Application of IEC 61850 for distribution network automation with distributed control

IEC 61850 was originally conceived as a communication standard within a substation, but is being extended to cover other areas of the power system such as distribution automation (DA). IEC TC57 Working Group 17 has set up a task force to study the information exchange required for automating the distribution network. A draft technical report IEC 61850-90-6 is available, which presents different use cases of DA, produces the information models and proposes the configuration method. This paper presents one of the use cases which applies distributed control on an open-loop distribution feeder. The system consists of a number of smart terminal units (STUs) to monitor and control substation circuit breakers, sectionalizing switches and tie switches within the feeder. The STUs work together in a distributed manner to achieve fault location, isolation and service restoration (FLISR) of the feeder. The data model for this use case is presented. New logical nodes are introduced. Standardizing the data model allows interoperability between vendors, makes integration of new devices easier, and forms the basis of a smart distribution network. Another important aspect is the configuration of the system. The configuration process of a new DA system is introduced in this paper.