News

Design, manufacture, application, testing, supply and commissioning of bay controller feeder panels for Transend Networks, Tasmania.

Standards are fundamental in ensuring an organisation’s ongoing success. They simplify product development and reduce non-value adding costs. It is only through the use of standards that interconnectivity and interoperability requirements can be assured. Standards help organisations cope with slow economic growth, and adapt to changing market needs. They also help to meet network demands, while increasing product value.

To increase efficiencies and reduce risk of supply, organisations should establish a strategic relationship with suppliers, so they can work together on design, development and cost reduction.

Long term alliances
Schneider Electric has formed numerous long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships. Within these relationships, Schneider Electric may assist in technology improvement and standardisation, and may include an agreement detailing performance requirements. One of these relationships is with Transend Networks.

Standard feeder panels for Transend Networks
Transend Networks has embarked upon a strategic business initiative to standardise many of its assets. This long-term goal will help the Tasmanian electricity transmitter achieve enhanced return on its assets and reduce its lifecycle costs.

Working with Transend Networks, Schneider Electric (formerly AREVA T&D Automation Unit) has developed a standardised bay control and protection feeder panel that can be used in any of Transend’s 47 substations. The physical panel design, bill of material, schematic logic and design have all been frozen and standardised.

MiCOM C264 modular substation controller
Schneider Electric has supplied Transend with its powerful MiCOM C264 modular substation controller for the standardised feeder panel. Not just a bay controller, the C264 also incorporates the functionality of a remote terminal unit (a protocol converter and a power quality analyser). Its other functions include auto reclosing, check synchronising, voltage regulation and event logging. The controller helps to modernise existing installations. It has an open platform for innovative real time automation schemes; it optimises engineering designs; it is modular and has the latest cutting edge technology, making it future proof. The controller acts as an advanced measurement centre - a communication gateway and a fast automation processor for substation supervision, automation and maintenance.

The C264 processes up to 240 binary inputs/ outputs, has a 100 Mbps Ethernet connection speed (electrical /optical), incorporates two to four serial ports (RS 232, RS 484) and has a direct current transformer/voltage transformer interface avoiding the use of external transducers. It also has digital input/outputs that eliminate interposing relays, and removable connectors that help to simplify installation.

Protection and control equipment
The protection panel uses two different philosophies of protection. Main A – current differential protection, and Main B – distance protection with two different brands of relays, an integrated bay protection and control unit.
Main B also used trip circuit supervision relays, bistable voltage selection relays and auxiliary relays. It also has a locking facility on the circuit breaker control switch. Although the MiCOM C264 has the facility for remote terminal units, an external dedicated remote terminal unit has been used.

Schneider Electric has also supplied Transend with direct current (DC) distribution boards. The DC distribution system comprises DC supply systems with a battery, a battery charger, a DC distribution board and the associated interconnections. These may be single systems or two independent DC systems (A and B) with a common distribution board.

Benefits
Transend is more flexible and adaptive to changing electricity market needs as a result of its asset standardisation. The company will benefit from reduced inventory holding costs, effective field operations and focused training. Other major benefits will include minimised downtime of equipment and reduced lead time, resulting in lower total cost of ownership.