This document proposes amendments to the Rules to strengthen protections systems at grid interfaces operating at voltages of 220kV AC or above. The key changes are:
1. Requiring duplicated main protection systems on both sides of grid interfaces that meet industry best practice for reliability.
2. Defining main protection systems and circuit breaker failure protection.
3. Adding an appendix specifying design requirements for duplicated main protection systems, such as separate current transformers, voltage supplies, trip circuits for circuit breakers and segregated cabling.
4. Providing exemptions for existing equipment to comply until replacement.
This document proposes amendments to the Rules to strengthen protections systems at grid interfaces operating at voltages of 220kV AC or above. The key changes are:
1. Requiring duplicated main protection systems on both sides of grid interfaces that meet industry best practice for reliability.
2. Defining main protection systems and circuit breaker failure protection.
3. Adding an appendix specifying design requirements for duplicated main protection systems, such as separate current transformers, voltage supplies, trip circuits for circuit breakers and segregated cabling.
4. Providing exemptions for existing equipment to comply until replacement.
This Appendix presents the amendments proposed to the Rules.
a.
Amend rule 4.4.2 of technical code A of schedule C3 of part C of the
Rules as follows: 4.4
Protection of assets and the grid
Each asset owner will ensure that it provides protection systems for its assets that are connected to, or form part of, the grid. Each asset owner must also ensure that:
4.4.1
4.4.2
Duplicated main protection systems are
provided Duplicated main protection systems are provided, by that asset owner, at the grid interface at voltages of 220 kV AC or above, so that duplicated main protection systems are provided on each side of the grid interface. The asset owner must also ensure that such main protection systems are designed, tested and maintained in accordance with good industry practice and the requirements set out in Appendix A; Main protection systems on both sides of the grid interface at 220 kV are designed to follow industry best practice such that there are either duplicate protections or two different main protections which have a similar probability of detection. Circuits breaker duplication is not required. A circuit-breaker failure protection system shall be provided for each 220 kV circuit breaker; and
4.4.2A For the purposes of rule 4.4.2, good industry
practice means that design, testing and maintenance of duplicated main protection systems conform to electricity industry standards and practices as they are reasonably and ordinarily applied by a skilled and experienced asset owner to current installations in the New Zealand 220 kV context; and 4.4.2B A circuit breaker failure protection system is provided for each circuit breaker at voltages of 220 kV AC or above. Circuit breaker duplication is not required; and
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b.
Include new definitions in part A of the Rules:
main protection system means a protection system designed to detect one or more types of fault and disconnect the faulted asset from the grid with the minimum of disruption to the grid and non-faulted assets circuit breaker failure protection means a protection system which:
c.
(a)
operates because a circuit breaker has failed to disconnect a
faulted asset from the grid in the allocated time;
(b)
may disconnect unfaulted assets as well as the faulted asset; and
(c)
which need not be duplicated
Add the following appendix to technical code A of schedule C3 of part C of
the Rules: Appendix A: Duplicated main protection system requirements either side of the grid interface at 220 kV AC or higher For the purpose of rule 4.4.2 of this technical code, duplicated main protection systems either side of the grid interface at voltages of 220 kV AC or above must meet the requirements set out below. 1. Duplicate main protection systems (main 1 and main 2 protection) must be designed with sufficient coverage and probability of detection that if any or all parts of one main protection system fail, the other main protection system will disconnect a faulted asset before backup protection initiates the disconnection of other non-faulted assets. 2. Main 1 protection must be different to that selected for main 2 protection to reduce the risk of common mode failures. Relays from the same manufacturer, including digital and analogue combinations, are only permitted provided that the measurement principles used for main 1 and main 2 protection are different. 3. Subject to rules 4, 5, 6 and 7 of this Appendix, each duplicated main protection system must have: (i)
a separate current transformer core, or equivalent
instrument, and cabling;
(ii)
a voltage transformer supply, or equivalent instrument,
separately fused at the voltage transformer and separately cabled;
(iii)
a separate trip circuit in each of the circuit breakers it
trips;
(iv)
separate protection signalling cabling and connections,
where protection signalling is used;
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(v)
a separate test facility (separate test blocks or test
switches and test terminals);
(vi)
supervision of fused protection circuits, including DC and
voltage transformer circuits;
(vii)
supervision of the electrical continuity of the circuit
breaker trip circuits; and
(viii)
segregation of cabling, designed to minimise the number of
connections in any protection circuit, and to minimise the risk of accidental interference with those circuits and cabling.
4. The DC supply to duplicated main protection systems must consist
of two independent station batteries, each with its own charger, supervision and with a capacity and carry over duty to cover charger failure until repair and restoration. Station batteries may feed a common primary DC busbar that is isolated and insulated. The DC supply to each duplicated main protection system must be separately fused at the primary DC busbar. 5. A current transformer commissioned prior to [date to be inserted17], if not fitted with sufficient cores, is not required to comply with the requirements of rule 3(i) of this Appendix A until the current transformer is replaced. 6. A circuit breaker commissioned prior to [date to be inserted17], if not designed to incorporate a second trip coil, is not required to comply with the requirements of 3(iii) of this Appendix A until the circuit breaker is replaced. 7. Cabling commissioned prior to [date to be inserted17], if not designed to be segregated, is not required to comply with the segregation requirements of rule 3(viii) of this Appendix A until the cabling replaced. d. Make a minor typographical correction to the defined term, circuitbreaker18, to remove the hyphen between the words circuit and breaker in part A of the rules, and in rule 4.3 of technical code A of schedule C3 of part C of the Rules.
17 18
To be the date on which these rule amendments come into effect.
The term circuit-breaker is not used elsewhere in the Rules other than in technical code C of schedule C3 of part C. References in technical code C will be updated under a separate rule amendment proposal.