Computer Relaying and Phasor Measurement Unit (EE 472)

Computer relay architecture

Figure 1 Subsystems of a relaying computer

Computer relays consist of subsystems with well defined functions.

The processor is central to its organization. It is responsible for

 the execution of relay programs,

 maintenance of various timing functions, and
 communicating with its peripheral equipment

The Random Access Memory (RAM)

 It holds the input sample data as they are brought in and processed.
 It may also be used to buffer data for later storage in a more permanent medium.
 In addition,RAM is needed as a scratch pad to be used during relay algorithm
execution.

The Read Only Memory (ROM) or Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM)

 It is used to store the programs permanently.

 In some cases the programs may execute directly from the ROM, if its read time is
short enough.
 If this is not the case, the programs must be copied from the ROM into the RAM
during an initialization stage, and then the real-time execution would take place from
the RAM.
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The Erasable PROM (EPROM)

 It is needed for storing certain parameters (such as the relay settings) which may be
changed from time to time, but once set must remain fixed, even if the power supply
to the computer is interrupted.
 Either a core type memory or an on-board battery backed RAM may be suitable for
this function.
 A large capacity EPROM is likely to become a desirable feature of a computer relay.
 Such a memory would be useful as an archival data storage medium, for storing fault
related data tables, time-tagged event logs, and audit trails of interrogations and
setting changes made in the relay.
 The main consideration here is the cost of such a memory. The memory costs have
dropped sufficiently by now so that archival storage of oscillography and sequence-
of-event data on a large scale within the relays has become possible.

Analog input system

Consider the analog input system next as the architecture is based upon using conventional
transducers. If electronic CTs and CVTs are used, the input circuits may be significantly
different and data are likely to be entered directly in the processor memory.

The relay inputs are currents and voltages and digital signals indicating contact status.

The analog signals must be converted to voltage signals suitable for conversion to digital
form. This is done by the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC).

Usually the input to an ADC is restricted to a full scale value of ±10 volts. The current
and voltage signals obtained from current and voltage transformer secondary windings must
be scaled accordingly.

The largest possible signal levels must be anticipated, and the relation between the rms
(root mean square) value of the signal and its peak must be reckoned with.

It is not necessary to allow for high frequency transients in most cases, as these are
removed by anti-aliasing filters which have a low cut-off frequency.

An exception to this is a wave relay, which does use the high frequency (traveling wave)
components. For such relays, the scaling of signals must be such that the entire input signal
with its largest anticipated high frequency component must not exceed the ADC input range.

Connections to the current transformer:

The current inputs must be converted to voltages – for example by resistive shunts.

As the normal current transformer secondary currents may be as high as hundreds of

amperes, shunts of resistance of a few milliohms are needed to produce the desired
voltage for the ADCs.
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An alternative arrangement would be to use an auxiliary current transformer to reduce
the current to a lower level.

However, any inaccuracies in the auxiliary current transformer would contribute to the total
error of the conversion process, and must be kept as low as possible.

An auxiliary current transformer serves another function: that of providing electrical

isolation between the main CT secondary and the computer input system. In this case,
the shunt may be grounded at its midpoint in order to provide a balanced input to following
amplifier and filter stages.

Figure 2 Scaling of current and voltage signals for input to the relay. (a) Direct connection in the main CT
secondary. (b) Use of auxiliary CT. (c) Voltage transformer and potential divider

Connections to the voltage transformer

A fused circuit is provided for each instrument or relay, and a similar circuit may be provided
for the computer relay as well.

The normal voltage at the secondary of a voltage transformer is 67 volts rms for a phase to
neutral connection.

It can be reduced to the desired level by a resistive potential divider sized to provide
adequate source impedance to drive the following stages of filters and amplifiers.

Although an auxiliary voltage transformer may be used in this case to provide additional
isolation, it is not a necessity.

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Digital inputs to the computer relay

Digital inputs to the computer relay are usually contact status, obtained from other relays or
subsystems from within the substation.

If the other subsystems are computer based, then these signals can be input to the
computer relay without any special processing.

An exception to this may be an opto-isolation circuit provided to maintain isolation between

the two systems.

When the digital inputs are derived from contacts within the yard (or control house), it is
necessary to apply surge filtering and (or) optical isolation in order to isolate the computer
relay from the harsh substation environment.

Surge suppression for analog and digital signals

High voltage and high energy content surges are coupled into the wiring which
connects current, voltage, and digital inputs to the protection system.

The surges are created by faults and switching operations on the power system, or by
certain types of switching operations within the control house.

For example, sparking contacts in inductive protection and control circuits within the
control house have been found to be a source of very significant disturbances.

Suppression of these surges requires very careful grounding and shielding of leads and
equipment, as well as low-pass filtering.

Nonlinear energy absorbing Metal Oxide Varistors (MOVs) may also be used.

Surge suppression filters are necessary for input and output wiring, as well as for the power
supply leads.

Figure 3 Simple Surge Protective

Circuit

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The ADC and anti-aliasing filter

Let us take a look at the function of the ADC and anti-

aliasing filter associated with the sampling process in
the overall relaying process.

The anti-aliasing filters are low-pass analog filters

designed to suit a specific choice of sampling rate
used.

The sampling instants are determined by the sampling

clock, which must produce pulses at a fixed rate.

At each instant defined by the clock, a conversion

from the instantaneous value of an analog input signal
(voltage or current) to a digital form is performed by

the ADC, and made available to the processor. Figure 4 Characteristic of low-pass filters;
(a) ideal filter response, (b) practical filter
Since the relay in general requires several inputs, response
several conversions are performed at each sampling
instant.

It is desirable that all signal samples be simultaneous, which means that either the
conversion and transmission to the processor of each sample be very fast,

or all the signals be sampled and held at the same instant for processing by a relatively slow

Figure 5 Multiple signal sampling process and its organization. (a) Single ADC with
multiplexed input. (b) Sample and hold added to each channel. (c) Separate ADC for each
channel

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conversion-transmission cycle for each sample. This is typical of a multiplexed analog input
system.

A third option, technically feasible but expensive, is to use individual ADCs for each input
channel. Trends in the ADC development and their reduced costs seem to point to the use
of individual ADCs for each signal to be the preferred system.

Figure 6 Principle of Multiplexing

Need for simultaneity

We will discuss the need for simultaneity in a little more detail. Most relay functions require
simultaneous measurement of two or more phasor quantities. The reference for these
phasors is determined by the instant at which a sample is obtained.

Thus if the phasors for signals x(t) and y(t) are computed from their samples beginning at
instants tx and ty, the references for the two phasors will differ from each other by an angle
θ, where

where T is the fundamental frequency period of the signal.

If the difference between tx and ty is known, then the phase angle between the two
references is also known, and the two phasors could always be put on a common reference
by compensating for θ.

It would thus appear that simultaneous sampling of various input signals is not necessary,
as long as the difference between the two is known and compensated for.

On the other hand, all computations become much simpler if θ is zero and no
compensation is needed.

When needed, the samples of different signals could be combined directly (as in the case of
a differential relaying application, where all input current samples of different signals could
be added directly to form samples of the differential current).

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To be able to combine the samples directly, it is essential that the samples be taken
simultaneously – and this fact, plus the relative ease of achieving it, has led to the general
practice of simultaneous sampling of all input signals by each relaying computer.

Indeed, there are benefits to be gained by coherently sampling all the quantities within a
station as well as at all the stations within the system.

Consider the first sampling scheme of Single ADC with multiplexed input. In the absence of
sampleand-hold circuits, the different signal samples are obtained sequentially, and are not
truly simultaneous.

One period of a 60Hz wave is 16.67 milliseconds. This corresponds to about 21.6 degrees
per millisecond.

Thus if the entire sampling scan can be completed in about 10 microseconds, the worst
error created by sequential sampling amounts to about 0.2 degree – a negligible amount of
error in any relaying application.

Indeed, total scan periods of about 50 microseconds could be tolerated. In fact, a tolerance
of 10–50 microseconds provides a good measure for describing any data samples as being
simultaneous.

It should be mentioned that if simultaneous sampling is not possible, and yet it is needed for
a relaying application, one could generate approximate simultaneous samples from non-
simultaneous samples.

Figure 7: Interpolation for obtaining synchronous samples.

Suppose that samples xk = {x1, x2, . . . xn} are obtained at instants tk = {t1, t2, . . . tn},
whereas samples at are needed.

If x(t) is assumed to be suitably band-limited, can be generated by interpolation formulas.

The simplest procedure would be to use linear interpolation:

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where k = 1, 2, . . . n − 1.

Higher order polynomials or spline functions may be used to obtain from .

In the context of relaying applications, any but the simplest linear interpolation formula
would require excessively long real-time computation.

Digital Output

Digital output from the processor is used to provide relay output in the form of open or close
contacts. A parallel output port of the processor provides one word (typically two bytes) for
these outputs. Each bit can be used as a source for one contact.

The computer output bit is a Transistor to Transistor Logic (TTL) level signal, and would be
optically isolated before driving a high speed multi-contact relay, or thyristors, which in turn
can be used to activate external devices such as alarms, breaker trip coils, carrier control
etc.

Power supply

The power supply is usually a single DC input multiple DC output converter powered by the
station battery.

The input is generally 125 volts DC, and the output could be 5 volts DC and ±15 volts DC.

Typically the 5 volt supply is needed to power the logic circuits, while the 15 volt supply is
needed for the analog circuits.

The station battery is of course continuously charged from the station AC service.

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Substation computer hierarchy

Figure 8 System wide hierarchical computer system.

Let us consider the hierarchy of various relaying and other computers in a substation.
Functionally the hierarchy structures that are being planned for implementation may be
represented in the above figure.

 Computer relays are expected to be a part of a system wide protection and

control computer hierarchy.
 Computer relays are at the lowest level of the hierarchy. They are linked with
substation host computer which in turn is linked with a system center
computer.

The functions of various computers in the system wide computer hierarchy may be
summarized as follows:

Level I: Relaying, input output to the switch yard, measurements, control, diagnostics,
man-machine interface, communications with level II.

Level II: Man-machine interface, data acquisition and storage, sequence of events
analyses and coordination, assignment for back-up in case of failures, communication
with level I and level III computers.

Level III: Initiate control actions, collect and collate system wide sequence of event
analyses, communication with level II, oscillography and report preparation, adaptive
relaying.

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Relay computers and their input-output systems are at the lowest level of this hierarchy,
and communicate with the switch yard through the relay input and output signals.

As the relay outputs are connected to circuit breakers and could also be connected to
remote controlled switches in the yard, the relay may serve as a conduit for supervisory
control tasks at the substation.

The control commands flow from the system center, through the substation host computer
and to the relay computers.

All the relay computers within the station are linked to the substation host computer. This
host acts as a data concentrator for all historical and oscillography records collected by the
relay computers.

It – along with all other substation computers – transmits these data to the system central
computer.

The substation host computer also provides an interface between the relay computers and
the station operators.

Through this interface the relay settings, calibration, target interrogation, or diagnostic and
maintenance functions can be performed.

The substation host computer may also be used to produce some coordinated sequence-of-
events for the substation as an aid to station maintenance personnel.

The role of the central computer is even less critical in the conventional relaying process. It
initiates various supervisory control commands at the behest of the operator.

It also collects historical data from all the substation computers and creates oscillography,
coordinated sequence of event analyses, and various book-keeping functions regarding the
operations performed at the station.

The central computer will play a more direct role if adaptive relaying becomes accepted by
the relaying community.

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