Overview of IEC 61850 and benefits

Legacy substation automation protocols and architectures typically provided basic functionality for power system automation and were designed to accommodate the technical limitations of the networking technology available for implementation. There has recently been a vast improvement in networking technology that has changed dramatically what is now feasible for power system automation in the substation. Technologies such as switched Ethernet, TCP/IP, high-speed wide area networks, and high-performance low-cost computers are providing capabilities that could barely be imagined when most legacy substation automation protocols were designed. IEC61850 is an important new international standard for substation automation that will have a very significant impact on how electric power systems are designed and built for many years to come. IEC61850 is a part of the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) Technical Committee 57 (TC57) architecture for electric power systems. The model-driven approach of the TC57 standards, including IEC61850, is an innovative approach that requires a new way of thinking about substation automation that will result in very significant improvements in both costs and performance of electric power systems. This half-day IEC61850 tutorial takes a practical approach to helping utility engineers understand how IEC61850 can be used to benefit their organization. The tutorial begins by explaining why these standards are important, how they differ from legacy technology, and how these differences benefit users. The student is then guided through the IEC61850 standard itself to illustrate how IEC68150 delivers these benefits via standardized device, object, and service models. Definitions and overviews of the most important concepts are presented with detailed examples that relate to actual power systems