DIGITAL CONTROL SYSTEMS | « Back to overview
With the introduction of deregulation and competition in the electricity distribution networks, reliability and security of supply coupled with low operation costs have become the key factors for the utility providers to compete and meet customer satisfaction.
Such requirements led utilities to invest in continuous monitoring and immediate intervention by installing intelligent electronic devices and data concentrators to collect vital information and execute commands from a remote control centre.
Digital control systems are now forming an integral part of modern substations. Numerical data is exchanged between the control centre and the various substations connected to it through standard communication protocols, giving real time network representation together with remote control of switching devices. Substation automation has provided the utilities the necessary tools to meet their objectives.
Medelec has provided different types and levels of substation automation in past years, starting from automatic controls using programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to SCADA remote terminal unit (RTU) based systems.
In collaboration with its partners AREVA T&D P&C, Medelec provides fully digital automation systems based on AREVA PACIS architecture, using RTUs, bay computers, gateways and numerical relays communicating over standard protocols such as IEC 60850-101, 103, 104 and the latest substation protocol - IEC 61850.
