GE Harris uses fibre switches and mixed-media hubs in Oman substation
The Oman Ministry of Electricity and Water wanted to reduce substation operating costs, while maximizing the use of existing assets. Other goals for the program were to improve substation electrical system performance, reliability, and security. GE Harris Energy Control Systems, LLC, Melbourne, Fla., was asked to create a fully redundant system that included prefabricated control buildings and outdoor cabinets that would be easily connected to existing substation apparatus.
GE Harris learned of the GarrettCom line of Industrial Ethernet products from Dynavar Networking, Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dynavar, a high-tech provisioner of a wide variety of internetworking products in North America and around the world, recommended GarrettCom’s broad off-the-shelf line of flexible, highly reliable, DC-powered, extended-temperature Ethernet switches and hubs.
Download application note: GE Harris uses fibre switches and mixed-media hubs in Oman substation [PDF]
Arizona’s Salt river project uses 6K25 fibre switches in substations
To meet the growing power needs of metropolitan Phoenix, SRP is adding generating facilities and transmission lines that will protect SRP customers from market fluctuations and power shortages. SRP is also upgrading its nearly 200 existing substations to feature Ethernet in the control system over a three-year rollout period.
SRP engineers chose GarrettCom’s 6K25 Fibre Switches for the Ethernet LAN in the new Rudd substation. The GarrettCom product line offers high configuration flexibility, and high reliability as shown by the NEBS certifications which is appreciated by the telecommunications background of many of the SRP engineers. NEBS testing fulfils the criteria deemed necessary by the telecommunications industry to support mission-critical central office applications that demand high reliability, electromagnetic radiation immunity, and sustained operation under temperature stress among other tough conditions.
Download application note: Arizona’s Salt river project uses 6K25 fibre switches in substations [PDF]
DX routers deliver secure wireless communications at Eastern Iowa Light & Power
Eastern Iowa Light & Power’s challenge has been bringing all of its substations online in order to better access information—particularly customer metering data. Prior to this automation project, Eastern Iowa could only collect metering data periodically via meter readers physically going to each customer location. With automated meter reading (AMR), Eastern Iowa will have access to current customer metering data automatically while dramatically cutting meter reading costs.
Eastern Iowa Light & Power selected GarrettCom and its DX800 Serial Device Routers. Eastern Iowa liked the hardened quality of the DX800 units as well as the GUI software, rich with security features. At each of Eastern Iowa substations, the DX800 connects to the substation RTU to receive the SCADA data over one of the DX800’s four serial ports. Another DX800 serial port serves as the configuration port for the RTU. The two remaining DX800 serial ports are used to access the metering data.
Download application note: DX routers deliver secure wireless communications at Eastern Iowa Light & Power [PDF]
GarrettCom products offer Holyoke Gas & Electric flexibility and security for utility operations
Keeping a 100+ year-old operation up to date requires agility and flexibility. A collection of older mill-style brick buildings can be dusty and subject to temperature extremes and vibration from the powerful waterflows, requiring hardened electronic devices. Physical and cyber security are also important, particularly as the first NERC CIP compliance deadlines approach.
HG&E selected GarrettCom’s 6K-Series managed switches and DX Router/Terminal Servers for deploying Ethernet into substations and remote facilities. Of particular importance was the ability to choose among AC power, 125VDC power and dual-source DC. Many of the older and acquired buildings do not have AC power. The modular line allows HG&E to deploy the same switches, but with AC and 125VDC power as required. In addition, GarrettCom offers products in three levels of hardening – including premium grade for power utility infrastructure.
Download application note: GarrettCom products offer Holyoke Gas & Electric flexibility and security for utility operations [PDF]
6K switches network substations in Andes mountains
ANDESwireless’ challenge was to create a substation-hardened network that offered redundancy in the event of a fault. The overall networking area consisted of fourteen substations spread throughout EBSA. As shown in the diagram below, most of the substations were many kilometres apart--with the greatest networking distance between any two substations at 92.5 kilometres. Additionally, the fourteen substations were subject to harsh electrical, thermal, and environmental conditions.
ANDESwireless implemented a network with 14 substations linked together with fibre and wireless media. The switches chosen were GarrettCom 6K32TRC Managed Switches. The 6K32TRC Switches were networked in a ring topology that inter-connected the substations. Using industry standard RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) and IEEE 802.1d, the switches can quickly restore connectivity in the event of a network fault by changing one of the ring control ports from a blocking port to a forwarding port, and restoring full connectivity.
Download application note: 6K switches network substations in Andes mountains [PDF]
IEC61850 compliant Ethernet switches network substations throughout Italy
After a major blackout across Italy in 2003, the Italian National Agency for Country Power Management (GRTN) suggested using more sophisticated and automatic systems to manage high voltage electric charges. One of the results was the upgrade of 15 substations, with industrial instrumentation networked over Ethernet using hardened Ethernet switches from GarrettCom. In partnership with both Hi-TEC (producer and installer of Digital Fault Recorder devices) and Italian integrator FORT FIBRE OTTICHE, ENEL developed a strategy to monitor and record fault and events on electrical power lines backbone throughout Italy, in order to improve the service quality.
FORT FIBRE OTTICHE chose GarrettCom’s versatile ES42 range of compact, low cost, 6-port industrial Ethernet switches for their customer ENEL. The ES42 boasts high reliability as shown by the IEC 61850 and IEEE1613 standards compliance. The rigorous testing fulfils the criteria deemed necessary by the power utilities industry to support mission-critical applications that demand high reliability, electromagnetic radiation immunity, and sustained operation under temperature stress among other tough conditions.
Download application note: IEC61850 compliant Ethernet switches network substations throughout Italy [PDF]
Power utility uses GarrettCom fibre switches to provide reliable electricity supply in Spain
In partnership with power utility professional services groups, SCSI is upgrading nearly 200 substations with video surveillance, video conferencing and Voice over IP (VoIP) facilities using Ethernet as the communications protocol. The project will streamline operations throughout the Power Utilities network of substations by reducing the need for on-site personnel and engineer travel between sites. It requires hardened Ethernet switches which are IEC 61850 compliant and offer high reliability. It also requires Ethernet media configuration flexibility that includes mixed 100Mb fibre and 10/100 copper.
SCSI chose GarrettCom’s 6K family of managed fibre switches for their customer RED ELÉCTRICA DE ESPAÑA. The 6K family offers high configuration flexibility, and high reliability as shown by the IEC 61850 and IEEE1613 standards compliance. The rigorous testing to industry standards fulfils the criteria deemed necessary by the power utilities industry to support mission-critical applications that demand high reliability, electromagnetic radiation immunity, and sustained operation under temperature stress among other tough conditions.
Download application note: Power utility uses fibre switches to provide reliable electricity supply in Spain [PDF]
Vermont Electric builds secure network with Ethernet
VELCO recognized that their operations center also needed direct access to substation information such as fault recorder and protective relaying, to provide the company’s targeted high levels of customer satisfaction. By allowing appropriate personnel throughout the utility to access substation information, the company could asses any new situation and respond rapidly. Faster access to information would increase customer satisfaction, enhance security, and reduce costs.
6K25 Managed Fibre Switches are installed in substations throughout VELCO’s service area, and are tied into the communications network through a WAN port dedicated to substation automation. 6K Switches have the powerful, highly secure and robust remote access management capability that VELCO needed to protect its resources and customers. GarrettCom’s MNS-6K Managed Networks Software runs on all 6K-Series Managed Switches with Secure Web Management (SWM) providing encrypted authentication and access over Ethernet from remote locations. The 6K25 Switches are durable, hardened for the substation environment. They are configurable and flexible, which ensure customers such as VELCO of an upgrade path capable of supporting future growth.
Download application note: Vermont Electric builds secure network with Ethernet [PDF]
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