17C-SUB-1

ADVANCED MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUBSTATIONS

Jacques Beaupré (Project Engineer)
Hydro-Québec
Unité Commande, Ingénierie
1806, boul. Lionel-Boulet
Varennes, Québec, Canada J3X 1S1
E-mail: beaupre.jacques.2@hydro.qc.ca
Fax: (450) 652-8599, Tel.: (450) 652-8630
Mario Lehoux (Pro. Engineer) Pierre-Alain Berger (Sales
ACE Experts-Conseils Inc Manager)
1527 Highway Laval West, room 210 GE-HARRIS
Laval, Québec, Canada H7L 3W3 4525 Manilla Road S.E.
E-mail: ace.experts@videotron.ca Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G 4B6
Fax: (450) 973-8580 Tel.: (450) 973-3186 E-mail: pierreb@hdap.com
Fax: (403) 243-1815, Tel.: (403) 214-4570

Abstract - The implementation of Intelligent Electronics
Devices (IED) for monitoring and diagnostics of substation
apparatus is becoming a de-facto way of doing things in the
substation world. Typically most of these IEDs are still used
as stand-alone subsystems. The primary challenge for the
coming years is collecting and integrating the data from all
these super subsystems into a powerful and secure control
system that can serve as a platform for apparatus monitoring
today and advanced diagnostic expert systems in the future.
The IREQ High-Power Laboratory is currently in the process
of upgrading the existing complex SCADA system that
controls more than 500 switches and breakers from 80kV to
735 kV. Based on Ethernet, Internet TCP/IP and the IEEE
Recommended Practice for IED Communications (IEEE Std
1379), IREQ is working on a new Control System
Architecture involving DNP 3.0 and UCA 2 specifications.
This new integrated control system will provide all current
SCADA control requirements as well as provide a means of
integrating data from a wide range of IEDs for the purpose of
equipment monitoring and diagnostics.
I. INTRODUCTION
The IREQ’s High-Power Laboratory is part of Hydro-
Québec’s research institute, IREQ, which is located
some 30 km from downtown Montréal.
Built to study various phenomena, such as electric
power arcs or short-circuit currents, and their effects on
the system equipment, the high-power laboratory offers
the entire range of voltages and powers needed to test
present-days systems operating at up to 765 kV.
The purpose of these tests is to check whether
electrical equipment conforms to standards and
specifications (ANSI, IEC, CSA, etc.) The tests are also
designed to meet the specific requirements of
manufacturers and electrical utilities.
The direct testing installations comprise a high-
voltage station, a medium-voltage station and a high-
current station. Tests are performed up to 3,000 MVA,
three phases or 2,300 MVA, one phase. With special
arrangement, these ratings can be increased.
As an example, the high-voltage test station has been
designed for testing on electrical equipment with
voltage ratings up to 380 kV, three phases, and up to
735 kV phase-to-phase and 425 kV phase-to-ground. It
can provide 70 kA rms symmetrical current with an
asymmetrical peak of 190 kA. The test station is
equipped with two armored cells 32 m long × 19 m
wide × 21 m high.
It also includes an outdoor test area which comprises
a platform measuring 15 m x 15 m and able to
withstand weight up to 400 tonnes and an elevated
platform with a floor area of 3.7 x 3.7 m, insulated at
425 kV, phase-to-ground, and able to withstand up to
200 tonnes in weight.
II. RETROFIT OF THE DATA ACQUISITION
SYSTEM
In order to properly manage the distribution of power
required to configure the different test stations, the
laboratory is using a complex supervisory control and
data acquisition system. This SCADA system is
controlling in 6 different substations, more than 500
objects (switches, breakers, transformers, measurements
units and protection relays). All substations on the site
are connected by underground tunnels.
All the data acquired in the different substations is
collected and transmitted to a master-station located in
the main High-Power laboratory.
The actual data acquisition system has been designed
in early 70’s and was later operating on PDP-11/RSX,
VAX/VMS and now on ALPHA/OpenVMS. The
Control master-station is communicating with 6 CAE
Remote Terminal Units (RTU) on a network. This
sophisticated electronic equipment has been working in
a very harsh environment for almost 30 years.
The system’s maintenance costs are going up every
year mainly because of obsolescence of electronic
equipment and the complexity of the software. The
actual software is using more than 400,000 ANSI C
source code lines and the learning curve for the
maintenance staff is quite long.
 So the IREQ’s High-Power Laboratory maintenance
team is looking for the use of new technologies for the
future SCADA in a retrofit process of the data
acquisition system.
The digital technology is moving so fast that one of
the primary challenge in a retrofit process is to go in
such a way that your investments are protected for as
long as possible. We have to build on a basic
architecture who will give us, for the next years, the
best of industry-leading performance and
price/performance without any major hardware or
software transitions. It’s time to rely on new systems
where we can enjoy a clear and simple road to the
future.
III. THE SUBSTATION NETWORK
The debate for the ideal substation network will still
be running for at least several more years to come.
Everybody is dreaming about one, unique and universal
communication protocol, and the key issue for many
observers is the question of compatibility and migration.
Four primary utility protocol options are emerging,
Modbus, IEC 870-5-101, DNP 3.0 and MMS/UCA 2.0.
This already solves some of the problems of having to
work with a plethora of protocols that our industry had
to contend for the last couple of years.
The first three protocols are already largely available
on the actual market. The last one is suppose to become
the universal protocol of the future. At last there is an
international consensus of having a universal utility
protocol for IEDs interoperability with the preparation
of IEC (IEC-61850) which is using, as input, the
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Utility
Communications Architecture (UCA 2.0)
communication protocol. For the first time all the major
vendors of the utility industry such Siemens, ABB, GE,
Alstom and Schneider are working together with
utilities to define this ideal protocol everybody will
integrate in their future Intelligent Electronic Devices
(IEDs).
For IREQ, it is a priority to design a new SCADA
system fully compliant with the UCA 2.0 concepts.
However, the problem with UCA 2.0 is that most of the
utility industry is still working on pilot projects and the
cost for UCA 2.0 compliant IED’s is still very high and
choice somehow limited.
In early 1994, DNP 3.0 and IEC 870-5-101 were
selected for a Trial Use Recommended Practice for RTU
to IED Communications by the IEEE Substation
Subcommittee. It became IEEE Standard 1379 in 1997.
DNP 3.0 and IEC 870-5-101 are pretty close protocols
but DNP 3.0 IEDs are much more available for the
North American utility market. In addition, there is also
a very active DNP 3.0 Users Group supported by the
major vendors. So that way we can get lot of free
support, become vendor independent and mix IEDs and
software from ABB, Allen-Bradley, Beckwith, CAE,
Cegelec (Alstom), GE, Landis & Gyr, Mitsubishi,
Motorola, Quindar, Power Measurements, Rochester
Instrument, Schweitzer and Siemens. Those are some of
the reasons why IREQ’s priority is building around
DNP 3.0 protocol.
So, the IREQ’s actual challenge is ‘Could we start
building right now our ideal architecture using DNP 3.0
and upgrade later to UCA 2.0, without majors hardware
or software transitions?’
As to the basic requirements for the new integrated
systems, IREQ is looking for a modular approach, so
they can build their system with standard modular
components and spread the cost over many years to
minimise the money impact of the retrofit process. The
system will be built with devices commercially available
and compliant with utility industry standards.
The interoperability is another important feature. The
system will be based on an open and public protocol to
support access by third parties to promote
interchangeability of system elements. The data
exchange must be easy, fast and largely available
between different IEDs provided by multi-vendors.
Easy communications with monitoring devices and
protective relays will be fundamental to provide
advanced diagnostic on primary equipment like
transformers, breakers, capacitors, reactors and
hundreds of motor operated disconnectors. For a
specific short-circuit rating test on equipment, the
setting of protective relays must be change very often,
so communication with these devices is an another
important feature.
The redundancy of the local area network is very
important too because the system should not be out
because a single component failure. So for strategic
equipment, it could worth it to install two IEDs to
prevent failure impacts and to become fail safe.
IV. COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY AND DNP 3.0
Although DNP 3.0 is an IEEE recommended
protocol, Modbus still an interesting one because of its
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availability on the actual industrial market. While there
are hundreds of IEDs using DNP, we can find a
thousand users of Modbus. So most of the time we could
probably find Modbus IEDs at a lower cost than DNP
ones. For a large part of non critical data, Modbus IEDs
are good enough and it is important for the integrated
system to get access to these data even if the
communications system is built on a DNP 3.0 basic
architecture.
However DNP 3.0 is a much more secure protocol for
control in the substation. While Modbus has limited and
basic function codes, DNP 3.0 supports unsolicited
request by exception transactions and has specific
‘Control Function Code’ like ‘Select’ and ‘Operate’ to
perform a SBO (Select Before Operate) function. In
addition, DNP has ‘Time Synchronisation Function
Codes’ that allow to use timestamp for critical data.
An another plus for DNP 3.0 over Modbus is the use
of a ‘Data Object Library’. Just like UCA 2.0, the use of
specific data objects contributes a lot for the flexibility,
reliability and security of the system. UCA 2.0 uses an
object model tool called ‘GOMSFE’ for Generic Object
Models for Substation and Feeder Equipment. So, for
critical operations, we can optimize the use of the same
objects with always the same specific configuration. The
DNP 3.0 library contains over 90 different data objects
specifically oriented for utility applications. For
example, the Data Object 12, Variation 01 is a ‘Control
Relay Output Block’ we use to define the Trip/Close
option to activate a select relay in combination with a
trip or a close relay.
With the Data Object 60, we can define 4 class data
to determine priority of the data. So, depending on how
critical is the data, we select the appropriate class data.
For a very big database and heavy traffic on the LAN,
the management of the data in separate classes is very
helpful to optimize the security of the system.
The substation LAN being considered uses DNP 3.0,
an industry standard highly secure SCADA protocol as
described in IEEE 1379, over Ethernet operating at 10
Mbps. This protocol suite is now referred as the DNP
LAN and is documented by the DNP Users group as the
DNP LAN/WAN Recommended Practices. This
document specifies the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet LAN. IP is
used for the network layer. The transport layer consists
of two protocols; UDP and TCP are adopted as the
“lower half” of the transport layer and the DNP data
link is used for the “upper half”. The application layer
protocol is DNP 3.0. The physical layer is achieved
using 10BaseT, 10Base2 or 10base-FL cable as
required. The LAN allows software and hardware
applications to connect and communicate with each
other via peer-to-peer communication. To ensure
maximum availability, a redundant LAN can also be
installed.
In addition, GE Harris has added the Telnet protocol
running over TCP/IP to provide a virtual connection
function and a subset of the FTP protocol to support the
transport of large files.
Already a few major suppliers in the substation
automation market have stated that they are or will soon
be offering the DNP LAN with their products.
Factors contributing to the growing popularity of the
DNP LAN include:
• Use of the serial (3 layer) DNP 3.0 application and
data link layers over standard TCP/IP and UDP/IP
provides continued familiarity and ease of
implementation.
• Hundreds of successful projects commissioned and
in operation using multiple vendors DNP (serial
DNP) products.
• An active and effective Technical Committee
providing complete definition and documentation
as well as on-going enhancements.
V. THE MAINTENANCE CAPABILITIES
One of the major interest regarding the retrofit of the
actual SCADA system is the increase in maintenance
capabilities.
The communication with protection relays will play a
key role in the next control system. The protection
settings have to be modified in regard with the short-
circuit tests that are involved. In addition, digital
protection relays store a large quantity of data that
maintenance staff can analyze to take preventive
measures on the control system or the primary
equipment.
Transformers monitoring will be another key feature
for the new control system. IEDs like Syprotec
HYDRAN® System, are used to sample the transformer
oil and report concentrations of dissolved combustible
gases. Thermal and electrical stresses breaks down the
dielectric oil into a variety of gases. The gases are
indicative of developing faults in the electrical
apparatus. The HYDRAN® instruments are early
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warning devices that will monitor and detect key-fault
gases dissolved in dielectric oil and alert personnel to
developing fault conditions that could lead to equipment
failures and unscheduled outages.
More specific diagnostic could be made on
transformer with other IEDs like Harley T-MAP 3100
(Transformer Maintenance Action Planner). This unit
is an on-line system that continuously monitors
transformer operating conditions from a remote
location. The system utilizes various input cards for
sensors, modems, partial discharge, power and alarms
to process and analyze data and generate alarms when
data levels exceed user configurable parameters.
IEDs for the monitoring of high voltage breakers and
motor-operated disconnectors are already used as stand
alone systems which could be also integrated into the
new substation control system.
VI. THE ACE EXPERIENCE WITH DNP 3.0 LAN
SUBSTATION NETWORKS
To achieve the retrofit process, the IREQ technical
team is working very closely with integrators like ACE
Experts-Conseils Inc. ACE has been working very
closely with Hydro-Québec in the field of substation
automation for the past couple of years and brings to the
team highly valuable experience.
It is important for IREQ’s team to define its future
architecture based on real technologies that have proved
it’s working now. So the recent experiences of ACE
with integrated substation systems is very helpful for
the team.
Last year ACE was involved in the integration of a
DNP 3.0 Substation Network for a system at the
Syncrude Plant in Northern Alberta (Aurora Project).
Figure 1 show the architecture of the Aurora
Integrated Substation Control System project. That
project includes the automation of two new substations;
D05 site located at Syncrude base plant 50 km North to
Fort McMurray, Alberta and G01 site at the Aurora
approximately 35 km north away from the base plant
site. The Aurora plant GO1 has a gas turbine 100MW,
the energy is transmitted by the HV line at 260kV to
DO5. Each location has two independent substation
local area networks (LAN) using fiber optic cables.
Information is exchanged from the LAN at D05 to the
LAN at G01 via GE-HARRIS D25 units configured as
serial communication gateways at each site. The
communication gateways also are configured to pass
information to other local systems through DCS
(Distributed Control Systems) at their respective sites.
Other D25s in the system are used as IEDs protocol
converters. The system integrates 33 digital protection
relays from ALSTOM, Schweitzer and GE-Multilin.
For ALSTOM relays, the system interface is a
KITZ201 unit for the Courier protocol converter of a
KBUS. Then system integrates data from KVFG,
KVAS, KVAR and LKZR protection relays. For
Schweitzer relays, SEL 2020 units convert protection
relay protocol of SEL 2BFR to DNP 3.0. GE-Multilin
multi-function protection relays SR750 and SR745 are
directly integrated because they are already DNP 3.0
compliant.
All system data is available and accessible via LAN
to the PowerLink substation Graphical User Interface
(GUI) which plays role as the primary control interface
to the system. Animated single line graphics, detailed
graphics, input/output details, communication
diagnostics, alarm management, event recording (SOE
1ms resolution) and control system security functions
are provided for the operation of the power system.
The system uses GPS controlled clocks, one located
at each site, as a time source to synchronized the time of
the various system components. Specified IEDs and all
D25s are connected via the time clock ports to the GPS
controlled clock using copper media. The PowerLink
computers then are time synchronized to one of the
D25s via the LAN. Typically, any IED which uses DNP
3.0 to communicate to a D25 will not require a separate
connection to the GPS controlled clock for the purpose
of time synchronization.
ACE is also presently involved with the Transformer
Monitoring Project for Commonwealth Edison,
Chicago, Illinois. In this project, based on a DNP 3.0
LAN, a Transformer Monitoring Package (TMP) is
designed to provide ComEd’s personnel with
transformer environmental and mechanical data that
will alert them to impeding and potential operational
problems.
Among the transformer’s monitoring points, there
are nitrogen pressure, motor currents (fan, oil pump,
LTC), temperature (main tank, LTC tank, top oil,
winding), LTC position, partial discharge, oil percent
moisture saturation, ppm of combustible gas, oil level
and gas alarms.
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 # number of DNP address GUI G01 #101
Black line DNP protocol LAN A 172.17.20.0
Grey line DNP protocol LAN B 172.17.21.0
172.17.20.101
line irig B signal
172.17.21.101
Dash line other protocol
courier (GEC) or Modbus (HW)
RS232 or RS 485 DNP LAN A/ B

GPS
11 12 1
optical HUB . irig B time sync. 10 2
Modbus RTU
9 3
9600b/s 8 4
DCS master 172.17.20/21.3 2 DNP 172.17.20/21.2 2 172.17.20/21.1 2 7 6 5

DCS TDC3000 serial irig B

4 3 4
link
3
leased line 3
D25 DC #3 D25 BC #2 D25 BC #1 KITZ201
19,2kb/s
Modem
DNP
SEL 2020 #21 serial k :# 1
SR760 #22 link SR745 #11 (T1) courier
LFZR111
RS485
2BFR (211) 2BFR (12)
k :# 2
SR760 #23
2BFR (13) SR745 #12 (UT1) KAVR130
2BFR (21)
GUI D05 #105 k :# 3
2BFR (14) SR760 #24
2BFR (11) KVAS100
172.17.20.105 SR745 #13 GTG
172.17.21.105
k :# 4
SR760 #25
SR750 #14 MH KVGF142

DNP LAN A/B k :# 5

DNP serial
SR760 #26
link GPS KVFG142
SR750 #15 TL1
Modem 11 12 1
optical HUB irig B time sync. 10 2
9 3
8 4
172.17.20/21.4 172.17.20/21.5
3 2 2 7 6 5
SR750 #16 UT1
SEL 2020 #51 irig B
DNP serial 4
CONVERTER #109 link 9600b/s 4 3
A. Bradley PLC SR750 #17 GTG
rs232/
with prosoft KITZ201
D25 DC #4 rs485 D25 BC #5
module 2BFR (511)
k :# 1
courier
SR750 #53 (EMF)
2BFR (73)
RS485 LFZR111 ACE experts conseils inc.
DNP serial 1527 Autoroute Laval O. #210,
link k :# 2 Laval (Qc) Canada H7L 3W3 450 973 3186
DCS Fisher Provox
SR745 #52 (T1) KAVR130 System architecture substation G01 and D05
k :# 4
k :# 3 Cust.: Aurora/ Alstom/ GEH Mario Lehoux P eng.

KVAS100 KVFR142 # : 99-GEH-00-B

Date: 99-03-15

Fig. 1. Architecture of the Aurora Integrated Substation Control System project.

The TMP system is a combination of sensors development and adoption of new technologies and
(current, gas, position) and specific IEDs like Harley industry standards in our markets has allowed
LTC/MAP, GE-Harris D25, Syprotec HYDRAN and introduction of open flexible architectures, based on the
AQUAOIL units. DNP 3.0 protocol and UCA MMS LAN protocol
definitions.
The system is located in the yard close to the
transformer. The D25 use fiber optics to communicate Worldwide, open systems based on a DNP 3.0
data with the existing Valmet Landac or L&N RTU in Substation LAN have been successfully installed in
the substation. virtually every type of SCADA (supervisory control and
data acquisition) environment. These systems brought
VII. THE WORLDWIDE EXPERIENCE WITH DNP together master stations, remote terminal units,
3.0 SUBSTATION LAN communications equipment, user interfaces and other
utility systems into one integrated solution. These
Finally, IREQ is also working closely with GE- substation and distribution automation platforms are
HARRIS mainly because of their worldwide experience complemented by a growing library of automation,
and recent achievements that proved the IREQ’s SCADA and communications software that can be
required integrated system is really working now. tailored to meet unique monitoring, control and
operations needs.
Rapid changes in the industry with the drive for
competitive levels of efficiency and service require As an example, the Abu Dhabi Electric and Water
constant innovation to meet the increasing demand Authority of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is
sophisticated automation and control technology. The building a 132/11KV substation known as W11. Part of

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the scope of supply of integrated Substation Control
Management System referred to as a “SCMS”.
The SCMS project is for one substation and covers
the provision of full SCADA functions and substation
automation at the station level as well as at the bay
level, it also includes system configuration, database
and display definition and interfacing to ALSTOM K-
protection relay schemes.
The SCMS system is based on a distributed
architecture and consists of a Graphical User Interface,
a 10 Mbit/sec Ethernet Fiber DNP 3.0 LAN, a
substation computer with the necessary number of bay
controllers to meet the station point counts and provide
a gateway to the protection system. The interface to the
protection system is provided via a standard emulation
of the Alstom “Courier” protocol. Interfaces to the non-
communicating relays will be provided via hardwired
connection to the Bay Control Units.
In Mexico, CFE awarded a contract for transmission
substations to provide a more advanced technology in
accordance with the new CFE specifications. The
system provides application and primary equipment
monitoring programs plus a better distributed
processing architecture using a Bay Unit Controller.
This system will also provide a friendlier operation and
configuration venue using newer versions of software
with WEB based remote access for the monitoring of
the substation through the CFE corporate Intranet.
The systems include a Graphical User interface,
substation computer serve, bay level controllers and
DNP/Ethernet local area network. The system is
required to interface to over 35 different substation
relays and meters protocols.
CFE is the national utility in Mexico and is among
the world's largest with a total of almost 67,000 km of
transmission lines and over 227,000 km of distribution
lines. The equipment being delivered is part of the CFE
Transmission and Transformation Department's SICLE
program which will ultimately include the automation
of 360 of CFE's high voltage transmission substations.
These solutions can automate key functions,
concentrate data from remote devices, and make
information more accessible for the master station and
other enterprise users.
By applying these engineering philosophies, and
open architectures, we ensure that all the products
provide a long useful life by being compatible and
upgradeable as technology evolves and user
requirements change. Selection of open standards such
as Ethernet, TCP/IP, DNP 3.0, MMS guarantees a full
migration path for the future. Customers can generally
add new hardware and software modules to enhance
their systems as desired without fork-lift replacements.
VIII. CONCLUSION
The retrofit process in which High-Power Laboratory
is involved is not unique to IREQ. All around the
world, utilities, power plants and industrial substations
will need sooner or later to modernize their plant and
add digital integration to stay ahead of the free market
challenge. Just like IREQ, these changes will have to be
made with budget limitation, but if also your plant
managers are still concerned with reliability, security
and stay up to date with high technology capabilities,
the IREQ way could also be your way to do it.
Based on UCA 2.0 architecture, IREQ can start right
now the retrofit process by spreading the budget over
several years with this building block approach.
Based on DNP 3.0 IEEE recommended protocol and
its extension to operate over TCP/IP, IREQ can get
right now the reliability and security they are looking
for in the control process and other strategic
functionality like file transfer and time stamping.
Based on a dual LAN strategy, IREQ can also meet
reliability and security wherever a critical process needs
to be single component failure proof and so the entire
system become fail safe.
Finally starting right now, by building on DNP 3.0
and an open architecture with a strategy to switch
toward UCA 2.0 whenever it will be worth it, IREQ will
protect the largest part of its investments and will be
able to keep its system up to date even if the digital
technology continues to rapidly evolve.
IX. REFERENCES
[1] IEEE Communication Protocol Tutorial, 95 TP 103, 1995.
[2] IEEE Std 1379-1997, IEEE Trial-Use Recommended Practice for
Data Communications Between Intelligent Electronic Devices and
Remote Terminal Units in a Substation.
[3] DNP V3.00 Application Layer, DNP Users Group, Internal File
P009-0PD.APP, Version 0.03.
[4] DNP V3.00 Data Object Library, DNP Users Group, Internal File
P009-0BL, Version 0.02.