Use of IEEE 1588-2008 for a sampled value process bus in transmission substations

IEC Technical Committee 57 (TC57) published a series of standards and technical reports for “Communication networks and systems for power utility automation” as the IEC 61850 series. Sampled value (SV) process buses allow for the removal of potentially lethal voltages and damaging currents inside substation control rooms and marshalling kiosks, reduce the amount of cabling required in substations, and facilitate the adoption of non-conventional instrument transformers. IEC 61850-9-2 provides an inter-operable solution to support multi-vendor process bus solutions. A time synchronisation system is required for a SV process bus, however the details are not defined in IEC 61850-9-2. IEEE Std 1588-2008, Precision Time Protocol version 2 (PTPv2), provides the greatest accuracy of network based time transfer systems, with timing errors of less than 100 ns achievable. PTPv2 is proposed by the IEC Smart Grid Strategy Group to synchronise IEC 61850 based substation automation systems. IEC 61850-9-2, PTPv2 and Ethernet are three complementary protocols that together define the future of sampled value digital process connections in substations. The suitability of PTPv2 for use with SV is evaluated, with preliminary results indicating that steady state performance is acceptable (jitter < 300 ns), and that extremely stable grandmaster oscillators are required to ensure SV timing requirements are met when recovering from loss of external synchronisation (such as GPS).

Multivariate Markov Process Models for the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in a hospital ward

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen that continues to be of major concern in hospitals. We develop models and computational schemes based on observed weekly incidence data to estimate MRSA transmission parameters. We extend the deterministic model of McBryde, Pettitt, and McElwain (2007, Journal of Theoretical Biology 245, 470–481) involving an underlying population of MRSA colonized patients and health-care workers that describes, among other processes, transmission between uncolonized patients and colonized health-care workers and vice versa. We develop new bivariate and trivariate Markov models to include incidence so that estimated transmission rates can be based directly on new colonizations rather than indirectly on prevalence. Imperfect sensitivity of pathogen detection is modeled using a hidden Markov process. The advantages of our approach include (i) a discrete valued assumption for the number of colonized health-care workers, (ii) two transmission parameters can be incorporated into the likelihood, (iii) the likelihood depends on the number of new cases to improve precision of inference, (iv) individual patient records are not required, and (v) the possibility of imperfect detection of colonization is incorporated. We compare our approach with that used by McBryde et al. (2007) based on an approximation that eliminates the health-care workers from the model, uses Markov chain Monte Carlo and individual patient data. We apply these models to MRSA colonization data collected in a small intensive care unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

Reliability analysis and economic equipment replacement appraisal for substation and sub-transmission systems with explicit inclusion of non-repairable failures

The modern society has come to expect the electrical energy on demand, while many of the facilities in power systems are aging beyond repair and maintenance. The risk of failure is increasing with the aging equipments and can pose serious consequences for continuity of electricity supply. As the equipments used in high voltage power networks are very expensive, economically it may not be feasible to purchase and store spares in a warehouse for extended periods of time. On the other hand, there is normally a significant time before receiving equipment once it is ordered. This situation has created a considerable interest in the evaluation and application of probability methods for aging plant and provisions of spares in bulk supply networks, and can be of particular importance for substations. Quantitative adequacy assessment of substation and sub-transmission power systems is generally done using a contingency enumeration approach which includes the evaluation of contingencies, classification of the contingencies based on selected failure criteria. The problem is very complex because of the need to include detailed modelling and operation of substation and sub-transmission equipment using network flow evaluation and to consider multiple levels of component failures. In this thesis a new model associated with aging equipment is developed to combine the standard tools of random failures, as well as specific model for aging failures. This technique is applied in this thesis to include and examine the impact of aging equipments on system reliability of bulk supply loads and consumers in distribution network for defined range of planning years. The power system risk indices depend on many factors such as the actual physical network configuration and operation, aging conditions of the equipment, and the relevant constraints. The impact and importance of equipment reliability on power system risk indices in a network with aging facilities contains valuable information for utilities to better understand network performance and the weak links in the system. In this thesis, algorithms are developed to measure the contribution of individual equipment to the power system risk indices, as part of the novel risk analysis tool. A new cost worth approach was developed in this thesis that can make an early decision in planning for replacement activities concerning non-repairable aging components, in order to maintain a system reliability performance which economically is acceptable. The concepts, techniques and procedures developed in this thesis are illustrated numerically using published test systems. It is believed that the methods and approaches presented, substantially improve the accuracy of risk predictions by explicit consideration of the effect of equipment entering a period of increased risk of a non-repairable failure.

Test and evaluation of non conventional instrument transformers and sampled value process bus on Powerlink's transmission network

IEC 61850 Process Bus technology has the potential to improve cost, performance and reliability of substation design. Substantial costs associated with copper wiring (designing, documentation, construction, commissioning and troubleshooting) can be reduced with the application of digital Process Bus technology, especially those based upon international standards. An IEC 61850-9-2 based sampled value Process Bus is an enabling technology for the application of Non-Conventional Instrument Transformers (NCIT). Retaining the output of the NCIT in its native digital form, rather than conversion to an analogue output, allows for improved transient performance, dynamic range, safety, reliability and reduced cost. In this paper we report on a pilot installation using NCITs communicating across a switched Ethernet network using the UCAIug Implementation Guideline for IEC 61850-9-2 (9-2 Light Edition or 9-2LE). This system was commissioned in a 275 kV Line Reactor bay at Powerlink Queensland’s Braemar substation in 2009, with sampled value protection IEDs 'shadowing' the existing protection system. The results of commissioning tests and twelve months of service experience using a Fibre Optic Current Transformer (FOCT) from Smart Digital Optics (SDO) are presented, including the response of the system to fault conditions. A number of remaining issues to be resolved to enable wide-scale deployment of NCITs and IEC 61850-9-2 Process Bus technology are also discussed.

'Attaching' warning statements by facsimile transmission

Section 366(1) of the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 (Qld) (‘PAMD’) provides that a relevant contract must have attached, as its first or top sheet, a statement in the approved form being a warning statement. Failure to comply with this statutory requirement entitles a purchaser to terminate the contract. The meaning to be attributed to the statutory reference to ‘attached’ will clearly be problematic where documentation is sent by way of facsimile transmission. This was the issue that arose for consideration by Newton DCJ in MNM Developments Pty Ltd v Gerrard [2005] QDC 10.

Le vie dell'Impero. Le strade coloniali italiane e il loro rapporto con la manualistica del Ventennio

Imperial roads. The Italian colonial routes and their relationship with 1920-40 manuals

Infrared transmission and emission spectroscopic study of selected Chinese palygorskites

Infrared and infrared emission spectroscopy were used to analyze the difference in structure and thermal behavior of two Chinese palygorskites. The position of the main bands identified in the infrared spectra of the palygorskites studied is similar for these two Chinese samples, but there are some differences in their intensity, which is significant. This discrepancy is attributed to various geological environments in different regions and the existence of impurities. The infrared emission spectra clearly show the structural changes and dehydroxylation of the palygorskites when the temperature is raised. The dehydration of the palygorskites is followed by the loss of intensity of the OH stretching vibration bands in the region 3600-3200 cm-1. Dehydroxylation is followed by the decrease in intensity in the bands between 3700 and 3550 cm-1. Dehydration of pure palygorskite was completed by 600 °C. Partial loss of coordinated water was observed at 400 °C. Infrared emission spectroscopy is an effective method to determine the stability of the mineral.