Remedial Action Schemes (RAS)

Presented by
Brant Heap
Salt River Project

Hands-On Relay School

March 11 & 12, 2013
Overview

What is RAS?
Why is RAS Needed?
Types of RAS
Composite of a RAS Scheme
RAS Design
RAS Testing

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What is a RAS?

Synonymous Acronyms
RAS – Remedial Action Scheme (WECC)
SPS – Special Protection Scheme (NERC, others)
SIPS – System Integrity Protection Scheme (IEEE)

Automatic protection system designed to quickly detect

abnormal predetermined system conditions and takes a
predefined action to prevent a system problem

Take corrective actions other than and/or in addition to the

isolation of faulted components to maintain system
reliability 3
What a RAS is not?

Fault conditions that must be isolated with standard

relaying schemes

Underfrequency or Undervoltage Load Shedding

Out of Step Relaying

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 RAS or Other Alternative?
Responds to low probability events in the system

Increases path capacity without building more

power lines
A $1m RAS in place of a $50-$200m transmission line
Operating transfer capability on a path could quadruple
with a RAS

Helps balance load and generation after a loss of

one or the other

Increases overall system reliability 5

 Local vs Wide Area

Wide Area Protection Scheme (WAPS): A Remedial Action

Scheme whose failure to operate WOULD result in any of the
following:
Violations of TPL – (001 thru 004) – WECC – 1 – CR - System
Performance Criteria
Maximum load loss ≥ 300 MW
Maximum generation loss ≥ 1000 MW
Local Area Protection Scheme (LAPS): A Remedial Action Scheme
whose failure to operate WOULD NOT result in any of the above
Basically, Local RAS does not impact bulk transmission system
whereas Wide Area RAS does.
Wide Area RAS requires higher reliability requirements and a more
thorough review from WECC RASRS subcommittee
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 Local RAS Example
With series capacitors installed on the
Landon-Walnut Grove line, there is a
concern of SSR problems on the generators
if radial. Local RAS scheme in place to
bypass series capacitors if generating while
radial.
Ingalls

Wilder

500kV Landon 345kV

Unit 1 online
Walnut Grove
500kV
Unit 2 online
500kV
500kV

Bypass Series Caps

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 Wide Area RAS Example

•Loss of 2 units at Palo Verde while running above

2550MW would cause instability to the Calif/Oregon
Inter-tie (COI)
•Required load shed of at least 120MW to mitigate
OREGON

COI
California/Oregon
Inter-tie (Path 66)

CALIFORNIA
ARIZONA

Phoenix
Palo Verde
Nuclear Generating
Station 8
 Composite of a RAS Scheme
Problem to Mitigate (Mitigate Definition: Reduce or Eliminate a Problem)
Thermal (fast: seconds or minutes)
Voltage Instability (faster: cycles or seconds)
Transient Instability (fastest: 8-30 cycles)
Arming Condition
Line Loading
Generation Output
Line out of Service
Trigger Condition
Loss of Line
Loss of Generation
Operate (What the Scheme does to mitigate problem)
Cap Insertion, Gen Drop, Load Shed, Cap Bypass 9
Thermal Overload

Result from excessive currents flowing through transmission

circuits caused by heavy loads

Can cause overheating, line sags, and loss of conductor

strength

These RAS schemes can take sec/min rather than a few cycles

Examples of mitigation include backing generation or load

shedding
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 Voltage Instability

When a line loaded above it’s Surge

Impedance Level (SIL), it acts like a
reactor. This pulls the voltage down
and puts the system at risk of a
voltage collapse if loading increases.
The reactance causes voltage problems
before resistance heating causes thermal
problems.

Examples of mitigation include shunt

cap insertion or gen drop

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 Thermal & Voltage Instability RAS Example

Problem to Mitigate: Thermal overload on Path 4 and voltage

stability problems on neighboring busses

Arming Condition: Load on Buckeye-Jayhawk line exceeds

800MW

Trigger Condition: Loss of Buckeye-Jayhawk Line Longhorn

Fredette
Operate Condition:
•Insert shunt cap within 10 cycles
•Trip Buckeye Unit 1 within 60 cycles 345kV 500kV 345kV
500kV

Reliant
Unit 1

Unit 2
Buckeye
Cougar

Shunt Cap

Jayhawk 12
Irving Substation
Transient Instability

Disturbance which does not allow a generator to deliver its

power into the network. (i.e. sudden line outages)

Power then absorbed by generator resulting in sudden

acceleration of the rotor and eventually cause damage of the
generator

Examples of mitigation include fast gen drop or use of

braking resistor

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Arming Algorithms

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 Design Components

Sensing
CTs/PTs, Transducers
Input/Outputs
Breaker status, trip coils, control outputs, etc.
RAS Controllers
Relays, PLCs, DCS
Communications
Bandwidth to meet time constraints
Low data error
High availability
Redundancy, Redundancy, Redundancy!
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Panel Layout Example
LOCKOUTS

FT-19
CUTOFF BLADES RAS A

Disable
Switches

SELECTOR
SWITCHES
RAS B

TEST 16
SWITCHES
 Panel Layout Example
RAS A DC RAS B DC

All cables redundant

Power supply fusing
redundant
RAS A wiring on
one side of panel,
RAS B wiring on the
other

RAS A Control, RAS B Control,

Alarms, Status Alarms, Status

RAS A Currents RAS B Currents

& Potentials & Potentials
 Three-line
Three-line
 REDUNDANT COMM SIMPLIFIED NETWORK

N60 A
RAS1,2,3
C70 A
RAS2
N60 B
MAIN N60 RAS3
C70 B RAS1
RAS1,2
MAIN N60
RAS2 N60 C
ETHERNET RAS2

LAN MAIN N60

G.703
RAS3 N60 D
RAS2,3

C70 C MAIN N60

RAS1,2 MISC
N60 E
RAS1,2
C70 D
RAS1,2
N60 G N60 F
RAS3 RAS1,2,3

•Relays connected in either LAN network or G.703 ring

•Relays can exchange data with any other relay in its network or ring
 RAS Example - Review
Problem to Mitigate

Arming Condition

Trigger Condition

Operate (Method of Mitigation)

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 RAS Example – Problem to Mitigate
Problem to Mitigate
•Voltage dip at DB 230kV bus
To Knox
Fault occurs on DBG- and neighboring busses
Santa Rosa 230kV Santa Rosa 230kV line •Casa Grande 230/69kV
Desert Basin 230kV transformer overload

Santa Rosa 69kV

To Testtrak
Casa Grande 69kV

Casa Grande 230kV

Casa Grande – Saguaro 230kV line
Initially out of service (IOS)
The only outlet for DBG
generation is 100MVA Casa
Grande 230/69kV transformer

To Tatmomli Saguaro 230kV

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 RAS Example – Arming Condition
645
630
GROSS DBG OUTPUT THRESHOLD (MW)

630 627 630

625 620
613
REGION 2 607
605 CT1 and CT2 ARMED TO TRIP 600
590
585 585 583 583
576 REGION 1 575
570 567
565
CT1 or CT2 ARMED TO TRIP
558
550
545 543
535 535
525
525
517
510
505 503
NOT ARMED
485
465
465
0.975 0.98 0.985 0.99 0.995 1 1.005 1.01 1.015 1.02 1.025 1.03 1.035 1.042 1.045
1.04 1.05
17.55 17.64 17.73 17.82 17.91 18 18.09 18.18 18.27 18.36 18.45 18.54 18.63 18.72 18.81 18.9
TERMINAL VOLTAGE (kV)
RAS Armed CT1 trip CT1&CT2 trip

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 RAS Example

TOTAL MW
SIGNAL
GENERATING IN ARMED SIGNAL
OPERATING REGION TO SEL321 RELAY
DCS PLC

TERMINAL
VOLTAGE
SIGNAL

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 RAS Example – Trigger & Operate
Trigger Condition
•Fault on the Santa Rosa Line

Santa Rosa Line

OUTPUT
SEL321 Relay
ARMED SIGNAL
FROM PLC
LOCKOUT
CT1 CT1
CT1 & CT2 &
SELECTOR SWITCH
CT2 CT2

CT1 CT2
GEN BKR GEN BKR
Operate – Method of Mitigation
•Gen Drop
CT1 CT2
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 Functional Testing

Acceptance Checks
Verify the functionality of the relay inputs/outputs
Scheme Checks
Verify the wiring and all new physical connections to
controllers/relays
Verify operation of lockouts when trip outputs are
initiated
Logic Testing
Verify operation of relay settings and logic of each relay
End-to-end Testing
Verify data transfer between relays
Initiate trigger condition and verify operation and timing 25
 Timing Test Results
Indicates Timing Test Verified

T=0
1.5 2.5 6

Time in Cycles

Average Time Elapsed from

Santa Rosa Line Fault to Generator Breaker Trip:
RAS A = 5.8 cycles
RAS B = 6.0 cycles
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 RAS Scheme Review

Remedial Action Scheme Reliability

Subcommittee (RASRS)
Originally a task force in 1985
In 2005, task force was designated a subcommittee
reporting to WECC
Committee consists of knowledgeable representatives
from several region utilities with backgrounds in
communication, automation, planning, operations, and
relaying.
Reviews the RAS designs to ensure reliability and no
single points of failure that would result in Bulk
Electric System performance outside of WECC
performance limits
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QUESTIONS

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