Key Takeaways from the PAC World Conference 2024: Shaping the Future of Digital Substations

Despite the scorching temperatures of 35-38°C in Athens, the PAC World Conference 2024 was a hotbed of innovation and knowledge sharing in power system protection and automation. With over 50 insightful presentations, the event showcased the latest advancements, from virtualization and Virtual Protection Automation and Control (vPAC) to the practical applications of IEC 61850 standards.

Highlights included the benefits of digital twins, AI-driven fault analysis, and the implementation of the IEC 61850 Process Bus. The modernization of substations through digitalization, CPC and vPAC The future of digital substations looks promising, driven by innovation and strategic industry collaborations.

My Key Takeaways:

• Testing vPAC is the same as testing IEC 61850 Digital Substations with conventional devices
• Virtualization and vPAC is now a hot topic.
• Digital Twin of an IED is “firmware” virtualization
• More utilities start trials with LF Energy Hypervisor SEAPATH

Over 50 insightful presentations were shared, showcasing the latest advancements in power system protection and automation. From this wealth of knowledge, I have selected a few standout presentations to summarize, providing key insights into the innovative technologies and methodologies shaping our industry.

Enhancing Reliability with Virtual Replicas of Protection Relays

Christopher Pritchard highlights the benefits of digital twins of protection relays in power systems. These virtual models allow for extensive testing and error detection before deploying physical hardware, saving time and costs. Key applications include Protection Automation and Control (PAC) testing, cybersecurity, and substation automation. Digital twins enable early error detection, flexible testing, and enhanced training for new employees. Despite their advantages, digital twins won't replace physical commissioning tests, and their acceptance depends on accurate simulations and transparency. This presentation underscores the importance of digital twins for improved reliability and efficiency in power system protection.

Revolutionizing Power System Protection: AI-Driven Fault Analysis and Outage Prediction

In a presentation by Kezunovic from Texas A&M University, the integration of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) into power system protection and control (PAC) applications is explored. The study addresses how various data, including synchrophasor and environmental data, can be used to enhance fault analysis and predict outage risks. For transmission systems, ML/AI techniques provide real-time analysis of faults, aiding operators in decision-making. In distribution systems, predictive models help anticipate and mitigate outage risks caused by environmental factors. This automated approach offers consistent, large-scale data analysis, promising improved decision-making for utility operators and PAC engineers, though it requires robust data management and cybersecurity measures.

Experience on the IEC 61850 Process Bus Implementation in Transmission Substations

This presentation covers the implementation of the IEC 61850 Process Bus in Uruguay's electrical transmission substations.

Key learnings are:

1. Phased Deployment: Gradual implementation ensures smooth transitions and continuous operation.
2. Advanced Monitoring: Effective tools and strategies for troubleshooting strengthen system reliability.
3. Enhanced Safety: Using fiber optics improves data transport efficiency and safety.
4. Flexibility: New architecture allows better data sharing and integration of future technologies.
5. Supplier Collaboration: Working with suppliers helps promptly resolve issues.
6. System Knowledge: Deep involvement in design and implementation improves maintenance and management.
7. Future-ready: Lays a foundation for fully digital substations and advanced control systems.

Empowering IEC 61850 Engineering with LF Energy CoMPAS and OpenSCD

The presentation introduces LF Energy CoMPAS and OpenSCD as transformative solutions for IEC 61850 engineering. These tools provide a vendor-agnostic, open-source ecosystem for System Configuration Language (SCL) editing, addressing challenges of standardization and vendor lock-in. OpenSCD features a user-friendly web interface and a plug-in architecture, enhancing flexibility and efficiency. CoMPAS, collaborating with OpenSCD, offers a centralized SCL data management system, promoting a collaborative, community-driven development model. This approach accelerates the energy transition by streamlining the engineering process and fostering strategic industry partnerships. The successful implementation within Alliander showcases the immediate benefits and efficiency gains of this collaborative effort, emphasizing the importance of extensibility and adaptability in future engineering solutions.

Key Takeaways on Virtual Protection Systems

Glenn Wilson from Southern Company shared insights on adopting virtual protection systems. He broke down virtualization, explaining the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors, and their importance in modern protection systems. Glenn highlighted the perks of virtualization like flexibility, platform independence, and easy expansion. He also touched on the challenges, such as managing performance, tweaking BIOS settings, and the critical mapping of I/O and CPUs. Other virtual machines can also impact performance. Tips include using benchmarks for virtual systems, thorough performance monitoring, and updating standards to better fit virtualization. The goal is to boost availability and efficiency in protection systems.

Interoperability Levels for Interfacing "Third Party IED" with R#SPACE

The presentation details Rte's R#SPACE project, which aims to implement fully digital, multi-vendor Protection Automation and Control Systems (PACS) based on IEC 61850 standards. R#SPACE's interoperability framework is designed to integrate both under R#SPACE purchased and under other projects purchased Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) – the ones under other projects purchased are called 3rd party IED’s. Three interoperability levels are defined: basic (N0), intermediate (N1), and complete (N2), each with specific requirements for configuration, data models, communication, time synchronization, and supervision. The project highlights the challenges and solutions in interfacing third-party IEDs, ensuring functional and non-functional interoperability within the R#SPACE ecosystem.

Testing CPC and vPAC with Real-Time Simulator

Marco Nunes from ABB presented a comprehensive overview of modernizing substations through digitalization and virtualization (CPC and vPAC). He detailed the evolution from conventional to centralized substations, highlighting advancements in communication infrastructure with IEC 61850 standards. He compared traditional physical testing with dynamic, model-based testing, emphasizing the efficiency and real-time capabilities of the latter.

Few more pictures from Athens