A laboratory on the configuration of electric power substation monitoring and control based on the SEL751A relay and an induction motor drive for a three phase power supply

While some people are capable of learning by simply reading the subject matter, psychological research has shown that most people learn better through hands-on training. However, it is costly to use real-life electric power substation for training students in the designing and setting up of substation monitoring and control systems. Moreover, most software simulation based laboratories on substation monitoring and control, focus on determining the effects of abnormal conditions on the protection of the electrical network, as opposed to the configuring of the smart relays as well as the communication networks that support the monitoring and control of substations. This paper presents a relay configuration laboratory that utilizes a motor drive as a three phase power source, and a three phase induction motor as a load on a substation bus. The laboratory gives automation students an opportunity to configure a real life substation monitoring and control relay, without exposing them to the risk of working with high voltages that characterize electric power substations.