Project Highlight
Power Company Implements Digital Secondary System That Uses SEL TiDL Technology
Challenge
As part of a modernization initiative, a power company needed an advanced protection and control solution for its substation that would scale over time without increasing configuration complexity or requiring extensive networking infrastructure. Through implementing a digital secondary system (DSS), the company’s objective was to streamline networking, minimize installation times, prioritize safety, and enhance cybersecurity.Solution
The power company implemented a secure, point-to-point process bus solution that uses SEL Time-Domain Link (TiDL) technology. SEL TiDL Merging Units (TMUs) digitize analog current and voltage signals from primary equipment and transmit them via fiber-optic cable to TiDL-enabled protective relays in the control house. The solution simplifies the settings configuration by using one protocol for sampled analog values, control signals, and data synchronization. TiDL architecture also reduces attack surfaces by avoiding Ethernet networks. No extensive copper wiring, GPS clocks, or Ethernet switches are required. It improves personnel safety in the control house by keeping secondary wiring in the yard.Results
The breaker cabinet, which arrived pre-wired and integrated with TMUs, was installed in a day. The company has standardized on TiDL and SEL relays for its DSS. “Simplicity and speed provide the biggest value,” the company’s project director said. “With a point-to-point architecture, TiDL significantly reduces the learning curve—the merging units in the yard act as direct extensions of the relay. Engineers configure the system using the same familiar tools and methods we’ve always used.”Read a technical paper about deploying and operating a point-to-point DSS.
Customer ProfileCustomer: Power CompanyLocation: North AmericaIndustry: Electric UtilitiesApplication: Substation Modernization