Protection Applications
Tighter grid operating margins, increased regulatory controls and expanding integration of renewable generation sources on the electric grid create new challenges to maintaining system safety, reliability and security. These ever-increasing challenges can often stress existing utility staff looking to maintain normal operations while addressing new initiatives, regulatory mandates and new technologies to increase efficiency and improve operation.
We engineer and design protection and control systems to help you navigate the advancements in digital relays and integration systems leading to development of robust, flexible and adaptable protection. Our staff includes engineers experienced in multiple types and applications of protective relays. The team can provide settings and solutions for the full range of challenges that appear on today’s grid.
The team also has experience with various software used for system studies, along with the software applications and tools used in relay settings for various manufacturers, including IEC 61850 systems. The group has experience on projects ranging from distribution through transmission on AC systems up to 500 kV, HVDC and flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices.
Our team of protection engineers works alongside your engineering team to execute safe, sustainable and resilient solutions for your power system. Our services include:
- Protective relay settings. Applications include line and feeder protection (piloted and non-piloted), transformer protection, bus protection, breaker control and protection, capacitor bank protection, reactor protection, and special protection schemes (SPS).
- Coordination studies. Scope includes protection data collection, short-circuit model development and validation, extensive fault studies, wide-area coordination reviews, and finding and resolving miscoordinations.
- Protection requirements. We create protection design write-ups based on your standards, and we can also develop protection requirements and standards for those who haven’t yet established them.
- Event analysis. We analyze event reports to evaluate the performance of protective systems, including root cause failure analysis, and provide recommendations for improved system reliability and security.
- Regulatory compliance. Our team includes professionals experienced with current and evolving rules, including those issued by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC). We can assist with electric utility cybersecurity compliance, governance and risk management initiatives.
- Arc flash studies. Our experience includes analysis for all voltage classes for AC and DC systems. We verify equipment performance, address compliance with standards — OSHA, NFPA 70E and more — and offer training on arc-flash hazards.
- IEC 61850 implementation. We have guided power utilities in implementation of IEC 61850 programs, including: developing core business and operational goals; building business justification cases; creating decision, preparation and deployment road maps; establishing functional requirements; product evaluation and lab development; developing standards and templates; and full project execution.
- Testing and commissioning support. Our in-house network integration and automation lab can be used to test protective relay logic, firmware upgrades and a range of communication network integrations. We also can draft and oversee execution of checkout procedures to meet NERC and critical infrastructure protection (CIP) reliability requirements.
