Network Design Options for Substation Automation in Wide Area Monitored Power Systems

The objective of this paper is to analyze and present the technology options for designing the communication network for control and protection applications in a large scale power system. Basic standard requirements for an actual present day power system have been discussed as against the available alternatives that includes SCADA, PMUs, Substation Automation systems and centralized control applications. Emergence of Ethernet communication as a viable option in power system communication network has also been discussed along with Ethernet based protocols that are prevalent in utilities worldwide. Reliability analysis of various substation automation models in practice have been evaluated and ranked, based on reliability indices. Thereupon, the desirable features of a contemporary WAMPAC communication system have been recommended.