Improvement of Substation Automation System Communication Protocol Based on Cobweb Network Topology

A high reliable and deterministic network topology for Substation Automation System (SAS) network is required to guarantee the operation of substation in smart substation. In addition, to guarantee the communication reliability in terms of protocol, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62439 standardizes several communication protocols for industrial communication networks. This paper designs a novel single network based on cobweb topology for SAS communication network, and proposes an improved communication protocol based on the IEC 62439. Improved reliability and determinacy of the proposed protocol are demonstrated through the novel single topology with the help of double attached (intelligent electronics device) IED. The recovery time and network latency, which are identified as the important factors of the protocol performance, are evaluated by the simulation. The OPNET modeler is used for modeling and simulation of message communication in SAS network under normal and abnormal working situation.