Keynote Address: CIGRE Report Highlights Optimisation of Protection During Power System Disturbances

In 1996 CIGRE Study Committee 34 (Power System Protection & Local Control) decided to form a working group with the objective of investigating how protection performance could be optimised during system disturbances. The work scope included a survey of protection behaviour during disturbances and the preparation of a report indicating best practice to optimise protection performance. Of particular interest was the co-ordination of protection/control schemes between different plant within the power system e.g. transmission and generation equipment. This presentation is based on the final report of the working group which attempts to identify the potential vulnerabilities of protection schemes in the event of major disturbances and recommend strategies to optimise protection performance. Given the rapid pace of technology development reference is also made to possible future improvements in such defence schemes.