About work in different countries.

[beyond86]

Hello. I would like to talk about work of engineers of relay protection in different coutries. I just interested how people work in other countries. For example in my country (Russia), work day of engineer of relay protection is pass in the following way:
- Firstly, a man of duty at substation must make outage (for maintance) of equipment (for example relay of main protection of HV line). He does it only with camera and he records each his step on camera (It looks like a GoPro ).
- Secondly, my chief gives me a task (he writes down it in special journal), next I listen a specific work instruction (it about safely work in basic) and I sign in this journal that I understood all instructions of safely work.
- Thirdly, Work place (panel where is relay) is preparing by man of duty. For example, He must close all panels of relay protection nearby (on lock) and also he must pin up posters on nearby panels which shout up about that equipments in operating.
- Fourthly, a man of duty switchs on his camera (on his head) and we together look at prepared work place, if he did all right, I agree and we continue. He also give me instruction about methods of safely work. Also I must have comprehensive programm for work with this relay, which includes all operations for prevent spurious outage equipments (for exemple, I must break circuits of breaker failure 50BF).I must show this programm to man of duty. He also give me a questions for figure out how I understood all instructions. For example, He can ask "What I must do in this task?". Next we both sign in his journal. And after this I can work calm.

Also a man of duty must take this record and send to his chief. Chief will be look this record and sometimes he can cut off salary if he find that something was wrong.

Could you please tell about your work? It will be interesting to listen.

And sorry for my English, I'm not know it very well.

 

[krisys]

If you are a competent engineer then these are too much of a procedure to follow. These all comes out of lack of trust and the bureaucracy creeping into the system over a period of time.

In other part of the world I am sure this is not the way they work. It is much more professional way and less threating way to the person who is working. Working in a protected environment.

 

[beyond86]

krisys, I'm completely agree with you. I'm pass exam every year, which prove my qualification. But our high managers too far from reality. They vice versa try enhanced control to people at substations.

 

[Marmite]

The procedures outlined are all standard practice in transmission/distribution utilities I have worked in both in the UK and Australia.
Sure, there are some variances, but the basic principles are the same.
The HV equipment is isolated and earthed by a switching operator. (in some Companies this could be the Protection Engineer himself)
The panel to be worked on is identified, and signs are attached to adjacent live equipment.
The switching operator issues a safety document to the recipient which identifies the equipment to be worked on, the points of isolation and earthing, the boundary limits and the nature of work being carried out.
The recipient reads the document back and confirms his understanding.
Secondary isolations are carried out using a preprepared secondary isolation schedule. Often the switching operator and protection engineer do this together.
Testing is carried out to a pre-prepared inspection and testing plan. No harm in knowing in advance where you are going to inject current and where/what you expect to measure as a result.

One of the major differences between the UK and Australia is that in the UK protection testing is generally carried out by a professional protection engineer, assisted by a technician. In Australia the testing is carried out by a protection technician, who must have an electrical workers licence as an electrician. This is a regulatory requirement. This means he likely has a trade background rather than a professional engineering background.

A lot of the procedures that are in place these days that may appear at first to be overly bureaucratic have been introduced as a result of a major incident or blackout caused by protection testing.

Regards
Marmite

 

[beyond86]

Marmite, thanks. It's very interesting. I have a questions if you don't mind.

in some Companies this could be the Protection Engineer himself

Could you please explain more in detail? Protection engineer has a right to carry out primary switching? I mean, can he isolated autotransformer himself for example? Or he can carry out switching only secondary equipments?
Also, could you tell about people at your HV substation? I mean how many people work at HV substation by day. In our country: Two persons are always (day and night) on duty at our HV substation (220-750 kV). They monitor condition of equipments at substation. Also, there are two protection engineers, but they work only by day.
I heard (but unfortunately I don't remember where is) that there are HV substations, where are not men of duty and all switching carry out by remoute control from system control centre. Is it true? We have such substations, but they are low voltage (6-110 kV).

 

[crshears]

I heard (but unfortunately I don't remember where is) that there are HV substations, where are not men of duty and all switching carry out by remoute control from system control centre. Is it true? We have such substations, but they are low voltage (6-110 kV).

As a power system controller [not an engineer] with the utility that employs me, we routinely operate ALL of the transformer and switching stations within our province from one grid control centre [these stations range from ~14 kV up to ~500 kV phase-to-phase]. NONE of these sites is normally staffed with operators; only such personnel as may have their offices there, or who have work to perform on weekdays will normally be on site.

As the controlling authority of our province's grid, we either release or, with discretion, defer or not grant approval for, planned work. When required, our IESO [Independent Electrical System Operator] will also assess planned outages and, at a higher level, either release or, with discretion, defer or not grant their approval. Both we and the IESO have the authority to recall equipment from planned outages should system conditions so dictate.

Hope this helps.

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]

 

[beyond86]

crshears, thanks. It's interesting.