How are Rail operators using a single solution to protect and control their mission-critical power networks?

Rapid urbanization and the need to reduce carbon emissions are driving substantial new interest and investment in the transportation sector. The demand for space on the rail tracks is high, and operators are trying to make better use of existing infrastructure to free up and optimize the total capacity.

The establishment of new lines, as well as the electrification and modernization of existing ones, can lead to larger and more complex protection and control systems.

Due to their specialized nature, traction power protection and control systems can present several challenges. The equipment must be designed to handle the high amounts of distortion and harmonics expected on these electrical systems, with a need to ensure high availability since any fault can lead to cascading disruptions.

With the limited size of the railway industry, the continuation of products and their suppliers must be guaranteed. Solutions developed for railways must offer an extended lifecycle to help operators meet their cost and sustainability goals. Additionally, since the availability of skilled resources is a challenge, systems must be standardized and simplified to help customers lower their cost of deployment and maintenance. 

One of the main requirements in the engineering practice of modern power system protection is to create solutions that can satisfy all functional and safety requirements while maintaining cost-effectiveness. The functional requirements include dependability, security, availability, reliability, redundancy and sensitivity, among others.

Cost-effectiveness has always been a challenge for power system protection due to the need to incorporate all the essential functional requirements that would impact power system stability while ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment.

Often, multiple devices are utilized to provide capabilities that could otherwise be achieved by combining these applications onto a single device. For instance, two devices capable of protecting multiple objects in parallel can be used instead of four, significantly reducing costs while fulfilling all functional requirements and improving availability.

Multi-functionality is the collection of several different functionalities in the same physical device. This has been a trend ever since numerical relays with microprocessor technology were introduced and is closely tied to the application’s requirements. This made it possible to design a protection relay containing the main specialized protection functions for that particular application and some additional backup and protection-related functions.

Functional integration is a collection of different functionalities in a device that can cover more than one application area. In other words, functional integration is multi-functionality brought to the next level, where functions in a protective relay or a bay control unit (BCU) are applicable beyond a single application area. In addition, functional integration is the capability of the device to be applicable to more than one object. Since one device can cover different application areas and since it can replace several different devices with a single piece of equipment, these devices are referred to as IEDs – Intelligent Electronic Devices.

The Relion series of protection and control intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) have provided the power industry with protection, automation, and control solutions for over 15 years.

Over the years, the robust base architecture of the Relion 670 series has been extended with comprehensive support for railway applications with the RER670. This IED provides an easy-to-use and future-proof solution to safeguard railway assets for 16.7, 50, and 60 Hz railway applications. With over 220,000 Relion devices installed globally, RER670 has a robust family history and is a testament to the trust that has enabled numerous operators to secure their power infrastructure.

Leading rail operators Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Deutsche Bahn, and the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project in India, among others, rely upon the RER670 to safeguard and protect the components of the power network, including the transmission lines, transformers, and catenary to ensure safe and reliable operations.

·       SBB has selected the RER670 for transformer and line distance protection.

·       Deutsche Bahn leverages the RER670 for 110 kV, 16.7 Hz line distance protection, 110/15 kV transformer protection, and bay control in 110 kV and 15 kV.

·       Whilst DFC uses the product for traction distance protection, under-voltage protection, and to protect from catenary thermal overload.

The innovative multi-functional RER670 incorporates the latest protection, control, measurement, and monitoring technology, offering a single solution encompassing the entire scope of railway power delivery, transmission, transformation, and traction power, making the solution more functional, flexible, and cost-effective.

Furthermore, being a part of the Relion 670 series guarantees that the RER670 will remain supported for its entire lifecycle and that an appropriate migration strategy will be in place once it’s time for an upgrade.

To know more about the Relion RER670 and the power of one solution for protection and control, download the brochure today.

You can also check out more of Hitachi Energy’s offerings to the railway sector here.