Real-time digital simulator for protective relay testing

The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) recognized that real-time testing of protection relays is needed for a full evaluation of different relaying products considered for future use on the WAPA system. In terms of protective relaying, some important sections of the WAPA system have introduced several real challenges in deciding which relaying product will best suit the given application. The relaying applications are quite complex, consisting of parallel lines with series capacitor compensation, MOV protection on the capacitors, and a single-pole reclosing scheme. The authors describe how WAPA implemented a new low-cost, high-performance digital simulator design aimed at providing real-time operation while preserving accuracy and flexibility.<>