SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA

ACQUISITION IN POWER SYSTEMS

By
Sushma and Swapna
Laki Reddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering
Swapna_kethe@yahoo.co.in
ABSTRACT
The implementation of “SCADA” (Supervisory Control And Data
Acquisition) along with its software aims at the “CONTROL AND
OPERATION OF INTER CONNECTED POWER SYSTEM”
By using SCADA system a large network having several generating
stations and substations and large load centres is controlled from central load
dispatch centre.
In this system the real time data from the power system is acquired
through transducers (which converts the a.c. signals from the C.T.’s and P.T.’s to
the dc signal proportional to the measured value for the respective parameters) is
converted to the digital signals. Then the data through the RTU (Remote
Terminal Unit), which is located at the generating stations or substations is
transmitted to the load control centre through powerline carrier system (PLCC),
fiber optics communication and microwave channels. In this way the data
acquisition is completed. The data, which is processed by the computer systems
employing energy management software, provides automatic and remote control
of the network at the load control centre. Then the instructions from the load
control centres are transmitted to the control rooms of the substation and
generating station for executing appropriate action.
Digital computers and microprocessor installed in the control rooms of
large substation generating station and load control centre are used for data
collection, data monitoring and a automatic control.
Thus, by employing SCADA system to power distribution network
provides integrated approach to the power system protection, operation control
and monitoring automatically with least intervention of control room operator.
 INTRODUCTION

SCADA [Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition] can be defined as

a collection of equipment that will provide an operator at a remote station
with sufficient information to determine the status of a particular place of
equipment or an entire substation or power plant and cause action to take
place regarding that equipment or facility without being physically present.
Power planning is generally alone on a regional basis. In India, five such
regions have been recognized: Western, Eastern, Southern, Northern and North
Eastern. The regional electricity Board controls the operation of each regional
grid, promoting their development and establishing regional/ state load dispatch
centres with the support of computer programs like EMS and SCADA. The
National level load control centre dictates the exchange of power between
neighbouring regions. This entire integrated network is called powergrid.
SCADA is an industrial measurement and control system consisting of a
central host or master station (usually called master station, master terminal
station or MTU) with one or more field data gathering and control units or
remotes (usually called remote stations, remote terminal units or RTU’s) and a
collection of standard custom software used to monitor and control remotely
located field data elements. SCADA systems exhibit predominantly long distance
communications, although some elements of closed loop control and/or short
distance communications may also be present.
FEATURES:
1. SCADA refers to the process of getting information, often in real time,
from remote locations.
2. It is an industrial measurement and control system consisting of control
(host or master usually called master stration, master terminal unit or
MTU) with one or more remote stations or RTU’s and a collection of
 standard and/or custom software used to monitor and control remotely
located field data elements.
3. They predominantly exhibit open loop control characteristics utilising long
distance communications.
4. SCADA systems are typically for long life 10 years or more.
5. SCADA applications require the most robust protocols and control
systems i8n order to operate flawlessly for years at a time.
6. Most SCADA systems run either on a UNIX variant or on VMS.
7. SCADA systems typically implement a distributed database, which
contains data called points representing a single input or output value
monitored or controlled by the system.
8. SCADA installations have enhanced reliability by having redundant
hardware and communication channels.
FUNCTIONS:
1. Data acquisition.
2. Data exchange.
3. Power system monitoring
4. Unit/status checking
5. Intelligent alarm processing
6. Supervisory Control
7. Device tagging
8. Sequence of events.
9. Powerflow calculations.
10. Real time database dump.
11. Historical Information Storage.
12. Historical data Processing.
13. Disturbance data collection.
14. Post disturbance review
15. Provision for energy accounting.
16. Maintenance
17. Automatic Fax /Telecommunication.
BASIC SCADA PROCESS:
This SCADA process is classified into 3 parts.
I. INPUT
(i) Analog: Continuous Electrical Signals.
Eg: Active Power (MW), Reactive Power (MVAR), Voltage (KV)
Frequency (Hz) etc.,
(ii) Digital: Switching Signals – High (1) or low (0) Signals.
Eg: Breakerclose (High) or Open (low)
Isolator Closed (High) or Open (low)
I. PROCESS:
(i) The signals are converted into digital format.
(ii) Implementation of protocol between master and slave.
(iii) It operates with real time operating system (RT))
II. OUTPUT
(i) The results are exposed with user friendly environment.
(ii) Through displays it can be possible to control the substation and
generating station.
The SCADA and network contains the following three systems.
(1) Instrumentation Subsystem
Transducers, CMR, Relays, Control cards, Analog cards, Digital cards.
(2) Telemetry/ Computer Subsystem:
Database, RTU/ SCADA Processor, Operating System.
(3) Communication Subsystem.
MODEM, MUX, OLTE, PLCC Exchangers.
FRONT END PROCESSOR (FEP):
The data acquisition and control equipment cabinet (DAC) is the FEP for
the system.

FEATURES:
(1) Motorola Power PC MUME 3604 single board computer configuration
provided by G.E.HARRIS, is used as the FEP in the Power Grid RSCC,
SLDC and Sub LDC locations.
(2) Each board supports to a 10 base T Ethernet Port.
(3) A minimum of two FEPS resides in each cabinet.
(4) A 9 GB, 3 ½ inch SCSI inch disk drive is attached to each FEP for booting
purpose and for supporting diagnostics.
(5) These drives are mounted in a classic located on the left-side of the VME
chassis.

MMI at Control Centre:

The interface between human operator and computer called MMI (man
machine interface) is vital for the operator to determine the system state, Pin
Pointing the troubled area and acting in response to any disturbance in time for
successful control of the interconnected power system.
It consists of
 Loggers
 Printers
 Plotters
 Software Packages
 MIMIC subsystem.
APPLICATIONS
The current SCADA system has the following applications.
POWER NETWORK APPLICATIONS:
 Network configuration.
 Dispatcher Powerflow.
 State Estimator.
 Contingency Selection/Analysis
 Security Constrained Dispatch.
 Volt/Var scheduling.
 Remedial/ Preventive Action.
GENERATION DISPATCH AND CONTROL
 Automatic Generation Control
 Economic Dispatch (Merit Order Dispatch)
 Reserve Monitoring.
 Production Crossing Costing.
 Unit Testing/ Sampling.

ENERGY SCHEDULING AND ACCOUNTING:

 Demand Forecast.
 Interchange Scheduling.
 Equipment Outage Scheduling.
ADVANTAGES:
 Viewing and monitoring of real time data.
 Time synchronization with GPS
 Supervisory Control
 Powersystem co-ordination and Control through communication.
 Alarms for any abnormal condition in the system.
 Studies can be done.
 Optimum Power Utilization through computers.
 Planning of electrical power position in the state.
 Minimization of Man Power.
 Monitoring the theft of power in any position of transmission.
 Cost of Saving Revenues.
 Faster restoration of normal revenue.
 Minimizing outages of equipment.
 User friendly report generation.
 Web integration.
 Energy Management.
CONCLUSION
WEB INTEGRATION
Data obtained from the SCADA systems can be passed on to the internet
for Web based applications.
INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICES (IEDs)
 Substation field data recorded by monitoring and protection IEDs can be used
to supplement RTU data for supervisory control and Data Acquisition System
thus improving SCADA and other applications.
 This data integration paradigm would allow detailed monitoring of the power
system and subsequently lead to a more comprehensive decision making
opportunity for the control applications.
 These IEDs like energy meters etc., are incorporated with the communication
ports which can be connected to computer system networks for accomplishing
data monitoring and control functions through SCADA.
DISTRIBUTION AUTOMATION SYSTEMS:
1) Since the Mid 1980’s the term ‘Distribution Automation’ systems has come
into popular use primarily to herald the arrival of a new generation of
“SCADA – Plus” systems extending, monitoring and control capabilities
beyond the substations.
2) The distribution side applications of SCADA are namely distribution
automation systems, subsystems, components, distribution management
systems (or) distribution operations management systems.

BIBLOGRAPHY

1 Switch gear and Protection Sunil.S.Rao

2 Power grid Corporation of India, (System Co- G.E.HARRIS
ordination and Control Project for Southern Region) Energy
Control Systems
3 Various Web sites.