Loop Automation

For ADVC Controllers

With the flexVUE Operator Interface

Loop Automation – An Overview
Loop Automation is a Distributed ● Loop Automation can also restore the
System Automation (DSA) scheme normal network configuration
that will restore supply to fault free automatically when the faulted section
sections of a network if they have is repaired.
been disconnected because of a fault
in another section of the network. ● The distributed intelligence embedded
in the reclosers operates the scheme
without communications or operator
intervention by using built-in voltage
detection.

● No additional equipment is required. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 2

Loop Automation – Operating Principle
Loop Automation reconfigures a It achieves this through a number of
network to restore supply to fault free steps:
sections of a network.
-Isolate faulted section.

-Reconfigure network so that unfaulted

sections receive supply.

-Automatically restore the normal

configuration when the fault is
removed. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 3

Types of ACR
There can be three ‘Types’ of ACR in ● Feeder ACR
a Loop Automation Scheme - ACRs closest to the substation.
● Tie ACR
- Normally Open point where two feeders
meet.
● Mid-point ACR
- ACRs anywhere on network between
Feeder and Tie ACRs.

Feeder ACRs Mid-point ACRs Tie ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 4

Loop Automation Re-configuration Rules
ACRs in a Loop Automation scheme ● Rule A:
behave according to the rules - A Feeder ACR trips when it loses supply.
determined by their ‘type’. ● Rule B:
- A Mid-point ACR changes to “B” Protection
group and activates single shot mode
when the source supply is lost.
● Rule C:
- The Tie ACR closes when supply is lost on
one side only. i.e. Other supply is
available. 

Feeder ACRs Mid-point ACRs Tie ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 5

Loop Automation Re-configuration - Example
This is an example of how Loop ● Rule B:
Automation can re-configure a - A Mid-point ACR changes to “B”
network following a protection Protection group and activates single
operation. shot mode when the source supply is
lost.
● Rule C:
- The Tie ACR closes when supply is lost
on one side only. i.e. Other supply is
available

B Prot Group Single Shot

A

Feeder ACRs Mid-point ACRs Tie ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 6

Loop Automation Restoration Rules
Loop Automation can also be ● Rule D
configured to perform auto - A Mid-point ACR closes when supply is
restoration. restored to both sides.

● Rule E:
- The Tie ACR trips when power flow
reduces by 50%, or
- Power flow direction reversal

B Prot Group Single Shot

Feeder ACRs Mid-point ACRs Tie ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 7

Loop Automation Restoration – Mid Point
Loop Automation can also be ● Rule D
configured to perform auto - A Mid-point ACR closes when supply is
restoration. restored to both sides.

B Prot Group Single Shot

Feeder ACRs Mid-point ACRs Tie ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 8

Loop Automation Restoration – Tie
Loop Automation can also be ● Rule D
configured to perform auto - A Mid-point ACR closes when supply is
restoration. restored to both sides.

● Rule E:
- The Tie ACR trips when power flow
reduces by 50%, or
- Power flow direction reversal

B Prot Group Single Shot

A

Feeder ACRs Mid-point ACRs Tie ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 9

Using Loop Automation for Auto-Changeover
Loop Automation can also be used to ● Rule A:
provide a secure supply to a critical - The Feeder ACR trips when it loses
load by implementing an Auto- supply.
Changeover (ACO) scheme.
● Rule C:
- The Tie ACR closes when supply is lost
on one side only. i.e. Other supply is
available

Tie ACR

Feeder ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 10

Using Loop Automation for ACO Restoration
Make before Break restoration can be ● Rule F:
achieved using Loop Automation - The Feeder ACR closes when source
functionality. supply is restored and it was tripped by
LA, or
- When supply is restored on both sides

● Rule E:
- The Tie ACR trips when power flow
reduces by 50%, or
- Power flow direction reversal

Tie ACR

Feeder ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 11

Auto Changeover – Pros and Cons
There are some points to be ● Advantage
considered when using Loop
Automation in an Auto Changeover - No communications required between
scheme. the ACRs.

● Disadvantage

- Only Make before Break restoration is

available. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 12

Lockout and End of Sequence
When an ACR has gone to Lockout ● Where automatic facilities are
there is no longer any possibility of it enabled it is possible that, even
closing automatically. though an ACR has gone through its
reclose sequence to ‘Lockout’, the
automation logic may command a
EVENT LOG close at some later time.
End of Sequence
● In this instance, the state of the ACR
cannot be described as ‘Lockout’ as
the word ‘Lockout’ implies that the
ACR will not perform any further
automatic operations until an operator
intervenes.

● Instead of ‘Lockout’ the term ‘End of

Sequence’ is used. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 13

Loop Automation Configuration
Configuring a Loop Automation 1. Setting up the type of ACR
scheme can be achieved in three - Feeder
steps. - Midpoint
- Tie

2. Setting the Loop Automation Time

for each device.

3. Selecting Auto Restore if required.

However it must be understood that

Loop Automation relies on the
protection being set correctly so that
the ACR nearest the fault trips to
lockout. Otherwise Loop Automation
will not operated as expected. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 14

Loop Automation Timing
Each ACR in a Loop Automation ● Loop Automation only comes into
scheme is primarily a protection effect after a set time has elapsed
device in that they will trip when they following the detection of a loss of
detect a fault and attempt a number of power.
reclose operations as defined by the
user. ● Loop Automation is not needed if the
ACR is successful in clearing the fault
and restoring supply during this
period.
● Loop Automation should only take
effect after there is no possibility of
the supply being restored by an auto-
reclose from the ACR.
● To ensure that this occurs the ‘Loop
Automation Time’ must be set for a
period greater than the longest auto-
reclose time possible plus a safety
margin of several seconds. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 15

 Loop Automation Example Timing Diagram
FAULT
TRIP CLOSE LOCKOUT TIE CLOSE
SUPPLY
System Voltage

SOURCE LIVE/DEAD STATUS

LIVE
S S S S
T T T T
DEAD

Loop Automation Timers START START

RESET CO-ORDINATION TIME
A B
FEEDER RECLOSER
LA TIME TRIP

MID-POINT RECLOSER
LA TIME CHANGE SETTINGS

TIE RECLOSER
LA TIME CLOSE

ADJACENT
FEEDER TIE TIMEOUT

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 16

Making Loop Automation Available

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 17

Configuring Loop Automation in WSOS

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 18

Configuring a Feeder ACR
An ACR can only be configured as a ● Activation Delay
Feeder Type if it is closed. - Loop Automation should only take
effect after there is no possibility of the
supply being restored by an auto-
reclose operation.
- To ensure that this occurs the Activation
Time plus the Supply Timeout must be
longer than the longest reclose time
that could occur in an auto-reclose
sequence plus a safety margin of
several seconds.

● Pickup
- Block Trigger causes Loop Automation
to ignore any loss of supply events
while in pickup.
- Allow Trigger should be used if the
Fault Reset Time is longer than the
Supply Timeout setting. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 19

Configuring a Feeder ACR
An ACR can only be configured as a ● Auto Restore
Feeder Type if it is closed. - If Auto Restore is required it must firstly
be made available and then turned On.

● Loss of Phase/Loop Automation

- These features can be linked such that
turning one On/Off turns the other
On/Off. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 20

Configuring a Midpoint ACR
An ACR can only be configured as a ● The settings for a Midpoint ACR are
Midpoint Type if it is closed. the same as for a Feeder ACR.

● Activation Delay
- 3 – 1800 seconds

● Pickup
- Blocks Trigger or Allows Trigger

● Auto Restore
- Available/Not Available
- On/Off

● Loss of Phase/Loop Automation

- Linked/Not Linked

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 21

Configuring a Tie ACR
An ACR can only be configured as a ● Tie Restoration
Tie Type if it is open - This setting determines whether a Tie
ACR reconfigures supply in both
directions or just from Source to Load.
- Settings: One Way / Two Way 

Some settings are specific to the Tie

Type ACR

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 22

Configuring a Tie ACR
An ACR can only be configured as a ● Arming Mode
Tie Type if it is open - Default mode causes Loop Automation
to only operate if loss of voltage occurs
after there has been live voltage whilst
Loop Automation is active.
- Alternate can be used to allow Loop
Automation to respond to conditions
that exist when Loop Automation is
turned on.
- e.g. If Loop Automation is turned on
while the Tie is live on the source and
dead on the load the LA timer would
start.
- Alternate mode will avoid the problem
of manually closing a tie while an
upstream device is mid sequence.
Warning: Alternate mode may cause - Using the Alternate mode resolves this
as the LA time of the Tie is always
turning LA on to close the switch
configured greater than the sequence
before any loss of supply events are time of upstream devices.
generated.

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 23

Writing a WSOS File with Loop Automation ON
Writing a WSOS file to an ACR This is so that a configuration which
controller will automatically turn Loop had Loop Automation set to ON, when
Automation Off. it was saved or created, does not
inadvertently turn it ON when loaded
into the controller. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 24

 Making Loop Automation Available on the Panel

ENGINEERING MENU
Protection menu
Configuration menu
↕
Power quality
Telemetry menu
Automation menu
Measurements menu

PROTECTION MENU AUTOMATION POWER QUALITY

Protection Global
↕ Loop Automation
↕ Supply Outage
Sag Swell Menu
↕
Protection Trip Settings
Protection Control Wave Capture
Directional Elements
MEASUREMENTS MENU

TELEMETRY MENU
Current
Voltage
↕
Configure Ports
Configure Comms
↕ Frequency
CONFIGURATION MENU Power
System settings
Feature selection
↕ Energy
Demand
Radio
Maintenance
IOEX Status
AUTOMATION
Loop Auto Available
Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 25
 Loop Automation Configuration on the Panel

ENGINEERING MENU
Protection menu
Configuration menu
↕
Power quality
Telemetry menu
Automation menu
Measurements menu

PROTECTION MENU AUTOMATION POWER QUALITY

Protection Global
↕ Loop Automation
↕ Supply Outage
Sag Swell Menu
↕
Protection Trip Settings
Protection Control Wave Capture
Directional Elements
MEASUREMENTS MENU

TELEMETRY MENU
Current
Voltage
↕
Configure Ports
Configure Comms
↕ Frequency
CONFIGURATION MENU Power
System settings
Feature selection
↕ Energy
Demand
Radio
Maintenance
IOEX Status

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 26

Loop Automation Configuration on the Panel

ENGINEERING MENU
Protection menu
Configuration menu
↕
Power quality
Telemetry menu
Automation menu
Measurements menu

AUTOMATION
AUTOMATION MENU AUTOMATION MENU
Loop Auto On/Off
Loop Auto Status
↕
Loop Auto On Tie/Midpoint/Feeder ACR Delay Time 30s
Tie Restore One/Both way
Delay Time
AUTOMATION MENU LOP/Loop Linked/Unlinked
AUTOMATION MENU
Auto Restore Avail/Not Av
Loop Automation Normal Auto Restore On/Off
LOP/Loop Unlinked

AUTOMATION MENU AUTOMATION MENU

Feeder ACR Auto Res. Not Avail

AUTOMATION MENU
AutoRestore OFF
Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 27
Loop Automation - Review
● What are the three types of ACR in a Loop Automation scheme?
Feeder, Mid-Point and Tie
● What would ACRs used in an Auto Changeover scheme be designated?
- Feeder – Preferred Supply
- Tie – Alternate Supply
● What does an ‘End of Sequence’ event indicate?
- An auto reclose sequence has gone through to what would normally be
‘Lockout’, but Loop Automation is on, and a close could occur
automatically.
● In order to ensure that Loop Automation only comes into effect when there
is no possibility of the supply being restored by an auto reclose, the Loop
Automation time should be set longer than:
- The longest possible Auto Reclose time
(minus the supply timeout, plus a safety margin)
● What state must an ACR be in to be designated a Tie ACR?
- Open. 

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 28

Loop Automation – Activity
1. Manually create a new WSOS5 file for an ADVC controller with a setVUE panel connected
to an N Series ACR.
2. Use the Feature Selection page to make Loop Automation available and turn it On.
3. Configure the file for a Feeder ACR with an Activation Time of 40 seconds and Auto
Restore On.
4. Go on-line with WSOS5 and write the Protection settings to the controller.
5. Check the on-line file to ensure that the Loop Automation configuration settings have been
written but Loop Automation is Off.
6. Select Loop Automation On via WSOS5 and check that the status is Normal.
7. Use Waveform Generation to simulate system voltage on the Source side of the ACR.
8. Remove the simulated Source side voltage and check that Loop Automation times out
correctly and trips the ACR.
9. Restore the simulated Source side voltage and check that Loop Automation times out
correctly to close the ACR. .

Schneider Electric – < AUTHOR > – <DATE> 29