Lessons Learned from Protection and Control Schemes Testing: The Results of Multiple Trials Using IEC 61850 Goose Messaging at an Oil Refinery

Several Trials for Protection and Control Schemes based on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 standard were recently implemented for the new electrical system at a U.S. oil refinery. IEC 61850, generic object-oriented substation event (GOOSE) messaging, was used for several schemes, including transfer tripping, breaker failure, islanding detection, remote synchronizing, automatic restoration, manual transfer, and load shedding. Site acceptance tests validated the operation of the protection and control schemes. Bench testing was also performed for the load-shedding scheme using a power-system simulator. All of the testing focused on verifying scheme operations during normal operation and failure modes. The experience gained during early project trials influenced the design and testing of subsequent schemes. This article describes the bench and site acceptance testing approaches used and presents example tests along with their relevant results and the lessons learned.