Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering
SEMINAR
Title: Introduction to IEC 61850: Fundamentals,
Applications and Benefits
Presenter: Dr. Alexander Apostolov
Organised by the Centre for Substation Automation and Energy Management Systems
Submitted for ECSA Accreditation
Dates: Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th June 2012
Venue: Room 1.06, IT Building,
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville Campus)
Symphony Way, Bellville, Cape Town
INTRODUCTION
The International standard for substation automation systems IEC61850 defines the communication between devices in
substations and determines the related systems requirements. It supports both substation automation functions and their
engineering. The technical approach applied to the development of IEC61850 makes it flexible and future proof.
There are many substation automation protocols worldwide, but IEC61850 is the only one that supports systems based on
multi-vendor Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) networked together to provide protection, monitoring, automation,
metering, and control functions. The interoperability of equipment and systems is ensured by providing compatibility
between interfaces, protocols and data models. Capability to share data and control commands between multiple IEDs
results in new distribution protection, control, and automation functions.
The IEC 61850 standard has essentially been developed for use within substations, but is now being seen as a key
standard for use out of, and between substations, and also for use in other domains. Another possible use of the
IEC61850 standard is for implementing Smart Grid norms through substation automation. In seeking to achieve Smart
Grid deployment, seamless data communication and information exchange is essential. Such a challenging task is only
possible through industry-wide standardization. As outlined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) (USA) Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability standards, one of the key standards for Smart
Grid deployment is the IEC-61850.
Three seminars have been presented so far: “IEC 61850 Fundamentals, Applications and Benefits” in 2009, “IEC61850
Developments and Applications” in 2010, and “IEC61850-Edition 2 and Its Impact” in 2011 emphasised the latest
developments of the standard for engineering processes, synchrophasor applications, communication networks, time
synchronization, testing scenarios, and the future of IEC61850 in Smart Grid development. Technicians and engineers
who participated at these seminars are now well prepared with the new developments. At the same time the newcomers to
the IEC61850 standard needed introduction to the basic knowledge and understanding of the principles and applications
of the standard. As a response to this need the CSAEMS will in future organise two seminars per year: an introductory
seminar for new comers in May/June and an advanced seminar for experienced users in September.
The 2012 seminar ”Introduction to IEC 61850: Fundamentals, Applications and Benefits” will assist technicians and
engineers by providing answers to many of their questions, and will guide them on how to apply the engineering
processes.
………………………………………………………………
PROGRAMME:
Day One:
Wednesday 06 June 2012, Time: 08:15 - 16:30
08:15 – 08:45
Registration
08:45 – 09:00
Opening of Seminar
09:00 – 10:15
Lecture 1: IEC 61850 Systems and their Components
10:15 – 11:30
Lecture 2: Ethernet Communications in Substations
11:30 – 11:45
Tea
11:45 – 13:00
Lecture 3: IED Object Models
13:00 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:45
Lecture 4: GOOSE Messages, Publishing and Subscription
14:45 – 15:15
Tea
15:15 – 16:30
Lecture 5: IEC 61850 Process Bus: Sampled Values Publishing and Subscription
Day Two:
Thursday 07 June 2012, Time: 09:00 – 16:30
09:00 - 10:15
Lecture 6: Substation Configuration Language Based Engineering
10:15 - 11:30
Lecture 7: IEC 61850 Testing - Equipment Requirements and Tools
11:30 – 11:45
Tea
11:45 – 13:00
Lecture 8: Substation-to-substation communications
13:00 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:45
Lecture 9: Substation-to-control center communications
14:45 – 15:15
Tea
15:15 – 16:30
Lecture 10: Migration strategies
16:30
Close of Seminar
CONTACT DETAILS for ENQUIRIES:
Miss P.Panda, Phone 021 953 8454, Email: phaphama.panda22@gmail.com
Prof. R. Tzoneva, Phone 021 959 6459, Email: tzonevar@cput.ac.za , Fax: 021 959 6117
………….…………………………………………………………………
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF SEMINAR PRESENTER
Dr. Alexander Apostolov received a MS degree in Electrical Engineering, a MS in Applied Mathematics and
Ph.D. from the Technical University in Sofia, Bulgaria. He has worked for fourteen years in the Protection &
Control Section of the Energoproject Research and Design Institute, Sofia, Bulgaria.
From 1990 until 1994 he was Lead Engineer in the Protection Engineering Group, New York State Electric &
Gas where he worked on the protection of six-phase lines, application of microprocessor relays, programmable
logic and artificial intelligence in protection. From 1994 until 1995 he was Manager of Relay Applications
Engineering at Rochester - Integrated Systems Division. From 1995 until 1996 he was Principal Engineer at
Tasnet. From 1996 until 2006 he was Principal Engineer for AREVA T&D Automation.
He is presently Principal Engineer for OMICRON electronics in Los Angeles, CA.
He is an IEEE Fellow and Member of the Power Systems Relaying Committee and Substations C0
Subcommittee. He is past Chairman of the Relay Communications Subcommittee, serves on multiple IEEE
PES Working Groups and is Chairman of Working Group C9: Guide for Abnormal Frequency Load Shedding
and Restoration.
For more than 10 years he has been actively involved the development of UCA 2 and IEC 61850. He is member
of IEC TC57 Working Groups 10, 17, 18 and. He is Chairman of the Technical Publications Subcommittee of the
UCA International Users Group.
He is member of CIGRE and works on CIGRE WG B5.07, B5.09 and B5.36. He is Convener of WG B5.13
Acceptable Functional Integration and B5.27 Standard Protection Schemes.
He holds four patents and has authored and presented more than 300 technical papers.
Dr. Apostolov is also the Editor-in-Chief of the PAC World magazine – the global forum of the protection,
automation and control industry. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Cape
Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa.
………………………………………………………………