in the cable or line and withstand the system voltage. Their task is even more demanding if the AC-DC conversion is performed by VSC. The current rises very rapidly in case of DC short circuits due to the rapid discharge of DC capacitors, so a DC breaker has to break much faster than an AC breaker; - Operation and control strategies for MTDCDC grid voltage control, power sharing and dispatch among the connected AC grids, voltage and frequency support of the connected AC grids, etc; - MTDC fault management. Alstom Grid, with its considerable expertise in offshore wind parks, has been investing R&D effort on MTDC. We are focusing on the technical issues in developing costeffective solutions for new DC circuit breakers, new VSC HVDC technologies, and coordinated control strategies for normal and abnormal operations of MTDC, Dr.Yao stresses.
Currently existing Currently planned Under study Under study with EWEA recommendation EWEA recommended grids by 2020
EWEA
26
As wind farms move offshore, a whole new set of challenges has arisen
The first offshore substations
Offshore substations come in different basic designs. The first is a classic jacket/topside structure, like Barrow, inspired by oil and gas industry rigs. Alstom Grid, currently No. 1 in turnkey projects in this field with a 36 percent market share (eight of 22 projects worldwide), engineered, supplied and assembled the electrical equipment for the substation platform. Yet, when it was ready for loading, it took days for a suitable weather window to open up. And then there was the corrosion; the sea is, after all, a humid, temperature-swinging, saline environment. Alstom Grids second project in the U.K.the Robin Rigg project had a design similar to Barrow. The next project was in Germany, where the Alpha Ventus platform, another jacket/topside structure, had a patented 110/33 kV 60 MVA ONAN cooled power transformer with a hermetic design. It required less maintenance, thanks to its specific design and fewer auxiliary items. Borkum West II, also in Germany, will consist of two 225 MW 33/155kV power transformers and an innovative seawater cooling system. Clearly, though, more adjustments were needed. It costs a lot to install piles in the seabed and lift heavy platforms for installation using special crane vessels at approximately 1 million a lift. Then there is the weather. But the real problem is the whole design approach. The form was already there, and we had to fit the equipment to the deck structure, which is complicated and not very efficient, says Hpfner.
Innovative solutions
As a result, Alstom Grid started to develop a full platform concept that reduces
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Main Features
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After completion of the commissioning test, the three-deck, buoyant pontoon is shipped to its offshore location using only four tug vessels.
On arrival at the field, the pontoon is placed in its final position, and the steel tube legs lowered such that the suction cans barely penetrate the seabed.
expenditure and risks during construction, installation and operations. The basic idea is that form has to follow function, not the other way around. The solution came as a self-floating, selfinstalling platform, based on those developed in the oil and gas industry. The Alstom Grid offshore platform consists of a substructure with cable guides and a large pontoon that contains the transformer and substation equipment, protecting it from the aggressive atmosphere. These are assembled at shore and towed out to sea, where the substructure is lowered. The process reduces the need for offshore vessels (no cranes), has a shorter installation time (jacket and topside in one piece), is environmentally compatible if suctions cans can be applied (no ramming that could harm marine life), and the foundation can be
completely removed when operation ceases. Another system under development combines the advantages of the traditional jacket with a self-floating system. The idea here is to create a smaller structure that uses less steel, bringing down the price. This solution also resolves a cabling issue. Every offshore substation has to pull heavy cablesup to 50 m at up to 100 kg/m (depending on the cable type)up from the seabed to deck level. This solution pulls them up centrally through an opening in the middle of the platform, rather than up the cable guides mounted at the legs. This makes them easier to handle, Hpfner explains.
The future
Where are these innovations leading? At the moment its very hard to find a standardized solution, says Hpfner. The problem is that
each wind farm project is completely different. In the Baltic Sea, there will be problems with ice and snow load, so the structure has to be more solid and at the same time lighter. Other projects will have different site-specific conditions, needs or cost restrictions. In addition, each customer has its own view of operational requirements for the electrical system design, i.e., level of redundancy, availability and maintainability. For now, however, it seems that the big advantage is fully integrated design, providing a turnkey solution, including substructure and installation, with no interface management issues and fewer technical risks. The ultimate in form follows function. Alstom Grid is well placed to establish this solution as a standard for the many forthcoming projects in the North and Baltic Seas.
28
The pontoon, with its working deck, main deck and cable deck, is then lifted to its final height and secured approximately 20meters above the sea level.
M o r e
Uwe Gierer
29
Main Features
chapter Ii
Rail transportation
London to Beijing in two days by train is still but a dream! However, current economic trends coupled with environmental concerns are giving a boost to rail transportation. Politicians, business leaders and the public realize the importance of rail as a sustainable means of transportation, and massive investment plans to modernize and expand rail networks are on the drawing board. The market for railroad equipment is therefore promising, and the growth outlook for international corridors will give renewed momentum to this mode of transportation. However, it is a complex environment due to the fact that rail networks are historically different from one another. Infrastructure development is very uneven from country
to country, and compared with other modes of transportation, rail depends on a wide range of technologies such as broad gauge or supply voltage. Excluding diesel, electric railroad equipment operates through a single technology powered by an external energy supply (mostly via a catenary). Within this single technology, two norms are expected to work side by side, with some systems using AC power supply and some DCand some both. To respond to this particular situation and move progressively to intermodal railroad vehicles able to operate on different networks, existing multi-system traction transformers must be increasingly adapted to train manufacturers and operators needs in terms of weight, space constraints and
price. Until today, transformer technology was the same for mono- and multi-network operation.
30
reactor (DC filtering). Alstom Grids new SWIFT technology (Secondary Windings as Input Filter Technology) integrates the two to reduce the transformers weight, dimensions and price. Abdelillah El-Brighli, R&D manager on the project, explains: The aim with SWIFT is to reuse the transformers secondary windings as a filtering reactor when shifting from a line with AC to one with DC supply systems. In DC mode, this reconfigured reactor mainly mitigates harmonic currents created by the converters. It is also a reserve of electrical energy for the converters connected downstream in a transitional
stage, and it fixes a minimal impedance of the traction machine seen from the overhead line. Although the product itself is new, development effort could be devoted entirely to the technology, since there are no special materials required within the transformer tank and no additional requirements concerning the industrial aspects. This helps keep manufacturing costs down, with
obvious benefits for customers. The projects technical aims were ambitious though, and included avoiding steep variations in inductance when the DC current is near zero, and having a winding portion that is short circuited by external switchgear when the transformer is used in DC mode. Complete engineering design of the mock-up was completed in October 2009 and final tests started in March 2010 to validate the calculation methods for inductance as a function of DC current using measurements of self and mutual
31
Main Feature
chapter II
M o r e
DC/AC Inverters
DC/AC Inverters
Transformer
Traction Motors
Traction Motors
Traditional Solution
DC Catenary ( 1.5 kVDC or 3.0 kVDC )
DC/AC Inverters
Traction Motors
Traction Motors
SWIFT Solution
Train on-board transformer, before and after
inductance at four stages: a dry test without the magnetic core; with magnetic core but without parallel connection of primary windings; with magnetic core after connecting the primary windings in parallel; and with AC+DC superimposed current. The tests validated the technical concept of SWIFT and proved that the goals concerning weight and size reduction were realistic. Even allowing for 200 kg of switching gear,
SWIFT reduces the weight of a 6,800 kg transformer by 430 kg, while at the same time shrinking depth from around 3,750 mm to 3,150 mm. According to El-Brighli, SWIFT reinforces Alstom Grids reputation for innovative, reliable, cost-effective solutions in one of the most promising sectors of a market with potential sales of over 1,000 units a year in Europe and 1,700 in Russia alone.
32
Main feature
chapter IiI
33
Main feature
chapter IiI
Process 1
FAILURE
Process 2
Failure detection
Process 3
TRIP ORDER
Failure detection Repair time
Todays circuit-breaker monitoring systems do more than merely monitor. They assess, analyze, diagnose and dispatch information to users wherever they are. Our team has been working with monitoring systems since the early 1990s, says Jean-Pierre Dupraz, Innovation Department Manager in Villeurbanne. They installed prototypes to monitor FX32D 550kV circuit breakers in North America. However, those systems only transmitted raw data with no analysis. In those days, data just went from point to point, and the systems microcontrollers were powered by now-ancient 8-bit microprocessor chips.
34
Failure detection
Repair time
Available
Time scale
Repair time
Available
Monitoring systems play a critical role in enhancing network availability. Without monitoring and preventive maintenance, the time lag between a fault and its detection and then repair (i.e., unavailability time) can be significant. Preventive maintenance can shorten this time lag; however, with a modern monitoring system, failure detection is instantaneous, and the non-availability period is limited to the repair time. A major plus for network owners and users.
Available
to expert communicators
It was a period of building for the future, says Dupraz. We were learning what customers needed to monitor: SF6 gas, electrical wear and tear, primary contact arcing time and control circuit voltage supply. Mid-1990, Alstom Grid was marketing its first circuit-breaker monitoring system, CBWatch1. It was designed to keep an eye on SF6 insulating gas, in response to customer demand. When the temperature drops, SF6 liquefies, is topped up by a technician, then, when the weather gets warmer, reverts to its gaseous state and expands. This eventually damages conventional circuit breakers and causes leakage, which can harm the environment. CBWatch1 monitors the leakage rate over weeks, months and years, then computes average figures that it transmits to the manufacturer or regulatory agencies. CBWatch1 was a technical breakthrough, using smart sensors (i.e., sensors with embedded microprocessors and digital communication transceivers) to demonstrate that sensitive technology can be used in the harsh environment of switchgear. Sensors were screwed onto dead-tank enclosures and connected to the CBWatch1 with copper wires. Now, more than 15,000 similar smart sensors are installed worldCBWatch2: A great stride in ICT technology.
35
Main feature
chapter IiI
Alstom Grid dead tank and live tank circuit breakers can be equipped with CBWatch2 to monitor such parameters as SF6 insulating gas, electrical wear and tear, primary contact arcing time and control circuit voltage supply, and provide network operators with clear malfunction alerts.
wide as key components of the sophisticated BWatch3 GIS monitoring system, directly screwed onto GIS enclosures and interconnected with copper wires and process bus.
microprocessors, while wireless communication has multiplied the size, speed and directions of data flow and reduced response times to milliseconds. Perhaps the most significant development came with the release of IEC 61850, a substation automation standard for communicating and storing data. These protocols, which can run over TCP/IP and substation LANs, combine with the Web to make communications the most important function of monitoring systems. We all speak the same language now, Dupraz sums up. Costs have tumbled, too. There are no more software-related expenses or bundles of cop-
36
per wire, as data travels via a single wire or optical cable through the local networkand into the cyber ether. Systems are independent of software platforms, so all users require is a PC and a Web browser to check circuitbreaker status wherever they are. They no longer have to go to the substationthe system comes to them! We use off-the-shelf sensors to make life easier for users, says Thierry Jung, Alstom Grid High Voltage Sensors and Electronics Operational Manager. No training, no problem interpreting data. CBWatch1 and CBWatch2 continuously monitor component and condition status, and provide clear, simple malfunction alerts. Maintenance teams can upload additional data or intervene remotely to control the circuit breaker. A newly developed system, SICU4, also controls some circuit-breaker functions. If, for example, a coil-related problem arises, it will immediately trip.
monitoring systems help make primary equipment safer and cheaper to run, and also extend service life. But customers want them to do more. Increasingly, they want compact digital expert systems that can also perform intelligent fault diagnosis and offer operator support, says Jung. We have an expert system working for the Brazilian utility Furnas Centrais Eletricas, explains Jung, Weve integrated a CBWatch2 into an MS2000 power transformer monitor. Its now monitoring in four more substations. Expert systems work by constantly monitoring and processing signals from sensors, then comparing and assessing them against an estimated state according to defined rules. If a conflict arises, it takes action according to a fault scenario. Expert systems are the future of monitoring. Jung believes that collaboration with customers can help. If customers shared monitoring information with us, we could build a whole history and use it to enrich the systems knowledge base. But the human factor is an obstacle. Often, people are reluctant to part with their information. Ironic, given that todays monitoring systems are such great communicators.
37
Main feature
chapter IiI
Hackers have proliferated at great speed. Anyone or anything connected to a network is a potential target. None more so than the electricity network. So cyber security is high on the agendas of utilities, suppliers and regulators alike.
In 1971, Bob Thomas wrote an experimental self-replicating program, and computer viruses were born. Weve come a long way since then. Last May, President Obama stated: Americas economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cyber security. The President also revealed that cyber attacks have already plunged entire cities into darkness, although not in the United States. And according to national security
38
Primary Control Center Data Acquisition Domain Control System LAN CS Field Device Communication Infrastructure Substations Dedicated Communication Path Primary Production EMS Domain Active Directory Logging Servers Logging DB CCM Server HMIs Control Room Printer Secure DNP3 IEC 62351-5 Data Acquisition Servers
EMS Server
DB
PDS Console
Business Servers
Business Workstations
Corp. Printer
Internet
FIREWALL
HTTPS
Firewall
IDS/IPD
by the economies of scale that commercial information technologies such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, and the Internet itself make possible. There is a downside though, as Sharon Xia, Security Architect at Alstom Grid, explains. Control systems used to be isolated, but now we can link them using standard IT infrastructures and protocols, for both critical and non-critical communications. This has numerous advantages
for network design, control and reliability. But at the same time, because the various hardware and software components are well known, cyber attacks are easier too, and they can target a number of installations all using similar equipment.
defense. Take the sheer number of actors involved for a startjust about every room in every building in every town and village in the developed world is linked in. Apart from the distributed nature of the network, the complexity of control systems themselves complicates matters. They may contain hundreds of hosts, devices and applications, interconnected via Ethernet, modem, wireless, etc., to allow
39
Main feature
chapter IiI
M ore
Sharon Xia
many types of users to access different system components and functionalities. For Sharon Xia, this means that security cannot be conceived as a kind of barrier that will stop an attack at some point along the line. By then it would be too late. Each component and layer of the network has to be designed with security in mind. Our clients need to reduce costs, and part of this means operating in an open, heterogeneous environment. But its often a hostile environment as far as cyber risks are concerned, and we have to foresee and forestall these risks at every turn. Alstom Grid defines security as ensuring the availability, integrity and confidentiality of energy management, distribution and generation systems, but these are only part of the service. Cyber criminals are interested in marketing systems as well, so security has to include these layers too.
Each component or layer of the network has to be designed with security in mind.
Four-step security
Alstom Grids overall approach integrates four different levels of security into the infrastructure. In a secure network architecture, the network is segmented into multiple security zones, each with a specific security policy to ensure perimeter protection (firewalls, IDS/IPD, etc.) and access control. It provides multiple layers of defense against cyber attacks. At the host layer, servers and workstations are hardened to minimize the attack surface. Access control is enforced to allow authorized access only. Most cyber attacks target the vulnerability
of operating systems and applications, for example, using buffer overflows, SQL Injection and cross-site script, meaning that enhanced application security is a critical component of product quality assurance. For the application layer, Alstom Grid software and firmware offer additional security features, such as authentication, authorization and auditing to help customers meet security standards and regulations such as NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards CIP-002 to CIP-009. To secure data on the wire, Alstom Grid software and firmware support international security standard protocols (SSL, IEC/ISO/ISA, WS-Security standards) for communicating among Alstom Grid applications and with third-party applications. In practice, this means that access control, data security, and audit and monitoring functionality must be available in field devices, IED/PLCs, networks and applications. If ease of management was the only criterion, centralized access control would be implemented everywhere. This, however, is difficult when the RTUs and IEDs are located in geographically isolated areas, so local autonomy requirements have to be met, too. Attackers strategies are evolving all the time, and even the best-designed defense may have vulnerabilities. As Sharon Xia says, An attacker only has to be lucky once. We have to be on our guard 24/7. Thats why we have a sophisticated, vigilant response capacity bringing together both in-house experts and user groups to identify potential problems and solve them before they can be exploited.
Defense in depth
The control system of an electricity grid has to allow various types of users to access different system components and functionalities. To do so, it may contain hundreds of hosts, devices and applications, all interconnected via proprietary or, increasingly, commercial technologies such as Ethernet, modem or wireless networks. Many components and software packages were designed at a time when computer viruses were a marginal phenomenon and cyber attacks aimed at crippling a network were unheard of. With the development of smart grids and the need for control system components to communicate among themselves and with other parts of the grid, these legacy components are the weak link in the cyber defense chain. Thats why Alstom Grid is helping clients to modernize their equipment and systems, inspired by a tactic known in military circles as defense in depth: building redundant, multi-tiered networks, systematically analyzing potential technical, human or organizational failures, and defining and implementing a series of independent lines of defense to protect against any consequences.
40
Typical architecture of a MODERN digital substation: protection, control, measuring and monitoring functions
DATA TRANSMISSION NETWORK Bay Computer SENSOR PROTECTION
IEC 61850 8.1
SNTP
Load Centers
IRIG B
Modem
IEC 60870 5-101
AVR RS232
Switches Merging Unit IEC 61850 9.2 Merging Unit NCIT (Non Conventional Instrument Transformers) Switch
Gateway
SNTP
Modem
Remote Access
What power system operator wouldnt want to be able to scan the system constantly to have real-time, in-depth knowledge of how it is responding, of where its weakest point is, of what needs upgrading next? Such knowledge is more and more critical in a world where grids are working dangerously close to their operational limits, where there is a small margin between actual performance and peak demand, and where under these circumstances risks of failure are everpresent. Recent technological advances are providing solutions that could not have even been imagined 10 to 15 years ago. Franois Gallon, GIS Technical Director, explains,
41
Main feature
chapter IiI
Once they are connected, they need to communicate, both within the substation but also with the greater system at large. In the past, there was an abundance of different protocols, and a lot of effort went into making them all communicate, even though interoperability would clearly be an advantage to both users and suppliers. As a result, in 1995, an IEC project group began working on developing the IEC 61850 protocol that set out to cover all substation needs with, for example, the IEC 61850-8-1 for station buses and the more recent IEC 61850-9-2 for process buses. Currently, suppliers are working to adopt the latter, as the IEC 61850-8-1 is already well known. It took only a few years from the time it came out before first tenders were requiring it.
What is at stake is to guarantee end users complete interoperability. Once you have interoperability, Gallon says, it becomes as simple as plug and play, reducing engineering and labor costs and giving end users a new degree of freedom. In addition, suppliers will have no limits to their creativity and performance when it comes to developing new monitoring and measurement systems.
42
M ore
Emmanuelle Catz
of the system. Several current and voltage sensors have been developed and tested in the field, and are currently being or have already been adapted to the latest IEC 61850 requirements. These can be divided into basically three families of application. NCITs are electronic or optical devices to measure current and voltage sources. Application of CITs, or conventional instrument transformers, reuse existing sensors and adapt them to the digital substation, while CB/SWs are another form of IED that use the same protocols to plug in a circuitbreaker controller and its monitoring of the local area network. Alstom Grid now plans to deliver a comprehensive range of industrial applications. So take high-octane computer power, add
communications protocols, NCITs and advanced condition-monitoring algorithms of primary devices and you get a fully digital substation, which will not only optimize overall lifecycle costs, it will be easier to use. Asset managers will have a crucial tool that, with less wiring and fewer commissioning tests, enables preventive maintenance and can extend transformer and switchgear lifetime. These substations will be modular, so they can be tailored to system needs, and open to third-party devices. It will be easy to retrofit protection and controls schemes with minimal outage constraints. Ultimately, operators will have a smarter grid, with better, more complete real-time situational awareness, making the system more available and secure.
43
Cross-perspectives
o f intellectual property
Three views on protecting and leveraging intellectual property. Patent protection of the companys major technology solutions is clearly vital.
Grard Poulin
The importance
solutions and safeguard that differentiation. Patented solutions have an advantage over non-protected ones, which can be copied and marketed by competitors. Patent protection of the companys major technology solutions is clearly vitalprovided it covers its major markets.
A patent is a key strategic tool. It bestows exclusive ownership of an innovation on its holder and enables the company to protect its market. It also rewards the companys R&D effort by preserving its technological edge. A patent can also be used to grant licenses to others and therefore generate income.
A companys intellectual property policy should focus on R&D awareness of the issues and devising means to identify and protect internal innovation. This structure should have three objectives: protect innovation by trademark or patent, monitor the market for abuses and take the necessary legal action and respect the rights of others.
China has a long history of invention and innovation, but a short one in intellectual property. However, Chinese patent protection is now quite exhaustive. The main problem is to get ones rights respected. Here, China is introducing effective tools, particularly since the innovative Chinese companies themselves are the victims of patent infringement. However, it is still not easy for a European to take advantage of these tools. We recommend taking an aggressive intellectual property position in China and using the services of a European intellectual property specialist with a sound network in China.
A patent is a title deed describing an invention and identifying its inventor and its owner. It enables the owner to prevent others from using the patented invention. It is the only legal weapon enabling its owner to successfully sue a competitor who attempts to use the invention. A patent is also a company asset and a reflection of the companys technical prowess.
The biggest risk is not to be concerned with intellectual property, meaning others can copy your work and benefit from your research free of charge. Carrying out research without patenting the results means working for the other side! Also, a company with no patents is blocked by the competitions patents. That means extra effort to find another solution or extra spending on licenses.
One company objective is to differentiate through technological solutions; what roles do patents play?
Carrying out research without patenting the results means working for the other side!
Frdric Cogniat
A major aim is to differentiate through technological solutions. What role do patents play here?
That is precisely the purpose of patents to protect the most innovative technology
All differentiating solutions developed to respond to user expectations should be patented. The strategy for filing such patents needs to be carefully thought out in the framework of the overall strategy for developing the patent portfolio. Issues such as what is the right time and what areas technological and geographicalshould be covered.
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Brevalex
Grard Poulin Intellectual Property Consultant and Patent Attorney
Alstom Grid
Frdric Cogniat Director Contracts and Intellectual Property Management
China is changing dramatically in the area of intellectual property. We can now consider its IP system to be similar to that of the European countries. Chinese innovators are filing practically as many patents as Europe and the United States, and legal proceedings against infringement have increased considerably, with remarkable fines. So we should consider China as any other country that is key to our business. We have systematically filed patents there for several years and recently expanded our Chinese intellectual property team.
Patents have many roles: informative (the patent is published); defensive (to discourage competitors); cooperative (to promote cross-licensing); aggressive (to sue infringers); and financial (as a guarantee for a loan or as a company asset). A company can leverage any or all of these functions when filing a patent.
Companies endeavor to differentiate through technology. What is the role of patents here?
A key use of patents is to build a protective wall around an inventive concept and exclude others from making the same product or using the same process. Filing a patent can also be used by a company to show potential clients its technical ability.
There are several. For example, the multiplicity of intellectual property rights such as design patents, copyright, trademarks, etc. Furthermore there are important regional differences. A company needs a clear strategy on which rights to use and where. And with special regard to the European markets there is the question of when the longawaited European Community Patent will come, a unitary patent throughout the European Union. This new type of patent could replace the current bundle of nationally enforceable patents and thus lead to a substantial increase in patenting efficiency, combined with significant cost reduction for all parties involved.
The legal basis of the Chinese patent law is almost a copy of the European one. The problem has been one of enforcement, but this is rapidly improving. There is a major project between the European Commission and China, the so-called EU-China Project IPR2, to improve the effectiveness of IPR enforcement in China. Within this project the European Patent Office was selected as the implementing organization. This all means that the main pre-conditions for a secure patent system in China are present and the situation will steadily improve.
45
Electricity Lore
AEGs SD335 six-system analog statical distance protection relay for high voltage grids (1980).
46
The reliability
Gaining speed
All distance protection devices on the market up until then still used a steady time characteristic. For such devices the basic time period was 0.5 to 1 s and the trip time 1 to 5 s. Further development and the application of electromagnetic devices made trip times of less than 0.3s possible. The highspeed distance protection device was born. The trend to reduce tripping times stemmed from the need to avoid power swings and to consider ever-growing short-circuit power levels. In 1937 this led to
47
Electricity Lore
1.
the introduction of metallic rectifiers in protection technology. At the end of the Second World War this development led to bridge-connected rectifier circuits, thanks to which tripping times of less than 0.1s were achieved. The development of electromechanical protection devices practically reached perfection for over two decades, and even today they still represent the backbone of much protection equipment deployed in electrical energy systems.
M lay SD4 tance re terface in ast dis t 1. F n e adjustm 124 Setting 2. relay SD distance st a F . 3 3.
2.
A YTG-relay
1890s
Introduction of the first bulk-oil circuit breakers and current transformers and the development of inverse-time over-current protection devices
1922 1923
1937
1904 1918
Rapid market acceptance of the AEG distance protection device, known as the Biermanns Distance Relay
1927 1930
Dr. P. Meyer AG proposes current-carrying thermal elements Creation of the English Electric Company (EE)
48
M o r e
Rudolf Simon
five-year intervals. The Quadramho was designed for phase and ground fault protection of sub-transmission and distribution lines. It is a full-scheme design, which contains two phase comparators together with self-testing logic offering considerable performance and reliability improvements. The Optimho uses multi-processor hardware, with microprocessors used in the measuring circuits to produce a direct software equivalent of the hardware phase comparator used in early generations. The LFZR distance protection relay was then followed by the latest generation of devices, Alstom Grids MiCOM. Distance protection, therefore, has long been a tradition at Alstom Grid and a specialty that continues to evolve today.
A career in protection
Dr. Rudolf Simon joined AEG in the Protection Department in 1993. Ive been working in the same building ever sincebut for several companies: AEG, GEC Alsthom, Alstom, AREVA T&D and now Schneider Electric! He was soon appointed product manager, the interface between development and the market. When I started, digital technology was already in use, though we were still using hybrid solutionsanalog for measuring circuits, digital for the decision-making processes. All three major Alstom Grid sites (France, Germany, the U.K.) were working in parallel, and the MiCOM range reflects the regional developments. There was no uniform distance protection philosophy; different relays incorporated different specs. GE was U.K./U.S.A. oriented, AEG Central Europe, and France oriented toward Southern Europe. The result is that the range covers all requirements. The challenge wasand still isto find the best way for a solution that satisfied everyone. With our different roots, we learned from each other, and worked together like a family. We are still doing it, as we cooperate on the next generation that will merge more of the regional specifics.
1968
GEC Measurements formed from English Electric, AEI and Chamberlain & Hookam
Free standing Micromho
1984
1980
Micromho announced by GEC, the first distance protection relay produced at the Stafford laboratory to incorporate microprocessor technology
1985 1990
Alstom brings out the first MiCOM distance protection systems P442 and P437
49
Further Reading
The following publications will give you more in-depth insight into some of the subjects covered in this issue of Think Grid.
See Also
w w w . e sc o r ts p r o j e ct . e u
Power System Control and Stability (IEEE Press Power Engineering Series)
Authors: Paul M. Anderson, A. A. Fouad Publisher: Wiley-IEEE Press; 2nd edition (October 17, 2002)
ESCoRTS is a work group made up of members from European Union process industries, utilities, manufacturers of control equipment and research institutes. Their mission is to help improve cyber security of control and communications equipment and develop appropriate standards. The groups aims are to disseminate best practice on security of SCADA systems, accelerate convergence of SCADA standards, and promote cyber security test facilities. Its work plan covers five main actions: Complete a survey of needs for SCADA security Identify and evaluate best practice Stimulate standards convergence Establish requirements for test platforms Disseminate information and advice.
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Husum Wind is a long-standing major international wind energy trade fair and an important meeting place for industry opinion leaders and decision makers. The congress includes over 60 specialized programs animated by some 150 speakers from all over the world. The 39,000 m2 exhibition will be the meeting point for about 800 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors from 70 countries.
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CIGRE 2010, organized by CIGREs Canadian National Committee, attracts engineers, decision-makers, economists and academics to discuss recent developments. This years theme is Power System Solutions for a Cleaner, Greener World. The conference will focus on four areas: renewable resources; innovation for efficient power system management; power systems of the future; and the changing role of the power system workforce.
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Grid-L1-Think Grid 07-2374-V2010_08-EN - Alstom. Alstom, the Alstom logo and any alternative version thereof are trademarks and service marks of Alstom. The other names mentioned, registered or not, are the property of their respective companies. The technical and other data contained in this document are provided for information only. Neither Alstom, its officers nor employees accept responsibility for or should be taken as making any representation or warranty (whether express or implied) as to the accuracy or completeness of such data or the achievements of any projected performance criteria where these are indicated. No liability is accepted for any reliance placed upon the information contained in this brochure. Alstom reserves the right to revise or change these data at any time without further notice. Printed on paper made with pure ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) ecological cellulose produced from trees grown in production forests under responsible management, and selected recycled three-layer fibers.