The evolution and lessons learnt of data interoperability/management of IEDs

Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) are widely used in petrochemical plants and their deployment rate keeps growing exponentially each year. They are used in low and high voltage switchgear/controlgear for monitoring and control, protection, metering, communication, as well as many other purposes. They produce and store massive amounts of highly valuable data — both operational and non-operational — that plant operators and maintenance teams can use to optimize plant efficiency, reliability and therefore, benefits. In this paper authors share their experience and the lessons learnt through several projects implemented around the globe over the last decade, with a special focus on challenges posed by integrating and managing large quantity of heterogeneous IEDs, from different vendors, with different feature set, using different protocols and technologies. This paper will also explore means to reduce complexity in this realm of constant evolution where the new “trend of the week” or the latest firmware update always comes too fast, with its load of challenges and uncertainties.