Overview & Events

Objective

By developing application guide, evaluating new technology, and conducting technology transfer, the project aims to assist members in:

• Reducing the risk of protection system misoperation by establishing systematic configuration management programs for seamless integration of protection data, streamlined change management process, automated relay settings verification, and improved knowledge retention.
• Lowering cost and improving reliability of protection system maintenance programs
• Advancing new P&C designs by embracing emerging digital substation technologies and industry standards
• Developing knowledge and application guidance for field deployment of new P&C technologies

Research Tasks

Develop Application Guide for Improving the Life Cycle Management of Relay Settings: The growing complexity of digital relay technologies, tighter compliance requirements, and increasing concerns with setting-error-caused relay misoperation drive the research to develop systematic approaches, based on the configuration management guiding principles, and automated tools for improved relay-setting data management. In collaboration with members and subject matter experts, the research aims to accomplish the following tasks:

• Develop and document effective practices and processes in the life-cycle management of relay settings.
• Develop utility common functional requirements for relay configuration management databases.

Develop Application Guide to Relay Firmware Change Management: Firmware is an embedded software that works integrally with hardware to provide the designed functionality of a microprocessor relay. With the increasing regulatory requirements on patch management, utilities are challenged in keeping relay firmware up to date while maintaining the integrity of a P&C ecosystem. The research will apply the guiding principles of configuration management and collaborate with members to develop an application guide for effective management of relay firmware change.

Develop Application Guidelines for Condition-based Protection System Maintenance: The reliability of P&C systems relies on well-established asset maintenance programs. The challenges utilities face today include difficulty in scheduling outages, stretched resources, and the growing complexity of relay technologies. The research aims to address these challenges, advance condition-based maintenance (CBM) programs, and develop more effective testing approaches.

Organize Technology Transfer Workshop for Advancing New Protection and Control Design: Utilities show growing interest to explore IEC 61850 standard and emerging digital substation technologies to advance new P&C designs that promise to improve safety and reliability, reduce costs, enable interoperability and condition monitoring, and strengthen grid resiliency. The annual workshop aims to keep members abreast of the latest technologies and industry standards, provide a technical forum for members to share success stories, good practices and lessons learned, and prepare members for field deployment through EPRI technology transfer.

Research Value

The core values that this research provides are:

• Improve relay setting management by applying configuration management guidance and automation technologies
• Increase protection system reliability by reducing human errors, preventing relay misoperation, and detecting hidden failures
• Reduce cost, improve safety, storm-hardening, and grid resilience by advancing new designs and embracing digital substation technologies

Task Force

The task force consists of utility subject-matter experts in areas related to Protection and Control. The task force meets several times per year by WebEx or in person. Typically, there are two in-person meetings per year held in Spring and Fall.
Members are encouraged to participate in several ways:

• Attend task-force meetings and workshops
• Provide equipment for lab testing or evaluation
• Provide information on your utility’s standards or practices relevant to the research
• Review and comment on EPRI reports and research findings
• Attend testing at EPRI laboratories
• Present to the task force on burning issues or initiatives
  This task force is also a good opportunity to meet and network with protection and control colleagues from other utilities.

Please reach out to Yuchen Lu on matters related to Protection and Control Research.

Engagement Opportunities