Cloud-Based End-to-End Testing of Protection Schemes

End-to-end testing is performed to validate protection schemes for transmission lines. These tests are performed by injecting the test values at the relay terminals on both sides of the line under the test. The test magnitudes should be injected synchronously to simulate the system conditions during the fault properly. Traditional end-to-end testing requires the ability to actively control the generation of test signals on both ends of the line under test, requiring a highly skilled operator at each end. This paper presents a cloud-based approach for end-to-end testing of transmission line protection schemes like POTT&PUTT schemes. This test method controls the whole test from only one end of the line which provides more flexibility to the software used during the test, allowing for comprehensive pickup and timing tests along the full characteristic of the protection scheme and the automation of tests for these communication-based protection schemes. The approach is also less prone to operational errors since all configuration and loading of test cases is done from only one end. Test sets are connected to a cloud server managed by either the test set manufacturer, the testing company, or the asset owner. GPS-based IRIG-B timing reference is used for synchronization during the test. A battery of tests including stabilization verification, internal and external faults, and static and dynamic tests using state sequences are performed, and their results are compared with others obtained during traditional testing.