Teleprotection over Packet

Teleprotection signals from protective relays are among the most critical data transmitted across utility networks, as they help manage the power grid load, as well as to protect equipment within the power network from severe damages resulting from faulty HV lines. By enabling load-sharing, grid adjustments and immediate fault clearance, Teleprotection has a decisive role in ensuring uninterrupted power supply and therefore requires special attention with regards to network performance and reliability. Specifically, protection commands must be assured immediate delivery when problems are detected, so that faulty equipment can be disconnected before causing a system-wide damage.

The complexity involved in meeting such targets is compounded when moving from legacy SDH/SONET to non-deterministic, packet-based networks. This paper reviews the performance requirements that are unique to protection systems and explains how these challenges are met in a next generation packet environment.