IEEE Standards Association
May 2012 | In This Issue
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Hot Off The Presses
Making the Smart Grid Work, One Meter at a Time
How to Put a Substation Where There’s No Room for One
Making Work on Substations Safe and Grounded
Small Dams, Big Source of Renewable Energy
Revised Standard Reflects New Ways to Test Air Core Reactors
News & Announcements
IEEE Approves New IEEE 802.1aq™ Shortest Path Bridging Standard
Featured Standard
Ultimately the Smart Grid comes down to individual connections— to houses, factories, offices, retail stores... in short, to everything. Smart Metering Utility Networks can potentially contain millions of these fixed endpoints, often connected wirelessly via local and metropolitan area networks within dense urban environments. Yet until now, no standard has been established for the communication range, robustness and coexistence characteristics of these wireless connections, to ensure that they play well together and function as promised.
A series of amendments to the 802 wireless standard now seeks to address these issues in accordance with smart grid legislation passed in 2007. The key one is IEEE 802.15.4g™-2012, IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks Part 15.4: Low Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR-WPANs) Amendment: Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications for Low Data Rate Wireless Smart Metering Utility Networks.
802.15.4g sets out standards for wireless smart meters at the end user level, supporting operation on any of the regionally available license exempt frequency bands, such as 700MHz to 1GHz, and the 2.4 GHz band, and a data rate of at least 40 kbits per second but not more than 1000 kbits per second. Because coexistence is a major concern, it also establishes standards which will facilitate simultaneous operation of at least three co-located orthogonal networks, and connectivity to at least one thousand direct neighbors, a level of density characteristic of our most heavily populated urban areas.
A related current amendment designed to help direct the development of Smart Metering Utility Networks is IEEE 802.15.4e™-2012, IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks Part 15.4: Low Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR-WPANs) Amendment to the MAC sub-layer.
The beneficiaries of this drive to establish standards for the Smart Grid are, again, everyone and everything— from utilities who can better manage and price power, to end users of every kind who benefit from greater efficiency, to our entire society, which will gain a more environmentally efficient and sustainable energy ecosystem.
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Newly Published Standards
Any Synchrophasor in a Storm
Synchronized phasor measurements systems, or synchrophasors, provide real-time measurement of electrical quantities across a power system. This makes it possible to monitor and control system stability and loads, record disturbances, and map dynamic system response. But the existing standard only specifies the performance of phasor measurements under steady state conditions. And it’s during a disturbance like a storm that you’d really like to know some of these things.
IEEE C37.118.1™-2011, Standard for Synchrophasor Measurements for Power Systems, addresses the issue of dynamic measurements under severe system disturbances. It defines a synchronized phasor (synchrophasor), frequency and rate of change of frequency measurements. It describes timetag and synchronization requirements for measurement of all three of these quantities. It specifies methods for evaluating these measurements, and requirements for compliance with the standard under both static and dynamic conditions. It defines a Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) which can be a stand-alone physical unit or a functional unit within another physical unit. It does not specify hardware, software or a method for computing phasors, frequency, or rate of change of frequency.
How to Put a Substation Where There’s No Room for One
A well-managed power grid is part of what makes urban living possible. But as areas get built up, it becomes harder for utilities to find and afford open land to install the substations that are part of that grid. Indoor gas-insulated substations can go in places where there’s no room for standard open-air substations.
These indoor substations are the subject of IEEE C37.122.2™-2011, Guide for the Application of Gas-Insulated Substations 1kV to 52kV, which covers planning, specification, testing, installation, operation, and maintenance of indoor gas-insulated substations (GIS) and equipment. Intended to supplement IEEE C37.122, the guide will help utility substation engineers in installing these systems safely and effectively.
Making Work on Substations Safe and Grounded
Screwing a new bulb into a recessed light fixture is nerve-wracking enough, so imagine what it must be like working on a substation coursing with enough power to light up a city. IEEE 1246™-2011, Guide for Temporary Protective Grounding Systems Used in Substations, addresses the issues involved in properly grounding substations during construction and maintenance, to ensure the safety of those working on such systems.
This guide covers the design, performance, use, testing, and installation of temporary protective grounding (TPG) systems, including the connection points, as used in permanent and mobile substations. It suggests good practices, technical information, and safety criteria to assist in the selection and application of temporary protective grounding systems, including the connection points, as used in permanent and mobile substations. It does not address series-capacitor compensated systems.
Small Dams, Big Source of Renewable Energy
Imagine a source of energy that’s renewable, economical and clean— as clean as running water. Small scale hydroelectric plants— 100 kVA to 5 mVA— are one of the most environmentally friendly forms of energy generation, especially in remote areas. Because they’re small and only minimally affect existing waterflow, they have relatively little impact on the ecosystems where they’re installed. They can be placed close to where the power is needed, including in isolated areas. And they complement solar energy installations because waterflow is often highest when sunlight is low, and vice versa.
IEEE 1020™-2011, Guide for Control of Small (100 kVA to 5 MVA) Hydroelectric Power Plants, describes the electrical control and monitoring requirements for equipment and systems associated with small (100 kVA to 5 MVA) hydroelectric power plants. This revision of the existing standard reflects changes in technology since the standard was first published.
Revised Standard Reflects New Ways to Test Air Core Reactors
The simplest way to stop traffic is with a concrete barrier. The simplest way to limit current isn’t much more complex as a piece of equipment: it’s the ubiquitous dry-type air core reactor, in which a coil of metal wire regulates power flow and limits fault current, and is cooled by nothing more high-tech than the air blowing around it. As simple as these reactors are in design, the way that they are tested has changed in recent years in terms of both methodology and equipment, and a revised standard reflecting current practice is needed.
IEEE C57.16™-2011, Standard Requirements, Terminology, and Test Code for Dry-Type Air-Core Series-Connected Reactors, applies to series-connected dry-type air-core single-phase and three-phase outdoor or indoor reactors of distribution and transmission voltage class that are connected in the power system to control power flow under steady-state conditions and/or limit fault current under short-circuit conditions. With some restrictions, this standard is applicable to filter reactors, shunt capacitor reactors (used with shunt capacitor banks), and discharge current-limiting reactors (used with series capacitor banks). An annex will be added to describe circuit breaker Transient Recovery Voltage (TRV) issues associated with the application of current-limiting reactors.
Step-Voltage Regulators Standard Published
Newly published: IEEE 60076-21™-2011 Power Transformers Part 21: Standard Requirements, Terminology, and Test Code for Step-Voltage Regulators.
This standard contains description of design types, tables of 50 Hz and 60 Hz ratings, supplementary ratings, construction, and available accessories. Methods for performing routine and design tests applicable to liquid-immersed single and three-phase step-voltage regulators are described. Winding resistance measurements, polarity tests, insulation power factor and resistance tests, ratio tests, no load loss and excitation current measurements, impedance and load loss measurements, dielectric tests, temperature tests, routine and design impulse tests, short-circuit tests, control tests, calculated data, and certified test data are covered.
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Past Issues
IEEE Electronic Copyright Form Gains Momentum
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IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu Chapters Formed in Hong Kong, India, & Canada
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New edition of the IEEE Standards Education e-Magazine now available
The Second Quarter edition of the IEEE Standards Education eZine focuses on Standards Education in China. Read articles on educational efforts by the China National Institute of Standardization, learn of the developments in standards education for university students & young professionals, & find out what the IEEE, ASTM & ANSI are up to in China. Read Teaching about Standards for ideas on incorporating technical standards into the classroom & find up to date information on student grant opportunities for projects using standards. Read on
Two new courses now available in the IEEE eLearning Library
Power Quality Course & IEEE Standards Bundle — Gives an overview of power quality with an emphasis on IEEE & IEC standards. Technical areas briefly covered include: voltage sags, grounding, harmonics, voltage flicker, & transients.
WLAN Radio Design Course & IEEE Standards Bundle — As one of the few rising stars of the semiconductor industry; WLAN design is engaging more & more engineers & companies. Essential to the overall system design is the radio design. This tutorial introduces the various flavors of IEEE 802.11™ WLAN PHY standards (A/B/G) & describes their specifications & impact on the radio design. The possible choices for the radio architecture (direct-conversion, low-IF, super-heterodyne) are examined & impact on the transistor-level design is studied. Emphasis of the tutorial is on practical aspects of design for WLAN radios. To access the courses, login using your IEEE Account
Get Creative with Free E-Book on Innovation
IEEE offers its members a long list of benefits, including insurance & career tools, but did you know you can also get a free e-book each month? May’s offering from IEEE-USA is Innovation Conversations — Book 1: The Innovation Process, by William C. Miller. The book offers a framework not just for developing new ideas but also for maintaining the energy — and mindset — needed to continue innovating. Read on
IEEE Technology Time Machine - Symposium on Technologies Beyond 2020
23-25 May — Dresden, Germany
IEEE TTM is a unique event for industry leaders, academics & decision making government officials who direct & plan R&D programs, or manage product roadmaps. The core of the Symposium is the presentation & discussion of potential high impact emerging technologies, application scenarios for the next decade, & visions for our future world.
The Symposium brings together world renowned experts to discuss the evolutionary & revolutionary advances in technology landscapes as we look forward to 2020. TTM offers a distinctive platform to discover key innovations in your business & discuss disruptive & scalable future technologies. Learn more and register
CCSA/IEEE-SA present: Internet of Things Standards Workshop — Achieving a common global architecture in IoT
5 June — Beijing, China
It is predicted that 50 to 100 billion things will be electronically connected by 2020. IoT will fuel technology innovation by creating the means for machines to communicate many different types of information with one another. But the success of the Internet of Things depends strongly on standardization, which provides interoperability, compatibility, reliability, & effective operations on a global scale.
Recognizing the value of IoT to industry & benefits this technology innovation brings to the public, IEEE-SA & CCSA are offering a half-day workshop to bring together global industry experts to discuss the latest IoT innovations in standards development under the theme of achieving a common global architecture for the IoT. The workshop is free of charge for IEEE members. Learn more and register
2012 Living in the Smart Cities of the Future: Elife, Ework, Emobility, & Connecting to Smart Grids
10 July — Germany
IEEE & DKE are partnering on a one-day workshop to promote the importance of standardization to practicing engineers & to highlight some key activities relating to the Smart Grid technology field, such as eMobility & other aspects of the Smart City. Learn more and register