ELCOME, dear friends of protection and control engineering. There is something new at WOODWARD, or rather at SEG Electronics. The WOODWARD location in Kempen / Germany is now running at:
SEG Electronics
and thus again within a German GmbH.
Also new: A new HighPROTEC release, version 3.7. Let's look at the innovations in detail.
Focus Areas of Release 3.7
The following points show the most important innovations:
🌐 Certificates for Release 3.7, additonal devices certified
🌐 Improved Frequency-, ROCOF- and Phase Differential Protection
🌐 SCADApter (IEC 60870-5-103 and Profibus DP)
🌐 Smart view - usability
🌐 KEMA (entire HighPROTEC family fully type tested)
The points in detail
Certificates for Release 3.7 - VDE‑AR‑N‑4110 & 4120
🌐 The HighPROTEC series is compliant with the VDE-AR-N 4110 (MV) and VDE-AR-N 4120 (HV).
🌐 For MCA4, MRA4, MRU4, MCDLV4 (new as of Release 3.7) and MCDGV4, a VDE-AR-N 4110 component certificate is available.
🌐 Receiving measurement values and disturbance records from a distance of up to 24 km via fiber optics, and at the same time being compliant with the standard for VDE‑AR‑N‑4110:2018: This is possible with the MCDLV4 system.
🌐 For MCA4, a component certificate according to VDE-AR-N 4120 is available for Release 3.7.
🌐 In addition to that, a VDE-AR-4120 component certificate (for High Voltage) is now available also for MRU4 and MCDGV4.
Improved Frequency and ROCOF Protection
The frequency protection and ROCOF protection has been further improved according to the specifications set by the latest release of the protection relay standard IEC 60255‑181:2019.
A new setting parameter [Field Para / Frequency] »Stab. window f for df/dt« has been added to allow for optional adjusting the stabilization of the frequency values that are used for calculating df/dt. This parameter has been added for some specific local requirements / experts (e.g. in Denmark).
Phase differential protection improvement
Let's tell it in a nutshell: The CT Saturation Stabilization function (for the phase differential protection) has been improved with respect to external faults with CT saturation.
SCADApter (IEC 60870-5-103 and Profibus DP)
SCADApter, the great new tool that was already introduced with the last release, enabling a reorganization of the communication, has now been completed.
🌐 Modbus
🌐 IEC 60870-5-104
🌐 IEC 60870-5-103 (new)
🌐 Profibus DP (new)
Profibus DP Improvements
Profibus measurement values can now be configured: The byte sequence can be set to Little Endian or Big Endian (new). This ensures better compatibility to systems that can work with Big Endian only.
No changes of the defaults for Profibus DP. Measurement values and States can be freely assigned to the byte positions.
IEC-60870-5-103 Improvements
IEC 60870-5-103 Disturbance records have been added to the SCADApter now. One can select which analog channels shall be transmitted via the protocol.
The configurable subset of information that is user definable via SCADApter ensures more overview and faster transmission of information. The IDs (Function Codes und Information Numbers) of the measured values can be adapted to SCADA requirements.
One remark for users of older versions of our devices with this protocol: Woodward / SEG has tidied up the default file in order to win performance. If you miss any value / state, you can reconfigure it with the SCADApter.
Smart view - Innovations in Release 4.8
The buttons have been updated with newer modern icons. In the figure below you can see the respective functionality.
KEMA - Complete Type Test - HighPROTEC
All HighPROTEC devices got a type test certificate from an independent, accredited laboratory - KEMA. This independent test institute confirmed via a certificate the full compliance with the entire protection relay standard IEC 60255-1 for all HighPROTEC devices.
The measurements and tests of the KEMA as an independent third party are confirming our own quality-based-approaches.
Full compliance requires compliance with all chapters of the entire standard. And only full compliance ensures the required quality.
When you are selecting a protection relay, please make sure that the manufacturer declares full compliance with the IEC 60255-1.
You should insist that the declaration guarantees the compliance with the full standard, not just with subchapters. Documents issued by the manufacturers (or even by test laboratories) should not refer to only subchapters of the standard.
A “Type Test Certificate” issued by an independent, accredited test laboratory ensures the compliance with the entire standard, so that you are on the safe side.
We will soon publish a separate article on this topic and clarify when we can actually speak of an official medium-voltage relay.
Kind regards
Your Electrical-Engineering-Academy Team
