Smart Grid and Advanced Distribution

Automation

How Advanced Distribution Automation can become a Reality for any

Utility

A TRC White Paper

Richard F. Day, P.E.

1 11/14/2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Objective ……………………………………………………………………….…………………. 3
Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………….……. 4
What is Distribution Automation? …………………………………………………….…….. 5
The Pulse Recloser ………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Communications for Distribution Automation …………………………………………….. 14
DA Functional Components …………………………………………………………………... 15
1. Distribution SCADA …………………………………………………………………………. 15
a. Dynamic Circuit/Feeder One-Line Displays ……………………………………….. 15
b. Real-Time Digital Alarm Point & Detail Displays ……………………………...….. 16
c. Real-Time Analog and Rating Displays ……………………………………………. 16
d. Alarm Displays & Historical Event Logs …………………………………………… 16
2. Distribution Breaker Automation ………………………………………………………….. 17
a. Remote Monitoring & Control of Distribution Feeder Breakers ……………….. 18
b. Automatic Limit Alarming for Overloads ………………………………………….. 19
c. Automatic Feeder Load Monitoring and Storage …………………………………. 20
d. Improved Verification of Feeder Protection after each Fault …………………... 20
3. Sectionalizers & Reclosers …………………………………………………………………. 20
a. Enhanced Protection on Radial Circuits using Normally
Closed Sectionalizers & Reclosers Improves Reliability ..……………………… 20
b. Remote Monitoring & Control of Feeder Devices ………………………………... 20
c. Faster Fault Location & Fault Isolation between Feeder Devices …………….. 21
d. Faster Restoration of Non-Faulted Line Sections using N.O. Tie Devices …… 21
e. Automatic Restoration via Centralized or Field Localized Intelligence ………. 22
f. Reduced Customer Outage Time & Improved Customer Satisfaction ……….. 23
g. Precise Monitoring of Line Section Loads, Phase Balancing & Overloads …. 24
h. Smart Devices Provide New Improved Functionality ……………………………. 24
4. Fault Locators ………………………………………………………………………………… 24
5. Capacitor Banks ……………………………………………………………………………… 25
a. Remote Control & Monitoring of Capacitors ……………………………………… 25
b. Automatic Voltage & VAR Control at the Circuit Level …………………………. 25
c. Centralized Automatic Voltage & VAR Control (Network-Based) …………….. 25
6. Distribution Transformer Monitoring ……………………………………………………. 26
7. The Customer - DA & Outage Management ………………………….…...……………. 27
Summary of the Benefits Provided by Distribution Automation ……………………… 29
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………….…… 30

2 11/14/2013
Objective
Everyone is looking to “the Smart Grid” to provide electric utilities with information age
technologies that will significantly improve distribution system protection, reliability,
operating efficiencies, power quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. These
technologies are now readily available in mature and sophisticated products that make it
easier than ever for an electric utility to implement elegant protection coordination
schemes at the distribution level complete with advanced Distribution Automation (DA).
This white paper discusses some of the most useful of these technologies, including
pulse reclosing, and describes how they can be used effectively to install an advanced
Distribution Automation System based on practical experiences and successful
implementations. The benefits of such a system are enormous and will directly improve
an electric utility’s reliability figures (SAIDI, SAIFI and CAIDI) and reduce momentary
operations (MAIFI).

About the Author

Richard F. Day is a Senior Electrical Engineer at TRC in their Mid Atlantic Operations
Division. He has worked in the electric utility industry for 40 years and has extensive
experience in SCADA, Distribution Automation, Substation Automation, Energy
Management and Automatic Generation Control, Outage Management, AMR-Outage
Detection, circuit reliability assessment, PUC reliability reporting, RTU and DA device
programming and distribution circuit protection coordination. Mr. Day has installed and
operated 4 major SCADA Systems during his career. He holds a BSEE Degree from the
University of Pittsburgh, an MBA Degree from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh and
is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Pennsylvania.

3 11/14/2013
Executive Summary
Many proven and effective Distribution Automation (DA) technologies are now available
to help an electric utility significantly improve reliability, operating efficiency, power
quality, and public and worker safety. These technologies are already built into products
that are readily available from established and trusted manufacturers. Many of the
products “plug and play” together very nicely under the right infrastructure which is ideal
from any utility’s viewpoint. The key to unlocking the full benefits in these technologies
and products is for a utility to develop a comprehensive DA design plan up-front that
meets its specific requirements and its short and long-term objectives.

Since many utilities have already successfully implemented some form of Distribution
Automation with excellent results, there is no longer any question of DA’s potential
overall benefits. However, when evaluating cost-benefits of the various types of DA
functionality now available, each utility may find a different set of functions that provide
the best overall cost-to-benefit ratio. This is the functionality they should focus on for
their DA implementation.

The concept of implementing a Distribution Automation System closely aligns with the
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) vision to implement Smart Grid across the United
States in each of its 3,100+ electric utilities1 by the year 2030.

Grid 2030 Vision calls for the construction of a 21st century electric system that
connects everyone to abundant, affordable, clean, efficient, and reliable electric
power anytime, anywhere. We can achieve this through a smart grid, which would
integrate advanced functions into the nation's electric grid to enhance reliability,
efficiency, and security. It would also contribute to the climate change strategic
goal of reducing carbon emissions. These advancements will be achieved by
modernizing the electric grid with information-age technologies, such as
microprocessors, communications, advanced computing, and information
technologies.2

The Smart Grid that DOE envisions will actually be built as a series of inter-related
projects of which Distribution Automation will only be a part. However, DA will be a
critical component in terms of the Smart Grid’s ability to provide safe, reliable and secure
electric power of high quality to the nation’s 131 million3 electric customers. In fact, the
main objective of a Distribution Automation System is to improve electric service
reliability by 1) avoiding potential outages, 2) localizing outages quickly when they do
occur, 3) shortening restoration time to customers that have outages, and 4) minimizing
momentary interruptions and voltage fluctuations.
Once a utility develops a design plan for its overall Distribution Automation System, it
can be implemented incrementally rather than all at once. This allows each utility to
develop its DA System at a rate that fits its resource capabilities and its financial
constraints.

1
Estimate from the DOE’s “Grid 2030”- A National Vision for Electricity’s Second 100 Years, page 3.
2
See http://www.oe.energy.gov/smartgrid.htm
3
Same as Footnote 1.
4 11/14/2013
What is Distribution Automation?
Defining Distribution Automation is somewhat like defining Smart Grid because if you ask
ten different utilities you will likely get at least ten definitions. For this paper, it’s
important to start by defining what the distribution system includes and what is being
automated when describing Distribution Automation.
The distribution system is the collection of primary radial circuits that a utility uses to
deliver power from a substation to the end customers. The substation breaker is the
source device for a distribution circuit and it forms the boundary between substation and
distribution. The substation itself is not considered part of the distribution system. The
circuit feeder is the backbone of a distribution circuit that can carry the circuit many miles
from the substation. The feeder often reaches a fork where it splits and goes in two or
more directions. A feeder can have multiple forks as it spreads out from the substation.
The feeder “feeds” many smaller lateral branches all along its length that carry power out
from the feeder to the customers.
With this basic configuration, a fault anywhere on a circuit would lockout the station
breaker and all of its customers would experience an outage until the fault was located
and repaired. Sixty years ago when circuits were small and had few customers, a couple
of well place fuses on the distribution circuit would have improved reliability enough to be
acceptable. However, this would not be acceptable today, and distribution circuits now
have very complex protection schemes utilizing sophisticated protection devices that
attempt to minimize the number of customers affected by a circuit fault.
The most common protection devices used on distribution circuits today are fuses,
sectionalizers and reclosers 4. All three of these devices will automatically operate for a
fault according to programmed settings or fuse size and type. Reclosers and
sectionalizers are used on the main feeder of a circuit and fuses are generally only used
on lateral branches. Reclosers are designed to operate like a station breaker. They
interrupt fault current and reclose a preset number of times before going to lockout.
Sectionalizers count breaker and recloser operations during a fault sequence and
lockout 5 when they reach their preset shots-to-lockout count while the breaker or
recloser is still open. Sectionalizers can interrupt normal load current but not fault
current. Fuses blow when they see fault current above their rating according to a
specific time-current curve (TCC). It is fairly easy to set these devices up on each circuit
so they coordinate correctly with each other and provide the desired protection over a
wide range of fault conditions. This is very important and is the reason these devices are
widely used.
Sectionalizers and reclosers can be remotely monitored and controlled, but they still
always operate for a fault using their own local programming and control logic. Fault
protection requires much faster analysis and decision making than existing remote
monitoring and control technologies can provide from a remote location.

4
Because sectionalizers and reclosers operate automatically for a fault according to their programmed
settings, they are sometimes referred to as “Automatic Sectionalizers” and “Automatic Reclosers”.
5
Sectionalizers cannot interrupt fault current and they do not reclose. They open and lockout once when
their programmed shots-to-lockout count is reached while the circuit is deenergized, i.e., the breaker or
an upstream recloser is open.
5 11/14/2013
A typical distribution circuit of the type being described would have the configuration
shown in Figure 1. This circuit has a station breaker, 7 normally closed sectionalizers,
and 2 normally closed reclosers for its protection. No fuses are shown because they are
not used on the feeder. The circuit also has 5 normally open tie sectionalizers to other
distribution circuits that are used as alternate feeds when needed.
Tie Circuit

Sectionalizer
1-Shot
3-Shot 1-Shot
Tie
Substation Recloser Circuit
4-Shot 3-Shot 2-Shot Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
Breaker
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot

Recloser
3-Shot 2-Shot 1-Shot
Sectionalizer 2-Shot Tie
Circuit
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
3-Shot

Sectionalizer
Sectionalizer
1-Shot
Tie Circuit
Sectionalizer
1-Shot
Tie Circuit

Figure 1. Protection Configuration for a Typical Large Radial Distribution Circuit

The protection devices on this circuit are set so that, for a fault in any load block, the
closest upstream device locks out. See the example in Figure 2 below.

Tie Circuit

Sectionalizer
1-Shot
1-Shot
Lockout Fault 3-Shot
Tie
Substation Recloser Circuit
4-Shot 3-Shot 2-Shot Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
Breaker
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
The Breaker opened
and reclosed twice. Recloser
3-Shot 2-Shot 1-Shot
The 2-Shot Sectionalizer 2-Shot Tie
Sectionalizer opened Circuit
and locked out when
the Breaker opened Sectionalizer Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
the 2nd time. 3-Shot

The upstream 3-Shot

Sectionalizer did not Sectionalizer
operate at all and Sectionalizer Yellow  line  sections  are  deenergized.  
stayed Closed. 1-Shot
Tie Circuit Sectionalizer
1-Shot
Tie Circuit

Figure 2. Circuit with 2-Shot Sectionalizer Locked Out for Downstream Fault

6 11/14/2013
The 2-Shot sectionalizer in Figure 2 has correctly locked out for a fault in the adjacent
downstream load block6. With the fault removed from the circuit, the upstream station
breaker and 3-Shot sectionalizer stay closed and all customers in the 3 upstream load
blocks retain power. However, all load blocks downstream of the 2-Shot sectionalizer
have now lost power since this is a radial circuit with only one upstream source, the
substation breaker. Approximately 70% of the customers are experiencing an outage for
a fault in a load block that only has 10% of the customers.
This outcome could be significantly improved if the substation breaker and all
sectionalizers and reclosers on the distribution system were remotely monitored and
controllable through a Distribution SCADA System and either 1) distribution operators
were given special tools needed to quickly analyze outage and fault conditions and
safely reroute power around problems using remote control, or 2) have an application
that performs automatic restoration for the distribution operator. Figure 3 shows the
results of such a system.

Tie Circuit
2 Remote
1
Close
Sectionalizer
1-Shot
Remote
Open 3-Shot 1-Shot
Fault Tie
Substation Recloser Circuit
4-Shot 3-Shot 2-Shot Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
Breaker
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
Remote control
operations 1, 2, 3 & 4 Recloser
3-Shot 2-Shot 1-Shot
restore power to all Sectionalizer 2-Shot Tie
load blocks except for
Circuit
the Faulted load block
which will stay 3 Remote Sectionalizer Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
deenergized until a 3-Shot
crew can isolate or Open
repair the fault. Yellow  line  sections  are  deenergized.  
Sectionalizer
Dist. Operators would Sectionalizer
normally complete 1-Shot 4
this load pickup
within 5 minutes. Tie Circuit Sectionalizer Remote
1-Shot
Tie Circuit Close

Figure 3. Circuit Restoration through two N.O. Tie Sectionalizers after Fault Isolation

Figure 3 now shows 90% of the circuit restored with only the load block containing the
actual fault still out of power. A repair crew would be quickly dispatched to this load
block to locate and repair the actual fault.
Collectively, Figures 1, 2 & 3 show the essence of what Distribution Automation is, and it
doesn’t matter whether distribution operators do the remote switching using SCADA
remote controls or an Auto-Restoration Application7 does it automatically.

6
Each line section between protection devices is called a load block. Utilities usually have a design
standard they follow for the number of customers or KVA assigned to each load block.
7
Experience has shown that distribution operators can do a better job than Auto-Restoration Applications
because of the complexity of most distribution systems. However, new approaches to automation that
are limited to small groups or teams of devices are proving to be very effective. With small group
automation, a distribution operator still oversees the big picture.
7 11/14/2013
The sectionalizer/recloser circuit configuration described above has proven itself to be
both effective and reliable since the late 1960’s, but it does have shortcomings. In order
for a sectionalizer to open and lockout to isolate a fault beyond, an upstream device8 has
to trip and reclose multiple times. This causes unwanted momentary outages for
customers upstream of the fault. It also requires multiple reclosings of an upstream
device under fault conditions to enable a downstream sectionalizer to reach full count.
This stresses the distribution system and can cause additional circuit damage. Attempts
to use all-recloser configurations in the past to avoid these problems have resulted in a
lot of mis-coordination because reclosers have not had the time-current curve accuracy
needed to reliably open and lockout the correct device9. Therefore, the sectionalizer has
had a dominant role in distribution automation systems since the 1970’s because there
hasn’t been anything better.

The Pulse Recloser

Today, a totally new type of device is available that significantly improves the whole
distribution protection/automation landscape. This new device is the Pulse-Recloser and
it is designed to eliminate the weaknesses that sectionalizers and reclosers have had. It
also brings a whole new set of advanced features to the distribution system that truly
embodies the Smart Grid vision.
The Pulse-Recloser represents a totally new class of distribution device. It is more like a
3-Phase recloser than a sectionalizer because it can interrupt fault current It provides
easily selectable TCC curves of every type a utility could want which enables it to
coordinate extremely well with all the standard protection devices on a distribution circuit
from the substation breaker down to single-phase fuses without coordination problems.
In addition, Pulse-Reclosers can be installed on a circuit as close together as needed to
meet load block (connected-KVA) design guidelines and the correct one will lockout for a
fault. To enable all this amazing functionality, a Pulse-Recloser provides a number of
sophisticated features.
1. Its TCC curves are extremely accurate, i.e., much more accurate than anything
previously available for use on a distribution feeder. This makes device
coordination much easier and a lot more flexible.
2. It has a Pulse-Close / Pulse-Reclose feature that pulses and tests the line one
phase at a time so it does not hard-close directly into a solid fault. (This is why it is
called a Pulse-Recloser.)
3. It takes both its preferred and its alternate AC Power directly from the primary
lines so no secondary power sources are needed.
4. It synchronizes time10 and location through a built-in GPS Radio.
5. It is a totally self-contained unit/package that mounts near the top of a pole (i.e., it
has no control box, no control cables and no power cables to deal with.)

8
Since a sectionalizer cannot interrupt fault current, an upstream breaker or recloser has to operate.
9
Protection devices on a distribution circuit are generally spaced too close together for all-recloser
deployments to accurately open the correct device for a fault. A 2 to 1 mix of sectionalizers to reclosers
generally works best as shown in figures 1 through 3.
10
It’s wonderful to analyze a fault across multiple distribution devices and have the time be exactly the
same in all of them.

8 11/14/2013
 6. It can be configured to operate in single phase mode where applicable to only
open faulted phases keeping unfaulted phases energized.
7. It has a fuse-saving feature that enables one fast trip and reclose to save a
downstream fuse from blowing for a momentary fault such as a lightning arrestor
flashover or a tree branch brushing past a conductor in a wind storm. (This could
save hours of outage time to customers in a storm when no one may be available to
replace a blown fuse for hours because of other more critical problems.)
8. It provides a feature called Pulse-Finding11 for improved coordination at the ends
of a circuit where minimum trip settings are constrained by load and fuse sizes or
on circuits that have a standard recloser downstream with less accurate time-
current curves.
9. It maintains a very accurate and detailed sequence of events log that can be
easily downloaded remotely to analyze circuit operations. (The detail and accuracy
of these logs easily rivals anything available from a substation.)
10. It also provides very accurate waveform captures that can be easily downloaded
remotely to analyze circuit operations. (Again, the detail and accuracy of the
waveform captures easily rival anything available from a substation.)

Pulse-Reclosers are deployed on a circuit the same way sectionalizers and reclosers are
used. Figure 4 below shows all Pulse-Reclosers installed on the same circuit we
examined in Figures 1, 2 and 3 above. Note that most of the devices are now set for 2
Shots-to-Lockout which provides 1 Pulse-Reclose after an initial trip on fault.

Tie Circuit

Pulse-Recloser 11 320 A
1-Shot 320 A 320 A
2-Shot 1-Shot
400 A Tie
Substation 540 A 455 A 2-Shot Circuit
2-Shot 2-Shot Pulse- Pulse-
4-Shot
Pulse-Recloser 3 Recloser 5 Recloser 12
Breaker
Pulse-Recloser 1 Pulse-Recloser 2
Pulse-Recloser 4
600 Amps
320 A 320 A 320 A
400 A 2-Shot 1-Shot
All devices are using 400 A 2-Shot 3-Shot
U4 Extreme-Inverse Pulse- Tie
2-Shot Circuit
TCC Curves. Amp Recloser 9
values shown are the Pulse- Pulse- Pulse-
Minimum Trip Recloser 6 Recloser 7 Recloser 13
Settings for each
device. Minimum Trip 320 A
values get smaller as Pulse- 2-Shot
320 A Recloser 8
a device gets further Pulse-
1-Shot
from the substation Recloser 10
because loads and
Tie Circuit
available fault
currents are less. Pulse- 320 A
Recloser 14 1-Shot

Tie Circuit

Figure 4. Protection on a Radial Distribution Circuit using all Pulse-Reclosers

11
Pulse-Finding allows Pulse-Reclosers near the end of the circuit to use the same TCC Curves. They will
all trip simultaneously for a fault beyond and the most upstream device will reclose first because it has AC
source voltage. If it recloses successfully, it momentarily raises its minimum trip setting. Now the next
downstream device has source voltage and it recloses. If it closes successfully without seeing the fault
return, it momentarily raises its minimum trip setting. If the fault returns at any point in the sequence, then
that Pulse-Recloser opens and locks out and the upstream devices stay closed.

9 11/14/2013
Pulse-Recloser coordination relies mainly on TCC Curves and minimum trip settings and
not on Shots-to-Lockout settings to clear a downstream fault. Figure 5 below shows how
the Pulse-Reclosers operate for the same fault analyzed in Figure 2 above.
Tie Circuit
320 A
Pulse-Recloser 11
1-Shot
320 A 320 A
Lockout Fault 2-Shot 1-Shot
400 A Tie
Substation 540 A 455 A 2-Shot Circuit
2-Shot 2-Shot Pulse-
4-Shot Pulse-
Pulse-Recloser 3 Recloser 5 Recloser 12
Breaker
Pulse-Recloser 1 Pulse-Recloser 2
Pulse-Recloser 4
600 Amps 320 A
320 A 320 A
400 A 2-Shot
Pulse-Recloser 2 3-Shot 1-Shot
Pulse- 400 A 2-Shot
opened and Pulse- Tie
Recloser 9 2-Shot Circuit
Reclosed once and
then Opened and Pulse-
Pulse- Pulse-
Locked Out. The Recloser 6 Recloser 7 Recloser 13
Breaker and Pulse-
Recloser 1 did not 320 A
operate at all. Pulse-
320 A Recloser 8 2-Shot
Pulse-
1-Shot
Recloser 10 Yellow  line  sections  are  deenergized.  
Tie Circuit Pulse- 320 A
Recloser 14 1-Shot
Tie Circuit

Figure 5. Circuit with Pulse-Recloser 2 Locked Out for a Fault just Downstream

With all Pulse-Reclosers installed on our sample distribution circuit, the fault sequence
for a fault just downstream of Pulse-Recloser 2 is quite different than what we saw for
the Sectionalizer/Recloser configuration shown in Figure 2. Only Pulse-Recloser 2
operates for the fault now and the breaker does not operate at all. What are the
benefits?

1. Upstream customers between the substation and Pulse-Recloser 2 (PR 2) do not

see any momentary outages because the breaker does not operate.
2. PR2 trips faster for a fault than the breaker since it uses a faster TCC curve, so
less energy is delivered to the fault putting less stress and potential damage on
the circuit. (See See Figure 7 which shows the TCC Curves for each of the devices.)
3. Only one reclose is needed to verify that the fault is not temporary because shots-
to-lockout is not used for coordination as with sectionalizers.
4. The reclose performed by PR 2 is a Pulse-Reclose which tests each phase for
fault before actually closing. If the fault is still present during the Pulse-Test, then
the device locks out without actually reclosing into the fault. Pulse-Reclose
Testing is quite effective in detecting both phase and ground faults with only a
small current pulse injected into the downstream line. In this example, PR 2 was
only configured to perform 1 Pulse-Reclose, but up to 4 recloses can be
configured. Each reclose can be individually configured for either a Pulse or a
Hard12 reclose.

12
Downstream sectionalizers cannot reliably see and count a Pulse-Reclose so sometimes one Hard-
Reclose is needed to allow a 2-Shot downstream sectionalizer to coordinate with a Pulse-Recloser.
10 11/14/2013
Figure 6 below shows 90% of the circuit restored with only the load block containing the
actual fault still out of power. This load pickup would normally be completed via remote
controls issued by Distribution Operators in less than 5 minutes13 from the start of the
fault. The Operators would first verify the location of the fault by checking to see that PR
1 and PR 2 both had fault indicators active. They would then check to verify that
downstream devices PR 3 and PR 4 did not have active fault indicators. This would
confirm that the fault was in the load block just downstream of PR 2. They would then
isolate the fault by opening downstream devices PR 3 and PR 4 via remote control. Next
the Operators would determine if adjacent circuits could pick up the deenergized load
blocks by checking those circuits to see what their available capacity was. Generally,
circuits are designed to allow load pickup through N.O. Tie devices when they are
originally built. In this example, there was adequate capacity and the Operators closed
PR 12 and PR 14.

Tie Circuit
2 Remote
1
Close
PR 11
1-Shot
Remote
Open 2-Shot 1-Shot
Fault Tie
Substation Circuit
PR 3
4-Shot 2-Shot 2-Shot PR 5 PR 12
2-Shot
Breaker
PR 1 PR 2
2-Shot
PR 3 and PR 4 are
PR 4
remotely opened to 3-Shot 2-Shot 1-Shot
isolate the fault and PR 9 2-Shot Tie
N.O. Ties PR 12 and Circuit
PR 14 are closed to
restore the rest of the 3 PR 6 PR 7 PR 13
circuit. 2-Shot
The faulted load block Remote
will stay deenergized
until a crew can
Open PR 8
Yellow  line  section  is  deenergized.  
PR 10
further isolate or
1-Shot
repair the fault itself.
Tie Circuit
4
PR 14
1-Shot Remote
Tie Circuit Close

Figure 6. Circuit Restoration through N.O. Ties, PR 12 and PR 14, after Fault Isolation.

Later when a distribution operator is ready to remotely close Pulse-Recloser 2, believing

the fault has been cleared, a Pulse-Close will be issued which again tests each phase
first to verify that no other faults are still present before actually closing. If a fault is still
present, the Pulse-Recloser will report which phase(s) appear faulted, what the
estimated fault magnitude is and it will lockout without closing. Operators always have
the option to send a hard close to the device which might help crews spot the fault
location.

Figure 7 shows the TCC curves used by the Pulse-Reclosers in the example circuit.

13
The target for First Pickup of customers downstream of the actual fault through Normally Open Tie
devices is generally 5 Minutes because any outages 5 minutes or less are considered momentary
operations and not outages. However, with modern SCADA tools, Distribution Operators routinely
analyze and isolate a fault and then pickup downstream customers within two minutes.
11 11/14/2013
Figure 7a. U4 Extreme Inverse Curves for the Breaker, PR 1, PR 2 & PR 4.

Figure 7b. U4 Extreme Inverse Curves for PR 4, PR 6 & PR 7, a 100K Fuse & a 65K Fuse.

12 11/14/2013
In Figure 7, there are portions of the curves that overlap. This is not a problem because
the overlaps occur at higher current levels that are above available fault currents at the
point on the circuit where they would apply.

In the preceding Pulse-Recloser example, PR 6 and PR 7 both use the same TCC
Curve. This means that if a fault occurs just beyond PR 7, both PR 6 and PR 7 will trip
at the same time. This was done to insure that 100K fuses downstream of PR 7 will
operate (blow) for a fault beyond before PR 7 trips. Pulse-Reclosers have a lower curve
limit that is defined by the type fuses used beyond. This is only a concern near the end
of a feeder. Since PR 6 and PR 7 do use the same TCC Curve, PR 6 is configured for 3
Shots-to-Lockout and PR 7 is configured for 2 Shots-to-Lockout. When PR 7 locks out
for a fault beyond on 2-Shots, PR 6 will have one additional reclose remaining. It will
close and stay closed because PR 7 is open and locked out.

This is somewhat similar to the sectionalizer coordination scheme described earlier. The
difference is that the Pulse-Reclosers are still tripping on fault overcurrent and not
waiting for an upstream device to operate. Also, since Pulse-Recloses are used rather
than Hard-Recloses, the circuit is not being stressed with full fault current on each Pulse-
Reclose.

The Pulse-Recloser also provides a Pulse-Finding Mode which allows devices to use the
same initial TCC Curve and the same Shot-to-Lockout setting and still coordinate
correctly. This was described earlier in Footnote 11 on page 9.

Additional Pulse-Recloser Notes:

• When Pulse-Reclosers are used on a circuit, station breaker ground trip settings may
need to be tuned. Because a Pulse-Recloser closes one phase at a time after each
successful phase pulse test, there is a very short period of time when just one phase
is closed and then two phases closed. If ground fault settings are set too low at the
breaker, it could start timing on ground fault overcurrent. This would not cause the
station breaker to trip because Pulse-Closing is so fast, but if a delayed fault returns
just after the Pulse-Recloser fully closes, the station breaker might already be timing
on ground overcurrent and trip before the Pulse-Recloser. Tree faults sometimes
come back slow enough to cause this problem. If this occurs, setting breaker ground
trip levels slightly higher will correct the problem.
• When pulse-reclosing after tripping on a fault, a Pulse-Recloser always tests the
phase that had the highest fault current first, then the phase that had the second
highest fault current, etc.
• Pulse-Recloser settings can be easily installed, changed, verified, copied, saved or
reapplied remotely. A snapshot downloaded from an installed device can be used to
build a setting sheet or run in a simulator program to test and verify settings.
• On circuits that use both Pulse-Reclosers and Sectionalizers, the Pulse-Reclosers
might need to have at least one Hard-Reclose configured in order for downstream
sectionalizers to count correctly. Sectionalizers generally can’t see or count an
upstream Pulse-Reclose.

13 11/14/2013
Communications for Distribution Automation
The biggest obstacle to implementing Distribution Automation over the last 30 years has
been the lack of good communication options. A utility’s distribution assets are spread-
out across its service territory, they move14 frequently and a lot are in locations that until
recently were cost-prohibitive to reach with reliable two-way communications. This lack
of good communication alternatives in the past is the major reason why DA is not more
widely utilized today.
However, this has now changed significantly and a wide range of cost-effective
communication technologies and good products are readily available to use for
Distribution Automation. Even older technologies now work much better because of
greatly improved equipment. Examples:

Technology Qualities / Features Configurations Owner

Line of Sight Basic Coverage, Point-to-Point, Utility or
UHF Radio
Wide Range of
Repeaters Extend its Reach, Spread Spectrum, 3rd Party
Technologies Some Support Routable Hopping Fixed NW-Packet Hopping,
Available Networks & Some are Self-Configuring, Peer-to-Peer Meshed Networks
Speed Varies – Slow to Very Fast 800 & 900Mhz
Licensed, Spread Spectrum Wireless Conduit, Utility or
VHF Radio
30-300Mhz
Long Dist., Penetrates Hills and Valleys Some Limited Address Routing 3rd Party
Excellent coverage in urban areas and Public Cell Phone Network, Cell Phone
Cellular
along major highways, Dial-up and Limited Direct Company
Low Implementation Costs Access over Control Channels
Good coverage in urban areas, Public Wireless Data Network, Cell Phone
CDMA/GSM
(Keeps
Low Implementation Costs, Supports Routable IP Protocols, Company
Improving) Low Monthly Operating Costs Technology is Changing Fast
High Speed, High Bandwidth, Supports Routable IP Protocols Utility or
Fiber
Non-Metallic, Resistant to Fault Surges 3rd Party
Wire-Pair Standard from the Past, Limited Point-to-Point, Party-Line Utility or
(Twisted- Bandwidth & Speed, Still Works Well Leased Line 3rd Party
Pair) with the Right Modems

Most utilities will need to use a mix of the communication technologies listed above to
achieve the best performance and cost-benefit ratio from their Distribution Automation
System. It is extremely critical for a utility to plan their communication strategy up-front,
pick the technologies that will work with each of their DA end-points and establish
standards15 that the entire company adheres to. Then, for example, when a new
distribution device is needed on a circuit, the design engineer will automatically include
the required DA communications equipment needed to automate the device according to
the standard.

14
As distribution load grows, circuits are changed and distribution protection devices get moved to new
locations. DA communication needs to follow the device.
15
Make the communication standards practical. For example, poletop devices (sectionalizers and
reclosers) that could move due to future circuit load growth should use wireless technology. Then if
they are moved, they will continue to communicate in their new location as soon as they are reinstalled
without having to redesign the communications network. For a distribution substation where high
speed and large throughput are important, it might be best to have the standard require a
communications engineer to determine the best technology that can be supported at this location.
14 11/14/2013
DA Functional Components
There are seven major functional components in a Distribution Automation System as
envisioned by Smart Grid. Five of these are associated with automating major
components of the distribution feeder and include: 1) the Distribution SCADA System, 2)
Distribution Breakers, 3) Sectionalizers, Reclosers & Pulse-Reclosers, 4) Fault Locators,
and 5) Capacitor Banks. The remaining two components are associated with the end
points on the distribution feeder, 6) Distribution Transformers and 7) the Customer- DA
and Outage Management.

1. Distribution SCADA
The heart of a Distribution Automation System is its real-time, computer-based
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System that continuously
monitors distribution field equipment and enables remote control. For most
companies, this will be a separate system from the one that is used for Transmission,
however the Transmission SCADA System may already be collecting a lot of the data
that the DA System needs, such as substation breaker information. Likewise, there
may be additional data that the Distribution SCADA will be collecting that the
Transmission Operators would like to have access to. Rather than bringing duplicate
data back from the field, the DA SCADA System should have a real-time, two-way
data link16 with the Transmission SCADA System so the two systems can
continuously share information. However, for security and safety reasons,
distribution operators should not be able to control transmission points and
transmission operators should not be able to control distribution points.
There is a wide range of good SCADA Systems available for use in Distribution
Automation today and most of these have their roots in Transmission SCADA, so
they are mature and reliable products. One Northeastern utility, that has a fully
deployed DA System, now uses a single combined Transmission/Distribution SCADA
System17, which has helped them to reduce maintenance and support costs, improve
information access across the traditional Distribution/Transmission boundaries and
improve SAIFI and SAIDI reliability. However, recent CIP security standards by
NERC now discourage this.

a. Dynamic (Real-Time) Circuit / Feeder One-line Displays

These are full-graphic circuit maps that are viewed on a computer screen18 and
show actual real-time feeder device “open/close” statuses and feeder section
flows as continuously reported from the field. Devices and analog values that are
in an alarm condition generally flash or have a special predefined color to make
them easy to spot. Operators can perform remote controls to field devices directly
from these displays. Some SCADA Systems support an underlying distribution

16
This will be referred to as the T&D Data Link in this document.
17
This SCADA System uses distributed architecture with multiple servers to handle the extra load of
monitoring both Transmission and Distribution field end points. The system allows Transmission and
Distribution Operators to share not only data but also displays. This provides both sets of users with a
more complete view of the electrical network. One testament to the success of this project can be
seen in how much the Transmission and the Distribution Operators like the System.
18
The distribution operator should have at least 2 full graphics display screens but 3 is optimum because
it can accommodate 2 circuit one-line displays and an Alarm Screen.
15 11/14/2013
 network model that shows the live/dead condition of every line section on the
circuit.
Circuit one-line displays are the most important and most critical screens in a DA
System and should be designed very carefully with a lot of operator input. Don’t
rely on the SCADA Vendor to design19 these displays even though they have the
technical skill. They just don’t have the right operating experience.

b. Real-Time Digital Alarm Point & Detail Displays

These are live, real-time displays that show lower priority detail information for
circuits and field equipment. This is data that’s not really suitable or needed on
the one-line displays and can include both digital and analog information as
required. They can have a standardized tabular layout or be made to mimic a
device or relay’s front panel or its diagnostic screen. Some points on these
displays will allow operator input or control, such as group alarm resets.
Displays of this type can be categorized into the following groups:
• General Circuit Alarm Point Displays
• General Device Alarm Point Displays
• Device or Relay Setting Displays
• Communication Performance & Statistic Displays

c. Real-Time Analog and Rating Displays

These are live, spreadsheet-like displays that are viewed on a computer screen
and show actual real-time analog values (e.g., Amps, MW, MVAR, Volts, Temp)
reported from the field. Usually, analog Amp values are shown along with their
corresponding seasonal limit ratings (2 Hour, 24 Hour, etc) and Tie Amps20
Available. Analog values that are in an alarm state flash and/or have a special
predefined color and an accompanying tag to indicate which limit value they have
exceeded. Monitored values can be easily compared against all the displayed
seasonal limit values. These displays are critical during peak load periods
because they help operators to manage circuit overload conditions, prevent
lockouts and avoid over stressing distribution equipment.

d. Alarm Displays & Historical Event Logs

Alarm displays are live, sorted, filtered, scrollable lists that show the active alarms
in the DA System (similar in appearance to an email in-box) with one alarm per
line21. The alarm lines are often color-coded by a priority/category scheme to

19
This is not suggesting that each utility will need special customized screen functions that the vendor
has to build. This is more about logical screen layout, design consistency, making sure the right
information is shown in the right place and in the right size, and eliminating data that’s not needed.
20
Tie Amps Available are values calculated by the DA System indicating the reserve capacity in amps
that a circuit or tie device can support without exceeding its current seasonal limits. They are used
when determining if a tie device can be safely closed to pickup load on an adjacent circuit without
causing an overload.
21
Some systems allot more than one line per alarm to provide extra information to the operator.
16 11/14/2013
 make it easy to distinguish them from one another and to find the high priority
alarms quickly. New alarms can generally be configured to come in on the top
(newest to oldest) or the bottom (oldest to newest) as desired and new alarm lines
usually flash until an operator views and acknowledges them. Some alarm
systems can be configured to only allow a point to be shown in the active alarm
list once, so a new occurrence automatically deletes or overwrites a previous
occurrence. This guarantees that every point in the alarm list always shows its
current state in the field. Operators usually try to keep the number of alarms in
the active alarm list to a minimum by deleting alarms that have been corrected or
otherwise addressed. This makes it easier to manage the next group of alarms
that come in.
It’s important that the filter and sort, acknowledge and delete, alarm print function,
and the priority/category settings for the Alarm Displays all work the way
operators need. The vendor’s standard setup may not be best here. Address this
early in a project because some of this configuration needs to be done when the
database is being set up. Also, make sure that operators can get to their most
used alarm display filter settings with predefined one-click points so they don’t
have to go through a multi-step selectable menu each time.
Historical Event Logs are scrollable, filtered lists that show a chorological
sequence of the events captured by the DA System (similar in appearance to the
alarm display). The event lines can be color-coded by a priority/category scheme
to help distinguish them from one another. Some events are not considered to be
alarms, so they may never have been in the alarm list. Events in the Historical
Event log cannot be deleted by an operator, so a typical Event Log will contain
many thousands of events. Good filtering capabilities in the Historical Event Log
are important to make it easy to deal with all these events.
As with the Alarm Display, it’s important that the filter & sort, event print function
and the priority/category settings for the Event Displays work the way operators
need. Again, the vendor’s standard setup may not be best.

2. Distribution Breaker Automation

Ideally, every distribution breaker should be monitored and controlled22 by the DA
System because the distribution operator23 has to know what the breaker did during a
fault sequence to accurately determine 1) where the fault is and 2) if the rest of the
protection on the circuit worked correctly. During restoration, it’s also important to
know what the breaker load was just prior to the fault in order to determine how much
load needs to be picked up. Because the breaker is the source device for a circuit, it’s
actually one of the most important devices on a circuit to monitor and control
remotely, and it can have a huge effect on customer outage time and overall circuit
reliability. The DA System should continuously monitor every distribution breaker for
overloads, fault operations and lockouts.

22
Distribution devices that are monitored and controlled through the DA/SCADA System will be referred
to as “Automated” throughout the rest of the document.
23
Or the Auto-restoration Program if it’s turned on.
17 11/14/2013
 When a breaker operation or lockout occurs, the responsible distribution operator is
immediately notified via a SCADA alarm. The distribution operator will then:
• analyze and locate the faulted line section24 & 25
• isolate the faulted line section from the rest of the circuit by remotely
opening the closest normally closed (N.C.) downstream device
• restore power to downstream line sections by remotely closing a normally
open (N.O.) tie device to an adjacent circuit26
• dispatch field resources to fix the problem
In most cases, the distribution operator will have the un-faulted line sections of the
circuit back in power in less than 5 minutes from the time of the first operation27 and
often before customer outage complaints start coming in. The restored customers
only see a momentary interruption in power rather than a sustained outage28 which
improves SAIFI and SAIDI reliability figures for the circuit.
Of course, if there are no downstream automated devices or ties on the circuit, then
the distribution operator will have to rely on dispatched field resources to do the fault
isolation and restoration switching. However, there is still some benefit because the
operator is able to mobilize the field resources more quickly thanks to the initial
SCADA alarm for the breaker.

a. Remote Monitoring & Control of Distribution Feeder Breakers

Many utilities already have remote monitoring and supervisory control of
distribution breakers through their Transmission SCADA. The T&D Data Link
between the Transmission and Distribution SCADA Systems would then provide
the DA System with the desired breaker automation.
There are 3 options for automating breakers not already supervised by the
Transmission SCADA:
• Add the breaker to an existing Transmission RTU if there is one already
installed at the substation and get this data through the T&D Data Link.
• Install a Transmission SCADA RTU in the SS and get the data through the
T&D Data Link.
• Install a small DA SCADA RTU at the SS and get the data directly. This
option is only available for distribution substations that do not have
Transmission (BES) Assets because of new CIP requirements.

24
Finding the faulted line section is generally fairly simple as will be described in section 3c below.
25
This and the following two steps can be performed automatically by an auto-restoration application,
however such software has not yet been very effective, it’s difficult to maintain the underlying
databases, and operators have demonstrated that they can do the restoration better and faster.
26
Before actually closing the tie device, the operator would estimate the load in amps that needs to be
picked up and then check it against the Tie Amps Available for the tie device as described in 3d.
27
It can take up to 90 seconds from the initial fault operation for a station breaker to reach lockout.
28
Many Regulatory Agencies only consider outages over 5 minutes to be sustained outages that are
reported in SAIFI and SAIDI reliability figures. This allows a complicated fault sequence followed by
DA restoration activities to run to completion before customer outage counting starts.
18 11/14/2013
b. Automatic Limit Alarming for Overloads
The DA System will continuously monitor breaker load amps and generate an
overload alarm for any circuit that goes above its current seasonal limit setting.

Sectionalizer
1-Shot
2 Hour Rating for Circuit = 450 Amps 3-Shot 1-Shot
Tie
Substation Recloser Circuit
4-Shot 3-Shot 2-Shot Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
Breaker
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
480 Amps HI
Recloser
3-Shot 2-Shot 1-Shot
Sectionalizer 2-Shot Tie
Circuit
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
3-Shot

Sectionalizer
Sectionalizer
1-Shot
Tie Circuit
Sectionalizer
1-Shot

Figure 8. Circuit has Exceeded its 2 Hour Load Rating by 30 Amps

A distribution operator would then take corrective action to relieve the overload
condition by transferring parts of the overloaded circuit to more lightly loaded
circuits. If N.C. feeder devices and N.O. tie devices are automated by the DA
System, then the distribution operator can quickly and easily perform a circuit load
transfer using remote controls.
Remote Close
Sectionalizer
1-Shot Remote
2 Hour Rating for Circuit = 450 Amps Open 3-Shot 1-Shot
Tie
Substation Recloser Circuit
4-Shot 3-Shot 2-Shot Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
96 Amps
Breaker
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
384 Amps
Recloser
3-Shot 2-Shot 1-Shot
Sectionalizer 2-Shot Tie
Circuit
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
3-Shot

Sectionalizer
Sectionalizer
1-Shot
Tie Circuit
Sectionalizer
1-Shot

Figure 9. Circuit Loading Returned-to-Normal due to Partial Load Transfer

The operator would close the N.O. tie before opening the N.C. device so that
customers do not experience a momentary outage. When the overload is

19 11/14/2013
 removed, a Return-to-Normal alarm is generated and a Return-to-Normal event is
placed into the historical log.

c. Automatic Feeder Load Monitoring and Storage

The DA System should provide functionality to selectively monitor distribution
analogs (Amps, MW, MVAR, Volts, etc.) for any circuit or other point and produce
15-minute average integrated values that are automatically stored for use by
distribution planners and engineers.

d. Improved Verification of Feeder Protection Coordination after each Fault

Distribution circuit fault protection requires feeder devices to coordinate correctly
during a fault sequence or the wrong device will lockout affecting more customers
than necessary. The DA System allows distribution operators to verify that device
coordination worked correctly after every fault sequence. When a problem is
found, protection engineers analyze information stored in the System and in the
devices29 to find the cause of the coordination problem.

3. Sectionalizers, Reclosers & Pulse-Reclosers

Sectionalizers and (Pulse-) Reclosers are distribution circuit protection devices that
provide more accurate and more flexible coordination for faults than can be obtained
from fuses. Generally, these devices30 are motor or solenoid operated smart devices
that support SCADA remote control and data acquisition. Reclosers are designed to
operate like a station breaker and can interrupt fault current and reclose a preset
number of times before going to lockout. Sectionalizers count breaker and recloser
operations during a fault sequence and open when they reach their preset count
while the breaker or recloser is still open. Sectionalizers cannot interrupt fault current.

a. Enhanced Protection on Radial Circuits using Normally Closed

Sectionalizers & (Pulse-) Reclosers Improves Reliability
As a means of improving circuit reliability, most electric utilities utilize section-
alizers and reclosers in the design of their distribution circuits to divide the main
feeder into a series of load blocks. The sectionalizers and (Pulse-) reclosers are
programmed to coordinate with each other and with the substation breaker so that
when a fault occurs, only the closest upstream device to the fault locks out, not
the entire circuit. This limits the resulting outage to the faulted load block and all
downstream load blocks. Customers upstream of the device that locked out do
not have an outage. This protection scheme improves the average reliability of
each circuit but this improvement is not equal for all customers on the circuit.
Upstream load blocks will generally have much better reliability than downstream
load blocks and the last load block will have little improvement.

b. Remote Monitoring & Control of the Feeder Devices

The protection function provided by sectionalizers and reclosers are self-
contained and do not require any communication between the devices for the

29
Protection Engineers can access information stored in the devices remotely through the DA System.
30
Lower voltage hydraulic reclosers and sectionalizers generally do not support SCADA functionality. For
DA operation, motor operated sectionalizers & reclosers are required.
20 11/14/2013
 protection31 to work properly. The fault current itself followed by loss of voltage
when an upstream breaker or recloser opens provides all the information that
each device needs to perform its role correctly during a fault sequence. The
device just upstream of the actual fault will be the one that locks out. If the
substation breaker is monitored by the DA/SCADA System, distribution operators
will know that the circuit has operated but will not know which downstream device
actually locked out. By adding SCADA monitoring and control to sectionalizers
and reclosers, distribution operators will immediately know which device locked
out for the fault plus the status of all the other devices on the circuit.

c. Faster Fault Location & Fault Isolation between Feeder Devices

The fault sequence has completed and the distribution operator is notified by the
DA/SCADA System of the problem. The operator then quickly analyzes all the
circuit device operations to verify if the protection worked correctly by answering
the following:
• How many breaker operations occurred?
• Did any reclosers operate?
• How many “Shots-to-Lockout” is the device that locked out?
• Did the total number of breaker + recloser operations equal this?
• Did any other devices also lock out on the circuit?
• Did the circuit load drop consistently with the lockout?
• Are any line crews working on this circuit?
If the protection worked correctly32 and no line crews are working on the circuit,
the operator will then open the downstream sectionalizer(s), recloser(s) or Pulse-
Recloser(s) for the faulted load block using remote control. This will isolate the
fault form the rest of the circuit.

d. Faster Restoration of Non-Faulted Line-Sections using N.O. Tie Devices

Once the fault has been isolated from the rest of the circuit, the operator looks for
a normally open tie device to an adjacent circuit for use as a temporary feed to
restore power to the non-faulted line sections. A quick check of the Tie Amps
Available for each tie device will indicate which ties can be used to pickup the
load. Usually the operator calls the chosen tie circuit one-line up on the second
SCADA screen so both circuits can be seen and then closes the tie device

31
The opening and reclosing of the station breaker or a downstream recloser during a fault sequence is
the mechanism that allows Sectionalizers to coordinate correctly for a fault. However, each time a
breaker or recloser closes back into a fault, it stresses and can damage components of the distribution
circuit. The new Pulse-Recloser technology is able to determine where a fault is located without
requiring a breaker or recloser to reclose repeatedly into the full fault. Pulse-Reclosers pulse the line
for very short and precise reclose periods to determine where the fault is located without needing to
fully reclose into the fault.
32
All the information required by the operator to make this decision should be right on the circuit one-line
display if it has been designed properly, so it normally take less than 30 seconds. If a crew is working
on the circuit, the one-line display will show a tag near the work location and the operator will not take
any action until the crew is contacted.
21 11/14/2013
 remotely. This restores the customers downstream of the faulted line section.
Operators can generally restore these customers in less than five minutes from
the time the first fault operation occurred on the circuit.
If no single tie device can supply the total load that needs to be restored,
operators will sectionalize the non-faulted load blocks into two or more sections
and attempt to pick up each section through a different tie device. Figure 6 shows
a circuit that has been restored through 3 tie devices.

Remote Remote
Tie Circuit
Open for Close
Sectionalizer
1-Shot Fault
Isolation 3-Shot 1-Shot
Fault Tie
Substation Recloser Circuit
#1
4-Shot 3-Shot 2-Shot Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot
96 Amps
Breaker Remote Open for
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
4-Shot Load Pickup
144 Amps 90 Amps
Recloser
3-Shot 2-Shot 1-Shot
Sectionalizer 2-Shot Tie
Circuit
#2
Sectionalizer Sectionalizer Sectionalizer
Remote 3-Shot
Open for
Fault Sectionalizer
Sectionalizer Remote
1-Shot Isolation
Close
Tie Circuit Sectionalizer
1-Shot
Remote 102 Amps
Tie Circuit #3
Close

Figure 10. Restoration through three N.O. Tie Sectionalizers after Fault Isolation.

e. Automatic Restoration via Centralized or Field Localized Intelligence

It is possible to have the DA System include software that will automatically
perform all the functions that an operator does to isolate a faulted line section and
restore power to non-faulted downstream load blocks. One advantage of this is
that when more than one circuit has a fault at the same time, the DA System can
manage both circuits simultaneously where an operator would have to manage
them one at a time.
However, during storms, this auto-restoration functionality should be completely
turned off because of the high number of momentary operations and temporary
faults that can occur. In storm conditions, it’s generally best to let the storm pass
though and then determine where the permanent faults are.

22 11/14/2013
 Also, for safety reasons, when line crews are working33 on a circuit, auto-
restoration functionality should be turned off for the circuits they are working on.
Other circuits can still have auto-restoration functionality enabled. This can be
done automatically using the DA/SCADA tagging interface.
Some sectionalizer and recloser manufacturers now offer special in-device
software that provides automatic restoration functionality locally within the
devices. These devices communicate automatically with other devices in a
predefined family and can decide how to restore power within their small group.
The DA System could still communicate with and have remote control of these
devices but the auto-restoration would be managed by the devices themselves.
The DA System would need to have the ability to turn this auto-restoration
function on and off remotely.

Note: Some operations people feel that auto-restoration functionality is not yet as
good, as safe or as reliable as having a distribution operator perform the same DA
functions. There is evidence to back this up, but it depends greatly on how
complex a utility’s protection scheme is, how many devices they use on a circuit,
and how experienced the operators are. When watching an experienced operator
in action, it’s obvious that automated restoration can’t be any faster and can’t deal
with the rare unexpected event the way an operator can. Still, sub-transmission
circuits which are not usually as complex as a typical distribution circuit have been
using auto-restoration schemes for many years with very good success.

f. Reduced Customer Outage Time & Improved Customer Satisfaction

Section 3a demonstrated how the use of non-automated sectionalizers and
reclosers on a distribution circuit can improve average circuit reliability34, but it
also revealed that this improvement is not equal for all customers on the circuit.
Upstream customers in load blocks near the substation will see a lot fewer
outages than customers in load blocks near the end of the circuit. Customers in
the last load block will continue to experience an outage35 for every upstream
fault. This is not the ideal reliability scenario.
With remote monitoring and control of feeder devices through the DA System, this
reliability picture changes significantly. Distribution operators can generally
perform fault location, fault isolation and downstream restoration within two to five
minutes. Therefore, only customers in the faulted load block will experience a

33
Line crews generally work lines hot and if they have a problem it’s safest not to perform any restoration
or switching until it has been verified that all crew members are in the clear and safe.
34
Assuming that every load block on a circuit is equally likely to experience a fault, the average number of
outages that a customer midpoint on the circuit sees will be reduced by about 50%.
35
Even though customers in the last load block will not see a reduction in the number of outages, these
outages will be shorter in duration because field resources can be dispatched to perform fault isolation
and downstream restoration using the sectionalizers and reclosers.
23 11/14/2013
 sustained outage.36 This improves the average reliability for all customers on a
circuit equally which certainly advances customer satisfaction.
This analysis demonstrates that the only real way to fully utilize all the potential
value that sectionalizers and reclosers offer in terms of improved reliability and
customer satisfaction is to automate them with a Distribution Automation System.
Otherwise, a lot of their inherent value is lost.

g. More Precise Monitoring of Line Section Loads, Phase Balancing &

Overloads
One of the important objectives of Smart Grid is for utilities to use information age
technologies to avoid potential outages and improve power quality. The DA
System accomplishes this by monitoring not only feeder loads at the substation
but also downstream line section 3 phase loads, 3 phase voltages and power
factor at each sectionalizer recloser and Pulse-Recloser. The DA System can
integrate 15-minute averages for this data and store it for distribution planners to
utilize in monitoring:
• 3-Phase Load Balancing
• Load Growth
• Potential Overloads - requiring load relief
• Downstream Voltage Levels

h. Smart Devices Provide New Improved Functionality

An important benefit of utilizing smart devices (sectionalizers, reclosers and
Pulse-Reclosers) on distribution feeders is that they not only provide traditional
real-time SCADA information, but they also allow 1) historical event data to be
downloaded to enable better analysis of fault operations, 2) device diagnostic
information to be accessed and 3) configuration data to be viewed. Additionally,
they allow configuration changes to be made remotely without having to travel to
the device in the field. This is useful for:
• Abnormal Circuit Configuration Setups
• Improving Safety during Line Maintenance Work
• Permanent Circuit Configuration Changes

4. Fault Locators
The DA System and its automated distribution devices enable faulted load blocks to
be quickly identified, isolated and power rerouted to downstream load blocks.
However the actual fault still has to be found and repaired by field crews before all
customers can be restored. It can sometimes be very difficult to find the actual fault,

36
The Pennsylvania PUC only considers outages over 5 minutes to be sustained outages. Outages of 5
minute duration or less are considered to be momentary operations that are part of a modern
protection and automated restoration scheme.
24 11/14/2013
 especially in certain areas37. Utilities sometimes install permanent fault locators
between automated devices in these problem areas to help narrow the location
where crews need to look. Some fault locators support remote monitoring by the DA
SCADA System enabling distribution operators to narrow the search area for field
crews. These fault locators provide the following benefits:

• More Effective Dispatching of Repair Crews to the Fault Location

• Faster Restoration because the Fault is Found more Quickly
• Reduced Customer Outage Time

5. Capacitor Banks
The Distribution Automation System can be used to monitor and control distribution
capacitors that are installed out on the distribution feeders where they can be more
affective in controlling voltage and power factor than in the substation.

a. Remote Control & Monitoring of Capacitors

Some capacitor banks that are installed on distribution feeders operate from their
own local controllers and they turn on and off automatically without any
centralized control. These capacitors can be monitored by the DA System to
verify that they are working correctly and to track voltage levels and power factor.
They can also have their local control settings adjusted remotely for things like
change of season. It’s also possible to perform a mass request to turn all the
capacitors on for special conditions like a peak load day in the summer. However,
an individual capacitor’s local controller may block this remote close request if
voltage is already too high at the capacitor.

b. Automatic Voltage & VAR Control at the Circuit Level

Most SCADA manufacturers offer a Capacitor Control Application that can be
used to control distribution capacitors on a circuit-by-circuit basis. The application
will automatically turn capacitors on and off based on Voltage and VAR levels
monitored over the entire circuit. This can provide more optimized results than
local cap controllers and it prevents capacitors from cycling on and off due to
interaction between the local controllers. Also, with a centralized application
running, the individual capacitors can utilize a simpler controller.

c. Centralized Automatic Voltage & VAR Control (Network-Based)

The Capacitor Control application can also be used to control distribution
capacitors on a system-wide basis. The application will automatically turn
capacitors on and off based on Voltage and VAR level requirements for the
system. This can be especially useful for utilities that don’t have their own
generation and they need VAR control.

37
Certain areas can have a history of being difficult for first responders and crews to find a fault. In these
areas it can be very beneficial to install permanent fault locators.
25 11/14/2013
6. Distribution Transformer Monitoring
Direct distribution transformer monitoring is not a traditional function that has been
supported by Distribution SCADA Systems. Electric utilities generally have tens of
thousands of distribution transformers and SCADA monitoring has not tried to deal
with this many individual end points directly in real-time yet. However, the Smart Grid
2030 Vision sees distribution transformers as an important link between the
distribution feeder and the customer that needs to be monitored. Therefore, it is
inevitable that the technology and functionality needed to accomplish this will soon
emerge.
The realm of the distribution transformer actually falls in between three different
technologies that are part of the Smart Grid, i.e., Distribution Automation (DA),
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Outage Management System (OMS).
All three systems have an interest in the distribution transformer but to different
degrees.

DA
Manages
Distribution
Network

Distribution Transformer

Manages Manages
Customer Customer
Metering Outages

AMI OMS

To the DA System, the distribution transformer is an end point on the distribution

feeder. To the AMI System, the distribution transformer is the source of the
customer/meter’s power. And, to the OMS System, the distribution transformer is an
essential and critical component in the customer’s network model.
Of the three systems, OMS is the System that really needs distribution transformer
information, but it has no mechanism to retrieve it from the field. The DA System has
a mechanism to retrieve data from a distribution transformer but no link to it. The AMI
System has a direct link to the distribution transformer and a mechanism to retrieve
its data through the meter.
Therefore, the AMI System is probably where Smart Grid will focus for retrieving
distribution transformer information. The technology is pointing it in this direction
because it’s a natural fit and 10,000 transformers is not that significant to a system
that is already monitoring 500,000+ meters. The AMI System can then pass the
transformer information on to the OMS System.
26 11/14/2013
 Of course, to make this work efficiently, the distribution transformer manufacturers
will need to start building smart-transformers that can communicate with the meter
over the secondary service wires. The smart-transformers should provide the
following data:
• Secondary Voltage (Analog)
• Secondary Current (Analog)
• Secondary Power (Analog)
• Transformer Temperature (Analog)
• High Temperature Alarm (Status)
• Critical Temperature Alarm (Status)
• Secondary Breaker Open/Close (Status)

It is generally very difficult to identify distribution transformers that are being

overloaded due to normal load growth until they either fail or their secondary breaker
operates causing an outage. This is especially problem some during summer heat
waves when hundreds of distribution transformers can start failing, causing storm like
problems for a utility. Distribution transformer load monitoring would help to prevent
this by identifying overload conditions more gradually as they first occur, rather than
during the next hot spell.

One additional benefit that distribution transformer load monitoring could provide is
“Theft of Power” detection. Transformer real time loads should closely match the
sum of the meter loads connected to that transformer38. When this is not the case, it
could indicate that a meter bypass has been installed at a business or residence, an
illegal secondary tap has been connected or there is a problem with the network
model/customer-to-network links for this transformer.

7. The Customer - DA & Outage Management

The distribution operator in the forthcoming “Smart Grid Age” will be able to focus
more on the end customer because of two highly effective tools that will be very
closely integrated with each other, namely, Distribution Automation and Outage
Management (OMS). With the DA tool, the operator will efficiently operate the
distribution system and with the OMS tool he will manage customer outages and
customer restoration work.
These two systems will utilize a common distribution network model with an accurate
customer-to-network link for every customer. Any action on the DA System will
immediately translate to the customers affected on the OMS side. For example, if a
sectionalizer is opened on the DA-side causing a forced outage, the operator can
immediately look at the OMS-side to see which customers just lost power. The
integration will work the other way too. If the OMS indicates that a distribution
transformer has lost power, the operator can look at the DA System to examine the
distribution feeder powering the failed transformer. The transformer may have lost
power because of a blown primary fuse on the distribution circuit.

38
Un-metered services like street lighting would need to be factored into the calculation.
27 11/14/2013
 Existing OMS Systems already utilize some form of a distribution network model that
includes a customer-to-network link. However, not all DA Systems have a distribution
network model. The challenge will be to have both the DA and OMS Systems use
the same network model so that only one model needs to be maintained. The block
diagram below shows this configuration.

DA
Distribution
Automation
System
CIS
Customer
Information
System
Distribution Distribution
Operator Network Model

OMS
Outage Customer
Management Service Rep
System

Envisioned DA and OMS Configuration Model for Smart Grid

The real benefit gained from the envisioned DA and OMS configuration model for
Smart Grid is that the Customer Service Department will automatically have near
real-time access to outage and restoration information from the operations side to
provide to customers. When a customer calls to report an outage, the correct39
outage trouble ticket will automatically pop-up on the Customer Service Rep’s screen
so they can provide the customer with accurate and up-to-date information about
their outage, e.g., cause of outage, location of problem, what’s currently being done,
estimated time of restoration and number of customers affected. For example, if a
sectionalizer locks out, the very first customer that calls to report the outage could be
told…

39
Customer is identified automatically by their phone number as the Service Rep answers the call.
28 11/14/2013
 “We just had a feeder device lockout on 42nd St & Main due to a circuit fault. We are
currently rerouting power around the problem area. Estimated time of restoration is
9:00 PM (2 Hours from now). There are currently 750 customers affected.”
Remember, the distribution operator hasn’t had time to enter any of this outage
information. The DA System provided it automatically to the OMS System. The
estimated time of restoration (ETR) for this situation would be a standard default for a
sectionalizer lockout which would be used until more is found out about the problem.
This same information can also be made available on the Utility’s web site where
customers will be able get restoration updates as they occur.
Surveys indicate that customers who have outages are less dissatisfied and rate their
electric company higher if they can receive timely and accurate outage/ restoration
information when they call40.

Summary of the Benefits Provided by Distribution Automation

The main benefits provided by Distribution Automation have already been covered in the
previous sections as various aspects of DA were described. However a more
consolidated list of these and some of the additional ancillary benefits that a utility can
receive are worth summarizing.

• Improved SAIFI Reliability Figures (20% to 30% Improvement41)

• Improved SAIDI Reliability Figures (10% to 20% Improvement42)
• Improved Customer Satisfaction
• More Efficient and Flexible Distribution System Operation
ü Improved monitoring of circuit loads, voltages & power factor.
ü During peak load periods, circuits can be remotely reconfigured to avoid
overloads and potential outages.
ü This can extend equipment life and reduce maintenance costs.
• Improved Voltage and VAR Control on the Distribution System
ü Centralized distribution capacitor control can be optimized by analyzing
and coordinating with tap-changer controls.
ü Distribution voltages are better able to stay within targeted levels over
the length of the circuit.
ü Capacitor maintenance can be reduced by preventing capacitors from
cycling on and off due to interaction between local controllers.

40
Customers indicate that they are better able to plan their activities during an outage if they receive
timely and accurate information about the outage from their electric company.
41
SAIFI improvements from DA result mainly from the ability to rapidly reroute power to load blocks
downstream of a fault so that these customers never see an outage, only a momentary interruption.
42
SAIDI improvements from DA result mainly from the ability to shorten outages by deploying field crews
to outage repairs more quickly & efficiently due to 1) knowing where the problem is, 2) not needing
these resources to restore power to downstream load blocks first via manual switching, and 3) faster
restoration of the faulted load block after repairs are completed using remote switching.
29 11/14/2013
 • More Flexible and Cost-Efficient Circuit Designs Possible
ü Distribution circuits can be longer and have more connected customers
without degrading reliability below targeted levels.
ü Longer circuit design can avoid the need to build new substations or
add additional circuits.
• Improved Distribution System Planning
ü Better planning information is available concerning load growth.
ü Planners are more effective in meeting load growth requirements
without over-building.
• More Effective Distribution System Maintenance
ü Circuit protection coordination can be analyzed after every fault and
problems can be identified and corrected before they impact reliability.
ü Device setting changes can be made remotely. This is especially
efficient for implementing temporary changes and

Conclusion
This white paper has taken a close look at Distribution Automation implementation in
terms of the new technologies that are part of the “Smart Grid Vision”. Many of these
information age technologies are already developed, tested & proven and built into
products that are readily available from established and trusted manufacturers. Of
special importance are the wide range of cost-effective communication options that are
now available for DA and the “plug-and-play” compatibility of much of the DA equipment.

The benefits of effective Distribution Automation were also explored with detailed
discussions on how DA can help an electric utility significantly improve reliability,
operating efficiency, power quality, customer satisfaction and safety. All of these
discussions have been based on practical DA experiences and successful implement-
tations.

The final topics of this paper looks to the future when Distribution Automation will be
closely integrated with Outage Management and utilize a shared distribution network
model and customer-to-network link that will tie the end customer to every action,
planned or unplanned, that occurs in the DA System.

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