SUBSTATION AUTOMATION

Abstract—Automation can easily increase the efficiency of the Industries the main aim of our concept is to monitor and control the Industrial substation by using SCADA. The power grid was previously monitored by Manual and now it can be monitor by using Internet.

 Main functions of substation automation include accurate fault location to prevent false tripping and to minimize the area affected by the fault. We can access data securely from any part of the world by point to point communication using internet. Substation automation increase reliability and performance of electrical protection, advanced disturbance and event recording capabilities is possible.

 The changes in load and stability affects the operation of a power system. The increase in power conception lead to the construction of many substations. This lead to the automation of substation for reducing the complexity of power transmission.

Keywords—RTU, Protocol, Electrical distribution, Substation automation, SCADA, KSEB.

I.  INTRODUCTION

Nowadays the electricity problems are affecting the productivity and efficiency of the industry. This can be eliminated by automating the industrial substation. Through substation automation reliability and performance of electrical protection is increased, advanced disturbance and event recording capabilities are gained.

 This system can monitor and control the circuit-breakers operated on the site, to achieve data acquisition, measurement, parameter adjustment, and various signal alarms.
 This monitoring system uses monitoring hosts to call and monitor the load status, load distribution curve, accident statistics, important alarm, working status, and other electricity monitoring data of various substations. In RTU automated substation, the power equipment, their communication and computers are interdependent. The datas from substation equipment is communicated with the SCADA systems by using RTU. 

 The main advantage of using SCADA system is that monitoring and controlling can be done easily and reduce the human labour [1]. The monitoring system and real time supervision system of the field devices and the real-time status are currents, voltages, pressures, temperatures, contacts, etc. This supervision is made through digital equipment and special sensors that are installed in the field devices of the substation. The data are collected and processed in a data acquisition and control unit (UAC), to thereafter through a communication network, using desirably a protocol standardized international sent to a central computer located at the control building of the substation and later to the operation centers and so allowing a remote supervision. Measured values reflect different time varying quantities, such as voltage, current, temperature and tap changer positions, which are collected from the power system. They fall into two basic type and digital. All analogue signals are transformed via an A/D converter to binary format because treated as momentary-value that they have to be normalized before storing [2].

 The substation automation system in a given substation had to exchange enormous information to deliver the desired performance. This required considerable customization through protocol converters that were proprietary (Manufacturer Specific) in nature, but that was not compatible with a multi-vendor environment. The SCADA applications and individual device vendors share common tag data bases. Specialized point to point link to IEDs applications must deal with numerous Protocols, Data formats & Data addressing. There is virtually no link to other applications. Communication path must be reconfigured, when new device and applications are added. The most recently widely used technology like OPC was mainly adopting this approach [3].

 It is very difficult to know the actual losses on the distribution network. Generally, rules of thumb are used to estimate the power losses [4]. 

 The basic information about the challenge for the EPS is to provide a quick response to the undesirable effects, maintaining reliability and competitive prices [5].

II.  NEED FOR SUBSTATION AUTOMATION

The basic needs for the industrial substation automation are:

Substation automation is required in Industries to increase reliability and performance of electrical protection of circuits in substation, which will affect the efficiency of power distribution.

Advanced disturbance of the power and event recording capabilities can be achieved by using RTU, which will record the amount of unit used by the industry in each sec.

Display of real time substation information is possible by using multi-function meter and SCADA, which is required for getting open access from KSEB.

Remote switching and advance supervisory control can be done easily by the output module of RTU which is connected to the coil relay for more efficiency.

The high-power EMF produced in the transformers during step up or step down of the power that is distributed through grid lines, can affect human brain cells.

Advanced automation functions like intelligent load-shedding can be done for easier, faster and safer during the power transmission time or at any short-circuit problems.

The main circuit breaker can be controlled by using internet instead of manual control which is possible by the use of RTU and the communication unit with SCADA.

The hacking of the Industrial substation or malfunctioning of it can be identified and alarm can be set for the security purpose of the power transmission.

Financial Need for Substation Automation

The factors that lead the industries in Kerala to automate their substation is explained below.

Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd (KSEB Ltd) is a public-sector agency under the Government of Kerala, India, that generates, transmits and distributes the electricity supply in the state.

Kerala State's average daily consumption is 74.77 million units per day which cannot be generated from the hydro power station alone.

Figure 1. Industrial Power Distribution Diagram

To satisfy this energy need KSEB has executed purchase of power from north region of India.

But, KSEB have to bear the transmission losses in grid line during the power distribution.

KSEB then sell this power to industries for higher unit cost which increased the profit of KSEB.

Many Industries closed in Kerala because of the high electricity bill that they need to pay.

For supporting the industries that need more units of power, the Kerala government given permission for open access.

By taking open access, the industry can directly purchase low cost power from northern power generators.

For taking open access the industry should automate their substation by using RTU and SCADA.

After implementation of this project the cost of each unit will be reduced as per the present price.

But the industry should pay maintenance charges to KSEB for transmitting power from the north through grid lines.

III.  CONCEPT MODEL

The conceptual model that we suggest for the substation automation system is given below.

 Our system is developed for controlling the main CB of the industrial substation and to collect, display and store the electrical parameters from the substation for the future reference. The present status of the substation is also transferred to the receiver through VPN connection, where the datas are safely uploaded for the KSEB control. The hacking is eliminated by using the NTP server which will update the time of the system in each sec.

The main components used for substation automation system are the MF meter, RTU, Modem, and SCADA control. The MF meter collects the electrical parameters from the industrial substation and display it and also transmit the datas to the RTU. As per the data received from the process plant the RTU will control the main circuit breaker. The RTU can be configurated by using the PC through Ethernet cable. The IP address for the SCADA controller is configurated in the RTU. Through point to point communication the substation is controlled by using the SCADA system.

IV. ASSEMBLED MODEL

The assembled substation automation model developed by us is shown below along with the various components that are marked on the figure itself.

V. WORKING

For the protection of RTU panel first Siemens MCB is connected with the power supply, then the indicator light is connected to output lines of the first MCB. SMPS switch is also connected to the output power line of first MCB to reduce 240V to 24V input power supply, then it is connected to the second MCB, then to RTU Power Module.

The current and voltage input is taken from KSEB incomer and connected to MF meter. The output from MF meter is connected to the RTU communication module. The input from ammeter and voltmeter is connected to RTU input module through solid relay. The output from key switch is connected to RTU input module. The output module of the RTU520 is connected to the Main Circuit Breaker through coil relay.

The RTU is connected to the lap through Ethernet cable, then by using RTU Utility software configuration is done. The point to point communication is developed by using BSNL ONT server and router is connected for providing Wi-Fi network.

The breaker control and substation monitoring data is transferred to KSEB SCADA controller through point to point communication. Then the KSEB officer can see the present status of the industrial substation and the data about the power usage of the industry in each second will be stored. The main circuit breaker of the industry can be controlled by using SCADA.

VI. PROFIT ANALYSIS

By automating the substation, the industries are getting many benefits. By taking open access for the electricity used by the industry the profit of the industry will increase.


The following profit analysis is done based on the approximate electricity units used by an industry.

VII. CONCLUSIONS

Substation Automation will improve routine asset management, quality of service, operational efficiency, reliability, and security.
 The three parts of the system are assimilated with the advanced communication and measurement technology. As added advantage to the existing system, the proposed methodology can monitor the operating situation, easily detect and locate the fault of the feeders and status of breakers.
 The information from the system helps in apprehending the advanced distribution operation, which includes improvement in power quality, loss detection and state estimation.
 Also can eliminate the high cost of electricity by implementing this concept in the industrial substation. A small fault in the electrical circuit may damage the entire Industry. By our concept the problems faced by the industry can be eliminated and the complete circuit protection can be achieved.

CNN Uses Vantage Robotics

CNN Uses Vantage Robotics' Snap Drone to Win FAA Fly-Over-People Waiver

By Jogi Jose

Vantage Robotics' Snap drone weighs just 620 grams and is held together with magnets, allowing it to come apart on impact.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Small UAS Rule (also known as Part 107) has provisions to obtaining waivers to the usual requirements for flying drones in the United States. For example, you’re not generally allowed to fly drones at night, although the FAA has granted quite a few waivers allowing flight after dark.

But another rule is that you can’t fly drones over people who are not part of your operations, and until about a week ago, the FAA hadn’t waived that rule for anybody. Now it has, for CNN. The FAA is allowing the cable news network to use a drone to obtain video over uninvolved people, even crowds assembled at places like sporting events.

Clearly, the safety of folks beneath the drone was a big concern here. CNN says it was able to address the issue by using a drone called Snap from San Francisco Bay Area startup Vantage Robotics.

Most quadcopters control yaw using just the torque that develops in reaction to changes in the speed of the blades. Vantage Robotics decided to make yaw control more responsive by slightly tilting the front propellers backward and the rear propellers forward. This configuration creates thrust forces that apply a torque directly to the frame of the craft.

Snap weighs just 620 grams (1.4 pounds). And it’s held together with magnets, allowing it to come apart on impact—say, with your head—which makes it less likely to do any lasting damage. AeroVironment has been using the same strategy with hand-launched military drones—not so that they don’t do inadvertent collateral damage, but so that they don’t damage themselves during their rather hard deep-stall landings.

Another safety measure Snap includes are shrouds around its whirling blades. That’s not uncommon for drones, particularly those you might fly inside. But Vantage Robotics cleverly designed blade shrouds using “tensegrity,” a term that American inventor Buckminster Fuller coined more than half a century ago, and which refers to objects that use components in compression or tension to maintain their structure. (NASA is also using tensegrity-based designs, to build robots.) A bicycle wheel would be an example of the kind of thing that inspired Snap’s featherweight blade shrouds.

Snap has blade shrouds based on a tensegrity structure that is lightweight but strong.

Perhaps a greater innovation is the strategy Snap adopted to control yaw—movements that make the drone rotate to the left and right. Other quadcopters control yaw using just the torque that develops in reaction to changes in the speed of the blades. Two diagonally opposed blades are made to speed up, while the other two are made to slow down. The overall upward thrust is the same, but because those pairs rotate in opposite directions, the body of the drone rotates in response.

The problem is that this reaction torque doesn’t have much oomph. So it’s hard to make yaw control very responsive in drones of this type. And that was a particular problem here, because Vantage Robotics didn’t want to have to add a third axis to its camera gimbal to damp out yaw motions. So it needed to have the whole drone yaw on command swiftly and precisely. The company’s solution, according to a patent application filed last year, was to cant the propellers: The two on the front point somewhat backward; the two on the rear point somewhat forward.

Small dihedral angles of this type are often used for the wings of aircraft to add stability. In model airplanes, wing dihedral also allows the plane to bank with just rudder control. Snap’s dihedral improves yaw “authority” because when two diagonally opposed propellers spin up, their canted thrust forces apply a torque directly to the frame of the craft.

My hat’s off to the company for creating what looks to be a very benign yet capable drone. It’ll be fascinating to see what kind of video footage CNN is able to attain with it.

What Do Mechatronic Engineers Do?

What Do Mechatronic Engineers Do?

Mechatronic engineers work in all aspects of the development of the smart machine – from design and testing through to manufacture and ultimately deployment of an operation. The industries involved include robotics, medical equipment and assistive technology, human-machine interaction, manufacturing, unmanned aerial and ground vehicles, andeducation.

Mechatronic engineers work at companies that require high-tech development into what they are producing. These engineers may work in a laboratory, a processing plant, or an engineering office. Research opportunities for mechatronics engineers abound in emerging fields like bioengineering, nanotechnology, and robotics. These engineers are playing a large role in the development of electric cars and self-driving vehicles.

You will find mechatronic engineers in the defense industry developing futuristic vehicles, and you’ll also find them revolutionizing consumer products. They may work in smaller innovative high-tech companies, designing software, parts, and equipment. You’ll find them in mining as well as the oil and gas industry, since the equipment for these industries now includes electronics, mechanical equipment, and systems development.

The automotive industry leans heavily on mechatronics, as well. Electronics that control mechanical systems account for much of the value of new vehicles. These systems manage everything from stability control and antilock brakes to climate control and memory-adjustment seats.

In its essence, mechatronic engineering involves creating smart machines that are aware of their surroundings and can make decisions. While this seems like the perfect definition of a robot, smart machines also involve equipment that does not look robotic yet behaves like a robot in that it can be programmed to conduct specific movements that accomplish goals. A programmed conveyor belt can be a smart programmable machine – a robot.

These smart machines are complex equipment made up of several parts: the mechanical system itself, the sensing and actuation, the control systems, and the software. Developing and operating these intelligent machines involves the full range of disciplines included in mechatronics.

need for substation automation

http://theroboticsworld.blogspot.com/2017/06/need-for-substation-automation.html

The robots of CES 2017

• Mayfield Robotics Kuri

  The Kuri robot nanny comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 1080p cam, facial recognition and sturdy wheels designed to traverse any interior flooring. Plus, it sounds like R2.

  Photo by: Chris Monroe/CNET
  $699.00 MSRPRead First Take
• 
• Lego Boost
• Lego Boost, coming later this year, turns all your usual Lego constructions into robots. Excuse me while I excitedly scream for a while.

  Photo by: Lego

  $159.99 MSRPRead First Take
• 
• The Leka is designed to help special-needs children. The interactive robot helps children better understand social and visual cues, and multiplayer games aim to improve their social skills.
• 
• LG Hub Robot
• LG's new Alexa-powered smart home assistant proves that circular faces are in vogue. Oh, and that 2017 is going to be a big year for smart homes.

  Read First Take
• 
• LG's lawn-mowing robot
• Also from LG is a new robotic lawn mower. It looks quite similar to a robot 

  Read First Take

  
• 
• vacuum, although it's significantly larger and presumably it'll use sensors to track your yard and keep your grass tidy.
• LG Airbot
• You won't find one in your own house, but LG also announced the Airbot. It'll debut in Korea, but this robotic helper will act as a guide for travellers in airports.

  
  Nudge your Neato
• While the Neato robot vacs aren't newcomers to the scene, CES 2017 saw the introduction of a cool new feature: It'll now respond to commands via Facebook messenger.
• 
• Black & Decker Smartech Robot Vac
• Yeah, robot vacuums aren't setting the world on first any more, but the Smartech range from Black & Decker is coming in at around half the price of some competitors.

  Photo by: Tyler Lizenby/CNET

  $400.00 MSRPRead First Take
• 
• Ubtech Lynx
• Ubtech's Lynx robot helps Alexa get mobile. No longer will Amazon's assistant be tethered to your Amazon Echo. Now Alexa can come find you.

  Read First Take

  Ewaybot MoRo
• Chinese robotics company Ewaybot took to the CES trade show in Las Vegas with MoRo, a robotic assistant that is designed to simplify your life. Capable of moving around indoors and outdoors, handling objects and listening to voice commands, the MoRo is nearly 4-feet tall, weighs close to 80 pounds and has up to eight hours of battery life. It also costs a hefty $30,000, so the dream of a robot butler isn't quite there yet.
• 
• Emotech Olly
• Social robot Olly is an attempt to bridge the divide between smart home hubs and smart home robots. The key is a combination of personality, movement and interaction, according to Hongbin Zhuang, the London-based founder of social robot Olly. Deep learning means that Olly will learn how you want to interact with it as it responds to your questions and controls your connected devices.

  Read First Take

  Aristotle by Nabi
• OK, so it's more of a voice assistant, but the Aristotle gets a special mention as Alexa for kids. It's a baby monitor, it answers questions, it orders diapers and new parent and CNET editor Sean Hollister said, "it could be the most exciting thing toymaker Mattel has ever produced."

  Photo by: Tyler Lizenby/CNET

  $299.00 MSRPRead First Take
• 
• Laundroid
• Sick of folding clothes? The Laundroid was back at CES this year, and it was able to not only fold, but also sort your clothes. Granted, it takes five minutes to fold a shirt. But I think we can take the hit.

  
• Pepper in the US
• Softbank's Pepper turned up at CES 2017 after making a huge showing overseas last year. The poster child for robotics has appeared in shopping centers, cruise ships and airports. So, naturally, we played Cards Against Humanity with it.

Stages In Designing Mechatronic Systems

The design of mechatronic systems can be divided into a number of stages.

The Need:

The design process starts with the need of a customer.

By adequate market research and knowledge, the potential needs of a customer can be clearly identified. In some cases, company may create a market need but failures are more in this area.

Hence, market research technology is necessary.

Analysis of the Problem:

This is the first stage and also the critical stage in the design process.

After knowing the customer need, analysis should be done to know the true nature of the problem. To define the problem accurately, analysis should be done carefully

Preparation of a Specification:

The second stage of the mechatronic process involves in the preparation of a specification

The specification must be given to understand the requirements and the functions to be met.

The specification gives mass dimensions, types, accuracy, power requirements, load, praying environments, velocity, speed, life etc.

Conceptualization:

The possible solution should be generated for each of the functions required

It is generated by verifying the old problems or some newly developed techniques may be used

Optimization:

This stage involves in a selection of a best solution for the problem

Optimization is defined as a technique in which a best solution is selected among a

group of solutions to solve a problem.

The various possible solutions are evaluated and the most suitable solution is selected.

Detail Design:

Once optimizing a solution is completed, the detail design of that solution is developed.

This may require a production of prototype etc.

Mechanical layout is to be made whether physically all component can be accommodated.

Also whether components are accessible for replacement / maintenance are to be checked.

The selected design or solution is then translated into working drawings, circuit diagrams, etc. So that the item can be made.

Drawings also include the manufacturing tolerances for each component.