Ia4

CASE STUDY OF DESGINING A FAULT RECORDER SYSTEM

N. Saeidi
Niroo Research Institute, IRAN

ABSTRACT

Fault recorders are reckoned among the most important

components of protection systems within high voltage
substations which through continuous monitoring the
power system parameters and diagnosing fault
situations as well as recording the parameters status
before and after happening the faults, assist substation
engineers to better identifying cause of faults and
eliminating them. Thanks to designing them by using
innovative and breakthrough hardware and software
components such as high-speed processors, high
capacity mass storages, accumte analog to digital
converters, real time operating systems and so on, they
collect huge amount of precise information from the
status of power network which subsequently can he
used by evaluating softwares to analysis the
circumstances of fault to avoid repeating it in the
future. In this paper, designing a fault recorder system
is discussed as a case study of designing an embedded
system with considering its specific requirements and
exceptions.

KEYWORDS
Digital Fault Recorder, Fault Diagnosis, Fault
Analysis, Intelligent Electronic Device, Protection and
Control System

INTRODUCTION

In generation, transmission and distribution systems of

electrical energy, the main objective is to deliver
energy with an assured quality to the customers. So
the conditions of power are continually monitoretl in
all sections of these systems to achieve this goal.
By using intelligent devices and equipped tools, the
protection & control section of power network
supervises the running situation of the network for
being able to avoid further damages or blackouts with
rapid diagnosing fault and proper reacting in time of
fault Occurrence and to prevent repeating faulty
situations in the future by evaluating fault causes and
recognizing weak points of the network and
eliminating them after returning to normal operation.
Due to the high costs of power system damages, which

a fault may cause, more investing for equipping

protection systems is extremely justifiable and makes
financial advantages and in this regard is beneficial for
the power generating companies.
Fault recorder is ti principal member of protection
system which through its analog inputs measures lines
voltages and currents and with regards to its predefined
settings -which are desired conditions of the network senses fault occurrence and records all the
information related to the fault. With further analyzing,
it identifies different aspects of the fault such as fault
cause, fault type, fault location etc. Also, through its
digital inputs it monitors the behavior of other devices
in protection system especially protective relays when
a fault occurs or during their abnormal operation. In
fact the function of this device is to analyze the
recorded data in order to quick elimination of fault
causes rather than just recording raw data.
Rapid and great advances in electronic chip designs
and functioualities and widespread use of them in
designing such devices along with applying
developments in software and operating systems arena
which has allowed implementing novel and
sophisticated algorithms for fault diagnosis have made
these devices more closer to their ideal goal which is
recognition of fault at the correct time and accurate and
developed analysis of fault. So this is why there is an
evolution in new models of these equipments,
compared with previous ones.
This paper discusses designing a fault recorder system
in two steps. The first step contains the hasis of a
research project in Niroo Research Institute, which was
ahont designing such a system based on current
requirements of UHV and HV substations and explains
different stages of the design. The second step includes
some ideas for choosing design strategies depending on
the substation in which fault recorder is supposed to be
installed and expresses the author experiments from the
first step for future plans.

APPLICATION NECESSITIES
The fact that protective relays have fault diagnosis and
location capabilities may bring this question to the
mind: in spite of large availability of theses devices in
protection systems is there any need for designing and
applying fault recorders? The clear answer of this
misunderstanding is that fault diagnosis and analysis
cannot he limited to local data gathered by relays. So
for total fault evaluation in a substation all the data

0 2004 The Institution of Electrical Engineers.

Printed and Dublished bv the IEE. Michael Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, SGI 2AY

185

recorded by relays must be entered in a unique

database. But most of the time this is not attainable.
First because of different relays, which are in the
market from different manufacturers, have their own
specific recording format and it is dificult or even
impossible to retrieve and interpret all these formats.
However, this problem may remove if all the
manufactures observe a unique format like
COMTRADE (See Ref. 1) for the recorded data. The
second problem arises when for overall data processing
it is essential for all the information acquired by
protective relays to be time tagged and synchronized
with an absolute time reference, because the
authenticity of the recorded data is deeply depended on
their time tags. This one is an obstacle in using relays
information because time synchronizing between
relays used in substations is usually neglected. Besides
the problems mentioned above, there is a more
important one that is sharing, concentrating and
analyzing theses data need skillful personnel always
available in substation for rapid and accurate decision
making based on the information they have evaluated.
Fault recorder has reduced substation engineers tasks
via its powerful analyzer tools, which have been
inserted in its hardware and software.
Up to this point, it was supposed that the behavior of
the relays and their data recording have been done
correctly. But it is likely to happen that due to an error
in the hardware or software of the relay, it performs a
wrong action and therefore records data not related to a
real fault or because of the limited storage capacity
available in the relay its data become overwritten
before reading. In these cases the recorded data cannot
he relied on and its not worthy for evaluating.
Regarding these restraints it is necessav to have a
dedicated system for monitoring of power network and
checking its parameters in order to chasing and erasing
faults. The functions of this so-called Fault Recorder
arc:
Monitoring the network via measuring its
parameters
Providing an archive from information of occurred
faults for further analysis and using this data for
testing the protection devices and also to correct
models used in simulation ofprotection system
Supervising backup protection and protective
devices
Performing precise calculations and preparing
information for quick troubleshooting of the
network

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
With paying attention to the fact that the data recoded
by fault recorder is considered as the basic and
reference materials for future calculation, analyzing
and decision making, it is necessary for this device to
collect data without adding errors by itself. This
principal fact affects all the design phases so that signal

conditioning of the inputs and quantizing of them, local

processing and calculations and finally collecting data
from all the input modules in a main processing
module must he done in a safe manner.
Also, the recorder should he equipped with selfchecking feature in order to he very quickly aware of
failure in any part of itself and then seek a remedy for
the failure. This remedy can be just sending an alarm
for the operator or restarting the failed module.
Figure 1 shows the block diagram of the designed fault
recorder. In the following sections different parts and
aspects of this system are explained.

1.Modularity
The system has been designed modular as it can he
seen in figure 1. Modular designing helps designer to
divide and separate the functions of a system, which
are especially too complicated in a fault recorder, to
small components and by reducing the load of the main
processing unit provides a fair distribution of system
activities and tasks between units. Activity division in
this system has been done in a function-oriented
manner; therefore some functions such as analog inputs
acquiring and processing, require more throughputs to
compare with digital input scanning function. On the
other hand, modularity~ makes testing and
troubleshooting of the system more easily and in this
way increases its reliability. A high performance and
robust standard bus - VME bus - has been chosen as
the backbone of the recorder. (See Ref. 2) Observing
strict constraints and requirements of this well-defined
bus enriches reliability of the device. This adds to the
design the open architecture advantage so that future
changes, customizing and tailoring the system can he
done quickly by using modules available in the market
from different manufactures.

2. Synchronization
Synchronization for systems with distributed parts and
components is of great impofiance. Power system is an
example of such systems especially in geographically
large countries in which nodes of the system (i.e.
substations) are located far from each other with
considerable time differences. Now, when a fault
occurs in a line and both fault recorders in the ends
substations recognize and record it, the recorded data
can be merged (e.g. in dispatching centers) for total
analysis of the network just in case both recorders have
been synchronized with one time reference.
Different means for time synchronization have been
studied for applying in this fault recorder including
using modem for dialing a unique number which is
belonged to a dedicated center for transmitting time
information, using radio frequency transmitters and

186

Analog Input Modules

Digital Input Modules

Periphera Module

CPU Module

Figure 1 -Block Diagram of the Fault Recorder System

GPS. The last one - GPS - is selected because of its
wide accessibility. The designed recorder receives a
one-pulse-per-second input and 'serially transmitted
time information via a GPS receiver and synchronizes
itself with the global time.

3. Configuration
The capability of configuration of the recorder has
been implemented in different ways and levels.
-Dedicated display and keyboard of the device and its
serial polts (RS232 & RS485) for direct connecting to
a computer have been selected for local configuration
and for remote configuration connection of the device
via modem or LAN have been considered. Also therc
are two levels (supervisor level and operator level) for
accessing the device resources (fault data, parameters'
settings and configuration of the device).

4. Input Modules

These modules interface the device to power system

and protection equipment. As it was already
mentioned, special care should he taken in the design
for gathering real data without adding any errors. For
accomplishing this goal, in the signal conditioning of
the analog input modules accurate elements (hall
effect sensors) have been used and digitizing the input
signals has been performed by applying precise 16-hit
resolution AIDS with 256 samples per cycle rate. There
are 12 input channels (6 voltage channels and 6 current
channels) for each analog module and up to 3 analog
modules can be inserted in the system. Each module
has a powerful DSP for preprocessing the acquired

data, checking the inputs conditions with the

predefined criteria and triggering the device in case of
diagnosing a fault.
There is a similar hut simpler way for scanning and
evaluating the digital inputs. In each digital module
there are 32 channels (with Ims r$solution) and
maximum two digital modules can be used in the
system.
Input range of the modules can he easily changed by
removable signal conditioning sub modules and
extending the number of inputs can be done by direct
connectivity and network capabilities of the device.

5. Main Processing Module

This module is the most critical section of the system
and its main functions are:
Supervising the overall operation of the system
Collecting data from the input modules after
occurrence of a fault and organizing the acquired
data in a file
Post processing of the data for calculating the
virtual and logical channels
Handling printer for drawing curves and printing
values of the input signals when a fault occurs
Sending fault information in the different formats
for using in analyzer tools
Managing mass storage of the device
Sending alarms in case of internal failures or user
defined situations
Sending configuration parameters of the input
modules
Supporting interface capabilities of the device
(RS232RS485, Modem, LAN)

187

It is obvious that all these tasks must he done properly

and simultaneously. So a real-time multi-task operating
system has been chosen for the system and software of
this module has been implemented based on this
operating system. This is another feature, which
guarantees reliability of the recorder.

techniques for fault diagnosis and fault location are

amongst these opportunities.
As the substation CTs and PTs, which provide inputs
for fault recorder, make some degree of deviation in
input signals, calculating more accurate compensation
coefficients should not be neglected.
Adding a limited capability of changing the firmware
of the modules from a computer running the systems
software can he useful for enhancing the device feature
with low cost.
Enrichment of analyzing capabilities of the software
leads to more accurate conclusion, so organizing a
lihraq from the occurred faults data and training the
software for using these experiences for future analysis
is a good opportunity which needs more efforts.

6. Peripheral Module

This module supports interfering the device to its local

display and keyboard and receives GPS pulse and data
and synchronizes the input modules.

7. Power Supply
CONCENTRATING O R DISTRIBUTING
This is simple hut important component of the device
and has been considered with self-monitoring
capability so that in case of power down it warns the
main processing unit and switches to the dedicated
battery.

Designers and manufactures of fault recorders ought to

consider a required level of capabilities in their
products without taking into account that these
Capabilities may exist in the other protection devices
and this certainly has overhead costs because the
desigh of these devices becomes more complicated. If
there were a generally accepted standard for + r i n g
data and features between different manufacturers
products the design of theses devices could he simpler
and then more economically reasonable. Also, with
using computers, which nowadays are available in
many substations, most of the functions of the main
processing unit can he passed to a computer. This
eliminates requirements for powerful CPU and
operating system hut needs fast and safe transmission
of data between the recorder and the computer and can
be done by implementing a network like field bus for
the substation.

8. Software

Although with capability of sending the recorded data

out in COMTRADE format different analyzer tools
receiving this format can he used for evaluating the
fault data, a software package has been implemented
for assuring use of the recorded data in a powerful tool,
which doesnt waste the accuracy of the data.
Some important features of this software are:
Uploading the fault data from the device in a
selective manner
Drawing of input signals curves with many
graphical facilities
Configuring the device and uploading the current
configuration
Calculating different criteria (RMS, Rate of change,
THD, Sequences, etc) and drawing the results of
calculation
Performing advanced calculation such as fault
location
Managing and organizing fault data in a database
with importiexport capability of different formats

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author wishes to thank all the people in

Electronics, Control and Instrumentation Department
of Niroo Research Institute for their valuable advices
during this research plan especially those who
cooperated as the team of Designing a Fault Recorder
System project and believes without their appreciable
efforts this work could not he done.

IDEAS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Regarding sampling rate and accuracy, the hardware of
new fault recorders has been reached to an acceptable or sometimes over designed- stage but there are plenty
of oppomnities for innovation in software parts of
theses devices. Using wavelet theory for phasor
calculation, new fuzzy logic and nemal network

REFERENCES

I . IEEE Publication, 1991,IEEE Standard Common

Format
for
Transient
Data
Exchange
(COMTRADE) for Power Systems, IEEE C37.111
2. IEEE Publication, 1987, IEEE Standard forA
Versatile Backplane Bus: VMEhus, ANSliIEEE
Std 1014