IEEE PES T&D Conference & Exposition 2022 - 80

pre-configuring the DNP3 mapping in the M-SSSC communication
and control hardware and exchanging data
points in advance. A handful of configuration issues were
identified and resolved as part of the integration process,
including adjustment of the station address and the update
of an incorrect identifier in the EMS mapping configuration.
Central Hudson and Smart Wires engaged the Electric
Power Research Institute as a third-party evaluator to
witness the installation and commissioning of the devices
and provide a technical report based on its analysis and
finding. Electric Power Research Institute published its
final report in August 2020 that included an evaluation
of the installation process, communications and controls,
cybersecurity, protection systems impact, and power-system
impact.
The pilot project proved successful in identifying
improvement opportunities in advance of the Hurley
Avenue project. Most areas involved adjustments to the
user interface of control software and clarifications to work
and commissioning procedures. Smart Wires implemented
these adjustments immediately to benefit this and subsequent
projects.
The team identified another improvement opportunity.
The M-SSSC devices would occasionally identify system
events and bypass them to protect the devices. Even though
the devices were operating as designed, bypassing events
were more frequent than anticipated. The events were often
associated with traveling waves caused by system events
that should not require the M-SSSC devices to bypass (e.g.,
switching shunt capacitor banks at nearby stations). While
the impact of this operation on the pilot unit was inconsequential,
Central Hudson identified that it would be undesirable
on the much more critical Hurley Avenue project and
would require addressing.
The analysis determined that
the cause of the bypass
events was due to traveling waves on the system. Traveling
waves are extremely fast transients that propagate high-frequency
voltage and current surge through the transmission
system. During transmission line transients, such as lightning
surges or capacitor bank switching, voltage and current
traveling waves can be induced. Smart Wires made two
improvements to address these bypass events caused by traveling
waves.
The first consisted of firmware updates to enable the
M-SSSC to detect bypass operation due to traveling wave
events and rapidly return to injection. For the majority of
steady-state applications, this was suitable to ensure minimal
disruption in injection capability. The team tested the
firmware in simulations, lab environments, and Central
Hudson's installed M-SSSC devices. The firmware operated
as intended, returning devices to injection after a traveling
wave event.
For installations critical to grid operation and for transient
applications of M-SSSC devices, Smart Wires decided
that further improvements were needed to ensure that the
M-SSSC devices would not experience a bypass operation
during traveling wave events. The team designed a filter
system to mitigate the large voltage differential across the
M-SSSC device caused by these waves. The system provides
a low-impedance path for the high-frequency components of
the wave to pass between the input terminals and thus not
pass through the device.
The team evaluated the effectiveness of the bypass filter
system with electromagnetic transient simulations in
PSCAD and laboratory testing. The simulation and lab testing
showed that the filter was effective to protect against
traveling waves.
Phase 2 of the pilot project took place in 2020 and involved
installing an updated version of the M-SSSC devices with
the inclusion of the filter system. The design of the installation
built upon the knowledge and lessons learned during
the Phase 1 installation. The collaborative design effort
produced a unit that crews can fully assemble at ground
level, one phase at a time. The boom at the end of a standard
digger derrick truck hoisted the assembly into its final
position on the dead-end structure as one piece. A fiveperson
line crew using bucket trucks and standard line
construction tools and practices was able to complete the
installation within two days, including switching the line
out and back in.
Using the past experiences from the commissioning
figure 6. M-SSSC Phase 2 Pilot Installation on Central
Hudson's System.
80
ieee power & energy magazine
of the Phase 1 pilot, the Phase 2 commissioning process
was accelerated as the communications devices were preprogrammed
and the settings were applied before on-site
installation. The DNP point mapping and EMS integration
and testing went smoothly with no issues sending commands
or receiving data. Injection testing of the units provided
impacts online flow similar to those shown in Phase 1
testing and as shown in Figure 5. The traveling wave capability
of the devices was explored by switching in and
out both the local 115 kV capacitor bank at the Ohioville
substation and a remote 115 kV capacitor bank. Both tests
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