Study of the Primary Substation Digitalization

The development of new technologies linked to Smart Grid has led to a series of technological advances in the area of power systems. The IEC 61850, since its advent in 2002, has revolutionized projects and operations in substations, bringing several improvements, such as the use of high speed and high availability data communication networks. With this, it has been possible to readjust and modernize the protection systems found in a substation. In this perspective, this article proposes the development and implementation of a substation protection architecture different from those already registered, reducing the amount of IEDs used and finding a technological-financial balance. This new architecture can be used as a model for the digitalization and improvement of other substations. This study is part of the scope of the Urban Futurability R&D project, carried out by ENEL Distribuição São Paulo, located in the Vila Olímpia neighborhood, a region with very favorable characteristics to carry out this type of study because of its different types of grids, from overhead grids with medium load density to underground grids with high load density.