Protection Relay Testing: Reliability and Safety for the Power System
Protection relays play an essential role in the operational safety of electric power systems, being responsible for detecting faults and commanding the opening or closing of circuit breakers in order to isolate affected sections and ensure the continuity and integrity of the electrical grid. To guarantee reliable operation, relays must undergo periodic and rigorous testing to ensure they are correctly configured and functioning.
The Importance of Protection Relay Testing
Performing tests on protection relays is a mandatory and strategic step in the processes of commissioning, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, periodic inspections, and factory (FAT) and site (SAT) acceptance tests. These tests verify the relay’s performance under simulated fault conditions, ensuring its protection functions respond accurately and in a timely manner.
Conprove Solutions for Relay Testing
Conprove is a national reference in technology for testing protection, automation, and measurement equipment. To meet the demands of the electrical sector with efficiency and innovation, we have developed a complete line of universal testers—versatile and robust models capable of testing any type of relay on the market, from the simplest to multifunctional and digital relays (IEDs).
Our relay testing equipment is compliant with major industry standards and enables:
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Precise signal generation of current and voltage;
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Automated test sequence execution;
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Dynamic and real-time simulations;
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Operating time evaluation;
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Double and simultaneous injection testing;
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Full analysis with automatic generation of technical reports.
Iterative Closed-Loop Testing
As a differential, Conprove offers an innovative methodology based on iterative closed-loop testing, allowing full validation of the relay’s operational logic in interaction with other system devices such as circuit breakers and IEDs.
This type of testing is essential to verify:
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The consistency between relay behavior and its logic programming;
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The total operation time relative to the breaker opening/closing logic;
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The system’s performance under realistic conditions, considering communication and response times of the loop elements.
This approach ensures a high degree of reliability in testing, enabling the identification of hidden logic failures that might go unnoticed in conventional tests.
Applications and Benefits
Conprove’s relay testing solutions are applied in:
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Commissioning of new systems (ensuring correct relay configuration);
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FAT/SAT testing (system validation in factory and on-site);
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Preventive and corrective maintenance (ensuring operational continuity);
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Regulatory inspections (meeting technical standards and authority requirements);
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Modernization and retrofit projects (replacing or updating outdated relays).
Key benefits include:
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Reduced testing time with automated solutions;
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Accurate diagnostics with graphs, measurements, and reports;
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Improved operational safety of the electrical plant;
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Compliance with standards such as IEC 61850, IEEE C37, among others.
Discover Conprove Solutions
Whether in substations, industrial plants, or generation, transmission, or distribution systems, Conprove offers the best technological and methodological resources for protection relay testing. Our equipment and software are developed in Brazil, with specialized technical support, comprehensive training, and constant technological updates.