Testing protective relays in IEC 61850 framework

Increasing number of IEC 61850 compatible intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are being developed by manufacturers and being commissioned as part of the substation automation systems (SASs), especially in distribution networks. For protective relays complying with IEC 61850 standards new test bench and methods for functional and performance testing needs development. This paper reviews the conventional protective relay testing methods and proposes new test approaches for testing the IEC 61850 features of relays. Three aspects are assessed at this stage: peer-to-peer communication speed which refers to the GOOSE (generic objective oriented substation event) applications, interoperability functions, and configuration software tools. The experiences of testing these features on commercially available relays and issues arising thereof are detailed in this paper.