Vaisala OPT100 for Online Transformer Monitoring to Support the IEC 61850 Standard

Power substation
Published:
Power Generation and Transmission

Vaisala
News Release
March 12, 2019

Vaisala OPT100 for Online Transformer Monitoring to Support the IEC 61850 Standard

 

Vaisala expands the capabilities of its OptimusTM DGA Monitor OPT100 to cover IEC 61850, the international standard for communication protocols starting late March.

Vaisala OptimusTM DGA Monitor OPT100 is the ideal choice for power utilities wishing to achieve long-term stability, reliability, and measurement performance in their operations and avoid power outages.  OPT100 uses non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) technology, and through vacuum gas extraction, it measures continuously the amount of fault gases in the transformer oil, making it easier to monitor its condition. The monitor has a web-based interface that eliminates the need for additional software. 

Since the number of devices on a substation is increasing, the level of automation and communication capabilities between the devices have become essential. As an integrated feature, the OPT100 supports DNP3 and Modbus communication protocols. Both protocols enable the supervisory control and data acquisition system in the control center to collect gas measurement and gas alert information from the OPT100. Modbus is a widely used communication protocol in industrial electronic equipment. DNP3 is a standard communications protocol, tailored to the needs of power utility companies.

In addition to Modbus and DNP3, OPT100 functionality will now expand to cover also IEC 61850, the newest international standard for communication protocols for devices at electrical substations. Unlike the older standards, IEC 61850 standard focuses on the language the devices speak. This enables the devices to not only communicate together but also understand each other without additional configuration or implementation. As a result, much higher level of automation is possible between devices from many vendors with a lower cost. By supporting IEC 61850, OPT100 measurement results and gas alert status can be automatically read from any device connected to the monitoring network. With configurable, buffered reports in the OPT100, customer systems can reliably and quickly receive exactly the information they are interested in.

“The number of electrical substations using IEC 61850 is increasing, as IEC 61850 makes it simple to share the information between devices. With the OPT100 supporting the standard, we wanted to offer our customers the enhanced experience for monitoring, even when the personnel resides in centralized control rooms,” says Teemu Hanninen, Product Manager from Vaisala’s Industrial Measurements.

IEC 61850 support is a licensed feature that can be purchased as an option for the OPT100 starting late March. When placing an order, by choosing the IEC 61850 option the customer guarantees their OPT100 devices are future proof with the newest, most flexible communication protocol supported.

Read more about Vaisala’s OptimusTM DGA Monitor OPT100.


More information for the media:
Vaisala Media Desk
+358 20 6198800
[email protected]

 

Vaisala is a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement. Building on over 80 years of experience, Vaisala contributes to a better quality of life by providing a comprehensive range of innovative observation and measurement products and services for chosen weather-related and industrial markets. Headquartered in Finland, Vaisala employs approximately 1,850 professionals worldwide and is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange. vaisala.com twitter.com/VaisalaGroup