Real-life pilot of virtualized protection and control - Experiences and performance analysis
Virtualized protection and control (VPC) is a promising evolution for centralized protection and control. The centralization of protection functions consolidates the functions of multiple conventional relays into one device. This consolidation reduces the complexity of the communications network and offers effective ways to manage the protection applications of the substation. Making CPC available as a VPC software image, instead of a dedicated device, brings yet another degree of freedom. The solution becomes hardware-independent, which leads to increased flexibility and scalability.
Together ABB and Finnish Distribution System Operator Caruna wanted to explore these possibilities in a real-life substation pilot.
In this white paper, we explore the piloted VPC environment and the results from the piloting period. The results show that virtualization technology is suitable for time critical protection and control applications, with real-time performance comparable to that of existing non-virtualized solutions.