Object-oriented based architecture for accessing remotely electrical protection relays

In this paper the generic methodology to provide remote access to industrial plants is applied to utility industry, in particular, to electrical protection relays. The methodology is basically object oriented, so typically tools used in this kind of environments, such as UML are used. Remote access is provided via Internet like networks as they are widely used in industrial environments becoming an industry standard. The paper summarizes the main characteristics of this methodology and analyses the integration of protection relays in the global architecture proposed. Thus, this paper points out the most typical operations performed over a protection relay and groups them by user profile. This is a preceding step to obtaining the so-called virtual plant that contains the relevant information for remote users of the physical plant under control. In order to obtain virtual plant, the use of standard GOMSFE objects is proposed. The paper also describes the virtual plant model for the case study of a commercial relay.